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 .
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
Specification
Applicant is reminded of the proper language and format for an abstract of the disclosure.
The abstract should be in narrative form and generally limited to a single paragraph on a separate sheet within the range of 50 to 150 words in length. The abstract should describe the disclosure sufficiently to assist readers in deciding whether there is a need for consulting the full patent text for details.
The language should be clear and concise and should not repeat information given in the title. It should avoid using phrases which can be implied, such as, “The disclosure concerns,” “The disclosure defined by this invention,” “The disclosure describes,” “… are provided,” etc. In addition, the form and legal phraseology often used in patent claims, such as “means” and “said,” should be avoided.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claim 14 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Regarding claim 14, the phrase "single-substrate-type processing unit" renders the claim(s) indefinite because the claim(s) include(s) elements not actually disclosed (those encompassed by "type"), thereby rendering the scope of the claim(s) unascertainable. See MPEP § 2173.05(b)(III)(E).
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) 1-7 and 9-15 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Douki (US 2011/0190927) in view of Owaki (US 2011/0015774). Douki discloses:
Claim 1: a hand (A1-A3) capable of transporting a substrate in a horizontal posture,
wherein the hand includes
a base member (FIG. 5-6, 3A),
a plurality of guides
a plurality of sensors configured to individually sense the substrate coming into contact with each of the guides (4A-4D), and
the substrate transport apparatus comprises a determination unit configured to determine an inclination state of the hand with respect to the substrate based on a time difference between timings at which each of the sensors individually senses the substrate (FIG. 8; para. [0061]/[0091]-[0094]; FIG. 12A-12D);
Claim 2: wherein the hand includes
a first guide provided at a distal end portion of the base member among the guides,
a second guide provided at a proximal end portion of the base member among the guides,
a first sensor configured to sense the substrate coming into contact with the first guide among the sensors, and
a second sensor configured to sense the substrate coming into contact with the second guide among the sensors, and
in a case where a direction connecting the proximal end portion of the base member and the distal end portion of the base member is designated as a front-rear direction,
the determination unit is configured to determine an inclination state of the hand in the front-rear direction based on a time difference between a timing at which the first sensor senses the substrate and a timing at which the second sensor senses the substrate (4A-4D; FIG. 8; para. [0061]/[0091]-[0094]; FIG. 12A-12D);
Claim 3: wherein the hand includes,
in a case where a direction connecting a proximal end portion of the base member and a distal end portion of the base member is designated as a front-rear direction, and a direction orthogonal to the front-rear direction in a horizontal plane is designated as a right-left direction,
a first guide provided on one end side in the right-left direction of the distal end portion of the base member among the guides,
a second guide provided on the other end side in the right-left direction of the distal end portion of the base member among the guides,
a first sensor configured to sense the substrate coming into contact with the first guide among the sensors, and
a second sensor configured to sense the substrate coming into contact with the second guide among the sensors, and
the determination unit is configured to determine an inclination state of the hand in the right-left direction based on a time difference between a timing at which the first sensor senses the substrate and a timing at which the second sensor senses the substrate (para. [0086]-[0088]; 30A-30D; 4A-4D; FIG. 8; para. [0061]/[0091]-[0094]; FIG. 12A-12D);
Claim 4: wherein the hand includes
at least one third guide provided at the proximal end portion of the base member and with which the peripheral edge of the substrate comes into contact among the guides, and
a third sensor configured to sense the substrate coming into contact with the third guide among the sensors, and
the determination unit is configured
to determine an inclination state of the hand in the front-rear direction based on a time difference between a timing at which the first sensor senses the substrate and a timing at which the third sensor senses the substrate, and
to determine an inclination state of the hand in the right-left direction based on a time difference between a timing at which the first sensor senses the substrate and a timing at which the second sensor senses the substrate (para. [0086]-[0088]; 30A-30D; 4A-4D; FIG. 8; para. [0061]/[0091]-[0094]; FIG. 12A-12D);
Claim 5: a notification unit configured to notify that an index value indicating the time difference is larger than a predetermined value (para. [0054]-[0055]/[0068])
Claim 6: an elevation mechanism (37; para. [0041]-[0042]; FIG. 8) configured to vertically move the hand; and
an elevation control unit (38/etc.; FIG. 8) configured to control the elevation mechanism,
wherein the elevation control unit is configured to move the hand located at a lower portion of the substrate in a stationary state upward to bring the substrate into contact with the plurality of guides (37; para. [0041]-[0042]; FIG. 8);
