DETAILED ACTION
Notice of 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 .
Claims 15 and 25 are cancelled. Claims 33-34 are new.
Claim(s) 1-14, 16-24 and 26-34 are pending.
Claims 1-14 and 33-34 are rejected.
Claims 16-24 and 26-32 are allowed.
Response to Amendment
This Office Action is responsive to the amendment filed on 05/18/26.
Claims 1, 5, 6, 13, 14, 16, 17, 20, 21, 30, and 31 are amended and are being fully considered by the examiner.
In response to applicant’s amendments to claim 30, all the claim objections of claim 30 as set forth in the previous office action has been withdrawn.
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claim 1 has been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on any reference applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument.
Applicant responds
(a) Rejections under 35 U.S.C. §103 of claim 1
Applicant submits that the combination of Bacigalupi and Kim fails to teach or suggest the claimed "dispenser assembly comprising an actuatable reservoir and compound pot, wherein the actuatable reservoir is engaged with and fluidically coupled with the compound pot to dispense a conditioning compound therein" in combination with the requirement that the computer program code "control the actuatable reservoir, the conditioning device, and the positioning assembly to execute at least one conditioning operation to operably engage the tool head with both the compound in the compound pot and with a plurality of locations on the at least one surface of the user device," as recited by claim 1.
First, neither Bacigalupi nor Kim teaches an actuatable reservoir that is "engaged with and fluidically coupled" with the compound pot as recited by claim 1. The phrase "engaged with and fluidically coupled" requires both fluid communication and structural coupling between the reservoir and the compound pot. Fluid communication alone, where fluid can travel from one component to another, is insufficient; there must also be an actual coupling or structural connection between the components.
Kim's slurry dispenser may be in fluid "communication" with the mobile device surface in the sense that slurry can travel from the dispenser to the surface, but this is not engagement or fluidic "coupling" because there is no structural coupling or connection between the dispenser and the surface-the slurry simply falls onto the device. Moreover, Kim has no compound pot at all; the slurry is dispensed directly onto the device surface. Because Kim lacks a compound pot entirely, there can be no engagement or fluidic coupling between a reservoir and a compound pot.
Regarding Bacigalupi,…. This description merely indicates that tubing is used to fill open trays-it does not establish an engagement or fluid connection or sealed pathway between the tubing and the reservoir trays. Similar to Kim, the tubing could simply be positioned above the open trays such that paste falls into them by gravity. This open dispensing arrangement, where paste falls from tubing into an open tray, is not engagement or a fluidic coupling as recited by claim 1. Engagement and fluidic coupling requires both fluid communication and a structural coupling or connection between the reservoir and the compound pot, such as engagement via an orifice as disclosed in paragraph [0081] of the specification. Neither Bacigalupi nor Kim teaches or suggests this structural relationship.
Second, neither Bacigalupi nor Kim teaches a computer-controlled actuatable reservoir that dispenses compound into a compound pot from which the tool head retrieves compound as part of the conditioning operation.
In Bacigalupi, the tool head (sponge on the candle bit) dips directly into the reservoir tray to retrieve paste, but the reservoir tray is not fed by an actuatable, computer-controlled reservoir as part of the conditioning operation.
Kim's slurry dispenser therefore does not teach an actuatable reservoir that dispenses into a compound pot, nor does it teach controlling the actuatable reservoir to operably engage the tool head with compound in the compound pot.
(Pages: 10-12)
With respect to (a) above, Examiner appreciates the interpretative description given by Applicant in response.
In response to applicant’s amendments to the claim 1, a new grounds of rejections in view of CHOU (US20230130235A1) has been introduced.
Combination of Bacigalupi, Kim and CHOU teach all the limitations of claim 1 as described in the current office action.
For the purpose of compact prosecution, examiner notes that the difference between the rejected independent claim 1 and the allowed claims 16 and 31 are:
Claims 16 and 31 include additional feature of “handling device” with an end effector and this handling device is used for selection of user device from a group of user device and providing the selected user device to an apparatus for conditioning the user device, where apparatus comprises dispenser assembly with actuatable reservoir is engaged with and fluidically coupled with compound pot to dispense a conditioning compound therein.
An obvious combination of Bacigalupi et al. (US20240253174A1), Kim (US20220055178A1), Kurogouchi (US20040185750A1) and CHOU (US20230130235A1) cannot be made for the 35 USC 103 rejection due to this above described additional feature. Please see the reasons for allowance of claims 16-24 and 26-32 section for further details.
Applicant’s arguments are fully considered, but for the above described reasons, the arguments are moot; therefore, claims 1-14 and 33-34 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 in view of the references as presented in the current office action.
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 filling 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.
The text of those sections of Title 35, U.S. Code not included in this action can be found in a prior Office action.
The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
Claim(s) 1-3, 5-8, 10, 12 and 33-34 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Bacigalupi et al. (US20240253174A1) [hereinafter Bacigalupi] in view of Kim (US20220055178A1) [hereinafter Kim] and further in view of CHOU (US20230130235A1) [hereinafter CHOU].
