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 communication filed 4/15/26.
Response to Amendment
The examiner acknowledges the amendment of claims 1,17-18, the addition of claim 22 and the cancellation of claim 3.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claim(s) 1-2 and 4-22 have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on any reference applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument.
Claim Objections
Claim 22 is objected to under 37 CFR 1.75(c) as being in improper form because a multiple dependent claim 22. See MPEP § 608.01(n). Accordingly, the claim 22 been further treated on the merits.
Claim 22 depends on claim 16 and claim 15.
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) 1-2,5,7-11,13-14,16-19-21 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Nguyen et al. US Patent Application Publication 20080100329 in view of Riester US Patent Application Publication 20230070729.
Regarding claims 1-2, Nguyen et al. teaches a coupling element configured to indicate a process position of at least one radio frequency identification, RFID, tag, the coupling element comprising:
a housing (306) comprising an inside (fig. 3, paragraph 038);
a shield plate forming a top surface of the housing and comprising at least one sensing aperture (Body 302 comprises a cavity 306 for receiving tags, the body has opposite surfaces made of suitable material such as metal, metal provide the shield, paragraph 039); the coupling element configured to generate an electromagnetic field arranged to couple with the at least one RFID tag (antenna 308 provide the electromagnetic field for coupling with the RFID tag, paragraph 042), and
wherein the coupling element is configured to process the at least one RFID tag within the sensing aperture such that the at least one RFID tag is coupled to the coupling element via the electromagnetic field (paragraph 042-043). Nguyen teaches a light module for providing the status of the RFID test and the light is operated based on the timing of the controlled process of testing the RFID tag (the light indicating when the processing of the RFID is complete represent the timing of the processing of the RFID tag, paragraph 047) but is silent on teaching the light is arranged inside of the housing and configured to illuminate the inside of the housing. Riester in an analogous art teaches illuminating a housing, wherein the at least one light is arranged to illuminate the at least one RFID with the sensing aperture (paragraph 048-049).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the invention to modify the system of Nguyen as disclosed by Riester because such modification represents an rearrangement of the lighting module from the test module to the housing and producing the predictable result of providing an indication of the status of the RFID tag and allows the RFID tag under test to be viewed.
Regarding claim 5, Nguyen teaches the light is controlled based on the end signal of the process of the RFID tag by turning on the light to indicate whether the RFID tag pass or fail the testing (paragraph 047).
Regarding claim 7, Nguyen teaches the coupling element is configured to process RFID tag successively fed on the sensing aperture, and wherein the illuminated RFID tags are indicated and/or detectable (conveyor system is used to move the RFID tag, paragraph 051).
Regarding claim 8, Nguyen teaches the coupling element is configured to process successive RFID tags and to illuminate the successive RFID tag in order to indicate whether positions of the successive RFID tags are stable or non-stable in relation to the sensing aperture (RFID tag is held in position by vacuum system ,paragraph 052-053).
Regarding claim 9, Nguyen teaches the coupling element is configured to adjust a speed of movement of an at least one RFID tag to be processed in relation to the sensing aperture, based on an indicated position of the at least one processed RFID tag in relation to the sensing aperture (the motor is operated by control signal to move the RFID tag, paragraph 051).
Regarding claim 10, Nguyen teaches the coupling element is configured to adjust a start time of the process, or a start position of at least one RFID tag to be processed, based on an indicated position of the at least one processed RFID tag in relation to the sensing aperture (the process is started when a web of tag is received at the tag assembly line, fig. 17, paragraph 050).
Regarding claim 11, Nguyen teaches turn on for a predefined time period, responsive to at least responsive to the coupling element receiving an end signal of the process (the light is controlled based on the end signal of the process of the RFID tag by turning on the light to indicate whether the RFID tag pass or fail the testing, paragraph 047).
Regarding claim 13, Nguyen teaches the coupling element is configured to be controlled by a controller (test m0dule 402 control coupling element, paragraph 044).