Claim 7. The substrate transport apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the determination unit is configured to determine an inclination state of the hand with respect to the substrate based on a time difference between two timings most separated with time among respective timings at which each of the sensors individually senses the substrate (para. [0086]-[0088]; 30A-30D; 4A-4D; FIG. 8; para. [0061]/[0091]-[0094]; FIG. 12A-12D);
Claim 10: wherein the base member includes a plurality of recesses in which each of the sensors is embedded (para. [0047], “the strain gages 4A to 4D is laid in the support arm 3A”);
Claim 11: wherein each of the sensors is configured to sense whether or not the substrate comes into contact with each corresponding guide (para. [0086]-[0088]; 30A-30D; 4A-4D; FIG. 8; para. [0061]/[0091]-[0094]; FIG. 12A-12D);
Claim 12: a carrier placement shelf capable of placing a carrier on which substrates in a horizontal posture are stacked in a vertical direction and stored on the carrier placement shelf (FIG. 1, 20/21),
wherein loading and unloading of the substrate into and from the carrier are performed by the substrate transport apparatus (FIG. 1-4);
Claim 13: wherein the determination unit is configured to determine an inclination state of the carrier with respect to the hand based on a time difference between timings at which each of the sensors individually senses the substrate (4A-4D; FIG. 8; para. [0061]/[0091]-[0094]; FIG. 12A-12D);
Claim 14: a single-substrate-type processing unit configured to process substrates transported by the substrate transport apparatus one by one (FIG. 1-4, 35/etc.);
Claim 15: a substrate transport apparatus having a hand (A1-A3) including a base member (FIG. 5-6, 3A), a plurality of guides
causing the hand to acquire the substrate; and
determining an inclination state of the hand with respect to the substrate based on a time difference between timings at which each of the sensors individually senses the substrate (FIG. 8; para. [0061]/[0091]-[0094]; FIG. 12A-12D).
Douki does not directly show:
Claim 1: a plurality of guides provided on an upper surface of the base member;
Claim 9: wherein each of the guides includes a support portion bringing a lower portion of the substrate into contact with each of the guides, and a wall portion bringing an outer peripheral surface of the substrate into contact with each of the guides.
Owaki shows a similar device having:
Claim 1: a plurality of guides provided on an upper surface of the base member (FIG. 9, guides (not labeled) on upper surface of 8; see modified FIG. 9 below);
Claim 9: wherein each of the guides includes a support portion bringing a lower portion of the substrate into contact with each of the guides, and a wall portion bringing an outer peripheral surface of the substrate into contact wih each of the guides (FIG. 9, guides (not labeled) on upper surface of 8 have side wall portion on which an outer peripheral surface of the substrate is capable of coming into contact; substrates have many different sizes);
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with a reasonable expectation of success for the purpose of performing position adjustment to reduce the likelihood of damaging the transferred substrate (para. [0129]). Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Douki as taught by Owaki and include Owaki’s similar device having:
Claim 1: a plurality of guides provided on an upper surface of the base member;
Claim 9: wherein each of the guides includes a support portion bringing a lower portion of the substrate into contact with each of the guides, and a wall portion bringing an outer peripheral surface of the substrate into contact with each of the guides;
with a reasonable expectation of success for the purpose of performing position adjustment to reduce the likelihood of damaging the transferred substrate.
Claim(s) 8 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Douki in view of Owaki and Doi et al. (US 2022/0333922) (“Doi”). Douki discloses:
Claim 8: wherein each of the sensors is a tactile sensor (strain gauge is a type of tactile sensor).
Douki does not directly show:
Claim 8: wherein each of the sensors is provided between the base member and each of the guides.
Doi shows a similar device having:
Claim 8: wherein each of the sensors is provided between the base member and each of the guides (placing guides 41/44 on base member 35/36 in Doi allows for the relative placement of the tactile sensors relative to the base member in Douki; FIG. 3-4/7);
with a reasonable expectation of success for the purpose of transporting the substrate to an appropriate position of a transport destination (para. [0039]). Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Douki and Owaki as taught by Doi and include Doi’s similar device having:
Claim 8: wherein each of the sensors is provided between the base member and each of the guides;
with a reasonable expectation of success for the purpose of transporting the substrate to an appropriate position of a transport destination.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. US 6401554 discloses distance sensors.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Gerald McClain whose telephone number is (571)272-7803. The examiner can normally be reached Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and at gerald.mcclain@uspto.gov (see MPEP 502.03 (II)).
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Saul Rodriguez can be reached at (571) 272-7097. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
/Gerald McClain/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3652
Prosecution Insights