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 .
Election/Restrictions
Claims 4, 6, 9-10 and 12-18 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected species. Election was made without traverse in the reply filed on 5/25/2026.
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.
Claims 1, 7, 19 and 20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Yaginuma (US Pub 2021/0081620).
As of claims 1, 19 and 20, Yaginuma discloses a wireless tag communication apparatus (via wireless tag reader apparatus 1; see fig. 1) for communicating with one or more wireless tags (via tags 21) attached to one or more articles placed in a placement area on a table (via table 5; see paragraph [0013]), the communication apparatus comprising:
multiple antennas (via antennas 6A, 6B; see fig. 2);
a driving device configured to move the multiple antennas such that the antennas draw corresponding parts of a predetermined trajectory (see paragraph [0023], “… the antenna 6A, the antenna 6B, and the conveying mechanism 7 are disposed below the predetermined zone (the zone in which the wireless tag 21 to be read is disposed) 23 above the table 5… The antenna 6A and the antenna 6B … are moved in a predetermined direction (“a” or “b” direction) by the conveying mechanism 7); and
a reading device configured to perform one reading operation to read information from the one or more wireless tags through the multiple antennas while controlling the driving device to move the multiple antennas along the corresponding parts of the predetermined trajectory (see paragraph [0026], “controller 3, after moving the antenna 6A and the antenna 6B on the conveying belt by the conveying mechanism 7 in the arrow “a” direction (forward direction), moves the antenna 6A and the antenna 6B in the arrow “b” direction (return direction). Thus, the antenna 6A and the antenna 6B may read the wireless tag 21 present in the predetermined zone 23 while moving (reciprocating) in two directions with respect to the predetermined zone 23.”).
As of claim 7, Yaginuma discloses that the driving device includes a stage that holds the antennas and a moving mechanism that moves the stage (see paragraph [0024], “…The conveying mechanism 7 has a mechanism for moving the antenna 6A and the antenna 6B below the predetermined zone 23 above the table 5. For example, the conveying mechanism 7 includes a conveying belt for conveying the antenna 6A and the antenna 6B, a motor for driving the conveying belt”).
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.
Claims 2, 3, 5, 8 and 11 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yaginuma (US Pub 2021/0081620) in view of YI (CN-108240731, provided in the IDS. Note: paragraphs are marked in the attached Machine Translation).
As of claim 2, Yaginuma discloses all the limitations of the claimed invention as mentioned in claim 1 above, however it does not explicitly disclose that the driving device moves the antennas along a circumference of a same circle.
Yi discloses an RFID system, comprising a tray main body 1, the tray body 1 is provided with an antenna platform 2 and extension mechanism 3, the tray further comprises perforating the tray main body 1 and antenna platform 2 of the rotating shaft 4 (see fig. 1; also see paragraph [0009] ).
From the teaching of Yi it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was filed to modify the system of Yaginuma to include the function of moving the antennas along a circumference of a circle as taught by Yi in order to ensure reading of the tags.
As of claim 3, Yi the antennas are arranged at equal angles around a center of the circle; and when N, which is an integer greater than or equal to two, indicates a number of the antennas, the driving device moves each of the antennas by 360/N degrees around the center of the circle (In the system of Yi when the antenna 21 are rotated they could be moved by 360 degrees around the center of the circle; see fig. 1) .
As of claim 5, Yi discloses that the antennas are arranged along one straight line; and the driving device moves the antennas such that one of the antennas is moved to a previous position of another one of the antennas (see fig. 1, once the tray is rorated the antennas 21 at the bottom will move to the top, hence moving the position of another of the antennas).
As of claim 8, Yi discloses that the stage is a rectangular plate-like member that is rotatable around a rotation center axis; the antennas include two antennas arranged on the stage at 180-degree intervals around the rotation center axis; and the moving mechanism rotates the stage by 180 degrees around the rotation center axis during the one reading operation (see fig. 1, once the tray is rotated the antennas 21 at the bottom will move to the top, hence moving 180 degrees). Further it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art to utilize 4 or less antennas since that would be an obvious matter of design choice: MPEP 2144.04 VI C Rearrangement of Parts).
As of claim 11, Yi discloses that the moving mechanism includes a holder that holds the stage and a motor that rotates the holder around a rotation center axis (via rotating shaft 4; see paragraph [0009]).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to NABIL H SYED whose telephone number is (571)270-3028. The examiner can normally be reached 8:00-5:00 M-F.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Davetta W Goins can be reached at (571) 272-2957. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/NABIL H SYED/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2689
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