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 .
DETAILED ACTION
This is the first Office action on the merits. Claims 1-20 are currently pending and addressed below.
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.
(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.
Claim(s) 1-6 and 12 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Usui et al. (US 20140345536 A1), hereinafter Usui.
Regarding claim 1, Usui teaches:
1. A robotic arm assembly and rack assembly comprising:
at least one computer system and software program adapted to operate the robotic arm assembly; (Paragraph 0048, "The controller 80 performs control to operations of each apparatus connected thereto and includes various control devices, arithmetic processors, and storages. The details of the controller 80 will be described later with reference to FIG. 4.")
an operating assembly including one or more actuators, (Paragraph 0065, "The instruction unit 81c compares the input value received from the operation acquisition unit 81b with the cage identification information 82a to identify the storage position of the cage C subjected to the operation. The instruction unit 81c generates actuating signals for actuating the carrier robot 20 and the exchange robot 40 to operate based on the teaching information 82b in accordance with the identified storage position of the cage C, and then outputs the actuating signal to the carrier robot 20 and the exchange robot 40.") controllers, (Paragraph 0048, "The controller 80 performs control to operations of each apparatus connected thereto and includes various control devices, arithmetic processors, and storages. The details of the controller 80 will be described later with reference to FIG. 4.") and sensors; (Paragraph 0115, "Specifically, as illustrated in FIG. 12A, also when extending the arm on which the thermo camera 27 is provided, the carrier robot 20 controls the moving direction and orientation of the hand 26 to be directed to a particular direction and orientation (see the arrow 1204 in FIG. 12A).")
at least an upper arm portion of the robotic arm assembly hingedly coupled to a lower arm portion by an elbow joint, a proximal portion of the lower arm portion hingedly coupled to a wrist joint, a tool assembly hingedly coupled to the wrist joint, and a distal portion of the upper arm portion hingedly coupled to a shoulder joint;
a base portion hingedly coupled to the shoulder joint and hingedly coupled to a port assembly, (Paragraph 0068, "The instruction unit 81c generates the actuating signals for actuating the carrier robot 20 and the exchange robot 40 based on the "job" described above. The actuating signal is generated as a pulse signal sent to a servo motor installed on each joint of the carrier robot 20 and the exchange robot 40.") the port assembly movably coupled to a rail assembly operationally contiguous with a rack assembly;
the rail assembly adapted to guide the robotic arm assembly measurable along Cartesian coordinates x, y, and z of a three-dimensional space containing the rack assembly; (Paragraph 0038, "The carrier robot 20 includes a travelling base part 21 that can move along the guide rail 30 as indicated by the arrow 101 in FIG. 1, and a robot base 22 vertically movably with respect to the travelling base part 21 as indicated by the arrow 102 in FIG. 1." Please also see figures 12A and 12B which demonstrate the configuration and motion of the robot which is coupled to the rail system.) and
a center axis stemming from the port assembly wherein the tool assembly portion is adapted to be directionally vectored within polar coordinates r, 0, and z, (Paragraph 0075, "The arm base 23 is provided on the robot base 22 rotatably around a shaft S1. The first arm 24 is connected to the arm base 23 in a manner that the base end thereof is rotatable around a shaft P1. The second arm 25 is connected to the distal end of the first arm 24 in a manner that the base end thereof is rotatable around a shaft P2.") wherein the robotic arm assembly is adapted to engage smart cage assemblies disposed on the rack assemblies from a programmed set of operations. (Paragraph 0036, "Back to explanation of FIG. 1, the carrier robot 20 will be next described. The carrier robot 20 is disposed between the rack 10 and the exchange work table 50 as a certain carrying position. The carrier robot 20 includes a hand (a numeral is omitted) including a retention mechanism for the cage C and uses the hand to perform operations of taking the cage C in and out from the rack 10 and carrying the case C between the rack 10 and the exchange work table 50." as well as Paragraph 0100, "The gripping claws 44a are a gripping mechanism included in the exchange robot 40 and configured to pinch and thus grip the necessary article such as the feed f, the water supply package wp, and the sawdust sheet ss." and Paragraph 0077, "The retention part 26a is a flat member in an approximately U shape in a plane view and retains the cage C with the cage C placed on the top thereof. It should be noted that not only such a placing manner but also a suction pad, for example, may be used to retain the cage C.")
