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 .
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 4 and 7 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.
Claim 4 recites the limitation "certain time" in line 4. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claim 7 recites “wherein the second optical fiber is disposed at a bottom of the storage, and is configured to emit part of propagating ultraviolet light from a side surface”. It is unclear what “part of propagating ultraviolet light” is referring to. Part of what propagating ultraviolet light?
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.
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.
Claim(s) 1, 2 and 4-7 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Shirato (US 2022/0068073 A1) in view of Birnie et al (US 2022/0088236 A1) and further in view of Yacoubian et al (US 2009/0022390 A1).
Regarding Claim 1, Shirato teaches
a banknote disinfection system, i.e., sterilizing unit (131, 132), as illustrated in figure 2, for example, comprising:
a conveyance mechanism, i.e., conveying unit (121, 122) as illustrated in figures 6 and 7, configured to convey a banknote using a plurality of
rollers, i.e, a pair of rollers, as mentioned at paragraph 23, with regard to separating mechanism (111), and as illustrated in figure 2, for example; and
an irradiating unit (133, 134) configured to emit ultraviolet light to a surface of the banknote, i.e., cash (50),
conveyed by the conveyance mechanism, i.e., represented by conveyance surface (124), as illustrated in figure 3, of conveying units (12, 121, 122, 123), for example, and as mentioned at paragraphs 25 and 29-36, which states as follows.
[0025] A main body 20 of the bill depositing and dispensing apparatus 2 and a main body 30 of the coin depositing and dispensing apparatus 3 correspond to the main body 10 of the automatic change machine 1. A taking-in unit 21 of the bill depositing and dispensing apparatus 2 and a taking-in unit 31 of the coin depositing and dispensing apparatus 3 correspond to the taking-in unit 11 of the automatic change machine 1. A dispensing unit 25 of the bill depositing and dispensing apparatus 2 and a dispensing unit 35 of the coin depositing and dispensing apparatus 3 correspond to the dispensing unit 15 of the automatic change machine 1.
[0026] The automatic change machine 1 further includes, as illustrated in FIG. 2, the conveying unit 12 and the storage unit 14. The conveying unit 12 and the storage unit 14 are disposed on the inside of the main body 10.
[0027] The conveying unit 12 includes, as illustrated in FIG. 2, the taking-in and conveying unit 121 the dispensing and conveying unit 122, and a circulating and conveying unit 123. The taking-in and conveying unit 121 is configured to convey, to the storage unit 14, cash supplied one by one from the taking-in unit 11. In other words, the taking-in and conveying unit 121 conveys the cash separated one by one by the taking-in unit 11 to the storage unit 14. The dispensing and conveying unit 122 is configured to convey, to the dispensing unit 15, cash supplied one by one from the storage unit 14. In other words, the dispensing and conveying unit 122 conveys cash separated one by one by the storage unit 14 to the dispensing unit 15. The circulating and conveying unit 123 is configured to convey cash on a conveying path of the dispensing and conveying unit 122 onto a conveying path of the taking-in and conveying unit 121. The conveying unit 12 includes, for example, a pair of pulleys and an endless belt stretched at predetermined tension by the pair of pulleys. The endless belt rotates according to driving of one pulley and conveys cash that is in contact with a belt surface. The conveying unit 12 only has to be able to convey cash and may have any configuration.
[0028] The storage unit 14 includes a plurality of storage spaces for storing cash by denominations. The housing unit 14 counts, for each of the denominations, the number of pieces of cash taken into the inside of the main body 10 by the taking-in unit 11 and stores, for each of the denominations, the cash in the storage space corresponding to the denomination. The number of the plurality of storage spaces is at least a number corresponding to types of the denominations which the automatic change machine 1 handles. The storage unit 14 includes a separating mechanism 141. The separating mechanism 141 separates, one by one, cash discharged from the storage spaces of the storage unit 14. Like the separating mechanism 111 explained above, the separating mechanism 141 only has to be able to separate an overlapping plurality of pieces of cash one by one and may have any configuration. In this way, the storage unit 14 stores the cash taken in from the taking-in unit 11, separates, one by one, the number of pieces of cash of a denomination corresponding to an instruction from a host machine 9 (see FIG. 4), and discharges the cash. The storage unit 14 supplies the cash separated one by one to the dispensing and conveying unit 122 of the conveying unit 12.
