DETAILED ACTION
The following is an initial Office Action upon examination of the above-identified application on the merits. Claims 1-12 are pending in this application.
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 .
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.
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
Information Disclosure Statement
The examiner has considered the information disclosure statements (IDS) submitted on 21 May 2025 and 9 October 2024.
Drawings
The drawings are objected to as failing to comply with 37 CFR 1.84(p)(5) because they include the following reference character(s) not mentioned in the description: reference number 342 in figure 3; reference number 1014, 1036, 1040 in figure 4; and reference 1414 in figure 7.
The drawings are objected to as failing to comply with 37 CFR 1.84(p)(4) because reference characters “342” in figure 3 and “343” in [0045] have both been used to designate inliner 2 and reference characters “1300” in figure 7 and “1400” in [0064] have both been used to designate plant.
The drawings are objected to as failing to comply with 37 CFR 1.84(p)(4) because reference character “1008” has been used to designate both blow-molding machine and filler (see [0060]) and reference character “106” has been used to designate both labeling machine (see [0025]) and chemical products (see [0066]).
Corrected drawing sheets in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d), or amendment to the specification to add the reference character(s) in the description in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(b) are required in reply to the Office action to avoid abandonment of the application. Any amended replacement drawing sheet should include all of the figures appearing on the immediate prior version of the sheet, even if only one figure is being amended. Each drawing sheet submitted after the filing date of an application must be labeled in the top margin as either “Replacement Sheet” or “New Sheet” pursuant to 37 CFR 1.121(d). If the changes are not accepted by the examiner, the applicant will be notified and informed of any required corrective action in the next Office action. The objection to the drawings will not be held in abeyance.
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.
Claim(s) 1-3 and 6-12 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1)/102(a)(2) as being anticipated by US 2025/0004449 A1 to WESS et al.
As per claim 1, the WESS et al. reference discloses a method for providing operating data of a transport system in a machine line wherein the machine line includes a plurality of machines and at least one transport system, wherein: at least one material flow of the machine line includes the transport system and at least one of the machines, and the transport system includes one or more devices, wherein the method includes: creating one or more functional modules (see [0045], “mechatronic functional modules 1 to 13”), wherein each of the one or more functional modules (“mechatronic functional modules 1 to 13”) fulfills a specific standardized function (“production, processing, and/or intermodular transport”) within the machine line (“production system 100”), and wherein each of the one or more functional modules (“mechatronic functional modules 1 to 13”) functionally represents one or more of the devices (see [0049], “processing machines, processing aggregates, inspection units”) along a material flow (see [0048], “intermodular transport”) within the machine line (“production system 100”); providing, for each of the one or more functional modules (“mechatronic functional modules 1 to 13”), a standardized programmable logic controller (PLC) interface (see [0038], “control device”) for outputting standardized information as the operating data of the functional module (“individually associated current status data of the functional module and/or individually associated historical data of the functional module”), wherein the operating data (“individually associated current status data”) include a status (see [0059], “individually associated current status data 32”), an operating parameter (see [0022], “limit values of machine parameters”), or an error message (“cause-error correlations”) of the functional module (“mechatronic functional modules 1 to 13”); and recording (see [0053], “storage device 21”) or outputting (see [0012], “output unit”), via the PLC interface (“control device”), the standardized information (“individually associated current status data”) of the one or more functional modules (“mechatronic functional modules 1 to 13”).
As per claim 2, the WESS et al. reference discloses the one or more functional modules (“mechatronic functional modules 1 to 13”) are further adapted to be controlled via the PLC interface (see [0062], “control device 22”).
As per claim 3, the WESS et al. reference discloses the one or more devices (“mechatronic functional modules 1 to 13”) include: devices that process packages/packaging components (“processing machines, processing aggregates”); and/or devices that inspect packages/packaging components (“inspection module for inspecting the containers”); and/or devices that control the material flow of packages/packaging components (see [0036], “conveyor belt, linear motor transport system, transport carousel, environmental transport section”).
As per claim 6, the WESS et al. reference discloses the operating data (“individually associated current status data”) of a functional module (“mechatronic functional modules 1 to 13”) are output (see [0012], (“output unit”) to the PLC interface (“control device 22”) by a signal from a device (“processing machines, processing aggregates, inspection units”) in the functional module (“mechatronic functional modules 1 to 13”) or by a signal from one or more sensors (see [0056], “sensors 30”) in the functional module (“mechatronic functional modules 1 to 13”).
As per claim 7, the WESS et al. reference discloses two or more functional modules (see figure 1, “functional modules 3, 4”) are connected to one another and describe the material flow (see [0052], “product flow”) at any time via the particular PLC interface (see [0062], “control device 22”).