Regarding claim 2, where all the limitations of claim 1 are discussed above, Usui further teaches:
2. The robotic arm assembly and rack assembly of Claim 1, wherein engagement with smart cage assemblies (Paragraph 0036, "Back to explanation of FIG. 1, the carrier robot 20 will be next described. The carrier robot 20 is disposed between the rack 10 and the exchange work table 50 as a certain carrying position. The carrier robot 20 includes a hand (a numeral is omitted) including a retention mechanism for the cage C and uses the hand to perform operations of taking the cage C in and out from the rack 10 and carrying the case C between the rack 10 and the exchange work table 50." as well as Paragraph 0100, "The gripping claws 44a are a gripping mechanism included in the exchange robot 40 and configured to pinch and thus grip the necessary article such as the feed f, the water supply package wp, and the sawdust sheet ss." and Paragraph 0077, "The retention part 26a is a flat member in an approximately U shape in a plane view and retains the cage C with the cage C placed on the top thereof. It should be noted that not only such a placing manner but also a suction pad, for example, may be used to retain the cage C.") is conditional upon receiving sensor data that said engagement will address. (Paragraph 0061, "In such a case, the registration unit 81a registers each of the input values described above on the cage identification information 82a, and generates and registers a "storage position" in accordance with the vacancy condition of the rack 10 and other conditions. The registration unit 81a registers an initial value, for example, for the "previous exchange date" item. The "previous exchange date" and other items that will change in the course of breeding are updated as necessary by the instruction unit 81c described later." as well as Paragraphs 0064-0065, "Back to the explanation of FIG. 4, the operation acquisition unit 81b will now be described. The operation acquisition unit 81b acquires an input value indicating the content of operation performed by the operator M from the operation unit 92 and sends the input value thus acquired to the instruction unit 81c. Examples of the input value indicating the content of operation include the "cage ID" of the cage C subjected to an operation such as exchange of necessary articles.
The instruction unit 81c compares the input value received from the operation acquisition unit 81b with the cage identification information 82a to identify the storage position of the cage C subjected to the operation. The instruction unit 81c generates actuating signals for actuating the carrier robot 20 and the exchange robot 40 to operate based on the teaching information 82b in accordance with the identified storage position of the cage C, and then outputs the actuating signal to the carrier robot 20 and the exchange robot 40." This demonstrates that the system identifies the input values associated with the cage such as length of time since food was replenished and uses that information to determine robot behavior. Please see Figures 2A and 2B.)
Regarding claim 3, where all the limitations of claim 1 are discussed above, Usui further teaches:
3. The robotic arm assembly of Claim 1, wherein engagement with smart cage assemblies (Paragraph 0040, "The exchange robot 40 is disposed near the exchange work table 50 and performs operations of exchanging a necessary article such as the feed f, the water supply package wp, and the sawdust sheet ss, which needs to be exchanged in breeding animals, for the cage C carried to the exchange work table 50. The details of the configuration and operations of the exchange robot 40 will be described later with reference to FIG. 9, for example.") is based on a schedule. (Paragraphs 0062-0063, "FIG. 5A illustrates an example in which relative priority values such as "high" and "low" are stored in the "priority" item. However, specific priority values such as "one day after operation" or "three days after operation" may be stored, as illustrated in FIG. 5B.
In other words, any priority value that enables weighting in monitoring the cages C may be used. It should be noted that the instruction unit 81c described later adjusts the time or frequency of capturing the cage C performed by the thermo camera 27 in accordance with such a priority value.")
