DETAILED ACTION
Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
The following is a quotation of the appropriate paragraphs of 35 U.S.C. 102 that form the basis for the rejections under this section made in this Office action:
A person shall be entitled to a patent unless –
(a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claims 12-13, 15-19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Kalouche (US 20230356387 A1).
Regarding Claim 12, Kalouche teaches A picking system comprising a plurality of cart robots (Fig. 4 [0047] Each load handling device 30 includes a vehicle 32 with a first set of wheels 34), the cart robots configured to pick up and convey a package and place the package on a shelf from which the package is to be picked up by a cart robot. ([0008] a mobile, manipulator robot for retrieving inventory from the storage structure is provided…a picking arm connected to the body. The picking arm may be coupled to a first pneumatic gripping tool configured to pick inventory items. [0059] robotic tasks such as the recognition of an inventory item, the placement or release of a grasped item (e.g., in a particular location or orientation) or any other robotic task that facilitates order fulfillment [0071] Manipulator robot 200 may traverse vertical grid 126, extract bins 110, and pick from the extracted bins housed in shelving, racks or stacks on the lateral sides of storage structure 114.)
Regarding Claim 13, Kalouche teaches The picking system according to claim 12, wherein, in a case where another package is loaded, the cart robot places the package on another shelf.([0054] FIG. 5 illustrates a known digging operation in which one of the load handling devices 30 sequentially lifts each non-target bin 10 a from the stack 12 of bins 10 containing target bin 10 b. Each of the non-target bins 10 a may be placed in a temporary location on top of another stack 12. After each of the non-target bins 10 a have been removed, target bin 10 b can be extracted from frame 14 by load handling device 30 and transported to port 24. After target bin 10 b has been extracted, non-target bins 10 a may be placed back in the original stack 12 to restore the original order of the stack less the target bin.)
Regarding Claim 15, Kalouche teaches The picking system according to claim 12, wherein the shelf is provided in plurality ([0071] Manipulator robot 200 may traverse vertical grid 126, extract bins 110, and pick from the extracted bins housed in shelving, racks or stacks on the lateral sides of storage structure 114. When the term “grid” is used herein without an orientation qualifier (e.g., vertical or horizontal), the term may refer to any grid structure formed by a combination of rails 122, 124, 125, whether the grid be horizontally oriented or vertically oriented.), and the cart robot places the package on the shelf near another cart robot, among the plurality of shelves. ([0085] Thus, after robot 200 has picked a product from target bin 110 b, the product may be placed directly into the order bin corresponding to the order of the consumer who purchased the product. )
Regarding Claim 16, Kalouche teaches The picking system in accordance with claim 12, wherein the shelf is provided in plurality([0071] Manipulator robot 200 may traverse vertical grid 126, extract bins 110, and pick from the extracted bins housed in shelving, racks or stacks on the lateral sides of storage structure 114. When the term “grid” is used herein without an orientation qualifier (e.g., vertical or horizontal), the term may refer to any grid structure formed by a combination of rails 122, 124, 125, whether the grid be horizontally oriented or vertically oriented.), and the cart robot changes quantity of the shelves on which the package is to be placed in accordance with an amount of the package to be picked up. ([0121 In this manner, subsequently picked items may be efficiently packed within order bin 214 such that smaller order bins may be utilized. This increases the overall amount of order bins that may be transported by a single robot, and in turn, increases the throughput of the system. )
Regarding Claim 17, Kalouche teaches The picking system according to claim 12 wherein the cart robot and the shelf are each provided in plurality, ([0071] Manipulator robot 200 may traverse vertical grid 126, extract bins 110, and pick from the extracted bins housed in shelving, racks or stacks on the lateral sides of storage structure 114. When the term “grid” is used herein without an orientation qualifier (e.g., vertical or horizontal), the term may refer to any grid structure formed by a combination of rails 122, 124, 125, whether the grid be horizontally oriented or vertically oriented.)
each of the plurality of shelves corresponds to one cart robot or two or more cart robots, out of the plurality of cart robots, and ([0003] inventory items are stored in containers and arranged on rows of shelving on either side of an aisle. Each container, or bin, holds a plurality of items of one or more product types. The aisles provide access between the shelving for an operator or robot to migrate the aisles and retrieve the items.)
the cart robot places the package to be picked up by the cart robot on the shelf corresponding to the cart robot. ([0092] Robot 200 may be driven, for example, on the warehouse floor in any direction to navigate the robot between grids 126 and/or to other areas of the warehouse so that the robot may assist with other fulfillment tasks such as replenishment, picking/sorting inventory from shelving or a container (e.g., a bin, a tote, or any other structure holding inventory), for example, at a picking/sorting station, and/or packaging the picked/sorted inventory.)
