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 .
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 12/13/2024 was considered by the examiner.
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55. A certified copy of application EP24168453.9 was filed on 1/27/2025.
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.
Claim 14 is indefinite because it is unclear what is required by “keep the at least one product in the product zone during the transfer time”. Claim 6 indicates that the transfer time includes picking the product from the infeed conveyor, while claim 14 defines the product zone to be the area between the shuttle outer circumference and the encompassing bounding shape. Because the product is initially resting on the shuttle, it is unclear whether the product must be within the product zone throughout the entire transfer time, only after being lifted from the shuttle, or during some other portion of the transfer time.
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.
The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
Claims 1-10, and 15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Neubauer (US 20230399183 A1) in view of Scherl et al. (US 20220035345 A1).
Regarding claim 1, Neubauer discloses a pick and place system for transferring products, comprising: a manipulator, an infeed conveyor and an outfeed conveyor (para. [0051]; Fig. 2; a manipulator 36, an infeed conveyor 20, and an outfeed conveyor 22),
wherein at least the infeed conveyor or the outfeed conveyor is designed as a planar motor comprising at least one shuttle, which at least one shuttle is moveable in a transfer zone of the pick and place system (para. [0057], [0075]; infeed conveyor 20 can be configured as a planar motor conveyor and can have multiple shuttles),
wherein when the pick and place system is used, at least one product is arranged on the infeed conveyor and the at least one product is conveyed by the infeed conveyor into the transfer zone (para. [0078]; products 12 arranged on conveyor 12 are conveyed into the transfer station 24),
wherein the manipulator is moveable in the area of the transfer zone and the manipulator is provided to pick the at least one product off the infeed conveyor, to move the at least one product to the outfeed conveyor and to place the at least one product onto the outfeed conveyor during a transfer time when the pick and place system is used (para. [0078], [0084]; products 12 are picked from first conveyor 20 and transferred to second conveyor 22 at the transfer station. Transfer station has at least one robot 36, 38, 40),
wherein the outfeed conveyor comprises a planar motor (para. [0075]; the second conveyor 22 can be configured as a planar motor),
wherein: when the pick and place system is used, the at least one product is conveyed on the infeed conveyor into the transfer zone with a given infeed movement trajectory (para. [0054]; products 12 are conveyed by the first conveyor 20 toward the transfer station 24) and the shuttle of the outfeed planar motor is moved in the transfer zone in the region of the at least one product on the infeed conveyor (para. [0078], [0082]; carriers 28 are moved toward the transfer station 24; position of the moving container being extracted or inferred from control data necessarily follows a given infeed movement trajectory), and
wherein the infeed conveyor comprises a planar motor and the shuttle of the infeed planar motor is configured to convey the at least one product into the transfer zone (para. [0057]; infeed conveyor 20 can be configured as a planar motor conveyor and can have multiple shuttles),
wherein; when the pick and place system is used, the at least one product is conveyed by the outfeed conveyor out of the transfer zone with a given out-feed movement trajectory after being placed onto the outfeed conveyor by the manipulator (para. [0078]; products placed on the second/outfeed conveyor will have a trajectory of movement similar to the moving conveyor), and
Neubauer does not teach wherein the outfeed planar motor is configured to synchronize the movement of the shuttle of the outfeed planar motor in the transfer zone to the infeed movement trajectory of the at least one product in the transfer zone at least when the manipulator picks the at least one product off the infeed conveyor, or the infeed planar motor is configured to synchronize the movement of the shuttle of the infeed planar motor in the transfer zone to the outfeed movement trajectory of the at least one product in the transfer zone at least when the manipulator picks the at least one product off the shuttle of the infeed planar motor.
