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 .
DETAILED ACTION
The action is in response to the Applicant’s communication filed on 12/11/2025.
Claim 8 is newly added by the applicant.
Claims 1-8 are pending, where claims 1 and 6-7 are independent.
The claim rejection under 112 has been withdrawn because the arguments and amended claims overcome the rejection.
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed on 12/11/2025 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
As to pages 2-3 in the remarks, applicant argues Kawai/Tarui does not teach or suggest – create Applicants' “unique arrangement of the tool transport system” asserts claim 1 [and 6-7], but the independent claims do not recite the limitation as “unique arrangement of the tool transport system” rather recites limitation as “transport device transports a designated tool among tools stored in the tool storage unit, to a designated machine tool among the plurality of machine tools; and a controller that controls the tool transport system”.
However, in the remarks, applicant acknowledges “Kawai discloses machine tool system - includes comparing a necessary tool with a waiting tool based on the NC program, identifies a candidate tool, and displays the candidate tool in a displaying section --- Tarui appears to disclose a system with a robot 3 and a controller 4 - to transport tools from a schedule storage unit 8 to a machine tool 2”.
Examiner further respectfully disagrees because Kawai teaches “tool management system, tool searching unit, NC device, execute NC program, candidate tool list, plurality of machine tools, plurality of tools stored, automatic tool changer, machining process, tool number, tool database, toolroom database, tool magazine database, waiting tool list and candidate tool list quickly created, candidate tool list not in the tool database displayed” and Tarui teaches “controller controls machine tool and robot, storage, machining schedule, priority level” obviously in combination teach the limitation “transport device transports a designated tool among tools stored in the tool storage unit, to a designated machine tool among the plurality of machine tools; and a controller that controls the tool transport system”. Thereby, in combination of the references obviously teach the argued limitations under 103 obviousness rejection, Therefore, Applicant’s arguments are not persuasive.
Claim Objections
Amended claim 4 is objected to because of the following informalities:
The amended claim 4 recites only “claim” in line 1, missing or deleted the claim number “1” may be a typographical error. Appropriate correction is required.
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 of this title, 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.
The factual inquiries set forth in Graham v. John Deere Co., 383 U.S. 1, 148 USPQ 459 (1966), that are applied for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
Claims 1-8 are rejected under AIA 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kawai, et al. (USPGPub No. 20160202690 A1) in view of Tarui, (USPGPub No. 20230297087 A1).
As to claims 1 and 6-7, Kawai discloses A tool transport system comprising: a display unit; a plurality of machine tools; a tool storage unit that stores a plurality of tools; (Kawai [abstract] “tool management system - includes a tool searching unit; a tool database that includes a list of all of the tools set up in a factory; a list of tools to be used - for the execution of an NC program ; and a candidate tool list - extracted from the list of tools to be used and the tool database - candidate tool list displayed on a display unit of the tool management device” [0002-12] “factory having a plurality of machine tools - with an automatic tool changer and an NC device, a plurality of tools stored in a toolroom” see Fig.1-5)
[a transport device that transports a designated tool among tools stored in the tool storage unit, to a designated machine tool among the plurality of machine tools; and a controller that controls the tool transport system,] the controller executing:
a process of acquiring stocked tool information defining identification information of each tool stocked by the tool transport system; a process of specifying a plurality of tools to be used in the plurality of machine tools based on a machining schedule of workpiece in the plurality of machine tools; a process of specifying an unstocked tool that is not defined in the stocked tool information among the plurality of tools to be used; and a process of displaying identification information of the unstocked tool on the display unit (Kawai [0002-12] “tool management system for creating a necessary tool list indicating tools necessary to execute an NC program, a waiting tool list indicating tools stored in a toolroom and a tool magazine, and data relative to the tools such as a tool database, and assists an operator to carry out a tool preparation work, preparing the necessary tools in the tool magazine - tool database - necessary tool list - extracted the necessary tool list and the tool database - candidate tool list displayed in the displaying section - candidate tool list displayed - when a necessary tool not indicated in the tool database, an operator of the machine tool easily select a substitutable tool - waiting tool list and the candidate tool list quickly created” [abstract] “tool management system - candidate tool list displayed on a display unit of the tool management device” see Fig.1-5, NC device, execute NC program, machining process, automatic tool changer, tool number, toolroom database, tool magazine database, creating a necessary tool list, waiting tool list and candidate tool list quickly created, candidate tool list (not in tool database) displayed obviously provides process of acquiring stocked tool information - process of specifying a plurality of tools to be used in the plurality of machine tools based on a machining schedule of workpiece in the plurality of machine tools; a process of specifying an unstocked tool that is not defined in the stocked tool information among the plurality of tools to be used; and a process of displaying identification information of the unstocked tool on the display unit).
