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 Interpretation
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(f):
(f) Element in Claim for a Combination. – An element in a claim for a combination may be expressed as a means or step for performing a specified function without the recital of structure, material, or acts in support thereof, and such claim shall be construed to cover the corresponding structure, material, or acts described in the specification and equivalents thereof.
The following is a quotation of pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph:
An element in a claim for a combination may be expressed as a means or step for performing a specified function without the recital of structure, material, or acts in support thereof, and such claim shall be construed to cover the corresponding structure, material, or acts described in the specification and equivalents thereof.
The claims in this application are given their broadest reasonable interpretation using the plain meaning of the claim language in light of the specification as it would be understood by one of ordinary skill in the art. The broadest reasonable interpretation of a claim element (also commonly referred to as a claim limitation) is limited by the description in the specification when 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph, is invoked.
As explained in MPEP § 2181, subsection I, claim limitations that meet the following three-prong test will be interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph:
(A) the claim limitation uses the term “means” or “step” or a term used as a substitute for “means” that is a generic placeholder (also called a nonce term or a non-structural term having no specific structural meaning) for performing the claimed function;
(B) the term “means” or “step” or the generic placeholder is modified by functional language, typically, but not always linked by the transition word “for” (e.g., “means for”) or another linking word or phrase, such as “configured to” or “so that”; and
(C) the term “means” or “step” or the generic placeholder is not modified by sufficient structure, material, or acts for performing the claimed function.
Use of the word “means” (or “step”) in a claim with functional language creates a rebuttable presumption that the claim limitation is to be treated in accordance with 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph. The presumption that the claim limitation is interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph, is rebutted when the claim limitation recites sufficient structure, material, or acts to entirely perform the recited function.
Absence of the word “means” (or “step”) in a claim creates a rebuttable presumption that the claim limitation is not to be treated in accordance with 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph. The presumption that the claim limitation is not interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph, is rebutted when the claim limitation recites function without reciting sufficient structure, material or acts to entirely perform the recited function.
Claim limitations in this application that use the word “means” (or “step”) are being interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph, except as otherwise indicated in an Office action. Conversely, claim limitations in this application that do not use the word “means” (or “step”) are not being interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph, except as otherwise indicated in an Office action.
This application includes one or more claim limitations that do not use the word “means,” but are nonetheless being interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph, because the claim limitation(s) uses a generic placeholder that is coupled with functional language without reciting sufficient structure to perform the recited function and the generic placeholder is not preceded by a structural modifier. Such claim limitation(s) is/are:
“adsorption portion” introduced in claim 1, 13 and 14. Paragraph 0022 recites that the corresponding structure is that “each of the adsorption portions 201 includes an adsorption pad 21, a rod-shaped member 22, and an actuator 24.”
“selection unit” introduced in claim 1. Paragraph 0037-41 discloses the configuration of the control device. Paragraph 0037 recites “The control device 10 includes a control unit 1201, an adsorption control unit 1202, a rotation control unit 1203, an actuator control unit 1204, a vacuum control unit 1205, and a selection unit 1206.” Paragraph 0038 recites that “The control unit 1201 is one or more central processing units (CPUs), and can control various operations of the control device 10 by reading and executing computer programs from one or more memories.” A person of ordinary skill in the art would appreciate that as a component of the control device 10, the corresponding structure of the selection unit is also one or more central processing units (CPUs), and can control various operations of the control device 10 by reading and executing computer programs from one or more memories.
“adsorption control unit” introduced in claim 1. Paragraph 0037-41 discloses the configuration of the control device. Paragraph 0037 recites “The control device 10 includes a control unit 1201, an adsorption control unit 1202, a rotation control unit 1203, an actuator control unit 1204, a vacuum control unit 1205, and a selection unit 1206.” Paragraph 0038 recites that “The control unit 1201 is one or more central processing units (CPUs), and can control various operations of the control device 10 by reading and executing computer programs from one or more memories.” A person of ordinary skill in the art would appreciate that as a component of the control device 10, the corresponding structure of the adsorption control unit is also one or more central processing units (CPUs), and can control various operations of the control device 10 by reading and executing computer programs from one or more memories.
“rotation control unit” introduced in claim 1. Paragraph 0037-41 discloses the configuration of the control device. Paragraph 0037 recites “The control device 10 includes a control unit 1201, an adsorption control unit 1202, a rotation control unit 1203, an actuator control unit 1204, a vacuum control unit 1205, and a selection unit 1206.” Paragraph 0038 recites that “The control unit 1201 is one or more central processing units (CPUs), and can control various operations of the control device 10 by reading and executing computer programs from one or more memories.” A person of ordinary skill in the art would appreciate that as a component of the control device 10, the corresponding structure of the rotation control unit is also one or more central processing units (CPUs), and can control various operations of the control device 10 by reading and executing computer programs from one or more memories.
“actuator control unit” introduced in claim 7. Paragraph 0037-41 discloses the configuration of the control device. Paragraph 0037 recites “The control device 10 includes a control unit 1201, an adsorption control unit 1202, a rotation control unit 1203, an actuator control unit 1204, a vacuum control unit 1205, and a selection unit 1206.” Paragraph 0038 recites that “The control unit 1201 is one or more central processing units (CPUs), and can control various operations of the control device 10 by reading and executing computer programs from one or more memories.” A person of ordinary skill in the art would appreciate that as a component of the control device 10, the corresponding structure of the actuator control unit is also one or more central processing units (CPUs), and can control various operations of the control device 10 by reading and executing computer programs from one or more memories.
“vacuum control unit” introduced in claim 10. Paragraph 0037-41 discloses the configuration of the control device. Paragraph 0037 recites “The control device 10 includes a control unit 1201, an adsorption control unit 1202, a rotation control unit 1203, an actuator control unit 1204, a vacuum control unit 1205, and a selection unit 1206.” Paragraph 0038 recites that “The control unit 1201 is one or more central processing units (CPUs), and can control various operations of the control device 10 by reading and executing computer programs from one or more memories.” A person of ordinary skill in the art would appreciate that as a component of the control device 10, the corresponding structure of the vacuum control unit is also one or more central processing units (CPUs), and can control various operations of the control device 10 by reading and executing computer programs from one or more memories.
Because this/these claim limitation(s) is/are being interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph, it/they is/are being interpreted to cover the corresponding structure described in the specification as performing the claimed function, and equivalents thereof.
If applicant does not intend to have this/these limitation(s) interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph, applicant may: (1) amend the claim limitation(s) to avoid it/them being interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph (e.g., by reciting sufficient structure to perform the claimed function); or (2) present a sufficient showing that the claim limitation(s) recite(s) sufficient structure to perform the claimed function so as to avoid it/them being interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph.
This application includes one or more claim limitations that use the word “means” or “step” or a generic placeholder thereof but are nonetheless not being interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph because the claim limitation(s) recite(s) sufficient structure, materials, or acts to entirely perform the recited function. Such claim limitation(s) is/are:
"rod-shaped member" in claim 6. The term “member” is ordinarily interpreted as a generic placeholder for means; however, the claim also recites “rod-shaped”, and clearly references the physical item which is a rod. Therefore, the term rod entirely conveys sufficient structure, materials, or acts to entirely perform the recited function.
Because this/these claim limitation(s) is/are not being interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph, it/they is/are not being interpreted to cover only the corresponding structure, material, or acts described in the specification as performing the claimed function, and equivalents thereof.
If applicant intends to have this/these limitation(s) interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph, applicant may: (1) amend the claim limitation(s) to remove the structure, materials, or acts that performs the claimed function; or (2) present a sufficient showing that the claim limitation(s) does/do not recite sufficient structure, materials, or acts to perform the claimed function.
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) 1-3, 5-7, 9, and 11-14 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102a1 as being anticipated by Jeremiah (US 20210323144 A1).
