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 .
Response to Amendment
The Amendment filed 04/01/2026 has been entered. Claims 1-21 remain pending in the application.
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 04/01/2026 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive. Applicant, on page 7 of remarks, contends that Shindo fails to disclose the claim 1 recitation of "determining, based on the set of input values and prior to initiating movement of the substrate carrier, one or more corrective signals to apply to the substrate carrier during movement of the substrate carrier along the magnetic levitation track".
However, Shindo teaches determining corrective control signals prior to movement because it discloses scheduling the position and posture of the magnetically levitated transfer module in advance and, based on that schedule, performing feedforward control to adjust the magnetic forces applied to the module (col. 6, lines 28-48). The schedule position/posture information corresponds to the claimed set of input values, and the resulting force adjustment commands correspond to the claimed corrective signals. Since the feedforward commands are calculated from a predetermined schedule before movement begins and subsequently applied during movement to control the levitated carrier, Shindo teaches "determining, based on the set of input values and prior to initiating movement of the substrate carrier, one or more corrective signals to apply to the substrate carrier during movement of the substrate carrier along the magnetic levitation track". For this reason, claims 1-21 stand rejected as being anticipated by Shindo.
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.
Claims 1-21 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Shindo et al. (U.S. patent No. 12362215) hereinafter Shindo.
Regarding claim 1, Shindo discloses a method, comprising:
receiving, by a processor, a set of input values associated with moving a substrate carrier from a first position to a second position along a magnetic levitation track (col 10, lines 42-57; identification information of object to be transferred, movement schedule, and model parameter are input signals received);
determining, based on the set of input values and prior to initiating movement of the substrate carrier, one or more corrective signals to apply to the substrate carrier during movement of the substrate carrier along the magnetic levitation track (col. 6, lines 28-48, col 10, lines 42-57; based on the schedule and model parameter, force adjustment values to be used in feedforward control are determined in advance);
generating a magnetic field to move the substrate carrier on a direction along the magnetic levitation track (col. 12, lines. 10-18); and
applying, to the substrate carrier, the one or more corrective signals to reduce vibrations that would be experienced by a substate held by the substrate carrier due to a motion of the substrate carrier (col. 13; lines 26-34; col. 17, lines 9-21; col. 17, lines 43-64, the model parameters, used as input for calculating operating force adjustment values, are selected so that vibration is suppressed. Thus, the corrective signals generated using these model parameter necessarily reduce vibrations during motion).
Regarding claim 2, Shindo discloses all the limitations of claim 1. Shindo further discloses a feedback-correction section (FB-correction section 504) that continually compares the detected position of the substrate carrier with the target position and output correction signal until the deviation becomes small (col. 13, lines 18-34). The limitation determining, based on the set of input values, one or more corrective signals to apply to the substrate carrier after the movement of the substrate carrier ceases is considered inherently disclosed by the continuous feedback process of Shindo et al. Because this feedback loop remains active as the carrier approaches and reaches its final position, the control method necessarily continues to generate and apply corrective signals while deviation or vibration is actively sensed by the sensor, even after the carrier movement has ceased. Therefore, the claimed “when the movement of the substrate carrier ceases” limitation does not impart a patentable distinction over the disclosure of Shindo.
Regarding claim 3, Shindo discloses all the limitations of claim 1. Shindo further discloses the one or more corrective signals are determined by performing a lookup in a reference table (col. 10, lines 42-57, col. 17, lines 43-50).
Regarding claim 4, Shindo discloses all the limitations of claim 1. Shindo further discloses obtaining substrate data associated with one or more properties of the substrate; and determining the one or more corrective signals based on the set of input values and the substrate data (col. 7, lines 35-45).
Regarding claim 5, Shindo discloses all the limitations of claim 1. Shindo further discloses obtaining sensor data from a sensor; and adjusting the corrective signals based on the sensor data (col. 13, lines 7-17; Fig. 4, sensors 51).
Regarding claim 6, Shindo discloses all the limitations of claim 1. Shindo further discloses the one or more corrective signals are applied to at least one of the substrate carrier, the magnetic levitation track, or an end effector coupled to the substrate carrier (col. 17, lines 9-21; col. 17, lines 47-52, Fig. 11).
Regarding claim 7, Shindo discloses all the limitations of claim 1. Shindo further discloses the one or more corrective signals adjust an elevation of at least one of the substrate carrier, the magnetic levitation track, or an end effector coupled to the substrate carrier (col. 17, lines 43-52).
Regarding claim 8, Shindo discloses an electronic device manufacturing system (Abstract), comprising;
a substrate carrier configured to secure a substrate (col. 4, lines 9-11; Fig. 1; substrate carrier 30); and
a controller, operatively coupled to the substrate carrier (col. 5, lines 22-25; Fig. 4, controller 5), the controller configured to perform operations comprising:
receiving, by a processor, a set of input values associated with moving a substrate carrier from a first position to a second position along a magnetic levitation track (col 10, lines 42-57; identification information of object to be transferred, movement schedule, and model parameter are input signals received);
determining, based on the set of input values and prior to initiating movement of the substrate carrier, one or more corrective signals to apply to the substrate carrier during movement of the substrate carrier along the magnetic levitation track (col. 6, lines 28-48, col 10, lines 42-57; based on the schedule and model parameter, force adjustment values to be used in feedforward control are determined in advance);
generating a magnetic field to move the substrate carrier on a direction along the magnetic levitation track (col. 12, lines. 10-18); and
applying, to the substrate carrier, the one or more corrective signals to reduce vibrations that would be experienced by a substate held by the substrate carrier due to a motion of the substrate carrier (col. 13; lines 26-34; col. 17, lines 9-21; col. 17, lines 43-64, the model parameters, used as input for calculating operating force adjustment values, are selected so that vibration is suppressed. Thus, the corrective signals generated using these model parameter necessarily reduce vibrations during motion).
