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 .
DETAILED ACTION
This office action is in response to claims filed in the preliminary amendment dated on 07/08/2024.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 07/08/2024 was considered by the examiner.
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.
Claim 2 is 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 2 on lines 4 to 5 recites “having a changed feature value”. This phrase is not clear as it does not state what earlier feature value provides the comparison baseline for the change, which image feature changes, or whether the value changes merely because the tape is fed or because a component-containing region enters the camera field.
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.
Claims 1, 3 and 8 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Keiji et al. (JP 4715482 B2).
Regarding claim 1, Keiji discloses a preparation device used in a mounting system including a mounting device configured to perform a process of mounting a component on a processing target (para. [0011], [0013]; Fig. 1, adjustment device 1), the preparation device comprising:
a fixing section configured to fix a component supply device to which a holding member configured to hold the component is attached and feed the holding member (para. [0011]; stage 3 with guides 3a on which the tape feeder and jigs are installed);
a preparation capturing section configured to capture an image of the holding member fixed to the fixing section (para. [0011]; Fig. 1, camera 4); and
a preparation control section (para. [0014]; Fig. 1, Computer 6) configured to execute an initial setting process of the holding member by using a captured image captured by the preparation capturing section and cause a storage section to store correspondence information that associates a captured image including a region of the holding member captured by the preparation capturing section in which the component is present (para. [0017], [0033]; image of an electronic component P stored on tape 21 captured by camera is displayed, the displayed images are stored in storage unit 26 with adjustment history which includes the feeder serial number) (the and/or alternative permits the claim to be anticipated without requiring the stricken portion of the claim).
Regarding claim 3, Keiji further discloses wherein the component supply device includes a supply storage section configured to store the identification information of the component supply device (para. [0033]; storage unit stores history data that includes feeder serial number),
the fixing section is electrically connectable to the component supply device (para. [0015]; interfaces 1a/20a provide electrical communication) , and
the preparation control section acquires the identification information output from the supply storage section (para. [0033]; computer receives history data which includes feeder serial number).
Regarding claim 8, Keiji discloses an information processing method executed by a preparation device used in a mounting system including a mounting device configured to perform a process of mounting a component on a processing target and having a fixing section configured to fix a component supply device to which a holding member configured to hold the component is attached (para. [0011]; Fig. 1, stage 3 with guides 3a on which the tape feeder and jigs are installed) and feed the holding member and a preparation capturing section configured to capture an image of the holding member fixed to the fixing section (para. [0011]; Fig. 1, camera 4), the information processing method comprising:
(a) a step of executing an initial setting process of the holding member by using a captured image captured by the preparation capturing section (para. [0017]; feed position adjustment); and
(b) a step of storing correspondence information that associates a captured image including a region of the holding member captured by the preparation capturing section in which the component is present (para. [0017], [0033]; image of an electronic component P stored on tape 21 captured by camera is displayed, the displayed images are stored in storage unit 26 with adjustment history which includes the feeder serial number) (the and/or alternative permits the claim to be anticipated without requiring the stricken portion of the claim).
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.
The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
Claim 2 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Keiji (JP 4715482 B2) in view of Yuka (JP 2014072409 A).
Regarding claim 2, Keiji does not disclose wherein the preparation control section causes the storage section to store the captured image captured by the preparation capturing section as the captured image including the region of the holding member in which the component is not present, and causes the storage section to store a captured image captured by feeding the holding member and having a changed feature value as the captured image including the region of the holding member in which the component is present.
Yuka discloses a preparation control section (Fig. 6, CPU 21) that causes the storage section to store the captured image captured by the preparation capturing section (14) as the captured image (Fig. 9, 12; 45 and 46) including the region of the holding member in which the component is not present (para. [0016], [0045]; Fig. 9, if it is determined that component is not stored in the component storage section, the invention further includes a storage and saving step in which the image data of the first window is stored as an evaluation value), and
causes the storage section to store a captured image captured by feeding the holding member and having a changed feature value as the captured image including the region of the holding member in which the component is present (para. [0045], [0074]; Fig. 9, image 45 contains component pocket (component storage section) 18a in which the chip component 40 currently to be mounted is stored).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the feeder adjustment device of Keiji and incorporate the teachings in Yuka of storing an image including the region of the holding member in which the component is present, and storing an image having a changed feature value as the captured image including the region of the holding member in which the component is present to improve the cueing process by reducing manual setup work and shortening the preparation time of the feeder by automatically locating the starting point of a component (Yuka: para. [0075]).
Claim 4 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Keiji (JP 4715482 B2) in view of Hoshikawa (WO 2021199288 A1).
Regarding claim 4, Keiji does not disclose wherein the preparation control section acquires identification information of the holding member and the identification information of the component supply device to store the identification information of the holding member and the identification information of the component supply device in the storage section in association with each other.
Hoshikawa discloses a preparation device (para. [0022]; tape loading device 10) wherein the preparation control section acquires identification information of the holding member and the identification information of the component supply device (para. [0023]-[0024]; The acquisition unit 14 acquires the identification information (feeder ID) of the feeder 20 held on the feeder holding base 13 and the identification information (reel ID) of the reel 30) to store the identification information of the holding member and the identification information of the component supply device in the storage section in association with each other (para. [0034]; the management device 60 records that the predetermined tape 40 has been loaded into the feeder 20).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the controller of Keiji and incorporate the teachings in Hoshikawa of adding a reel-id acquisition and association function to reduce the risk of mix-up between feeder and reel by verify that the intended reel is loaded on the identified feeder and to preserve the association for later mounting (Hoshikawa: para. [0004]).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 5 and 6 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.
Claim 7 is allowed.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Okuda (US 20080243438 A1) discloses a feeder adjusting jig including a support for fixing a feeder and a camera for imaging the component sucking position. It also discloses acquiring feeder ID using an RDID reader and associating maintenance history with each feeder.
Ohashi (JP 2014241344 A) discloses device for setting the component supply tape to a tape feeder that verifies component orientation and feed pitch using a camera and image processing. It also discloses transmitting component orientation, feed pitch, and component feed position of the component supply tape to a control device of a component mounter that makes correction regarding orientation of component, feeding pitch and part feeding position during the mounting process.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to TEMESGEN M. MARU whose telephone number is (571)272-0039. The examiner can normally be reached Monday -Friday 8:00AM-5:00PM.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Jacob Scott can be reached at (571)270-3415. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/TEMESGEN M. MARU/Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3655
/JACOB S. SCOTT/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3655
