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 .
This is in response to Applicant’s communication filed on 3/20/24, wherein:
Claims 1-15 are currently pending.
Claim 3 has been amended.
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) 1-7, 9-13 and 15 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over HERRE ET AL (US 2011/0166708) in view of SAKURAMOTO ET AL (US 2022/0219316). Herein after HERRE and SAKURAMOTO
As for claim 1, HERRE discloses a method for compensating for positioning inaccuracies of a linear robot, which includes a supporting and guiding structure having at least one support rail with at least one linear guide and a carriage which can be moved on this support rail by means of a motor, wherein the support rail is formed by an extruded profile with a plurality of chambers {see at least figures 10, 12, pars. 0117, 0121-0123}, wherein a control unit is provided, information with regard to the change in the geometric position and orientation of a mounting interface to which an actuator can be attached, is determined on the basis of the change in one or more parameters, and wherein, on the basis of the information with regard to the change in the geometric position and orientation of the mounting interface {see at least figures 2A-2F, 7-9, at least pars. 0096-0098 which show the change in orientation and position of the actuator}, the control unit carries out a change to the travel path of the carriage or provides an actuator control interface with position change information for the actuator {see at least abstract, figures 1, 5-6, pars. 0086-0089 and claim 1 which discloses e.g. the control cabinets 8, 9 which contain a robot controller for actuating the painting robots}.
HERRE discloses claimed invention as indicated above. HERRE does not explicitly disclose a mathematical model of the supporting and guiding structure is implemented, wherein the mathematical model calculates geometric changes to the supporting and guiding structure on the basis of one or more parameters. However, such limitations are suggested in at least pars. 0011-0014, 0017, 0041, 0070, 0074, 0076, claims 8-10 and 14 of SAKURAMOTO reference. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective of filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate the teachings of SAKURAMOTO into the system of HERRE with a reasonable expectation of success in order to provide the system with the enhanced capacity of implementing the mathematical model in the system of HERRE to obtain the more accurate positioning of the linear robots.
As for claim 2, HERRE/SAKURAMOTO discloses wherein the mathematical model comprises a plurality of splines which describe geometric changes to one or more components of the supporting and guiding structure on the basis of one or more parameters and wherein, on the basis of the splines and the values of one or more parameters, the change in the geometric position and orientation of the mounting interface is determined {see SAKURAMOTO at least pars. 0046-0047}.
As for claim 3, HERRE/SAKURAMOTO discloses wherein the linear robot has a plurality of traversing axes running at an angle to one another and wherein, on the basis of the information with regard to the change in the geometric position and orientation of the mounting interface, the control unit calculates for each traversing axis a correction value, and the target position which must be approached by the carriage moving on the respective traversing axis is modified on the basis of the correction value {see HERRE at least abstract, pars. 0032, 0042-0045}.
As for claim 4, HERRE/SAKURAMOTO discloses wherein the position inaccuracies are compensated for by interaction between the linear robot and the actuator fixed to the mounting interface in such a way that a first partial compensation is achieved by modifying the travel path of at least one carriage of the linear robot and a second partial compensation is achieved by modifying the positioning of a moving part of the actuator {see HERRE at least figure 12, pars. 0049, 0101, 0102}.
As for claim 5, HERRE/SAKURAMOTO discloses wherein positioning inaccuracies are compensated for iteratively in such a way that, on the basis of the mathematical model, information with regard to the change in the geometric position and orientation of the mounting interface is calculated successively in time on the basis of one or more parameters and, on the basis of the information with regard to the change in the geometric position and orientation of a mounting interface, a change in the travel path of the carriage is carried out or position change information for the actuator is provided at an actuator control interface {see HERRE at least figures 4, 6-10}.
As for claim 6, HERRE/SAKURAMOTO discloses wherein the parameters comprise external parameters which include information with regard to weight of an object moved by the actuator {see HERRE at least par. 0047}.
As for claim 7, HERRE/SAKURAMOTO discloses wherein the parameters comprise machine parameters including information on the movement position of at least one carriage {see HERRE at least figure 8}.
As for claim 9, HERRE/SAKURAMOTO discloses wherein a machine-learning method for processing the parameters is implemented in the control unit, and wherein the machine-learning method receives a plurality of parameters as input information and provides maintenance information by adaptive combination and adaptive evaluation of the parameters {see SAKURAMOTO discloses at least pars. 0041, 0043, 0051
As for claim 10, the limitation of these claims have been noted in the rejection above. It is therefore rejected for the same reason sets forth above.
As for claim 11, HERRE/SAKURAMOTO which discloses wherein a pair of linear guides is fixed on the support rail, namely by means of screws which are screwed into sliding blocks which are interlockingly introduced into grooves of the support rail {see HERRE at least figures 4, 7, 13, and pars. 0059-64} .
As for claim 12, HERRE/SAKURAMOTO discloses wherein the linear guides are formed from extruded aluminum profiles which comprise steel inserts on which the linearly movable carriage is guided {see HERRE at least figures 9 and 12}.
As for claim 13, HERRE/SAKURAMOTO inherently discloses the carriage comprises an integrally cast supporting body made of cast iron.
As for claim 15, HERRE/SAKURAMOTO wherein the control unit comprises an actuator control interface, at which information with regard to the position compensation for the actuator attached to the mounting interface is provided {see HERRE at least figures 10-12}.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 8 and 14 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Nagase (US 2006/0081175): Coating system for protective layer forming material.
Haas et al (US 2012/0191243): Robot arrangement, in particular in a painting booth.
Bringewatt et al (US 2019/0345664): Method for feeding pieces of laundry subsequent handling apparatus and device.
KIM (US 2021/0237267): plurality of strain gauges respectively coupled to frames of the plurality of links to measure a deformation value of the link that is deformed by the external force.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Kira Nguyen whose telephone number is (571)270-1614. The examiner can normally be reached on Monday to Friday 9:00-5:00 ET.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Khoi Tran can be reached on 571-272-6919. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/KIRA NGUYEN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3656