DETAILED ACTION
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
This Office Action is sent in response to Applicants’ Communication received on September 12, 2024 for application number 18/883,751. This Office hereby acknowledges receipt of the following and placed of record in file: Specification, Drawings, Abstract, Oath/Declaration, and Claims.
Priority
Acknowledgment is made of applicants’ claim for foreign priority under 35 U.S.C. 119(a)-(d). The certified copy has been filed in parent Application No. KR 10-2024-0066622 filed on May 22, 2024.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on September 12, 2024 is noted. The submission is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is considered by the examiner.
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.
(a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claims 1-7, 9, 11 and 14-17 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Nakanishi et al. (WO 2016/181627 A1), hereinafter “Nakanishi”.
Regarding claim 1, Nakanishi discloses a robot (Figs. 1-5 (transport apparatus 1)) comprising: a platform (Fig. 1 (3)) onto which an item (Figs. 2A-5 (rack 13 and load 14)) is loaded; an actuator module (Fig. 1 (Actuators 12 including 4 actuators 12)) connected to the platform (Fig. 1 (3)) and configured to move the platform (Fig. 1 (3)); and a controller (Fig. 1 (5)) configured to derive one or more of information indicative of a weight of the loaded item (Figs. 2A-5 (rack 13 and load 14)), information indicative of a center of gravity of a system including the platform (Fig. 1 (3)) and the loaded item (Figs. 2A-5 (rack 13 and load 14)) in a state in which the item (Figs. 2A-5 (rack 13 and load 14)) is loaded onto the platform (Fig. 1 (3)), or any combination thereof, and derive one or more of information indicative of the weight of the loaded item (Figs. 2A-5 (rack 13 and load 14)), information indicative of a horizontal position of the center of gravity of the system including the platform (Fig. 1 (3)) and the loaded item (Figs. 2A-5 (rack 13 and load 14)), information indicative of a height of the center of gravity of the system, or any combination thereof based on a load applied to a partial region of the actuator module (Fig. 1 (Actuators 12 including 4 actuators 12)); (paragraph 7 (Since the four actuators 12 can individually adjust the length in the Z-axis direction, the length of the actuator 12 is adjusted so that the position of the center of gravity of the rack 13 matches the position of the center of gravity of the apparatus 1 from the measurement result of the weight of the rack 13. Can be controlled. As described above, the apparatus 1 can stabilize the posture of the rack 13 by moving the center of gravity of the rack 13 substantially coincident with the center of gravity of the apparatus 1 using the weight sensor 8, so that the rack 1 can be moved from the apparatus 1 to the rack. 13 and the load 14 on the rack 13 can be prevented from falling”)).
Regarding claim 2, Nakanishi discloses the robot of claim 1, wherein: when the weight of the loaded item is smaller than a threshold allowable weight, the controller (Fig. 1 (5)) controls the actuator module (Fig. 1 (Actuators 12 including 4 actuators 12)) to move the platform in the state in which the item is loaded onto the platform (Fig. 1 (3)); and the controller is configured to derive a vertical height of the center of gravity of the system based on a movement of the platform (Fig. 1 (3)); (paragraphs 16-19).
Regarding claim 3, Nakanishi discloses the robot of claim 2, wherein: the controller (Fig. 1 (5)) is configured to derive a horizontal position of the center of gravity of the system based on a load applied to the actuator module (Fig. 1 (Actuators 12 including 4 actuators 12)); and when the horizontal position of the center of gravity of the system is a first position based on a state in which the platform is placed in a first posture oriented in a horizontal direction and when the horizontal position of the center of gravity of the system is a second position based on a state in which the platform is placed in a second posture rotated by a first angle from the first posture so that the platform is oriented to be inclined by the first angle with respect to the horizontal direction, the controller is configured to derive a first height by comparing the first position and the second position, wherein the first height is the vertical height of the center of gravity of the system (paragraphs 16-19).