[0029] The automatic change machine 1 further includes a sterilizing unit 13 as illustrated in FIG. 2. The sterilizing unit 13 is disposed on the inside of the main body 10. The sterilizing unit 13 is configured to sterilize both surfaces of cash conveyed one by one by the conveying unit 12. Specifically, the sterilizing unit 13 includes, as illustrated in FIG. 2, a taking-in and sterilizing unit 131 and a dispensing and sterilizing unit 132. The taking-in and sterilizing unit 131 is provided on the conveying path of the taking-in and conveying unit 121 and configured to sterilize both surfaces of cash conveyed one by one by the taking-in and conveying unit 121. The dispensing and sterilizing unit 132 is provided on the conveying path of the dispensing and conveying unit 122 and configured to sterilize both surfaces of cash conveyed one by one by the dispensing and conveying unit 122. In this way, the sterilizing unit 13 is provided on the conveying paths of the taking-in and conveying unit 121 and the dispensing and conveying unit 122 and sterilizes cash on the conveying paths.
[0030] FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of the sterilizing unit 13 illustrated in FIG. 2. The sterilizing unit 13 includes, as illustrated in FIG. 3, an upper-surface irradiating unit 133 and a lower-surface irradiating unit 134. The upper-surface irradiating unit 133 is configured to be capable of irradiating, with ultraviolet light, the upper surface of cash 50 conveyed in the direction of an arrow 51 on a conveying surface 124 of the conveying unit 12. The lower-surface irradiating unit 134 is configured to be capable of irradiating, with the ultraviolet light, the lower surface of the cash 50 conveyed in the direction of the arrow 51 on the conveying surface 124. The conveying surface 124 of the conveying unit 12 is configured to be capable of transmitting the ultraviolet light. The configuration capable of transmitting the ultraviolet light includes using, in a region irradiated by the ultraviolet light, a member transparent to the ultraviolet light, that is, a member having small attenuation of the ultraviolet light. The configuration capable of transmitting the ultraviolet light includes not disposing, in the region irradiated by the ultraviolet light, a member that blocks the ultraviolet light and a member that greatly attenuates the ultraviolet light. As an example, a part or the entire endless belt of the conveying unit 12 is configured by a member having transmittance to the ultraviolet light. As another example, a hole for causing the ultraviolet light to pass is provided in a part such as the center of the endless belt of the conveying unit 12.
[0031] Each of the upper-surface irradiating unit 133 and the lower-surface irradiating unit 134 is configured to be capable of radiating light having a wavelength in a predetermined ultraviolet region (hereinafter referred to as ultraviolet light). As each of the upper-surface irradiating unit 133 and the lower-surface irradiating unit 134, for example, an LED (Light Emitting Diode) can be used. Each of the upper-surface irradiating unit 133 and the lower-surface irradiating unit 134 only has to be able to radiate ultraviolet light in a predetermined wavelength region and is not limited to the LED. A mercury lamp or the like may be used.
[0032] The ultraviolet light used by the sterilizing unit 13 may include a wavelength of any one of UV-A (wavelength: 320 to 380 nm), UV-B (wavelength: 280 to 320 nm), and UV-C (wavelength: 200 to 280 nm). However, the ultraviolet light used by the sterilizing unit 13 is preferably ultraviolet light in a wavelength region including the wavelength of the UV-C. The ultraviolet light used by the sterilizing unit 13 is more preferably ultraviolet light in a wavelength region including a wavelength of 250 to 260 nm. The ultraviolet light used by the sterilizing unit 13 is still more preferably ultraviolet light in a wavelength region including a wavelength of 253.7 nm.