Regarding claim 1 (amended):
Bacigalupi discloses, An apparatus for conditioning at least one surface of a user device, the apparatus comprising: [¶8: “kits, systems, devices (e.g., hardware storage devices, computer numerical control (CNC) machines/devices, etc.), and methods for dynamically polishing and repairing a mobile device's surface”];
a platform configured to support the user device; [¶100: “FIG. 4 also shows a staging area 415, which includes a platform 420 on which a device can be positioned.”];
a conditioning device configured to engage a tool comprising a tool head; [¶99: “The CNC machine 400 includes a candle bit 405. Attached to an end of the candle bit 405 is a sponge 410. This sponge 410 can be coated with a scratch-repairing or removing paste.” “CNC machine 400 causes the candle bit 405 (and hence the sponge 410) to rotate”… ¶98: “coating an applicator with a paste using a computer numerical control (CNC) machine. Notably, the applicator is attached to a candle bit of the CNC machine. Furthermore, the device is disposed on a staging area of the CNC machine. The applicator can be a sponge, pad, brush, or any other type of application tool. FIG. 4 is illustrative.”];
…reservoir is…fluidically coupled with the compound pot to dispense a conditioning compound therein; [¶103: “The staging area 500 also includes a recessed area labeled as a reservoir tray 510 and optionally another recessed area labeled as reservoir tray 515. Although two reservoir trays are illustrated, the embodiments can include 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, or more than 5 reservoir trays.”… ¶105: “the paste container 520 is inserted into one of the reservoir trays 510, 515 while water or some other liquid substance is inserted into the other one of the reservoir trays 510, 515. The water can potentially be used to hydrate and liquify the paste 535 if in powder form.”… ¶107: “the CNC machine is equipped with a larger container of paste, such as perhaps a tub that uses tubing to fill the reservoir trays 510, 515.”];
a positioning assembly configured to move the conditioning device relative to the user device and the compound pot; and [¶100: “When the device is positioned on the platform 420 of the staging area 415, the CNC machine 400 can move the sponge 410 in an x-y dimensional plane. The CNC machine 400 can move the staging area 415 in a z dimension to raise or lower the device.” “the CNC machine 400 can move the sponge 410 in any x-y-z direction. In some cases, the CNC machine 400 can move the staging area 415 in any x-y-z direction.”… ¶115: “The candle bit 1000 is rotated by a motor of the CNC machine and is moved to different positions in order to polish the device's screen.”… ¶120: “Act 325 then includes moving the applicator and/or the staging area using the CNC machine in accordance with a predetermined pattern, which pattern is selected to enable the paste coated on the applicator to polish the screen of the device, including a scratch on the screen.”];
at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium including computer program code stored thereon that, when executed by at least one processor, configures the apparatus to: [¶203: “FIG. 23 illustrates an example computer system configured to perform any of the disclosed operations. FIG. 23 will be discussed in more detail later.”… ¶240: “computer system 2300 includes various different components. FIG. 23 shows that computer system 2300 includes one or more processor(s) 2305 (aka a “hardware processing unit”) and storage 2310.”… ¶246: “Computer storage media (aka “hardware storage device”) are computer-readable hardware storage devices,” “that can be used to store desired program code means in the form of computer-executable instructions, data, or data structures and that can be accessed by a general-purpose or special-purpose computer.”];
control…the conditioning device, and the positioning assembly to execute at least one conditioning operation to operably engage the tool head with both the compound in the compound pot and with a plurality of locations on the at least one surface of the user device. [¶172: “Act 1505 involves moving the end-mounted sponge, which is mounted on the candle bit, to a position above the reservoir. For instance, the preparation stage 1405 of FIG. 14A shows how the candle bit 1430 can be moved to a position above the paste 1435. Act 1505 can be performed by the computer system instructing the CNC machine to perform this movement.”…¶173: “Act 1510 can be performed by the computer system instructing the CNC machine to perform this dipping operation. In some cases, the sponge is rotated in a single direction or perhaps back and forth while immersed in the paste.”… ¶176: “Act 1520 includes moving the end-mounted sponge to a home position relative to a device that is to be polished, where the device is disposed on the staging area”… ¶178: “Act 1525 involves rotating the candle bit at a predetermined rate such that the end-mounted sponge also rotates.”… ¶180: “Act 1530 includes causing the rotating end-mounted sponge to contact the screen of the device while moving in accordance with a predetermined pattern such that the end-mounted sponge polishes the screen of the device using the paste.”], but doesn’t explicitly disclose, and
Kim discloses, control the actuatable reservoir…to execute at least one conditioning operation to operably engage the tool head with both the compound in the compound pot and with a plurality of locations on the at least one surface of the user device [¶6: “(4) a slurry dispenser arranged adjacent to the spindle and designed to store and dispense polishing slurry on surface of mobile device; and (5) a central controller programmed to control operation of the jig, the spindle, and the slurry dispenser.”…¶47: “a slurry dispensing controller and a rotational movement controller, to cease operation of the component they control.”… ¶11: “the slurry dispensing controller controls operation of the slurry dispenser during an operational state of the jig and the spindle, to either dispense or cease dispensing polishing slurry.”];
