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 .
Amendment received 6/11/26 was entered into the record.
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.
Claim(s) 1-13 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by JP 2009-132519 (“JP ‘519”).
Regarding claim 1, JP ‘519 disclosed a medium transaction device, comprising:
a storage part (11) that storages a medium;
a vertically movable stage (12) that is provided in the storage part and on which the medium is stacked;
a conveyance roller (14) that is provided on an upper side of the storage part to separate the medium stacked on the stage and convey the medium to a conveyance gate;
a detector (21) that may detect whether or not the medium remains on the stage;
a tongue piece roller (2) with a tongue piece (2a); and
a control unit that operates the tongue piece roller, the control unit rotating the tongue piece roller from an outside to an inside of the storage part (see the tongue piece roller rotated from Figure 6b to Figure 6c) including when no residual of the medium is detected by the detector (see Figure 6c), so that any medium remaining at the conveyance gate (see Figure 6b) is knocked off by the tongue piece roller.
Regarding claim 2, JP ‘519 disclosed the control unit operates the tongue piece roller, and then causes the detector to detect again whether or not the medium remains in subsequent operation of the device (Figure 4a).
Regarding claim 3, JP ‘519 disclosed the control unit operates the tongue piece roller after or while lowering the stage to a predetermined position (see at least Figures 6b and 6c in which the lowering of the stage causes operation of the tongue roller).
Regarding claim 4, JP ‘519 disclosed the control unit operates the tongue piece roller (Figure 6c), subsequently lifts the stage to a separation position (Figure 6b), and then causes the detector to detect again whether or not the medium remains (see 21 in Figure 6b).
Regarding claim 5, JP ‘519 disclosed the detector detects whether or not the medium remains on the stage on the basis of whether or not detection light is shielded by the medium (see detector 21).
Regarding claim 6, JP ‘519 disclosed as the detector, a plurality of detectors detecting different positions on the stage (see the two portions of detector 21).
Regarding claim 7, JP ‘519 disclosed the tongue piece roller is movable to an exposed position where the tongue piece is exposed to the conveyance gate (Figure 6b) and to a retracted position where the tongue piece is not exposed from the conveyance gate (Figure 6c), and to operate the tongue piece roller, the control unit moves the tongue piece roller to the exposed position (Figure 6b), and then rotates the tongue piece roller (as indicated in Figure 6c).
Regarding claim 8, JP ‘519 disclosed the control unit lowers the stage by a predetermined amount, and then moves the tongue piece roller to the exposed position (see Figures 6b and 6c).
Regarding claim 9, JP ‘519 disclosed the control unit rotates the tongue piece roller moved to the exposed position after or while further lowering the stage to a predetermined position (Figures 6b and 6c as discussed above).
Regarding claim 10, JP ‘519 disclosed the control unit operates the tongue piece roller, moves the tongue piece roller to the retracted position, lifts the stage, and then causes the detector to detect again whether or not the medium remains (see the different stages in at least Figures 6a-6c during subsequent operations).
Regarding claim 11, JP ‘519 disclosed the tongue piece roller is a tongue piece roller with the tongue piece provided partially (Figure 2), and the control unit
stops the tongue piece roller at a retracted angle where the tongue piece is not exposed to the conveyance gate (see Figure 6c) which would allow to separate the medium stacked on the stage by the conveyance roller, and
rotates the tongue piece roller to operate the tongue piece roller (Figure 6c).
Regarding claim 12, JP ‘519 disclosed the control unit operates the tongue piece roller (Figures 6b, 6c), and then performs a predetermined number of times a series of operations for detection by the detector during subsequent feeding.
Regarding claim 13, JP ‘519 disclosed a control method, comprising:
separating a medium (with 14) stacked on a vertically movable stage (12) in a storage part (11) storing the medium, and conveying the medium to a conveyance gate by a conveyance roller provided on an upper side of the storage part (Figure 4);
detecting whether or not the medium remains on the stage using a detector (21); and
rotating a tongue piece roller (2) from an outside (see Figure 6b) to an inside of the storage part (see Figure 6c) including when no residual of the medium is detected by the detector (Figure 6c), so that any medium remaining at the conveyance gate is knocked off by the tongue piece roller (see Figures 6b, 6c).
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to the claim(s) have been considered but are moot because of the new ground of rejection necessitated by the amendment.
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 HOWARD J SANDERS whose telephone number is (571)270-3096. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 8:00-5:00.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Michael McCullough can be reached at (571) 272-7805. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/HOWARD J SANDERS/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3653
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