Scherl discloses wherein the outfeed planar motor is configured to synchronize the movement of the shuttle of the outfeed planar motor in the transfer zone to the infeed movement trajectory of the at least one product in the transfer zone at least when the manipulator picks the at least one product off the infeed conveyor (para. [0032], [0151]; The shuttles 18 move synchronously with the containers 12 in the conveying direction of the infeed conveyor 62 during transfer) or the infeed planar motor is configured to synchronize the movement of the shuttle of the infeed planar motor in the transfer zone to the outfeed movement trajectory of the at least one product in the transfer zone at least when the manipulator picks the at least one product off the shuttle of the infeed planar motor (para. [0152]; movement devices 18 can move at a speed that is substantially equal to a conveying speed of the outfeed conveyor 64).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the transfer process of Neubauer and incorporate the teachings in Scherl of configuring the outfeed planar motor to synchronize the movement of the shuttle of the outfeed planar motor in the transfer zone to the infeed movement trajectory of the at least one product in the transfer zone at least when the manipulator picks the at least one product off the infeed conveyor or to configure the infeed planar motor so the movement of the shuttle of the infeed planar motor in the transfer zone is synchronized to the outfeed movement trajectory of the at least one product in the transfer zone at least when the manipulator picks the at least one product off the shuttle of the infeed planar motor to permit continuous transfer without slowing the product, increase throughput and reduce the risk of instability (Scherl: para. [0032]).
Regarding claim 2, Scherl discloses what Neubauer lacks, specifically, wherein the outfeed planar motor is configured to synchronize the movement of the shuttle of the outfeed planar motor in the transfer zone to the infeed movement trajectory of the at least one product in the transfer zone for a given synchronizing time, when the pick and place system is used, before the manipulator picks the at least one product off the infeed conveyor (para. [0143]; the next incoming shuttle can already synchronize with the next container, to take over implies synchronization is achieved before transfer).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the controller Neubauer and incorporate the teachings in Scherl of synchronizing the outfeed planar motor to the movement of the shuttle of the outfeed planar motor in the transfer zone to the infeed movement trajectory of the at least one product in the transfer zone for a given synchronizing time, when the pick and place system is used, before the manipulator picks the at least one product off the infeed conveyor to establish the desired stable motion before transfer, reduce relative displacement during transfer, and facilitate continuous product transfer without breaking the containers (Scherl: para. [0032]).
Regarding claim 3, Scherl discloses what Neubauer lacks, specifically, wherein the infeed planar motor is configured to synchronize the movement of the shuttle of the infeed planar motor in the transfer zone to the outfeed movement trajectory of the at least one product in the transfer zone for a given synchronizing time, when the pick and place system is used, before the manipulator picks the at least one product off the shuttle of the infeed planar motor (para. [0043], [0143], [0152]; movement devices 18 can move at a speed that is substantially equal to a conveying speed of the outfeed conveyor 64. The following movement device “can already synchronize” with the next container implies synchronization is effected before object is transferred. The time from initializing synchronization until pickup is the claimed given synchronizing time).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the controller of Neubauer and incorporate the teachings in Scherl of wherein the infeed planar motor is configured to synchronize the movement of the shuttle of the infeed planar motor in the transfer zone to the outfeed movement trajectory of the at least one product in the transfer zone for a given synchronizing time, when the pick and place system is used, before the manipulator picks the at least one product off the shuttle of the infeed planar motor to establish the desired stable motion before transfer, reduce relative displacement during transfer, and facilitate continuous product transfer without breaking the containers (Scherl: para. [0032]).
Regarding claim 4, Neubauer further discloses the outfeed planar motor is configured to synchronize the movement of the shuttle of the outfeed planar motor in the transfer zone to the movement of the manipulator in the transfer zone at least for a given transfer synchronizing time during the transfer time after the manipulator has picked off the at least one product when the pick and place system is used (para. [0027], [0078], [0082]-[0083]; products are placed on shuttles while the shuttles are moving by tracking shuttle positions by a sensor or camera system. Successful placement on a moving shuttle implies trajectory coordination after pickup).
Regarding claim 5, Neubauer further discloses wherein the pick and place system further comprises a control unit, which is configured to control the movement of the manipulator and/or the movement of the shuttle of the infeed planar motor and/or the movement of the shuttle of the outfeed planar motor in the transfer zone (para. [0027]; [0051]; controller configured to control the first planar motor conveyor 20, second planar motor conveyor 20 and the robots).