Regarding claim 14, Nguyen teaches an apparatus for indicating a process position for at least one radio frequency identification, RFID, tag comprising the coupling element (fig. 6, paragraph 048).
the coupling element comprising:
a housing (306) comprising an inside (fig. 3, paragraph 038);
a shield plate forming a top surface of the housing and comprising at least one sensing aperture (metal provide the shield, paragraph 039); the coupling element configured to generate an electromagnetic field arranged to couple with the at least one RFID tag (antenna 308 provide the electromagnetic field for coupling with the RFID tag, paragraph 042), and
wherein the coupling element is configured to process the at least one RFID tag within the sensing aperture such that the at least one RFID tag is coupled to the coupling element via the electromagnetic field (paragraph 042-043). Nguyen teaches a light module for providing the status of the RFID test and the light is operated based on the timing of the controlled process of testing the RFID tag (the light indicating when the processing of the RFID is complete represent the timing of the processing of the RFID tag, paragraph 047) but is silent on teaching the light is arranged inside of the housing and configured to illuminate the inside of the housing. Riester in an analogous art teaches illuminating a housing, wherein the at least one light is arranged to illuminate the at least one RFID with the sensing aperture (paragraph 048-049).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the invention to modify the system of Nguyen as disclosed by Riester because such modification represents an rearrangement of the lighting module from the test module to the housing and producing the predictable result of providing an indication of the status of the RFID tag and allows the RFID tag under test to be viewed.
Regarding claim 16, Nguyen teaches controller integrated to the coupling element, or a controller connected to the coupling element (test m0dule 402 control coupling element, paragraph 044).
Regarding claim 17, Nguyen teaches the controller is configured to indicate and/or detect a position of the at least one or successive RFID tags in relation to the sensing aperture (paragraph 038-040).
Regarding claim 18, Nguyen teaches turn on for a predefined time period, responsive to at least responsive to the coupling element receiving an end signal of the process (the light is controlled based on the end signal of the process of the RFID tag by turning on the light to indicate whether the RFID tag pass or fail the testing, paragraph 047).
Regarding claim 19, Nguyen teaches the coupling element is configured to adjust a speed of movement of an at least one RFID tag to be processed in relation to the sensing aperture, based on an indicated position of the at least one processed RFID tag in relation to the sensing aperture (the motor is operated by control signal to move the RFID tag, paragraph 051).
Regarding claim 20, Nguyen teaches a method for indicating a process position for at least one radio frequency identification, RFID, tag (paragraph 043, 073), the method comprising:
processing at least one RFID tag within a sensing aperture, which is situated on a top surface (RFID tag 100 is on top of apertures 306, fig, 6, paragraph 038-039) of a coupling element (antenna 308 provide the electromagnetic field for coupling with the RFID tag, paragraph 042), such that the at least one RFID tag is coupled to the coupling element via an electromagnetic field (paragraph 042). Nguyen teaches a light module for providing the status of the RFID test and the light is operated based on the timing of the controlled process of testing the RFID tag (the light indicating when the processing of the RFID is complete represent the timing of the processing of the RFID tag, paragraph 047) but is silent on teaching the light is arranged inside of the housing and configured to illuminate the inside of the housing. Riester in an analogous art teaches illuminating a housing, wherein the at least one light is arranged to illuminate the at least one RFID with the sensing aperture (paragraph 048-049).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the invention to modify the system of Nguyen as disclosed by Riester because such modification represents an rearrangement of the lighting module from the test module to the housing and producing the predictable result of providing an indication of the status of the RFID tag and allows the RFID tag under test to be viewed.
