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 .
Specification
Applicant is reminded of the proper language and format for an abstract of the disclosure.
The abstract should be in narrative form and generally limited to a single paragraph on a separate sheet within the range of 50 to 150 words in length. The abstract should describe the disclosure sufficiently to assist readers in deciding whether there is a need for consulting the full patent text for details.
The language should be clear and concise and should not repeat information given in the title. It should avoid using phrases which can be implied, such as, “The disclosure concerns,” “The disclosure defined by this invention,” “The disclosure describes,” “Provided is,” etc. In addition, the form and legal phraseology often used in patent claims, such as “means” and “said,” should be avoided.
The specification is objected to as failing to provide proper antecedent basis for the claimed subject matter. See 37 CFR 1.75(d)(1) and MPEP § 608.01(o). Correction of the following is required: “controller” is control unit in the original speciation. The claimed controller limitations in all the claims should be replaced by control unit. The term controller is a specific term of art that is not originally disclosed or claimed.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
Claims 29-30 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
In Claims 29-30, the phrases with “even when” (including the further “if” clauses thereto) are unclear since it is not clear if the limitations after “even when” are positively recited.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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 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.
Claim(s) 31 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Kuwana (JP 2007-250563 A).
Claim 31: a single conveyance robot that conveys a substrate (15; W);
a first mounting portion (12) in which a first storage container for storing the substrate can be placed (11);
a second mounting portion (14) in which a second storage container (13) for storing the substrate can be placed;
a single operator-side shutter mechanism that is provided to be capable of blocking both access to the first storage container or the first mounting portion from outside the device and access to the second storage container or the second mounting portion from outside the device (66c/67c together are capable of being operated by a single operator);
a single conveyance robot-side shutter mechanism that is provided to be capable of blocking both access to the first storage container by the conveyance robot and access to the second storage container by the conveyance robot (71 is capable of being operated to open 62/63; para. [0049]/etc.); and
a controller (90) that controls opening and closing operations of each of the operator-side shutter mechanism and the conveyance robot-side shutter mechanism, wherein the controller is configured to close the conveyance robot-side shutter mechanism, when the operator-side shutter mechanism is in an open state, and open the conveyance robot-side shutter mechanism, when the operator-side shutter mechanism is in a closed state (para. [0035]-[0036]).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 14-28 are allowed except for the objection re. the controller.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter: re. Claims 14-28, the prior art does not show “a controller [control unit] that controls opening and closing operations of the first shutter mechanism and the second shutter mechanism, wherein the controller controls the opening and closing operations of the second shutter mechanism based on a detection result of the first sensor” in combination with the other claim limitations.
Claims 29-30 would be allowable if rewritten to overcome the rejection(s) under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), 2nd paragraph, set forth in this Office action and to include all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. JP 11-135594 A discloses sensor 3.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Gerald McClain whose telephone number is (571)272-7803. The examiner can normally be reached Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and at gerald.mcclain@uspto.gov (see MPEP 502.03 (II)).
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Saul Rodriguez can be reached at (571) 272-7097. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/Gerald McClain/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3652
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