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`UNITED STATES PATENT AND TRADEMARK OFFICE
`
`UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
`United States Patent and Trademark Office
`Address: COMIVHSSIONER FOR PATENTS
`PO. Box 1450
`Alexandria1 Virginia 22313-1450
`www.uspto.gov
`
`
`
`
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`14/798,839
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`07/14/2015
`
`Masayuki MANTANI
`
`PIPMM—54772
`
`5338
`
`05’04’2018 —PEARNE&GORDON LLP m
`7590
`52054
`1801 EAST 9TH STREET
`CAZAN’ LIVIUS RADU
`S UITE 1 200
`CLEVELAND, OH 441 14-3 108
`
`PAPER NUMBER
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`ART UNIT
`3729
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`NOTIFICATION DATE
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`DELIVERY MODE
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`05/04/2018
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`ELECTRONIC
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`Please find below and/or attached an Office communication concerning this application or proceeding.
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`The time period for reply, if any, is set in the attached communication.
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`Notice of the Office communication was sent electronically on above—indicated "Notification Date" to the
`following e—mail address(es):
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`patdocket @ pearne.c0m
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`PTOL—90A (Rev. 04/07)
`
`

`

`
`
`Applicant(s)
`Application No.
` 14/798,839 MANTANI ET AL.
`
`
`AIA (First Inventor to File)
`Art Unit
`Examiner
`Office Action Summary
`
`
`LIVIUS R. CAZAN $2213 3729
`-- The MAILING DA TE of this communication appears on the cover sheet with the correspondence address --
`Period for Reply
`
`A SHORTENED STATUTORY PERIOD FOR REPLY IS SET TO EXPIRE g MONTHS FROM THE MAILING DATE OF
`THIS COMMUNICATION.
`Extensions of time may be available under the provisions of 37 CFR1. 136( a).
`after SIX () MONTHS from the mailing date of this communication.
`If NO period for reply is specified above, the maximum statutory period will apply and will expire SIX (6) MONTHS from the mailing date of this communication.
`-
`- Failure to reply within the set or extended period for reply will, by statute, cause the application to become ABANDONED (35 U.S.C. § 133).
`Any reply received by the Office later than three months after the mailing date of this communication, even if timely filed, may reduce any
`earned patent term adjustment. See 37 CFR 1 .704(b).
`
`In no event, however, may a reply be timely filed
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`Status
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`1)IZI Responsive to communication(s) filed on 1/4/218.
`El A declaration(s)/affidavit(s) under 37 CFR 1.130(b) was/were filed on
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`2b)|:l This action is non-final.
`2a)|Z| This action is FINAL.
`3)I:I An election was made by the applicant in response to a restriction requirement set forth during the interview on
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`; the restriction requirement and election have been incorporated into this action.
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`4)|:| Since this application is in condition for allowance except for formal matters, prosecution as to the merits is
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`closed in accordance with the practice under Exparte Quay/e, 1935 CD. 11, 453 O.G. 213.
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`Disposition of Claims*
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`5)IZI Claim(s) fl is/are pending in the application.
`5a) Of the above claim(s)
`is/are withdrawn from consideration.
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`is/are allowed.
`6)I:I Claim(s)
`7)|Z| CIaim(s)_1-3is/are rejected.
`8)|:I Claim(s)_ is/are objected to.
`
`
`are subject to restriction and/or election requirement.
`9)I:I Claim((s)
`* If any claims have been determined allowable, you may be eligible to benefit from the Patent Prosecution Highway program at a
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`participating intellectual property office for the corresponding application. For more information, please see
`hit
`:/'I’vaIW.usnI‘.0. ovI’ atentS/init events/
`
`
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`iindex.‘s or send an inquiry to PPI-iieedback{®usgtc.00v.
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`Application Papers
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`10)I:l The specification is objected to by the Examiner.
`11)I:l The drawing(s) filed on
`is/are: a)I:I accepted or b)I:I objected to by the Examiner.
`Applicant may not request that any objection to the drawing(s) be held in abeyance. See 37 CFR 1.85(a).
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`Replacement drawing sheet(s) including the correction is required if the drawing(s) is objected to. See 37 CFR 1.121 (d).
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`Priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119
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`12)I:| Acknowledgment is made of a claim for foreign priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119(a)-(d) or (f).
`Certified copies:
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`a)I:l All
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`b)|:l Some” c)I:l None of the:
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`1.I:I Certified copies of the priority documents have been received.
`2.|:l Certified copies of the priority documents have been received in Application No.
`3.|:| Copies of the certified copies of the priority documents have been received in this National Stage
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`application from the International Bureau (PCT Rule 17.2(a)).
`** See the attached detailed Office action for a list of the certified copies not received.
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`Attachment(s)
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`
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`3) m Interview Summary (PTO-413)
`1) E Notice of References Cited (PTO-892)
`Paper No(s)/Mai| Date. attached.
`.
`.
`4) I:I Other'
`2) I] InformatIon DIsclosure Statement(s) (PTO/SB/08a and/or PTO/SB/08b)
`Paper No(s)/Mai| Date
`US. Patent and Trademark Office
`PTOL—326 (Rev. 11-13)
`
`Office Action Summary
`
`Part of Paper No./Mai| Date 20180430
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`