As to claim 1, Jeremiah discloses a detaching apparatus that detaches a target object, the detaching apparatus comprising:
a plurality of adsorption portions configured to adsorb the target object (see paragraph 62, disclosing suction grippers 106 and suction cups 107);
a selection unit (performed by the “central controller”) configured to select a plurality of adsorption portions that are to execute an adsorption operation on the target object, from among the plurality of adsorption portions (see paragraph 0057, disclosing “grippers 106 can be activated selectively based on the type and weight of the articles to be handled by the robotic manipulator 100”; paragraph 0071, disclosing “the central controller sends a first command signal to a motor controller of the linear slider to slide the gripper to from the first position to a second position suitable for picking the articles from the first conveyor” and “the central controller may send a second command signal to either retract or extend the gripper during the placing operation”);
an adsorption control unit (performed by the “central controller”) configured to cause the plurality of adsorption portions selected by the selection unit to execute the adsorption operation (paragraph 0071, disclosing “the central controller may also send a third command signal to cut off the vacuum supplied to the suction cup to release the articles”); and
a rotation control unit (performed by the “central controller”) configured to execute a rotation operation of the adsorption portions which the adsorption operation was executed (See paragraph 0057, disclosing “the circular disc 102 may be incrementally rotated from one conveyor to another conveyor to perform the picking and placing operation. According to another embodiment, the circular disc 102 may be rotated from a picking position to a placing position and vice-versa using the first motor coupled to the shaft 202.” See also paragraph 0067, disclosing “The output from the vacuum switch 514 is utilized by the central controller to rotate the circular disc 102 along with the articles picked by the grippers 106.”).
See paragraphs 0057, 0061, 0067, 0070-71 and 0074 below:
[0057] According to an embodiment, the circular disc 102 may be rotated incrementally in steps using the first motor coupled to the shaft 202. In some examples, when articles are to be picked from and placed on more than one conveyor, the circular disc 102 may be incrementally rotated from one conveyor to another conveyor to perform the picking and placing operation. According to another embodiment, the circular disc 102 may be rotated from a picking position to a placing position and vice-versa using the first motor coupled to the shaft 202. In some examples, when articles are to be picked from one conveyor and placed on another conveyor, the circular disc 102 may be rotated from the picking position to the placing position and vice-versa to perform the picking and placing operation.
…
[0061] FIG. 3 illustrates a bottom view of the robotic manipulator 100, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. The robotic manipulator 100 includes at least one gripper 106 coupled to a circular disc 102 to manipulate the articles. The at least one gripper 106 can slide on a linear slider 104 along a first plane 101 and can extend along a second plane 103 orthogonal to the first plane 101. In FIG. 3, exemplary robotic manipulator 100 with 8 grippers 106 is shown. The grippers 106 are positioned equidistant from each other in a radial direction throughout the diameter of the circular disc 102. The grippers 106 are shown positioned at an initial position proximate to the outer edge 114 of the circular disc 102. The grippers 106 may be moved in unison or independently from the initial position to intermediate positions and the final position proximate to the center of the circular disc 102. The linear sliders 104 extend from the outer edge 114 of the circular disc 102 to the center of the circular disc 102 to facilitate sliding of the grippers 106 from the initial position to the final position. In FIG. 3, the linear sliders 104 are equally spaced radially such that multiple arcs 301 are formed on the circumference of the circular disc 102 in between the linear sliders 104. For example, an arc 301 may be formed in between two linear sliders 104 when linear sliders 104 are radially arranged on the circular disc 102. In some examples, the linear sliders 104 may be positioned in a such a manner to form right angles with each other. In such a scenario, a total of 8 grippers 106 may be positioned by mounting a pair of grippers 106 together along either side of normal lines of the circular disc 102.
…
[0067] FIG. 5 illustrates an example gripper 106 of the robotic manipulator 100, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 5, the gripper 106 may include a pneumatic cylinder 110, compliance spring 502, suction cup 107, mounting plates 504 and anti-rotation guide rods 506. The suction cup 107 is coupled to the pneumatic cylinder 110 via the compression spring at a first end of the gripper 106. The compliance spring 502 is connected to the pneumatic cylinder 110 by means of a first coupler 510. The mounting plates 504 are connected to the pneumatic cylinder 110 at a second end of the gripper 106. When the gripper 106 is attached to the linear slider 104, the second end being proximal to the linear slider 104 and the first being distal to the linear slider 104. The anti-rotation guide rods 506 are positioned in between the mounting plates 504 and the compliance spring 502. The suction cup 107 may be coupled to the compliance spring 502 by a second coupler 512. The second coupler 512 may be in the form of coupling plate in which a vacuum switch 514 or any sensors may be fitted. The sensors, for example, may be laser range finder sensors configured to identify (e.g., periodically or continuously over a period of time), articles positioned on a conveyor and to determine a distance at which the articles are positioned relative to the suction cup 107. For example, in some embodiments, a laser range finder may determine the distance between a top surface of the article and the first end of the gripper 106. Based on the determined distance, the central controller may cause the robotic manipulator 100 to position the gripper 106 in different operating positions. According to an embodiment, the vacuum switch 514 may be provided to detect vacuum supplied to the suction cup 107. Output from a vacuum generator may be coupled through the vacuum switch 514 to the suction cup 107. Whenever vacuum is applied to the suction cup 107, the vacuum switch 514 will output a signal when a suction is made between the suction cup 107 and the articles. The output from the vacuum switch 514 is utilized by the central controller to rotate the circular disc 102 along with the articles picked by the grippers 106. In some examples, the pneumatic cylinder 110 may include a cylinder piston which is actuated to move the gripper 106 along the vertical axis ‘Y’ to pick or place the articles. For example, the sensor (as discussed previously) may sense the presence of an article and activate an air supply to the pneumatic cylinder 110 to extend the cylinder piston and the suction cup 107 from its initial position (i.e., retracted position) to a picking position (i.e., extended position). Although the pneumatic cylinder 110 is depicted as an exemplary actuator, it is understood that one or more alternative actuators can be substituted, including electronic and mechanical actuation devices as are known in the art. In some examples, any positional misalignments when gripping the articles is compensated by the compliance spring 502. In some examples, any other compressible material may be used as a compliance device which simplifies the construction of the gripper 106. In some examples, the anti-rotation guide rods 506 maintain the gripper 106 position without any rotation during the gripping of the articles. Further, grippers 106 with pneumatic cylinders 110 used in this invention may include those described in U.S. 62/669,093, all of which are herein fully incorporated by reference.
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[0070] According to an embodiment, when the robotic manipulator 100 starts to perform a picking operation, the movable carriage 105 along with the gripper 106 is moved to the initial position. In some examples, the central controller may transmit a first command to reposition all the grippers 106 to the initial position. In some examples, when the first conveyor 602 senses the flow of incoming articles, the central controller may transmit the first command to a motor controller of the second motor 204 driving the linear sliders 104. In some examples, the central controller may send a second command to a motor controller of the first motor 206 driving the circular disc 102 to start rotating the circular disc 102 and subsequently may send the first command to the motor controller driving the linear sliders 104 to reposition the grippers 106 on the linear sliders 104 to the initial position.
[0071] In some examples, the laser range finder sensor as discussed previously may be used to detect the presence of the articles. In response to detecting the presence of the articles, the air supply to the pneumatic cylinder 110 of the gripper 106 as shown in FIG. 5 may be activated. The suction cup 107 of the gripper 106 is extended by actuation of the pneumatic cylinder 110. When the article is picked by the suction cup 107 using a suction force, the vacuum switch 514 may be activated indicating that the gripper 106 is in contact with the article. When the vacuum switch 514 is activated, the central controller may be signaled that the picking operation from the first conveyor 602 is completed by the gripper 106. Similar picking operation may be executed by each of the grippers 106 mounted on the circular disc 102. In some examples, the picking operation may be performed during the rotation of the circular disc 102.
