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 .
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis 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.
Background
The Amendments to the Claims in the Applicant’s Preliminary Amendment, filed on 05/23/23, have been entered.
According to the Amendments, claims 1-29 were pending. Claims 1-29 have been amended. No claims have been added or canceled. Thus, claims 1-29 are pending.
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.
Claim 1 is rejected under § 112(b), as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention. Claim 1 recites “a picker support for a robotic picking device or a human picker, the picker support being arranged on the vehicle body [and] a storage container accessing position for presenting storage containers to a picker positioned on the picker support.” (Emphasis added.) It is unclear as recited whether the term “picker” refers back to the robotic picking device or the human picker or a different picker. Therefore, claim 1 is indefinite as well as claims 2-22 depending therefrom. Correction is required.
For purposes of examination, the term is interpreted as referring back to robotic picking device or the human picker.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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.
Claims 1, 4-10, 14, 15, and 22 are rejected under § 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by US Pub. No. 2015/0098775 A1 to Razumov (Razumov). In regards to claim 1, Razumov discloses a remotely operated picking vehicle (200) for an automated storage and retrieval system for retrieving and storing products within storage containers, wherein the remotely operated picking vehicle comprises:
a vehicle body (202) comprising a base (202) with displacement means (204) for transportation on a rail system (20) (see ¶ [0062] for providing a picking unit including a frame with four wheels for moving the picking unit along rails in a storage rack system);
a picker support (210) for a robotic picking device (222) or a human picker, the picker support being arranged on the vehicle body (see ¶ [0066] for providing a picking unit carriage for a robotic manipulator configured to grip items within storage containers);
a storage container magazine (206) for supporting three or more storage containers (24) simultaneously (see ¶ [0063] for providing a picking unit platform for carrying storage containers), the storage container magazine being arranged on the vehicle body and comprising:
a storage container loading/offloading position (not labeled) for loading and offloading of storage containers by means of a container handling vehicle (see Fig. 5 & ¶ [0085] for loading one or more storage containers into predetermined sections of a picking area on the platform); and
a storage container accessing position (not labeled) for presenting storage containers to a picker positioned on the picker support (see Fig. 5 & ¶ [0085] for loading one or more storage containers into predetermined sections of a picking area on the platform, each section accessible by the robotic manipulator).
In regards to claim 4, Razumov further discloses that the storage container magazine comprises at least one container handling device (208) configured for movement of a storage container at least from a storage container loading/offloading position to a storage container accessing position. See ¶ [0085] (loading one or more storage containers into predetermined sections of a picking area on the platform).
In regards to claim 5, Razumov further discloses that the storage container handling device is configured to be in signal communication with a control system (250). See ¶¶ [0051-0052] & [0071-0072] (providing a controller configured to communicate with various elements of the picking unit including handling element drives for driving the handling elements configured to load and unload storage containers to and from the picking unit).
In regards to claim 6, Razumov further discloses that the storage container magazine comprises: a plurality of storage container handling devices (208) arranged adjacent the picker support. See Fig. 5 (depicting a plurality of handling elements).
In regards to claim 7, Razumov further discloses that the picker support is configured for horizontal movement of the robotic picking device or the human picker. See Fig. 5 (depicting the robotic manipulator having three degrees of freedom including horizontal motion).
In regards to claim 8, Razumov further discloses that the vehicle body has a footprint and the storage container accessing position is horizontally arranged inside the footprint. See Fig. 5.
In regards to claim 9, Razumov further discloses that the remotely operated picking vehicle comprises a plurality of storage container loading/offloading positions. See Fig. 5.
In regards to claim 10, Razumov further discloses that the remotely operated picking vehicle comprises a plurality of storage container accessing positions. See Fig. 5.
In regards to claim 14, Razumov further discloses that the storage container handling device comprises: a conveyor (208) or rollers for horizontal movement of a storage container through at least the storage container loading/offloading position and the storage container accessing position. See ¶ [0075] (extending the handling element in a horizontal direction from any or both sides of the picking unit using a telescopic linear actuator).
In regards to claim 15, Razumov further discloses that the storage container magazine comprises a fixed storage container support. See Fig. 5.
In regards to claim 22, Razumov further discloses that the remotely operated picking vehicle further comprises: a camera system (264), the camera system comprising: a camera (not labeled) configured to visually inspect products within a storage container positioned in, or approaching, the storage container accessing position; and a camera transmitter (not labeled) configured to transmit information from the visual inspection of the contents to the control system. See ¶¶ [0072] & [0079] (providing a vision system including one or more cameras to identify products to be picked up from storage containers, the vision system being further configured to communicate with the controller).
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 2 and 23 are rejected under § 103 as being unpatentable over Razumov, supra, as applied to claim 1, in view of US Pub. No. 2021/0032030 to Kalouche (Kalouche). For claim 23, Razumov discloses an automated storage and retrieval system, wherein the automated storage and retrieval system comprises a remotely operated picking vehicle according to claim 1, supra.
