DETAILED ACTION
Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 103 which forms the basis for all obviousness rejections set forth in this Office action:
A patent for a claimed invention may not be obtained, notwithstanding that the claimed invention is not identically disclosed as set forth in section 102, if the differences between the claimed invention and the prior art are such that the claimed invention as a whole would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to which the claimed invention pertains. Patentability shall not be negated by the manner in which the invention was made.
Claim(s) 1-3, 5, 6, 15-18, 20, and 21 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Bergeron (US 2008/0253871 A1) in view of Lohmueller et al. (DE 102009018052 A1).
Regarding claim 1, Bergeron discloses a manufacturing system for processing workpieces (7), comprising a manufacturing cell (10); a plurality of pallets (14) each configured to support one or more workpieces (7); at least one robotic device (11) mounted in the manufacturing cell (10) and configured to operate ([0023], lines 6-10) on the one or more workpieces (7); at least two processing stations (13), including a first processing station (F) and a second processing station (S), each located in the manufacturing cell (10) and each configured to support any one of the plurality of pallets (14) in fixed position relative to the at least one robotic device (11), and the first and second processing stations (F, S) are within reach of a same robotic device (11); a transport device (i.e., forklift; [0028], lines 16-17) configured to transport any one of the plurality of pallets (14) to and from each of the first processing station (F) and the second processing (S) station; a controller (20; Fig. 3) configured to coordinate the operation ([0022]) of the manufacturing cell (10) in a manner allowing the same robotic device (11) to continuously operate on a first workpiece (7) supported by one of the plurality of pallets (14) at the first processing station (F) while the transport device transports another one of the plurality of pallets (14) supporting a second workpiece (7) to or from the second processing (S) station respectively before or after the same robotic device (11) operates on the second workpiece (7) at the second processing station (S); and wherein the first workpiece (7) and the second workpiece (7) each remain on a respective pallet (14) during transportation to and from the first processing station (F) or the second processing station (S) and while being operated on by the same robotic device (11).
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Regarding claim 2, Bergeron discloses wherein the manufacturing cell (10) includes a plurality of pallet stations (PS), each configured to support one of the plurality of pallets (14).
Regarding claim 3, Bergeron discloses wherein the pallet stations (PS) are configured as a processing station (13).
Regarding claim 5, Bergeron discloses a locating system (45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50; [0028] – [0031]; Figs. 4-6) configured to couple any one of the pallets (14) to either one of the first and second processing stations (F, S) in a precise and repeatable location and orientation relative to the robotic device (11).
Regarding claim 6, Bergeron discloses wherein the locating system is a three-point locating system (45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50; [0028] – [0031]; Figs. 4-6) having three locating points (45) arranged in a triangular pattern (A, B, C).
Regarding claim 15, Bergeron discloses a manufacturing cell (10) for processing workpieces (7), comprising at least one robotic device (11) configured to operate ([0023], lines 6-10) on a workpiece (7) supported on any one of a plurality of pallets (14), each of the pallets (14) configured to be transported by a transport device (i.e., forklift; [0028], lines 16-17); a first processing station (F) and a second processing station (S), each located within reach of a same robotic device (11) and each configured to support any one of the pallets (14) in fixed position relative to the same robotic device (11); a controller (20; Fig. 3) configured to coordinate the operation ([0022]) of the manufacturing cell (10) in a manner allowing the same robotic device (11) to continuously operate on a workpiece (7) supported by one of the plurality of pallets (14) at the first processing station (F) while the transport device transports another one of the plurality of pallets (14) or from the second processing station (S) respectively before or after the same robotic device (11) operates on another workpiece (7) at the second processing station (S); and wherein each workpiece (7) remains on a respective pallet (14) during transportation to and from the first processing station (F) or the second processing station (S) and while being operated on by the same robotic device (11).
Regarding claim 16, Bergeron discloses processing workpieces (7), comprising supporting one or more workpieces (7) on each of a plurality of pallets (14); transporting, using a transport device (i.e., forklift; [0028], lines 16-17), any one of the plurality of pallets (14) to a first processing station (F) located in a manufacturing cell (10) within reach of a robotic device (11); and operating ([0022]; [0023], lines 6-10), using the robotic device (11) under the control of a controller (15; 20; Fig. 3), on a first workpiece (7) supported by one of the plurality of pallets (14) at the first processing station (F) while another one of the plurality of pallets (14) supporting a second workpiece (7) is transferred to or from a second processing station (S) respectively before or after the same robotic device (11) operates on the second workpiece (7) at the second processing station (S), and the first and second processing stations (F, S) are located within reach of the same robotic device (11); and wherein the first workpiece (7) and the second workpiece (7) each remain on a respective pallet (14) during transportation to and from the first processing station (F) or the second processing station (S) and while being operated on by the robotic device (11).
