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 June 10, 2025 is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement has been considered by the examiner.
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 1, 4, 6, 7, 8 and 11 are rejected under 35 U.S.C 103 as being unpatentable over Falcoz et al. Patent Publication No. FR-3101072-A1 (hereinafter Falcoz) in view of Boasshard Patent Application Publication No. EP-4159644-A1 (hereinafter Bosshard).
Regarding claim 1, Falcoz discloses about conveyor system comprising (Falcoz in [0002] discloses, “The invention relates to the field of logistics in which items, such as parcels, are transported by a conveyor system from an entry point): a conveyor configured to convey a plurality of products (Falcoz in [0038] discloses, “the location device can locate several items present on the conveyor, and the computer control device can consequently associate a light signal for each item”); a first camera positioned in association with a first segment of the conveyor (Falcoz in [0031] discloses, “the location method may include a camera. The optical field of this camera can, for example, cover the entire conveyor belt. According to one variant, several cameras can be arranged to cover the entire conveyor”. Having several cameras to cover the conveyer implies to one camera covering certain segment of the conveyer); a first light bar positioned in association with the first segment of the conveyor, the first light bar having a plurality of tracking lights (Falcoz in [0027 – 0030] discloses, “In addition, the light strip allows for easy control of the light, enabling individual control of each light signal and/or the generation of light strips of varying lengths ... With a multi-coloured light strip, the LEDs can be individually switched on or off, allowing for precise tracking of the parcel's position” wherein plurality of light strips of varying length equates to covering certain segments of the conveyer).
Falcoz doesn’t disclose about the following limitation as further recited in the claim.
Bosshard discloses a tracking controller connected between the first camera and the first light bar (Bosshard in [0064] discloses, “The control unit is designed in such a way that by means of the virtual compartments visualized by illumination signals, surplus objects on the conveying element, which are to be removed from the conveying element, can be marked”) and to illuminate one or more tracking lights in the plurality of tracking lights to demonstrate a position of an improperly placed product of the plurality of products (Bosshard in [0027 – 0028] discloses, “indicated by a lighting signal is formed only for the objects to be removed. The objects to be removed by the conveying element are in particular surplus objects which are removed by the operating personnel from the conveying element”).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to integrate the technique of Bosshard into the system of Falcoz because it would eliminate the need for an operator to manually search for improperly placed product.
Summary of Citations (Falcoz)
Paragraph [0002]; “The invention relates to the field of logistics in which items, such as parcels, are transported by a conveyor system from an entry point, for example an item storage store, to an exit point, for example a manual sorting point from which orders are shipped”.
Paragraph [0027 – 0030]; “In addition, the light strip allows for easy control of the light, enabling individual control of each light signal and/or the generation of light strips of varying lengths ... With a multi-coloured light strip, the LEDs can be individually switched on or off, allowing for precise tracking of the parcel's position.
Paragraph [0031]; “Advantageously, the location method may include a camera. The optical field of this camera can, for example, cover the entire conveyor belt. According to one variant, several cameras can be arranged to cover the entire conveyor”.
Paragraph [0038]; “the location device can locate several items present on the conveyor, and the computer control device can consequently associate a light signal for each item”.
Summary of Citations (Bosshard)
Paragraph [0027 – 0028]; “In principle, it is also conceivable that a virtual compartment indicated by a lighting signal is formed only for the objects to be removed. The objects to be removed by the conveying element are in particular surplus objects which are removed by the operating personnel from the conveying element, so that the remaining objects, i.e. remaining objects, are arranged in the following discharge region in the correct phase to available conveying locations of the conveyor system for the purpose of discharging the objects”.
Paragraph [0064]; “The control unit is designed in such a way that by means of the virtual compartments visualized by illumination signals, surplus objects on the conveying element, which are to be removed from the conveying element, can be marked”.
Regarding claim 4, Falcoz in the combination discloses the conveyor system of Claim 1 wherein the light bar comprises a plurality of LEDs aligned in a linear row (Falcoz in [0045] discloses, “Figure 1 represents a conveyor 1 comprising a conveyor belt 2 and a light device in the form of a strip 3 arranged along the conveyor belt 2. This light strip can, for example, include a chain of light-emitting diodes capable of having different colors” wherein strip implies to LED lights aligned in a linear row).
