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 .
DETAILED ACTION
This communication is a non-final action in response to application filed on 01/03/2024. Claims 1-20 are pending.
Priority
Acknowledgment is made of applicant’s claim for foreign priority under 35 U.S.C. 119 (a)-(d).
Information Disclosure Statement
The IDS filed on 01/03/2024 and 08/15/2025 are considered.
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)(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.
(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) 1-2, 10-14 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) and 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Jie (US 20130218299).
As per claim 1, Jie discloses a production system, comprising circuitry configured to:
associate a plurality of rungs included in a ladder program with one of a plurality of scan groups each having an execution cycle that is specifiable (see at least Jie, 0025-0026, dividing Ladder Diagram (LAD) based control program to program blocks which can further be divisible by networks, which is used by a dividing unit);
allocate each of the plurality of scan groups to one of a plurality of processor cores of a controller so that each of the plurality of scan groups is distributed (0033-0034, parallelization scheduling of program blocks to allocate these blocks to cores in the M-PLC. See 0009 that M-PLC stands for Multi-Core PLC); and
execute one or more rungs associated with one or more scan groups allocated to each of the plurality of processor cores in parallel in each of the execution cycles (0043-0045, compiler convert execution queue of each core into machine codes for the respectively allocated program block to each core).
As per claim 2, Jie further discloses the production system according to claim 1, wherein the circuitry is configured to identify a plurality of associated rungs having an association with each other by analyzing the ladder program (0029, dividing includes scanning control program and create program blocks. See 0025-0026 regarding control program being LAD).
As per claim 10, Jie further discloses the production system according to claim 1, wherein the circuitry is configured to associate a plurality of rungs associated with one of the plurality of scan groups with another scan group (0026-0027 regarding inter-Network jump)/
As per claim 11, Jie further discloses the production system according to claim 1, wherein the circuitry is configured to replace a register in which processing occurs in a plurality of rungs with a register corresponding to one of the plurality of scan groups of a destination of the association (0075-0078, noting conversion involves converting from engineering language to common language format).
As per claim 12, Jie further discloses the production system according to claim 1, wherein the circuitry is configured to divide the ladder program into a plurality of rungs, and to allocate each of the plurality of rungs to one of the plurality of processor cores so that the plurality of rungs are distributed (0043-0045).
Claims 13-14 contains limitations substantially similar to claim 1 and are rejected under similar rationale set forth above.
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.
The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
Claim(s) 3 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Jie (US 20130218299) in view of Canedo-1 (US 20140026145)
As per claim 3, Jie discloses the production system according to claim 2, but does not explicitly disclose wherein the circuitry is configured to:
display an associated rung screen indicating the plurality of associated rungs, and
associate a plurality of rungs selected after the associated rung screen is displayed with one of the plurality of scan groups.
Canedo-1 teaches a screen is used to display information to developers that allows them to program the associated control program (0007, 0034-0035).
Therefore, it would have been obvious for one ordinary skilled in the art before the effective filing date of present invention to combine Canedo-1’s display screen with Jie’s controller programming for the purpose of providing information to users.
Claim(s) 4-6, 16 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Jie (US 20130218299) in view of Kummel (US 20190324815)
As per claim 4, Jie does not but Kummel teaches the production system according to claim 2, wherein the circuitry is configured to identify a plurality of associated rungs having an association with one or more axes selected by a user from among a plurality of axes controlled by the controller (0087, two axes are allocated to first core, and two other axes are allocated to a second core).
Therefore, it would have been obvious for one ordinary skilled in the art before the effective filing date of present invention to combine Kummel’s application of control program for various axes to Jie’s control program for the purpose of controlling specific type of machinery.
As per claim 5, Jie further discloses the production system according to claim 4, wherein the circuitry is configured to identify, as the plurality of associated rungs, rungs including, as the association, at least write processing which is traceable back to write processing on a register (see at least Jie, 0027-0028, division can be based on network identifier) leading
Jie does not explicitly disclose the write processing is capable of leading to an output to one or more axes but Kummel teaches axes can be the output of divided control block (0087).
The rationale to combine would persist.
As per claim 6, Jie further discloses the production system according to claim 4, wherein the circuitry is configured to further identify, for one associated rung among the plurality of identified associated rungs, one or more associated rungs having a register or data to be processed in common with the one associated rung (see at least Jie, 0027-0028, division can be based on network identifier).
As per claim 16, Jie further discloses the production system according to claim 5, wherein the circuitry is configured to further identify, for one associated rung among the plurality of identified associated rungs, one or more associated rungs having a register or data to be processed in common with the one associated rung (0025-0026).
