Patent decision

BL number

O/0053/24

Concerning rights in

GB2101928.6

Hearing Officer

Mr B Micklewright

Decision date

25 January 2024

Person(s) or Company(s) involved

Zebra Technologies Corporation

Provisions discussed

Patents Act 1977 sections 1(1)(b), 3

Keywords

Inventive step

Related Decisions

None

Summary

The invention of claim 1 related to a barcode reading and weighing apparatus that includes off-platter detection for detecting when an item is not fully on the weighing scale. When such a detection occurs, the system sends to a point-of-sale (POS) system the measured weight modified to an out-of-bounds weight or an invalid weight. In independent claim 12 the system assigned first or second priorities to items, with the weight being modified for first priority items as in claim 1, but with the measured weight sent to the POS unmodified for second priority items. The hearing officer found that claim 1 was obvious over the cited prior art but that claim 12 involved an inventive step. He therefore provided an opportunity for the applicant to amend the application.

Full decision O/0053/24 376Kb