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 .
This action is in response to the application filed on 03/07/24.
Claims 1-22 are pending and have been examined.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 11/29/24 and 12/22/25 are in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
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.
Claim(s) 1, 4-5, 7-8, 14-15, 18 and 21-22 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Lee et al. (2015/0045929).
Regarding claim 1, Lee discloses a method for adjusting a power tool device setting of a power tool device (10) based on a location of the power tool device relative to a work object (Fig. 6), the method comprising: determining work object data (vehicle body sensed; S11, S12; Fig. 6) that indicate a work object type (vehicle body and parts of a vehicle;S14-S15 in Fig. 6; pars. 3-10) for the work object (i.e. vehicle); determining work location data based on the work object data (i.e. fastening points; S32 in Fig. 6), the work location data indicating work locations (P1-P5; Fig. 3) on the work object where a power tool device action is to be performed; determining a power tool device position of the power tool device (S21, S22 in Fig. 6; par. 18, 56, 59, 82-83); determining, by an electronic controller (70, 90; Fig. 2), a power tool device setting corresponding to the power tool device action (i.e. applied torque) to be performed at the work location nearest to the power tool device position (pars. 11, 21, 95); and transmitting, by the electronic controller, the power tool device setting to the power tool device (par. 94-95), wherein the power tool device setting indicates an operating parameter of the power tool device (pars. 104-105).
Regarding claims 4-5, Lee discloses wherein determining the work object data comprises scanning (via scanner 21) an identifier (barcode 2) on the work object, and generating output indicative of the identifier as the work object data (pars. 12, 13, 71-76, 101).
Regarding claim 7, Lee discloses wherein the work object is a vehicle and the identifier is a vehicle identification number (VIN) of the vehicle (pars. 71-75).
Regarding claims 8 and 21, Lee discloses wherein determining the work object data includes receiving, by the electronic controller, a user selection of the work object type from a list of work object types stored in a database (pars. 32 and 140).
Regarding claims 14-15, Lee discloses wherein the power tool device is a power tool (10; pars. 55-57) with a battery pack (i.e. power connection 14).
Regarding claim 18, Lee discloses a wireless communication device, comprising: a transceiver (40); an electronic controller (70, 90) in communication with the transceiver (40), the electronic controller including a processor (inherently disclosed as the controller is capable receive a signal of calculate a position; pars. 15-18) and a memory (inherently disclosed as the controller is capable of store information; pars. 11, 100) wherein the memory has stored thereon: work location data (P1-P5) indicating work locations on each type of work object (i.e. vehicle) where a power tool device action is to be performed (pars. 56, 59, 67); and power tool device setting data indicating a power tool device setting (i.e. torque) for each work location in the work location data (pars. 95, 98, 100, 105, 129-132, 136); and wherein the processor is configured to: determine work object data (i.e. vehicle data) that indicate a work object type (i.e. vehicle bodies or parts; S14-S15 in Fig. 6) for a work object located at a jobsite; retrieve the work location data stored in the memory corresponding to the type of work object indicated in the work object data (generate order information; S13 in Fig. 6); retrieve power tool device setting data stored in the memory corresponding to the work locations indicated in the work location data retrieved by the processor (S33-S34 in Fig. 6); and determine a power tool device position of a power tool device located at the jobsite (S21-S22 in Fig. 6); and transmit to the power tool device, by the transceiver, a power tool device setting (i.e. torque; S33) corresponding to the power tool device action to be performed at the work location in the work location data that is nearest to the power tool device position determined by the processor (S31-S35 in Fig. 6).
Regarding claim 22, Lee discloses a power tool (10; Figs. 4-5), comprising a body (Figs. 4-5); an actuator (12) coupled to the body; a transceiver (40) coupled to the body; and an electronic controller (70) coupled to the body (Fig. 2) and in communication with the transceiver (40), the electronic controller including a processor (inherently disclosed) and configured to transmit, via the transceiver (50), one or more signals indicative of a position of the power tool (S21 in Fig. 6) to a wireless communication device (90); receive, via the transceiver, a power tool device setting from the wireless communication device (S32-S33 in Fig. 6), the power tool device setting corresponding to a work location that is nearest to the position of the power tool (S22 in Fig. 6); adjust an operating parameter (i.e. torque)of the power tool based on the power tool device setting; and operate the actuator in accordance with the operating parameter (S35 in Fig. 6).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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.
Claim(s) 2-3 and 19-20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lee et al. (2015/0045929) in view of Lee et al. (9,533,403).