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[0074] FIG. 7 illustrates a flowchart depicting a method for performing a picking operation and placing operation using the robotic manipulator of FIG. 1. The robotic manipulator uses the circular disc with the grippers and linear sliders to perform the picking and placing operation. The grippers, the linear sliders and the circular disc are controlled using one or more central controllers. The picking and placing operation, for example, may be performed in conjunction with conveyors. When the picking operation is initiated, at step 702, the circular disc attached with plurality of grippers is rotated over a first conveyor and a second conveyor 604. The first conveyor may be a merger conveyor and a second conveyor may be an induction conveyor. The circular disc is rotated by means of a first motor. The circular disc may be rotated continuously or incrementally by the first motor to a plurality of rotational positions based on number of conveyors involved in the picking and placing operation. When the picking operation is to be performed and the circular disc is rotated, at step 704, a gripper of the plurality of grippers is slid from a first position to a second position, wherein the second position has a different distance to a center of the circular disc than the first position. The grippers are slid using the movable carriage mounted on the linear slider attached to the circular disc. For example, when the first conveyor senses flow of articles, the central controller sends a first command signal to a motor controller of the linear slider to slide the gripper to from the first position to a second position suitable for picking the articles from the first conveyor. The grippers are actuated to slide in a first plane defined by a surface of the circular disc facing the first conveyor. Further, after actuating the grippers to a suitable position for picking, at step 706, the grippers are actuated in a second plane orthogonal to a first plane defined by the surface of the circular disc. The grippers are extended and retracted towards and away from the circular disc during the actuation. For example, during the picking operation, the grippers are extended away from the circular disc towards the first conveyor to pick the articles. For example, the grippers may pick the articles using suction force. For example, during the placing operation, the grippers may be either be extended away or retracted towards the circular disc to place the picked articles on the second conveyor. For example, the grippers may place the articles by releasing the suction force exerted on the articles via the suction cup. In some examples, the central controller may send a second command signal to either retract or extend the gripper during the placing operation. Further, the central controller may also send a third command signal to cut off the vacuum supplied to the suction cup to release the articles. The central controller sends the first, second, and third command signals based on response received from sensors such as, but not limited to, encoders, laser range finders, proximity sensors, potentiometer and the like mounted on the linear sliders and the grippers. Thus, sliding and the actuating the gripper based on commands from the central controller repositions the gripper to pick an article from the first conveyor and place the article on the second conveyor. In some examples, the central controller may send commands to slide and actuate multiple grippers of the plurality of grippers concurrently during the picking and placing operation. In some examples, the central controller may send commands to slide and actuate the gripper based on a dimension of the article. For example, photo eye sensors of the first conveyor may determine a length of the article incoming at the first conveyor and transmit the length to the central controller, which in turn determines the number of grippers to be repositioned to handle the article based on the length. In some examples, the length of the articles may be fed into a memory of the external controller. In some examples, the length of the articles may be dynamically computed based on images from vision sensors positioned on the first conveyor. In this regard, the robotic manipulator comprising the grippers, the linear sliders and the circular disc manipulates the articles based on commands from the central controller.
See, for example, Figure 1 and 2, below:
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As to claim 2, Jeremiah discloses wherein the plurality of adsorption portions are arranged on a circumference of a circle. See Figures 1 and 2 above, which show grippers 106 are arranged on circular disc 102.
As to claim 3, Jeremiah discloses wherein the plurality of adsorption portions are arranged at predetermined intervals on the circumference of the circle. See Figures 1 and 2 above, which show grippers 106 are arranged on circular disc 102. The locations of grippers 106 read on the limitation of predetermined intervals.
As to claim 5, Jeremiah discloses and/or is capable of operation wherein the selection unit selects a first adsorption portion, a second adsorption portion, and a third adsorption portion from among the plurality of adsorption portions, the first adsorption portion corresponds to a point of action when performing the rotation operation, and the second adsorption portion and the third adsorption portion correspond to fulcrums when performing the rotation operation. See MPEP 2114-2115.
See also paragraph 0074, below:
[0074] FIG. 7 illustrates a flowchart depicting a method for performing a picking operation and placing operation using the robotic manipulator of FIG. 1. The robotic manipulator uses the circular disc with the grippers and linear sliders to perform the picking and placing operation. The grippers, the linear sliders and the circular disc are controlled using one or more central controllers. The picking and placing operation, for example, may be performed in conjunction with conveyors. When the picking operation is initiated, at step 702, the circular disc attached with plurality of grippers is rotated over a first conveyor and a second conveyor 604. The first conveyor may be a merger conveyor and a second conveyor may be an induction conveyor. The circular disc is rotated by means of a first motor. The circular disc may be rotated continuously or incrementally by the first motor to a plurality of rotational positions based on number of conveyors involved in the picking and placing operation. When the picking operation is to be performed and the circular disc is rotated, at step 704, a gripper of the plurality of grippers is slid from a first position to a second position, wherein the second position has a different distance to a center of the circular disc than the first position. The grippers are slid using the movable carriage mounted on the linear slider attached to the circular disc. For example, when the first conveyor senses flow of articles, the central controller sends a first command signal to a motor controller of the linear slider to slide the gripper to from the first position to a second position suitable for picking the articles from the first conveyor. The grippers are actuated to slide in a first plane defined by a surface of the circular disc facing the first conveyor. Further, after actuating the grippers to a suitable position for picking, at step 706, the grippers are actuated in a second plane orthogonal to a first plane defined by the surface of the circular disc. The grippers are extended and retracted towards and away from the circular disc during the actuation. For example, during the picking operation, the grippers are extended away from the circular disc towards the first conveyor to pick the articles. For example, the grippers may pick the articles using suction force. For example, during the placing operation, the grippers may be either be extended away or retracted towards the circular disc to place the picked articles on the second conveyor. For example, the grippers may place the articles by releasing the suction force exerted on the articles via the suction cup. In some examples, the central controller may send a second command signal to either retract or extend the gripper during the placing operation. Further, the central controller may also send a third command signal to cut off the vacuum supplied to the suction cup to release the articles. The central controller sends the first, second, and third command signals based on response received from sensors such as, but not limited to, encoders, laser range finders, proximity sensors, potentiometer and the like mounted on the linear sliders and the grippers. Thus, sliding and the actuating the gripper based on commands from the central controller repositions the gripper to pick an article from the first conveyor and place the article on the second conveyor. In some examples, the central controller may send commands to slide and actuate multiple grippers of the plurality of grippers concurrently during the picking and placing operation. In some examples, the central controller may send commands to slide and actuate the gripper based on a dimension of the article. For example, photo eye sensors of the first conveyor may determine a length of the article incoming at the first conveyor and transmit the length to the central controller, which in turn determines the number of grippers to be repositioned to handle the article based on the length. In some examples, the length of the articles may be fed into a memory of the external controller. In some examples, the length of the articles may be dynamically computed based on images from vision sensors positioned on the first conveyor. In this regard, the robotic manipulator comprising the grippers, the linear sliders and the circular disc manipulates the articles based on commands from the central controller.