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the filling date of the claimed invention to have combined the capability of controlling the actuatable reservoir…to execute at least one conditioning operation to operably engage the tool head with both the compound in the compound pot and with a plurality of locations on the at least one surface of the user device in order to provide efficient polishing of the user device with high throughput processing taught by Kim with the apparatus taught by Bacigalupi as discussed above in order to have reasonable expectation of success such as to provide efficient polishing of the user device with high throughput processing [Kim: ¶53: “allow present systems and methods to provide efficient polishing of the mobile device. In the market of pre-owned or refurbished mobile device sales, the present arrangements and teachings that allow for different types of displacement paths, contribute to high throughput processing”], but Kim doesn’t explicitly disclose, and
CHOU discloses, a dispenser assembly comprising an actuatable reservoir and compound pot, wherein the actuatable reservoir is engaged with and fluidically coupled with the compound pot to dispense a conditioning compound therein; [¶32: “System 200 may include…a dispensing nozzle 220…The delivery nozzle 220 may include an actuator and valve assembly that may be selectively opened and closed to dispense a desired quantity of slurry to the polishing pad 205. A slurry line 225 may extend between the slurry fluid source 210 and the dispensing nozzle 220. For example, a slurry inlet 227 of the slurry line 225 may be coupled with the slurry source 210 and a slurry outlet 229 of the slurry line 225 may be coupled with an inlet of the dispensing nozzle 220.”…
¶31: “slurry fluid source 210 may also include a pump and/or other positive pressure source that may be used to selectively flow the polishing slurry to the polishing pad 205. The polishing slurry may be delivered continuously and/or intermittently during a given polishing operation.”
Examiner notes that CHOU discloses, dispenser assembly as shown in figure 2, comprising an actuatable reservoir 210 and compound pot such as the nozzle with compound/slurry holder 220 that receives compound/slurry through outlet 229, wherein the actuatable reservoir 210 that can be actuated to flow polishing compound/slurry from 210 to 220 is engaged with and fluidically coupled with the compound pot 220 to dispense a conditioning compound therein].
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the filling date of the claimed invention to have combined a dispenser assembly comprising an actuatable reservoir and compound pot, wherein the actuatable reservoir is engaged with and fluidically coupled with the compound pot to dispense a conditioning compound therein in order to achieve a uniform flow of compound taught by CHOU with the apparatus taught by Bacigalupi and Kim as discussed above in order to have reasonable expectation of success such as to achieve a uniform flow of compound [CHOU: ¶12: “the dispensing nozzles may include simple and/or uniform flow paths that may prevent agglomeration and/or uneven flow of slurry through the dispensing nozzle”].
Regarding claim 2:
Bacigalupi, Kim and CHOU disclose, The apparatus of claim 1, and
Bacigalupi further discloses, further comprising a calibration tool configured to set a reference position for the positioning assembly, [¶127: “auto-calibrate the z-axis to potentially facilitate the automatic calculation and determination of the home position 1455.” “CNC machine moves the candle bit 1430 to a location above the touch-off point. The CNC machine then causes the candle bit 1430 to contact the touch-off point/groove.” “Lowering the candle bit 1430 onto the touch-off point/groove 1480 calibrates a z-height of the staging area 1410 and the platform 1415.”… ¶128: “auto-calibrate a z-height of the device 1420. This may also be referred to as finding or calibrating the “z zero” for a device. Some devices may have multiple, varied z zeroes, necessitating calibration in multiple locations of surface of the device.”].
wherein the reference position is relative to one or more of the platform, the tool head, and the dispenser assembly. [Examiner notes that claim requires one or more of the optional features, and one of those options is given the patentable weight.
Bacigalupi discloses, the reference position is relative to the platform, the tool head etc.
¶127: “Lowering the candle bit 1430 onto the touch-off point/groove 1480 calibrates a z-height of the staging area 1410 and the platform 1415…. ”¶128: “auto-calibrate a z-height of the device 1420. This may also be referred to as finding or calibrating the “z zero” for a device. Some devices may have multiple, varied z zeroes, necessitating calibration in multiple locations of surface of the device. The CNC machine moves the candle bit 1430 to a location above the device 1420. The CNC machine then causes the candle bit 1430 to contact the surface of the device 1420 at a home position 1455 or another position on the device 1420. This contacting action can occur by lowering the candle bit 1430 onto the surface of the device 1420. Lowering the candle bit 1430 onto the surface of the device 1420 calibrates a z-height of the device 1420.”].
Regarding claim 3:
Bacigalupi, Kim and CHOU disclose, The apparatus of claim 1, and
Bacigalupi further discloses, wherein the conditioning device further comprises a tool changer configured to operably engage the tool comprising the tool head. [¶115: “The candle bit 1000 includes a cushion 1005 section and a hook-and-loop fastener 1010. The hook-and-loop fastener 1010 is provided to enable a sponge to be attached to the end portion of the cushion 1005.”… ¶170: “different applicator head than the candle bit 1430. For example, the candle bit 1430 may be swapped out for a sprayer or mister attachment. The sprayer or mister attachment may spray or mist the oleophobic coating onto the surface or screen of the device.”].
