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 § 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)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claim(s) 1-12 and 14-20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Ojalehto et al. (US PUB 2016/0089792), hereinafter Ojalehto.
With respect to claim 1, Ojalehto discloses a pick and place test head (See [114] in figure 2 of Ojalehto) comprising: a block component (See [202] in figure 2 of Ojalehto) for physically or electrically mating with a handler (See [112] which is connected to [114] in figure 1 of Ojalehto) of a testing system (See [100] in figure 2 of Ojalehto), wherein said block component (See [202] in figure 2 of Ojalehto) comprises a first interface area (See the right side of the surface area represented by [210] in figure 2 of Ojalehto which comprises the three right most magnetic component recesses) comprising: a recessed collar (See the recessed area within the area denoted by [210] in figure 2 of Ojalehto); and a first plurality of magnets (See the right row of three magnetic elements [208] in figure 2 of Ojalehto); and a removeable cylinder component operable to be removeably attached to said block component (See the cylinder represented by the combination of elements [204] and [200] in figure 2 of Ojalehto) and wherein said removeable cylinder component is operable to attach to and pick up an integrated circuit device under test (See in paragraph [0023] of Ojalehto that [200] is configured to pick up integrated circuit [110]) and comprises a second interface area (See the left side of the surface area represented by [210] in figure 2 of Ojalehto which comprises the three left most magnetic component recesses) comprising: an extruded collar (See [310] in figure 3 of Ojalehto) and a second plurality of magnets (See the left row of three magnetic elements [208] in figure 2 of Ojalehto), wherein said removeable cylinder component and said block component securely attach upon said first and second interface areas being brought into close proximity thereto (See paragraph [0023] of Ojalehto) and under magnetic forces from said first and second plurality of magnets (See in figure 2 of Ojalehto that when [204] is secured via bolt [206] to the assembled element [202] that the six magnets [208] exerts magnetic forces upon [204]).
With respect to claim 2, Ojalehto discloses the pick and place test head of Claim 1 wherein said removeable cylinder component further comprises: a pneumatically controlled piston; and a suction cup coupled to one end of said piston, said suction cup for attaching to and securing said integrated circuit device under test (See paragraph [0022] of Ojalehto).
With respect to claim 3, Ojalehto discloses the pick and place test head of Claim 1 wherein the recessed collar and the extruded collar mate upon said removeable cylinder component and said block component securely attaching together (See paragraph [0023] of Ojalehto).
With respect to claim 4, Ojalehto discloses the pick and place test head of Claim 3 wherein said removeable cylinder component is operable to be removed from the block component when securely attached thereto by means of manual force and manual operation without use of any tools (See paragraph [0023] of Ojalehto).
With respect to claim 5, Ojalehto discloses the pick and place test head of Claim 3 wherein said means of manual operation comprises a rotation of said removeable cylinder component with respect to said block component (See paragraph [0022] of Ojalehto).
With respect to claim 6, Ojalehto discloses a tester system for testing integrated circuit devices under test (DUTs) (See [100] in figure 1 of Ojalehto), said tester system comprising: a computerized tester (See [104] in figure 1 of Ojalehto) for applying test vectors to said DUTs (See paragraph [0019] of Ojalehto) and for analyzing results therefrom (See paragraph [0019] of Ojalehto); an automated robotic handler for automatically moving said DUTs (See paragraph [0019] of Ojalehto) to said tester from a source tray (See paragraph [0019] in view of the abstract of Ojalehto); and a pick and place test head securely coupled to said automated robotic handler (See [114] in figure 2 of Ojalehto), said pick and place test head operable to attach to and pick up a DUT of said DUTs from said source tray (See in paragraph [0023] of Ojalehto that [200] is configured to pick up integrated circuit [110]), wherein said pick and place test head comprises: a block component for physically mating with said automated
robotic handler (See [202] in figure 2 of Ojalehto), wherein said block component comprises a first interface area (See the right side of the surface area represented by [210] in figure 2 of Ojalehto which comprises the three right most magnetic component recesses) comprising: a recessed collar (See the recessed area within the area denoted by [210] in figure 2 of Ojalehto); and a first plurality of magnets (See the right row of three magnetic elements [208] in figure 2 of Ojalehto); and a removeable cylinder component operable to be removeably attached to said block component (See the cylinder represented by the combination of elements [204] and [200] in figure 2 of Ojalehto) and wherein said removeable cylinder component comprises a second interface area (See the left side of the surface area represented by [210] in figure 2 of Ojalehto which comprises the three left most magnetic component recesses) comprising: an extruded collar (See [310] in figure 3 of Ojalehto) and a second plurality of magnets (See the left row of three magnetic elements [208] in figure 2 of Ojalehto), wherein said removeable cylinder component and said block component securely attach upon said first and second interface areas being brought into close proximity thereto (See paragraph [0023] of Ojalehto) and under magnetic forces from said first and second plurality of magnets (See in figure 2 of Ojalehto that when [204] is secured via bolt [206] to the assembled element [202] that the six magnets [208] exerts magnetic forces upon [204]).
With respect to claim 7, Ojalehto discloses the tester system of claim 6 wherein said removeable cylinder component further comprises: a pneumatically controlled piston; and a suction cup coupled to one end of said piston, said suction cup for attaching to and securing said integrated circuit device under test (See paragraph [0022] of Ojalehto).