As to claim 6, Jeremiah discloses wherein each of the adsorption portions includes a rod-shaped member (either cylinder 110 or the cylinder piston, see paragraph 0067, disclosing “In some examples, the pneumatic cylinder 110 may include a cylinder piston which is actuated to move the gripper 106 along the vertical axis ‘Y’ to pick or place the articles.”), an adsorption pad (suction pad 107) arranged at an end portion of the rod-shaped member, and an actuator (other of either cylinder 110 or the cylinder piston, see paragraph 0067, disclosing “In some examples, the pneumatic cylinder 110 may include a cylinder piston which is actuated to move the gripper 106 along the vertical axis ‘Y’ to pick or place the articles.”) configured to change a position of the rod-shaped member in an adsorption direction by driving the rod-shaped member. See paragraph 0067, disclosing:
[0067] FIG. 5 illustrates an example gripper 106 of the robotic manipulator 100, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 5, the gripper 106 may include a pneumatic cylinder 110, compliance spring 502, suction cup 107, mounting plates 504 and anti-rotation guide rods 506. The suction cup 107 is coupled to the pneumatic cylinder 110 via the compression spring at a first end of the gripper 106. The compliance spring 502 is connected to the pneumatic cylinder 110 by means of a first coupler 510. The mounting plates 504 are connected to the pneumatic cylinder 110 at a second end of the gripper 106. When the gripper 106 is attached to the linear slider 104, the second end being proximal to the linear slider 104 and the first being distal to the linear slider 104. The anti-rotation guide rods 506 are positioned in between the mounting plates 504 and the compliance spring 502. The suction cup 107 may be coupled to the compliance spring 502 by a second coupler 512. The second coupler 512 may be in the form of coupling plate in which a vacuum switch 514 or any sensors may be fitted. The sensors, for example, may be laser range finder sensors configured to identify (e.g., periodically or continuously over a period of time), articles positioned on a conveyor and to determine a distance at which the articles are positioned relative to the suction cup 107. For example, in some embodiments, a laser range finder may determine the distance between a top surface of the article and the first end of the gripper 106. Based on the determined distance, the central controller may cause the robotic manipulator 100 to position the gripper 106 in different operating positions. According to an embodiment, the vacuum switch 514 may be provided to detect vacuum supplied to the suction cup 107. Output from a vacuum generator may be coupled through the vacuum switch 514 to the suction cup 107. Whenever vacuum is applied to the suction cup 107, the vacuum switch 514 will output a signal when a suction is made between the suction cup 107 and the articles. The output from the vacuum switch 514 is utilized by the central controller to rotate the circular disc 102 along with the articles picked by the grippers 106. In some examples, the pneumatic cylinder 110 may include a cylinder piston which is actuated to move the gripper 106 along the vertical axis ‘Y’ to pick or place the articles. For example, the sensor (as discussed previously) may sense the presence of an article and activate an air supply to the pneumatic cylinder 110 to extend the cylinder piston and the suction cup 107 from its initial position (i.e., retracted position) to a picking position (i.e., extended position). Although the pneumatic cylinder 110 is depicted as an exemplary actuator, it is understood that one or more alternative actuators can be substituted, including electronic and mechanical actuation devices as are known in the art. In some examples, any positional misalignments when gripping the articles is compensated by the compliance spring 502. In some examples, any other compressible material may be used as a compliance device which simplifies the construction of the gripper 106. In some examples, the anti-rotation guide rods 506 maintain the gripper 106 position without any rotation during the gripping of the articles. Further, grippers 106 with pneumatic cylinders 110 used in this invention may include those described in U.S. 62/669,093, all of which are herein fully incorporated by reference.
As to claim 7, Jeremiah discloses further comprising: an actuator control unit configured to control the actuators, wherein each of the adsorption portions further includes a sensor, and the actuator control unit changes positions of the rod-shaped members by controlling the actuators based on detection results of the sensors (see paragraph 0067, “For example, the sensor (as discussed previously) may sense the presence of an article and activate an air supply to the pneumatic cylinder 110 to extend the cylinder piston and the suction cup 107 from its initial position (i.e., retracted position) to a picking position (i.e., extended position).”).
See paragraph 0067, cited above.
As to claim 9, Jeremiah disclose wherein the actuators are air cylinders (“pneumatic cylinder 110”). See paragraph 0067, cited above.
As to claim 11, Jeremiah discloses wherein the selection unit (the “central controller”) selects (“grippers 106 can be activated selectively based on the type and weight of the articles to be handled by the robotic manipulator 100”) the plurality of adsorption portions that are to execute the adsorption operation on the target object, by blocking one or more flow paths connected to the adsorption pads. See paragraph 0063:
[0063] According to an embodiment, grippers 106 can be activated selectively based on the type and weight of the articles to be handled by the robotic manipulator 100. For example, if the robotic manipulator 100 handles a large carton (i.e., a carton of heavy weight), then 4 of 8 grippers 106 of FIG. 3 may be activated and repositioned to handle the large carton. For example, if the robotic manipulator 100 handles a small carton, then 2 of 8 grippers 106 of FIG. 3 may be activated and repositioned to handle the small carton. In some examples, the articles may be only polybags and in such cases each gripper 106 will be assigned to handle one polybag. In this regard, dynamic assignment of grippers 106 based on type and weight of articles may be achieved.
As to claim 12, Jeremiah is considered capable of being used wherein the target object is a scrap material of a film affixed to a workpiece. See MPEP 2114 and 2115.
As to claim 13, Jeremiah control method for a detaching apparatus that detaches a target object, the detaching apparatus including a plurality of adsorption portions configured to adsorb the target object, the control method comprising: selecting a plurality of adsorption portions that are to execute an adsorption operation on the target object, from among the plurality of adsorption portions; causing the selected adsorption portions to execute the adsorption operation; and executing a rotation operation of the adsorption portions which the adsorption operation was executed.
See paragraphs 0057, 0061, 0067, 0070-71 and 0074 below:
[0057] According to an embodiment, the circular disc 102 may be rotated incrementally in steps using the first motor coupled to the shaft 202. In some examples, when articles are to be picked from and placed on more than one conveyor, the circular disc 102 may be incrementally rotated from one conveyor to another conveyor to perform the picking and placing operation. According to another embodiment, the circular disc 102 may be rotated from a picking position to a placing position and vice-versa using the first motor coupled to the shaft 202. In some examples, when articles are to be picked from one conveyor and placed on another conveyor, the circular disc 102 may be rotated from the picking position to the placing position and vice-versa to perform the picking and placing operation.
…
[0061] FIG. 3 illustrates a bottom view of the robotic manipulator 100, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. The robotic manipulator 100 includes at least one gripper 106 coupled to a circular disc 102 to manipulate the articles. The at least one gripper 106 can slide on a linear slider 104 along a first plane 101 and can extend along a second plane 103 orthogonal to the first plane 101. In FIG. 3, exemplary robotic manipulator 100 with 8 grippers 106 is shown. The grippers 106 are positioned equidistant from each other in a radial direction throughout the diameter of the circular disc 102. The grippers 106 are shown positioned at an initial position proximate to the outer edge 114 of the circular disc 102. The grippers 106 may be moved in unison or independently from the initial position to intermediate positions and the final position proximate to the center of the circular disc 102. The linear sliders 104 extend from the outer edge 114 of the circular disc 102 to the center of the circular disc 102 to facilitate sliding of the grippers 106 from the initial position to the final position. In FIG. 3, the linear sliders 104 are equally spaced radially such that multiple arcs 301 are formed on the circumference of the circular disc 102 in between the linear sliders 104. For example, an arc 301 may be formed in between two linear sliders 104 when linear sliders 104 are radially arranged on the circular disc 102. In some examples, the linear sliders 104 may be positioned in a such a manner to form right angles with each other. In such a scenario, a total of 8 grippers 106 may be positioned by mounting a pair of grippers 106 together along either side of normal lines of the circular disc 102.