[0033] As radiation intensity of the ultraviolet light by the sterilizing unit 13, intensity requested for sterilization corresponding to, for example, types of microorganisms, bacteria, and viruses, which are targets of sterilizing processing, only has to be set as appropriate according to the distance between each of the upper-surface irradiating unit 133 and the lower-surface irradiating unit 134 and the conveying surface 124.
[0034] A region on the conveying surface 124 irradiated with the ultraviolet light by the upper-surface irradiating unit 133 and a region on the conveying surface 124 irradiated with the ultraviolet light by the lower-surface irradiating unit 134 may not coincide.
[0035] In each of the taking-in and sterilizing unit 131 and the dispensing and sterilizing unit 132, the upper-surface irradiating unit 133 and the lower-surface irradiating unit 134 may be integrally configured. For example, the upper-surface irradiating unit 133 and the lower-surface irradiating unit 134 configured integrally may have a size and a shape capable of irradiating regions on both sides of the conveying surface 124 on the conveying path with the ultraviolet light at a time. Alternatively, the upper-surface irradiating unit 133 and the lower-surface irradiating unit 134 configured integrally may have a common light source and an optical system that deflects ultraviolet light emitted from the light source and may be configured to be capable of irradiating the regions on both the sides of the conveying surface 124 on the conveying path with the ultraviolet light.
[0036] The taking-in and sterilizing unit 131 and the dispensing and sterilizing unit 132 may be integrally configured. For example, each of the upper-surface irradiating unit 133 and the lower-surface irradiating unit 134 may have a size and a shape capable of irradiating both of a region on the conveying path of the taking-in and conveying unit 121 and a region on the conveying path of the dispensing and conveying unit 122 with the ultraviolet light at a time. Alternatively, each of the upper-surface irradiating unit 133 and the lower-surface irradiating unit 134 may have a common light source and an optical system that deflects ultraviolet light emitted from the light source and may be configured to be capable of irradiating both the regions on the conveying path of the taking-in and conveying unit 121 and the conveying path of the dispensing and conveying unit 122 with the ultraviolet light.
Emphasis provided.
Regarding Claim 1, Shirato does not expressly teach an optical fiber configured to emit ultraviolet light to a surface of the banknote
conveyed by the conveyance mechanism.
Regarding Claim 1, Shirato does not expressly teach, but Birnie teaches an optical fiber, i.e., semi-rigid plastic light pipes (60, 62, 64, 202, 212), configured to emit ultraviolet light to a surface of the banknote, as illustrated in figures 3, 14a and 14b and as mentioned at paragraphs 28 and 43, which state as follows.
[0028] Ultraviolet (UV) light cells are incorporated into media cassette 10 to sterilize the banknotes 34 (e.g., cash money) contained within media cassette 10. In particular, as shown in FIGS. 1 to 4, UV light cells are preferably mounted on each of the six inner surfaces of media cassette 10, with UV light sources 50, 52, 54, 56 placed on the side inner surfaces of body 14, UV light source 58 on the bottom inner surface of body 14, and UV light sources 60, 62, 64 on the inner surface of lid 12. Although three separate UV light sources 60, 62, 64 are shown on the inner surface of lid 12 but a single source extending the long length of the lid 12 would be adequate for the purposes of the present disclosure. In some applications, some of the UV light sources, e.g., the UV light sources 52, 56 at each end of body 14, may be omitted and suitable results may be obtained using a single UV light source mounted on an inner surface of body 14 or the lid 12. Sterilization through UV light will not harm the banknotes and, when applied in sufficient strength and for a sufficient duration, will kill any pathogens (e.g. SARS virus, Covid-19 virus, flu virus, etc.) present on the banknotes. Since UV light sterilization requires approximately thirty minutes to be effective, by incorporating the various UV light sources into the media cassette 10, the banknotes 34 contained within media cassette 10 can be sterilized during the cash-in-transit (or CIT) delivery process or after media cassette 10 is placed into the ATM cash dispenser mechanism. Since an ATM can take up to thirty minutes to start up, all the banknotes 34 in media cassette 10 can be sterilized during this time period. Sterilization can continue afterwards as well, for all banknotes 34 remaining in media cassette 10 as some of the banknotes 34 are withdrawn during normal use of the ATM. By sterilizing the banknotes 34 within a sealed media cassette 10, the sterilizing media cassette of the present disclosure ensures that there is no danger over-exposure UV light to either bank personnel or customers. The inner surface of media cassette 10 is preferably coated with a suitable protective UV coating to reflect the UV light within the sealed media cassette 10 and to prevent degradation of the media cassette 10 itself (which may be formed from an appropriate plastic material) due to UV light exposure.