Regarding claim 5 (amended):
Bacigalupi, Kim and CHOU disclose, The apparatus of claim 1, and
Bacigalupi further discloses, wherein the positioning assembly comprises at least one movable frame and at least one actuator, wherein the at least one actuator is configured to operably engage with the at least one movable frame and move relative to the at least one movable frame. [¶100: “When the device is positioned on the platform 420 of the staging area 415, the CNC machine 400 can move the sponge 410 in an x-y dimensional plane. The CNC machine 400 can move the staging area 415 in a z dimension to raise or lower the device. Of course, these are example scenarios only. In some cases, the CNC machine 400 can move the sponge 410 in any x-y-z direction. In some cases, the CNC machine 400 can move the staging area 415 in any x-y-z direction.”… ¶115: “In the preparation stage 1445, the candle bit 1430 is separated from the paste 1435, such as by raising the candle bit 1430 and/or by lowering the staging area 1410. The x-y-z axis illustrates the various movement directions, with the z-axis reflecting a vertical movement while the x and y axes reflect orthogonal movements.”].
Regarding claim 6 (amended):
Bacigalupi, Kim and CHOU disclose, The apparatus of claim 5, and
Bacigalupi further discloses, wherein the at least one movable frame is a three-axis gantry configured to move the conditioning device above the user device. [¶100: “When the device is positioned on the platform 420 of the staging area 415, the CNC machine 400 can move the sponge 410 in an x-y dimensional plane. The CNC machine 400 can move the staging area 415 in a z dimension to raise or lower the device. Of course, these are example scenarios only. In some cases, the CNC machine 400 can move the sponge 410 in any x-y-z direction. In some cases, the CNC machine 400 can move the staging area 415 in any x-y-z direction.”… ¶115: “In the preparation stage 1445, the candle bit 1430 is separated from the paste 1435, such as by raising the candle bit 1430 and/or by lowering the staging area 1410. The x-y-z axis illustrates the various movement directions, with the z-axis reflecting a vertical movement while the x and y axes reflect orthogonal movements.”].
Regarding claim 7:
Bacigalupi, Kim and CHOU disclose, The apparatus of claim 1, and
Bacigalupi further discloses, wherein the conditioning device is configured to emit a signal when the at least one conditioning operation is complete.
[¶166: “the process flow 1400 includes a conclusion stage, where an oleophobic coating is re-applied to the screen of a device 1420 after a polishing and/or repair process has been performed and completed. Similar to removing the oleophobic coating, in some cases, the candle bit 1430 of the CNC machines is coated with the oleophobic coating and applies the oleophobic coating to the screen of the device 1420.”].
Regarding claim 8:
Bacigalupi, Kim and CHOU disclose, The apparatus of claim 1, and
Bacigalupi further discloses, wherein the conditioning compound is a non-aqueous polishing paste. [¶105: “The paste 535 can be in” “powder form.”].
Regarding claim 10:
Bacigalupi, Kim and CHOU disclose, The apparatus of claim 1, and
Kim further discloses, wherein the platform comprises one or more movable actuators configured to position and orient the user device into one or more positions and one or more orientations. [¶52: “Jig 132 includes one or more jig bases, each of which is designed to receive a mobile device that will undergo polishing, according to the present teachings. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 4, jig 132 includes a first jig base 144 for securing a first mobile device and a second jig base 146 for securing a second mobile device during a polishing operation. Jig 132 is slidably engaged with a first set of linear motion guides (“LM guides”) or, in the alternative, “jig guides” 134, which are disposed above first tray 138. In the configuration of FIG. 4, jig guides 134 extend in the X-direction and, jig 132 accordingly is capable of movement only along the X-axis using these guides. Top tray, similarly, slidably engages with a second set of LM guides or, in the alternative, “tray guides” 140, which are disposed above second tray 140. Tray guides 140 extend in the Y-direction and, therefore, first tray 138 is capable of movement only along the Y-axis using these guides. Thus, device support subassembly 130 is configured to displace one or more mobile devices, each positioned on a corresponding jig base, both in the X-direction and in the Y-direction.”].
Regarding claim 12:
Bacigalupi, Kim and CHOU disclose, The apparatus of claim 1, and
Kim further discloses, further comprising a movable cart configured to support one or more of the platform, the conditioning device, the dispenser assembly, and the positioning assembly. [Examiner notes that claim requires one or more of the optional features, and one of those options is given the patentable weight.
Kim discloses, movable cart support one of the platform 130, the conditioning device 108, the dispenser assembly 116, and the positioning assembly 108 etc. as shown in fig. 2.
¶42: “To this end, FIG. 2 shows a perspective view of a polishing system 100′,” “includes base component” “a spindle motor subassembly 108 disposed a top device support subassembly 130.” “device support subassembly includes components that are capable of undergoing linear displacement in an X-direction and a Y-direction,” “Spindle motor subassembly 108, however, is capable of linear displacement in the Z-direction,” “a Z-axis motor 110 is responsible for displacement of spindle motor subassembly 108 in the Z-direction”… ¶43: “spindle motor subassembly 108 also includes two slurry dispensers, i.e., a first slurry dispenser 116 that is disposed adjacent to first polishing head 112, and a second slurry dispenser 118 that is disposed adjacent to second polishing head 114”].
