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 .
Specification
The use of the term Wi-FI Alliance in ¶0054, which is a trade name or a mark used in commerce, has been noted in this application. The term should be accompanied by the generic terminology; furthermore, the term should be capitalized wherever it appears or, where appropriate, include a proper symbol indicating use in commerce such as ™, SM, or ® following the term.
Although the use of trade names and marks used in commerce (i.e., trademarks, service marks, certification marks, and collective marks) are permissible in patent applications, the proprietary nature of the marks should be respected and every effort made to prevent their use in any manner which might adversely affect their validity as commercial marks.
Claim Objections
Claim 6 is objected to because of the following informalities:
In line 2 of claim 6, “at one runway beam” should read ---at least one runway beam---.
Appropriate correction is required.
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.
(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) 1-19 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Munnekehoff (US7070061B1).
Regarding claims 1 and 13, Munnekehoff discloses an overhead crane assembly (1; Figures 2-3) and method for moving a load (20) comprising: at least one support beam (22); operatively engaging a translation assembly (4, 23a, 23b) moveable relative to the at least one support beam (22); a hoist assembly (6) operatively engaged with the translation assembly (4, 23a, 23b), wherein the hoist assembly (6) is adapted to suspend a load (20) therefrom; and a movement assist system (23a, 23b, 24, 47, 39, 40) operably engaged with the translation assembly (4, 23a, 23b) and the hoist assembly (6); and wherein the movement assist system (23a, 23b, 24, 47, 39, 40) is operable to initiate movement of the translation assembly (4, 23a, 23b) upon application of a physical force to the load (20) by a hand of a human operator (28; column 5, lines 43-59); and moving the load (20) relative to the at least one support beam (22) via the translation assembly (4, 23a, 23b)
Regarding claims 2-5, Munnekehoff discloses wherein the hoist assembly (6) includes a hoist rope (14; Figures 2-3) adapted to be engaged with the load (20); and wherein the movement assist system (23a, 23b, 24, 47, 39, 40) includes an inclinometer (24) engaged with the hoist rope (14);
wherein the movement assist system (23a, 23b, 24, 47, 39, 40) further includes a processor (47, 39, 40) provided with programming configured to control the movement of the translation assembly (4, 23a, 23b);
wherein the processor (47, 39, 40) is configured to receive signals from the inclinometer (24);
wherein actuation of the translation assembly (4, 23a, 23b) is initiated by the processor (47, 39, 40) when a signal from the inclinometer (24) indicates that the hoist rope (14) is oriented at an angle relative to Normal (column 5, line 43 – column 6, line 32).
Regarding claims 6-10 and 14, Munnekehoff discloses wherein the at least one support beam (22) comprises at one runway beam (left and right beams 22; Figure 2) extending in a longitudinal direction; and wherein the translation assembly (4, 23a, 23b) includes an end truck (23b; column 6, lines 45-50, wheel and disk traveling mechanism at ends of bridge 4 acting on track 2) moveable longitudinally along the at least one runway beam, and the end truck (23b) is motorized;
wherein the at least one support beam (22) further comprises a bridge (4) oriented transverse to the at least one runway beam (left and right beams 22), and wherein the bridge (4) is engaged with the end truck (23b);
wherein the translation assembly (4, 23a, 23b) further comprises a trolley (8) movable along the bridge (4);
wherein the hoist assembly (6) is operably engaged with the bridge (4) via the trolley (8);
wherein the trolley (8) includes a motor (23a) which is actuated to move the trolley (8) along the bridge (4) only after the human operator (28) applies a pushing (30) or pulling (36) physical force to the load (20) suspended from the hoist assembly (6).
Regarding claims 11-12, Munnekehoff discloses a movement assist system (23a, 23b, 24, 47, 39, 40) for an overhead crane assembly (1) comprising: an inclinometer (24) engaged with a hoist rope (14) extending between a hoist assembly (6) of the overhead crane assembly (1) and a load (20) to be moved; a motor (23a; 23b) provided on a translation assembly (4, 23a, 23b) of the overhead crane assembly (1); a processor (47, 39, 40) operably engaged with the inclinometer (24) and the motor (23a; 23b); wherein the processor (47, 39, 40) is configured to receive signals from the inclinometer (24); and wherein the processor (47, 39, 40) is configured to actuate the motor (23a; 23b) upon receipt of a first signal from the inclinometer (24) indicating that the hoist rope (14) is oriented at an angle relative to Normal (column 2, line 66 – column 3, line 12, sensor control signal provided with angle of deflection to start drives 23a,23b);
wherein the processor (47, 39, 40) is configured to shut off the motor (23a; 23b) upon receipt of a second signal from the inclinometer (24) indicating that the hoist rope (14) is aligned with Normal (column 3, lines 25-32; sensor control signal provided with zero force and no angle deflection to stop drives 23a,23b).
Regarding claims 15-19, Munnekehoff discloses wherein actuating the movement assist system (23a, 23b, 24, 47, 39, 40) comprises moving a hoist rope (14) of the hoist assembly (6) from being aligned with Normal to being oriented at an angle to Normal (Figure 3);
wherein actuating the translation assembly (4, 23a, 23b) includes starting a motor (23a; 23b) provided on the translation assembly (4, 23a, 23b);
wherein engaging the movement assist system (23a, 23b, 24, 47, 39, 40) comprises: engaging an inclinometer (24) with a hoist rope (14) extending between the hoist assembly (6) and the load (20); and measuring an angle of the hoist rope (14) relative to Normal with the inclinometer (24);
deactivating the movement assist system (23a, 23b, 24, 47, 39, 40) by halting the application of physical force to the load (20) with the hand of the human operator (28);
halting movement of the translation assembly (4, 23a, 23b) by shutting off a motor (23a; 23b) provided on the translation assembly (4, 23a, 23b) when the application of physical force to the load (20) is halted (column 3, lines 25-32).
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.
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/H.S./Examiner, Art Unit 3654
/Victoria P Augustine/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3654
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