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 Objections
Claim 10 is objected to because of the following informalities: In line 13 of claim 10, it appears that “massage” is a clerical error and should instead be “message”. 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, 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 1-9 and 15-18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Noji et al., US Patent no. 5,971,711 [Noji], in view of Hung et al., US Patent Application Publication no. 2022/0247595 [Hung].
Regarding claims 1 and 15, Noji discloses a method, comprising:
using a tool for processing a semiconductor substrate, wherein the tool comprises a first chamber and a second chamber [a semiconductor fabrication facility includes a plurality of vacuum chambers, Figures 1 and 7 and column 3, lines 55-64 and column 9, lines 1-24];
using a first pump apparatus to control a pressure condition of the first chamber, wherein the first pump apparatus produces a first operation data in a digital protocol format [vacuum pumps each provide operating status information to a network control unit using R-232C communications, Figures 1 and 7, column 3, line 66 – column 4, line 23 and column 5, lines 5-17];
using a second pump apparatus to control a pressure condition of the second chamber, wherein the second pump apparatus produces a second operation data in a digital protocol format [vacuum pumps each provide operating status information to a network control unit using R-232C communications, Figures 1 and 7, column 3, line 66 – column 4, line 23 and column 5, lines 5-17];
receiving, by a first box device, the first operation data in the digital protocol format and the second operation data in the digital protocol format [vacuum pumps each provide operating status information to a network control unit using R-232C communications, Figures 1 and 7, column 3, line 66 – column 4, line 23 and column 5, lines 5-17];
decoding, by the first box device, the first operation data in the digital protocol format and the second operation data in the digital protocol format [signals received from the vacuum pumps are processed by a one-chip CPU, column 4, line 53 – column 5, line 17];
determining whether the first operation data is in a first acceptable range; and
in response to the first operation data is out of the first acceptable range, adjusting the first pump apparatus to set the first operation data within the first acceptable range [integrating operation times of the vacuum pumps and determining if pump maintenance or pump regenerating is required, column 4, lines 4-23 and column 5, lines 18-25].
Noji, as described above, discloses a network control unit that receives and decodes digital operation data signals received via RS-232C communications from a plurality of types of pumps in a plurality of process chambers in a semiconductor fabrication facility. Noji does not disclose that the plurality of pumps each use different digital protocol formats to communicate the operation data. Like Noji, Hung discloses a semiconductor fabrication system that includes a plurality of pumps that are monitored and controlled by a pump control system. Hung recognizes that different brands of pumps encode their sensor data in different formats [paragraph 0003]. Accordingly, Hung discloses using drivers corresponding to each pump brand to interpret the data received in the format of each brand [paragraphs 0022, 0026 and 0036]. Since it was known in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to include drivers in pump control systems for interpreting/translating data from different brands of pumps in semiconductor fabrication systems, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to incorporate the Hung teachings into the Noji system in order to increase compatibility and operation flexibility by supporting the potential inclusion of pump equipment from different brands in the system.
Regarding claim 2, Noji further discloses sending the decoded first operation data and the decoded second operation data to a display device coupled to the first box device [display pump operation statuses and values, column 4, lines 4-23].
Regarding claim 3, Noji further discloses that receiving the first operation data and the second operation data by the first box device is performed based on a first communication protocol [vacuum pumps each provide operating status information to a network control unit using R-232C communications, Figures 1 and 7, column 3, line 66 – column 4, line 23 and column 5, lines 5-17].
Regarding claims 4 and 5, Hung further discloses sending the decoded first operation data and the decoded second operation data to an external application program according to a second communication protocol different from the first communication protocol, wherein the first communication protocol is RS232, and the second communication protocol is Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP), User Datagram Protocol (UDP), or SEMI Equipment Communication Standard (SECS) [receiving pump data via RS-232 and sending pump data to a server using SECS, paragraphs 0019 and 0027].
Regarding claim 6, Noji and Hung do not disclose that the pump operation status data is sent to the server via wireless communication. Examiner takes official notice that wireless communications were used to connect control systems to servers before the effective filing date of the claimed invention. Accordingly, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to use wireless communications to transfer pump operation status information from the network control unit to the server in Noji and Hung in order to reduce the number of wires in the system.
Regarding claim 7, Noji and Hung further disclose using a third pump apparatus to control a pressure condition of a third chamber, wherein the third pump apparatus produces a third operation data in a third digital protocol format; receiving, by a second box device, the third operation data in the third digital protocol format; decoding, by the second box device, the third operation data in the third digital protocol format; and sending the decoded third operation data to the website platform [a plurality of network control units are used to communicate with a plurality of pumps, Figure 13 and column 11, lines 44-53].
