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 § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claim 1-6 rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Claim 1, 6, for example, claim 1 recites the limitation "the target job" in line 13. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim. Assumed that “the target job” is “a target job among multiple mounting jobs to be executed by the component mounting machine” and assumed that line 13-14, “a target job among multiple mounting jobs to be executed by the component mounting machine” is “the target job”.
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.
Claim(s) 1-6 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by WO2019/229924 to Fuji, supplied by applicant.
1, 6. A management device and method (management device 80)) for use in a component mounting system (component mounting system 10) including a component mounting machine (component mounting machines 20) having multiple slots (slots 42) to which a feeder (feeders 30) is attached and a mounting section configured to execute a mounting job for mounting a component by detaching the component from the feeder, and a work device (loader 50) configured to perform serving work and collecting work of the feeder for each slot of the component mounting machine, the management device/method comprising: a management control section configured to:
determine whether a target predetermined slot, which is a predetermined serving destination slot of a target feeder, overlaps with a preceding predetermined slot of a preceding feeder to be used in a preceding job executed prior to the target job (Fuji teaches feeders 30 when the mounting process based on the previous production job is completed, wherein feeders 30 of component types e, d, a, b, c, i are arranged at slot positions 3 to 8, and slot positions 1, 2, 9 to 11 are empty slots and when the feeders 30 of the component types a to i are necessary for the mounting process, the feeders 30 of the remaining component types f, g, and h excluding the feeders 30 of the already installed component types a to e and i are selected as attachment targets, wherein the slot positions of the feeders 30 of the already installed component types a to e and i are all different from the optimum arrangement in FIG. 9, but in this embodiment, the optimum arrangement is performed before the start of the mounting process and for this reason, the mounting process is started with the feeders 30 of the already installed component types a to e and i remaining in a temporary position different from the optimal arrangement (paragraphs 23-30, Fig. 10), which reads on determines whether a target predetermined slot, which is a predetermined serving destination slot of the target feeder, overlaps with a preceding predetermined slot of a preceding feeder to be used in a preceding job executed prior to the target job.),
the target feeder is used in a target job among multiple mounting jobs to be executed by the component mounting machine, and the preceding feeder is served to the preceding predetermined slot after serving the target feeder to the target predetermined slot (paragraphs 23-30, Fig. 10), and
cause the work device to serve the target feeder in the target predetermined slot after completion of the preceding job which uses the preceding feeder which overlaps with the target predetermined slot (paragraphs [0012]-[0030], fig. 1-12).
2. The management device according to claim 1, wherein the target predetermined slot and the preceding predetermined slot overlap with each other, and the management control section is configured to cause the work device to pre-serve the target feeder in an empty slot different from the target predetermined slot of the target job until the completion of the preceding job which uses the preceding feeder, and to move the target feeder to the target predetermined slot after the completion of the preceding job (paragraph [0025]).
3. The management device according to claim 2, wherein the target predetermined slot and the preceding predetermined slot overlap with each other, and the management control section is configured to cause the work device to pre-serve the target feeder in a slot closest to the target predetermined slot among empty slots that do not overlap with predetermined slots of any feeders to be used in the target job or in the preceding job until the completion of the preceding job which uses the preceding feeder (paragraph [0025]).
4. The management device according to claim 3, wherein the component mounting machine includes a buffer for temporarily storing the target feeder, the target predetermined slot and the preceding predetermined slot overlap with each other and there are no empty slots that do not overlap with the predetermined slots of any feeders to be used in the target job or in the preceding job in the component mounting machine on which the target job is executed, the management control section is configured to cause the work device to pre-server the target feeder in the buffer (paragraphs [0012]-[0030], fig. 1-12).
5. The management device according to claim 1, wherein the component mounting machine includes a buffer for temporarily storing the target feeder, the target predetermined slot and the preceding predetermined slot overlap with each other, and the management control section is configured to cause the work device to determine a serving destination slot by giving priority to the buffer among empty slots that are different from the target predetermined slot of the target job and the buffer until the completion of the preceding job, and pre-serve the target feeder in the target predetermined slot after the completion of the preceding job (paragraphs [0012]-[0030], fig. 1-12).
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 1/13/26 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
In response to applicant's argument that the references fail to show certain features of the invention, it is noted that the features upon which applicant relies (i.e., Fuji does not suggest or disclose determining whether a slot (that may be currently empty) should not be pre-served because a preceding job has a preceding feeder that overlaps with the target feeder destination slot that is yet to be served) are not recited in the rejected claim(s). Although the claims are interpreted in light of the specification, limitations from the specification are not read into the claims. See In re Van Geuns, 988 F.2d 1181, 26 USPQ2d 1057 (Fed. Cir. 1993).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to SEAN P SHECHTMAN whose telephone number is (571)272-3754. The examiner can normally be reached 9:30am-6:00pm, M-F.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, William Kraig can be reached at 571-272-8660. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/Sean Shechtman/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2896
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