DETAILED ACTION
Claims 1-12 are pending.
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
Acknowledgment is made of applicant’s claim for priority of U.S provisional application under 35 U.S.C. 119(e).
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statements provided complies with the provisions of MPEP § 609. It has been placed in the application file, and the information referred to therein has been considered as to the merits. A signed copy of the form is attached.
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)(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.
Claims 1-4 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1)/102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Kienberger et al. (US 20220362896).
As per claim 1, Kienberger et al., teaches a workpiece (see abs., and pars. [0001-0002]) supply system comprising: a robot (see Figs. 7A-7E, 7G-7L and 8A-8J) mount carriage (see pars. [0022-0025]) including: a carriage (see pars. [0022-0025]) having a plurality of wheels (see Figs. 7A-7E, 7G-7L and 8A-8J, for wheels and pars. [0062-0065]) and configured to be manually moved (see pars. [0004, 0094, 0095 and 0098]); a robot (see Figs. 7A-7E, 7G-7L and 8A-8J) mounted on the carriage (see pars. [0022-0025]); and a controller (see pars. [0026, 0035 and 0037]) configured to control the robot (see Figs. 7A-7E, 7G-7L and 8A-8J); and a workpiece (see abs., and pars. [0001-0002]) storage (see par. [0133]) carriage (see pars. [0022-0025]) having a plurality of wheels (see Figs. 7A-7E, 7G-7L and 8A-8J, for wheels and pars. [0062-0065]) and configured to be manually moved (see pars. [0004, 0094, 0095 and 0098]) and including a workpiece (see abs., and pars. [0001-0002]) storage (see par. [0133]) storing a workpiece (see abs., and pars. [0001-0002]), the robot (see Figs. 7A-7E, 7G-7L and 8A-8J) mount carriage (see pars. [0022-0025]) and the workpiece (see abs., and pars. [0001-0002]) storage (see par. [0133]) carriage (see pars. [0022-0025]) being configured to supply the workpiece (see abs., and pars. [0001-0002]) to a predetermined target device (see abs., and par. [0001], wherein the machine tool has been taken as target device) when disposed around the target device (see abs., and par. [0001], wherein the machine tool has been taken as target device), characterized in that wherein: one of the robot (see Figs. 7A-7E, 7G-7L and 8A-8J) mount carriage (see pars. [0022-0025]) and workpiece (see abs., and pars. [0001-0002]) storage (see par. [0133]) carriage (see pars. [0022-0025]) includes one of a pair of associators (see Fig. 4B, elements 524 on both sides) for associating the robot (see Figs. 7A-7E, 7G-7L and 8A-8J) mount carriage (see pars. [0022-0025]) and the workpiece (see abs., and pars. [0001-0002]) storage (see par. [0133]) carriage (see pars. [0022-0025]) with each other; and another one of the robot (see Figs. 7A-7E, 7G-7L and 8A-8J) mount carriage (see pars. [0022-0025]) and workpiece (see abs., and pars. [0001-0002]) storage (see par. [0133]) carriage (see pars. [0022-0025]) includes another one of the pair of associators (see Fig. 4B, elements 524 on both sides).
As per claim 2, Kienberger et al., teaches the pair of associators (see Fig. 4B, elements 524 on both sides) comprises a camera (see par. [0240]) provided on the robot (see Figs. 7A-7E, 7G-7L and 8A-8J) and an identifier (see par. [0158], for a display to agentify/indicate) provided on the workpiece (see abs., and pars. [0001-0002]) storage (see par. [0133]) carriage (see pars. [0022-0025]); the identifier (see par. [0158], for a display to agentify/indicate as noted above) has an identification figure; and the controller (see pars. [0026, 0035 and 0037]) is configured to: drive the camera (see par. [0240]) with the robot (see Figs. 7A-7E, 7G-7L and 8A-8J) in a predetermined image capturing pose to cause the camera (see par. [0240]) to capture an image of the identifier (see par. [0158], for a display to identify/indicate); analyze the captured image to recognize a positional relationship (see pars. [0018-0020]) between the robot (see Figs. 7A-7E, 7G-7L and 8A-8J) mount carriage (see pars. [0022-0025]) and the workpiece (see abs., and pars. [0001-0002]) storage (see par. [0133]) carriage (see pars. [0022-0025]); and control operation of the robot (see Figs. 7A-7E, 7G-7L and 8A-8J) with respect to the workpiece (see abs., and pars. [0001-0002]) storage (see par. [0133]) carriage (see pars. [0022-0025]) based on the recognized positional relationship (see pars. [0018-0020]).
As per claim 3 Kienberger et al., teaches the pair of associators (see Fig. 4B, elements 524 on both sides) comprises an engaged body and an engaging body engageable with the engaged body, the engaged body is provided on one of the robot (see Figs. 7A-7E, 7G-7L and 8A-8J) and workpiece (see abs., and pars. [0001-0002]) storage (see par. [0133]) carriage (see pars. [0022-0025]) and the engaging body is provided on another one of the robot (see Figs. 7A-7E, 7G-7L and 8A-8J) and workpiece (see abs., and pars. [0001-0002]) storage (see par. [0133]) carriage (see pars. [0022-0025]); and the controller (see pars. [0026, 0035 and 0037]) is configured to: drive the robot (see Figs. 7A-7E, 7G-7L and 8A-8J) to recognize a positional relationship (see pars. [0018-0020]) between the robot (see Figs. 7A-7E, 7G-7L and 8A-8J) mount carriage (see pars. [0022-0025]) and the workpiece (see abs., and pars. [0001-0002]) storage (see par. [0133]) carriage (see pars. [0022-0025]) based on a posture of the robot (see Figs. 7A-7E, 7G-7L and 8A-8J) when the engaged body and the engaging body are brought into engagement with each other; and control operation of the robot (see Figs. 7A-7E, 7G-7L and 8A-8J) with respect to the workpiece (see abs., and pars. [0001-0002]) storage (see par. [0133]) carriage (see pars. [0022-0025]) based on the recognized positional relationship (see pars. [0018-0020]).