Although Razumov does not explicitly disclose the claimed rail system, storage container stacks, and container handling vehicle, such features are found in the prior art. In fact, Kalouche teaches a storage system comprising:
a rail system (22) comprising a first set of parallel rails (22a) arranged in a horizontal plane and extending in a first direction and a second set of parallel rails (22b) arranged in the horizontal plane and extending in a second direction which is orthogonal to the first direction, which first and second sets of rails form a grid pattern in the horizontal plane comprising a plurality of adjacent grid cells, each comprising a grid opening defined by a pair of neighboring rails of the first set of rails and a pair of neighboring rails of the second set of rails (see Fig. 1 & ¶ [0044] for providing a rail system arranged in a grid pattern across the top of a frame structure, the rail system comprising a first set of horizontal members and a second set of horizontal members wherein the horizontal members form a plurality of grid spaces for housing stacks of bins);
a plurality of stacks (12) of storage containers (10) arranged in storage columns located beneath a storage section of the rail system, wherein each storage column is located vertically below a grid opening (see ¶ [0043] for providing a plurality of stacks of bins in a frame structure); and
a container handling vehicle (30) comprising a lifting device (40) for lifting storage containers stacked in the stacks above the storage section (see ¶ [0047] for providing a load handling vehicle having a crane device for hoisting stacks of bins from a grid space) and drive means (not shown) configured to drive the container handling vehicle along the rail system in at least one of the first direction and the second direction (see ¶ [0046] for providing a drive mechanism for moving the load handling vehicle across the rail system).
Thus, it would have been obvious at the time of filing to modify the system of Razumov with the storage rack rail system and container handling vehicles of Kalouche in order to speed up order fulfillment times in the storage and retrieval system of Kalouche by carrying out picking operations atop storage racks using the mobile picking units of Razumov.
In regards to claim 2, Kalouche further discloses that the displacement means comprises: a first set of wheels (34), arranged on opposite sides of the base, for moving the remotely operated picking vehicle along a first horizontal direction on the rail system; and a second set of wheels (36), arranged on other opposite sides of the base, for moving the remotely operated picking vehicle along a second horizontal direction on the rail system, the second direction being perpendicular to the first direction. See ¶ [0045] (describing a remotely operated picking vehicle with a first and second set of wheels for moving across a rail system in a first horizontal direction and in a second horizontal direction).
Claim 3 is rejected under § 103 as being unpatentable over Razumov, supra, as applied to claim 1, in view of WO 2018146304 A1 to Austrheim et al. (Austrheim). For claim 3, Razumov discloses all limitations of the claimed invention but for a displacement means comprising a set of continuous tracks.
Although Razumov does not explicitly disclose this limitation, such a feature is found in the prior art. In fact, Austrheim teaches a rail arrangement for wheeled vehicles in a storage system wherein the displacement means comprises a set of continuous tracks, arranged on opposite sides of the base, for moving the remotely operated picking vehicle on the rail system. See Fig. 4 (showing a set of continuous tracks for allowing the picking units to travel in the X- and the Y-direction).
Thus, it would have been obvious at the time of filing to modify the system of Razumov with the storage rack rail system of Austrheim in order to allow the picking units to pass around each other on the rails in both directions. See p.2, ll. 14-20.
Claim 11 is rejected under § 103 as being unpatentable over Razumov, supra, as applied to claim 1, in view of 2018/0265297 A1 to Nakano et al. (Nakano). For claim 11, Razumov discloses all limitations of the claimed invention but for a rotational carousel device.
Although Razumov does not explicitly disclose this limitation, such a feature is found in the prior art. In fact, Nakano teaches a conveyance device (2A) comprising a rotational carousel device (271) having a rotational axis; and a plurality of storage container supports (23B) connected to the rotational carousel device, allowing rotation of the storage container supports through at least a storage container loading/offloading position and a storage container accessing position. See Fig. 14 & ¶ [0178] (providing a vehicle with a rotating section underneath a storage section for storing trays of articles).
Thus, it would have been obvious at the time of filing to modify the system of Razumov with the rotating storing section of Nakano in order to increase the storage capacity of containers on the picking unit.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 12, 13, 16-21, and 24-29 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.
Relevant Prior Art
The following prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
US Pub. No. 2019/0291955 A1 to Bastian discloses a robotic shuttle system including a rack system and one or more shuttles. The rack system includes a rack and a shuttle frame. The rack has storage locations for containers containing items. The shuttle frame has rails disposed along the rack. The shuttle includes a powertrain, container transfer mechanism, and a robot arm. The container transfer mechanism is configured to transfer the containers between the rack and the shuttle. The robot arm extends from the shuttle to transfer the items between one of the containers on the shuttle and a container in a container holder of the shuttle.
US Pub. No. 2018/0057263 A1 to Beer discloses a method for operating a transport robot in a storage rack having at least one horizontal rack travel path, wherein the transport robot has at least one working plane on which is mounted at least one destination container, wherein the same can be loaded with the different objects by means of a loading means on the robot, in the manner of a pick and place process.
US Pub. No. 2019/0337733 A1 to Wehner et al. discloses a picking device and method for increasing the through-put of picking an order from a storage container into an order container. The picking device includes a mobile platform capable to travel along a guide rail and a robotic gripping arm. The mobile platform includes a receiving location for each of a storage container and an order container, which are both reachable by the robotic gripping arm. The robotic gripping arm is actuated by a platform-supported image acquisition and evaluation unit and by a platform-supported controller.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to KYLE LOGAN whose telephone number is 571.270.7769. The examiner can normally be reached on M-F, 9-5 PM.
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/KYLE O LOGAN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3655