…
[0067] FIG. 5 illustrates an example gripper 106 of the robotic manipulator 100, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 5, the gripper 106 may include a pneumatic cylinder 110, compliance spring 502, suction cup 107, mounting plates 504 and anti-rotation guide rods 506. The suction cup 107 is coupled to the pneumatic cylinder 110 via the compression spring at a first end of the gripper 106. The compliance spring 502 is connected to the pneumatic cylinder 110 by means of a first coupler 510. The mounting plates 504 are connected to the pneumatic cylinder 110 at a second end of the gripper 106. When the gripper 106 is attached to the linear slider 104, the second end being proximal to the linear slider 104 and the first being distal to the linear slider 104. The anti-rotation guide rods 506 are positioned in between the mounting plates 504 and the compliance spring 502. The suction cup 107 may be coupled to the compliance spring 502 by a second coupler 512. The second coupler 512 may be in the form of coupling plate in which a vacuum switch 514 or any sensors may be fitted. The sensors, for example, may be laser range finder sensors configured to identify (e.g., periodically or continuously over a period of time), articles positioned on a conveyor and to determine a distance at which the articles are positioned relative to the suction cup 107. For example, in some embodiments, a laser range finder may determine the distance between a top surface of the article and the first end of the gripper 106. Based on the determined distance, the central controller may cause the robotic manipulator 100 to position the gripper 106 in different operating positions. According to an embodiment, the vacuum switch 514 may be provided to detect vacuum supplied to the suction cup 107. Output from a vacuum generator may be coupled through the vacuum switch 514 to the suction cup 107. Whenever vacuum is applied to the suction cup 107, the vacuum switch 514 will output a signal when a suction is made between the suction cup 107 and the articles. The output from the vacuum switch 514 is utilized by the central controller to rotate the circular disc 102 along with the articles picked by the grippers 106. In some examples, the pneumatic cylinder 110 may include a cylinder piston which is actuated to move the gripper 106 along the vertical axis ‘Y’ to pick or place the articles. For example, the sensor (as discussed previously) may sense the presence of an article and activate an air supply to the pneumatic cylinder 110 to extend the cylinder piston and the suction cup 107 from its initial position (i.e., retracted position) to a picking position (i.e., extended position). Although the pneumatic cylinder 110 is depicted as an exemplary actuator, it is understood that one or more alternative actuators can be substituted, including electronic and mechanical actuation devices as are known in the art. In some examples, any positional misalignments when gripping the articles is compensated by the compliance spring 502. In some examples, any other compressible material may be used as a compliance device which simplifies the construction of the gripper 106. In some examples, the anti-rotation guide rods 506 maintain the gripper 106 position without any rotation during the gripping of the articles. Further, grippers 106 with pneumatic cylinders 110 used in this invention may include those described in U.S. 62/669,093, all of which are herein fully incorporated by reference.
…
[0070] According to an embodiment, when the robotic manipulator 100 starts to perform a picking operation, the movable carriage 105 along with the gripper 106 is moved to the initial position. In some examples, the central controller may transmit a first command to reposition all the grippers 106 to the initial position. In some examples, when the first conveyor 602 senses the flow of incoming articles, the central controller may transmit the first command to a motor controller of the second motor 204 driving the linear sliders 104. In some examples, the central controller may send a second command to a motor controller of the first motor 206 driving the circular disc 102 to start rotating the circular disc 102 and subsequently may send the first command to the motor controller driving the linear sliders 104 to reposition the grippers 106 on the linear sliders 104 to the initial position.
[0071] In some examples, the laser range finder sensor as discussed previously may be used to detect the presence of the articles. In response to detecting the presence of the articles, the air supply to the pneumatic cylinder 110 of the gripper 106 as shown in FIG. 5 may be activated. The suction cup 107 of the gripper 106 is extended by actuation of the pneumatic cylinder 110. When the article is picked by the suction cup 107 using a suction force, the vacuum switch 514 may be activated indicating that the gripper 106 is in contact with the article. When the vacuum switch 514 is activated, the central controller may be signaled that the picking operation from the first conveyor 602 is completed by the gripper 106. Similar picking operation may be executed by each of the grippers 106 mounted on the circular disc 102. In some examples, the picking operation may be performed during the rotation of the circular disc 102.
…
[0074] FIG. 7 illustrates a flowchart depicting a method for performing a picking operation and placing operation using the robotic manipulator of FIG. 1. The robotic manipulator uses the circular disc with the grippers and linear sliders to perform the picking and placing operation. The grippers, the linear sliders and the circular disc are controlled using one or more central controllers. The picking and placing operation, for example, may be performed in conjunction with conveyors. When the picking operation is initiated, at step 702, the circular disc attached with plurality of grippers is rotated over a first conveyor and a second conveyor 604. The first conveyor may be a merger conveyor and a second conveyor may be an induction conveyor. The circular disc is rotated by means of a first motor. The circular disc may be rotated continuously or incrementally by the first motor to a plurality of rotational positions based on number of conveyors involved in the picking and placing operation. When the picking operation is to be performed and the circular disc is rotated, at step 704, a gripper of the plurality of grippers is slid from a first position to a second position, wherein the second position has a different distance to a center of the circular disc than the first position. The grippers are slid using the movable carriage mounted on the linear slider attached to the circular disc. For example, when the first conveyor senses flow of articles, the central controller sends a first command signal to a motor controller of the linear slider to slide the gripper to from the first position to a second position suitable for picking the articles from the first conveyor. The grippers are actuated to slide in a first plane defined by a surface of the circular disc facing the first conveyor. Further, after actuating the grippers to a suitable position for picking, at step 706, the grippers are actuated in a second plane orthogonal to a first plane defined by the surface of the circular disc. The grippers are extended and retracted towards and away from the circular disc during the actuation. For example, during the picking operation, the grippers are extended away from the circular disc towards the first conveyor to pick the articles. For example, the grippers may pick the articles using suction force. For example, during the placing operation, the grippers may be either be extended away or retracted towards the circular disc to place the picked articles on the second conveyor. For example, the grippers may place the articles by releasing the suction force exerted on the articles via the suction cup. In some examples, the central controller may send a second command signal to either retract or extend the gripper during the placing operation. Further, the central controller may also send a third command signal to cut off the vacuum supplied to the suction cup to release the articles. The central controller sends the first, second, and third command signals based on response received from sensors such as, but not limited to, encoders, laser range finders, proximity sensors, potentiometer and the like mounted on the linear sliders and the grippers. Thus, sliding and the actuating the gripper based on commands from the central controller repositions the gripper to pick an article from the first conveyor and place the article on the second conveyor. In some examples, the central controller may send commands to slide and actuate multiple grippers of the plurality of grippers concurrently during the picking and placing operation. In some examples, the central controller may send commands to slide and actuate the gripper based on a dimension of the article. For example, photo eye sensors of the first conveyor may determine a length of the article incoming at the first conveyor and transmit the length to the central controller, which in turn determines the number of grippers to be repositioned to handle the article based on the length. In some examples, the length of the articles may be fed into a memory of the external controller. In some examples, the length of the articles may be dynamically computed based on images from vision sensors positioned on the first conveyor. In this regard, the robotic manipulator comprising the grippers, the linear sliders and the circular disc manipulates the articles based on commands from the central controller.
See, for example, Figure 1 and 2, below:
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As to claim 14, Jeremiah computer-readable storage medium (“may be implemented as electronic hardware, computer software, or combinations of both”; “If implemented in software, the functions may be stored on or transmitted over as one or more instructions or code on a non-transitory processor-readable, computer-readable, or server-readable medium or a non-transitory processor-readable storage medium.”) having stored therein a program for causing a computer to execute a control method for a detaching apparatus that detaches a target object, the detaching apparatus including a plurality of adsorption portions configured to adsorb the target object, the program causing the computer to: select a plurality of adsorption portions that are to execute an adsorption operation on the target object, from among the plurality of adsorption portions; cause the selected adsorption portions to execute the adsorption operation; and execute a rotation operation of the adsorption portions which the adsorption operation was executed.
See especially paragraph 0075-77, disclosing:
[0075] The various illustrative logical blocks, modules, circuits, and algorithm steps described in connection with the embodiments disclosed herein may be implemented as electronic hardware, computer software, or combinations of both. To clearly illustrate this interchangeability of hardware and software, various illustrative components, blocks, modules, circuits, and steps have been described above generally in terms of their functionality. Whether such functionality is implemented as hardware or software depends upon the particular application and design constraints imposed on the overall system. Skilled artisans may implement the described functionality in varying ways for each particular application, but such implementation decisions should not be interpreted as causing a departure from the scope of the present invention.