Regarding claim 4, where all the limitations of claim 1 are discussed above, Usui further teaches:
4. The robotic arm assembly and rack assembly of Claim 1, wherein the tool assembly is a gripper tool assembly. (Paragraph 0099, "The hand 44 is supported by the second arm 43 with the base end thereof as described above and disposed rotatably around a shaft T (see the arrow 906 in FIG. 9). The hand 44 includes a pair of gripping claws 44a.")
Regarding claim 5, where all the limitations of claim 1 are discussed above, Usui further teaches:
5. The robotic arm assembly and rack assembly of Claim 1 wherein the tool assembly is interchangeable from a group consisting of at least a claw tool assembly, a gripper tool assembly, a dispensing tool assembly, and a rotational tool assembly. (Paragraph 0099, "The hand 44 is supported by the second arm 43 with the base end thereof as described above and disposed rotatably around a shaft T (see the arrow 906 in FIG. 9). The hand 44 includes a pair of gripping claws 44a.")
Regarding claim 6, where all the limitations of claim 1 are discussed above, Usui further teaches:
6. The robotic arm assembly and rack assembly of Claim 1, wherein at least one optical sensor is disposed on the robotic arm assembly. (Paragraph 0115, "Specifically, as illustrated in FIG. 12A, also when extending the arm on which the thermo camera 27 is provided, the carrier robot 20 controls the moving direction and orientation of the hand 26 to be directed to a particular direction and orientation (see the arrow 1204 in FIG. 12A).")
Regarding claim 12, where all the limitations of claim 1 are discussed above, Usui further teaches:
12. The robotic arm assembly and rack assembly of Claim 1, wherein at least one 3D vision system or an RFID system is disposed on the robotic arm assembly. (Paragraph 0137, "In each of the embodiments described above, each cage is identified with a barcode. However, the identification method is not limited to barcodes, needless to say. For example, matrix-type two-dimensional codes or RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) may be used.")
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.
Claim(s) 7 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Usui in view of Menon et al. (US 20230266757 A1), hereinafter Menon.
Regarding claim 7, where all the limitations of claim 1 are discussed above, Usui does not specifically teach manual operation by an operator. However, Menon, in the same field of endeavor of robotics, teaches:
7. The robotic arm assembly and rack assembly of Claim 1, wherein the robotic arm assembly may at least partially be operated manually by way of a user interface operationally coupled to the computer system. (Paragraph 0027, "In the example shown, teleoperation may be performed through manipulation of a manual input device 128, e.g., a haptic input device, by a human operator 130. The human operator 130 (sometimes referred to as a teleoperator) may be prompted by information displayed via a display device comprising and/or associated with the teleoperation computer 126 to begin teleoperation. Data from one or more sensors 134 may be provided to the human operator 130 via network 124 and teleoperation computer 126. In some embodiments, sensors 134 include a camera on the robot or otherwise in the environment 100 configured to generate a video feed that is displayed to the teleoperator 130 and used to perform and/or complete performance of an operation or portion thereof via teleoperation. In various embodiments, the camera is connected with a low-latency, high throughput connection, including by way of example and without limitation one or more of analog RF based communication, WiFi, Bluetooth, and Sub GHz. In some embodiments, a mix of cameras of different types is used. For example, cameras with different communication rates, bandwidth, and/or other characteristics may be used, such as two RGB visual cameras, four depth cameras, two IR cameras, etc.")
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to combine the robotic system as taught by Usui with the ability to teleoperate the system manually as taught by Menon. This would allow a single operator to monitor and assist where necessary without requiring the user to be in close proximity to the rack. This would reduce errors and ensure a high level of safety since the system could request user assistance instead of attempting and failing an operation autonomously.
Claim(s) 8 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Usui in view of Lederer et al. (DE 102013020596 A1), hereinafter Lederer.