Summary of Citations (Falcoz)
Paragraph [0045]; “Figure 1 represents a conveyor 1 comprising a conveyor belt 2 and a light device in the form of a strip 3 arranged along the conveyor belt 2. This light strip can, for example, include a chain of light-emitting diodes capable of having different colors”.
Regarding claim 6, Falcoz in the combination discloses the conveyor system of Claim 1 wherein the light bar includes the plurality of tracking lights that are changeable in color (Falcoz in [0016] discloses, “a lighting system arranged along the conveyor and connected to a computer control system that can generate signals of varying colors”).
Summary of Citations (Falcoz)
Paragraph [0016]; “a lighting system arranged along the conveyor and connected to a computer control system that can generate signals of varying colors”.
Regarding claim 7, Falcoz in the combination the conveyor system of Claim 6 wherein one or more tracking lights are configured to illuminate in a second color from a remainder of the tracking lights (Falcoz in [0050] discloses, “The tracking system associates a different color for each palette a, b, c, as well as a corresponding light strip A, B, C on the light strip 3. For example, light strips A, B and C have the colours red, blue and green respectively. The operator standing next to the conveyor can thus easily determine which treatment to associate with each package”), wherein the different color corresponds with the position of the improperly placed product (Falcoz in [0050] discloses about different color associated with the tracking system. Additionally, Falcoz in [0056] discloses about tracking piled up items (improperly placed product) which are associated with different light strip which consists of different color, “articles 5a’, 5b’ can be piled up in the same area or overlap, which can make the association of light strips complicated. In such a situation, thanks to real-time camera tracking, the operator simply needs to move the items along the conveyor for the tracking system to again associate a different light strip with each item”).
Summary of Citations (Falcoz)
Paragraph [0050]; “The tracking system associates a different color for each palette a, b, c, as well as a corresponding light strip A, B, C on the light strip 3. For example, light strips A, B and C have the colours red, blue and green respectively. The operator standing next to the conveyor can thus easily determine which treatment to associate with each package”.
Paragraph [0056]; “The difference here with the previous example is that on the free rollers 11, the items can behave erratically, and their movement cannot be associated with the movement of the conveyor. Thus, articles 5a’, 5b’ can be piled up in the same area or overlap, which can make the association of light strips complicated. In such a situation, thanks to real-time camera tracking, the operator simply needs to move the items along the conveyor for the tracking system to again associate a different light strip with each item”.
Regarding claim 8, Falcoz in the combination discloses the conveyor system of Claim 7 wherein one or more tracking lights are configured to illuminate in a third color from the remainder of the tracking lights to correspond with the position of a second improperly placed product (Falcoz in [0050] discloses about three different colors, “light strips A, B and C have the colours red, blue and green respectively”. Additionaly, Falcoz in [0056] discloses about tracking piled up items (improperly placed product) which are associated with different light strip which consists of different color, “articles 5a’, 5b’ can be piled up in the same area or overlap, which can make the association of light strips complicated. In such a situation, thanks to real-time camera tracking, the operator simply needs to move the items along the conveyor for the tracking system to again associate a different light strip with each item”).
Summary of Citations (Falcoz)
Paragraph [0050]; “The tracking system associates a different color for each palette a, b, c, as well as a corresponding light strip A, B, C on the light strip 3. For example, light strips A, B and C have the colours red, blue and green respectively. The operator standing next to the conveyor can thus easily determine which treatment to associate with each package”.
Paragraph [0056]; “The difference here with the previous example is that on the free rollers 11, the items can behave erratically, and their movement cannot be associated with the movement of the conveyor. Thus, articles 5a’, 5b’ can be piled up in the same area or overlap, which can make the association of light strips complicated. In such a situation, thanks to real-time camera tracking, the operator simply needs to move the items along the conveyor for the tracking system to again associate a different light strip with each item”.
