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.
Claim(s) 1-2,4, and 14-17 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Wada (US 2021/0331714) in view of Choi (KR20190047899; English translation relied upon for reference herein).
Claim 1: Wada provides an article transfer apparatus comprising: a carriage body (3) travelling along travel rails (1) to transfer an article (W); and a position detection device (4) mounted in the carriage body and detecting position information related to a correct position from a detection target (21/T; paragraph [0054]) mounted in an article storage (2) capable of storing the article (W) in order to place the article at the correct position in the article storage where the article is to be stored (Fig. 2, paragraph [0026;0033;0042]); but fails to explicitly disclose the detection target mounted in an inner space of an article storage configured to store the article.
However, Choi teaches a detection target (270, Fig. 1, 3) mounted in an inner space (Fig. 3) of an article storage (200, Fig. 1,3) configured to store the article (10; paragraphs [0053-0057]).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to modify the article transfer apparatus provided by Wada to include the detection target mounted in an inner space of an article storage as taught by Choi since it has been held that rearranging parts of an invention involves only routine skill in the art. In re Japiske, 86 USPQ 70.
Claim 2: Wada provides the position detection device (4) comprises a camera configured to capture an image of the detection target ([0041-0042;0046-0048;0053].
Claim 4: Wada provides the position detection device (4) comprises a vertical camera having a vertically downward beam angle to capture an image of the detection target (21/T) which lies horizontally on an under track buffer (UTB) or an apparatus stage or port (Fig. 2).
Claim 14: Wada provides the carriage body comprises: a vehicle (3) travelling along the travel rails (1); and a hoist device (33) mounted under the vehicle to support the article (W) and having the position detection device (4) mounted therein (Fig. 2-3; [0034]).
Claim 15: Wada provides the hoist device (33) comprises: a hoist housing for providing an accommodation space for the article (W) and having the position detection device (4) mounted therein; a hand unit (31) for gripping or ungripping the article (W); and a hand moving unit (312) for moving the hand unit from the accommodation space to the correct position in the article storage ([0034-0035]).
Claim 16: Wada provides an article transfer method comprising:
(a) travelling, by a carriage body (3), along travel rails (1) to transfer an article (W);
(b) detecting, by a position detection device (4) mounted in the carriage body, position information related to a correct position in an article storage (2) where the article is to be stored, from a detection target (21,T) mounted in the article storage capable of storing the article (Fig. 2); and
(c) moving, by the carriage body (3), the article (W) to the correct position in the article storage to place the article in the article storage (Fig. 2-3; [0026;0033;0042]); but fails to explicitly disclose the detection target mounted in an inner space of an article storage configured to store the article.
However, Choi teaches a detection target (270, Fig. 1, 3) mounted in an inner space (Fig. 3) of an article storage (200, Fig. 1,3) configured to store the article (10; paragraphs [0053-0057]).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to modify the article transfer apparatus provided by Wada to include the detection target mounted in an inner space of an article storage as taught by Choi since it has been held that rearranging parts of an invention involves only routine skill in the art. In re Japiske, 86 USPQ 70.
Claim 17: Wada provides in step (b), a controller (10) recognizes a reference position based on an image captured by or information recognized by the position detection device, and recognizes a position spaced apart from the reference position by a first distance in a first direction and by a second distance in a second direction or by a third distance in a third direction, as the correct position in the article storage serving as a center of alignment of the article ([0043-0056;0058-077]).
Claim(s) 7-9 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Wada (US 2021/0331714) in view of Choi (KR20190047899; English translation relied upon for reference herein); in view of Akiyama (JP2003321102; English translation relied upon for reference herein).
Claims 7-9: Wada/Choi fails to explicitly disclose the detection target comprises: a bracket mounted in or near the article storage; and an identifier represented on the bracket or adhered to the bracket in a form of a sticker (claim 7); the detection target selectively comprises at least one of a circle, concentric circles, a cross, scale marks, vertical scale marks, horizontal scale marks, geometric scale marks, and combinations thereof such that a camera captures an image thereof to recognize a represented reference position (claim 8); the detection target selectively comprises at least one of a quick response (QR) code, a barcode, an identifier, and combinations thereof such that a camera captures an image thereof to recognize represented information (claim 9).
However, Akiyama teaches an article transport device, in which a +-shaped target (23) is installed on the detection portion (9a) of the detection object (9) by engraving or other means so that the difference in position in the up, down, left, and right directions can be easily recognized, and is configured to be recognized by an imaging means (19-22) (see paragraph [0015] and FIG. 1-3, etc.).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to modify the article transfer apparatus provided by Wada/Choi to include the detection target as taught by Akiyama in order to provide an article transfer apparatus with a particular detection target.
Further, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to modify the article transfer apparatus provided by Wada/Choi to include the detection target as taught by Akiyama because it is prima facie obvious to combine prior art elements by known methods to achieve predictable results (MPEP 2143 (A)).
Claim(s) 10-11 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Wada (US 2021/0331714) in view of Choi (KR20190047899; English translation relied upon for reference herein); in view of Nishikawa et al. (US 9,758,308).
Claim 10: Wada/Choi provides the position detection device comprises a camera and an information reader, but fails to explicitly disclose the detection target comprises an information storage device comprising at least one of a radio-frequency identification (RFID) chip, a near-field communication (NFC) chip, a Bluetooth chip, a Wi-Fi chip, and combinations thereof, which is readable by the information reader.
Nishikawa et al. teaches a product transport device, a marker detection sensor (31) [MARK-SEN (READER)] for detecting a coordinate marker (M) is mounted on a ceiling transport vehicle (V), and the marker detection sensor (31) is an element of a driving section detection device, and in one embodiment, the coordinate marker (M) is a two-dimensional barcode. For example, it is installed on the upper surface of the running rail (101), and in this case, the marker detection sensor (31) is a two-dimensional barcode reader using an area sensor or the like, and is preferably arranged on the running section (11) so as to face the upper surface of the running rail (101). In addition, as another embodiment, the coordinate marker (M) may be an IC tag using a short-range wireless communication IC chip (Col. 6 line 61- Col. 7 line 11; Fig. 6).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to modify the article transfer apparatus provided by Wada/Choi to include the information storage device as taught by Nishikawa et al. so that the information reader is provided together with the photographing device.
Further, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to modify the article transfer apparatus provided by Wada/Choi to include the information storage device as taught by Nishikawa et al. because it is prima facie obvious to combine prior art elements by known methods to achieve predictable results (MPEP 2143 (A)).
Claim 11: Nishikawa et al. teaches the detection target represents at least one of identification information of the article storage, storage position information of the article storage, reference position information, first distance information from the reference position information in a first direction, second distance information from the reference position information in a second direction, third distance information from the reference position information in a third direction, storable article information, manufacturer information, manager information, product identification information, and combinations thereof (Col. 6 line 61- Col. 7 line 11).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 20 is allowed.
Claims 3,5-6, 12-13 and 18-19 are objected to 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.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claim(s) 1 and 16 have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument.
Conclusion
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). 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 Amanda J Kreiling whose telephone number is (571)272-6091. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 8-5 EST.
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/Amanda Kreiling/Examiner, Art Unit 3726 2/3/26
/JASON L VAUGHAN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3726