Regarding claim 6, Neubauer discloses a method for operating a pick and place system for transferring products with a manipulator between an infeed conveyor and an outfeed conveyor (para. [0051]; Fig. 2; a manipulator 36, an infeed conveyor 20, and an outfeed conveyor 22),
wherein at least one product is arranged on the infeed conveyor and the at least one product is conveyed by the infeed conveyor into a transfer zone of the pick and place system (para. [0053]-[0054]), in which transfer zone during a transfer time the manipulator picks the at least one product off the infeed conveyor, moves the at least one product to the outfeed conveyor and places the at least one product onto the outfeed conveyor (para. [0078], [0084]; products 12 are picked from first conveyor 20 and transferred to second conveyor 22 at the transfer station. Transfer station has at least one robot 36, 38, 40), and
wherein the at least one product is conveyed by the outfeed conveyor out of the transfer zone (para. [0060]-[0061]; second conveyor 22 conveys the containers from the transfer station to a downstream region),
wherein the outfeed conveyor comprises a planar motor and the at least one product is conveyed on the infeed conveyor into the transfer zone with a given infeed movement trajectory (para. [0054], [0075]; the second conveyor 22 can be configures as a planar motor), wherein:
the shuttle of the outfeed planar motor is moved in the transfer zone in the region of the at least one product on the infeed conveyor (para. [0075], [0078]-[0079]; at the transfer station carriers on the second/outfeed conveyor and products on the first conveyor converge), and
or
wherein the infeed conveyor comprises a planar motor and the at least one product is conveyed on the shuttle of the infeed planar motor into the transfer zone (para. [0057]; infeed conveyor 20 can be configured as a planar motor conveyor and can have multiple shuttles) and
the at least one product is conveyed by the outfeed conveyor out of the transfer zone with a given outfeed movement trajectory after being placed onto the outfeed conveyor by the manipulator (para. [0078]; products placed on the second/outfeed conveyor will have a trajectory of movement similar to the moving conveyor),
wherein the movement of the shuttle of the infeed planar motor in the transfer zone is synchronized to the outfeed movement trajectory of the at least one product in the transfer zone at least when the manipulator picks the at least one product off the shuttle of the infeed planar motor.
Neubauer does not teach wherein the movement of the shuttle of the outfeed planar motor in the transfer zone is synchronized to the infeed movement trajectory of the at least one product in the transfer zone at least when the manipulator picks the at least one product off the infeed conveyor, in the first alternative or wherein the movement of the shuttle of the infeed planar motor in the transfer zone is synchronized to the outfeed movement trajectory of the at least one product in the transfer zone at least when the manipulator picks the at least one product off the shuttle of the infeed planar motor in the second alternative.
Scherl discloses wherein the movement of the shuttle of the outfeed planar motor in the transfer zone is synchronized to the infeed movement trajectory of the at least one product in the transfer zone at least when the manipulator picks the at least one product off the infeed conveyor, (para. [0032], [0151]; The shuttles 18 move synchronously with the containers 12 in the conveying direction of the infeed conveyor 62 during transfer) and wherein the movement of the shuttle of the infeed planar motor in the transfer zone is synchronized to the outfeed movement trajectory of the at least one product in the transfer zone at least when the manipulator picks the at least one product off the shuttle of the infeed planar motor (para. [0152]; movement devices 18 can move at a speed that is substantially equal to a conveying speed of the outfeed conveyor 64).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the transfer process of Neubauer and incorporate the teachings in Scherl of configuring the outfeed planar motor to synchronize the movement of the shuttle of the outfeed planar motor in the transfer zone to the infeed movement trajectory of the at least one product in the transfer zone at least when the manipulator picks the at least one product off the infeed conveyor or to configure the movement of the shuttle of the infeed planar motor in the transfer zone so it is synchronized to the outfeed movement trajectory of the at least one product in the transfer zone at least when the manipulator picks the at least one product off the shuttle of the infeed planar motor to permit continuous transfer without slowing the product, increase throughput and reduce the risk of instability (Scherl: para. [0032]).
