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.
Claim(s) 1-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Stamm U.S. Patent No. 6,705,523.
Claims 1, 14, and 20, Stamm teaches a system of mover synchronization Figs. 1-2, comprising: a track-based mover C4 L60-65; a non-track-based mover 130,132; and one or more processors 100,104 coupled with memory C4 L13-35 to: obtain a track coordinate of the track-based mover on a track of 106,108 via 112,114 C4 L53-67; obtain a non-track coordinate of the non-track-based mover 130,132 C5 L18-40; provide a first control signal via 100 to cause the track-based mover to arrive at the track coordinate within a first time range C6 L30-65; provide a second control signal to cause the non-track-based mover 130,132 to arrive at the non-track coordinate within a second time range C6 L30-65; and provide a third control signal to cause the track-based mover to transfer a payload to the non-track-based mover 130,132 with the track-based mover located at the track coordinate and the non-track-based mover located at the non-track coordinate C6 L64-67; C7 L1-15.
Claims 2 and 15, Stamm teaches one or more processors 100,104 coupled with memory C4 L13-35 to: determine a presence of the payload; confirm location of the track-based mover at the track coordinate within the first time range C6 L30-65; confirm location of the non-track-based mover via 104 at the non-track coordinate within the second time range C6 L30-65; determine an orientation of the non-track-based mover; and provide the third control signal, based on the orientation of the non-track-based mover C6 L10-23.
Claims 3 and 16, Stamm teaches one or more sensors 152,154,156: detect the non-track-based mover 130,132, the track-based mover, and the payload; and compare a parameter of the payload with a threshold parameter to determine that the payload satisfies the threshold parameter C8 L5-25; C8 L58-67; C9 L1-25.
Claims 4 and 17, Stamm teaches a conveyor 106,108; the one or more processors 100,104 coupled with memory C4 L13-35 to: cause the conveyor 106,108 to transfer the payload from the non-track-based mover 130,132 to the track-based mover of 106,108 with the track-based mover located at the position of the track corresponding to the track coordinate and the non-track-based mover 130,132 located at the position corresponding to the non-track coordinate C8 L58-67; C9 L1-25.
Claim 5, Stamm teaches the track of 106,108 including a rail-based track (as known to be used in conveyor systems); and the one or more processors 100,104 coupled with memory C4 L13-35 to provide a control signal to cause a segment of the track located at the position of the track corresponding to the track coordinate to move from a first position to a second position to deposit the payload on to the non-track-based mover 130,132 with the track based mover located at a position of the track corresponding to the track coordinate C8 L58-67; C9 L1-25.
Claims 6 and 18, Stamm teaches the one or more processors 100,104 coupled with memory C4 L13-35: provide the first control signal to cause the track-based mover to follow a first path to arrive at a track coordinate within the first time range C6 L30-65; provide the second control signal to cause the non-track-based mover 130,132 to follow a second path to arrive at a non-track coordinate within the second time range C6 L30-65; and provide the third control signal to cause the non-track-based mover 130,132 to transfer a payload to the track-based mover 106,108 with the track-based mover 106,108 located at the track coordinate and the non-track-based mover 130,132 located at the non-track coordinate C8 L5-25; C8 L58-67; C9 L1-25.
Claim 7, Stamm teaches the track-based mover of 106,108 including a first local data processing system via 100,104 to receive the first control signal and to generate a local control signal to navigate the track-based mover 130,132 to a position of the track of 106,108 corresponding to the track coordinate; and the non-track-based mover 130,132 including a second local data processing system 104 to receive the second control signal and to generate a local control signal to navigate the track-based mover to a position corresponding to the non-track coordinate C8 L5-25; C8 L58-67; C9 L1-25.
Claim 8, Stamm teaches a plurality of non-track-based movers 130,132; and a plurality of track-based movers of 106,108.
Claim 9, Stamm teaches the track-based mover of 106,108 is a first track-based mover, comprising: a plurality of track-based movers of 106,108 including the first track-based mover C4 L53-67; and the one or more processors 100,104 coupled with memory C4 L13-35 to provide a control signal to orient the plurality of track-based movers in a convoy formation C8 L5-25; C8 L58-67; C9 L1-25.
Claim 10, Stamm teaches the one or more processors 100,104 coupled with memory C4 L13-35 to: provide the third control signal to cause the track-based mover to transfer the payload to the non-track-based mover 130,132 with the track-based mover maintaining a threshold velocity during a time period of the transfer with the track-based mover located at the track coordinate and the non-track-based mover 130,132 located at the non-track coordinate C8 L5-25; C8 L58-67; C9 L1-25.
Claim 11, Stamm teaches the track-based mover is a first track-based mover, comprising: a first track-based mover C4 L60-65; a second track-based mover C4 L60-65; and the one or more processors 100,104 coupled with memory C4 L13-35 to provide a control signal to orient the first track-based mover and the second track-based mover such that the back end of the first track-based mover is within a threshold distance of the front of the second track-based mover via 112,114 C8 L5-25; C8 L58-67; C9 L1-25.
Claim 12, Stamm teaches the track-based mover C4 L60-65 is a first track-based mover, comprising: a plurality of track-based movers C4 L60-65 including the first track-based mover C4 L60-65; the one or more processors 100,104 coupled to memory to provide a control signal to cause the first track-based mover to adjust its velocity C8 L5-25; C8 L58-67; C9 L1-25.
Claims 13 and 19, Stamm teaches the one or more processors 100,104 coupled to memory C4 L13-35 to provide the third control signal to cause the non-track-based mover 130,132 to transfer the payload to the track-based mover C4 L60-65 with the track-based mover maintaining a threshold velocity during a time period of the transfer with the non-track-based mover located at a position corresponding to the non-track coordinate and the track-based mover located at a position corresponding to the track coordinate C8 L5-25; C8 L58-67; C9 L1-25.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to KAVEL SINGH whose telephone number is (571)272-2362. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Thursday 8am-6pm.
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/KAVEL SINGH/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3651
KS
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