Regarding claim 21, Nguyen teaches a non-transitory computer readable medium configured to cause the apparatus to perform a method for indicating a process position for at least one radio frequency identification. RFID tag (paragraph 043, 073), the method comprising:
processing at least one REID tag within a sensing aperture, which is situated on a top surface of a coupling element, such that the at least one RFID tag is coupled to the coupling element via an electromagnetic field (fig.3, paragraph 038-039). Nguyen teaches a light module for providing the status of the RFID test and the light is operated based on the timing of the controlled process of testing the RFID tag (the light indicating when the processing of the RFID is complete represent the timing of the processing of the RFID tag, paragraph 047) but is silent on teaching the light is arranged inside of the housing and configured to illuminate the inside of the housing. Grillberger in an analogous art teaches illuminating a housing in order to provide an indication of the status of a RFID tag (Page 2, paragraph 09, EP 3047458) and teaches the light comprises LED (page 7).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the invention to modify the system of Nguyen as disclosed by Grillberger because such modification represents an rearrangement of the lighting module from the test module to the housing and producing the predictable result of providing an indication of the status of the RFID tag.
Grillberger in an analogous art teaches illuminating a housing in order to provide an indication of the status of a RFID tag (Page 2, paragraph 09, EP 3047458) and teaches the light comprises LED (page 7).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the invention to modify the system of Nguyen as disclosed by Grillberger because such modification represents an rearrangement of the lighting module from the test module to the housing and producing the predictable result of providing an indication of the status of the RFID tag.
Claim(s) 4 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Nguyen et al. US Patent Application Publication 20080100329 in view of Riester US Patent Application Publication 20230070729 and further in view of Ford US Patent Application Publication 20180216808.
Regarding claim 4, Nguyen in view of Riester teaches illuminating a housing in order to provide an indication of the status of a RFID tag (Page 2, paragraph 09, EP 3047458) but is silent on teaching light emitted from the at least one light is configured to reflect from the interior of the housing. Ford in an analogous art teaches light emitted from the at least one light is configured to reflect from the interior of the housing (paragraph 016).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to modify the system of Nguyen in view of Riester as disclosed by Ford because such modification represent an improvement over the system of Nguyen in view of Riester in order to allow more lighting to be emitted via the upper surface of the housing.
Claim 6 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Nguyen et al. US Patent Application Publication 20080100329 in view of Riester US Patent Application Publication 20230070729 and further in view of Forster US Patent Application Publication 20130122803.
Regarding claim 6, Nguyen is silent on teaching the at least one light comprises colored lights configured to indicate status of RFID tags responsive to different measurement and/or process results. Forster in an analogous art teaches the use of colored light for indicating the different status of the RFID tag (paragraph 089).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the invention to modify the system of Nguyen in view of Riester as disclosed by Forster because such modification represent an improvement over the system of Nguyen in view of Riester in order to provide a distinct indication of the status of the RFID tag that is easily perceivable by the user.
Claim 12 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Nguyen et al. US Patent Application Publication 20080100329 in view of Riester US Patent Application Publication 20230070729 and further in view of Eshleman et al. US Patent Application Publication 2014/0102742.
Regarding claim 12, Nguyen sis silent on teaching the at least one light is controlled by adjusting a duration of illumination in relation to a speed of movement of the at least one RFID tag. Eshleman et al. in an analogous art teaches controlling the duration of the illumination based on the speed of operation of an apparatus (paragraph 072).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the invention to modify the system of Nguyen in view of Riester as disclosed by Eshleman et al. because such modification represents an improvement over the system of Nguyen in view of Riester by providing a visual indication of the speed of operation of the apparatus.
Claim 15 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Nguyen et al. US Patent Application Publication 20080100329 in view of Riester US Patent Application Publication 20230070729 and further in view of Kawamata US Patent Application Publication 20060220858.
Regarding claim 15, Nguyen is silent on teaching a camera configured to capture image data comprising at least one or successive illuminated RFID tags within the sensing aperture. Kawamata in an analogous art teaches a camera configured to capture image data of the RFID tag under test (paragraph 039-040).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the invention to modify the system of Nguyen in view of Riester as disclosed by Kawamata because such modification represent an improvement over the system of Nguyen in view of Riester by further identifying defect in the RFID tag based on defect shown by the captured image.
Conclusion
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to VERNAL U BROWN whose telephone number is (571)272-3060. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday, 8AM-5PM, EST.
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/VERNAL U BROWN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2686
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