Regarding claim 7, Neubauer further discloses wherein the movement of the shuttle of the outfeed planar motor in the transfer zone is synchronized to the infeed movement trajectory of the at least one product in the transfer zone for a given synchronizing time before the manipulator picks the at least one product off the infeed conveyor (para. [0143]; the next incoming shuttle is already synchronize with the next container implies synchronization is achieved before transfer).
Regarding claim 8, Scherl discloses what Neubauer lacks, specifically, wherein the movement of the shuttle of the infeed planar motor in the transfer zone is synchronized to the outfeed movement trajectory of the at least one product in the transfer zone for a given synchronizing time before the manipulator picks the at least one product off the shuttle of the infeed planar motor (para. [0143], [0152]; movement devices 18 can move at a speed that is substantially equal to a conveying speed of the outfeed conveyor 64. The following movement device “can already synchronize” with the next container implies synchronization is effected before the object is transferred. The time from initializing synchronization until pickup is the claimed given synchronizing time).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the controller of Neubauer and incorporate the teachings in Scherl of synchronizing the movement of the shuttle of the infeed planar motor in the transfer zone to the outfeed movement trajectory of the at least one product in the transfer zone for a given synchronizing time before the manipulator picks the at least one product off the shuttle of the infeed planar motor to establish the desired stable motion before transfer, reduce relative displacement during transfer, and facilitate continuous product transfer without breaking the containers (Scherl: para. [0032]).
Regarding claim 9, Neubauer further discloses wherein after the manipulator has picked off the at least one product, during the transfer time the movement of the shuttle of the infeed planar motor or the movement of the shuttle of the out-feed planar motor in the transfer zone is synchronized to the movement of the manipulator in the transfer zone at least for a given transfer synchronizing time (para. [0027], [0078], [0082]-[0083]; products are placed on shuttles while the shuttles are moving by tracking shuttle positions by a sensor or camera system. Successful placement on a moving shuttle implies trajectory coordination after pickup).
Regarding claim 10, Neubauer further discloses wherein during the transfer synchronizing time the shuttle of the outfeed planar motor is moved towards the manipulator in the transfer zone, or in that wherein during the transfer synchronizing time the shuttle of the infeed planar motor is moved away from the manipulator in the transfer zone (para. [0078]; Fig. 3; the carriers 28 are buffered upstream of the robot and move in a conveying direction towards and past the robot as the robot positions containers 12 on carriers).
Regarding claim 15, Neubauer further discloses wherein in the transfer zone the movement of the manipulator and/or the movement of the shuttle of the infeed planar motor and/or the movement of the shuttle of the outfeed planar motor is controlled by a control unit of the pick and place system (para. [0027]; [0051]; controller configured to control the first planar motor conveyor 20, second planar motor conveyor 20 and the robots).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 11-14 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.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. KAROLUS (US 2022/0380148 A1) discloses method for operating a transport system in the form of a long-stator linear motor having a plurality of transport units that defines a simple geometric figure defining the collision dimensions (e.g. a rectangle) around the transport unit which surrounds the regions of the shuttle that are relevant to collisions.
Foltz (US 2024/0041058 A1) discloses a food processing system including a plurality of planar motors and movable carriers. The system is programmed to execute processing to synchronize the movement of the carriers with the movement of an outlet conveyor system (in the form of moving shackles) along the unloading area whereby the carrier positions the legs of the poultry carcass so they engage the shackle as the shackle moves away from the carrier.
Nichols et al. (US 2021/0331821) discloses a staging station with a track and a plurality of shuttle members moving along a path defined by the track, a robotic arm configured to pick up the plurality of products from one or more of the plurality of shuttle members and transferred to a conveyor belt.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to TEMESGEN M. MARU whose telephone number is (571)272-0039. The examiner can normally be reached Monday -Friday 8:00AM-5:00PM.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Jacob Scott can be reached at (571)270-3415. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/TEMESGEN M. MARU/ Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3655
/JACOB S. SCOTT/ Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3655