Regarding claim 33 (new):
Bacigalupi, Kim and CHOU disclose, The apparatus of claim 1, and
CHOU further discloses, wherein the compound pot comprises a channel opening configured to receive the conditioning compound from the actuatable reservoir therethrough. [¶32: “System 200 may include…a dispensing nozzle 220…The delivery nozzle 220 may include an actuator and valve assembly that may be selectively opened and closed to dispense a desired quantity of slurry to the polishing pad 205. A slurry line 225 may extend between the slurry fluid source 210 and the dispensing nozzle 220. For example, a slurry inlet 227 of the slurry line 225 may be coupled with the slurry source 210 and a slurry outlet 229 of the slurry line 225 may be coupled with an inlet of the dispensing nozzle 220.”…
¶31: “slurry fluid source 210 may also include a pump and/or other positive pressure source that may be used to selectively flow the polishing slurry to the polishing pad 205. The polishing slurry may be delivered continuously and/or intermittently during a given polishing operation.”
Examiner notes that CHOU discloses, compound pot such as the nozzle 220 holding the slurry/compound includes opening such as outlet 229 that receives the conditioning compound/slurry from reservoir 210 via reservoir inlet 227 when actuated].
Regarding claim 34 (new):
Bacigalupi, Kim and CHOU disclose, The apparatus of claim 1, and
CHOU further discloses, wherein the actuatable reservoir is engaged with the compound pot via an orifice in the compound pot. [¶32: “System 200 may include…a dispensing nozzle 220…The delivery nozzle 220 may include an actuator and valve assembly that may be selectively opened and closed to dispense a desired quantity of slurry to the polishing pad 205. A slurry line 225 may extend between the slurry fluid source 210 and the dispensing nozzle 220. For example, a slurry inlet 227 of the slurry line 225 may be coupled with the slurry source 210 and a slurry outlet 229 of the slurry line 225 may be coupled with an inlet of the dispensing nozzle 220.”…
Examiner notes, also see CHOU figure 2. Shows reservoir 210 engaged with compound pot 220 via an orifice/pipe 225].
Claim(s) 4 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Bacigalupi, Kim and CHOU and further in view of Kurogouchi (US20040185750A1) [hereinafter Kurogouchi].
Regarding claim 4:
Bacigalupi, Kim and CHOU disclose, The apparatus of claim 3, but they do not explicitly disclose, and
Kurogouchi discloses, wherein the tool changer comprises a chuck. [¶26: “A spindle motor 9 is mounted on the end of the second up-and-down driving shaft 8 to fix a spindle 10 to which a polisher 11 is chucked.”].
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the filling date of the claimed invention to have combined the tool changer comprises a chuck in order to perform polishing with high efficiency and high accuracy taught by Kurogouchi with the apparatus taught by Bacigalupi, Kim and CHOU as discussed above in order to have reasonable expectation of success such as to perform polishing with high efficiency and high accuracy [Kurogouchi: ¶53: “Polishing can thus be performed with high efficiency and high accuracy.”].
Claim(s) 9 and 14 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Bacigalupi, Kim and CHOU and further in view of Katsuoka et al. (US20020025764A1) [hereinafter Katsuoka].
Regarding claim 9:
Bacigalupi, Kim and CHOU disclose, The apparatus of claim 1, but they do not explicitly disclose, and
Katsuoka discloses, wherein the platform comprises a vacuum table comprising one or more actuators configured to support and hold the user device in a fixed position on the platform. [¶26: “Each of the top rings 32, 34 has a suction device on the bottom surface to hold a workpiece by vacuum suction, each is driven by its own drive motor 56 so as to enable each to rotate horizontally, and each can also be raised or lowered by using an air cylinder 58, independently of the other.”].
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the filling date of the claimed invention to have combined the platform comprises a vacuum table comprising one or more actuators configured to support and hold the user device in a fixed position on the platform in order to reduce the idle time of the table and thereby increasing the through-put of the facility taught by Katsuoka with the apparatus taught by Bacigalupi, Kim and CHOU as discussed above in order to have reasonable expectation of success such as to reduce the idle time of the table and thereby increasing the through-put of the facility [Katsuoka: ¶20: “so that the idle time for the turntable is reduced, thereby increasing the through-put of the facility”].
Regarding claim 14 (amended):
Bacigalupi, Kim and CHOU disclose, The apparatus of claim 1, and
Bacigalupi further discloses, further comprising a polish head changing station, the polish head changing station comprising a cleaning tool…. wherein the cleaning tool is configured to remove excess conditioning compound from the user device [¶170: “the candle bit 1430 may be swapped out for a sprayer or mister attachment. The sprayer or mister attachment may spray or mist the oleophobic coating onto the surface or screen of the device.”…
¶158: “the finishing stage 1490 includes dipping the sponge into water one or more times, potentially rotating the sponge while the sponge is in the water, and then applying the wet sponge to the screen in order to perform a final cleaning of the screen”
Examiner notes that Bacigalupi discloses the feature of performing final cleaning of the screen that describes that any leftover material (e.g.; leftover polishing compound) can be cleaned with this final cleaning step], but doesn’t explicitly disclose, and
Katsuoka further discloses, cleaning tool configured to clean the user device following application of the compound to the user device... [¶22: “cleaning units for cleaning polished workpieces polished in the polishing units;”… ¶52: “secondary cleaning units 14 a, 14 b are made to rotate the wafer horizontally by holding the edge of the wafer while supplying a cleaning solution thereto”].