[0076] The hardware used to implement the various illustrative logics, logical blocks, modules, and circuits described in connection with the embodiments disclosed herein may be implemented or performed with a general purpose processor, a digital signal processor (DSP), an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field programmable gate array (FPGA) or other programmable logic device, discrete gate or transistor logic, discrete hardware components, or any combination thereof designed to perform the functions described herein. A general-purpose processor may be a microprocessor, but, in the alternative, the processor may be any conventional processor, controller, microcontroller, or state machine A processor may also be implemented as a combination of computing devices, e.g., a combination of a DSP and a microprocessor, a plurality of microprocessors, one or more microprocessors in conjunction with a DSP core, or any other such configuration. Alternatively, some steps or methods may be performed by circuitry that is specific to a given function.
[0077] In one or more exemplary embodiments, the functions described may be implemented in hardware, software, firmware, or any combination thereof. If implemented in software, the functions may be stored on or transmitted over as one or more instructions or code on a non-transitory processor-readable, computer-readable, or server-readable medium or a non-transitory processor-readable storage medium. The steps of a method or algorithm disclosed herein may be embodied in a processor-executable software module or processor-executable software instructions which may reside on a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, a non-transitory server-readable storage medium, and/or a non-transitory processor-readable storage medium. In various embodiments, such instructions may be stored processor-executable instructions or stored processor-executable software instructions. Tangible, non-transitory computer-readable storage media may be any available media that may be accessed by a computer. By way of example, and not limitation, such non-transitory computer-readable media may comprise RAM, ROM, EEPROM, CD-ROM or other optical disk storage, magnetic disk storage or other magnetic storage devices, or any other medium that may be used to store desired program code in the form of instructions or data structures and that may be accessed by a computer. Disk and disc, as used herein, includes compact disc (CD), laser disc, optical disc, digital versatile disc (DVD), floppy disk, and blu-ray disc where disks usually reproduce data magnetically, while discs reproduce data optically with lasers. Combinations of the above should also be included within the scope of non-transitory computer-readable media. Additionally, the operations of a method or algorithm may reside as one or any combination or set of codes and/or instructions on a tangible, non-transitory processor-readable storage medium and/or computer-readable medium, which may be incorporated into a computer program product.
See paragraphs 0057, 0061, 0067, 0070-71 and 0074 below:
[0057] According to an embodiment, the circular disc 102 may be rotated incrementally in steps using the first motor coupled to the shaft 202. In some examples, when articles are to be picked from and placed on more than one conveyor, the circular disc 102 may be incrementally rotated from one conveyor to another conveyor to perform the picking and placing operation. According to another embodiment, the circular disc 102 may be rotated from a picking position to a placing position and vice-versa using the first motor coupled to the shaft 202. In some examples, when articles are to be picked from one conveyor and placed on another conveyor, the circular disc 102 may be rotated from the picking position to the placing position and vice-versa to perform the picking and placing operation.
…
[0061] FIG. 3 illustrates a bottom view of the robotic manipulator 100, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. The robotic manipulator 100 includes at least one gripper 106 coupled to a circular disc 102 to manipulate the articles. The at least one gripper 106 can slide on a linear slider 104 along a first plane 101 and can extend along a second plane 103 orthogonal to the first plane 101. In FIG. 3, exemplary robotic manipulator 100 with 8 grippers 106 is shown. The grippers 106 are positioned equidistant from each other in a radial direction throughout the diameter of the circular disc 102. The grippers 106 are shown positioned at an initial position proximate to the outer edge 114 of the circular disc 102. The grippers 106 may be moved in unison or independently from the initial position to intermediate positions and the final position proximate to the center of the circular disc 102. The linear sliders 104 extend from the outer edge 114 of the circular disc 102 to the center of the circular disc 102 to facilitate sliding of the grippers 106 from the initial position to the final position. In FIG. 3, the linear sliders 104 are equally spaced radially such that multiple arcs 301 are formed on the circumference of the circular disc 102 in between the linear sliders 104. For example, an arc 301 may be formed in between two linear sliders 104 when linear sliders 104 are radially arranged on the circular disc 102. In some examples, the linear sliders 104 may be positioned in a such a manner to form right angles with each other. In such a scenario, a total of 8 grippers 106 may be positioned by mounting a pair of grippers 106 together along either side of normal lines of the circular disc 102.
…
[0067] FIG. 5 illustrates an example gripper 106 of the robotic manipulator 100, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 5, the gripper 106 may include a pneumatic cylinder 110, compliance spring 502, suction cup 107, mounting plates 504 and anti-rotation guide rods 506. The suction cup 107 is coupled to the pneumatic cylinder 110 via the compression spring at a first end of the gripper 106. The compliance spring 502 is connected to the pneumatic cylinder 110 by means of a first coupler 510. The mounting plates 504 are connected to the pneumatic cylinder 110 at a second end of the gripper 106. When the gripper 106 is attached to the linear slider 104, the second end being proximal to the linear slider 104 and the first being distal to the linear slider 104. The anti-rotation guide rods 506 are positioned in between the mounting plates 504 and the compliance spring 502. The suction cup 107 may be coupled to the compliance spring 502 by a second coupler 512. The second coupler 512 may be in the form of coupling plate in which a vacuum switch 514 or any sensors may be fitted. The sensors, for example, may be laser range finder sensors configured to identify (e.g., periodically or continuously over a period of time), articles positioned on a conveyor and to determine a distance at which the articles are positioned relative to the suction cup 107. For example, in some embodiments, a laser range finder may determine the distance between a top surface of the article and the first end of the gripper 106. Based on the determined distance, the central controller may cause the robotic manipulator 100 to position the gripper 106 in different operating positions. According to an embodiment, the vacuum switch 514 may be provided to detect vacuum supplied to the suction cup 107. Output from a vacuum generator may be coupled through the vacuum switch 514 to the suction cup 107. Whenever vacuum is applied to the suction cup 107, the vacuum switch 514 will output a signal when a suction is made between the suction cup 107 and the articles. The output from the vacuum switch 514 is utilized by the central controller to rotate the circular disc 102 along with the articles picked by the grippers 106. In some examples, the pneumatic cylinder 110 may include a cylinder piston which is actuated to move the gripper 106 along the vertical axis ‘Y’ to pick or place the articles. For example, the sensor (as discussed previously) may sense the presence of an article and activate an air supply to the pneumatic cylinder 110 to extend the cylinder piston and the suction cup 107 from its initial position (i.e., retracted position) to a picking position (i.e., extended position). Although the pneumatic cylinder 110 is depicted as an exemplary actuator, it is understood that one or more alternative actuators can be substituted, including electronic and mechanical actuation devices as are known in the art. In some examples, any positional misalignments when gripping the articles is compensated by the compliance spring 502. In some examples, any other compressible material may be used as a compliance device which simplifies the construction of the gripper 106. In some examples, the anti-rotation guide rods 506 maintain the gripper 106 position without any rotation during the gripping of the articles. Further, grippers 106 with pneumatic cylinders 110 used in this invention may include those described in U.S. 62/669,093, all of which are herein fully incorporated by reference.
…
[0070] According to an embodiment, when the robotic manipulator 100 starts to perform a picking operation, the movable carriage 105 along with the gripper 106 is moved to the initial position. In some examples, the central controller may transmit a first command to reposition all the grippers 106 to the initial position. In some examples, when the first conveyor 602 senses the flow of incoming articles, the central controller may transmit the first command to a motor controller of the second motor 204 driving the linear sliders 104. In some examples, the central controller may send a second command to a motor controller of the first motor 206 driving the circular disc 102 to start rotating the circular disc 102 and subsequently may send the first command to the motor controller driving the linear sliders 104 to reposition the grippers 106 on the linear sliders 104 to the initial position.
[0071] In some examples, the laser range finder sensor as discussed previously may be used to detect the presence of the articles. In response to detecting the presence of the articles, the air supply to the pneumatic cylinder 110 of the gripper 106 as shown in FIG. 5 may be activated. The suction cup 107 of the gripper 106 is extended by actuation of the pneumatic cylinder 110. When the article is picked by the suction cup 107 using a suction force, the vacuum switch 514 may be activated indicating that the gripper 106 is in contact with the article. When the vacuum switch 514 is activated, the central controller may be signaled that the picking operation from the first conveyor 602 is completed by the gripper 106. Similar picking operation may be executed by each of the grippers 106 mounted on the circular disc 102. In some examples, the picking operation may be performed during the rotation of the circular disc 102.
