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 .
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 07/17/2025 is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
The following is a quotation of the appropriate paragraphs of 35 U.S.C. 102 that form the basis for the rejections under this section made in this Office action:
A person shall be entitled to a patent unless –
(a)(1) the claimed invention was patented, described in a printed publication, or in public use, on sale, or otherwise available to the public before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
(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) 1-7 and 12-15 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) and 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Sugaya et al. (US 20220410395 A1, hereinafter Sugaya ‘395).
Regarding claim 1, Sugaya ‘395 teaches:
An information processing method executed by a processor, the method comprising:
execute first processing that causes a second robot model to perform a virtual operation by using configuration information used to cause a first robot model to perform a virtual operation (at least as in paragraph 0084, “The virtual space V′ differs from the virtual space V in that a virtual robot arm body (ROBOT_2) 100′A, which is different from the virtual robot arm body (ROBOT_1) 100A, and a virtual robot hand body 400′A, which is different from the virtual robot hand body 400A, are displayed”; at least as in paragraph 0075-0083 & Figs. 6-7, wherein the processing procedure in Fig. 7 extracts “information about the selected node and all the lower-level nodes as children of the selected node” regarding virtual space V including the virtual robot arm body (ROBOT_1) 100A, “each model, teaching point, and coordinates corresponds to a node” and simulate movement in the virtual space; at least as in paragraph 0081-0082, “the CPU 312 calculates the position/orientation data of the 3D model of the extracted virtual box HA as absolute value information with respect to the absolute coordinate system (ROOT). By using the absolute value information, the same position and orientation can be reproduced in the input operation described later. Furthermore, in accordance with the shape information of the virtual box HA, information (for example, position/orientation data) about the lower-level nodes as children can also be extracted as relative values relative to the shape information of the virtual box HA… After the extraction, the CPU 312 outputs the information about all the extracted nodes, while maintaining the form of hierarchical data, to the file 320 through the interface 315”; at least as in paragraph 0083-0096 & Figs. 8-10, wherein the “control procedure implemented by the CPU 312 for the operation of inputting partial hierarchical data” reads and applies the hierarchical data, nodes, and information from file 320 to virtual space V’ and virtual robot arm body (ROBOT_2) 100′A); and
in a case where the second robot model has taken a specific state as a result of executing the first processing, execute second processing that notifies a user of the configuration information that has caused the second robot model to take the specific state (at least as in paragraph 0097, “the created elements targeted for simulation can be processed on different data defining another virtual space… When partial hierarchical data includes teaching points, associations are made between the TCP of the virtual robot arm body and the teaching points, the orientation calculation is conducted, and the result is displayed, which are all performed during the input operation”; at least as in paragraph 0093-0095, “The updated virtual space screen 501 displays the virtual box HA, the virtual workpieces WaA and WbA, and the teaching points 602a, 602b, 602c, and 602d described above… as the result of the orientation calculation of teaching points in step S15, when it is discovered that the virtual robot arm body 100′A cannot achieve a particular orientation, the management screen 502 displays an alert indication 510 to provide an alert against the discovery”).
Regarding claim 2, Sugaya ‘395 further teaches: The information processing method according to claim 1, wherein the second processing includes displaying, on a display apparatus, the configuration information that has caused the second robot model to take the specific state (at least as in paragraph 0087-0095, “the CPU 312 reads the file 320 and displays as a list the partial hierarchical data stored in the file 320… The selection screen 700 displays a hierarchical data list 701… the name of the information item of the highest parent node in hierarchical data is displayed as the absolute coordinate system (ROOT)… The TCP selection screen 711 in FIG. 11 displays a teaching point list 712 for indicating inputted teaching points and a TCP list 713 for selecting TCPs for the respective inputted teaching point… in step S16, an input result is displayed… The CPU 312 adds the inputted items of hierarchical data to child nodes of the absolute coordinate system (ROOT) so as to update the virtual space screen 501 and the management screen 502. The updated virtual space screen 501 displays the virtual box HA, the virtual workpieces WaA and WbA, and the teaching points 602a, 602b, 602c, and 602d described above”).