Regarding claim 8, where all the limitations of claim 1 are discussed above, Usui does not specifically teach an emergency stop functionality which prevents collisions. However, Lederer, in the same field of endeavor of robotics, teaches:
8. The robotic arm assembly and rack assembly of Claim 1, wherein a kill switch is adapted to halt operations before the robotic arm assembly contacts a person. (Page 3, Paragraph 5, "If, for example, an object located at least partially in the working space is detected by means of the ultrasonic sensor, the movement of the tool is preferably changed in comparison to a movement performed immediately before the detection. The term "object" here means both a human worker and an object which can be detected by means of the ultrasound sensor. The captured object represents an intruder with which the tool could collide as it moves. In order to avoid such a collision and / or to avoid or minimize the consequences of such a collision, the movement of the tool is changed. In this case, the tool is stopped, for example, at least temporarily, so that it is no longer at least temporarily moved in the workspace. Alternatively or additionally, it may be provided that the movement path of the tool is changed, wherein the tool is not stopped. Thus, the tool can avoid the detected object without having to stop the tool. As a result, a particularly time-consuming and cost-effective implementation of the work step can be realized.")
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to combine the robotic system as taught by Usui with the collision detection/prediction and subsequent stopping or avoiding action as taught by Lederer. This would increase the efficiency as well as the safety of the system.
Claim(s) 13-14 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Usui in view of Suzuki et al. (JP 2018134004 A), hereinafter Suzuki.
Regarding claim 13, Usui further teaches:
13. A robotic arm assembly and rack assembly, comprising:
a rack assembly configured to house a plurality of smart cage assemblies, (Paragraph 0028, "As illustrated in FIG. 1, the animal breeding system 1 includes a rack 10, a carrier robot 20, a guide rail 30, an exchange robot 40, and an exchange work table 50. The rack 10 is a storage rack that can contain therein cages C for breeding animals in multiple stages and rows thereof. It should be noted that the rack 10 is an example of containing means.") each smart cage assembly including an external sensor array with sensors for monitoring animal health; (Paragraph 0122, "For example, the state determination unit 81e at this time uses the threshold information 82d stored in the storage unit 82 in advance. The threshold information 82d is information including a lower limit threshold and an upper limit threshold of the body temperature of the mouse ra, for example. More specifically, the state determination unit 81e analyzes the thermo image 82c. When detecting a heat distribution in which the lower limit threshold or the upper limit threshold is exceeded, the state determination unit 81e determines that an abnormal situation occurs and notifies the notification unit 81f of the occurrence.")
a robotic arm assembly movably coupled to the rack assembly via a rail assembly and gantry, the robotic arm assembly (Paragraph 0038, " The carrier robot 20 includes a travelling base part 21 that can move along the guide rail 30 as indicated by the arrow 101 in FIG. 1, and a robot base 22 vertically movably with respect to the travelling base part 21 as indicated by the arrow 102 in FIG. 1.") including:
at least one computer system and a software program configured to control the robotic arm assembly; (Paragraph 0048, "The controller 80 performs control to operations of each apparatus connected thereto and includes various control devices, arithmetic processors, and storages. The details of the controller 80 will be described later with reference to FIG. 4.")
an operating assembly comprising actuators, controllers, (Paragraph 0065, "The instruction unit 81c compares the input value received from the operation acquisition unit 81b with the cage identification information 82a to identify the storage position of the cage C subjected to the operation. The instruction unit 81c generates actuating signals for actuating the carrier robot 20 and the exchange robot 40 to operate based on the teaching information 82b in accordance with the identified storage position of the cage C, and then outputs the actuating signal to the carrier robot 20 and the exchange robot 40.") and at least one of a 3D vision system adapted to detecting object positions adapted to estimate positions; (Paragraph 0078, "The thermo camera 27 is a thermographic camera as described above and is a device that can provide capturing data as a thermal distribution diagram by analyzing infrared radiation from the mouse ra in the cage C.")