…
[0074] FIG. 7 illustrates a flowchart depicting a method for performing a picking operation and placing operation using the robotic manipulator of FIG. 1. The robotic manipulator uses the circular disc with the grippers and linear sliders to perform the picking and placing operation. The grippers, the linear sliders and the circular disc are controlled using one or more central controllers. The picking and placing operation, for example, may be performed in conjunction with conveyors. When the picking operation is initiated, at step 702, the circular disc attached with plurality of grippers is rotated over a first conveyor and a second conveyor 604. The first conveyor may be a merger conveyor and a second conveyor may be an induction conveyor. The circular disc is rotated by means of a first motor. The circular disc may be rotated continuously or incrementally by the first motor to a plurality of rotational positions based on number of conveyors involved in the picking and placing operation. When the picking operation is to be performed and the circular disc is rotated, at step 704, a gripper of the plurality of grippers is slid from a first position to a second position, wherein the second position has a different distance to a center of the circular disc than the first position. The grippers are slid using the movable carriage mounted on the linear slider attached to the circular disc. For example, when the first conveyor senses flow of articles, the central controller sends a first command signal to a motor controller of the linear slider to slide the gripper to from the first position to a second position suitable for picking the articles from the first conveyor. The grippers are actuated to slide in a first plane defined by a surface of the circular disc facing the first conveyor. Further, after actuating the grippers to a suitable position for picking, at step 706, the grippers are actuated in a second plane orthogonal to a first plane defined by the surface of the circular disc. The grippers are extended and retracted towards and away from the circular disc during the actuation. For example, during the picking operation, the grippers are extended away from the circular disc towards the first conveyor to pick the articles. For example, the grippers may pick the articles using suction force. For example, during the placing operation, the grippers may be either be extended away or retracted towards the circular disc to place the picked articles on the second conveyor. For example, the grippers may place the articles by releasing the suction force exerted on the articles via the suction cup. In some examples, the central controller may send a second command signal to either retract or extend the gripper during the placing operation. Further, the central controller may also send a third command signal to cut off the vacuum supplied to the suction cup to release the articles. The central controller sends the first, second, and third command signals based on response received from sensors such as, but not limited to, encoders, laser range finders, proximity sensors, potentiometer and the like mounted on the linear sliders and the grippers. Thus, sliding and the actuating the gripper based on commands from the central controller repositions the gripper to pick an article from the first conveyor and place the article on the second conveyor. In some examples, the central controller may send commands to slide and actuate multiple grippers of the plurality of grippers concurrently during the picking and placing operation. In some examples, the central controller may send commands to slide and actuate the gripper based on a dimension of the article. For example, photo eye sensors of the first conveyor may determine a length of the article incoming at the first conveyor and transmit the length to the central controller, which in turn determines the number of grippers to be repositioned to handle the article based on the length. In some examples, the length of the articles may be fed into a memory of the external controller. In some examples, the length of the articles may be dynamically computed based on images from vision sensors positioned on the first conveyor. In this regard, the robotic manipulator comprising the grippers, the linear sliders and the circular disc manipulates the articles based on commands from the central controller.
See, for example, Figure 1 and 2, below:
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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.
The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention(s) absent any evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and effective filing dates of each claim that was not commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the later invention in order for the examiner to consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) for any potential 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) prior art against the later invention.
Claim(s) 4, 8 and 10 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Jeremiah (US 20210323144 A1) as applied to claims 1-3, 5-7, 9, and 11-14 above, and further in view of Tanaka (US 20190030730 A1).
As to claim 4, Jeremiah does not disclose wherein the plurality of adsorption portions are arranged at a plurality of positions on a circumference of a circle and at a center position of the circle.
However, rearrangement of parts and changes in size and shape are often obvious. MPEP 2144.04.
Additionally, Tanaka would make obvious wherein the plurality of adsorption portions are arranged at a plurality of positions on a circumference of a circle and at a center position of the circle. Tanaka discloses a full grid array of vacuum suction parts, including centrally located vacuum suction parts, and selects based on the size (such as the selection of the shaded area in Figure 17), and teaches that “The number of vacuum suction pad groups and the number of vacuum suction pads included in each vacuum suction pad group are each optional and can be varied appropriately depending on the intended use.”. See paragraph 0110-0113, disclosing:
[0053] FIG. 4 shows a plurality of vacuum suction pad groups included in the holding part 43. The holding part 43 includes first to fourth vacuum suction pad groups 51A to 51D. The first vacuum suction pad group 51A includes a plurality of (e.g. twelve) first vacuum suction pads 37A. The second vacuum suction pad group 51B includes a plurality of (e.g. twelve) second vacuum suction pads 37B. The third vacuum suction pad group 51C includes a plurality of (e.g. twelve) third vacuum suction pads 37C. The fourth vacuum suction pad group 51D includes a plurality of (e.g. twelve) fourth vacuum suction pads 37D. Note that the second, third and fourth vacuum suction pads 37B, 37C and 37D in the first embodiment correspond to the second vacuum suction pad recited in the claims. The number of vacuum suction pad groups and the number of vacuum suction pads included in each vacuum suction pad group are each optional and can be varied appropriately depending on the intended use.
…
[0098] If, as in the first embodiment, the number of vertical-direction vacuum suction pads of each of the first to fourth vacuum suction pad groups 51A to 51D is two and the number of first to fourth vacuum suction pads 37A to 37D arranged in the vertical direction within the target area 64 is an even number (multiples of two), there are two patterns of a first state in which an article 16 spans a predetermined number (e.g. two) of vacuum suction pad groups as shown in FIG. 16 and a second state in which an article 16 spans vacuum suction pad groups the number of which is larger than the predetermined number (e.g. three) as shown in FIG. 17. In the first state, a suction force (negative pressure) is received from two suction units 27 and in the second state, a suction force (negative pressure) is received from three suction units 27. The second state is more desirable to hold a breathable article because the suction force is stronger and so is the folding force of the article. The controller body 54 chooses the second state on a priority basis under the conditions of the number of vertical-direction vacuum suction pads of each of the first to fourth vacuum suction pad groups 51A to 51D, the number of first to fourth vacuum suction pads 37A to 37D arranged in the vertical direction within the target area 64 and the like, and moves the holding part 43 to a given position where the holding part 43 receives a negative pressure from three suction units 27 (first and second negative-pressure generation sources).
…
[0110] An example of an operation of the transfer equipment according to the second embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 18 to 20. The controller body 54 sets a target area 64 corresponding to the top face of an article 16 selected as an object to be transferred, from three-dimensional position information and calculates the number of first to fourth vacuum suction pads 37A to 37D that can be arranged within the target area 64. Note that the acquisition of a reference value (previous preparation) of the first embodiment and the preprocessing in step S22 are performed before step S13 or using data of the last-executed transfer step.
[0111] At the beginning, the controller body 54 controls the direction control valves 31 to close the valve portions 36 and stops supplying a negative pressure to all the first to fourth vacuum suction parts 32A to 32D as shown in FIG. 18.
[0112] As shown in FIG. 19, the controller body 54 also controls the direction control valves 31 to open only the valve portions 36 of the first to fourth vacuum suction parts 32A to 32D located within the target area 64 and connect the first to fourth vacuum suction parts 32A to 32D located within the target area 64 to the suction units 27. Furthermore, the controller body 54 controls the direction control valves 31 to close the valve portions 36 of the first to fourth vacuum suction parts 32A to 32D located outside the target area 64. The vacuum suction force (negative pressure) is therefore concentrated on the first to fourth vacuum suction parts 32A to 32D arranged within the target area 64.