Regarding claim 3, Sugaya ‘395 further teaches: The information processing method according to claim 2,
wherein the configuration information includes information representing a teaching point of the first robot model (at least as in paragraph 0088, “the virtual workpieces WaA and WbA, and the teaching points 602a, 602b, 602c, and 602d is loaded in a given area in the storage device 314 and deployed in the virtual space V′”; at least as in paragraph 0082, “After the extraction, the CPU 312 outputs the information about all the extracted nodes, while maintaining the form of hierarchical data, to the file 320 through the interface 315. In the present embodiment, information about the virtual box HA, the virtual workpieces WaA and WbA, and the teaching points 602a, 602b, 602c, and 602d are outputted as hierarchical data”), and
wherein the second processing includes displaying, on the display apparatus, the teaching point at which the specific state has occurred, in association with a detail of the specific state (at least as in paragraph 0094, “as the result of the orientation calculation of teaching points in step S15, when it is discovered that the virtual robot arm body 100′A cannot achieve a particular orientation, the management screen 502 displays an alert indication 510 to provide an alert against the discovery. In the example in FIG. 12, the node of the teaching point 602d is displayed with an alert indication”).
Regarding claim 4, Sugaya ‘395 further teaches: The information processing method according to claim 1, wherein the specific state includes at least one of a state in which the second robot model has failed a virtual operation, a state in which the second robot model interferes with an obstacle model, a state in which the second robot model takes an abnormal posture, or a state in which the second robot model is out of a movable range (at least as in paragraph 0094, “Moreover, as the result of the orientation calculation of teaching points in step S15, when it is discovered that the virtual robot arm body 100′A cannot achieve a particular orientation, the management screen 502 displays an alert indication 510 to provide an alert against the discovery”).
Regarding claim 5, Sugaya ‘395 further teaches: The information processing method according to claim 1, wherein the configuration information includes at least one of information of a teaching point of the first robot model, information of a control point that moves in an interlocked manner with a predetermined portion of the first robot model, or a model parameter of the first robot model (at least as in paragraph 0088, “the virtual workpieces WaA and WbA, and the teaching points 602a, 602b, 602c, and 602d is loaded in a given area in the storage device 314 and deployed in the virtual space V′”; at least as in paragraph 0082, “After the extraction, the CPU 312 outputs the information about all the extracted nodes, while maintaining the form of hierarchical data, to the file 320 through the interface 315. In the present embodiment, information about the virtual box HA, the virtual workpieces WaA and WbA, and the teaching points 602a, 602b, 602c, and 602d are outputted as hierarchical data”).
Regarding claim 6, Sugaya ‘395 further teaches: The information processing method according to claim 5, wherein the predetermined portion is a distal end portion of the first robot model (at least as in paragraph 0085, “the virtual robot hand body 400′A and the TCP 603, which follow the movement of the virtual robot arm body 100′A, are displayed as nodes at a child level of the virtual robot arm body 100′A”; at least as in paragraph 0061, “the node management of the present embodiment uses a hierarchical data structure in which relations between a plurality of elements are represented by a hierarchical structure from the topmost root (higher level) determined as the absolute coordinate system (ROOT) to branches and leaves (lower level)”; at least as in paragraph 0063, “With the node management as described above, when the relative value information indicating the position and orientation of a parent model is changed, because the relative value information corresponding to the position and orientation of a child model relative to the parent model is retained, the child model can follow the parent model”).
Regarding claim 7, Sugaya ‘395 further teaches: The information processing method according to claim 1, further comprising receiving selection of the second robot model by a user from at least one robot model candidate (at least as in paragraph 0084, “FIG. 9 illustrates the state in which the virtual space V is deployed by loading data of the virtual space V′ in response to pressing the space change button 509 with the cursor 503 operated by the mouse 304 in the state illustrated in FIG. 6”; at least as in paragraph 0085, “By clicking the management screen display button 506, the management screen 502 is displayed, in which the absolute coordinate system (ROOT) as the root and the node of the virtual robot arm body (ROBOT_2) 100′A at its child level are displayed”).
Regarding claim 12, Sugaya ‘395 further teaches: A robot system including a robot controlled by using information obtained by the information processing method according to claim 1 (at least as in paragraph 0030, “The robot system 1000 includes a robot arm body 100 as an actual machine, a control device 200, and an information processing apparatus 300”).
