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 .
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, 2, 5, 7, 9, 10 and 13 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Murakami et al., US Patent Application Publication no. 2016/0257498 [Murakami].
Regarding claims 1, 7 and 9, Murakami discloses an overhead transport vehicle, comprising:
a processing circuit including a power control circuit, which, in operation, determines a source of power for the overhead transport vehicle [control portion H includes, for example, a control substrate constituted by a microcomputer, an arithmetic unit or the like, and a power control substrate including a relay for switching the supply state of power to the traveling motor M1, the guide roller solenoid M2, the elevation driving portion M3, and the negative brake N, paragraph 0035];
a backup power source for the overhead transport vehicle, the backup power source includes one or more connectors [The auxiliary unit U is configured by incorporating an auxiliary feeding device (not shown) including a storage battery, a booster, a rectifier, and a breaker with a casing 10. As shown in FIG. 6, an auxiliary feeding cable K is drawn from the casing 10 to the outside, and a plug KP capable of being attached to and detached from the connector portion CN as described above is provided at an end of the auxiliary feeding cable K on the outside of the casing 10, paragraph 0042];
one or more plug-in connectors connected to the one or more connectors [plugs are attached to connectors to couple the auxiliary unit to the ceiling guided vehicle, paragraph 0042];
one or more batteries coupled to the one or more plug-in connectors [The auxiliary unit U is configured by incorporating an auxiliary feeding device (not shown) including a storage battery, a booster, a rectifier, and a breaker with a casing 10. As shown in FIG. 6, an auxiliary feeding cable K is drawn from the casing 10 to the outside, and a plug KP capable of being attached to and detached from the connector portion CN as described above is provided at an end of the auxiliary feeding cable K on the outside of the casing 10, paragraph 0042], and
wherein the power control circuit, in operation, switches the source of power from a main power source for the overhead transport vehicle to the backup power source [The switching relay LR is used to switch the supply path of power to the control portion H between a path for supplying power from the internal power supply line LE1 to the control portion H, and a path (auxiliary path) for supplying power from the auxiliary internal power supply line LE2 to the control portion H, paragraph 0039].
Regarding claims 2 and 10, Murakami further discloses that the power control circuit, in operation, switches the source of power from the main power source to the backup power source when the main power source supplies insufficient power to the overhead transport vehicle [power from the auxiliary unit is supplied to the ceiling guided vehicle upon a power failure of main power feeding rails, paragraphs 0034, 0039 and 0040].
Regarding claims 5 and 13, Murakami further discloses that the main power source, in operation, supplies power through a power rail [power is supplied to the ceiling guided vehicle by feeding rails, paragraph 0034].
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.
Claims 6, 8, 14 and 15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Murakami et al., US Patent Application Publication no. 2016/0257498 [Murakami].
Regarding claims 6 and 14, Murakami does not disclose that the ceiling guided vehicle includes an indicator that indicated the status of the backup power source. Examiner takes official notice that electronic devices before the effective filing date of the claimed invention conventionally included power supply status indicator lights to provide a convenient way to inform users of power supply statuses. Accordingly, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to include conventional power status indicators on the Murakami ceiling guided vehicle in order to provide a convenient way to inform users of the backup power supply status.
Regarding claims 8 and 15, Murakami does not disclose that the backup power source includes a main battery and at least one backup battery. Examiner takes official notice that battery power supplies before the effective filing date of the claimed invention conventionally included main batteries and backup batteries in order to provide fault tolerance in the supply of power. Accordingly, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to include main battery and a backup battery in the Murakami auxiliary unit in order to provide power supply fault tolerance capabilities to the auxiliary unit.
Claims 3, 4, 11 and 12 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Murakami et al., US Patent Application Publication no. 2016/0257498 [Murakami], in view of Miyazaki, US Patent Application Publication no. 2011/0008718.
Regarding claims 3, 4, 11 and 12, Murakami does not specifically disclose monitoring the main power source when the auxiliary unit is supplying power to the ceiling guided vehicle and switching the source of power to the main power source when power from the main power source is sufficient. Like Murakami, Miyazaki discloses a semiconductor fabrication system that includes a backup power supply to power conveyance components when a main power source is interrupted. Specifically, Miyazaki discloses that the backup power source provides power to the conveyance components when the main power source is interrupted or abnormal and the main power source provides power to the conveyance components whenever the main power source is in a normal condition [paragraph 0024]. Monitoring of the main power source would be necessary during supply of backup power to determine when the main power source is normal again. Since it was known in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to monitor a main power source when a backup power source is supplying power to a ceiling guided vehicle and to switch the source of power to the main power source when power from the main power source is sufficient, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to apply the Miyazaki teachings to the Murakami system in order to improve efficiency by switching to the main power source as soon as main power is restored.
Claims 16-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Murakami et al., US Patent Application Publication no. 2016/0257498 [Murakami], in view of Kang et al., US Patent Application Publication no. 2019/0378750 [Kang].
Regarding claim 16, Murakami as described above discloses an semiconductor overhead transport vehicle that includes a backup power source. Murakami does not disclose an emergency entrepot configured to, in operation, store one or more workpieces. Like Murakami, Kang discloses a semiconductor fabrication system that responds to power supply failures. Specifically, Kang discloses an emergency unit that moves a substrate from a heating chamber to a cooling chamber in the event of a power failure to protect the substrate from damage [paragraph 0086]. Since it was known in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention for semiconductor fabrication systems to store workpieces in a cooling unit in the event of a power failure, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to incorporate the Kang teachings into the Murakami system in order to protect substrates when power failures occur [Kang, paragraph 0086].
Regarding claims 17-19, Kang does not disclose where the cooling unit is located. One or ordinary skill in the art would realize that there are only a finite number of options on where to mount a cooling unit in a semiconductor fabrication facility (on a wall, on a floor, or on a ceiling) and that any of the mounting locations would be capable of supporting the cooling unit. Accordingly, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to try mounting the cooling unit to any of a wall, floor or ceiling of the semiconductor fabrication facility.
Regarding claim 20, Murakami further discloses that the overhead transport vehicle is configured to, in operation, transport a front opening unified pods (FOUP) between respective locations [FOUP accommodating semiconductor substrates, paragraph 0026].
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Saeki et al., US Patent no. 7,393,172 discloses including an uninterruptible power supply in a wafer transfer robot to prevent travelling inertia in the event of a power interruption.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to PAUL B YANCHUS III whose telephone number is (571)272-3678. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 9am-5pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Kamini Shah can be reached at (571) 272-2279. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/PAUL B YANCHUS III/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2115 June 25, 2026
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