DETAILED ACTION
The Amendment filed 2/23/2026 has been entered.
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 .
Priority
Acknowledgment is made of applicant's claim for foreign priority based on an application filed in Japan on 7/1/2022. It is noted, however, that applicant has not filed a certified copy of the Japanese application as required by 37 CFR 1.55.
PNG
media_image1.png
720
854
media_image1.png
Greyscale
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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 (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) 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.
The following is a quotation of the appropriate paragraphs of 35 U.S.C. 102 that form the basis for the rejections under this section made in this Office action:
A person shall be entitled to a patent unless –
(a)(1) the claimed invention was patented, described in a printed publication, or in public use, on sale, or otherwise available to the public before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claim(s) 1-3 and 8 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Yoshioka et al. (US 2017/0183156).
Regarding independent claim 1, Yoshioka discloses an article accommodation facility to be installed in a building having a first floor (see Fig. 8, K21), which is a floor at a first level, and a second floor (see Fig. 8, K22), which is a floor at a second level above the first level, the article accommodation facility comprising: a first stacker crane (see Fig. 8, T) disposed at the first level; a second stacker crane (see Fig. 8, T) disposed at the second level; and a storage rack (see Fig. 8, E2) comprising a plurality of accommodation sections arranged in a first direction, which is parallel to a horizontal direction, and in an up-down direction, each of the accommodation sections capable of accommodating an article, wherein the storage rack extends across the first level and the second level (see Fig. 8), the first stacker crane is on a first side relative to the storage rack in a second direction (see Fig. 8), the first side in the second direction is one side in the second direction orthogonal to the first direction as viewed in the up-down direction, the second stacker crane is on a second side relative to the storage rack in the second direction (see Fig. 8), the second side in the second direction is another side in the second direction, the storage rack has a common area (see Fig. 8, generally at V) that comprises at least one accommodation section, of the plurality of accommodation sections, to and from which the article is carriable from the first side and the second side in the second direction, the first stacker crane is configured to transfer the article to the at least one accommodation section in the common area from the first side in the second direction, and the second stacker crane is configured to transfer the article to the at least one accommodation section in the common area from the second side in the second direction (see at least para. 0006).
Regarding dependent claims 2, 3, and 8, Yoshioka discloses that the storage rack stands upward on the first floor and extends through the second floor in the up-down direction (see Fig. 8); the common area is above the second floor (see Fig. 8); and at least either the first stacker crane or the second stacker crane includes a position change mechanism (TY) configured to change a position of the article as viewed in the up-down direction.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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 (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) 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.
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) 4 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yoshioka et al. (US 2017/0183156). Yoshioka discloses an article accommodation facility to be installed in a building having a first floor (see Fig. 8, K21), which is a floor at a first level, and a second floor (see Fig. 8, K22), which is a floor at a second level above the first level, the article accommodation facility comprising: a first stacker crane (see Fig. 8, T) disposed at the first level; a second stacker crane (see Fig. 8, T) disposed at the second level; and a storage rack (see Fig. 8, E2) comprising a plurality of accommodation sections arranged in a first direction, which is parallel to a horizontal direction, and in an up-down direction, each of the accommodation sections capable of accommodating an article, wherein the storage rack extends across the first level and the second level (see Fig. 8), the first stacker crane is on a first side relative to the storage rack in a second direction (see Fig. 8), the first side in the second direction is one side in the second direction orthogonal to the first direction as viewed in the up-down direction, the second stacker crane is on a second side relative to the storage rack in the second direction (see Fig. 8), the second side in the second direction is another side in the second direction, the storage rack has a common area (see Fig. 8, generally at V) that comprises at least one accommodation section, of the plurality of accommodation sections, to and from which the article is carriable from the first side and the second side in the second direction, the first stacker crane is configured to transfer the article to the at least one accommodation section in the common area from the first side in the second direction, and the second stacker crane is configured to transfer the article to the at least one accommodation section in the common area from the second side in the second direction (see at least para. 0006). Yoshioka discloses all the limitations of the claims, but it does not disclose that the building further has a third floor, which is a floor at a third level above the second level, the second stacker crane extends across the second level and the third level, the storage rack extends across the third level. Rather, the facility disclosed by Yoshioka only includes a two story facility. However, adding a third story to the facility as recited in the claim would merely be a duplication of parts already disclosed by Yoshioka for the purpose of adding additional storage space. Therefore, it would have been obvious for a person of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the applicant’s invention to modify Yoshioka such that the building further has a third floor, which is a floor at a third level above the second level, the second stacker crane extends across the second level and the third level, the storage rack extends across the third level. Rather, the facility disclosed by Yoshioka only includes a two story facility by duplicating the existing parts disclosed by Yoshioka, for the purpose of adding additional storage.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 5-7 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 filed 2/23/2026 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
The applicant states that Yoshioka does not disclose “a plurality of accommodation sections in an up-down direction as claimed in the storage rack” . . . or “a plurality of accommodation section arranged in a first direction, which is parallel to a horizontal direction, as claimed in the storage rack.” The examiner disagrees with the applicant. At least in Fig. 8, Yoshioka discloses a storage rack as recited in the claims. Fig. 8 is reproduced and annotated below.
[AltContent: arrow][AltContent: textbox (Accommodation section)][AltContent: arrow][AltContent: textbox (Storage Rack)][AltContent: connector][AltContent: connector][AltContent: arrow][AltContent: connector][AltContent: arrow]
PNG
media_image2.png
618
500
media_image2.png
Greyscale
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 PATRICK HEWEY MACKEY whose telephone number is (571)272-6916. The examiner can normally be reached M - F 9-5.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Michael McCullough can be reached at 571-272-7805. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
/PATRICK H MACKEY/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3653