Claim(s) 7-8, 17 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Jie (US 20130218299) in view of Canedo-2 (US 20140165077)
As per claim 7, Jie does not but Canedo-2 teaches the production system according to claim 1, wherein the circuitry is configured to:
predict a processing time relating to each of the plurality of scan groups allocated to one of the plurality of processor cores (0064-0066); and
display a processing time screen showing a relationship between the execution cycle and the processing time of the each of the plurality of scan groups (0064-0066, see Fig. 8).
Therefore, it would have been obvious for one ordinary skilled in the art before the effective filing date to combine Canedo-2’s partition based on timing analysis with Jie’s division strategy for the purpose of optimal distribution of workload (Canedo-2: 0064).
As per claim 8, Jie does not but Canedo-2 teaches the production system according to claim 7, wherein the circuitry is configured to:
identify, from among elements included in one scan group, an element that requires more processing time than elements other than the element (0064-0066, examiner notes delay is inserted to ensure partitions are in identical intervals, hence timing of execution being different where one is shorter than another), and
display a load element display screen representing the element (0064-0066, Fig. 8).
The rationale to combine would persist.
Claim 17 contains limitations substantially similar to claim 7 and would be rejected under similar rationale set forth above.
Claim(s) 9, 19-20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Jie (US 20130218299) in view of Kummel (US 20190324815) further in view of Canedo-2 (US 20140165077)
As per claim 9, Jie does not but Kummel teaches the production system according to claim 1, wherein the circuitry is configured to:
identify a plurality of associated portions having an association with each other by analyzing a motion program for causing the controller to control an axis (0087); and
Therefore, it would have been obvious for one ordinary skilled in the art before the effective filing date of present invention to combine Kummel’s application of control program for various axes to Jie’s control program for the purpose of controlling specific type of machinery.
Jie/Kummel does not explicitly a display screen for display information but Canedo-2 teaches that (Fig. 8)
It would have been obvious for one ordinary skilled in the art before the effective filing date of present invention to combine displaying information of Canedo-2 with Jie’s division strategy for the purpose of providing information for users.
As per claim 19, Jie/Kummel discloses the production system according to claim 4, but does not explicitly disclose wherein the circuitry is configured to:
predict a processing time relating to each of the plurality of scan groups allocated to one of the plurality of processor cores; and
display a processing time screen showing a relationship between the execution cycle and the processing time of the each of the plurality of scan groups.
Canedo-2 teaches these limitation in 0064-0066 and Fig. 8
Therefore, it would have been obvious for one ordinary skilled in the art before the effective filing date to combine Canedo-2’s partition based on timing analysis with Jie’s division strategy for the purpose of optimal distribution of workload (Canedo-2: 0064).
Claim 20 contain limitations substantially similar to claim 19 and would be rejected under similar rationale set forth above.
Claim(s) 15 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Jie (US 20130218299) in view of Canedo-1 (US 20140026145), further in view of Kummel (US 20190324815)
As per claim 15, Jie discloses The production system according to claim 3, wherein the circuitry is configured to identify a plurality of associated rungs having an association with one or more axes selected by a user from among a plurality of axes controlled by the controller (0087, two axes are allocated to first core, and two other axes are allocated to a second core).
Therefore, it would have been obvious for one ordinary skilled in the art before the effective filing date of present invention to combine Kummel’s application of control program for various axes to Jie’s control program for the purpose of controlling specific type of machinery.
Claim(s) 18 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Jie (US 20130218299) in view of Canedo-1 (US 20140026145), further in view of Canedo-2 (US 20140165077)
As per claim 18, Jie does not but Canedo-2 teaches the production system according to claim 3, wherein the circuitry is configured to:
predict a processing time relating to each of the plurality of scan groups allocated to one of the plurality of processor cores (0064-0066); and
display a processing time screen showing a relationship between the execution cycle and the processing time of the each of the plurality of scan groups (0064-0066, Fig. 8).
Therefore, it would have been obvious for one ordinary skilled in the art before the effective filing date to combine Canedo-2’s partition based on timing analysis with Jie’s division strategy for the purpose of optimal distribution of workload (Canedo-2: 0064).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to GEORGE CHEN whose telephone number is (571)270-5499. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday, 8:30 AM -5:00 PM Eastern.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Lynda Jasmin can be reached at 571-272-6782. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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GEORGE CHEN
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 3628
/GEORGE CHEN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3628