Claim(s) 11 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Bacigalupi, Kim and CHOU and further in view of Schob (US20030103852A1) [hereinafter Schob].
Regarding claim 11:
Bacigalupi, Kim and CHOU disclose, The apparatus of claim 1, but they do not explicitly disclose, and
Schob discloses, wherein the actuatable reservoir comprises an actuator configured to dispense conditioning compound into the compound pot and the reservoir comprises a syringe actuated by the actuator. [¶8: “a dispensing apparatus for a fluid is therefore proposed having a supply tank for the fluid which has an outlet which can be connected to a pressure line for the fluid and having a rotary pump which has a rotor to convey the fluid into the pressure line, with the rotor being arranged directly in the outlet of the supply tank for the mixing of the fluid.”… ¶11: “A control unit for the rotary pump is preferably provided which sets the forwarding pressure of the rotary pump via the speed of the rotor.”… ¶29: “the dispensing apparatus 1 in accordance with the invention is used in a CMP process (CMP: chemical-mechanical polishing)”].
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the filling date of the claimed invention to have combined the actuatable reservoir comprises an actuator configured to dispense conditioning compound into the compound pot and the reservoir comprises a syringe actuated by the actuator in order to have extremely fast electrical or electronic adjustment of the forwarding pressure of the polishing compound taught by Schob with the apparatus taught by Bacigalupi, Kim and CHOU as discussed above in order to have reasonable expectation of success such as to have extremely fast electrical or electronic adjustment of the forwarding pressure of the polishing compound [Schob: ¶55: “the rotary pump 3 only operates at a fraction of its maximum efficiency, the forwarding pressure at which the fluid F is made available in the pressure line 5 can therefore be set and regulated directly by the control unit 12 via the speed of the rotor 31. An extremely fast electrical or electronic adjustment of the forwarding pressure can thus be realised”].
Claim(s) 13 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Bacigalupi, Kim and CHOU and further in view of Kodera (US20240416479A1) [hereinafter Kodera].
Regarding claim 13 (amended):
Bacigalupi, Kim and CHOU disclose, The apparatus of claim 1, but they do not explicitly disclose, and
Kodera discloses, wherein the plurality of locations comprises at least one sensitive area of the user device where the conditioning compound should not be deposited and wherein the at least one conditioning operation is configured to refrain from operably engaging the tool head with the at least one sensitive area. [¶95: “when the determination unit 1 d determines to remove the film F in at least one of the plurality of polishing regions, the control device 1 controls the operation of the polishing head 14 to polish the other polishing regions excluding the polishing region where the film F is determined to be removed.”].
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the filling date of the claimed invention to have combined the plurality of locations comprises at least one sensitive area and wherein the at least one conditioning operation is configured to refrain from operably engaging the tool head with the at least one sensitive area in order to have high precision polishing avoiding polishing undesired areas taught by Kodera with the apparatus taught by Bacigalupi, Kim and CHOU as discussed above in order to have reasonable expectation of success such as to have high precision polishing avoiding polishing undesired areas [Kodera: ¶28: “the polishing apparatus can polish the substrate with high precision without causing the abnormal polishing such as the under-polishing and the over-polishing”].
Reasons for Allowance of Claims 16-24 and 26-32
Claims 16-24 and 26-32 are allowed The following is an examiner’s statement of reasons for allowance:
Objections to Claim 30 are withdrawn:
In response to applicant’s amendments to claim 30, all the claim objections of claim 30 as set forth in the previous office action has been withdrawn.
35 USC § 103 rejections withdrawn:
In response to applicant’s amendments to claims 16 and 31, all the 35 USC § 103 rejections of claims 16-24 and 26-32 as set forth in the previous office action has been withdrawn.
Applicant’s arguments regarding the amended claims 16 and 31 are persuasive:
“Independent claims 16 and 31 recite the same dispenser assembly limitations as claim 1, including "a dispenser assembly comprising an actuatable reservoir and compound pot, wherein the actuatable reservoir is fluidically coupled with the compound pot to dispense a conditioning compound therein" and the requirement to "control the actuatable reservoir" as part of the conditioning operation.
The Examiner has alleged that the combination of Bacigalupi, Kim, and Kurogouchi renders claims 16 and 31 obvious.
However, the addition of Kurogouchi does not cure the deficiencies identified above with respect to claim 1. Notably, Kurogouchi is relied upon only for the handling device and end effector limitations, not for the dispenser assembly architecture. For at least the same reasons set forth above with respect to claim 1, Applicant respectfully requests withdrawal of the rejections of claims 16 and 31 under 35 U.S.C. § 103.” (Page: 12)
Applicant’s arguments as discussed above are persuasive. In response to applicant’s arguments and amendments to claims 16 and 31, all the 35 U.S.C. § 103 rejections of claims 16-24 and 26-32 as set forth in the previous office action have been withdrawn.
