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 .
This is in response to Applicant’s communication filed on 11/3/22, wherein:
Claims 1-8 are currently pending.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
The following is a quotation of the appropriate paragraphs of 35 U.S.C. 102 that form the basis for the rejections under this section made in this Office action:
A person shall be entitled to a patent unless –
(a)(1) the claimed invention was patented, described in a printed publication, or in public use, on sale, or otherwise available to the public before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
(a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claim(s)1-3 and 8 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by NAGAI (US 2012/0296472).
As for independent claim 1, NAGAI discloses a robot control method, for a robot including: a first member; a second member connected to the first member; a drive device configured to rotate or slide the second member with respect to the first member; and an end effector connected to the second member, wherein posture of the end effector is changed by drive of the drive device {see at least figures 1A, 1B, pars. 0029-0037 e.g. The robotic arm 1 has one end serving as a fixed end and another end serving as a movable end. An end effector 2 and a force sensor 3 are disposed at the movable end. The fixed end is fixed to a pedestal 4. The movable end of the robotic arm 1 is connected to the end effector 2 through the force sensor 3}, the robot control method comprising: detecting, based on an output signal from an inertial sensor disposed on the end effector, a gravity influence amount indicating a degree of influence of gravity received by the end effector {see at least pars. 0049, 0055-0056}; determining, based on the detected gravity influence amount, a drive algorithm for the drive device from among a plurality of drive modes {see at least pars. 0051}; and driving the drive device by the determined drive algorithm {see at least pars. 0052-0053}.
As for dep. claim 2, which discloses wherein the drive algorithm is determined based on the gravity influence amount and on a moving direction of the end effector to a target position {see NAGAI at least figure 5A}.
As for dep. claim 3, which discloses wherein the drive device rotates the second member around a rotation axis and in a plan view along the rotation axis, a centroid of the end effector is separated from the rotation axis {see NAGAI at least figure 2A and 4}.
As for independent claim 8, the limitations of this claim have been noted in the rejection above, therefore it is rejected for the same reason sets forth above.
Claims 4-7 are objected 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.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Rodnick (US 2015/0214091): Wafter handling traction control system;
Su et al (US 2018/0043525): Control device of robot arm and teaching system and method using the same;
Takamura (US 2018/0361580): Apparatus and method for estimating position of the center of gravity of robot;
Yamamoto (US 2021/0260756): Robot apparatus and control method;
Joly (US 2023/0301643): System and hybrid position force control process of an industrial robot.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Kira Nguyen whose telephone number is (571)270-1614. The examiner can normally be reached on Monday to Friday 9:00-5:00 ET.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Khoi Tran can be reached on 571-272-6919. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/KIRA NGUYEN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3664