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 .
Application Status
Claims 1-19 are pending and have been examined in this application.
This communication is the first action on the merits.
Claims 1-19 are rejected herein.
Information Disclosure Statement
As of the date of this action, an information disclosure statement (IDS) has been filed on 12/11/2024 and on 03/17/2025 and reviewed by the Examiner.
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.
Claims 12 and 19 are 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 pre-AIA the applicant regards as the invention.
Claim 12 recites the limitation "the rain unit" in line 7. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claim 19 recites the limitation "the first rail unit" in line 7. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claim 19 recites the limitation "the second rail unit" in line 7. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claim 19 recites the limitation "the conveyor" in line 7. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Appropriate correction/explanation is required.
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 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 pre-AIA 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 1-4, 10-12 and 14 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1)/102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Ito (U.S. Pat. Pub. No. 20210155406).
Regarding claim 1, Ito teaches an article transport system provided in a semiconductor fabricating plant, comprising:
a rail unit (3) along which a vehicle moves [0029-0031]; and
a port module (4) including one or more in-ports (41) provided in the rail unit so that an article unloaded from the vehicle is disposed and one or more out-ports (42 & [0041-0043]) provided in the rail unit so that an article loaded to the vehicle is disposed,
wherein the in-port is disposed prior to the out-port based on a direction in which the vehicle travels forward [0031 and 0042 also see Figs. 3, 5A, and 6A-9A for configuration].
Regarding claim 2, Ito teaches the vehicle moves forward rather than backward [0031], and transports the article to at least one of a first transport region (F1) and a second transport region (F2) constituting a region where the article is transported, and
the rail unit is provided as an entry lane forming a path along which the vehicle approaches or enters at least one of the first transport region or the second transport region in the direction in which the vehicle travels forward [0036-0037 and 0052] and an exit lane forming a path along which the vehicle becomes distant or exits from at least one of the first transport region or the second transport region in the direction in which the vehicle travels forward [0035-0037 and 0055 also see Figs. 3-5B for configuration].
Regarding claim 3, Ito teaches an end point of the entry lane forms a starting point of the exit lane so that the entry lane and the exit lane constitute one rail (at the U shape), and
a ‘U’ shape (by 33a-33d and 34a-34d) is formed between the entry lane and the exit lane, such that the entry lane and the exit lane are disposed in parallel with each other.
Regarding claim 4, Ito teaches the in-port (41) is not provided in the exit lane and is provided in the entry lane.
Regarding claim 10, Ito the first transport region (F1) is provided as a first fab [0028],
the second transport region (F2) is provided as a second fab [0028] neighboring to the first fab, and the rail unit includes:
a first rail module (31 or C of F1) provided so that the vehicle moves in the first fab; and
a second rail module (32 or C of F2) provided so that the vehicle moves in the second fab.
Regarding claim 11, Ito the first rail module (31 or C of F1) and the second rail module (32 or C of F2) extend to an interface zone (zone defining U shape) between the first fab and the second fab, and the in-port (41) is disposed prior to the out-port (42) in the interface zone.
Regarding claim 12, Ito teaches the first transport region (F1) is provided as a first substrate processing device processing a substrate [0028] or a first bay of the rail unit in which the first substrate processing device is provided or is not provided and which forms an interlayer movement section,
the second transport region (F2) is provided as a second substrate processing device processing the substrate [0028] and neighboring to the first substrate processing device or a second bay of the rain unit neighboring to the first bay, and
the in-port is disposed prior to the out-port in the first bay or is disposed in prior to the out-port in a first fab where the first bay and the second bay are provided.
Regarding claim 14, Ito teaches the port module includes a conveyor (C) moving the article in the in-port and the out-port.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 15-18 are allowed.
Claims 5-9 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.
Claim 19 would be allowable if rewritten or amended to overcome the rejection(s) under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), 2nd paragraph, set forth in this Office action.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. See attached PTO-892.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MUHAMMAD IJAZ whose telephone number is (571)272-6280. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 11:00 am-10:00 pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Jonathan Liu can be reached at 5712728227. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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MUHAMMAD IJAZ
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 3631
/Muhammad Ijaz/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3631
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