Regarding Claim 18, Kalouche teaches The picking system according to claim 12, wherein the cart robot performs charging processing, being processing of charging a driving battery mounted on the cart robot at least one of situations: when picking up the package from the shelf; and when placing the package on the shelf. ([0134] When valves and charging outlets are located adjacent to one another, at a pick and pack station for example, downtime (time in which robot 600 is inoperable) may be completely eliminated as robot 600 may perform pick and pack tasks while simultaneously refilling air tank 666 and recharging its batteries.)
Regarding Claim 19, Kalouche teaches A program causing a computer to execute: ([0062] Computer system 103 coordinates the operation of robotic system 100. Computer system 103 can be a processor based computer system. The processor may be any logic processing unit, such as one or more microprocessors, central processing units (CPUs), digital signal processors (DSPs), graphics processing units (GPUs), application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), programmable gate arrays (PGAs), programmed logic units (PLUs), and the like.)
a conveyance procedure, being a procedure of picking up and conveying a package using a cart robot; and ([0057] a robot having a picking manipulator (sometimes referred to herein as a “picking arm”) coupleable to a gripping tool for grasping a variety of products and placing the products into one of a plurality of order containers.)
a placement procedure, being a procedure of placing, using the cart robot, the package on a shelf from which the package is to be picked up by the cart robot. ([0085] piece picking robot 200 may be used only for grasping products, which may be subsequently placed into order bins 214 carried by a “transporting robot” (e.g., a robot whose primary responsibility is carrying around order bins) (not shown). In this manner, both manipulator robot 200 and the transporting robot may move along grid 126 and meet at certain picking or transfer locations.)
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.
Claims 6-10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Nagatsuka (US 20220219330 A1) in view of Zevenbergen (US 20170368684 A1)
Regarding Claim 6, Nagatsuka teaches A cart robot comprising: ([0001] The present invention relates to a transport system that transports objects. [0003] Examples of a system for transporting objects are food service carts)
a traveling vehicle body including a cart on which a package can be placed; and ([0038] The housing apparatus 95 includes the housing rack 70 and the truck 90. It is possible to arrange a plurality of trays in the housing rack 70 along the vertical direction (or the Z axis direction) one above another, as illustrated in FIG. 6. The trays are objects to be held by the hand units 60. The trays may be arranged in the housing rack 70 with food and drink to be served to users placed thereon. The truck 90 has four drive wheels 92. )
Nagatsuka does not expressly disclose but Zevenbergen discloses a fixing frame being provided on a frame of the cart and configured to fix an arm (Fig. 2A [0055] The robotic truck unloader 200 may include a robotic arm 202 with a gripping component 204 for gripping objects within the environment.), being an arm that transfers the package, to an inside of the cart. ([0055] The robotic arm 202 may use the gripping component 204 to pick up and place boxes to load or unload trucks or other containers. )
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to modify Nagatsuka with the teachings of Zevenbergen with a reasonable expectation of success by picking up and placing boxes to load or unload trucks or other containers as taught by Zevenbergen ([0055])
Regarding Claim 7, Nagatsuka teaches The cart robot according to claim 6, wherein the fixing frame fixes a plurality of the arms at intervals designed based on a shoulder width of a human. ([0034] The robot 10 is a humanoid robot, which has a body that mimics the human bone structure. [0036] Drive axes relating to the arm unit 50 include a shoulder roll axis, a shoulder pitch axis, a shoulder yaw axis)
Regarding Claim 8, Nagatsuka teaches The cart robot according to claim 6, wherein the fixing frame fixes the arm at a height designed based on a height of a human shoulder. ([0034] The robot 10 is a humanoid robot, which has a body that mimics the human bone structure. [0036] Drive axes relating to the arm unit 50 include a shoulder roll axis, a shoulder pitch axis, a shoulder yaw axis)