Regarding claim 4, Nakanishi discloses the robot of claim 3, wherein: the platform is configured to switch from the first posture to the second posture when rotating in a first rotation direction by the first angle about a rotation center that passes through a first position point, the first position corresponding to the first position on the platform and extending in a width direction of the platform; when the horizontal position of the center of gravity of the system is a third position based on a state in which the platform is placed in a third posture rotated by the first angle in a second rotation direction about the rotation center from the state in which the platform is placed in the first posture, the controller is configured to derive a second height by comparing the first position and the third position, wherein the second rotation is a direction opposite to the first rotation direction and the second height is the vertical height of the system; and the controller compares the first height and the second height and determines that the loaded item is fixed to the platform when a difference value between the first height and the second height is equal to or smaller than a threshold value (paragraphs 15-18).
Regarding claim 5, Nakanishi discloses the robot of claim 3, wherein the actuator module (Fig. 1 (Actuators 12 including 4 actuators 12)) comprises: a motor mounted on the platform; an eccentric arm configured to be changed in posture by the motor and having one end mounted on the motor; and a wheel rotatably connected to the other end of the eccentric arm, wherein the robot is configured to be placed in a ground surface parallel posture in which the platform is placed in the first posture, the eccentric arm is oriented in the horizontal direction, and the other end of the eccentric arm is spaced apart from the platform in a longitudinal direction of the platform; and a ground surface angle posture in which the platform is placed in the second posture, the eccentric arm is oriented in a direction intersecting the horizontal direction, the eccentric arm is oriented to be inclined with respect to the horizontal direction, and the other end of the eccentric arm is spaced apart from the platform in the longitudinal direction of the platform, wherein the first position is the horizontal position of the center of gravity of the system based on the state in which the robot is placed in the ground surface parallel posture, and wherein the second position is the horizontal position of the center of gravity of the system based on the state in which the robot is placed in the ground surface angle posture (paragraphs 16-19).
Regarding claim 6, Nakanishi discloses the robot of claim 5, wherein: the actuator module (Fig. 1 (Actuators 12 including 4 actuators 12)) includes a plurality of actuator modules (Fig.1 (Actuators 12 including 4 actuators 12)); the plurality of actuator modules includes a first actuator module disposed at one longitudinal side of the platform, and a second actuator module disposed at the other longitudinal side of the platform; the first actuator module includes a first-first actuator module disposed at one widthwise side of the platform, and a first-second actuator module disposed at the other widthwise side of the platform; the second actuator module includes a second-first actuator module disposed at one widthwise side of the platform, and a second-second actuator module disposed at the other widthwise side of the platform; heights of the eccentric arms of the first-first actuator module and the first-second actuator module are equal to each other, and heights of the eccentric arms of the second-first actuator module and the second-second actuator module are equal to each other based on the state in which the robot is placed in the ground surface parallel posture or the ground surface angle posture; and when the heights of the eccentric arms of the first-first actuator module and the first-second actuator module are first drive heights and the heights of the eccentric arms of the second-first actuator module and the second-second actuator module are second drive heights, the first drive height and the second drive height are equal to each other when the robot is placed in the ground surface parallel posture, and the first drive height and the second drive height are different from each other when the robot is placed in the ground surface angle posture (paragraphs 14-20).
Regarding claim 7, Nakanishi discloses the robot of claim 6, wherein the controller is configured to derive a weight of the loaded item on the basis of a weight of the platform, a torque applied to the motors of the plurality of actuator modules, and a length of the eccentric arm based on the state in which the robot is placed in the ground surface parallel posture (paragraphs 16-19).
Regarding claim 9, Nakanishi discloses the robot of claim 6, wherein: the controller is configured to derive a first length position based on a length of the platform and a torque applied to the motors of the plurality of actuator modules based on the state in which the robot is placed in the ground surface parallel posture; and the first length position is a longitudinal position on the platform at the center of gravity of the system and is a position spaced apart from one longitudinal end of the platform in the longitudinal direction by a first length distance and spaced apart from the other longitudinal end of the platform in the longitudinal direction by a second length distance (paragraphs 17-21).
Regarding claim 11, Nakanishi discloses the robot of claim 6, wherein: the controller is configured to derive a first width position based on a width of the platform and a torque applied to the motors of the plurality of actuator modules based on the state in which the robot is placed in the ground surface parallel posture; and the first width position is a widthwise position on the platform at the center of gravity of the system and a position spaced apart from one widthwise end of the platform in the width direction by a first width distance and spaced apart from the other widthwise end of the platform in the width direction by a second width distance (paragraphs 16-19).
