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 .
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
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) 1-10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kondo (U.S. Patent Application Publication 20070058777).
U.S. Patent Application Publication 20070058777
Hybrid Type Foreign Matter Detecting Apparatus And Traceability System Using The Same
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Abstract
A hybrid type foreign matter detecting apparatus (1) includes magnet boosters (5), an X-ray detector (7), and sensor coils (8). When metallic foreign matter mixed in an object (6) under inspection transferred by a belt conveyor (4) passes through the magnet boosters (5), the magnetic properties of the foreign matter are enhanced so that the foreign matter is easy to detect with the sensor coils (8). X-rays generated from the X-ray detector (7) are focused in a region where the sensitivity of the sensor coils (8) is the lowest, whereby metallic foreign matter mixed in either of the surface and center portions of inspection objects can be detected satisfactorily.
As per claim 1, Kondo discloses a system comprising:
a foreign substance detector (5, 7, 8) for detecting whether a foreign substance is mixed in a product manufactured by a processing machine in the processing facility (Abstract); and
a processor (9) configured to process information on the foreign substance detected by the foreign substance detector (5, 7, 8), the processor acquiring the information on the foreign substance from the foreign substance detector (paras. [0044; 0080-0083])
Kondo does not explicitly disclose a processor configured to acquire, based on information on the foreign substance, information on a state of a processing machine.
Kondo teaches however, results of detection details stored in a database (300), and further provide information regarding detected foreign matter, illustrating which step in a process the foreign matter got mixed in a product (paras. [0080; 0082-0083]). Kondo further notes that in a case where a fragment of cutting gears of a cutter is mixed in a product, the database may reveal a relevant manufacturing apparatus and/or manufacturing step ([0080]).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made to modify the processor of Kondo, to be configured to acquire, based on information on the foreign substance, information on a state of a processing machine. One would have been motivated to make such a modification for the purpose(s) of identifying a step in a manufacturing process responsible for generating foreign matter. In addition to the identification of a manufacturing step, Kondo further suggests the identification of an apparatus associated with the step, inferring an operational state of the apparatus (e.g. greater foreign matter occurrences indicating unoptimized operation and/or potential failure mode) (see (paras. [0080; 0082-0083]).
As per claim 2, Kondo as modified above, discloses a system wherein the information on the state of the processing machine is identification information regarding a target processing machine identified from among a plurality of processing machines (see for example, (paras. [0080; 0082-0083]).
As per claim 4, Kondo as modified above, discloses a system wherein the foreign substance detector (5, 7, 8) is a device for detecting the foreign substance with use of magnetic field lines (components 5,8), and the processor infers, based on the information on the foreign substance, a shape of the foreign substance, and identifies the target processing machine from among the plurality of processing machines by matching the shape of the foreign substance against data on parts which constitute the processing machine, the data being stored in advance (see also for example, Fig. shown above; see also paras. [0041; 0080; 0082-0083]).
As per claim 5, Kondo as modified above, discloses a system wherein: the foreign substance detector (5, 8) is a first foreign substance detector for detecting the foreign substance with use of magnetic field lines; the management system further comprises a second foreign substance detector (7) for detecting the foreign substance with use of X-rays; and the processor acquires the information on the foreign substance from the first foreign substance detector and the second foreign substance detector, infers, based on the information on the foreign substance, a shape of the foreign substance, and identifies the target processing machine from among the plurality of processing machines by matching the shape of the foreign substance against data on parts which constitute the processing machine, the data being stored in advance (see for example, Fig. shown above; see also paras. [0041; 0080; 0082-0083]).
As per claim 7, Kondo as modified above, discloses a system wherein the processor carries out a process of displaying, on a display (111), the information on the state of the processing machine acquired (see for example, Fig.8, not shown above).
As per claim 8, Kondo as modified above, discloses a system as recited in claim 1, discloses a system wherein a two-dimensional code is attached to a package of the product which is a subject of detection by the foreign substance detector, the two-dimensional code having stored therein information indicating a date when and a place where a foreign substance inspection process was performed by the foreign substance detector, information indicating a foreign substance inspection result, and information indicating a business entity which inspected the product (see for example, Figs. 10-12; note: commodity label (Fig. 12))
As per claim 9, Kondo as modified above, discloses a system wherein the foreign substance is a metal foreign substance (see for example, Abstract, shown above).
As per claim 10, Kondo discloses a method comprising the step(s) of:
acquiring, from a foreign substance detector for detecting whether a foreign substance is mixed in a product manufactured by a processing machine in the processing facility, information on the foreign substance (paras. [0044; 0080-0083]).
Kondo does not explicitly disclose a method comprising the step of: acquiring, based on the information on the foreign substance, information on a state of the processing machine.
Kondo teaches however, results of detection details stored in a database (300), and further provide information regarding detected foreign matter, illustrating which step in a process, the foreign matter got mixed in a product (paras. [0080; 0082-0083]). Kondo further notes that in a case where a fragment of cutting gears of a cutter is mixed in a product, the database may reveal a relevant manufacturing apparatus and/or manufacturing step ([0080]).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made to modify the method of Kondo, to acquire, based on information on the foreign substance, information on a state of a processing machine. One would have been motivated to make such a modification for the purpose(s) of identifying a step in a manufacturing process responsible for generating foreign matter. In addition to the identification of a manufacturing step, Kondo further suggests the identification of an apparatus associated with the step, inferring an operational state of the apparatus (e.g. greater foreign matter occurrences indicating unoptimized operation and/or potential failure mode) (see (paras. [0080; 0082-0083]).
As per claims 3 and 6, Kondo as modified above, discloses a system as recited in claim 1, but does not explicitly disclose a system wherein:
a) the information on the state of the processing machine is prediction information regarding a maintenance timing of the processing machine;
b) the information on the foreign substance is information which indicates that the foreign substance has a size not greater than a predetermined size and is a powdery substance; and the processor predicts a maintenance timing of the processing machine, based on an amount of the powdery substance detected, the amount increasing over time.
Kondo teaches results of detection details stored in a database (300), and further provide information regarding detected foreign matter, illustrating which step in a process, the foreign matter got mixed in a product (paras. [0080; 0082-0083]). Kondo further notes that in a case where a fragment of cutting gears of a cutter is mixed in a product, the database may reveal a relevant manufacturing apparatus and/or manufacturing step ([0080]).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made to modify the system of Kondo, wherein:
a) the information on the state of the processing machine is prediction information regarding a maintenance timing of the processing machine and
b) the information on the foreign substance is information which indicates that the foreign substance has a size not greater than a predetermined size and is a powdery substance; and the processor predicts a maintenance timing of the processing machine, based on an amount of the powdery substance detected, the amount increasing over time
One would have been motivated to make such a modification for the purpose(s) of identifying a step in a manufacturing process responsible for generating foreign matter and an apparatus associated with the manufacturing step, inferring an operational state of the apparatus. (e.g. greater foreign matter occurrences (shards, filings) indicating unoptimized operation and/or potential failure mode) (see (paras. [0080; 0082-0083]).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to COURTNEY D THOMAS whose telephone number is (571)272-2496. The examiner can normally be reached M-F: 9 AM - 5 PM.
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/COURTNEY D THOMAS/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2884