Regarding claim 13, Sugaya ‘395 teaches: An information processing apparatus (Fig. 3 & 4, information processing apparatus 300) comprising:
a memory storing instructions (at least as in paragraph 0047, “the HDD 314c stores a program used as application software”); and
a processor, that upon execution of the stored instructions, is configured to perform information processing including (at least as in paragraph 0047, “By running this program, the CPU 312 functions as an information processing unit capable of simulating motions of a virtual robot and virtual workpieces in a virtual environment as described later”)
causing a second robot model to perform a virtual operation by using configuration information used for causing a first robot model to perform a virtual operation (at least as in paragraph 0084, “The virtual space V′ differs from the virtual space V in that a virtual robot arm body (ROBOT_2) 100′A, which is different from the virtual robot arm body (ROBOT_1) 100A, and a virtual robot hand body 400′A, which is different from the virtual robot hand body 400A, are displayed”; at least as in paragraph 0075-0083 & Figs. 6-7, wherein the processing procedure in Fig. 7 extracts “information about the selected node and all the lower-level nodes as children of the selected node” regarding virtual space V including the virtual robot arm body (ROBOT_1) 100A, “each model, teaching point, and coordinates corresponds to a node” and simulate movement in the virtual space; at least as in paragraph 0081-0082, “the CPU 312 calculates the position/orientation data of the 3D model of the extracted virtual box HA as absolute value information with respect to the absolute coordinate system (ROOT). By using the absolute value information, the same position and orientation can be reproduced in the input operation described later. Furthermore, in accordance with the shape information of the virtual box HA, information (for example, position/orientation data) about the lower-level nodes as children can also be extracted as relative values relative to the shape information of the virtual box HA… After the extraction, the CPU 312 outputs the information about all the extracted nodes, while maintaining the form of hierarchical data, to the file 320 through the interface 315”; at least as in paragraph 0083-0096 & Figs. 8-10, wherein the “control procedure implemented by the CPU 312 for the operation of inputting partial hierarchical data” reads and applies the hierarchical data, nodes, and information from file 320 to virtual space V’ and virtual robot arm body (ROBOT_2) 100′A); and
in a case where the second robot model has taken a specific state as a result of causing the second robot model to perform a virtual operation, notify a user of the configuration information that has caused the second robot model to take the specific state (at least as in paragraph 0097, “the created elements targeted for simulation can be processed on different data defining another virtual space… When partial hierarchical data includes teaching points, associations are made between the TCP of the virtual robot arm body and the teaching points, the orientation calculation is conducted, and the result is displayed, which are all performed during the input operation”; at least as in paragraph 0093-0095, “The updated virtual space screen 501 displays the virtual box HA, the virtual workpieces WaA and WbA, and the teaching points 602a, 602b, 602c, and 602d described above… as the result of the orientation calculation of teaching points in step S15, when it is discovered that the virtual robot arm body 100′A cannot achieve a particular orientation, the management screen 502 displays an alert indication 510 to provide an alert against the discovery”).
Regarding claim 14, Sugaya ‘395 further teaches: A method for manufacturing a product comprising manufacturing the product by using a robot controlled by using information obtained by the information processing method according to claim 1 (at least as in paragraph 0035, “by performing assembly operation with the workpiece Wa and the workpiece Wb as materials, assembled workpieces can be manufactured as products. As such, articles can be manufactured by using the robot arm body 100”; at least as in claim 26, “An article manufacturing method for manufacturing an article by using the robot system according to claim 25”).
Regarding claim 15, Sugaya ‘395 further teaches: A non-transitory computer-readable recording medium storing a program that when executed by a processor, causes a computer to execute the information processing method according to claim 1 (at least as in paragraph 0048, “the HDD 314c is a computer-readable non-transitory recording medium, and the HDD 314c stores the program as application software”; see also paragraph 0125).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 103 which forms the basis for all obviousness rejections set forth in this Office action:
A patent for a claimed invention may not be obtained, notwithstanding that the claimed invention is not identically disclosed as set forth in section 102, if the differences between the claimed invention and the prior art are such that the claimed invention as a whole would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to which the claimed invention pertains. Patentability shall not be negated by the manner in which the invention was made.
