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
Drawings
1. The drawings filed on 12/06/23. These drawings are acceptable.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
2. 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 of this title, 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.
3. Claim(s) 1-15, 17-20, is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Nguyen et al. (U.S. Pat. No. 7,468,611) in view of Nguyen et al. (U.S. Pat. No.9,103,876). Hereafter “Nguyen ‘611” and “Nguyen ‘876”.
Regarding Claim(s) 1, 9, Nguyen ‘611 teaches a system comprising:
an air table configured to hold a glass substrate (figure 2, glass substrate 10, platform 208 is not different from a table; Column 6, lines 44-48; Column 8, lines 32-34), wherein the air table includes an array of rail chucks, each of the rail chucks having apertures configured to emit gas as air bearings (Column 6, lines 44-48; Column 8, lines 32-34; Column 11, lines 61-65. It is inherent that the chuck must contains apertures to emit air gas);
a camera disposed over the air table (figures 1A-B, camera 35), wherein the camera is configured to move in a direction across a width of a top surface of the glass substrate that is imaged using the camera (abstract, lines 4-7; Column 3, lines 1-4; Column 4, lines 66-67; Column 5, lines 1-8. Linear scan sensor is not different from a camera);
an assembly that includes a gripper and a probe bar configured to be transported under the camera (figure 2, probe bar 260, linear sensor 240 is not different from a camera), wherein the gripper is configured to grip a bottom surface of the glass substrate opposite the top surface (column 6, lines 46-48; Column 8, lines 27-43; Column 12, lines 39-41; figures 3AB, 11A-B. Gripper is on the chuck surface 206, to grip a bottom surface of the glass substrate 10), and wherein the probe bar delivers driving signals to the glass substrate (abstract, lines 7-13; Column 1, lines 61-62; Column 3, lines 4-12; Column 13, lines 1-6; Column 14, lines 29-31); and
at least one actuator configured to transport the assembly under the camera (column 9, lines 13-18; Column 10, lines 28-31).
However, Nguyen ‘611 does not teach a plurality of probe pins. Nguyen ‘876 teaches a plurality of probe pins (column 3, lines 48-53; Column 5, lines 7-11; Column 6, lines 9-12; Column 7, lines 55-63). It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention was made to modify Nguyen ‘611 by having a plurality of probe pins in order to route one or more sensed signals from the device ((column 3, lines 48-53; Column 5, lines 7-11; Column 6, lines 9-12; Column 7, lines 55-63).
Regarding Claim(s) 2, Nguyen ‘611 teaches the probe bar extends across the air table (figure 2, probe bar 250; Figures 12, 13).
Regarding Claim(s) 3, Nguyen ‘611 teaches the gripper grips the glass substrate using a vacuum force (column 6, lines 9-10; Column 6, lines 48-49; Column 8, lines 32-34).
Regarding Claim(s) 4, Nguyen ‘611 teaches all the limitations of claim 1 as stated above except for the gripper extends across a width of the glass substrate. Nguyen ‘876 teaches the gripper extends across a width of the glass substrate (figure 3A, gripper assembly 300). It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention was made to modify Nguyen ‘611 by having the gripper extending across a width of the glass substrate in order to establish a secure grip (Nguyen ‘611, column 7, lines 10-11).
Regarding Claim(s) 5, Nguyen ‘611 teaches a plurality of displacement sensors disposed on the assembly (figure 8A, element 820; Figure 9, element 906).
Regarding Claim(s) 6, Nguyen ‘611 teaches the rail chucks of the array of rail chucks are configured to be parallel (figure 6, long beams 602 is not different from rail chuck).
Regarding Claim(s) 7, Nguyen ‘611 teaches a vacuum clamp (column 6, lines 9-10; Column 6, lines 48-49; Column 8, lines 32-34) configured to control a vertical location of the glass substrate while the glass substrate is positioned above the air table (column 7, lines 32-35).
Regarding Claim(s) 8, Nguyen ‘611 teaches the probe bar extends across a width of the glass substrate (figure 2, probe bar 250, glass substrate 10).