However, Tarui discloses a transport device that transports a designated tool among tools stored in the tool storage unit, to a designated machine tool among the plurality of machine tools; and a controller that controls the tool transport system (Tarui [0018-48] “machine tool 2 - a robot 3 - controller 4 controls the machine tool 2 and robot 3 - robot 3 - controller 4 includes at least one processor 7, a memory (schedule storage unit) 8 stores machining schedule information, and a priority-level setting unit 9 allows a user to designate - machining schedule information stored - set a priority level” [0004-07] [abstract] see Fig. 1-10, controller controls machine tool and robot includes storage and machining schedule, priority level obviously provides transport device transports a designated tool among tools stored in the tool storage unit, to a designated machine tool among the plurality of machine tools; and a controller that controls the tool transport system).
Kawai and Tarui are analogous arts from the same field of endeavor and contain overlapping structural and functional similarities and both contain machine tool management system.
Therefore, at the time the invention was made, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art to modify the above functionalities transport device transports designated tool among tools stored in the tool storage unit, as taught by Kawai, and incorporating robot, controller, machine tool, storage, as taught by Tarui.
As to claim 2, the combination of Kawai and Tarui disclose all the limitations of the base claims as outlined above.
The combination further discloses The tool transport system according to claim 1, further comprising a tool database, the tool database including identification information of a plurality of tools, the controller further executing: a process of associating attribution information of tool to identification information of the tool in the tool database based on reception of input of the attribution information of the tool; and a process of displaying information indicating whether or not the attribution information of the unstocked tool is registered in the tool database on the display unit (Kawai [0002-12] “tool management system for creating a necessary tool list indicating tools necessary to execute an NC program, a waiting tool list indicating tools stored in a toolroom and a tool magazine, and data relative to the tools such as a tool database, and assists an operator to carry out a tool preparation work, preparing the necessary tools in the tool magazine - tool database - necessary tool list - extracted the necessary tool list and the tool database - candidate tool list displayed in the displaying section - candidate tool list displayed - when a necessary tool not indicated in the tool database, an operator of the machine tool easily select a substitutable tool - waiting tool list and the candidate tool list quickly created” [abstract] “tool management system - candidate tool list displayed on a display unit of the tool management device” see Fig.1-5, creating a necessary tool list, waiting tool list, candidate tool list displayed when necessary tool not in the tool database obviously provides process of associating attribution information of tool to identification information of the tool in the tool database based on reception of input of the attribution information of the tool; and a process of displaying information indicating whether or not the attribution information of the unstocked tool is registered in the tool database on the display unit).
As to claim 3, the combination of Kawai and Tarui disclose all the limitations of the base claims as outlined above.
The combination further discloses The tool transport system according to claim 2, wherein the tool transport system is configured to be communicable with a communication terminal, and the controller further executes a process of transmitting identification information of an unstocked tool for which the attribution information is not registered in the tool database, to the communication terminal (Kawai [0019-34] “tool management apparatus 10 comprises a program analyzing section 12, a tool comparing section 14, a tool searching section 16, a database editing section 18, a display section 20, - an input section 22, - connected to a CAM system 26, an NC device 28, a toolroom database 30 and a tool magazine database 32 by a communication means 36, such as LAN” [0002-12] “tool management system - candidate tool list displayed - when a necessary tool not indicated in the tool database, - waiting tool list and the candidate tool list quickly created” [abstract] “tool management system - candidate tool list displayed on a display unit of the tool management device” see Fig.1-5, CAM, NC device, toolroom database, tool magazine database, LAN communication means, waiting tool list, candidate tool list displayed when necessary tool not in the tool database obviously provides communicable with a communication terminal, - process of transmitting identification information of an unstocked tool for which the attribution information is not registered in the tool database, to the communication terminal).
As to claim 4, the combination of Kawai and Tarui disclose all the limitations of the base claims as outlined above.
The combination further discloses The tool transport system according to claim 1, wherein the controller executes: a process of calculating a remaining time for the unstocked tool to become required in the tool transport system from the present time based on the machining schedule; (Tarui [0018-48] “machine tool 2 - a robot 3 - controller 4 controls the machine tool 2 and robot 3 - robot 3 - controller 4 includes at least one processor 7, a memory (schedule storage unit) 8 stores machining schedule information, and a priority-level setting unit 9 allows a user to designate - machining schedule information stored - set a priority level - arbitrary time point prior to the start of a machining process or during a machining process - for which the user desires to advance the machining sequence among unmachined workpieces - input a numerical value for the priority level - controller 4 updates the machining schedule information stored in the memory 8 to machining schedule information to which the input priority level added” [0004-07] [abstract] see Fig. 1-10, robot, controller, machine tool, storage, arbitrary time point prior to start of machining process or during a machining process obviously provides calculating a remaining time for the unstocked tool to become required in the tool transport system from the present time based on the machining schedule); and
Kawai further discloses a process of displaying the remaining time for the unstocked tool on the display unit (Kawai [0002-12] “tool management system for creating a necessary tool list indicating tools necessary to execute an NC program, a waiting tool list indicating tools stored in a toolroom and a tool magazine, and data relative to the tools such as a tool database, and assists an operator to carry out a tool preparation work, preparing the necessary tools in the tool magazine - tool database - necessary tool list - extracted the necessary tool list and the tool database - candidate tool list displayed in the displaying section - candidate tool list displayed - when a necessary tool not indicated in the tool database, an operator of the machine tool easily select a substitutable tool - waiting tool list and the candidate tool list quickly created” [abstract] “tool management system - candidate tool list displayed on a display unit of the tool management device” see Fig.1-5, creating a necessary tool list, waiting tool list, candidate tool list displayed when necessary tool not in the tool database obviously provides process of displaying the remaining time for the unstocked tool on the display unit).
