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 .
Continued Examination Under 37 CFR 1.114
A request for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, including the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e), was filed in this application after final rejection. Since this application is eligible for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114. Applicant's submission filed on 5/12/2026 has been entered.
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.
Claims 1, 2, 5, 7, 8, 13, 14, 18, and 19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Onodera JP 2000-026010 (hereinafter “Onodera”, cited previously).
Regarding claim 1, Onodera discloses an apparatus for storing media items (11) at a storage zone (57), comprising:
a storage zone (57) for storing media items;
a port region (upstream entrance of plurality of transport belts 18) that is proximate to the storage zone for receiving at least one media item;
a guide member (27 or 31) for urging the media items towards a desired location in the storage zone; and
wherein the entire guide member is movable laterally to urge the media items towards the desired location of the storage zone.
Regarding claim 2, wherein the guide member is movable during receiving the at least one media item.
Regarding claim 5,, wherein at least a portion of the guide member is movable towards a central transport plane associated with the desired location to urge the media item towards the desired location.
Regarding claim 7, wherein at least a portion of the guide member is movable away from a central transport plane associated with the desired location to expand the storage zone.
Regarding claim 8, wherein a transport pathway portion (formed by 18) extends from the port region into the storage zone.
Regarding claim 13, Onodera discloses a method for receiving media items (11) at a desired location in a storage zone (57), comprising:
providing at least one media item one-by-one at a port region (upstream end of 18, not shown) that is proximate to a storage zone; and
for an incoming media item that is locatable onto a base element (30) or an immediately preceding media item proximate to the desired location in the storage zone, an entire guide member (27 or 31) towards a central transport plane associated with the desired location thereby urging a respective edge region of the incoming media item for positioning the incoming media item at the desired location.
Regarding claim 14, wherein the moving at least the portion of the at least one guide member further comprises moving the at least one guide member in a lateral direction towards the central transport plane.
Regarding claim 18, further comprising aligning the incoming media item at the desired location by drawing together the first guide member (one of 27 or 31)on a first lateral side and a second guide member (other of 27 or 31) on a second lateral side, opposite the first lateral side, of the incoming media item at a point in time when the incoming media item is at rest or coming to rest on the base element of the storage zone or a preceding media item in the storage zone.
Regarding claim 19, further comprising moving the entire first guide member towards the central transport plane subsequent to determining that the incoming media item has been transported past a predetermined location (21, 22) along a transport pathway portion between the port region and the desired location.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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 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.
Claims 9-11, 16, 21, and 22 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Onodera in view of Toma JP 63-147772 A (hereinafter “Toma”).
Regarding claim 9-11 and 16, Onodera fails to explicitly teach wherein the guide member is movable away from the central transport plane associated with the desired location responsive to the media item reaching a predetermined position along the transport pathway portion. Onodera further teaches an interface region (at 19, claim 10), and a final set of mover elements (19, claim 11).
Toma teaches when a leading edge of a sheet is sensed by an upstream sensor (19), a movable guide (24a) is widened to avoid interference with an incoming sheet and thereafter the movable guide is urged toward the sheet in order to align the sheet. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to modify Onodera’s guide member to be movable away from the central transport plane associated with the desired location responsive to the media item reaching a predetermined position as taught by Toma as a known method of ensuring an incoming sheet, which may be skewed, does not accidentally interfere with the guide member during discharge, thereby avoiding a jam prior to an alignment operation.
Regarding claims 21 and 22, Onodera further comprising a linear solenoid actuator configured to laterally translate the entire guide member.
Toma teaches use of a linear solenoid actuator (44) used to move a lateral guide.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to substitute Onodera’s guide member driving mechanism with the solenoid of Toma in order to achieve the predictable result of providing linear translation to the guide member.
Claims 12 and 17 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Onodera in view of Kim KR 2013-0008984 A (hereinafter “Kim”).
Regarding claim 12, Onodera fails to explicitly teach wherein the storage zone comprises a chamber region in a storage receptacle, wherein the storage receptacle comprises a currency cassette, and wherein each media item comprises a currency note of a specified denomination whereby currency notes of a common denomination are stacked in the currency cassette.
Kim teaches a similar device comprising alignment of bills using laterally movable guides 22a, 22b for a storage unit (cassette) of an ATM. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to incorporate Onodera’s apparatus in a currency cassette as taught by Kim as a known alternative arrangement for stacking and storing currency.
Regarding claim 17, Onodera does not explicitly teach simultaneously moving the first guide member on a first lateral side of the central transport plane in a first direction and a second guide member on a remaining lateral side of the central transport plane in a further direction that is opposite to the first direction. Kim teaches the known concept of using simultaneously movable lateral guides (22a, 22b, refer to FIG. 5) to align sheets in a stack.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to modify Onodera’s device with simultaneously moving the first guide member on a first lateral side of the central transport plane in a first direction and a second guide member as taught by Kim as another known variation of ensuring a stack is effectively aligned.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claims 1 and 13 have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on any reference applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to LUIS A GONZALEZ whose telephone number is (571)270-3094. The examiner can normally be reached 9am-5:30pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Michael McCullough can be reached at 571-272-7805. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/LUIS A GONZALEZ/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3653
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