[0043] Referring now to FIGS. 14A and 14B, specialized fixtures 200, 210 may be provided for inserting UV light between banknotes within the stack of banknotes 220 included within a sterilizing media cassette of the present disclosure. Each fixture 200, 210 consists of a base plate 201, 211 having a series of UV light sources mounted in a channel therein (e.g., see channel 204 in FIG. 14A) the UV light sources are optically coupled to semi-rigid plastic light pipes 202, 212 that extend downward (for fixture 200) or upward (for fixture 210) and coupled to a power source and controller for activation in a manner similar to that shown in FIG. 5. The fixtures 200, 210 may be mounted in a manner in which each fixture 200, 210 is in a fixed position within the sterilizing media cassette adjacent to an outer surface of the stack of banknotes 220 so that each of the light pipes 202, 212 extend into the stack of banknotes 220. This allows UV light to be directed between each banknotes that is adjacent to each of the light pipes 202, 212. By making each light pipe semi-rigid, the UV lights can be activated at all times after the sterilizing media cassette is docked, and because each light pipe is only semi-rigid, the banknotes in the stack of banknotes 220 may be moved laterally as required during normal use, thereby ensuring that all of the bills will likely be exposed to UV light from the light pipes 202, 212 before being withdrawn, etc. In the alternative, each fixture 200, 210 may be coupled to a motorized mechanism which moves the fixtures up and down in the direction shown by arrows 230, 240 during the sterilization process or during normal use. For example, each fixture 200, 210 may be inserted against the stack of banknotes 220 and activated whenever the associated ATM is not being used, and withdrawn during use only.
Emphasis provided.
Regarding Claim 1, before the effective filing date of the invention, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to have provided an optical fiber configured to emit ultraviolet light to a surface of the banknote
conveyed by the conveyance mechanism, as taught by Birnie, in Shirato’s banknote disinfection system, for the purpose of transmitting UV light so as to disinfect and sterilize banknotes.
Regarding Claim 2, Shirato teaches
wherein the irradiating unit (133, 134) has an end, i.e., as indicated by directional arrows in figure 3, directed to the surface of the banknote (50) conveyed by the conveyance mechanism (124), and is configured to emit propagating ultraviolet light from the end, as mentioned at paragraphs 31-36.
Regarding Claim 2, Shirato does not expressly teach, but Birnie teaches
wherein the optical fiber, i.e., light pipes (202, 212), as illustrated in figures 14a and 14b, has an end directed to the surface of the banknotes (220) and is configured to emit propagating ultraviolet light from the end, as mentioned at paragraph 43, for example.
Regarding Claim 4, Shirato further comprising a storage, i.e., storage unit (14), as illustrated in figure 2, configured to store the banknote,
wherein the conveyance mechanism (122, 124), as illustrated in figures 2 and 3, takes out the banknote in the storage (14) at (a) certain time to bring the banknote into irradiation with ultraviolet light from the optical fiber, as taught by Birnie.
Regarding Claim 5, Shirato does not expressly teach further
comprising:
a storage configured to store the banknote; and
a second optical fiber configured to emit ultraviolet light to the banknote in the storage.
Regarding Claim 5, Shirato does not expressly teach, but Birnie teaches further
comprising:
a storage, i.e., media cassette (10), as illustrated in figures 1-3, for example, configured to store the banknote, as mentioned at paragraphs 23, 24 and 28; and
a second optical fiber, i.e., UV light sources (50, 52, 54, 56, 58, 60, 62, 64) or light pipes (202, 212), as illustrated in figures 1-3, configured to emit ultraviolet light to the banknote (34, 70, 220) in the storage (10), as mentioned at paragraphs 23, 24, 28-30 and 43, for example.
