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 .
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election without traverse of Group I: claims 1-9, 13, 15 in the reply filed on June 23, 2026 is acknowledged. Claims 10-12, 14 are withdrawn.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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) 13 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102a1 as being anticipated by Hosken et al. (U.S. PGPUB 2018/0315874).
Regarding claim 13, Hosken et al. disclose (Fig. 1) an inspection apparatus comprising: a supply unit (102) that supplies a solar cell string; a transfer unit (116) that transfers the solar cell string supplied from the supply unit; and an inspection unit (104) that acquires an electroluminescence image ([0019]) of the solar cell string transferred from the transfer unit.
Claim(s) 1, 2 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102a1 as being anticipated by Richter (U.S. PGPUB 2013/0021051).
Regarding claims 1, 2, Richter discloses (Figs. 3 or 5) an inspection apparatus comprising: a first grip unit (7) on which a solar cell string (1) having a solar cell and a wire (2 or ribbons 6; Fig. 2) is mounted; a second grip unit (8, 9 or 11) that is disposed to face the first grip unit and presses (springs or blades) the solar cell string toward the first grip unit; a power supply unit that is connected to the second grip unit and supplies a current ([0008] “current imposed on the cell”) to the solar cell string; and a detection unit ([0008] camera) that acquires image information on the solar cell string.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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) 15 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Hosken et al. in view of Richter.
Regarding claim 15, Hosken et al. disclose the claimed invention as set forth above. Hosken et al. do not disclose the specifics of the inspection unit as claimed. Richter teaches a solar cell inspection unit as claimed (see above). Thus, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the time of the effective filing of the invention to provide such an inspection unit in the apparatus of Hosken et al. in view of Richter to conventionally and effectively implement EL testing and improve detection of flaws as taught, known and predictable.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 3-9 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
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/THANH LUU/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2878
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