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 Objections
Claim 19 is objected to because of the following informalities: As best understood, claim 19 is a duplicate of claim 18 and both depend from claim 7. Therefore, claim 19 should be amended or canceled. Appropriate correction is required.
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.
Claims 1-2, 4, 6-10, 12, 14, 15 and 17 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Onodera et al. US 2007/0278736 A1 (hereinafter “Onodera”, cited in an IDS).
Regarding claim 1, Onodera discloses a method, comprising:
sensing (by discrimination unit 30, refer to [0053]) a plurality of sheets passing through a transport path (refer to FIG. 1);
determining a size (“length in the bill delivery direction”, refer to [0053] and [0076]) for each of the plurality of sheets;
operating an actuator (82, refer to FIG. 5) to move a stop element (80B) to an extended position (most downward position of 80B in FIG. 5) upon determining that a first sheet of the plurality of sheets is a first size (“short longitudinal dimension”), wherein in the extended position the first sheet contacts the stop element to align a first edge of the first of the plurality of sheets upon adding the sheet of the first size to a stack of sheets;
operating the actuator to maintain the stop element in a retracted position upon determining that a second sheet of the plurality of sheets is a second size (“long longitudinal dimension”), allowing the sheet to contact a rail (80A) to add the sheet of the second size to the stack of sheets; and
wherein the second sheet is larger than the first sheet and the actuator is operable to align the first edge of the first sheet with a first edge of the second sheet ([0076]).
Regarding claim 2, Onodera further discloses comprising operating the actuator to move the stop element from the extended position to the retracted position after the first of the plurality of sheets upon the first of the plurality of sheets is placed at a top of a stack of sheets (refer to FIG. 5 and [0076], as member 80B would retract in the event a smaller sheet is stacked and an incoming larger sheet is being conveyed to the stack).
Regarding claim 4, Onodera discloses wherein the actuator is a solenoid (82 is rotary solenoid, [0070]).
Regarding claim 6, Onodera discloses wherein the plurality of sheets are currency notes (bills).
Regarding claim 7, Onodera discloses an apparatus, comprising:
a cassette (housing storing bills in Fig. 5) that comprises:
a stacking area (32) coupled with a transport path,
a rail (80A) adjacent to the stacking area,
a stop element (80B), and
an actuator (82) coupled with the stop element;
a sensor (30) operable to detect sheets in the transport path;
control logic (63) coupled with the sensor and the actuator;
the control logic is operable to determine sizes of sheets passing through the transport path to the cassette based on data obtained from the sensor;
the control logic is operable to cause an actuator to move the stop element to an extended second position upon determining a first sheet is a first size, wherein with the stop element in the extended position the sheet of a first size contacts the stop element to add the sheet of the first size to a stack ([0076]);
the control logic is operable to allow a second sheet of a second size to pass to the rail to add the sheet of a second size to the stack ([0077]); and
wherein the stop element causes a first edge (rightmost edge of sheet in FIG. 5) of the first sheet to align with a first edge (rightmost edge of sheet in FIG. 5) of the second sheet.
Regarding claim 8, wherein the control logic is further operable to cause the actuator to move the stop element from the extended position to the retracted position after the sheet of the first size has been placed at the top of the stack of sheets (refer to FIG. 5 and [0076], as member 80B would retract in the event a smaller sheet is stacked and an incoming larger sheet is being conveyed to the stack).
Regarding claims 9 and 14, Onodera discloses wherein the actuator is a solenoid (82 is rotary solenoid, [0070]).
Regarding claims 10 and 15, wherein the first size is less than the second size ([0076]).
Regarding claim 12, wherein the sheets are currency notes (bills).
Regarding claim 17, wherein the transport path is within (path ends within cassette) the cassette.
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 3 and 13 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Onodera in view of Arikawa et al. US 5,927,936 (hereinafter “Arikawa”, cited in the IDS).
Regarding claims 3 and 13, Onodera teaches the claimed invention except wherein the actuator is a linear actuator.
Arikawa teaches use of a linear solenoid (96) to move a rotatable linkage and member to different positions.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to substitute Onodera’s rotary solenoid with the linear solenoid and rotatable linkage of Arikawa in order to provide a known alternative drive means that achieves the predictable result of moving the stop element to two different positions.
Claims 5, 11, 16, and 20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Onodera in view of Tokunaga US 2013/0233875 (hereinafter “Tokunaga”).
Regarding claims 5, 11 and 16, Onodera does not explicitly teach wherein the sensor is an optical sensor.
Tokunaga teaches determination sensors (28, 29) that may comprise optical sensors (light blocking sensor, reflection-type optical sensor, transmission-type optical sensor) for various functions include measuring size of a bill ([0021]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to substitute Onodera’s sensor with the optical sensor of Tokunaga in order to achieve the predictable result of determining the size of the sheet.
Regarding claim 20, Onodera teaches obtain data (by 30) representative of sheets passing through a transport path (path shown in FIG. 1) to a cassette (shown in FIG. 5);
determine sizes of the sheets (by 30 and 63);
operate a solenoid (82) to move a stop element from a first position to a second position upon determining that a first sheet is a first size, wherein the stop element in the second position causes the sheet of the first size to be added to a stack at a first position ([0076]);
operate the solenoid to move the stop element from the second position to the first position upon the sheet of the first size being added to the stack; and operate the solenoid to maintain the stop element at the first position upon determining that the sheet is a second size, wherein the second size is larger than the first size ([0077]).
Onodera teaches the claimed invention but does not explicitly teach
obtain data (by 30) representative of sheets passing through a transport path (path shown in FIG. 1) to a cassette (shown in FIG. 5) from an optical sensor, and
a non-transitory computer readable medium as claimed.
Tokunaga teaches determination sensors (28, 29) that may comprise optical sensors (light blocking sensor, reflection-type optical sensor, transmission-type optical sensor) for various functions include measuring size of a bill ([0021]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to substitute Onodera’s sensor with the optical sensor of Tokunaga in order to achieve the predictable result of determining the size of the sheet.
The examiner takes official notice it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to use a non-transitory computer readable medium that is programmed as an alternative option to cause a controller (processor) to perform any number of the functions described in the claim.
Claims 18 and 19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Onodera in view of Park et al. US 2025/0042688 A1 (hereinafter “Park”).
Regarding claims 18 and 19, Onodera does not explicitly teach wherein a timing of when the actuator is deployed is based on the first size of the first sheet to cause the first edge of the first sheet to be aligned with the first edge of the second sheet.
Park teaches time to deploy a stopper (150) is based on length of the sheet to optimize sheet stacking performance.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to modify Onodera’s apparatus with controlling timing of when actuator is deployed based on size of the sheet as taught by Park in order to optimize sheet stacking performance (reduce or prevent misalignment issues common to a constant time).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Iseno US 2024/0391724 A1 teaches in paragraph [0103] to use non-transitory computer-readable storage medium.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to LUIS A GONZALEZ whose telephone number is (571)270-3094. The examiner can normally be reached 9am-5:30pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Michael McCullough can be reached at 571-272-7805. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/LUIS A GONZALEZ/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3653