Regarding claim 17, Bergeron discloses transporting (i.e., forklift; [0028], lines 16-17) any one of the plurality of pallets (14) to and/or from a plurality of pallet stations (PS).
Regarding claim 18, Bergeron discloses transporting any one of the plurality of pallets (14) to and/or from a feed station (FS) configured to support any one of the plurality of pallets (14) prior to transporting, via the transport device (i.e., forklift; [0028], lines 16-17), from the feed station (FS) to one or more processing stations (13).
Regarding claim 20, Bergeron discloses coupling, using a locating system (45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50; [0028] – [0030]; Figs. 4-6), any one of the pallets (14) to either one of the first and second processing stations (F, S) in a precise and repeatable location and orientation relative to the robotic device (11).
Regarding claim 21, Bergeron discloses wherein coupling any one of the pallets to either one of the first and second processing stations comprises: coupling ([0029] – [0030]), using at least one three-point locating system (A, B, C), any one of the pallets (14) to either one of the first and second processing stations (F, S).
Bergeron, however, does not disclose the controller configured to coordinate the operation of the manufacturing cell by controlling the movement of the transport device, or using a transport device under control of a controller.
Lohmueller discloses a transport device (1; Fig. 1) wherein movement of the transport device is controlled by a control unit (see machine translation).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention substitute the transport device of Bergeron with a transport device controlled by or used with a control unit, in light of the teachings of Lohmueller, in order to provide automated control of the transport device.
Claim(s) 9 and 23 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Bergeron (US 2008/0253871 A1)/ Lohmueller et al. (DE 102009018052 A1) as applied to claims 1 and 16 above, and further in view of Hall et al. (US 2007/0024463 A1).
Bergeron/Lohmueller discloses all of the claimed subject except for wherein at least one of the processing stations includes at least one of the following: an RFID read/write head configured to read an RFID tag included with each pallet to allow the controller to positively identify the pallet located at the first processing station and/or at the second processing station; and a set of tooling features for verifying the location of the pallet relative to a world coordinate system of the manufacturing cell; or further comprising at least one of the following: reading, via an RFID read/write head, an RFID tag included with each pallet to allow a controller to positively identify the pallet located at the first processing station and/or at the second processing station; and verifying, using a set of tooling features, the location of the pallet relative to a world coordinate system of the manufacturing cell.
Hall discloses providing (pg. 3, [0029] and [0031]) an RFID read/write head (206; Fig. 2) configured to read an RFID tag (204; Fig. 2) included with each pallet (202; pg. 3, [0031], lines 13-14) to allow the controller (210; pg. 3, [0032] – [0033]; Fig. 2) to positively identify the pallet (202) and the operations to be performed at the processing stations. Hall discloses reading, via an RFID read/write head (206), an RFID tag (204; Fig. 3) included with each pallet (202; pg. 3, [0031], lines 13-14) to allow a controller (210) to positively identify the pallet (202) located at the processing stations [pg. 3, [0029]).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to provide an RFID read/write head configured to read an RFID tag included with each pallet to allow the controller to positively identify the pallet located at the first processing station and/or at the second processing station of Bergeron/Lohmueller, and to read via an RFID read/write head, an RFID tag included with each pallet to allow a controller to positively identify the pallet located at the first processing station and/or at the second processing station of Bergeron, in light of the teachings of Hall, in order to provide data concerning the operation to be performed at the station.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 4, 7, 8, 10-14, 19, 22, and 24-27 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 5/7/2026 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
Applicant argues “Bergeron fails to teach or suggest "a controller configured to coordinate the operation of the manufacturing cell by controlling the movement of the transport device and the operation of the at least one robotic device," as recited in amended claims 1, 15, and 16 of the present application.”
In response, the Examiner acknowledges Bergeron does not teach the transport device being controlled by the controller. Therefore, due to applicant’s current amendment the examiner changed the rejection of claims 1, 15, and 16 from an anticipation rejection to an obviousness rejection based on combining the Bergeron reference with the newly cited reference to Lohmueller. Lohmueller teaches an automated transport device (1; Fig. 1) wherein movement of the transport device is controlled by a control unit. The robot device (16) of Bergeron has a robot controller (15) which are both ultimately controlled by controller/control system (20). Therefore, providing a transport device controlled by a separate controller for the invention of Bergeron is reasonable as the controller/control system (20) of Bergeron would be capable of controlling two different controllers to perform its automated assembly process.
Conclusion
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JERMIE E COZART whose telephone number is (571)272-4528. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday 8:30am - 7:00pm.
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/JERMIE E COZART/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3799
July 27, 2026
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