DETAILED ACTION
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.
Claims 21-45 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Pivac US 2021/0291362.
Pivac discloses:
21. A system comprising:
a vibration dampening module (e.g., Figs. 1A-1B: 142,143,111),
wherein the vibration dampening module comprises an active vibration dampener (e.g., Figs. 5A-5C: #571,572, [0110]: “robot base 111 includes active members, each including a linear actuator 571...each having a mass 572”, Figs. 8A-8B: #871,872, [0117]: “linear actuators 871.1, 872.1 having masses 871.2, 872.2 mounted thereon”) and a passive vibration dampener (e.g., Figs. 8A-8B: #873-876, [0118]: “pairs of structural members 873-876…can be configured to provide passive damping”),
wherein the vibration dampening module is coupled to a mechanical positioning system (e.g., Figs. 1A-1B: #141, Figs. 8A-8B: #141, [0112]: “boom base 141”) and a payload (e.g., Figs. 1A-1B: #112,113, [0061]: “robot arm 112 and an end effector 113”, [0122]: “Whilst a number of different damping mechanisms have been described independently, it will be appreciated that these could be used in combination. For example, this system could include damping arrangements in the robot base and in the boom, with combinations of different damping arrangements being used depending on the nature of the movement of the robot base”), and
wherein the vibration dampening module is configured to operate in two or more different directions (e.g., [0110]-[0111]: “six degrees of freedom”).
22. The system of claim 21, wherein the active vibration dampener is configured to operate in three different directions (e.g., [0111]).
23. The system of claim 21, wherein the active vibration dampener is configured to operate in four different directions (e.g., [0111]).
24. The system of claim 21, wherein the active vibration dampener is configured to operate in five different directions (e.g., [0111]).
25. The system of claim 21, wherein the active vibration dampener is configured to operate in six different directions (e.g., [0111]).
26. The system of claim 21, wherein the active vibration dampener comprises an actuator (e.g., Figs. 5A-C: 571.1, 571.2, 571.3, [0110]: “linear actuator 571.1, 571.2, 571.3”).
27. The system of claim 26, wherein the actuator comprises one of a two-axis actuator, a three-axis actuator, a four-axis actuator, a five-axis actuator and a six-axis actuator (e.g., [0111]).
28. The system of claim 26, wherein the actuator comprises one of a two-axis piezoelectric actuator, a three-axis piezoelectric actuator, a four-axis piezoelectric actuator, a five-axis piezoelectric actuator and a six-axis piezoelectric actuator (e.g., [0111], [0245]).
29. The system of claim 21, wherein the active vibration dampener (e.g., Fig. 1 #142,143,111) is located between the mechanical positioning system (e.g., Fig. 1 #141) and the payload (e.g., Fig. 1 #112,113).
30. The system of claim 29, wherein the passive vibration dampener (e.g., Fig. 1 #142,143, Fig. 8A-8B #873-876) is located between the mechanical positioning system (e.g., Fig. 1 #141) and the payload (e.g., Fig. 1 #112,113).
31. The system of claim 21, wherein the vibration dampening module (e.g., Fig. 1A #142,143,111) is located between the mechanical positioning system (e.g., Fig. 1A #141) and the payload (e.g., Fig. 1 #112,113).
32. The system of claim 21, wherein the mechanical positioning system comprises a robotic system (e.g., Fig. 1 #141,142, [0112]: “boom base 141”, “boom 142”).
33. The system of claim 32, wherein the robotic system comprises a robotic arm (e.g., Fig. 1 #141,142, [0112]: “boom base 141”, “boom 142”).
34. The system of claim 21, wherein the payload comprises an optical system (e.g., [0245]).
35. The system of claim 34, wherein the optical system comprises a laser system (e.g., [0245]).
36. The system of claim 34, wherein the optical system comprises an optical manufacturing system (e.g., [0245]).
37. The system of claim 36, wherein the optical manufacturing system comprises a laser manufacturing system (e.g., [0245]).
38. The system of claim 21, wherein the payload comprises one of a manufacturing system, a metrology system, a positioning system and a robotic hand gripper (e.g., Fig. 1A).
39. The system of claim 21, wherein the active vibration dampener is configured to dampen vibrations of the payload characterized by a characteristic frequency of 30 Hertz (Hz) to 30 kilohertz (kHz) (e.g., [0065]).
40. The system of claim 21, wherein the passive vibration dampener is configured to dampen vibrations of the payload characterized by a characteristic frequency of at most 300 Hz (e.g., [0065]).
41. The system of claim 21, wherein the passive vibration dampener comprises an elastomeric material (e.g., [0118]).
42. The system of claim 21, wherein the active vibration dampener (e.g., Fig. 8A #872) is coupled to the mechanical positioning system (e.g., Fig. 8A #141) and the passive vibration dampener (e.g., Fig. 8A #873) is coupled to the payload (e.g., Fig. 8A #111).
43. The system of claim 21, wherein the active vibration dampener (e.g., Fig. 8A #871) is coupled to the payload (e.g., Fig. 8A #111) and the passive vibration dampener (e.g., Fig. 8A #874) is coupled to the mechanical positioning system (e.g., Fig. 8A #141).
44. The system of claim 21, further comprising:
one or more sensors configured to measure one or more dynamical properties associated with at least one of the mechanical positioning system and the payload (e.g., [0098]); and
one or more controllers configured to receive the one or more dynamical properties and to direct the active vibration dampener to compensate for vibrations of at least one of the mechanical positioning system and the payload based on the one or more dynamical properties (e.g., [0099]-[0101]).
45. The system of claim 44, wherein the one or more sensors comprise one or more members selected from the group consisting of: position sensors, velocity sensors, accelerometers, force sensors, and torque sensors (e.g., [0098]).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to RYAN A JARRETT whose telephone number is (571)272-3742. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 9:00-5:30.
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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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/RYAN A JARRETT/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2116
02/05/26
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