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 .
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 12/15/2025 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive. The Applicant argues that Jarvis et al. 2020/0207250 (hereinafter “Jarvis”) does not disclose “determining a Y-axis directional target teaching value based on the Y-axis directional teaching relative value and correcting the Y-axis directional target teaching value using correction data collected at the target loading/unloading position.” Jarvis states,
“The plurality of shelves 214 may be vertically arranged and, in some implementations, one or more of the shelves 214 may have an adjustable height (e.g., adjusted manually or automatically using a motor coupled with the AGV 202c) on the AGV rack 206. In some implementations, a controller of the AGV 202c may determine a current height of a particular shelf of the plurality of shelves 214 (or, for instance, a loading area, item, or other shelves 406), for example, using an optical scanner or retrieving a stored height of a particular shelf from a database. For example, one or more of the shelves 214 may include a marker readable by an optical scanner coupled with the IHM 216 or carrying device 226 to indicate to the IHM 216 a location or identification of the a particular shelf. In some implementations, a controller of the AGV 202c may store a shelf identifier for a shelf 214 in association with a height or size of the shelf 214, or an identifier of an item stored on the shelf 214.
In some implementations, a shelf 214 onto which an item is placed may be selected based on the size, height, weight capacity, or other attributes of the shelf 214. For example, an item of a given size may be placed on a shelf 214 having a corresponding size. In another example, in response to an item having a threshold weight, it may be placed on a lower shelf 214 than an item having a lighter weight than the threshold (¶80-81).”
“At 706, the IHM 216 may lift the carrying device 226, which in turn lifts the item vertically. The carrying device 226 may support the item directly by engaging with the item (e.g., sliding underneath the item, coupling to the sides or front of the item, etc.). For example, the AGV 102 may determine which storage shelf 406 on a particular shelving unit 402 to align a carrying device 226 with (based on control instructions and/or the assigned location received from the loading coordination engine 804) and may elevate the carrying device 226 to a height based on the height of the storage shelf 406. In some instances, the AGV 102 may raise the carrying device 226 toward the storage shelf 406 and stop once a scanner (e.g., coupled with the IHM 216 or carrying device 226) of the AGV 102 detects a shelf marker (e.g., a barcode, QR code, etc.). For example, the AGV 102 may use a unique identification code of the marker scanned from the marker compared to instructions received from the loading coordination engine 804 to identify the shelf 406, depending on the implementation.
In some implementations, the AGV 102 may use a shelf identifier or unique identification code in a database to determine a height of the shelf 406 and may adjust a height of the carrying device 226 along at least a third (e.g., a vertical) axis to place the item on the shelf 406. In some implementations, the AGV 102 may alternatively or additionally use placement of other items, markers, or structure of the shelving unit 402 to determine the coordinates at which to extend the carrying device 226 in order to place the item on the shelf 406 (¶148-149).”
The Examiner interprets the initial determined shelf location/height as the Applicant’s “Y-axis directional target teaching value”. The Examiner interprets the adjustment of target height for a shelf in response to item weight (e.g. ¶81) or in response to the placement of other items (e.g. ¶149) as the Applicant’s “correcting the Y-axis directional target teaching value”. For at least these reasons, the rejection of the claims is maintained.
Claim Objections
Claims 1 and 6 are objected to because of the following informalities: it appears “to acquiring” should be “to acquire” in lines 12 and 13 respectively. Appropriate correction is required.
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.
Claim(s) 1-5, 7 and 9-11 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Jarvis et al. 2020/0207250 (hereinafter “Jarvis”).
Regarding claim 1, Jarvis discloses a teaching method, comprising: allowing a vehicle, which travels along a traveling rail (e.g. ¶36, 38, 74 and 75), to arrive at a reference loading/unloading position that is adjacent to a reference seating surface (i.e. current/initial location) having a reference QR code displayed thereon (e.g. ¶33, 62, 70, 91, 114, 146 and 148); acquiring a first image (e.g. via scanner/camera, ¶176 and 181) corresponding to the reference seating surface at the reference loading/unloading position (e.g. ¶33, 62, 70, 91, 114, 146 and 148); allowing the vehicle, which further travels along the traveling rail, to arrive at a target loading/unloading position (e.g. loading area destination) that is adjacent to a target seating surface having a target QR code displayed thereon (e.g. ¶114 and 148-149); acquiring a second image corresponding to the target seating surface at the target loading/unloading position (e.g. ¶114 and 148-149); comparing the first image with the second image to acquiring an X-axis directional teaching relative value (e.g. horizontal/X-axis) and a Y-axis directional teaching relative value (e.g. vertical/Y-axis) (e.g. ¶57, 59, 114, 148-149 and 151); and determining a Y-axis directional target teaching value based on the Y-axis directional teaching relative value and correcting the Y-axis directional target teaching value using correction data collected at the target loading/unloading position (e.g. ¶80-81 and 148-149).