a tool assembly interchangeably equipped with at least one of a claw tool assembly, a gripper tool assembly, a dispenser tool assembly, or a rotational tool assembly, the tool assembly configured to engage the smart cage assemblies for automated maintenance tasks; (Paragraph 0099, "The hand 44 is supported by the second arm 43 with the base end thereof as described above and disposed rotatably around a shaft T (see the arrow 906 in FIG. 9). The hand 44 includes a pair of gripping claws 44a.") and
wherein the robotic arm assembly is configured to perform automated maintenance tasks, (Paragraph 0100, "The gripping claws 44a are a gripping mechanism included in the exchange robot 40 and configured to pinch and thus grip the necessary article such as the feed f, the water supply package wp, and the sawdust sheet ss.") including cage exchanges, food and water replenishment, and cage enclosure cleaning, (Paragraph 0040, "The exchange robot 40 is disposed near the exchange work table 50 and performs operations of exchanging a necessary article such as the feed f, the water supply package wp, and the sawdust sheet ss, which needs to be exchanged in breeding animals, for the cage C carried to the exchange work table 50. The details of the configuration and operations of the exchange robot 40 will be described later with reference to FIG. 9, for example.") based on sensor data from the smart cage assemblies or a predefined schedule, (Paragraphs 0062-0063, "FIG. 5A illustrates an example in which relative priority values such as "high" and "low" are stored in the "priority" item. However, specific priority values such as "one day after operation" or "three days after operation" may be stored, as illustrated in FIG. 5B.
In other words, any priority value that enables weighting in monitoring the cages C may be used. It should be noted that the instruction unit 81c described later adjusts the time or frequency of capturing the cage C performed by the thermo camera 27 in accordance with such a priority value.") and …
Usui does not specifically discuss connecting the cages for movement of an animal between a first and second cage. However, Suzuki, in the same field of endeavor of robotics and animal care, teaches:
… to connect smart cage assemblies via a mouse inlet port. (Page 11, Paragraph 6, "Next, the control device 260 controls the operation of the opening / closing drive motor 253 to displace the slide fittings 251 and 252 to open the lid bodies 122 of both the old and new breeding cages 100 (see the drawing). As a result, the old breeding cage 100 and the new breeding cage 100 are in direct communication with each other, so that the small animal A in the old breeding cage 100 falls into the new breeding cage 100 or moves by its own intention.")
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to combine the robotic system as taught by Usui with the ability to transfer animals between an old cage and a new cage as taught by Suzuki. This would allow the system to prepare a new cage and to clean the old cage without disturbing the animal during the operations.
Regarding claim 14, where all the limitations of claim 13 are discussed above, Usui further teaches:
14. The robotic arm assembly and rack assembly of Claim 13, wherein said automated cage exchanges include robotic arm assembly configured to remove a used smart cage assembly from the rack assembly, (Paragraph 0091, "After the carrier robot 20 carries the cage C out from the rack 10, the instruction unit 81c instructs the carrier robot 20 to perform an operation of carrying the cage C to the exchange work table 50 as a certain carrying position. FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating circular movement of the carrier robot 20. It should be noted that the cage C is placed on the retention part 26a in FIG. 8 although the illustration thereof is omitted.") …
Usui does not specifically discuss connecting the cages for movement of an animal between a first and second cage. However, Suzuki, in the same field of endeavor of robotics and animal care, teaches:
… connect a clean smart cage assembly to the used smart cage assembly via the mouse inlet port, (Page 11, Paragraph 6, "Next, the control device 260 controls the operation of the opening / closing drive motor 253 to displace the slide fittings 251 and 252 to open the lid bodies 122 of both the old and new breeding cages 100 (see the drawing). As a result, the old breeding cage 100 and the new breeding cage 100 are in direct communication with each other, so that the small animal A in the old breeding cage 100 falls into the new breeding cage 100 or moves by its own intention.") and use incentives to encourage animal movement to the clean smart cage assembly. (Examiner Note: A clean cage may be understood to be an incentive which would encourage the animal to move towards clean bedding/fresh food or water.)
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to combine the robotic system as taught by Usui with the ability to transfer animals between an old cage and a new cage as taught by Suzuki. This would allow the system to prepare a new cage and to clean the old cage without disturbing the animal during the operations.