With respect to claim 8, Ojalehto discloses the tester system of claim 6 wherein the recessed collar and the extruded collar mate upon said removeable cylinder component and said block component securely attaching together (See paragraph [0023] of Ojalehto).
With respect to claim 9, Ojalehto discloses the tester system of claim 8 wherein said removeable cylinder component is operable to be removed from the block component when securely attached thereto by means of manual force and manual operation without use of any tools (See paragraph [0023] of Ojalehto).
With respect to claim 10, Ojalehto discloses the tester system of claim 8 wherein said means of manual operation comprises a rotation of said removeable cylinder component with respect to said block component (See paragraph [0022] of Ojalehto).
With respect to claim 11, Ojalehto discloses a pick and place test head (See [114] in figure 2 of Ojalehto) comprising: a block component plate (See [202] in figure 2 of Ojalehto) for physically mating with a handler of a testing system (See [100] in figure 2 of Ojalehto) in a removable fashion (See [112] which is connected to [114] in figure 1 of Ojalehto), wherein said block component plate (See [202] in figure 2 of Ojalehto) comprises an interface area for remove ably coupling to the handler (See the right side of the surface area represented by [210] in figure 2 of Ojalehto which comprises the three right most magnetic component recesses) and wherein the interface area comprises a first plurality of magnets (See the right row of three magnetic elements [208] in figure 2 of Ojalehto); and an array of cylinder components (See [118] in figure 4 of Ojalehto) operable to be affixedly attached to said block component plate (See paragraph [0038] of Ojalehto) and wherein each cylinder component of said array is operable to attach to and pick up an respective integrated circuit device under test (See paragraph [0038] in view of paragraph [0023] of Ojalehto that [200] is configured to pick up integrated circuit [110]), wherein said block component plate and said handler securely attach upon said interface area of said plate being brought into close proximity to said handler (See paragraph [0023] of Ojalehto) and under magnetic forces therefrom (See in figure 2 of Ojalehto that when [204] is secured via bolt [206] to the assembled element [202] that the six magnets [208] exerts magnetic forces upon [204]).
With respect to claim 12, Ojalehto discloses the pick and place test head of Claim 11 wherein each cylinder component of said array further comprises: a pneumatically controlled piston; and a suction cup coupled to one end of said piston, said suction cup for attaching to and securing said integrated circuit device under test (See paragraph [0022] of Ojalehto).
With respect to claim 14, Ojalehto discloses a pick and place test head (See [114] in figure 2 of Ojalehto) comprising: a block unit (See [202] in figure 2 of Ojalehto) configured to mate with a test system handler (See [112] which is connected to [114] in figure 1 of Ojalehto); and a removable cylinder component configured to removably mate with said block unit (See paragraph [0023] of Ojalehto) and configured to securely retain a device under test (See in paragraph [0023] of Ojalehto that [200] is configured to pick up integrated circuit [110]), wherein the removable cylinder is magnetically attached to the block unit (See in figure 2 of Ojalehto that when [204] is secured via bolt [206] to the assembled element [202] that the six magnets [208] exerts magnetic forces upon [204]).
With respect to claim 15, Ojalehto discloses the pick and place test head of Claim 14 wherein said removable cylinder component is configured to rotate into a locking configuration secured by a feature of said block unit (See paragraph [0022] of Ojalehto).
With respect to claim 16, Ojalehto discloses the pick and place test head of Claim 14 wherein both the block unit and the removable cylinder component comprise retention magnets (See the two rows of magnetic elements [208] in figure 2 of Ojalehto).
With respect to claim 17, Ojalehto discloses the pick and place test head of Claim 14 wherein only one of the block unit and the removable cylinder component comprise retention magnets (See the two rows of magnetic elements [208] in figure 2 of Ojalehto).
With respect to claim 18, Ojalehto discloses a pick and place test head system (See [114] in figure 2 of Ojalehto) comprising: a block component (See [202] in figure 2 of Ojalehto); a first cylinder component configured to be removed from the block component using manual force (See the cylinder represented by the combination of elements [204] and [200] in figure 2 of Ojalehto) and without using tools (See the two rows of magnetic elements [208] in figure 2 of Ojalehto); and a second cylinder component configured to be attached to the block component using manual force and without using tools (See [118] in figure 4 of Ojalehto).
With respect to claim 19, Ojalehto discloses the system of Claim 18 wherein removing said first cylinder component comprises rotating said first cylinder component (See paragraph [0022] of Ojalehto).
With respect to claim 20, Ojalehto discloses the system of Claim 18 wherein attaching said first cylinder component comprises rotating said second cylinder component into a locking position on the block component (See paragraph [0022] of Ojalehto).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 13 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:
With respect to claim 13, the prior art of record neither shows nor suggests the combination of structural elements wherein the block component plate comprises: a first plate and a second plate wherein the first plate is operable to mate with said array and wherein said second plate is operable to removeably mate with said handler and comprises magnets and orientation features; and distribution features for distributing pneumatic pressure to each cylinder component of said array.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
US PUB 2022/0404394 discloses a test socket having an automated lid.
US PUB 2003/0222636 discloses a handling apparatus and test set using the handling apparatus.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to TEMILADE S RHODES-VIVOUR whose telephone number is (571)270-5814. The examiner can normally be reached M-F (flex schedule).
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, Huy Phan can be reached at 571-272-7924. 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.
/TEMILADE S RHODES-VIVOUR/Examiner, Art Unit 2858
/HUY Q PHAN/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2858