Regarding Claim 9, Nagatsuka teaches The cart robot according to claim 6, wherein the fixing frame is provided on one side when viewed in a traveling direction of the traveling vehicle body, and fixes the arm so as to transfer the package on a side opposite to the one side. (Fig. 1 robot main body 30 on opposite side from housing apparatus 95)
Regarding Claim 10, Nagatsuka teaches The cart robot according to claim 9, wherein the fixing frame is constituted with a first support fixed to a corner portion of the frame and a second support fixed to a side of the corner portion from a center of the frame as viewed in the traveling direction of the traveling vehicle body, and the fixing frame fixes the arm to a distal end side of the first support and the second support. ([0039] The housing rack 70 also has four support columns 72 fixed on the base members 71 and extending along the Z axis. [0045] When the hand units 60 of the robot 10 hold a tray housed in the housing rack 70 to take it out, the hand units 60 of the two arm units 50 hold the Y-axial ends of the tray and lift up the tray they hold. In order for the hand units 60 to do this operation, it is necessary that the tray to be held be the tray that is located uppermost in the housing rack 70 )
Claims 11 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Nagatsuka (US 20220219330 A1) in view of Zevenbergen (US 20170368684 A1) in further view of Kalouche (US 20230356387 A1)
Regarding Claim 11, Nagatsuka does not expressly disclose but Kalouche discloses The cart robot according to claim 9, wherein the traveling vehicle body includes a compressor to cause the arm to suck the package, the compressor being mounted on a lower side of the fixing frame. ([0075] Fluid supply system 138 thus eliminates the need for robot 200 to carry a bulky onboard air compressor or vacuum generator to grasp inventory items using its pneumatic gripping tool 248 (FIG. 9A). Fluid supply system 138 includes a fluid source S and a supply line 140. Fluid source S may be a compressor, such as a pneumatic compressor, to supply compressed air to supply line 140. Alternatively, fluid source S may be a vacuum pump or vacuum generator. )
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to modify Nagatsuka with the teachings of Kalouche with a reasonable expectation of success by grasping a large variety of products while traversing across the storage structure and support larger payloads during grasping as taught by Kalouche ([0058])
Claims 14 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kalouche (US 20230356387 A1) in view of Robin (US 11254506 B1)
Regarding Claim 14, Kalouche does not expressly disclose Robin discloses The picking system according to claim 12,
wherein the cart robot includes:
a first cart robot configured to move on a slow lane; and (Col 9 Line 3-5 the first robotic drives 112 may travel in first lanes 122 between adjacent rows of the first chutes 114)
a second cart robot configured to move on a fast lane at a higher speed than the first cart robot, (Col 9 Line 14-16 Similarly, on the second floor 104, the second robotic drives 116 may travel in second lanes 126 between adjacent rows of the second chutes 118)
the first cart robot places the package on the shelf from which the package is to be picked up by the first cart robot, and (Col 17 Line 6-13 a first robotic drive 304(1) on the third floor 102 and first robotic drive 304(2) on the third floor 102 may each receive, from respective induct stations 110, a package destined for Denver, Colo. The first robotic drive 304(1) and the first robotic drive 304(2) may deliver the package 108 to chutes that align the with the container (or the chute 302) in a first direction (e.g., X-direction). )
the first cart robot passes the package picked up from the shelf to the second cart robot. (Col 17 Line 14-17 A second robotic drive 306(1) on the second floor 104 may receive a package from the first robotic drive 304(1) and a second robotic drive 306(2) on the second floor 104 may receive a package from the first robotic drive 304(2).)
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to modify Kalouche with the teachings of Robin with a reasonable expectation of success by depositing the packages in the chutes may align the packages with a respective container on the floor as taught by Robin (abstract)
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to SARAH TRAN whose telephone number is (313)446-6642. The examiner can normally be reached 8am-5pm M-F.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Khoi Tran can be reached at (571) 272-6919. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/S.A.T./Examiner, Art Unit 3656 /KHOI H TRAN/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3656
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