Regarding Claim(s) 10, Nguyen ‘611 teaches inspecting the glass substrate with a camera disposed a distance from the top surface of the glass substrate during the transporting of the glass substrate (figures 1A-B, camera 35, glass substrate 10).
Regarding Claim(s) 11-15, 18-19, Nguyen ‘611 teaches all the limitations of claim 1 as stated above except for the probe pins are disengaged from the glass substrate after the inspecting is complete for an entirety of the glass substrate, removing the probe bar from the bottom surface of the glass substrate after the inspecting is complete for an entirety of the glass substrate, the probe pins are disengaged from the glass substrate after the inspecting is complete for a row of panels on the glass substrate, removing the probe bar from the bottom surface of the glass substrate after the inspecting is complete for a row of panels on the glass substrate, deactivating the air table during the inspecting, disengaging the vacuum gripping after inspecting is complete for an entirety of the glass substrate, disengaging the vacuum gripping after inspecting is complete for a row of panels on the glass substrate. Nguyen ‘876 teaches the probe pins are disengaged from the glass substrate after the inspecting is complete for an entirety of the glass substrate (column 6, lines 64-67; Column 7, lines 1-5), removing the probe bar (column 3, lines 44-47). It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention was made to modify Nguyen ‘611 by having the probe pins disengaged or removing the probe bar in order to clamp and close the probes and placement or remove the probe assembly, (Nguyen ‘876, column 7, lines 10-11).
Further, a method comprising the probe pins are disengaged from the glass substrate after the inspecting is complete for an entirety of the glass substrate, removing the probe bar from the bottom surface of the glass substrate after the inspecting is complete for an entirety of the glass substrate, the probe pins are disengaged from the glass substrate after the inspecting is complete for a row of panels on the glass substrate, removing the probe bar from the bottom surface of the glass substrate after the inspecting is complete for a row of panels on the glass substrate, deactivating the air table during the inspecting, disengaging the vacuum gripping after inspecting is complete for an entirety of the glass substrate, disengaging the vacuum gripping after inspecting is complete for a row of panels on the glass substrate, is just for a function of use, it has been held that a recitation with respect to the manner in which a claimed method is intended to be employed does not differentiate the claimed method from a prior art limitations. Ex Parte Masham, 2 USPQ F.2d 1647 (1987).
Language in a method claim directed to the function, operation, intent-of-use, upon which the components of the structure work that does not structurally limit the components or patentably differentiate the claimed method from an otherwise identical prior art structure will not support patentability. See, e.g., In re Rishoi, 197 F.2d 342, 344-45 (CCPA 1952); In re Otto, 312 F.2d 937, 939-40 (CCPA 1963); In re Ludtke, 441 F.2d 660, 663-64 (CCPA 1971); In re Yanush, 477 F.2d 958, 959 (CCPA 1973).
Regarding Claim(s) 17, Nguyen ‘611 teaches vacuum gripping the bottom surface of the glass substrate using an assembly with the probe bar during the transporting and the delivering (column 6, lines 46-50; Column 8, lines 39-43; Column 12, lines 31-38, 47-49).
Regarding Claim(s) 20, Nguyen ‘611 teaches the glass substrate includes liquid crystal display or organic light-emitting diode features (column 1, lines 31-32; Column 4, lines 59-62; Column 5, lines 9-10).
4. Claim(s) 16 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Nguyen et al. (U.S. Pat. No. 7,468,611) in view of Nguyen et al. (U.S. Pat. No.9,103,876), further in view of Weiss et al. (U.S. Pat. No. 7,137,309). Hereafter “Nguyen ‘611”, “Nguyen ‘876”, “Weiss”.
Regarding Claim(s) 16, Nguyen ‘611 and Nguyen ‘876 teach all the limitations of claim 1 as stated above except for classifying defects in the glass substrate using the data from the camera. Weiss teaches this limitation (column 1, lines 57-64). It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention was made to modify Nguyen ‘611 and Nguyen ‘876 by classifying defects in order to improve the production, (Weiss, lines 57-64).
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September 18, 2025
/Tri T Ton/
Primary Examiner Art Unit 2877