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 .
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election without traverse of Group I, claims 1-10, in the reply filed on 8/03/2026 is acknowledged.
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)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claim(s) 1-8 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by JP-6036387-B2.
Regarding claim 1, JP-6036387-B2 disclose a transport method switching device, comprising:
a transport information acquisition unit that acquires transport status information indicating a transport status (see “presence signal” in paragraph “First, the remote control device …” paragraph on pages 7-8) of a moving object (1a-1h) capable of moving by unmanned driving, the moving object being transported by a transport device (5a-5c), the transport device being capable of transporting the moving object in a predetermined transport section (see Figure 1-2) while movement control for the moving object is stopped (see “carriage standby position” in paragraph “First, the remote control device …” paragraph on pages 7-8);
a movement control determination unit that determines whether to start the movement control with respect to the moving object transported by the transport device using the acquired transport status information (see “Moreover, according to this embodiment …” paragraph on page 9); and
a command generation unit that generates and outputs a control command to move and release the moving object from the transport section by the movement control when the movement control determination unit determines to start the movement control (see “Further, according to the present embodiment …” paragraph on page 9).
Regarding claim 2, JP-6036387-B2 disclose the transport method switching device according to claim 1, wherein
the transport information acquisition unit acquires a moving object position in the transport section as the transport status information (see “carriage standby position” in paragraph “First, the remote control device …” paragraph on pages 7-8), and
the movement control determination unit determines whether to start the movement control using the acquired moving object position (see “ON and…ON” in paragraph “First, the remote control device …” paragraph on pages 7-8).
Regarding claim 3, JP-6036387-B2 disclose the transport method switching device according to claim 2, wherein
the movement control determination unit determines to start the movement control when the acquired moving object position is upstream from an ending point of the transport section by a predetermined distance (see Figures 1-2).
Regarding claim 4, JP-6036387-B2 disclose the transport method switching device according to claim 2, wherein
the movement control determination unit determines to start the movement control when at least a part of the acquired moving object position crosses an ending point of the transport section (see “carriage standby position” in paragraph “First, the remote control device …” paragraph on pages 7-8).
Regarding claim 5, JP-6036387-B2 disclose the transport method switching device according to claim 1, wherein
the transport information acquisition unit acquires a transport speed of the moving object transported by the transport device as the transport status information (see “As shown in FIG. 1 …” paragraph on page 2), and
the movement control determination unit further determines a timing to start the movement control using the acquired transport speed, and determines whether to start the movement control at the determined timing (see “Next, when the movable body …” paragraph on page 8).
Regarding claim 6, JP-6036387-B2 disclose the transport method switching device according to claim 5, wherein,
when the acquired transport speed is faster than a predetermined reference speed, the movement control determination unit sets a timing to start the movement control to a timing earlier than a timing when the acquired transport speed is equal to the predetermined reference speed (see “When the last carriage…” paragraph on page 6 and see “Next, when the movable body …” paragraph on page 8).
Regarding claim 7, JP-6036387-B2 disclose the transport method switching device according to claim 1, further comprising
a transport instruction unit that outputs an instruction to decrease a transport speed of the moving object transported by the transport device (see paragraphs [0002]-[0003] of page 8) or an instruction to stop transport of the moving object by the transport device when movement of the moving object is not detected after the control command is transmitted to the moving object by the command generation unit.
Regarding claim 8, JP-6036387-B2 disclose the transport method switching device according to claim 7, wherein
the transport instruction unit outputs an instruction to restore the decreased transport speed to an original transport speed (see “When the last carriage…” paragraph on page 6 and see “The automatic guided vehicle 5 that has received the start command from the remote control device 6 travels at the transport speed” paragraph on page 8) or to activate the stopped transport device when abnormality countermeasures are completed with respect to the moving object for which movement has not been detected (see “When the remote control device …” paragraph on page 8).
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.
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(s) 9-10 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over JP-6036387-B2 as applied to claims 1-8 above, and further in view of YASUYAMA et al. (EP 4,439,208).
Regarding claim 9, JP-6036387-B2 disclose the transport method switching device according to claim 1. However, JP-6036387-B2 does not disclose a device further comprising a notification unit that provides notification when movement of the moving object is not detected after the control command is transmitted to the moving object by the command generation unit. YASUYAMA et al. disclose a device further comprising a notification unit that provides notification when movement of the moving object is not detected after the control command is transmitted to the moving object by the command generation unit (see paragraph [0053]). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the device disclosed by YASUYAMA et al. by including a device further comprising a notification unit that provides notification when movement of the moving object is not detected after the control command is transmitted to the moving object by the command generation unit, as disclosed by YASUYAMA et al., with a reasonable expectation of success for the purpose of providing an arrival notification for a standby position (see paragraph [0053]).
Regarding claim 10, JP-6036387-B2 disclose the transport method switching device according to claim 1. However, JP-6036387-B2 does not disclose a device further comprising
a position estimation unit that estimates a position of the moving object using moving object information detected by a moving object detector, the moving object information being at least one of an image of the moving object and 3D point cloud data of the moving object, the moving object detector being configured to detect the moving object information,
wherein the command generation unit generates and outputs a control command to move the moving object by the movement control using the estimated position of the moving object.
YASUYAMA et al. disclose a device further comprising
a position estimation unit that estimates a position of the moving object using moving object information detected by a moving object detector, the moving object information being at least one of an image of the moving object and 3D point cloud data of the moving object, the moving object detector being configured to detect the moving object information (see paragraph [0085]),
wherein the command generation unit generates and outputs a control command to move the moving object by the movement control using the estimated position of the moving object (see paragraph [0085]).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the device disclosed by YASUYAMA et al. by including a device further comprising a position estimation unit that estimates a position of the moving object using moving object information detected by a moving object detector, the moving object information being at least one of an image of the moving object and 3D point cloud data of the moving object, the moving object detector being configured to detect the moving object information, wherein the command generation unit generates and outputs a control command to move the moving object by the movement control using the estimated position of the moving object, as disclosed by YASUYAMA et al., with a reasonable expectation of success for the purpose of providing three-dimensional data for representing the vehicle (see paragraph [0085]).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MICHAEL COLLINS whose telephone number is (571)272-8970. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday.
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, 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.
Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
M.K.C.
8/20/2026
/MICHAEL COLLINS/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3655
Prosecution Insights