Regarding claim 11, Falcoz discloses the method of tracking improperly placed products in a conveyor system (Falcoz in [0056] discloses about tracking piled up items (improperly placed product)), the method comprising: conveying a plurality of products along a conveyor (Falcoz in [0038] discloses, “the location device can locate several items present on the conveyor, and the computer control device can consequently associate a light signal for each item”); positioning a first camera in association with a first segment of the conveyor (Falcoz in [0031] discloses, “the location method may include a camera. The optical field of this camera can, for example, cover the entire conveyor belt. According to one variant, several cameras can be arranged to cover the entire conveyor”. Having several cameras to cover the conveyer implies to one camera covering certain segment of the conveyer); positioning a first light bar in association with the first segment of the conveyor, the first light bar having a plurality of tracking lights (Falcoz in [0027 – 0030] discloses, “In addition, the light strip allows for easy control of the light, enabling individual control of each light signal and/or the generation of light strips of varying lengths ... With a multi-coloured light strip, the LEDs can be individually switched on or off, allowing for precise tracking of the parcel's position” wherein plurality of light strips of varying length equates to covering certain segments of the conveyer); calculating a position of the improperly placed product (Falcoz in [0056] discloses about tracking piled up items (improperly placed product).
Falcoz doesn’t disclose about the following limitation as further recited in the claim.
Bosshard discloses connecting a tracking controller between the first camera and the first light bar (Bosshard in [0064] discloses, “The control unit is designed in such a way that by means of the virtual compartments visualized by illumination signals, surplus objects on the conveying element, which are to be removed from the conveying element, can be marked”); and illuminating one or more tracking lights in the plurality of tracking lights to demonstrate the position of the improperly placed product of the plurality of products (Bosshard in [0027 – 0028] discloses, “indicated by a lighting signal is formed only for the objects to be removed. The objects to be removed by the conveying element are in particular surplus objects which are removed by the operating personnel from the conveying element”).
Summary of Citations (Falcoz)
Paragraph [0056]; “The difference here with the previous example is that on the free rollers 11, the items can behave erratically, and their movement cannot be associated with the movement of the conveyor. Thus, articles 5a’, 5b’ can be piled up in the same area or overlap, which can make the association of light strips complicated. In such a situation, thanks to real-time camera tracking, the operator simply needs to move the items along the conveyor for the tracking system to again associate a different light strip with each item”.
Claims 2, 3, 5, 10 and 12 are rejected under 35 U.S.C 103 as being unpatentable over Falcoz in view of Boasshard and further in view of Volta Patent Application Publication No. WO-2020008122-A1 (hereinafter Volta).
Regarding claim 2, Falcoz in the combination discloses the conveyor system of Claim 1.
Falcoz and Bosshard in the combination doesn’t disclose about the following limitation as further recited in the claim.
Volta discloses a second camera positioned in association with a second segment of the conveyor (Volta in [0038] discloses, “the conveyor is surmounted by cameras 170a to 170d arranged so that their fields of vision 172 overlap in pairs in order to cover, preferably, the entire path of a package on the conveyor”); a second light bar positioned in association with the second segment of the conveyor (Volta in [0058] discloses, “Two strips 120 of light sources can frame the conveyor 100 and be controlled independently by the control system”), the second light bar having a plurality of tracking lights (Volta in [0057] discloses, “then the control system commands the lighting of the 50 diodes corresponding to these 50 pixels, which results in a luminous segment produced by the diodes of approximately 50 cm, this luminous segment moving with the package”), wherein the tracking controller is connected to the second camera and the second light bar (Volta in [0059] discloses, “the control system 160 is functionally connected to the scanner 150, the cameras 160a to 160d, the light source strips 120, the indicator lights 142 and the database 162”).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to integrate the technique of Volta into the system of Falcoz in view of Bosshard because it would allow the system to track the items across multiple section of the conveyer belt.
Summary of Citations (Volta)
Paragraph [0038]; “As illustrated by Figure IB, the conveyor is surmounted by cameras 170a to 170d arranged so that their fields of vision 172 overlap in pairs in order to cover, preferably, the entire path of a package on the conveyor”.