Claims 16-24 and 26-30:
Regarding Claim 16:
Regarding the previously presented claim, Bacigalupi et al. (US20240253174A1), Kim (US20220055178A1) and Kurogouchi (US20040185750A1) disclose all the elements of previously presented claim as described in the previous office action mailed on 12/18/2025.
Regarding the amended claim, CHOU (US20230130235A1) describes, dispenser assembly with actuatable reservoir and compound pot; the actuatable reservoir is engaged with and fluidically coupled with the compound pot to dispense a conditioning compound therein [¶32: “System 200 may include…a dispensing nozzle 220…The delivery nozzle 220 may include an actuator and valve assembly that may be selectively opened and closed to dispense a desired quantity of slurry to the polishing pad 205. A slurry line 225 may extend between the slurry fluid source 210 and the dispensing nozzle 220. For example, a slurry inlet 227 of the slurry line 225 may be coupled with the slurry source 210 and a slurry outlet 229 of the slurry line 225 may be coupled with an inlet of the dispensing nozzle 220.”…
¶31: “slurry fluid source 210 may also include a pump and/or other positive pressure source that may be used to selectively flow the polishing slurry to the polishing pad 205. The polishing slurry may be delivered continuously and/or intermittently during a given polishing operation.”].
However, regarding the amended claim, none of the Bacigalupi et al. (US20240253174A1), Kim (US20220055178A1), Kurogouchi (US20040185750A1) and CHOU (US20230130235A1), or the other prior arts listed in the previous correspondence taken either alone or in obvious combination disclose, A system, specifically including:
a handling device comprising an end effector, wherein the handling device is configured to operably engage the user device with the end effector and deliver the user device to an apparatus for conditioning the user device selected from a group of apparatuses for conditioning the user device, the apparatus for conditioning the user device comprising:
a platform configured to support the user device;
a conditioning device configured to engage a tool comprising a tool head;
a dispenser assembly comprising an actuatable reservoir and compound pot, wherein the actuatable reservoir is engaged with and fluidically coupled with the compound pot to dispense a conditioning compound therein;
a positioning assembly configured to move the conditioning device relative to the user device and the compound pot; and
at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium including computer program code stored thereon that, when executed by at least one processor, configures the apparatus to:
control the actuatable reservoir, the conditioning device, and the positioning assembly to execute at least one conditioning operation to operably engage the tool head with both the compound in the compound pot and with a plurality of locations on the at least one surface of the user device.
(in combination with other elements of the claim)
having all the claimed features of applicant’s instant invention, including:
A system for conditioning at least one surface of a user device, the system comprising:
a handling device comprising an end effector, wherein the handling device is configured to operably engage the user device with the end effector and deliver the user device to an apparatus for conditioning the user device selected from a group of apparatuses for conditioning the user device, the apparatus for conditioning the user device comprising:
a platform configured to support the user device;
a conditioning device configured to engage a tool comprising a tool head;
a dispenser assembly comprising an actuatable reservoir and compound pot, wherein the actuatable reservoir is engaged with and fluidically coupled with the compound pot to dispense a conditioning compound therein;
a positioning assembly configured to move the conditioning device relative to the user device and the compound pot; and
at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium including computer program code stored thereon that, when executed by at least one processor, configures the apparatus to:
control the actuatable reservoir, the conditioning device, and the positioning assembly to execute at least one conditioning operation to operably engage the tool head with both the compound in the compound pot and with a plurality of locations on the at least one surface of the user device.
Claims 17-24 and 26-30 are allowed based on their dependencies on claim 16.
Claims 31-32:
Regarding Claim 31:
Regarding the previously presented claim, Bacigalupi et al. (US20240253174A1), Kim (US20220055178A1) and Kurogouchi (US20040185750A1) disclose all the elements of previously presented claim as described in the previous office action mailed on 12/18/2025.
Regarding the amended claim, CHOU (US20230130235A1) describes, dispenser assembly with actuatable reservoir and compound pot; the actuatable reservoir is engaged with and fluidically coupled with the compound pot to dispense a conditioning compound therein [¶32: “System 200 may include…a dispensing nozzle 220…The delivery nozzle 220 may include an actuator and valve assembly that may be selectively opened and closed to dispense a desired quantity of slurry to the polishing pad 205. A slurry line 225 may extend between the slurry fluid source 210 and the dispensing nozzle 220. For example, a slurry inlet 227 of the slurry line 225 may be coupled with the slurry source 210 and a slurry outlet 229 of the slurry line 225 may be coupled with an inlet of the dispensing nozzle 220.”…
¶31: “slurry fluid source 210 may also include a pump and/or other positive pressure source that may be used to selectively flow the polishing slurry to the polishing pad 205. The polishing slurry may be delivered continuously and/or intermittently during a given polishing operation.”].