Regarding claim 9, Shindo discloses all the limitations of claim 8. Shindo further discloses a feedback-correction section (Fig. 4; FB-correction section 504) that continually compares the detected position of the substrate carrier with the target position and output correction signal until the deviation becomes small (col. 13, lines 18-34). The limitation determining, based on the set of input values, one or more corrective signals to apply to the substrate carrier after the movement of the substrate carrier ceases is considered inherently disclosed by the continuous feedback process of Shindo because this feedback loop remains active as the carrier approaches and reaches its final position, the control method necessarily continues to generate and apply corrective signals while deviation or vibration is actively sensed by the sensor, even after the carrier movement has ceased. Therefore, the claimed “when the movement of the substrate carrier ceases” limitation does not impart a patentable distinction over the disclosure of Shindo.
Regarding claim 10, Shindo discloses all the limitations of claim 8. Shindo further discloses the one or more corrective signals are determined by performing a lookup in a reference table (col. 10, lines 42-57, col. 17, lines 43-50, Fig. 4; parameter store 503).
Regarding claim 11, Shindo discloses all the limitations of claim 8. Shindo further discloses obtaining substrate data associated with one or more properties of the substrate; and determining the one or more corrective signals based on the set of input values and the substrate data (col. 7, lines 35-45).
Regarding claim 12, Shindo discloses all the limitations of claim 8. Shindo further discloses obtaining sensor data from a sensor; and adjusting the corrective signals based on the sensor data (col. 13, lines 7-17; Fig. 4, sensors 51).
Regarding claim 13, Shindo discloses all the limitations of claim 8. Shindo further discloses the one or more corrective signals are applied to at least one of the substrate carrier, the magnetic levitation track, or an end effector coupled to the substrate carrier (col. 17, lines 9-21; col. 17, lines 47-52, Fig. 11).
Regarding claim 14, Shindo discloses all the limitations of claim 8. Shindo further discloses the one or more corrective signals adjust an elevation of at least one of the substrate carrier, the magnetic levitation track, or an end effector coupled to the substrate carrier (col. 17, lines 43-52).
Regarding claim 15, Shindo discloses a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprising instructions that, when executed by a processing device operatively coupled to a memory (col. 5, lines 25-32), performs operations comprising:
receiving, by a processor, a set of input values associated with moving a substrate carrier from a first position to a second position along a magnetic levitation track (col 10, lines 42-57; identification information of object to be transferred, movement schedule, and model parameter are input signals received);
determining, based on the set of input values and prior to initiating movement of the substrate carrier, one or more corrective signals to apply to the substrate carrier during movement of the substrate carrier along the magnetic levitation track (col. 6, lines 28-48, col 10, lines 42-57; based on the schedule and model parameter, force adjustment values to be used in feedforward control are determined in advance);
generating a magnetic field to move the substrate carrier on a direction along the magnetic levitation track (col. 12, lines. 10-18); and
applying, to the substrate carrier, the one or more corrective signals to reduce vibrations that would be experienced by a substrate held by the substrate carrier due to a motion of the substrate carrier (col. 13; lines 26-34; col. 17, lines 9-21; col. 17, lines 43-64, the model parameters, used as input for calculating operating force adjustment values, are selected so that vibration is suppressed. Thus, the corrective signals generated using these model parameter necessarily reduce vibrations during motion).
Regarding claim 16, Shindo discloses all the limitations of claim 15. Shindo further discloses a feedback-correction section (FB-correction section 504) that continually compares the detected position of the substrate carrier with the target position and output correction signal until the deviation becomes small (col. 13, lines 18-34). The limitation determining, based on the set of input values, one or more corrective signals to apply to the substrate carrier after the movement of the substrate carrier ceases is considered inherently disclosed by the continuous feedback process of Shindo. Because this feedback loop remains active as the carrier approaches and reaches its final position, the control method necessarily continues to generate and apply corrective signals while deviation or vibration is actively sensed by the sensor, even after the carrier movement has ceased. Therefore, the claimed “when the movement of the substrate carrier ceases” limitation does not impart a patentable distinction over the disclosure of Shindo.
Regarding claim 17, Shindo discloses all the limitations of claim 15. Shindo further discloses the one or more corrective signals are determined by performing a lookup in a reference table (col. 10, lines 42-57).
Regarding claim 18, Shindo discloses all the limitations of claim 15. Shindo further discloses obtaining substrate data associated with one or more properties of the substrate; and determining the one or more corrective signals based on the set of input values and the substrate data (col. 7, lines 35-45).
Regarding claim 19, Shindo discloses all the limitations of claim 15. Shindo further discloses obtaining sensor data from a sensor; and adjusting the corrective signals based on the sensor data (col. 13, lines 7-17; Fig. 4, sensors 51).
Regarding claim 20, Shindo discloses all the limitations of claim 15. Shindo further discloses the one or more corrective signals are applied to at least one of the substrate carrier, the magnetic levitation track, or an end effector coupled to the substrate carrier (col. 17, lines 9-21; col. 17, lines 47-52, Fig. 11).
Regarding claim 21, Shindo discloses all the limitations of claim 1. Shindo further discloses, further responsive to receiving one or more external signals during or after the movement of the substate carrier along the magnetic levitation track, applying, to the substrate carrier, the one or more further corrective signals (col. 13, lines 7-17; Fig. 4, sensors 51).
Conclusion
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 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 TEMESGEN M. MARU whose telephone number is (571)272-0039. The examiner can normally be reached Monday -Friday 8:00AM-5:00PM.
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/TEMESGEN M. MARU/Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3655
/JACOB S. SCOTT/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3655
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