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.
(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.
Claim(s) 1, 2, & 12 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Li et al. (CN 106183671 A, herein after referred to as Li).
Regarding claim 1 Li teaches a multi-layer driving device comprising: a travel driving part (FIG. 1: 121) disposed on a movable main body (FIG. 3: 11, movable in that it can be moved relative to the ground by the travel driving part) to perform a level ground travel (FIG. 1: depicted); a rail driving part (FIG. 3: 272) disposed at a different height relative to the travel driving part (FIG. 1: depicted) to perform a rail travel along a rail disposed on a ground surface (FIG. 1: 5); and a travel switching part enabling the level ground travel or the rail travel by causing the rail driving part to protrude toward the ground surface or retract according to whether the rail is located on a movement path of the movable main body (FIG. 4: 23-26).
Regarding claim 2 Li teaches that the travel driving part includes: a plurality of driving wheels disposed on the movable main body (FIG. 1: 121); a driving motor providing power to rotating shafts of the driving wheels (FIG. 2: 1221); and a driving switching part controlling an advancing direction and a rotation speed of the power provided from the driving motor and transmitting the power to the rotating shafts of the driving wheels (FIG. 5: control module 14).
Regarding claim 12 Li teaches a moving robot for greenhouses (suitable for this purpose) that is equipped with a multi-layer driving device, including: a travel driving part disposed on a movable main body to perform a level ground travel (FIG. 1: 121); a rail driving part disposed at a different height relative to the travel driving part to perform a rail travel (FIG. 4: 272) along a rail disposed on a ground surface (FIG. 1: 5); and a travel switching part enabling the level ground travel or the rail travel by causing the rail driving part to protrude toward the ground surface or retract according to whether the rail is located on a movement path of the movable main body (FIG. 3: 23-26).
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) 3-7 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Li et al. (CN 106183671 A, herein after referred to as Li) in view of Kim (KR 940005534 Y1).
Regarding claim 3 Li does not explicitly teach a swerve driving part connecting the plurality of driving wheels to each other so that the plurality of driving wheels are disposed in the same direction and swerving the plurality of driving wheels in the same direction to adjust an advancing direction of the movable main body.
However, Kim does teach a swerve driving part connecting the plurality of driving wheels to each other so that the plurality of driving wheels are disposed in the same direction and swerving the plurality of driving wheels in the same direction to adjust an advancing direction of the movable main body (FIG. 3b: 2-4 and associated structure). It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have alternatively included the swerve driving part of Kim with the vehicle of Li in order to steer the wheels and thus allow the use of less expensive and complex wheels.
Regarding claim 4 Li as modified above teaches that the swerve driving part includes: a swerve plate disposed on the movable main body (Kim, FIG. 3b: 9); a swerve motor disposed on the swerve plate (Kim, FIG. 3b: 3); and a power transmission part transmitting power provided from the swerve motor to steering shafts of the driving wheels to swerve the plurality of driving wheels in the same direction (Kim, FIG. 3b: 2, 4, & 5).
Regarding claim 5 Li as modified above teaches that the power transmission part includes: a driving pulley installed on a driving shaft of a swerve switching part connected to the swerve motor (Kim, FIG. 3b: 4); a driven pulley installed on a swerve shaft of each of the plurality of driving wheels (Kim, FIG. 3b: 2); and a swerve belt installed to surround the driving pulley and the driven pulley to transmit the power provided from the swerve motor to the plurality of driving wheels (Kim, FIG. 3b: 5).
Regarding claim 6 Li as modified above teaches that the swerve driving part further includes a tension maintaining part maintaining tension of the swerve belt to prevent slippage between the driving pulley or the driven pulley and the swerve belt (Kim, FIG. 3b: 6 & 8).
Regarding claim 7 Li as modified above teaches that the tension maintaining part includes: a protruding pulley disposed in a direction toward an inner side of the movable main body relative to the driven pulley and having the swerve belt wound therearound to press the swerve belt toward the inner side of the movable main body (Kim, FIG. 3b: 6 & 8); and a protruding part protruding from the swerve plate to support the protruding pulley (Kim, FIG. 3b: 10).
Claim(s) 8 & 9 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Li et al. (CN 106183671 A, herein after referred to as Li) in view of JP 4377515 B2 (herein after referred to as ‘515).
Regarding claim 8 Li teaches that the rail driving part includes: a rail plate installed to be able to protrude from the movable main body or retract (FIG. 4: 271); a plurality of rail wheels disposed on the rail plate (FIG. 4: 272); a rail motor providing power to the rail wheels (FIG. 4: 2721; translation page 2 final paragraph); but does not teach a rail belt transmitting the power provided from the rail motor to the plurality of rail wheels.
