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 § 112
Rejections withdrawn.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
The text of those sections of Title 35, U.S. Code not included in this action can be found in a prior Office action.
Claim(s) 1, 3-20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by U.S. Pub. No. 2009/0112343 to Yuan.
Yuan teaches
1,11,19. A method and cell-based mobility production system for producing various types of mobilities (Fig. 3A-3E, paragraph 13, 32-35, claim 10), the system comprising:
a plurality of cells connected in series or in parallel, wherein the cells are configured to receive vehicle bodies and modify the vehicle bodies based on the type of the mobility to be produced (Fig. 1, paragraph 32-35; claim 10); and
a processor configured to:
assign works required in each cell of the plurality of cells based on a type of a mobility to be produced (Fig. 1, paragraph 32-35, “various product configurations”; claim 10);
determine a feeding order of the vehicle bodies to be fed based on the assigned works and the type of mobility to be produced (Fig. 1, paragraph 32-35); and
reassign the works required in each cell based on the feeding order of the vehicle bodies (paragraph 32-46; Applicant argues Yuan fails to teach reassigning the works required in each cell that the vehicle bodies to be fed need to go through based on the determined feeding order, wherein the feeding order is determined, at least in part based on the mobility type to be produced. The examiner disagrees. Yuan teaches redistributing of work elements based on sequence (paragraphs 35, 40, 43), which reads on reassigning the works required in each cell that the vehicle bodies to be fed need to go through based on the determined feeding order. Yuan teaches the sequence of operations (Figs. 3A-3E, paragraph 17-18) adjusted based on changes in the product requirements (paragraph 32-35), the products being vehicles (paragraph 5), which reads on the feeding order is determined, at least in part based on the mobility type to be produced.); and
control each of the plurality of cells to perform the reassigned works on the corresponding vehicle bodies to thereby assemble the various types of mobilities and assembling the various types of mobilities by performing the reassigned work on the vehicle bodies fed into each cell (paragraph 32-46).
3,20. The system of claim 19, wherein the processor is configured to reassign the works such that a total production time of the vehicle bodies to be fed based on the determined feeding order satisfies a minimum production time (paragraph 4, “Manufacturing concerns addressed in the optimization process include workload balance, equipment availability, operator well being, quality, cost, and throughput or the number of parts produced in a time span”; paragraph 36, “Rearranging each work assignment to be performed in workstations 20 embodied in the sequence of operations enables engineers to optimize the manufacturing process for throughput,”; paragraph 44, “Optimization of a sequence of operations is a complicated endeavor, requiring a balancing of resources in order to budget time, money, throughput, quality, and various other factors.”).
4. The method of claim 1, further comprising: after reassigning the works, detecting a work delay in a specific cell when the vehicle bodies are fed based on the determined feeding order; and reassigning the works again in response to detecting the work delay (paragraph 35, 40-41, delay, bottleneck).
5. The method of claim 1, wherein reassigning the works comprises: preparing a plurality of expected reassignments in which the works required in each cell for the vehicle bodies to be fed based on the determined feeding order are assigned; and selecting an optimal reassignment from among the plurality of expected reassignments, wherein a total production time of the vehicle bodies to be fed based on the determined feeding order satisfies a minimum production time in the optimal reassignment (paragraph 36, 40-54).
6. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the feeding order of the vehicle bodies comprises: preparing a plurality of expected production plans different from each other in the feeding order of the vehicle bodies; and selecting an optimal expected production plan from among the plurality of expected production plans that has a shortest total working time (paragraph 36, 40-54,).
7. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the feeding order of the vehicle bodies comprises: preparing a plurality of expected production plans different from each other in the feeding order of the vehicle bodies; and selecting an optimal expected production plan from among the plurality of expected production plans that has a shortest standby time (paragraph 36, 40-54, delay, bottleneck).
8. The method of claim 1, wherein reassigning the works comprises reassigning the works required in each cell for the vehicle bodies to be fed based on the determined feeding order and workload differences between a preceding vehicle body and a following vehicle body of the vehicle bodies (paragraph 35-46).
9. The method of claim 1, wherein reassigning the works comprises reassigning the works required in each cell for the vehicle bodies to be fed based on the determined feeding order and possible and impossible works in the respective cells (paragraph 35-46).
10,12. The method of claim 1, further comprising planning a logistics flow required in each cell based on the feeding order and the reassigned works (paragraph 35-46).
13. The method of claim 12, further comprising: after planning the logistics flow, detecting an occurrence or non-occurrence of a logistics flow issue during feeding of the vehicle bodies based on the feeding order; and performing planning the logistics flow again in response to detecting the occurrence of the logistics flow issue (paragraph 35-46).
14. The method of claim 13, wherein the logistics flow issue comprises a collision or congestion in the logistics flow (paragraphs 3, paragraph 35, 40-41, delay, bottleneck).
15. The method of claim 12, further comprising: after planning the logistics flow, detecting a work delay in a specific cell when the vehicle bodies are fed based on the feeding order; and in response to detecting the work delay, performing reassigning the works and planning the logistics flow again (paragraph 35, 40-41, delay, bottleneck).
16. The method of claim 12, further comprising, after planning the logistics flow, detecting possibility or impossibility of achieving a target production amount of each mobility when the vehicle bodies are fed based on the feeding order (paragraph 3, 34, 40).
17. The method of claim 16, wherein detecting the possibility or impossibility comprises detecting the impossibility of achieving the target production amount, the method further comprising reassigning the works and planning the logistics flow again in response to detecting the impossibility of achieving the target production amount (paragraph 3, 34, 40).
18. The method of claim 16, wherein detecting the possibility or impossibility comprises detecting the possibility of achieving the target production amount, the method further comprising fixing and applying a smart factory operation plan in response to detecting the possibility of achieving the target production amount (paragraph 3, 34, 40).
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 1/5/26 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive. Applicant argues Yuan fails to teach reassigning the works required in each cell that the vehicle bodies to be fed need to go through based on the determined feeding order, wherein the feeding order is determined, at least in part based on the mobility type to be produced. The examiner disagrees. Yuan teaches redistributing of work elements based on sequence (paragraphs 35, 40, 43), which reads on reassigning the works required in each cell that the vehicle bodies to be fed need to go through based on the determined feeding order. Yuan teaches the sequence of operations (Figs. 3A-3E, paragraph 17-18) adjusted based on changes in the product requirements (paragraph 32-35), the products being vehicles (paragraph 5), which reads on the feeding order is determined, at least in part based on the mobility type to be produced.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to SEAN P SHECHTMAN whose telephone number is (571)272-3754. The examiner can normally be reached 9:30am-6:00pm, M-F.
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/Sean Shechtman/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2896
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