Paragraph [0057]; “then the control system commands the lighting of the 50 diodes corresponding to these 50 pixels, which results in a luminous segment produced by the diodes of approximately 50 cm, this luminous segment moving with the package”.
Paragraph [0058]; “Two strips 120 of light sources can frame the conveyor 100 and be controlled independently by the control system”.
Paragraph [0059]; “Figure 2C illustrates that the control system 160 is functionally connected to the scanner 150, the cameras 160a to 160d, the light source strips 120, the indicator lights 142 and the database 162”.
Regarding claim 3, Volta in the combination discloses the conveyor system of Claim 2 further comprising: a plurality of additional cameras positioned in association with corresponding additional segments of the conveyor (Volta in [0038] discloses, “As illustrated by Figure IB, the conveyor is surmounted by cameras 170a to 170d arranged so that their fields of vision 172 overlap in pairs in order to cover, preferably, the entire path of a package on the conveyor”); a plurality of additional light bars positioned in association with the corresponding additional segments of the conveyor (Volta in [0058] discloses, “Two strips 120 of light sources can frame the conveyor 100 and be controlled independently by the control system”), the plurality of light bars each having a plurality of tracking lights (Volta in [0057] discloses, “then the control system commands the lighting of the 50 diodes corresponding to these 50 pixels, which results in a luminous segment produced by the diodes of approximately 50 cm, this luminous segment moving with the package”), wherein the tracking controller is connected to the additional cameras and the additional light bars (Volta in [0059] discloses, “the control system 160 is functionally connected to the scanner 150, the cameras 160a to 160d, the light source strips 120, the indicator lights 142 and the database 162”).
Summary of Citations (Volta)
Paragraph [0038]; “As illustrated by Figure IB, the conveyor is surmounted by cameras 170a to 170d arranged so that their fields of vision 172 overlap in pairs in order to cover, preferably, the entire path of a package on the conveyor”.
Paragraph [0057]; “then the control system commands the lighting of the 50 diodes corresponding to these 50 pixels, which results in a luminous segment produced by the diodes of approximately 50 cm, this luminous segment moving with the package”.
Paragraph [0058]; “Two strips 120 of light sources can frame the conveyor 100 and be controlled independently by the control system”.
Paragraph [0059]; “Figure 2C illustrates that the control system 160 is functionally connected to the scanner 150, the cameras 160a to 160d, the light source strips 120, the indicator lights 142 and the database 162”.
Regarding claim 5, Falcoz in the combination discloses the conveyor system of Claim 1.
Falcoz and Bosshard in the combination doesn’t disclose about the following limitation as further recited in the claim.
Volta discloses a plurality of additional light bars positioned in association with corresponding additional segments of the conveyor (Volta in [0063] discloses, “the light segments 122y and 122z associated respectively with packages HOy and 11Oz are generated as soon as these packages enter the Sec-2 section under the responsibility of an operator to whom the transfers of these packages are assigned”), the plurality of light bars each having a plurality of tracking lights (Volta in [0058] discloses, “Two strips 120 of light sources can frame the conveyor 100 and be controlled independently by the control system”), wherein the tracking controller is connected to the first camera and the additional light bars (Volta in [0059] discloses, “the control system 160 is functionally connected to the scanner 150, the cameras 160a to 160d, the light source strips 120, the indicator lights 142 and the database 162”).
Summary of Citations (Volta)
Paragraph [0058]; “Two strips 120 of light sources can frame the conveyor 100 and be controlled independently by the control system”.
Paragraph [0059]; “Figure 2C illustrates that the control system 160 is functionally connected to the scanner 150, the cameras 160a to 160d, the light source strips 120, the indicator lights 142 and the database 162”.
Paragraph [0063]; “the light segments 122y and 122z associated respectively with packages HOy and 11Oz are generated as soon as these packages enter the Sec-2 section under the responsibility of an operator to whom the transfers of these packages are assigned”.
Regarding claim 10, Falcoz in the combination discloses the conveyor system of Claim 1, improperly placed product (Falcoz in [0056] discloses about piled up items (improperly placed product)).
