Appeal 2006-2018
Application 09/815,731
1 limited to having a single store, but would include plural stores.
2 Accordingly, we do not agree with Applicants (Br. 5) that "Hafner does not
3 disclose receiving data from a plurality of stores" or (Reply Br. 4) that
4 Hafner provides embodiments only for transactions between a single buyer
5 and a single supplier. Rather, we find that Hafner inherently teaches, or if
6 not, suggests a retailer or supplier having plural stores. However, from the
7 facts of Hafner, Applicant (Br. 5) correctly points out that Hafner does not
8 disclose adjusting a supply of raw materials, or the calculating or comparing
9 steps of claim 1. From fact 12 (of Yamamoto), we find that the system
10 relates to a raw materials ordering system. From facts 14 and 17 (of
11 Yamamoto) we find that the system uses Point of Sale (POS) terminals
12 which collect retail sales information and uses the collected information for
13 adjusting the forecast of raw materials needed. From the above descriptions
14 of Hafner and Yamamoto, we agree with the examiner (Final Rejection 3)
15 that an artisan would have been motivated to apply the description of
16 Yamamoto of ordering raw materials in response to received sales data, in
17 the inventory replenishment system of Hafner. Accordingly, we are not
18 persuaded by Applicants' assertion (Br. 5) that "Yamamoto makes up for
19 few of the deficiencies of Hafner." In addition, from fact 19 we find that
20 Yamamoto describes raw material in the actual and projected inventory,
21 which are the results of the amounts sold. From the disclosure of correcting
22 discrepancies of inventory, we find that Yamamoto suggests comparing raw
23 materials sold with predicted raw materials to indicate a level of
24 discrepancy, which is corrected.
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