However, regarding the amended claim, none of the Bacigalupi et al. (US20240253174A1), Kim (US20220055178A1), Kurogouchi (US20040185750A1) and CHOU (US20230130235A1), or the other prior arts listed in the previous correspondence taken either alone or in obvious combination disclose, A method, specifically including:
operably engaging, with a handling device comprising an end effector, the user device with the end effector;
delivering, with the handling device, the user device to an apparatus for conditioning the user device selected from a group of apparatuses for conditioning the user device, the apparatus for conditioning the user device comprising:
a platform configured to support the user device;
a conditioning device configured to engage a tool comprising a tool head;
a dispenser assembly comprising an actuatable reservoir and compound pot, wherein the actuatable reservoir is engaged with and fluidically coupled with the compound pot to dispense a conditioning compound therein;
a positioning assembly configured to move the conditioning device relative to the user device and the compound pot; and
at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium including computer program code stored thereon that, may be executed by at least one processor; and
controlling the actuatable reservoir, the conditioning device, and a polishing device, by the at least one processor, to operably engage the tool head with the compound in the compound pot and with a plurality of locations on the at least one surface of the user device.
(in combination with other elements of the claim)
having all the claimed features of applicant’s instant invention, including:
A method for conditioning at least one surface of a user device, the method comprising:
operably engaging, with a handling device comprising an end effector, the user device with the end effector;
delivering, with the handling device, the user device to an apparatus for conditioning the user device selected from a group of apparatuses for conditioning the user device, the apparatus for conditioning the user device comprising:
a platform configured to support the user device;
a conditioning device configured to engage a tool comprising a tool head;
a dispenser assembly comprising an actuatable reservoir and compound pot, wherein the actuatable reservoir is engaged with and fluidically coupled with the compound pot to dispense a conditioning compound therein;
a positioning assembly configured to move the conditioning device relative to the user device and the compound pot; and
at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium including computer program code stored thereon that, may be executed by at least one processor; and
controlling the actuatable reservoir, the conditioning device, and a polishing device, by the at least one processor, to operably engage the tool head with the compound in the compound pot and with a plurality of locations on the at least one surface of the user device.
Claim 32 is allowed based on its dependency on claim 31.
It is for these reasons that applicant's invention defines over the prior art of the record.
Any comments considered necessary by applicant must be submitted no later than the payment of the issue fee and, to avoid processing delays, should preferably accompany the issue fee. Such submissions should be clearly labeled “Comments on Statement of Reasons for Allowance.”
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure is listed in the PTO-892 Notice of Reference Cited document.
Yu (US20080305725A1) - Chemical mechanical polish system having multiple slurry-dispensing systems:
¶20: Top slurry-dispensing system 120 includes a top slurry dispenser 122, a pump 124, and a slurry storage 126. Bottom slurry-dispensing system 220 includes a bottom slurry dispenser 222, a pump 224 and a slurry storage 226. Bottom slurry dispenser 222 penetrates polishing pad 30 through an opening and dispenses slurries upward onto polishing pad 30. Bottom slurry dispenser 222 is connected to a duct 230, which extends under polishing pad 30 and is connected to slurry storage 226. Bottom slurry-dispensing system 220 preferably includes a valve 228, which may be used for regulating the flow rate of slurries and/or for turning on/off the flow of slurries..
Johnson et al. (US20210209746A1) - Systems and methods for automatically grading pre-owned electronic devices:
¶23: systems and methods for automatically grading pre-owned electronic devices or other user devices, such as, for example, mobile phones. As seen in FIG. 1, in some embodiments, systems and methods disclosed herein can include a multi-stage automated assembly line system 100 that can sort and grade the pre-owned electronic devices.
Zhou et al. (US20160250734A1) - Automated polishing system and method:
¶7: a transport unit, provided with a transport surface and a transport drive configured to drive the transport surface to move horizontally;
¶8: a polishing unit, fixed on the workbench, including a supporting portion, a holding arm rotatably connected to the supporting portion, a holder connected to the holding arm, a horizontal drive configured to drive the supporting portion to move horizontally, a vertical drive configured to drive the supporting portion to move vertically, a horizontally rotating drive configured to drive the holding arm to rotate in a horizontal direction, a vertically rotating drive configured to drive the holder to rotate in a vertical direction, a rotating drive configured to drive the holder to rotate relative to the holding arm, a polishing shaft, a polishing rotating device configured to drive the polishing shaft, and a polishing drive configured to drive the polishing shaft to move towards the holder for reciprocating motion;
CHAN (US20140113525A1) - Methods for finishing surfaces using tool center point shift techniques:
¶6: a method for finishing a curved surface of a part is described. The method can involve positioning the part in a computer numerical control (CNC) tool. The part can have at least one curved surface adjacent to at least one flat surface. The method also includes finishing the surface of the part by moving a finishing tool along a tool control path that travels along the flat surface and the curved surface. The finishing tool rotates about an axis which is substantially normal to the at least one curved and at least one flat surfaces during the finishing. Also during the finishing, a location of a tool center point (TCP) varies with respect to the finishing tool depending on the location of the finishing tool with respect to the tool control path.
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 MOHAMMED SHAFAYET whose telephone number is (571)272-8239. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 8:30 AM-5:00 PM.
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, Kenneth Lo can be reached at (571) 272-9774. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/M.S./
Patent Examiner,
Art Unit 2116
/KENNETH M LO/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2116
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