Falcoz and Bosshard in the combination doesn’t disclose about the following limitation as further recited in the claim.
Volta discloses the position of the (Volta in [0010] discloses, “the process described above requires operators to read sorting instructions and implement a package unbundling system, and relies on a predictive method for deducing the location of packages”).
Summary of Citations (Falcoz)
Paragraph [0056]; “articles 5a’, 5b’ can be piled up in the same area or overlap, which can make the association of light strips complicated. In such a situation, thanks to real-time camera tracking, the operator simply needs to move the items along the conveyor for the tracking system to again associate a different light strip with each item”.
Summary of Citations (Volta)
Paragraph [0010]; “the process described above requires operators to read sorting instructions and implement a package unbundling system, and relies on a predictive method for deducing the location of packages”.
Regarding claim 12, Bosshard in the combination discloses the method of Claim 11 further comprising: illuminating one or more tracking lights in the plurality of tracking lights to demonstrate the position of the improperly placed product of the plurality of products (Bosshard in [0027 – 0028] discloses, “indicated by a lighting signal is formed only for the objects to be removed. The objects to be removed by the conveying element are in particular surplus objects which are removed by the operating personnel from the conveying element”).
Bosshard doesn’t disclose about the following limitation as further recited in the claim.
Volta discloses positioning a second camera in association with a second segment of the conveyor (Volta in [0038] discloses, “the conveyor is surmounted by cameras 170a to 170d arranged so that their fields of vision 172 overlap in pairs in order to cover, preferably, the entire path of a package on the conveyor”); positioning a second light bar in association with the second segment of the conveyor (Volta in [0058] discloses, “Two strips 120 of light sources can frame the conveyor 100 and be controlled independently by the control system”), the second light bar having a plurality of tracking lights (Volta in [0057] discloses, “then the control system commands the lighting of the 50 diodes corresponding to these 50 pixels, which results in a luminous segment produced by the diodes of approximately 50 cm, this luminous segment moving with the package”); connecting the tracking controller between the first light bar and the second light bar (Volta in [0058] discloses, “Two strips 120 of light sources can frame the conveyor 100 and be controlled independently by the control system”).
Claim 9 is rejected under 35 U.S.C 103 as being unpatentable over Falcoz in view of Bosshard and Volta and further in view of Yang Patent Application Publication No. US-20220405947-A1 (hereinafter Yang).
Regarding claim 9, Falcoz in the combination discloses the conveyor system of Claim 2. determine the predicted position of the improperly placed product Falcoz in [0056] discloses about tracking piled up items (improperly placed product), “articles 5a’, 5b’ can be piled up in the same area or overlap, which can make the association of light strips complicated. In such a situation, thanks to real-time camera tracking, the operator simply needs to move the items along the conveyor for the tracking system to again associate a different light strip with each item”).
Falcoz, Bosshard and Volta in the combination doesn’t disclose about the following limitation as further recited in the claim.
Yang discloses the tracking controller is configured to calculate an average of speeds between the first segment and the second segment (Yang in [0036] discloses, “The average speed s of the target vehicle between points P.sub.1 and P.sub.2 can be calculated”).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to integrate the technique of Yang into the system of Falcoz in view of Bosshard and Volta because it would allow the system could still estimate the product location while the product is travelling through an area that is visible to a camera.
Summary of Citations (Falcoz)
Paragraph [0056]; “The difference here with the previous example is that on the free rollers 11, the items can behave erratically, and their movement cannot be associated with the movement of the conveyor. Thus, articles 5a’, 5b’ can be piled up in the same area or overlap, which can make the association of light strips complicated. In such a situation, thanks to real-time camera tracking, the operator simply needs to move the items along the conveyor for the tracking system to again associate a different light strip with each item”.
Summary of Citations (Yang)
Paragraph [0036]; “The average speed s of the target vehicle between points P.sub.1 and P.sub.2 can be calculated”.
Conclusion
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/ZAID MUHAMMAD SALEH/
Examiner, Art Unit 2668
07/20/2026
/VU LE/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2668
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