`

`Application/Control Number: 14/798,839
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`Page 2
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`Art Unit: 3729
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`DETAILED ACTION
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`1.
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`The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013,
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`is being examined
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`under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA.
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`Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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`2.
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`The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 103 which forms the basis for all
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`obviousness rejections set forth in this Office action:
`
`the claimed
`A patent for a claimed invention may not be obtained, notwithstanding that
`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.
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`3.
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`Claims 1-3 are reiected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over APA
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`(admitted prior art) in view of lshitani (WO/2013/080408; refer to US2014/0298649 as
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`an English-language eguivalent) and Matrone (US4850104).
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`4.
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`APA teaches that it is known to provide two component mounting apparatuses
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`disposed back-to-back, each having its own controller, wherein it is possible to perform
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`mounting operations for two substrates simultaneously (see para. [0002]-[0008] of the
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`present application).
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`5.
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`lshitani discloses (refer to Fig.
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`1 and para.
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`[0019]) two component mounting
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`apparatuses (11 and 13) controlled by a common controller (4).
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`6.
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`Matrone teaches a system for configuring, automating and controlling operations
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`performed on PCBs and other products. The example system disclosed by Matrone
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`includes multiple conveyor units (13 and 12), wherein only a master conveyor unit (13)
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`includes a controller. Slave conveyor units (2), do not
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`include a controller,
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`thereby
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`

`

`Application/Control Number: 14/798,839
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`Page 3
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`Art Unit: 3729
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`avoiding the need for redundant microprocessors within each slave conveyor unit. The
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`slave conveyor units are plugged into the master conveyor controller. See col. 9, In. 66
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`to col. 10, In. 14. The controller for each conveyor unit 13 is housed in the base of the
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`unit and controls the conveyor unit 13 and slave conveyor units 12 on direction from the
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`master control unit 17 (see col. 21,
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`In. 62-65). Although not explicitly mentioned by
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`Matrone, it is readily apparent that the conveyor unit 13 includes a connector by means
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`of which the slave conveyor units 12 are “plugged into” (see col. 10, In. 5). Moreover,
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`since the control unit of the master conveyor unit is housed within the base of the unit,
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`there must be a transmission line for transmitting a signal from the control unit to the
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`connector into which the slave conveyor units are plugged, and there must also be a
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`transmission line within each slave conveyor unit 12, such that the control signals sent
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`by the master conveyor unit 13 control the operation of the slave conveyor units 12.
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`Also, the control unit also transmits signals for controlling the master conveyor unit 13.
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`7.
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`APA teaches two back-to-back component mounting apparatuses, each having a
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`separate controller. However, lshitani shows that it is known to use a single controller to
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`control two component mounting apparatuses.
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`In light of the teachings of lshitani,
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`it
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`would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill
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`in the art, at the time the application
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`was effectively filed, to modify the apparatuses of APA so as to be controlled by a single
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`controller, since the apparatuses are used together to perform mounting operations on
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`two substrates in parallel, and lshitani shows that a single controller can control two
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`mounting apparatuses.
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`

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`Application/Control Number: 14/798,839
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`Page 4
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`Art Unit: 3729
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`8.
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`Matrone further teaches the concept of providing multiple devices, which perform
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`identical functions, but providing only one of them as a master device, with a controller
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`disposed therein, such that the other, slave devices, lack a controller, and plug into the
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`master device and receive control signals therefrom.
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`9.
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`Taking into consideration the teachings of Matrone, one of ordinary skill in the art
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`would have found it obvious to modify the apparatuses of APA to not only be controlled
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`by a common controller, as taught by lshitani, but
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`to also make only one of the
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`apparatuses with an included controller, for the same advantages as taught by Matrone.
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`The limitations pertaining to the transmission lines and connector are inherently
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`addressed by modifying the apparatuses as proposed,
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`in view of the teachings of
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`Matrone.
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`Response to Arguments
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`10.
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`Applicant’s arguments with respect to claims 1-3 have been considered but are
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`moot because the arguments do not apply to any of the references being used in the
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`current rejection.
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`Conclusion
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`11.
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`Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in
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`this Office action.
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`Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL.
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`See MPEP
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`§ 706.07(a). Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37
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`CFR1.136(a).
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`A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE
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`MONTHS from the mailing date of this action.
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`In the event a first reply is filed within
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`

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`Application/Control Number: 14/798,839
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`Page 5
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`Art Unit: 3729
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`TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not
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`mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the
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`shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any
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`extension fee pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of
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`the advisory action.
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`In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later
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`than SIX MONTHS from the date of this final action.
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`Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the
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`examiner should be directed to LlVlUS R. CAZAN whose telephone number
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`is
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`(571)272-8032. The examiner can normally be reached on M-F 12pm-8:30pm EST.
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`supervisor, PETER D. VO can be reached on (571) 272-4690. The fax phone number
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`for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571 -273-8300.
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`

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`Application/Control Number: 14/798,839
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`Page 6
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`Art Unit: 3729
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`4/30/2018
`
`/LIVIUS R CAZAN/
`
`Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3729
`
`