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 .
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) 1, 4, 12, 15, 23, and 26 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Fukushima JP 2009035407A.
Claim 1, Fukushima teaches an object processing system Fig. 1 Abstract comprising: a carrier 6 for receiving an object W on a receiving surface of 6 thereof, said receiving surface of 6 being adapted to move the object W thereon in at least one transfer direction of 7, a horizontal translation system 3,14 Fig. 2 for moving the carrier 6 in a horizontal direction of 3 that is generally orthogonal to the transfer direction of 7, a vertical translation system 4 for moving the carrier 6 in a vertical direction P0014, and a payload stability system A2 including a plurality of emitters that each emit a detectable field over a portion of the receiving surface, and a plurality of receivers for receiving the detectable field from each of the plurality of emitters and providing a plurality of detection signals of A1-A3, said payload stability system A2 providing payload stability information responsive to the plurality of detection signals of A1-A3 P0021.
Claims 4, 15, and 26, Fukushima teaches the carrier 6 is fed from an infeed conveyor at P P0037.
Claim 12, Fukushima teaches a carrier 6 for use in an object processing system Fig. 1, said carrier 6 comprising: a receiving surface of 6 for receiving an object W thereon, said receiving surface of 6 being adapted to move via 7 the object W thereon in at least one transfer direction of 7, a mounting 14 adapted to be engaged by each of a horizontal translation system 3 for moving the carrier 6 in a horizontal direction and a vertical translation system 4 for moving the carrier 6 in a vertical direction P0014, and a payload stability system A2 including a plurality of emitters A1 to A3 that each emit a detectable field over a portion of the receiving surface, and a plurality of receivers for receiving the detectable field from each of the plurality of emitters and providing a plurality of detection signals, said payload stability system providing payload stability information responsive to the plurality of detection signals of A1 to A3 P0021.
Claim 23, Fukushima teaches a method of processing objects W Abstract comprising: receiving an object W on a receiving surface of a carrier 6, said receiving surface of 6 being adapted to move the object W thereon in at least one transfer direction via 7, moving the carrier 6 in a horizontal direction at 3 that is generally orthogonal to the transfer direction via 7, moving the carrier 6 in a vertical direction via 4 P0014, emitting a plurality of detectable fields from a plurality of emitters that emit each of the plurality of detectable fields over a portion of the receiving surface of 6; receiving the plurality of detectable fields from the plurality of emitters at a plurality of receivers; and providing payload stability information responsive to the plurality of detection signals via A1 to A3 P0021.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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 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) 2-3, 13-14, and 24-25 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Fukushima JP 2009035407A in view of Wagner U.S. Patent No. 11,055,504.
Claims 2, 13, and 24, Fukushima does not teach as Wagner teaches the receiving surface 70 includes a cleated conveyor for facilitating transfer of the object 34 off of the carrier in the transfer direction C8 L30-45. It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art to combine the transport disclosed in Fukushima with the conveyor configuration taught in Wagner with a reasonable expectation of success because
Claims 3, 14 and 25, Fukushima does not teach as Wagner teaches the transfer direction of 12 is one of two mutually opposing directions in which the object 34 may be transferred by the cleated conveyor 70 Fig. 9 C8 L30-45. It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art to combine the transport disclosed in Fukushima with the conveyor configuration taught in Wagner with a reasonable expectation of success because
Claim(s) 5-11, 16-22, and 27-33 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Fukushima JP 2009035407A in view of Taguchi JP U.S. Patent No. 2003104513A.
Claims 5, 16, and 27, Fukushima does not teach as Taguchi teaches the payload stability information via 79 includes information regarding whether a non-centered object F thereon is rolling on the carrier 6 Fig. 9 P0081. It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art to combine the transport disclosed in Fukushima with the switch configuration taught in Wagner with a reasonable expectation of success because
Claims 6, 17, and 28, Fukushima does not teach as Taguchi teaches the payload stability information via 79 includes information regarding whether a non-centered object F thereon is bouncing on the carrier 6 Fig. 9 P0081. It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art to combine the transport disclosed in Fukushima with the switch configuration taught in Wagner with a reasonable expectation of success because
Claims 7, 18, and 29, Fukushima does not teach as Taguchi teaches the payload stability information via 79 includes information regarding whether a non-centered object F thereon is too close to either side of the carrier 6 Fig. 9 P0081. It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art to combine the transport disclosed in Fukushima with the switch configuration taught in Wagner with a reasonable expectation of success because
Claims 8, 19, and 30, Fukushima does not teach as Taguchi teaches the receiving surface of the carrier 6 is adapted to move responsive to the payload stability information via 79 when the non-centered object F is too close to a side of the receiving surface to bring the non-centered object toward a center of the carrier 6 P0080. It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art to combine the transport disclosed in Fukushima with the switch configuration taught in Wagner with a reasonable expectation of success because
Claims 9, 20, and 31, Fukushima does not teach as Taguchi teaches the payload stability information via 79 includes information regarding whether a non-centered object F thereon is too close to either end of the carrier 6P0080. It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art to combine the transport disclosed in Fukushima with the switch configuration taught in Wagner with a reasonable expectation of success because
Claims 10, 21, and 32, Fukushima does not teach as Taguchi teaches the horizontal translation system 71 is adapted to engage the carrier 6 responsive to the payload stability information via 79 when the non-centered object F is too close to an end of the receiving surface to bring the non-centered object F toward a center of the carrier 6. P0080. It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art to combine the transport disclosed in Fukushima with the switch configuration taught in Wagner with a reasonable expectation of success because
Claims 11, 22, and 33, Fukushima does not teach as Taguchi teaches both of the horizontal translation system 71 and the vertical translation system 7 are adapted to engage the carrier 6 responsive to the payload stability information via 79 when the non-centered object F is too close to an end of the receiving surface to bring the non-centered object F toward a center of the carrier 5 P0080. It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art to combine the transport disclosed in Fukushima with the switch configuration taught in Wagner with a reasonable expectation of success because
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to KAVEL SINGH whose telephone number is (571)272-2362. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Thursday 8am-6pm.
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/KAVEL SINGH/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3651
KS