Claim(s) 15 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Usui in view of Suzuki and in further view of Betts-Lacroix et al. (US 10959398 B1), hereinafter Betts-Lacroix.
Regarding claim 15, where all the limitations of claim 13 are discussed above, Usui does not specifically teach the camera being a stereo, structured light, or time of flight sensor/camera. However, Betts-Lacroix, in the same field of endeavor of robotics and animal care, teaches:
15. The robotic arm assembly and rack assembly of Claim 13, wherein the 3D vision system comprises at least one of a stereo camera system, a structured light sensor, and a time-of-flight camera, configured to detect the size, shape, and 3D distance of objects within the rack assembly. ("The electromagnetic detectors of the electronic monitor may include one or more cameras. The cameras may be able to capture video or, in other cases, still images. The optics of the cameras may be, for example, conventional camera optics, light-field camera optics, or structure-of-light camera optics. Furthermore, the cameras may be adapted to capture images in any suitable range of wavelengths, such as, for example, the visible spectrum, near infrared range, or far infrared range. For example, a camera may be adapted to detect radiation in the far infrared range to generate a signal that electronic monitor 100 uses to determine temperatures in cage 110.
The camera may be adapted to capture multiple different images of the space inside the cage, such as substantially the same area inside the cage, which can be processed together to enhance the data richness, such as the image resolution, of the observed area. For example, two or more such images may be digitally processed to deconvolve scratches and/or other imperfections in the transparency of the cage from the image. In one exemplary embodiment, the camera is adapted to be repeatedly physically shifted between at least two predefined positions in order to capture respective images from at least two different perspectives. Alternatively, the camera could be held still while a mirror or other optical device is physically shifted between at least two predefined positions in order to capture the images from the two or more optical perspectives. Alternatively or in addition, the camera may be a light-field camera that is adapted to capture two or more images simultaneously at different focus levels. In yet another embodiment, two or more fixed cameras may be positioned next to each other to simultaneously capture two or more images of substantially the same area from slightly different perspectives.")
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to combine the robotic system as taught by Usui with the specific sensing methods as taught by Betts-Lacroix. These would provide both the operator and the system with more data which may be used to identify abnormalities within each animal enclosure.
Claim(s) 16 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Usui in view of Suzuki and in further view of Litman et al. (US 20260061606 A1), hereinafter Litman.
Regarding claim 16, where all the limitations of claim 13 are discussed above, Usui does not specifically teach a force/torque sensor. However, Litman, in the same field of endeavor of robotics, teaches:
16. The robotic arm assembly and rack assembly of Claim 13, further comprising a force/torque sensor disposed on the tool assembly, the force/torque sensor configured to detect the level of force exerted during automated maintenance tasks. (Paragraph 0294, "As one example, the end effector includes sensors for measuring force/pressure. One example of such a sensor is a force torque sensor. Another example sensor is a camera, where the images captured by the camera sensor are evaluated to detect contact. Other examples of sensors include capacitive sensors for contact areas, piezoelectric force sensors, etc.")
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to combine the robotic system as taught by Usui with the force/pressure sensors incorporated in the end effector as taught by Litman. The operation could be performed more accurately and the sensor feedback would ensure that too much force is not exerted at any point during an operation thereby preventing damage and ensuring the animal remains safe during routine maintenance.
Claim(s) 18 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Usui in view of Suzuki and in further view of Voogd et al. (US 20030061996 A1), hereinafter Voogd.
Regarding claim 18, where all the limitations of claim 13 are discussed above, Usui does not specifically teach weighing the food/water. However, Voogd, in the same field of endeavor of robotics, teaches:
18. The robotic arm assembly and rack assembly of Claim 13, wherein the robotic arm assembly is configured to weigh food or water before replenishment by placing a food container or water bottle on a scale and recording the weight. (Paragraph 0068, "In the third embodiment, as shown schematically in FIG. 5, the means for weighing the feed present in the feed unit comprise a movable feed trough 75. The feed trough 75 is moved in a reciprocating manner by the motor 82 by which the roll 83 is driven. As a result of this movement there is created a torque whose magnitude is determined by a device 84 for measuring the magnitude of the torque. From the torque determined the device 84 deduces the weight of the amount of a sort of feed present in the feed trough. The exact correlation between torque and amount of feed can previously be determined by simple calibration tests.")
