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.
Claims 1-8 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Guilbert (U.S. Patent No. 9,919,427) in view of Hirayama (U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2017/0087717).
Regarding claim 1. A robot welding system, comprising:
Guilbert discloses:
a robot(abstract Figs. 1 and 2, 200);
a robot controller(100) configured to control the robot in accordance with a processing program(100);
a welding torch that is attached to a tip end of the robot and is configured to perform arc welding of a target object(col. 1, lines 5-17); and
a robot operation terminal that has an image capturing device(camera, col. 6, line 63), a display device, and a terminal controller, and is configured to communicate with the robot controller(Col. 6, line 61- col. 4, line 11, Fig. 3, 300, 302),, wherein
the terminal controller has a teaching accepting unit configured to accept input of teaching information for the robot(Col. 6, line 61- col. 4, line 11, Fig. 3, 308),
the robot controller or the terminal controller has an attitude calculation unit configured to calculate an attitude for the welding torch based on basic information regarding the robot stored by the robot controller, the processing program, and the teaching information inputted to the teaching accepting unit(abstract, col. 1, lines 20-49, col 4, line 60-67,),
an AR display unit configured to cause the display device to superimposingly display motion information for the welding torch corresponding to an image captured by the image capturing device on the image captured by the image capturing device, and
a program recording unit configured to, based on the teaching information, cause the robot controller to correct the processing program or newly store the processing program(col. 1, 20-35 col. 3, lines 5-41, Fig. 3, col. 6, lines 26-50).
Guibert does not disclose:
a welding torch that is attached to a tip end of the robot and is configured to perform arc welding of a target object
In related art, Hirayama disclose:
a welding torch that is attached to a tip end of the robot and is configured to perform arc welding of a target object (See abstract, [0005], 12)
However, Guibert discloses that the welding robot may be used with a welding system at col. 1, lines 5-17. It would have been obvious to use the system of Guibert with the system of Hirayama for the obvious benefit of improving welding quality and efficiently of the welding robots and users. As such, the features of claim 1 would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective filing date of this application.
Regarding claim 2.
Guilbert discloses:
The robot welding system according to claim 1, wherein the motion information includes at least one selected from a model for a tip end of the welding torch, a reference point for the welding torch, a point to be processed by the welding torch, a direction of movement for either the reference point for the welding torch or the point to be processed by the welding torch, an angle between the welding torch and the target object, an axial direction for a coordinate system in which the robot moves, and a length by which a welding wire protrudes from the welding torch. (col. 3, lines 5-41).
Regarding claim 3.
Guilbert discloses:
The robot welding system according to claim 1, wherein the motion information includes a speed for the welding torch or a point to be processed by the welding torch, or an interval between teaching points that represent an attitude for the welding torch and is specified by the teaching information. (col. 3, lines 5-41).
Regarding claim 4.
Guilbert discloses all of the features of claim 1:
Guilbert does not disclose:
The robot welding system according to claim 1, wherein the motion information includes at least one selected from a feeding speed command value for a welding wire, a welding current command value, a welding voltage command value, and a command value for welding waveform control.
In related art, Hirayama disclose:
the motion information includes at least one selected from a feeding speed command value for a welding wire, a welding current command value, a welding voltage command value, and a command value for welding waveform control.
(See abstract, [0005], 12, [0012])
However, Guibert discloses that the welding robot may be used with a welding system at col. 1, lines 5-17. It would have been obvious to use the system of Guibert with the system of Hirayama for the obvious benefit of improving welding quality and efficiently of the welding robots and users. As such, the features of claim 4 would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective filing date of this application.
Regarding claim 5.
Guilbert discloses all of the features of claim 1:
Guilbert does not disclose:
The robot welding system according to claim 1, wherein the AR display unit displays both of, or a difference between, the motion information before the processing program is corrected by the program recording unit and the motion information after the processing program is corrected by the program recording unit.
In related art Hirayama disclose:
The robot welding system according to claim 1, wherein the AR display unit displays both of, or a difference between, the motion information before the processing program is corrected by the program recording unit and the motion information after the processing program is corrected by the program recording unit.([0031]-[0032], [0041]-[0043][0046])
Hirayama discloses that the recited features provide the benefit of providing a user teaching and training.
It would have been obvious to provide the recited features to the device of Guibert for the obvious benefit of enhanced training of a user. As such, the features recited in claim 5 would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective filing date of this application.
Regarding claim 6.
Guilbert discloses all of the features of claim 1:
Guilbert does not disclose:
The robot welding system according to claim 1, wherein the attitude calculation unit is capable of successively calculating an attitude for the welding torch at each time in accordance with the processing program, and the AR display unit causes display of at least one selected from a model for a tip end of the welding torch, a reference point for the welding torch, and a point to be processed by the welding torch to change at each time in accordance with the processing program.