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) 8-11 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Sugaya ‘395 in view of Sugaya (US 20190221037 A1, hereinafter Sugaya ‘037).
Regarding claim 8, Sugaya ‘395 teaches the information processing method according to claim 1, but does not explicitly teach further comprising notifying a user of a candidate of a posture of the second robot model by which the specific state is avoided in the second processing.
However, Sugaya ‘037, in the same field of endeavor of robot control systems simulating the robotic system in a virtual environment, specifically teaches “further comprising notifying a user of a candidate of a posture of the second robot model by which the specific state is avoided in the second processing” (at least as in paragraph 0088, “the user makes the direct teaching operation by using the mouse C or the like from the condition of the warning event of the interference (collision) or the interference (collision) with threshold being displayed on the 3D model display area 107 to change the position and the orientation of the 3D model of the robotic system and to designate a teaching point that enables to avoid the warning event concerned”; at least as in paragraph 0089, “if the frame concerned of the warning event of the interference (collision) or the interference (collision) with threshold is selected again on the graph display area 112, an operation code of the frame concerned is highlighted by the highlight display. An operation code of moving to an avoidance teaching point added and prepared by using the 3D model display area 107 is automatically and additionally recorded right before for example of the operation code corresponding to the frame of the warning event. Or, only an insert position may be automatically generated as the operation code designating the move to the teaching point or the user may input manually. Or, the operation code moving to the avoidance teaching point is automatically generated and is automatically inserted into the position concerned or the addition of the operation code is defined after user's operation of permitting such insertion”).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of the ordinary skill in the art at the effective filing date of the instant invention to modify the teachings of Sugaya ‘395, to include Sugaya ‘037's teaching of detecting a warning event of an interference and generating an avoidance teaching point, since Sugaya ‘037 teaches wherein the system reduces time required to confirm the robot operation state thus improving operation efficiency by allowing the user to easily verify the command instructions of the robot and identify any issues that arise.
Regarding claim 9, the above combination of Sugaya ‘395 and Sugaya ‘037 teaches the information processing method according to claim 8, but does not explicitly teach further comprising displaying, on a display apparatus, the candidate of the posture of the second robot model by which the specific state is avoided.
However, Sugaya ‘037, in the same field of endeavor of robot control systems simulating the robotic system in a virtual environment, specifically teaches:
further comprising displaying, on a display apparatus, the candidate of the posture of the second robot model by which the specific state is avoided (at least as in paragraph 0088, “After preparing the avoidance teaching point, the user selects the frame of the warning event of the interference (collision) or the interference (collision) with threshold concerned again on the graph display area 112”; at least as in paragraph 0089, “The display of the event display area 203 in the program editor format is updated so as to be linked with the condition of the display of the 3D model display area 107 or with the event selection on the time base of the graph display area 112. For instance, if the frame concerned of the warning event of the interference (collision) or the interference (collision) with threshold is selected again on the graph display area 112, an operation code of the frame concerned is highlighted by the highlight display. An operation code of moving to an avoidance teaching point added and prepared by using the 3D model display area 107 is automatically and additionally recorded right before for example of the operation code corresponding to the frame of the warning event”).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of the ordinary skill in the art at the effective filing date of the instant invention to modify the teachings of Sugaya ‘395, to include Sugaya ‘037's teaching of detecting a warning event of an interference and generating an avoidance teaching point, since Sugaya ‘037 teaches wherein the system reduces time required to confirm the robot operation state thus improving operation efficiency by allowing the user to easily verify the command instructions of the robot and identify any issues that arise.
Regarding claim 10, in view of the above combination of Sugaya ‘395 and Sugaya ‘037, Sugaya ‘395 further teaches: The information processing method according to claim 8,
wherein the configuration information includes information representing a teaching point of the first robot model (at least as in paragraph 0088, “the virtual workpieces WaA and WbA, and the teaching points 602a, 602b, 602c, and 602d is loaded in a given area in the storage device 314 and deployed in the virtual space V′”; at least as in paragraph 0082, “After the extraction, the CPU 312 outputs the information about all the extracted nodes, while maintaining the form of hierarchical data, to the file 320 through the interface 315. In the present embodiment, information about the virtual box HA, the virtual workpieces WaA and WbA, and the teaching points 602a, 602b, 602c, and 602d are outputted as hierarchical data”)…
But Sugaya ‘395 does not explicitly teach “further comprising obtaining the candidate of the posture of the second robot model by which the specific state is avoided, by inverse kinematics calculation of the second robot model for the teaching point.”