Regarding Claim 5, before the effective filing date of the invention, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to have provided a storage configured to store the banknote; and
a second optical fiber configured to emit ultraviolet light to the banknote in the storage, as taught by Birnie, in Shirato’s banknote disinfection system, for the purpose of transmitting UV light so as to disinfect and sterilize banknotes in the storage cassettes as well as those being conveyed throughout the system.
Regarding Claim 6, Shirato does not expressly teach
wherein the second optical fiber has an end directed to the surface of the banknote stored in the storage, and is configured to emit propagating ultraviolet light from the end.
Regarding Claim 6, Shirato does not expressly teach, but Birnie teaches
wherein the second optical fiber, i.e., UV light sources (50, 52, 54, 56, 58, 60, 62, 64) or light pipes (202, 212), as illustrated in figures 1-3, has an end directed to the surface of the banknote stored in the storage (10), and is configured to emit propagating ultraviolet light from the end, as mentioned at paragraph 43, for example.
Regarding Claim 7, Shirato does not expressly teach
wherein the second optical fiber is disposed at a bottom of the storage, and is configured to emit part of propagating ultraviolet light from a side surface.
Regarding Claim 7, Shirato does not expressly teach, but Birnie teaches
wherein the second optical fiber, i.e., UV light sources (50, 52, 54, 56, 58, 60, 62, 64) or light pipes (202, 212), as illustrated in figures 1-3, is disposed at a bottom of the storage (10), as illustrated in figures 14a and 14b, noting the light pipes (202, 212) disposed at the bottom and top, and is configured to emit part of propagating ultraviolet light from a side surface, i.e., noting UV light sources (50, 52, 54, 56) as illustrated in figure 2, which directs UV light towards the sides of the banknote stack, for example.
Claim(s) 3 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Shirato (US 2022/0068073 A1) in view of Birnie et al (US 2022/0088236 A1) and further in view of Yacoubian et al (US 2009/0022390 A1).
Regarding Claim 3, Shirato teaches the system as described above.
Regarding Claim 3, Shirato does not expressly teach
wherein the optical fiber is disposed with a central axis being parallel to the surface of the banknote,
and is configured to emit part of propagating ultraviolet light from a side surface.
Regarding Claim 3, Shirato does not expressly teach, but Yacoubian teaches
wherein the optical fiber, i.e., cylindrical lens (216, 316, 516, 556, 616, 656, 816, 916, 1016, 1216, 1256, 1316, 1356), is disposed with a central axis being parallel to the surface of the banknote (320), as illustrated in figure 3 and as mentioned at paragraphs 45, 57, for example,
and is configured to emit part of propagating ultraviolet light from a side surface, as mentioned at paragraph 38 (mentioning ultraviolet light), and as illustrated in figures 2, 3, 5, 6 and 8-13, for example.
Regarding Claim 3, before the effective filing date of the invention, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to have provided wherein the optical fiber is disposed with a central axis being parallel to the surface of the banknote,
and is configured to emit part of propagating ultraviolet light from a side surface, as taught by Yacoubian, in Shirato’s banknote disinfection system, for the purpose of efficiently directing and transmitting UV light so as to disinfect and sterilize banknotes.
Conclusion
Applicant is encouraged to contact the Examiner should there be any questions about this rejection or in an endeavor to explore potential amendments or potential allowable subject matter.
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Porchia 973 is cited as teaching cylindrical UV radiation sources (9) with their axes parallel to the banknote surfaces, as illustrated in figures 1-9, for example.
Mouri ‘950 is cited as teaching a banknote handling apparatus (101) as illustrated in figure 2, with disinfection unit (10), which uses ultraviolet irradiation as mentioned at paragraphs 54 and 55 for example.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JEFFREY ALAN SHAPIRO whose telephone number is (571)272-6943. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday generally between 8:30AM and 6:30PM.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Anita Y Coupe can be reached at 571-270-3614. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/JEFFREY A SHAPIRO/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3619
June 24, 2026
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