As to claim 5, the combination of Kawai and Tarui disclose all the limitations of the base claims as outlined above.
The combination further discloses (Currently Amended) The tool transport system according to claim 4, wherein the controller displays identification information of an unstocked tool for which the remaining time is shorter than different unstocked tools from the unstocked tool on the display unit while highlighting the identification information of the unstocked tool more than different identification information of the different unstocked tools (Kawai [0019-34] “tool management apparatus 10 comprises a program analyzing section 12, a tool comparing section 14, a tool searching section 16, a database editing section 18, a display section 20, - an input section 22, - connected to a CAM system 26, an NC device 28, a toolroom database 30 and a tool magazine database 32 by a communication means 36, such as LAN” [0002-12] “tool management system - candidate tool list displayed - when a necessary tool not indicated in the tool database, - waiting tool list and the candidate tool list quickly created” [abstract] “tool management system - candidate tool list displayed on a display unit of the tool management device” see Fig.1-5, CAM, NC device, toolroom database, tool magazine database, waiting tool list and candidate tool list quickly created, candidate tool list displayed obviously provides unstocked tool for which the remaining time is shortest among the unstocked tools on the display unit while more highlighting the identification information of the unstocked tool than identification information of other unstocked tools, it is obvious).
As to claim 8, the combination of Kawai and Tarui disclose all the limitations of the base claims as outlined above.
The combination further discloses (New) The tool transport system according to claim 1, [wherein the controller executing a process of transporting by the transport device] the unstocked tool after identified by the process of specifying the unstocked tool (Kawai [0019-34] “tool management apparatus 10 comprises a program analyzing section 12, a tool comparing section 14, a tool searching section 16, a database editing section 18, a display section 20, - an input section 22, - connected to a CAM system 26, an NC device 28, a toolroom database 30 and a tool magazine database 32 by a communication means 36, such as LAN” [0002-12] “tool management system - candidate tool list displayed in the displaying section, when a necessary tool not indicated in the tool database, - waiting tool list and the candidate tool list quickly created” [abstract] “tool management system - candidate tool list displayed on a display unit of the tool management device” see Fig.1-5, CAM, NC device, execute NC program, machining process, automatic tool changer, tool number, toolroom database, tool magazine database, waiting tool list and candidate tool list quickly created, candidate tool list (not in the tool database) displayed obviously provides unstocked tool after identified by the process of specifying the unstocked tool),
Tarui further teaches wherein the controller executing a process of transporting by the transport device (Tarui [0018-48] “machine tool 2 - a robot 3 - controller 4 controls the machine tool 2 and robot 3 - robot 3 - controller 4 includes at least one processor 7, a memory (schedule storage unit) 8 stores machining schedule information, and a priority-level setting unit 9 allows a user to designate - machining schedule information stored - set a priority level” [0004-07] [abstract] see Fig. 1-10, controller controls machine tool and robot includes storage and machining schedule, priority level obviously provides controller executing a process of transporting by the transport device).
Citation of Pertinent Prior Art
It is noted that any citations to specific, pages, columns, lines, or figures in the prior art references and any interpretation of the reference should not be considered to be limiting in any way. A reference is relevant for all it contains and may be relied upon for all that it would have reasonably suggested to one having ordinary skill in the art. See MPEP 2141.02 VI. PRIOR ART MUST BE CONSIDERED IN ITS ENTIRETY, i.e., as a whole and 2123.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. The prior art made of record:
Yokomori, JPH01216754 (A) discloses a tool allocation management device creats too movement list for moving tool between machining centers in a system of multiple machining centers.
Hedeaki, et al. JPH04256537 (A) discloses a machine tool for change of a tool by taking out a tool and changing the taken-out tool.
Hashiguchi, et al. USPGPub No. 20230099602 A1 discloses a machining system including a machining apparatus for machining a workpiece and a robot for conveying the workpiece.
Irino, et al. EP4390588 A1 discloses a machining environment support system regarding working machines and tools extracts working machines and tools suited to the processing information from a database and displays the on a display unit in a selectable manner.
THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. 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 extension fee 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 Md Azad whose telephone @(571)272-0553 or email: md.azad@uspto.gov. The examiner can normally be reached on Mon-Thu 9AM-5PM.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Mohammad Ali can be reached on (571)272-4105. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/Md Azad/
Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2119