Regarding claim 2, Jarvis discloses the teaching method of claim 1, wherein the X-axis directional teaching relative value is acquired based on a value obtained by subtracting a1 indicating an X-axis coordinate of the reference QR code shown on the first image from a2 indicating an X-axis coordinate of the target QR code shown on the second image (e.g. ¶57, 59, 114, 148-149 and 151, wherein subtracting the X component of the initial location from the X component at the destination location would give you the relative value in the X direction).
Regarding claim 3, Jarvis discloses the teaching method of claim 1, wherein the Y-axis directional teaching relative value is acquired based on a value obtained by subtracting b1 indicating a Y-axis coordinate of the reference QR code shown on the first image from b2 indicating a Y-axis coordinate of the target QR code shown on the second image (e.g. ¶57, 59, 114, 148-149 and 151, wherein subtracting the Y component of the initial location from the X component at the destination location would give you the relative value in the Y direction).
Regarding claim 4, Jarvis discloses the teaching method of claim 1, further comprising: acquiring an X-axis directional target teaching value by adding the X-axis directional teaching relative value to an X-axis directional default value (e.g. the initial X-axis location) (e.g. ¶57, 59, 114, 148-149 and 151).
Regarding claim 5, Jarvis discloses the teaching method of claim 1, further wherein the determining the Y-axis directional target teaching value further includes acquiring the Y-axis directional target teaching value by adding the Y-axis directional teaching relative value to a Y-axis directional default value (e.g. the initial Y-axis location) (e.g. ¶57, 59, 80-81, 114, 148-149 and 151).
Regarding claim 7, Jarvis discloses the teaching method of claim 1, further comprising: acquiring a Z-axis directional target teaching value preset (e.g. 2nd horizontal axis) in the target QR code by scanning the target QR code, after acquiring the second image (e.g. ¶57, 59, 114, 148-149 and 151).
Regarding claims 9 and 10, Jarvis discloses the teaching method of claim 1, wherein the correction data includes one or more of height data (e.g. ¶80-81 and 148-149) and tilt data (e.g. ¶96).
Regarding claim 11, Jarvis discloses the teaching method of claim 9, wherein the height data includes a Z-axis directional target teaching value preset in the target QR code by scanning the target QR code, after acquiring the second image (e.g. ¶54, 58-59 and 148-151).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 6 and 8 are allowed.
Claim 12 is 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.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter: Regarding claim 6, Jarvis does not disclose correcting the Y-axis directional target teaching value based on the Y-axis directional target tilting angle to acquire a Y-axis directional target correction teaching value, and wherein the Y-axis directional target correction teaching value satisfies a following equation, Yteaching′=Yteaching/cos θ, Equation wherein, in the Equation, Y.sub.teaching denotes the Y-axis directional target correction teaching value, Y.sub.teaching denotes the Y-axis directional target teaching value, and θ denotes the Y-axis directional target tilting angle. Regarding claim 8, Jarvis does not disclose correcting a Y-axis directional target teaching value based on a preset Z-axis directional target average value and a preset Z-axis directional target real value to acquire a Y-axial directional target correction teaching value.
Regarding claim 8, Jarvis does not disclose correcting a Y-axis directional target teaching value based on a preset Z-axis directional target average value and a preset Z-axis directional target real value to acquire a Y-axis directional target correction teaching value.
Regarding claim 12, Jarvis does not disclose at teaching method wherein the tilt data includes a Y-axis directional target tilting angle collected by a gradient sensor.
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 CHARLES R KASENGE whose telephone number is (571)272-3743. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday 7:30am to 4pm EST.
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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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CK
March 10, 2026
/CHARLES R KASENGE/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2116