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, 4 and 5 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Clarke (US 12,227,218 B1).
Regarding claim 1, Clarke teaches,
A conveyance device (100) capable of conveying or pulling a cart (20/22/24) having multiple wheels at a bottom portion thereof,
the conveyance device comprising:
a main body configured to travel (100);
an engagement member (320) provided in the main body and configured to engage at a predetermined position of the cart (fig. 5A/5B – engagement member engaging below cart);
a camera (450) configured to capture an image of the cart (Col 5 – 35-55 – upper sensor array includes cameras or image sensors to capture image data for tunneling under carts);
a height detection section (450) configured to process the image of the camera to detect a height of the predetermined position of the cart (Col 6 – lines 0-15 – image sensor (425) evaluates structural features, fiducials and other features for tunneling under carts);
and a control section (500) configured to cause the engagement member to engage at the predetermined position of the cart based on the height of the predetermined position of the cart detected by the height detection section. (Col 4 – 40-55 – the control environment (500) directs main drive to slide under cart, lift and transport cart based on feedback image data from sensor arrays (400/450)
Regarding claim 2, Clarke teaches, the conveyance device according to claim 1, further comprising:
a lifting and lowering device (395) configured to lift and lower the engagement member (320) between an initial position lower than the bottom portion of the cart and a position higher than the initial position (Col 4 – lines 45-70 – in lowered position, engagement member is able to slide underneath cart, and raise to a position where cart wheels and based are lifted off of the ground),
wherein the predetermined position is the bottom portion of the cart (col 4 – lines 65-70 – lift table contacts underside of cart),
and the control section controls the main body so that the engagement member enters a lower side of the cart (col 4 – lines 40-55 – control section maneuvers load handler underneath a cart for transport),
and then controls the lifting and lowering device so that the engagement member is lifted to engage at the predetermined position of the cart within a range in which excess or deficiency does not occur in lifting based on the height of the predetermined position of the cart (Col 5 – lines 0-15 - with the cart resting upon the lift table (320). The wheels of the cart will also be lifted off the ground as part of this lifting motion, so that no parts of the cart are contacting the ground).
Regarding claim 4, Clarke teaches, the conveyance device according to claim 1,
wherein the camera is a depth camera (col 5 - 40-55 – Cameras are capable of capturing images and distinguishing depth and capable of depth tracking data collection),
and the height detection section creates a depth image based on an image captured by the camera and detects the height of the predetermined position based on a distance to the cart obtained from the depth image (Col 6 – lines 0-15 – image sensor (425) evaluates structural features, fiducials and other features for tunneling under carts using the depth cameras).
Regarding claim 5, Clarke teaches, A conveyance method comprising:
capturing an image of a cart (fig. 6 – 600) by a camera (Col 13 – lines 0 -15 – step 600 involves using images from sensor array for directing robot transport (100) and detecting cart (900));
processing the image of the camera to detect a height (fig. 6 – 600) of a predetermined position of the cart (Col 13 – lines 0 -15 – step 600 involves using images from sensor array for directing robot transport (100) and detecting cart (900));
engaging an engagement member (fig. 6 – 604) with the predetermined position of the cart (Col 13 – lines 20-35 – robotic automation engine directs lift drive (395) to raise lift table (320));
and conveying or pulling the cart to a destination (fig. 6 – 606) in a state where the engagement member is engaged with the cart (Col 13 – lines 35-50 – step 606 involves transporting lifted cart using robotic transport).
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 3 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Clarke (US 12,227,218 B1) in view of Sonoura (US 2020/0150664 A1).
Regarding claim 3, Clarke fails to teach, the conveyance device according to claim 1,
wherein the cart is provided with a tag member including identification information of the cart or identification information of a package placed on the cart,
the camera captures an image of the cart including the tag member,
and the height detection section detects the height of the predetermined position by recognizing the tag member from the image of the camera.
However, Sonoura teaches,
wherein the cart (90) is provided with a tag member ([0040] – discloses placing a tag with identification information on cart) including identification information of the cart or identification information of a package placed on the cart,
the camera (40) captures an image of the cart including the tag member ([0040] – cart detection device captures cart and tag to identify cart),
and the height detection section detects the height of the predetermined position by recognizing the tag member from the image of the camera ([0041] – tags store cart transport characteristics, including height of a loading part from ground).
Clarke and Sonoura are considered to be analogous to the claimed invention because they
are both in the field of cart transporting robots. Therefore, it would have been obvious for someone of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified Clarke’s carts to include the tag members with identification information taught by Sonoura. Doing so provides a secondary data base to cross reference cart heights with, ensuring accurate measurements and lowers risk of carts being misidentified.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record but not relied upon is considered pertinent to the applicant’s disclosure.
Wurman (US 2014/0100690 A1) – discloses a transport robot with variable height mechanism for transporting articles
Mountz (US 7,402,018 B2) – discloses a transport robot with adjustable height lifting means and mobile drive unit and camera
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/SAUL RODRIGUEZ/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3652
/J.S.M./Examiner, Art Unit 3652
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