As per claim 4, Kienberger et al., teaches wherein no workpiece (see abs., and pars. [0001-0002]) storage (see par. [0133]) for storing the workpiece (see abs., and pars. [0001-0002]) is provided on a mount surface of the carriage (see pars. [0022-0025]) of the robot (see Figs. 7A-7E, 7G-7L and 8A-8J) mount carriage (see pars. [0022-0025]) on which the robot is mounted (see Figs. 7A-7E, 7G-7L and 8A-8J).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
The following is a quotation of 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.
This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention(s) absent any evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and effective filing dates of each claim that was not commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the later invention in order for the examiner to consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) for any potential 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) prior art against the later invention.
Claims 5-12 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kienberger et al. (US 20220362896) further in view of Mokadem et al., (Verification of a timed system with UPPAAL, IEEE).
As per claim 5, Kienberger et al., teaches substantially the carriage (see pars. [0022-0025]) of the robot (see Figs. 7A-7E, 7G-7L and 8A-8J) mount carriage (see pars. [0022-0025]) comprises: three wheels arranged at predetermined intervals (see Figs. 7A-7E, 7G-7L and 8A-8J, for wheels and pars. [0062-0065]); a frame having the wheels (see Figs. 7A-7E, 7G-7L and 8A-8J, for wheels and pars. [0062-0065]); and a mount table arranged on the frame; the robot is mounted on the mount table (see Figs. 7A-7E, 7G-7L and 8A-8J); with respect to claim 6, Kienberger et al., teaches wherein the carriage (see pars. [0022-0025]) of the robot (see Figs. 7A-7E, 7G-7L and 8A-8J) mount carriage (see pars. [0022-0025]) comprises: three wheels arranged at predetermined intervals (see Figs. 7A-7E, 7G-7L and 8A-8J, for wheels and pars. [0062-0065]); a wheel frame having the wheels thereon (see Figs. 7A-7E, 7G-7L and 8A-8J, for wheels and pars. [0062-0065]); and a mount table for mounting the robot (see Figs. 7A-7E, 7G-7L and 8A-8J) thereon; a first one of the wheel frame and jack frame is arranged on a second one of the wheel frame and jack frame via an elevating mechanism; the mount table is arranged on the first one of the wheel frame and jack frame; when the wheel frame is moved downward by the elevating mechanism, the wheels are brought into contact with a floor surface (see Figs. 7A-7E, 7G-7L and 8A-8J, for wheels and pars. [0062-0065]) and when the wheel frame is moved upward by the elevating mechanism, the wheels (see Figs. 7A-7E, 7G-7L and 8A-8J, for wheels and pars. [0062-0065]); with respect to claim 7, Kienberger et al., teaches wherein the wheels (see Figs. 7A-7E, 7G-7L and 8A-8J, for wheels and pars. [0062-0065]); with respect to claim 8, Kienberger et al., teaches wherein the robot (see Figs. 7A-7E, 7G-7L and 8A-8J) is mounted on the carriage (see pars. [0022-0025]) so as to be located inside a triangle connecting the wheels (see Figs. 7A-7E, 7G-7L and 8A-8J, for wheels and pars. [0062-0065]) and with respect to claim 9, Kienberger et al., teaches wherein the wheels (see Figs. 7A-7E, 7G-7L and 8A-8J, for wheels and pars. [0062-0065]); with respect to claim 10, Kienberger et al., teaches wherein the robot (see Figs. 7A-7E, 7G-7L and 8A-8J) is mounted on the carriage (see pars. [0022-0025]) so as to be located inside a triangle connecting the wheels (see Figs. 7A-7E, 7G-7L and 8A-8J, for wheels and pars. [0062-0065]); with respect to claim 11, Kienberger et al., teaches wherein the robot (see Figs. 7A-7E, 7G-7L and 8A-8J) is mounted on the carriage (see pars. [0022-0025]) so as to be located inside a triangle connecting the wheels (see Figs. 7A-7E, 7G-7L and 8A-8J, for wheels and pars. [0062-0065]) and with respect to claim 12, Kienberger et al., teaches wherein the robot (see Figs. 7A-7E, 7G-7L and 8A-8J) is mounted on the carriage (see pars. [0022-0025]) so as to be located inside a triangle connecting the wheels (see Figs. 7A-7E, 7G-7L and 8A-8J, for wheels and pars. [0062-0065]).
Mokadem et al., teaches in combination with Kienberger et al., essential features of the invention three jacks arranged at predetermined intervals (see Fig. 7); a jack frame having the jacks thereon (see Fig. 7); and the jacks are separated upward from the floor surface (see Fig. 7, for up and down jack); the jacks are arranged so as to mutually form an inverted triangle in plan view (see Fig. 7, for inverted triangle); and a triangle connecting the jacks in plan view (see Fig. 7, for triangle connection).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the teachings of Kienberger et al., with the jacks as taught by Mokadem et al., because this combination would have allowed (see Mokadem’s et al., page 351, col. 2, first par., particularly “the jack must go down until the limiting position is reached”), thereby improving the airport demand management as a whole.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MCDIEUNEL MARC whose telephone number is (571) 272-6964. The examiner can normally be reached on Work 9:00 AM to 7:30.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, WADE MILES can be reached on (571) 270-7777. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is (571)-273-3976.
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/McDieunel Marc/
Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3665