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, see pg. 2, filed June 18, 2026, with respect to claims 16-20 have been fully considered and are persuasive. The 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) rejection as being anticipated by Crowe et al. US 2024/0140733 of claims 16-20 has been withdrawn.
Applicant's arguments filed June 18, 2026, with respect to claims 1-7 and 11-15 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive. Applicant argues, see pgs. 2-3 of remarks, that the prior art of Crowe mentions “optical alignment” and “machine vision” it fails to disclose or suggest “a camera connected to the support base or the heating portion.
The examiner respectfully disagrees, the plain meaning definition of “machine vision” is the use of cameras and computers to give automated equipment “(i.e. end effectors, robots, etc.) the ability to see and process different uses (inspection, identification, measurements, guidance, etc.). Thus, the prior art of Crowe discloses the use of a camera connected to the support base at a connection portion (431) for aligning the assembly tool to an assembly table and a convex surface (¶0042, claims 9 and 11). Furthermore, “machine vision” is a commonly used terminology as evidence the prior art of Rathi et al. US 4995087 further uses the term “machine vision” system (see Fig. 3) for a camera (38) attached to a vision processor CPU (40) for providing parameters for a welding laser (50, col. 3, lines 23-37). The prior art of Chavez et al. US 2020/0269429 further illustrates the use of machine vision/i.e. cameras (112, 122, 916, 914, 1422; Figs. 1-5 and Fig. 9-14; ¶0040-41) to generate image data to plan and perform operations. The prior art of Crowe therefore discloses the claimed limitations of an optical alignment / machine vision (Crowe, camera, 431) connected to a connected portion (Crowe, 415) to the support base or the heating portion (see fig. 1). For the above reasons, the claims do not overcome the prior art of record.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 16-20 are allowed.
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)(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) 1-7, 11-12, 15 and 22 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Crowe et al. US 2024/0140733.
Crowe discloses an apparatus (400, 410) capable of transferring a semiconductor element (200), the apparatus comprising: a support base (412); a plurality of adsorption portions (416a, 416b) disposed at a lower surface of the support base; a vacuum portion (417) coupled to the support base and configured to provide a vacuum to the plurality of adsorption portions to thereby hold the semiconductor element; a heating portion (420, 421) coupled to the support base and configured to heat the semiconductor element; a camera (“optical alignment” or “machine vision”, 431, ¶0042, claims 9 and 11) connected to the support base or the heating portion (see fig. 1); and a connection portion (415, see fig. 1) that connects the camera (431) to the support base or the heating portion (see fig. 1), wherein the heating portion comprises a heating plate (421) that is disposed at the lower surface of the support base and surrounded by the plurality of adsorption portions.
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As for claim 2, Crowe discloses wherein the heating plate (421) is disposed above the plurality of adsorption portions (416a, 416b) by a specified height (see Fig. 4 above) toward the lower surface of the support base (412).
As for claim 3, Crowe discloses in Fig. 4 wherein the heating plate (421) is configured to be spaced apart from the semiconductor element (200) by a specified distance based on the semiconductor element being in contact with the plurality of adsorption portions (416a, 416b).
As for claim 4, Crowe discloses wherein the heating portion (420) is connected to the support base (412) and passes through at least a portion of the support base (see Fig. 4), and wherein the heating plate (421) is exposed through the lower surface (see fig. 4) of the support base (412).
As for claim 5, Crowe discloses wherein the heating portion (420) further comprises a main body (420, housing), the main body comprising the heating plate (421) disposed at a lower portion thereof, and wherein at least a portion of the main body passes through the support base (412, see Figs. 3 and 4).
As for claim 6, Crowe discloses wherein the heating portion comprises an infrared heater (¶0046).
As for claim 7, Crowe discloses wherein the heating plate (421) is disposed at a center of the lower surface of the support base (412, see Fig. 4), and wherein the plurality of adsorption portions comprise three or more adsorption portions that surround the heating plate.
As for claim 11, Crowe discloses wherein the plurality of adsorption portions (416a, 416b) are made of a flexible material (suction cup).
As for claim 12, Crowe discloses wherein each of the plurality of adsorption portions defines an adsorption hole (center of 416a, 416b), and wherein the vacuum portion (417) is connected to the adsorption hole of each of the plurality of adsorption portions through the support base (412), the vacuum portion being configured to provide the vacuum to the adsorption hole of each of the plurality of adsorption portions.
As for claim 15, Crowe discloses wherein the apparatus is capable of operating the heating portion (420) while moving the support base toward the semiconductor element (200) before operating the vacuum portion (417).
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As for claim 22, the modified Crowe teaches wherein the camera (machine vision positioned at 431) is spaced apart from the heating portion (420, 421) in a horizontal direction (see Crowe, Figs. 1 and 8A), and the connection portion (415) extends in the horizontal direction and connects between the camera and the heating portion.
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.
Claim(s) 8-10 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Crowe et al. US 2024/0140733.
As for claim 8, Crowe discloses wherein the plurality of adsorption portions (416a, 416b) are spaced apart from one another, the plurality of adsorption portions comprising a first adsorption portion (416a), a second adsorption portion (416b) that surround the heating plate. Crowe does not specify a third adsorption portion, and a fourth adsorption portion that surround the heating plate. However, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date, through mere duplication of parts to provide additional third and fourth adsorption portions as the additional parts do not provide any unexpected results (In reHarza, 274 F.2d 669, 124 USPQ 378 (CCPA 1960)).
As for claim 9, Crowe discloses wherein the first adsorption portion, the second adsorption portion, the third adsorption portion, and the fourth adsorption portion are arranged symmetrically with respect to the heating plate (see Fig. 4). The third and fourth adsorption portions would be arranged on the two empty corners of the base plate (412) surrounding the heating plate (421).
As for claim 10, Crowe discloses wherein each of the first adsorption portion, the second adsorption portion, the third adsorption portion, and the fourth adsorption portion is disposed between an edge portion of the lower surface of the support base (412) and an edge portion of the heating plate (421). See Figure 4, heating adsorption portions (416) are provided on the four corners of the base plate (412) and surrounding an edge of the heating plate (421).
Claim(s) 21 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Crowe et al. US 2024/0140733 in view of Chavez et al. US 2020/0269429.
As for claim 21 Crowe discloses wherein the camera (machine vision, 431) is used for aligning the assembly tool to an assembly table and a convex surface (¶0042 and claims 9 and 11) and is connected to the heating portion via connection portion (415) and frame (430) but does not specify wherein the camera is disposed above the support base, and the connection portion is in contact with a side surface of the heating portion.
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However, Chavez teaches a pick-and-place assembly tool for transferring workpieces wherein a support base (902) is provided with a plurality of adsorption portions (910, 912) and a camera (916) disposed above the support base and a connection portion in contact with a side surface of the support base (see fig. 9 above). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date, to modify the apparatus of Crowe through routine engineering as a mere design consideration to have the camera and connection portion to be disposed above the support base and extend from a side surface of the heating portion as claimed as the specified limitations do not provide an advantage, is used for a particular purpose, or solves a stated problem. Furthermore, one of ordinary skill in the art would have expected the camera and connection portion as taught by Crowe in view of Chavez, and applicant’s invention, to perform equally well with either configuration because both configurations would perform the same function of seeing/aligning a workpiece to be processed.
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Conclusion
THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. 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 TYRONE V HALL JR whose telephone number is (571)270-5948. The examiner can normally be reached Mon.-Fri. 7:30am-3:30pm.
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, Monica Carter can be reached at (571) 272-4475. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/TYRONE V HALL JR/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3723
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