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to combine the robotic system as taught by Usui with the ability to determine the weight of the feed as taught by Voogd. This would ensure each enclosure has an adequate supply of fresh resources even with uneven/unpredictable consumption rates and would further reduce wasted resources by avoiding replacement when it is not necessary.
Claim(s) 20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Usui in view of Suzuki and in further view of Zheng et al. (CN 116281138 A), hereinafter Zheng.
Regarding claim 20, Usui further teaches:
20. A robotic arm assembly and rack assembly, comprising:
a rack assembly configured to house a plurality of smart cage assemblies, (Paragraph 0028, "As illustrated in FIG. 1, the animal breeding system 1 includes a rack 10, a carrier robot 20, a guide rail 30, an exchange robot 40, and an exchange work table 50. The rack 10 is a storage rack that can contain therein cages C for breeding animals in multiple stages and rows thereof. It should be noted that the rack 10 is an example of containing means.") each smart cage assembly including an external sensor array with sensors for monitoring animal health; (Paragraph 0122, "For example, the state determination unit 81e at this time uses the threshold information 82d stored in the storage unit 82 in advance. The threshold information 82d is information including a lower limit threshold and an upper limit threshold of the body temperature of the mouse ra, for example. More specifically, the state determination unit 81e analyzes the thermo image 82c. When detecting a heat distribution in which the lower limit threshold or the upper limit threshold is exceeded, the state determination unit 81e determines that an abnormal situation occurs and notifies the notification unit 81f of the occurrence.")
a robotic arm assembly movably coupled to the rack assembly … the robotic arm assembly (Paragraph 0038, "The carrier robot 20 includes a travelling base part 21 that can move along the guide rail 30 as indicated by the arrow 101 in FIG. 1, and a robot base 22 vertically movably with respect to the travelling base part 21 as indicated by the arrow 102 in FIG. 1.") including:
at least one computer system and a software program configured to control the robotic arm assembly; (Paragraph 0048, "The controller 80 performs control to operations of each apparatus connected thereto and includes various control devices, arithmetic processors, and storages. The details of the controller 80 will be described later with reference to FIG. 4.")
an operating assembly comprising actuators, controllers, (Paragraph 0065, "The instruction unit 81c compares the input value received from the operation acquisition unit 81b with the cage identification information 82a to identify the storage position of the cage C subjected to the operation. The instruction unit 81c generates actuating signals for actuating the carrier robot 20 and the exchange robot 40 to operate based on the teaching information 82b in accordance with the identified storage position of the cage C, and then outputs the actuating signal to the carrier robot 20 and the exchange robot 40.") and at least one of a 3D vision system for detecting object positions; (Paragraph 0078, "The thermo camera 27 is a thermographic camera as described above and is a device that can provide capturing data as a thermal distribution diagram by analyzing infrared radiation from the mouse ra in the cage C.")
a tool assembly interchangeably equipped with at least one of a claw tool assembly, a gripper tool assembly, a dispenser tool assembly, or a rotational tool assembly, the tool assembly configured to engage the smart cage assemblies for automated maintenance tasks; (Paragraph 0099, "The hand 44 is supported by the second arm 43 with the base end thereof as described above and disposed rotatably around a shaft T (see the arrow 906 in FIG. 9). The hand 44 includes a pair of gripping claws 44a.") and
wherein the robotic arm assembly is configured to perform automated maintenance tasks, (Paragraph 0100, "The gripping claws 44a are a gripping mechanism included in the exchange robot 40 and configured to pinch and thus grip the necessary article such as the feed f, the water supply package wp, and the sawdust sheet ss.") including cage exchanges, food and water replenishment, and cage enclosure cleaning, (Paragraph 0040, "The exchange robot 40 is disposed near the exchange work table 50 and performs operations of exchanging a necessary article such as the feed f, the water supply package wp, and the sawdust sheet ss, which needs to be exchanged in breeding animals, for the cage C carried to the exchange work table 50. The details of the configuration and operations of the exchange robot 40 will be described later with reference to FIG. 9, for example.") based on sensor data from the smart cage assemblies or a predefined schedule, (Paragraphs 0062-0063, "FIG. 5A illustrates an example in which relative priority values such as "high" and "low" are stored in the "priority" item. However, specific priority values such as "one day after operation" or "three days after operation" may be stored, as illustrated in FIG. 5B.