However, ‘515 does teach a rail belt transmitting the power provided from the rail motor to the plurality of rail wheels (FIG. 11: 200). It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have alternatively moved the motor away from the wheel and connected it with a belt in order fit smaller wheels and simplify replacement of the wheels by not having them mounted on top of the motor.
Regarding claim 9 Li as modified above teaches that the travel switching part includes: a cylinder member disposed on the movable main body (Li, FIG. 4: 24); a rod member installed to be able to protrude from the cylinder member and connected to the rail plate (Li, FIG. 4: 25, connected indirectly); and a switching motor causing the rod member to protrude from the movable main body or retract (Li, FIG. 4: 26).
Claim(s) 10 & 11 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Li et al. (CN 106183671 A, herein after referred to as Li) in view of JP 4377515 B2 (herein after referred to as ‘515) and further in view of JP 2022543369 A (herein after referred to as ‘369).
Regarding claim 10 Li as modified above does not teach a steering driving part switching an arrangement direction of a rail switching part while driving the travel switching part in a forward direction or a reverse direction to, when the movable main body enters the rail, align directions of the rail driving part and the rail to be the same.
However, ‘369 does teach a steering driving part switching an arrangement direction of a rail switching part while driving the travel switching part in a forward direction or a reverse direction to, when the movable main body enters the rail, align directions of the rail driving part and the rail to be the same (FIG. 10A: 220 is able to rotate the rail wheel assemblies, which may be operated at the same time as the rail switching part to meet the claimed limitations). It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have included the steering driving part of ‘369 with the vehicle of Li as modified above in order to make sure that the rail wheels align with the track as they engage and enhance safety and reliability.
Regarding claim 11 Li as modified above teaches that the steering driving part includes: a steering plate supporting the cylinder member and rotatably installed on the movable main body (‘369, FIG. 10A: depicted connecting 220 & 218); and a steering motor (‘369, FIG. 10A: 218) having a driving shaft gear-connected to the steering plate to provide forward or reverse power to the steering plate (‘369, FIG. 10A: part of the connection between 218 & 220).
Claim(s) 13 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Li et al. (CN 106183671 A, herein after referred to as Li) in view of JP 2022543369 A (herein after referred to as ‘369) and further in view of JP 6681295 B2 (herein after referred to as ‘295).
Regarding claim 13 Li teaches a control method of a moving robot for greenhouses that is equipped with a multi-layer driving device, the control method comprising: (a) starting a level ground travel of a movable main body having a travel driving part performing the level ground travel (FIG. 1: 121), a rail driving part performing a rail travel (FIG. 3: 272), a travel switching part controlling driving of the travel driving part or the rail driving part (FIG. 3: 23-26). Li does not teach a steering driving part changing a direction of the rail driving part; (b) in response to the starting of the level ground travel of the movable main body, measuring whether a rail is located on a travel path of the movable main body and determining whether to start a rail travel; (c) in response to the rail being measured as located on the travel path of the movable main body, determining whether arrangement directions of the rail and the rail driving part are different from each other; and (d) in response to the arrangement directions of the rail and the rail driving part being determined as different from each other, transmitting a driving signal to the steering driving part and aligning the arrangement direction of the rail driving part to be the same as the arrangement direction of the rail
However, ‘369 does teach a steering driving part changing a direction of the rail driving part (FIG. 10A: 220). It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have included the steering driving part of ‘369 with the vehicle of Li as modified above in order to make sure that the rail wheels align with the track as they engage and enhance safety and reliability.
Furthermore, ‘295 teaches measuring whether a rail is located on a travel path of the movable main body and determining whether to start a rail travel (FIG. 5: 16, 17, & 18); in response to the rail being measured as located on the travel path of the movable main body, determining whether arrangement directions of the rail and the rail driving part are different from each other (allowed for with the sensors above). It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have alternatively included the sensors and associated structure of ‘295 with the vehicle of Li as modified above in order to enhance safety.
As a result of the above combination, in response to the arrangement directions of the rail and the rail driving part being determined as different from each other, transmitting a driving signal to the steering driving part and aligning the arrangement direction of the rail driving part to be the same as the arrangement direction of the rail.
Conclusion
Prior art made of record and not replied upon is considered pertinent to applicant’s disclosure. The references noted on the attached PTO 892 teach multi-layer driving devices of interest.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MAXWELL L MESHAKA whose telephone number is (571)272-5693. The examiner can normally be reached Mon-Fri 7:30-4:00.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Samuel J Morano IV can be reached on (571) 272-6684. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/MAXWELL L MESHAKA/Examiner, Art Unit 3615
/S. Joseph Morano/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3615
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