Regarding claim 14, Nakanishi discloses a method of deriving a center of gravity of a system, the method comprising: a loading step of loading an item (Figs. 2A-5 (rack 13 and load 14)) onto a platform (Fig. 1 (3)); and a gravity center information (Fig. 1 (8)) deriving step of deriving one or more of information indicative of a weight of the loaded item (Figs. 2A-5 (rack 13 and load 14)), information indicative of a center of gravity of a system including the loaded item (Figs. 2A-5 (rack 13 and load 14)) and the platform (Fig. 1 (3)) in a state in which the item (Figs. 2A-5 (rack 13 and load 14)) is loaded onto the platform (Fig. 1 (3)), or any combination thereof, wherein the gravity center information deriving step includes deriving one or more of information indicative of the weight of the loaded item (Figs. 2A-5 (rack 13 and load 14)), information indicative of a horizontal position of the center of gravity of the system including the platform (Fig. 1 (3)) and the loaded item (Figs. 2A-5 (rack 13 and load 14)), information indicative of a height of the center of gravity of the system, or any combination thereof based on a load applied to a partial region of an actuator module configured to move the platform (Fig. 1 (3)); (paragraph 7 (Since the four actuators 12 can individually adjust the length in the Z-axis direction, the length of the actuator 12 is adjusted so that the position of the center of gravity of the rack 13 matches the position of the center of gravity of the apparatus 1 from the measurement result of the weight of the rack 13. Can be controlled. As described above, the apparatus 1 can stabilize the posture of the rack 13 by moving the center of gravity of the rack 13 substantially coincident with the center of gravity of the apparatus 1 using the weight sensor 8, so that the rack 1 can be moved from the apparatus 1 to the rack. 13 and the load 14 on the rack 13 can be prevented from falling)).
Regarding claim 15, Nakanishi discloses the method of claim 14, wherein the gravity center information deriving step comprises: a comparison step of comparing the weight of the loaded item and a threshold allowable weight; and a height deriving step of deriving the height of the center of gravity of the system based on a movement of the platform when the weight of the loaded item is smaller than the threshold allowable weight (paragraphs 16-19).
Regarding claim 16, Nakanishi discloses the method of claim 15, wherein: the gravity center information deriving step further comprises a horizontal position deriving step of deriving a horizontal position of the center of gravity of the system; wherein the horizontal position deriving step includes deriving a first position based on a state in which the platform is placed in a first posture oriented in a horizontal direction, wherein the first position is the horizontal position of the center of gravity of the system; and when the horizontal position of the center of gravity of the system is a second position based on a state in which the platform is placed in a second posture rotated by a first angle from the first posture so that the platform is oriented to be inclined by the first angle with respect to the horizontal direction, the gravity center information deriving step includes a first height deriving step of deriving a first height by comparing the first position and the second position, wherein the first height is a vertical height of the center of gravity of the system (paragraphs 15-20).
Regarding claim 17, Nakanishi discloses the method of claim 16, wherein: the platform is configured to switch from the first posture to the second posture when rotating in a first rotation direction by the first angle about a rotation center that passes through a first position point, the first position point corresponding to the first position on the platform, and extending in a width direction of the platform; when the horizontal position of the center of gravity of the system is a third position based on a state in which the platform is placed in a third posture rotated by the first angle in a second rotation direction, the second rotation direction is a direction opposite to the first rotation direction, about the first position from the state in which the platform is placed in the first posture; and the gravity center information deriving step further comprises a second height deriving step of deriving a second height by comparing the first position and the third position, wherein the second height is the vertical height of the center of gravity of the system with respect to the platform, and a determination step of comparing the first height and the second height and determining that the loaded item is fixed to the platform when a difference value between the first height and the second height is equal to or smaller than a threshold value (paragraphs 16-19).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 8, 10, 12 and 13 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
Conclusion
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/O.M/Examiner, Art Unit 3747
/LINDSAY M LOW/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3747