As per claim 8, the WESS et al. reference discloses a machine line that is configured to provide operating data of a transport system in the machine line, wherein the machine line includes a variety of machines (see [0049], “processing machines, processing aggregates, inspection units”), at least one transport system (see [0048], “intermodular transport”), one or more functional modules (see [0045], “mechatronic functional modules 1 to 13”), and a standardized programmable logic controller (PLC) interface (see [0038], “control device”) for each of the one or more functional modules (“mechatronic functional modules 1 to 13”); wherein: at least one material flow (see [0048], “intermodular transport”) of the machine line (“production system 100”) includes the transport system and at least one of the machines, and the transport system (see [0036], “conveyor belt, linear motor transport system, transport carousel, environmental transport section”) includes one or more devices (“slaves for receiving containers, with container clamps”); wherein each of the one or more functional modules (“mechatronic functional modules 1 to 13”) fulfills a specific standardized function (see [0045], “production, processing, and/or intermodular transport”) within the machine line (“production system 100”), and wherein each of the one or more functional modules (“mechatronic functional modules 1 to 13”) functionally represents one or more of the devices (see [0049], “processing machines, processing aggregates, inspection units”) along a material flow (see [0048], “intermodular transport”) within the machine line (“production system 100”); wherein the standardized PLC interface (see [0038], “control device”) is for outputting standardized information as the operating data of the functional module (“individually associated current status data of the functional module and/or individually associated historical data of the functional module”), wherein the operating data include a status data (“individually associated current status data”), an operating parameter (see [0022], “limit values of machine parameters”), or an error message (“cause-error correlations”) of the functional module (“mechatronic functional modules 1 to 13”); and wherein the PLC interface (“control device”) is configured to record (see [0053], “storage device 21”) or output (see [0012], (“output unit”) the standardized information (“individually associated current status data”) of the one or more functional modules (“mechatronic functional modules 1 to 13”).
As per claim 9, the WESS et al. reference discloses the one or more functional modules (“mechatronic functional modules 1 to 13”) are controlled by a line management system (“control device”) via the particular PLC interfaces (“control device”).
As per claim 10, the WESS et al. reference discloses at least one sensor (see [0056], “sensors 30”) in a functional module (“functional modules 3, 4”), wherein the operating data (“information relating to data points 27”) of the functional module (“functional modules 3, 4”) are output (“output unit”) to the PLC interface (“control device”) by a signal (“information relating to data points 27”) from the at least one sensor (“sensors 30”).
As per claim 11, the WESS et al. reference discloses the machine line (“production system 100”) is for filling (see [0045], “filling system”) and packaging food and/or beverages (“liquid products 15 … beverages”).
As per claim 12, the WESS et al. reference discloses the one or more devices (“mechatronic functional modules 1 to 13”) include: devices that process packages/packaging components (“processing machines, processing aggregates”) including dating, sealing (see [0035], “sealing module for sealing the filled containers”), wrapping (“labeling module for labeling the containers”), and/or drying (“heating module for heating preforms or containers”); and/or devices that inspect packages/packaging components (“inspection module for inspecting the containers”) including weighing and/or optically inspecting (“inspection module for inspecting the containers”); and/or devices that control the material flow of packages/packaging components (see [0036], “conveyor belt, linear motor transport system, transport carousel, environmental transport section”), including transporting (“conveyor belt, linear motor transport system, transport carousel, environmental transport section”), merging, ejecting, diverting, buffering, supplying, and/or dispensing (“filling module for filling the liquid products into the containers”).
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(s) 4 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over US 2025/0004449 A1 to WESS et al. in view of DE 102021203892 A1 to Schramm et al.
As per claim 4, the WESS et al. does not expressly disclose the further limitations taught by the Schramm et al. reference, namely: a functional module (see page 7 3rd paragraph, “diverter devices 40”) includes a fixed part of a route (“incoming side”) within the machine line (“transport path 31”) with unchangeable material flow (“continue to run on the conveyor path 31”).
Before the invention was filed, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art to modify the conveyor belt, linear motor transport system, transport carousel, or environmental transport section taught by the WESS et al. reference with the diverter device taught by the Schramm et al. reference.
One of ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated to modify the conveyor belt, linear motor transport system, transport carousel, or environmental transport section with the diverter device to form a branched system of transport routes, by means of which the workpieces can be transported to all processing stations.
Claim(s) 5 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over US 2025/0004449 A1 to WESS et al. in view of WO 2015/144762 A1 to GRETSCH et al.
As per claim 5, the WESS et al. does not expressly disclose the further limitations taught by the GRETSCH et al. reference, namely: the standardized information of the one or more functional modules is used to analyze a line function, to calculate transport system key figures and reports (see page 37 9th paragraph, “reporting system”), and/or to visualize the machine line (“feedback from these aggregates 1 1; 12; 13; 14; 16; 17; 18 are displayed”).
Before the invention was filed, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art to modify the production system taught by the WESS et al. reference with the ERP system taught by the GRETSCH et al. reference.
One of ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated to modify the production system with the ERP system to illustrate whether the processing is on schedule or with deviations or provide a reporting system to the company management.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
The following references are cited to further show the state of the art with respect to controlling the flow of products in a production system:
US 12,084,280 B2 to Meurer
US 2024/0328903 A1 to Cui et al.
WO 2023/020754 A1 to WESS et al.
WO 2017/185914 A1 to HAN et al.
EP 4109190 A1 to Rothering
EP 1224690 B1 to ELGER
CN 114901569 A to FU et al.
CN 106863616 A to LI et al.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Crystal J Barnes-Bullock whose telephone number is (571)272-3679. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday 8 am - 5 pm.
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/CRYSTAL J BARNES-BULLOCK/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2117 2 October 2026