Regarding clams 2 and 19, Lee’929 discloses the invention substantially as claimed comprising barcode scanner to determine the work object data, but fails to disclose wherein determining the work object data comprises recording an image of the work object and processing the image to determine the work object type. Lee’403 discloses a method for adjusting a power tool device setting (i.e. torque) of a power tool device comprising the step of determining the work object data (vehicle ports via vehicle sensing unit) comprises recording an image (via camera 23) of the work object (i.e. vehicle) and processing the image (via a controller 80) to determine the work object type (i.e. vehicle body; pars. 20-23) for the purposes of enabling to manage and save fastening history of vehicle parts in mass production manufacturing lines. It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skills in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have provided Lee’929 method with the step of determining the work object data (vehicle ports via vehicle sensing unit) comprises recording an image (via camera 23) of the work object (i.e. vehicle) and processing the image (via a controller 80) to determine the work object type (i.e. vehicle body; pars. 20-23) in order to enable to manage and save fastening history of vehicle parts in mass production manufacturing lines
Regarding claims 3 and 20, Lee’403 also discloses wherein processing the image to determine the work object type comprises applying the image to a computer vision algorithm using the electronic controller, and generating output as the work object data (pars. 20-22).
Claim(s) 6 and 11 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lee et al. (2015/0045929) in view of Examiner’s Official Notice.
Regarding claim 6, Lee discloses the invention substantially as claimed comprising an identifier as a barcode (2), but fails to disclose wherein the barcode is a quick response (QR) code. However, the use of a QR code as an identifier is well known in the art and the Examiner takes official notice that it use is common knowledge in vehicle assembly line art, for example, for the purpose of efficiently providing vehicle parts data.
Regarding claim 11, Lee discloses the method of determining a work object (i.e. vehicle) and the work object data (vehicle identification number), but fails to disclose wherein the work object data indicate a make and model of the vehicle. However, the use of a vehicle identification number that provide vehicle make and model is well known in the art and the Examiner takes Official Notice that it use is common knowledge in vehicle assembly line art, for example, for the purpose of enable and manage automatic assembly of parts to specific vehicle bodies.
Claim(s) 9-10 and 16-17 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lee et al. (2015/0045929) in view of Burch et al. (2014/0240125).
Regarding claim 9, Lee discloses the inventions substantially as claimed comprising the method of determining a power tool device position, but fails to disclose it is perform triangulating the power tool device relative to a plurality of wireless nodes. Burch discloses a wireless tracking of power tools for determining the position of a power tool triangulating the power tool relative to a plurality of wireless nodes (cellular towers 115 or wireless router 130; pars. 50-51 and 142) for the purposes of facilitating the remotely monitoring of the power tool. It would haver been obvious to one having ordinary skills in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have provided Lee’s method to determine a power tool position using triangulation technique in order to facilitate remote monitoring of the power tool.
Regarding claim 10, Burch also discloses wherein determining the power tool device position includes triangulating the power tool device using one of a strength-of-signal of communications between the power tool device and the plurality of wireless nodes (par. 139).
Regarding claims 16-17, Burch also discloses wherein the power tool device comprises an outdoor power equipment (par. 40) and a global navigation satellite system using satellites (110; Fig. 1; pa. 38).
Claim(s) 12-13 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lee et al. (2015/0045929) in view of Examiner’s Official Notice, as applied above in claim 11, and further in view of Stenced et al. (8,676,368).
Regarding claim 12, Lee discloses wherein the work location data indicate locations of lug nuts on the vehicle (pars. 50, 55, 59) and the power tool device setting includes a torque setting for a power tool (pars. 11, 21, 24, 63-65, 95, 98, 100, 105, 129-132), but fails to disclose wherein the power tool is an impact wrench. Stenced discloses a method for adjusting a power tool device setting comprising the step of determining work location data (fasteners positions A-F; Fig. 1; pars. 11, 28, 32) and wherein the power tool device setting includes a torque setting for an impact wrench (see the Abstract; pars. 8, 10, 16) for the purposes of optimizing a production process within a manufacturing work cell. It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skills in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have provided Lee’s power tool as an impact wrench, as taught by Stenced, in order to optimize a production process within a manufacturing work cell.
Regarding claim 13, the modified invention of Lee discloses a vehicle assembly line determining work location data (i.e. work positions on a vehicle body where parts are fastened or assembled) but fails to disclose wherein the location data indicate a location of an oil pan bolt on the vehicle. However, to provide the specific location data to indicate a location of an oil pan bolt on the vehicle would have been an obvious matter of design choice to a person of ordinary skill in the art because Applicant has not disclosed that said that said specific location of an oil pan bolt is used for a particular purpose, or solves a stated problem. Furthermore, since it is well known and within the general skill of a worker in the art to select a known work location data on the basis of its suitability for the intended use as matter of obvious design choice.
Conclusion
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/MICHELLE LOPEZ/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3731