[0113] The controller body 54 drives the manipulator body 42 in accordance with the position of the article 16 to move the holding part 43 to the position of the article 16. The holding part 63 is moved in the X and Y directions first and then moved in the Z direction while it is located directly above the article 16.
See Figure 17, below:
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Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the filing of the invention to have utilized wherein the plurality of adsorption portions are arranged at a plurality of positions on a circumference of a circle and at a center position of the circle as an obvious rearrangement of parts and change in size and shape of parts and because Tanaka discloses the benefits of centrally located suction parts to enable selecting internal suction parts for gripping or adsorbing smaller objects.
As to claim 8, Jeremiah does not disclose the full limitation of wherein in a case where a pressure greater than or equal to a threshold value was detected by a first sensor among the plurality of sensors, the actuator control unit changes a position of the rod-shaped member corresponding to the first sensor in such a manner that the adsorption pad corresponding to the first sensor moves in a direction away from the target object.
Tanaka disclose the full limitation of wherein in a case where a pressure greater than or equal to a threshold value was detected by a first sensor among the plurality of sensors, the actuator control unit changes a position of the rod-shaped member corresponding to the first sensor in such a manner that the adsorption pad corresponding to the first sensor moves in a direction away from the target object. Tanaka discloses setting and using threshold values for pressure and flow sensors. See paragraph 0073, disclosing:
[0043] Each of the sensor parts 34 is provided halfway through its corresponding one of the tubes 33. The sensor parts 34 are configured by commonly-used pressure sensors to measure the internal pressure (including a negative pressure) of the tubes 33. The sensor parts 34 can be configured by flow sensors in place of the pressure sensors or configured by both the pressure sensors and the flow sensors.
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[0073] The reference values are set before the first to fourth vacuum suction parts 32A to 32D are adsorbed on the article 16 by the foregoing previous preparation. The controller body 54 acquires the reference values measured by the previous preparation from, e.g. the storage device (step S21 in FIG. 7). Then, in the previous preparation in step S22, (1) a calibration is performed, (2) a standard deviation is acquired and (3) a first threshold value is set. Since the configuration shown in FIG. 2 is the minimum one of the first embodiment, it can be considered that FIG. 4 shows four minimum configurations of the first embodiment. Therefore, the calibration (1), the acquisition of a standard deviation (2) and the setting of a first threshold value (3), are determined independently in each of the first to fourth vacuum suction parts 32A to 32D, which will be described below.
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[0078] In step S23, the controller body 54 detects a non-vacuum suction state in which none of the vacuum suction parts of each of the first to fourth vacuum suction parts 32A to 32D located within the target area 64 is adsorbed. Then, the second determination circuit 63B of the determination part 61 of the controller body 54 determines whether to satisfy condition 1 that the above standard deviation is smaller than a preset second threshold value. In step S23, the second threshold value is a fixed threshold value and is, for example, 0.7 kPa. The relationship between the standard deviation and the second threshold value is shown in FIG. 9. The third determination circuit 63C of the determination part 61 of the controller body 54 determines whether to satisfy condition 2 that the measured values of each of the first to fourth vacuum suction parts 32A to 32D located within the target area 64 are all larger than a preset third threshold value. The third threshold value is a fixed threshold value and is, for example, −20 kPa. An example of the relationship between the third threshold value and the measured value is shown in FIG. 8. It is desirable that the determinations as to whether to satisfy conditions 1 and 2 be made after a lapse of a given period of time (e.g. 230 milliseconds) from the start of measurement and before a lapse of a second period of time (e.g. a few seconds). When the controller body 54 determines that both conditions 1 and 2 are satisfied, it detects an all-non-vacuum suction state in which none of the vacuum suction parts of the first to fourth vacuum suction parts 32A to 32D within the target area 64 is adsorbed. When the controller body 54 detects the all-non-vacuum suction state, it advances to steps S26 and S28, in which the controller body 54 determines whether the article 16 can successfully be held or not. Detecting the all-non-vacuum suction state, the controller body 54 determines that the article 16 cannot successfully be held. For example, when the controller body 54 detects that the vacuum suction parts of the first vacuum suction unit 32A in the target area 64 are not adsorbed and the vacuum suction parts of the second to fourth vacuum suction parts 32B to 32D in the target area 64 are adsorbed, it determines that the article 16 is successfully held, and moves to the process described below.
See also Figure 2, below:
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Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the filing of the invention to have utilized the full limitation of wherein in a case where a pressure greater than or equal to a threshold value was detected by a first sensor among the plurality of sensors, the actuator control unit changes a position of the rod-shaped member corresponding to the first sensor in such a manner that the adsorption pad corresponding to the first sensor moves in a direction away from the target object as suggested by Tanaka so that the controller can determines whether the article can successfully be held or not.
As to claim 10, Jeremiah does not disclose the full limitation of further comprising: a vacuum control unit configured to control a vacuum pump or an ejector, wherein each of the adsorption portions includes an adsorption pad, each of the adsorption pads is connected to the vacuum pump or the ejector via a corresponding flow path, and for each adsorption pad in contact with the target object, the vacuum control unit causes the adsorption pad to adsorb the target object by controlling the vacuum pump or the ejector to suction air inside the adsorption pad.
Tanaka makes obvious further comprising: a vacuum control unit (controller 13) configured to control a vacuum pump or an ejector (“The suction unit 27 of each of the first to fourth fluid control units 18A to 18D is configured by a commonly-used vacuum pump”), wherein each of the adsorption portions includes an adsorption pad (suction pad 37A-F), each of the adsorption pads is connected to the vacuum pump or the ejector via a corresponding flow path, and for each adsorption pad in contact with the target object, the vacuum control unit causes the adsorption pad to adsorb the target object by controlling the vacuum pump or the ejector to suction air inside the adsorption pad. Tanaka discloses using vacuum pumps as pressurization unit 28 and a suction pad 37A-F. See paragraphs 0041-42, disclosing:
[0041] The suction unit 27 of each of the first to fourth fluid control units 18A to 18D is configured by a commonly-used vacuum pump. The suction unit 27 can apply a negative pressure to each of the first to fourth vacuum suction parts 32A to 32D, as will be described later. The suction unit 27 may generate a negative pressure by combining the pressurization unit 28 with a vacuum generator without using the vacuum pump. The suction unit 27 of the first fluid control unit 16A corresponds to a first negative-pressure generation source, the suction unit 27 of the second fluid control unit 18B corresponds to a second negative-pressure generation source, the suction unit 27 of the third fluid control unit 18C corresponds to a third negative-pressure generation source, and the suction unit 27 of the fourth fluid control unit 18D corresponds to a fourth negative-pressure generation source. The first to fourth negative-pressure generation sources are independent. For the sake of convenience, the second to fourth negative-pressure generation sources will be all referred to as a second negative-pressure generation source.
[0042] The pressurization unit 28 is configured by a commonly-used compressor, a pneumatic pump (air pump) or the like. The first and second vacuum suction parts 32A and 32B can be supplied with air pressure (positive pressure) for a vacuum break, as will be described later. As the pressurization unit 28, the compressor or the pneumatic pump can be substituted with an air pipe in a factory, from which high-pressure air can be obtained. The tubes 33 are formed cylindrically by elastic materials. The tubes 33 are stiff enough to be resistant to a vacuum. It is desirable that the tubes 33 be flexible.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the filing of the invention to have utilized the full limitation of further comprising: a vacuum control unit configured to control a vacuum pump or an ejector, wherein each of the adsorption portions includes an adsorption pad, each of the adsorption pads is connected to the vacuum pump or the ejector via a corresponding flow path, and for each adsorption pad in contact with the target object, the vacuum control unit causes the adsorption pad to adsorb the target object by controlling the vacuum pump or the ejector to suction air inside the adsorption pad as suggested by Tanaka so that the controller can determines whether the article can successfully be held or not.
Conclusion
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/GEORGE R KOCH/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1745
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