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 .
Response to Amendment
The amendment filed on 06/23/2026 has been entered. Claims 1-10 remains pending.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to the rejection(s) of claim(s) 1 under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) have been fully considered and are persuasive. Therefore, the rejection has been withdrawn. However, upon further consideration, a new ground(s) of rejection is made Moura (US 20210265188) in view of Knut (DE 102004057062).
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.
Claim(s) 1-10 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Moura (US 20210265188) in view of Knut (DE 102004057062).
Claim(s) 1-10 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Moura (US 20210265188).
Regarding claim-1. Moura discloses A transport device (1500, Figures; Abstract, [0072]) for a transport of products (wafers: S), the transport unit comprising:
at least one transport element (1500A, Fig.28) and at least one further transport element (1500B, Fig.28) on which respectively one product (S) can be arranged for transport,
a drive unit (1700, Fig.28) for driving the transport element (1500A) and the further transport element (1500B) relative to a drive surface (track 1550, Fig.28) of the drive unit (1700), and
at least one control unit (199 or 1799 or 1760 or 1750) for an actuation of the drive unit (1700).
But Moura does not explicitly teach wherein the control unit has at least one control routine in which the control unit actuates the drive unit for a movement of the further transport element at least depending on a mass parameter and of a movement parameter of the transport element. Instead teaches wherein the control unit has at least one control routine in which the control unit actuates the drive unit for a movement of the transport element and further transport element ([0133-0134, 0140-0141], [0086, 0094, 0110-0112, 0123, 0127, 0146], Also check [0072, 0082, 0150, 0155-0156, 0165, 0169, 0181, 0188]).
Knut discloses the use of linear direct drives for machine tools (Para 0002) and also, explicitly mention of frame vibrations, wherein linear direct drives arrangement targets a reduction in frame excitement. Both Moura and Knut, the transporting part devices (1500A-B) in Mouro and the carriage 3a of the operative drive/carriage 4a of the compensation drive in Knut are moved in relation to the static part/frame by means of electromagnetic fields. These therefore constitute documents of at least a similar type. The undesired excitations of the frame and/or of the static part of the apparatus arise since, on account of the reaction principle, a corresponding counterforce is exerted on the frame. Such countermeasure is described in detail in Knut (Para 0013 and 0022). In specific terms, this just means that the control routine is configured such that the control unit activates the drive unit for the purpose of moving the further transporting element at least in dependence on a mass parameter and on a movement parameter of the transporting element. This is explicitly disclosed in Knut by the parameters of mass and displacement being mentioned (Para 0013, 0022).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to the skilled person in the art before the effective filing date of clamed invention to provide Moura transferring apparatus with the teaching of Knut which leads to the avoidance of undesired vibrations/excitations in particular in the static part of the transporting apparatus.
Regarding claim-2. Moura as modified discloses wherein the control unit (199 or 1799 or 1760 or 1750) is configured to drive the further transport element (1500B) by means of the drive unit with a drive force (propulsion or electromagnetics forces) that depends on a drive force driving the transport element.
Regarding claim-3. Moura as modified discloses wherein the control unit (199 or 1799 or 1760 or 1750) is configured to drive the transport element (1500A) and the further transport element (1500B) by means of the drive unit (1700) for a movement, wherein a drive force (propulsion or electromagnetics forces) acting on the transport element corresponds, at least in absolute value, at least substantially to a drive force acting on the at least one further transport element (1500B).
Regarding claim-4. Moura as modified discloses wherein the control unit (199 or 1799 or 1760 or 1750) is configured to drive the transport element (1500A) and the further transport element (1500B) by means of the drive unit (1700) for a movement, wherein an acceleration direction of the transport element (1500A) is at least substantially opposed to an acceleration direction of the at least one further transport element (1500B) ([0130-0139], Fig.21).
Regarding claim-5. Moura as modified discloses Further comprising a base unit (frame, Fig.1, [0082]) on which the transport unit is arranged, wherein the control unit drives the further transport element by means of the drive unit, depending on a mass parameter ([0133-0134, 0140-0141]) and a movement parameter of the transport element ([0086, 0094, 0110-0112, 0123, 0127, 0146]), for a movement for the purpose of balancing a force onto the base unit that can be generated by a drive of the transport element (1500) ([0076, 0082, 0133], Fig.20-29).
Regarding claim-6. Moura as modified discloses wherein the transport unit (1500) comprises at least one additional transport element or several additional transport elements (1500’s, Fig.21), wherein the control unit (199 or 1799 or 1760 or 1750) drives all transport elements by means of the drive unit (1700) in such a way that forces that can be generated onto the base unit by a drive of the transport elements balance one another (See Figs).
Regarding claim-7. Moura as modified discloses wherein for a balancing of a force that can be generated onto the base unit by a drive of at least one of the transport elements, the control unit actuates in a prioritized manner non-loaded transport elements by means of the drive unit for a movement ([0076, 0082, 0133], Fig.20-29).
Regarding claim-8. Moura as modified discloses wherein the control routine can be retrofitted ([0117-0188]).
Regarding claim-9. Moura as modified discloses (See claim-1 Rejection) a method for transporting products by means of a transport device, wherein a transport element of the transport device is moved by a drive unit of the transport device relative to a drive surface of the drive unit, wherein with a control routine at least one further transport element of the transport device is moved by the drive unit on the drive surface depending on a mass parameter and on a movement parameter of the transport element.
Regarding claim-10. Moura as modified discloses wherein the transport device is retrofitted with the control routine ([0117-0188]).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MUHAMMAD AWAIS whose telephone number is (571)272-4955. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 7-4 pm (EST).
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/MA/Examiner, Art Unit 3651
/GENE O CRAWFORD/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3651
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