In other words, any priority value that enables weighting in monitoring the cages C may be used. It should be noted that the instruction unit 81c described later adjusts the time or frequency of capturing the cage C performed by the thermo camera 27 in accordance with such a priority value.") and …
Usui does not specifically discuss using an autonomous vehicle for transportation or connecting the cages for movement of an animal between a first and second cage. However, Zheng, in the same field of endeavor of robotics, teaches:
… via an autonomous ground vehicle, (Page 4, Paragraph 3, "As shown in FIG. 1 to 3, a cage loading robot, comprising a transfer trolley 6, the transfer trolley 6 surface is provided with a bottom plate 5. the transfer vehicle 6 has laser SLAM navigation, it can dynamically construct map, it can avoid functions such as pedestrian obstacle avoidance, pedestrian and so on, it can smoothly and accurately reach the appointed position. the front side of the surface of the bottom plate 5 is fixed with a lifting mechanism 7, the movable end of the lifting mechanism 7 is fixed with a grabbing mechanism 2, the lifting mechanism 7 drives the grabbing mechanism 2 lifting in the vertical direction. the back side of the upper surface of the bottom plate 5 is provided with a conveying mechanism 4 for placing the cage box frame 3 of the cage box.") …
However, Suzuki, in the same field of endeavor of robotics and animal care, teaches:
… to connect smart cage assemblies via a mouse inlet port. (Page 11, Paragraph 6, "Next, the control device 260 controls the operation of the opening / closing drive motor 253 to displace the slide fittings 251 and 252 to open the lid bodies 122 of both the old and new breeding cages 100 (see the drawing). As a result, the old breeding cage 100 and the new breeding cage 100 are in direct communication with each other, so that the small animal A in the old breeding cage 100 falls into the new breeding cage 100 or moves by its own intention.")
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to combine the robotic system as taught by Usui with the ability to transfer animals between an old cage and a new cage as taught by Suzuki and further with the ability to utilize an autonomous vehicle as taught by Zheng. Connecting the enclosures would allow the system to prepare a new cage and to clean the old cage without disturbing the animal during the operations. Utilizing a vehicle rather than the gantry/rail structure would increase the versatility of the arm and allow for a single arm to be used with a plurality of racks without moving each rack into place alongside the arm.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 9-11, 17, and 19 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
Conclusion
The Examiner has cited particular paragraphs or columns and line numbers in the referencesapplied to the claims above for the convenience of the Applicant. Although the specified citations arerepresentative of the teachings of the art and are applied to specific limitations within the individual claim, other passages and figures may apply as well. It is respectfully requested of the Applicant in preparing responses, to fully consider the references in their entirety as potentially teaching all or part of the claimed invention, as well as the context of the passage as taught by the prior art or disclosed by the Examiner. See MPEP 2141.02 [R-07.2015] VI. A prior art reference must be considered in its entirety, i.e., as a whole, including portions that would lead away from the claimed Invention. W.L. Gore & Associates, Inc. v. Garlock, Inc., 721 F.2d 1540, 220 USPQ 303 (Fed. Cir. 1983), cert, denied, 469 U.S. 851 (1984). See also MPEP §2123.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to HEATHER KENIRY whose telephone number is (571)270-5468. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 7:30-5:30.
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/H.J.K./Examiner, Art Unit 3657
/JONATHAN L SAMPLE/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3657
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