However, Sugaya ‘037, in the same field of endeavor of robot control systems simulating the robotic system in a virtual environment, specifically teaches:
further comprising obtaining the candidate of the posture of the second robot model by which the specific state is avoided, by inverse kinematics calculation of the second robot model for the teaching point (at least as in paragraph 0072, “The additionally recorded program and the teaching point data can be converted into data of command values for individually operating the joint and the like of the robotic system by an inverse kinematic arithmetic operation of the robot controller built in the simulator system or of an external robot controller).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of the ordinary skill in the art at the effective filing date of the instant invention to modify the teachings of Sugaya ‘395, to include Sugaya ‘037's teaching of detecting a warning event of an interference and generating an avoidance teaching point, since Sugaya ‘037 teaches wherein the system reduces time required to confirm the robot operation state thus improving operation efficiency by allowing the user to easily verify the command instructions of the robot and identify any issues that arise.
Regarding claim 11, the above combination of Sugaya ‘395 and Sugaya ‘037 teaches the information processing method according to claim 8, but does not explicitly teach further comprising receiving selection of the candidate of the posture of the second robot model by a user and set, as the posture of the second robot model, the candidate of the posture of the received selection for the second robot model.
However, Sugaya ‘037, in the same field of endeavor of robot control systems simulating the robotic system in a virtual environment, specifically teaches:
further comprising receiving selection of the candidate of the posture of the second robot model by a user and set, as the posture of the second robot model, the candidate of the posture of the received selection for the second robot model (at least as in paragraph 0088, “the user makes the direct teaching operation by using the mouse C or the like from the condition of the warning event of the interference (collision) or the interference (collision) with threshold being displayed on the 3D model display area 107 to change the position and the orientation of the 3D model of the robotic system and to designate a teaching point that enables to avoid the warning event concerned”; at least as in paragraph 0089, “if the frame concerned of the warning event of the interference (collision) or the interference (collision) with threshold is selected again on the graph display area 112, an operation code of the frame concerned is highlighted by the highlight display. An operation code of moving to an avoidance teaching point added and prepared by using the 3D model display area 107 is automatically and additionally recorded right before for example of the operation code corresponding to the frame of the warning event. Or, only an insert position may be automatically generated as the operation code designating the move to the teaching point or the user may input manually. Or, the operation code moving to the avoidance teaching point is automatically generated and is automatically inserted into the position concerned or the addition of the operation code is defined after user's operation of permitting such insertion”; at least as in paragraph 0088, “After preparing the avoidance teaching point, the user selects the frame of the warning event of the interference (collision) or the interference (collision) with threshold concerned again on the graph display area 112”; at least as in paragraph 0089, “The display of the event display area 203 in the program editor format is updated so as to be linked with the condition of the display of the 3D model display area 107 or with the event selection on the time base of the graph display area 112. For instance, if the frame concerned of the warning event of the interference (collision) or the interference (collision) with threshold is selected again on the graph display area 112, an operation code of the frame concerned is highlighted by the highlight display. An operation code of moving to an avoidance teaching point added and prepared by using the 3D model display area 107 is automatically and additionally recorded right before for example of the operation code corresponding to the frame of the warning event”).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of the ordinary skill in the art at the effective filing date of the instant invention to modify the teachings of Sugaya ‘395, to include Sugaya ‘037's teaching of detecting a warning event of an interference and generating an avoidance teaching point, since Sugaya ‘037 teaches wherein the system reduces time required to confirm the robot operation state thus improving operation efficiency by allowing the user to easily verify the command instructions of the robot and identify any issues that arise.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to RICARDO I VISCARRA whose telephone number is (571)270-0154. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 9-12 & 2-4 PST.
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/RICARDO I VISCARRA/Examiner, Art Unit 3657
/ADAM R MOTT/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3657
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