In related art Hirayama disclose:
The robot welding system according to claim 1, wherein the attitude calculation unit is capable of successively calculating an attitude for the welding torch at each time in accordance with the processing program, and the AR display unit causes display of at least one selected from a model for a tip end of the welding torch, a reference point for the welding torch, and a point to be processed by the welding torch to change at each time in accordance with the processing program.
([0024], [0030]-[0032], [0041]-[0043][0046] [0055])
Hirayama discloses that the recited features provide the benefit of providing a user teaching and training.
It would have been obvious to provide the recited features to the device of Guibert for the obvious benefit of enhanced training of a user. As such, the features recited in claim 5 would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective filing date of this application.
Regarding claim 7.
Guilbert discloses:
A robot operation terminal that(abstract Figs. 1 and 2, 200);, in a robot welding system for arc welding a target object using a welding torch attached to a tip end of a robot controlled by a robot controller in accordance with a processing program(col. 1, lines 5-17);, teaches the robot, the robot operation terminal comprising an image capturing device(See fig. 3, 300, 302), a display device(308), and a terminal controller(308), wherein
the terminal controller has:
a teaching accepting unit configured to accept input of teaching information for the robot(col. 5, lines 61-col 6, line 25);
an attitude calculation unit configured to calculate an attitude for the welding torch based on basic information regarding the robot stored by the robot controller, the processing program, and the teaching information inputted to the teaching accepting unit; (col. 5, lines 61-col 6, line 10(Col. 6, line 61- col. 4, line 11, Fig. 3, 300, 302))
an AR display unit configured to cause the display device to superimposingly display motion information for the welding torch corresponding to an image captured by the image capturing device on the image captured by the image capturing device; and
a program recording unit configured to, based on the teaching information, cause the robot controller to correct the processing program or newly store the processing program. (col. 1, 20-35 col. 3, lines 5-41, Fig. 3, col. 6, lines 26-50).
Guibert does not disclose:
for arc welding a target object using a welding torch attached to a tip end of a robot controlled by a robot controller in accordance with a processing program In related art, Hirayama disclose:
for arc welding a target object using a welding torch attached to a tip end of a robot controlled by a robot controller in accordance with a processing program (See abstract, [0005], 12)
However, Guibert discloses that the welding robot may be used with a welding system at col. 1, lines 5-17. It would have been obvious to use the system of Guibert with the system of Hirayama for the obvious benefit of improving welding quality and efficiently of the welding robots and users. As such, the features of claim 7 would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective filing date of this application.
Regarding claim 8.
Guilbert discloses
A non-transitory recording media which non-transitorily records a welding robot teaching program that, in a robot welding system for arc welding a target object using a welding torch attached to a tip end of a robot controlled by a robot controller in accordance with a processing program, enables a portable terminal having an image capturing device, a display device, and a terminal controller to teach the robot, the welding robot teaching program comprising(col. 2, lines 1-19):
a teaching control unit configured to accept input of teaching information for the robot(100, col. 5, line 62-col. 6, line 10);
an attitude calculation control unit configured to calculate an attitude for the welding torch based on basic information regarding the robot stored by the robot controller, the processing program, and teaching information accepted by the teaching control unit, (102, col. 4 lines 24-67)
an AR display control unit configured to cause the display device to superimposingly display motion information for the welding torch corresponding to an image captured by the image capturing device on the image captured by the image capturing device, and
a program recording control unit configured to, based on the teaching information, cause the robot controller to correct the processing program or newly store the processing program. (col. 1, 20-35, col. 3, lines 5-41, Fig. 3, col. 6, lines 26-50, ).
Guibert does not disclose:
robot operation terminal that(abstract Figs. 1 and 2, 200);, in a robot welding system for arc welding a target object using a welding torch attached to a tip end of a robot controlled by a robot controller
In related art, Hirayama disclose:
A robot operation terminal that in a robot welding system for arc welding a target object using a welding torch attached to a tip end of a robot controlled by a robot controller (See abstract, [0005], 12, and [0030]-[0031])
However, Guibert discloses that the welding robot may be used with a welding system at col. 1, lines 5-17. Hirayama teaches a training systems for training an operator and the robot using a computer program and modeling the movement of the robot using the computer, and provides a training program that it updates. See [0025]-[0029]. It would have been obvious to use the system of Guibert with the system of Hirayama for the obvious benefit of improving welding quality and efficiently of the welding robots and users. As such, the features of claim 8 would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective filing date of this application.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ROBERT G BACHNER whose telephone number is (571)270-3888. The examiner can normally be reached on Monday-Friday, 10-6 EST.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Ajay Ojha can be reached at (571)273-8936. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/ROBERT G BACHNER/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2898