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 .
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
Drawings
The drawings are objected to under 37 CFR 1.83(a). The drawings must show every feature of the invention specified in the claims. Therefore,
In claim 17, “wherein the manipulator is horizontally movable”.
must be shown or the feature(s) canceled from the claim(s). No new matter should be entered.
Corrected drawing sheets in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d) are required in reply to the Office action to avoid abandonment of the application. Any amended replacement drawing sheet should include all of the figures appearing on the immediate prior version of the sheet, even if only one figure is being amended. The figure or figure number of an amended drawing should not be labeled as “amended.” If a drawing figure is to be canceled, the appropriate figure must be removed from the replacement sheet, and where necessary, the remaining figures must be renumbered and appropriate changes made to the brief description of the several views of the drawings for consistency. Additional replacement sheets may be necessary to show the renumbering of the remaining figures. Each drawing sheet submitted after the filing date of an application must be labeled in the top margin as either “Replacement Sheet” or “New Sheet” pursuant to 37 CFR 1.121(d). If the changes are not accepted by the examiner, the applicant will be notified and informed of any required corrective action in the next Office action. The objection to the drawings will not be held in abeyance.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION. —The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claims 1-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Regarding claims 1 and 12, the phrase “a stage body in a chamber” in line 2 of claims 1 and 12 renders the claim unclear and invalid since ¶0040 of the description and Figure 1 for example describes that the stage body 210 is on an upper portion of the chamber 100 and not in the chamber. For purposes of examination, “a stage body in a chamber” is being interpreted as ---a stage body on a chamber---.
Regarding claim 5, the phrase “second drive shaft” in line 2 renders the claim unclear because there is no mention of a first drive shaft in the gripper module.
Regarding claim 9, the phrase “second sensor” in line 2 renders the claim unclear because there is no mention of a first sensor in the gripper module.
Claims 2-11 are rejected because they are dependents of claim 1.
Claims 13-20 are rejected because they are dependents of claim 12.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 1 and 12 would be allowable if rewritten or amended to overcome the rejection(s) under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), 2nd paragraph, set forth in this Office action.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter:
Claims 1 and 12 would be allowable over the prior art of record because the prior art of record fails to teach or fairly suggest the entire combination of elements set forth including for disclosing the XY stage movable in an X-axis and a Y-axis direction perpendicular to each other, and a first driving portion configured to drive the XY stage.
McCarty (US9980424B2), is the closest prior art, and teaches an in-chamber maintenance apparatus, comprising: a stage module (top flange of bowl 62 and 100; Figures 4-5) comprising a stage body (100) [in] on a chamber (54) having an opening and having a hollow interior (openings 108 and 62), an XY stage (top surface of 100) on an upper surface of the stage body and a gripper module (320; Figure 13) comprising a gripper body (360) coupled to an upper surface of the XY stage (Figure 34), a gripping portion (18) supported by the gripper body and configured to move up and down (column 17, lines 51-62) and rotate (column, 25, line 54 – column 26, line 3) with respect to a Z-axis (358) perpendicular to the X-axis and the Y-axis and to be received in the hollow interior, and a second driving portion (356, 16, 400; Figure 14) configured to drive the gripping portion; and a manipulator (16; Figure 1) coupled to an upper surface of the gripper module and configured to move the gripper module, but fails to teach the XY stage movable in an X-axis and a Y-axis direction perpendicular to each other, and a first driving portion configured to drive the XY stage.
Claims 2-11 would be allowable because they are dependents of claim 1.
Claims 13-20 would be allowable because they are dependents of claim 12.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Additional references listed on form PTO-892 are cited for their relevance to the disclosed invention and demonstration of the state of the art.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to HENRIX SOTO whose telephone number is (571)270-5394. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday 8am - 5pm ET.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, VICTORIA AUGUSTINE can be reached at (313)446-4858. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/HENRIX SOTO/Examiner, Art Unit 3654
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