Regarding claim 8, Noji further discloses determining whether the second operation data is in a second acceptable range; and in response to the second operation data is out of the second acceptable range, adjusting a controlling parameter of the second pump apparatus to set the second operation data within the second acceptable range [integrating operation times of the vacuum pumps and determining if pump maintenance or pump regenerating is required, column 4, lines 4-23 and column 5, lines 18-25].
Regarding claim 9, Noji further discloses that the first operation data corresponds to at least one of a current, a pressure, a temperature, and an operation time duration of the first pump apparatus, and the second operation data corresponds to at least one of a current, a pressure, a temperature, and an operation time duration of the second pump apparatus [temperature, pressure and operating times, column 4, lines 4-23].
Regarding claim 16, Hung further discloses an external application program coupled to the box device for receiving the first and second operation data, wherein the computing module is further configured for converting the first and second operation data in the first communication protocol into in the first and second operation data in a second communication protocol of the external application program, wherein the second communication protocol is different from the first communication protocol [communication converter program, paragraphs 0020-0022, 0026 and 0027].
Regarding claim 17, Noji further discloses that the box device comprises a first communication port coupled with the first pump apparatus and a second communication port coupled to the second pump apparatus, and the first communication port and the second communication port are of a same type [vacuum pumps each provide operating status information to a network control unit using R-232C communications, Figures 1 and 7, column 3, line 66 – column 4, line 23 and column 5, lines 5-17].
Regarding claim 18, Noji and Hung do not disclose that first and second communication ports are RJ45 ports. Examiner takes official notice that RJ45 ports were conventionally used before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to connect communication cables to other electronic devices. Accordingly, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to use conventional RJ45 ports in Noji and Hung for connecting the cables between the network control unit and pumps.
Claims 10-14 and 19-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Noji et al., US Patent no. 5,971,711 [Noji] and Hung et al., US Patent Application Publication no. 2022/0247595 [Hung], in view of Seekup et al., US Patent Application Publication no. 2024/0379221 [Seekup].
Regarding claims 10, 14 and 19, Noji and Hung, as described above, disclose a semiconductor fabrication system that includes a plurality of pumps that are monitored and controlled by a pump control system that communicates with the plurality of pumps via RS232 cables. Noji further discloses that the pump control system includes a display that allows for monitoring pump operation statuses and values [column 4, lines 4-23] and Hung further discloses displaying a notification message when pump operating values are out of a normal range [paragraph 0030]. Noji and Hung do not disclose that the output connector ports of the pumps are of different types. Like Noji and Hung, Seekup discloses a system in which two electronic devices communicate using an RS232 cable. Seekup recognizes that different devices may have different electrical port types and that cables may be constructed to accommodate the use of different connector types to connect to the different electrical ports of the different devices [paragraph 0347]. For example, a range of cables could be constructed, all of which having the same type of electrical connector on one end (humidifier end), but having different types of connectors at the other ends (other-device end) [paragraph 0347]. Since it was known in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to construct electrical communication cables with electrical connector types that match the output ports of the devices intended to be connected by the cable, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to apply the Seekup teachings to the Noji and Hung semiconductor fabrication system in order to increase compatibility and operation flexibility by supporting the potential inclusion of pump equipment with differing output communication port types.
Regarding claim 11, Seekup further discloses that the first communication port of the box device and the second communication port of the box device are RJ45 [0347].
Regarding claim 12, Noji, Hung and Seekup do not disclose using a N-to-one cable to connect the pumps to the network control unit. Examiner takes official notice that N-to-one cables were conventionally used before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to connect electronic devices that have a plurality of possible output port types. Accordingly, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to use conventional N-to-one cables to connect the pumps to the network control unit in Noji, Hung and Seekup in order to conveniently allow for reusing of a cable to connect a replacement pump that has a different output port type than the previous pump.
Regarding claim 13, Noji, Hung and Seekup do not disclose that the pump operation status data is sent to the server via wireless communication. Examiner takes official notice that wireless communications were used to connect control systems to servers before the effective filing date of the claimed invention. Accordingly, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to use wireless communications to transfer pump operation status information from the network control unit to the server in Noji, Hung and Seekup in order to reduce the number of wires in the system.
Regarding claim 20, Noji, Hung and Seekup do not disclose that the pump operation status data is sent to the server via wireless communication. Examiner takes official notice that wireless communications were used to connect control systems to servers before the effective filing date of the claimed invention. Accordingly, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to use wireless communications to transfer pump operation status information from the network control unit to the server in Noji, Hung and Seekup in order to reduce the number of wires in the system.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Kim et al., US Patent Application Publication no. 2009/0327511 discloses a message conversion apparatus for converting protocols of received equipment information to XML an providing the XML data to a server.
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/PAUL B YANCHUS III/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2115 December 27, 2025