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`UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
`United States Patent and Trademark Office
`Address: COMMISSIONER FOR PATENTS
`P.O. Box 1450
`Alexandria, Virginia 2231371450
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`15/785,516
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`10/17/2017
`
`HIDEKI SUMI
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`PIPMM-58220
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`9352
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`759°
`52°“
`PEARNE & GORDON LLP
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`10’0””
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`1801 EAST 9TH STREET
`SUITE 1200
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`CLEVELAND, OH 44114-3108
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`CAZANLIVIUS RADU
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`3729
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`PAPER NUMBER
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`NOTIFICATION DATE
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`DELIVERY MODE
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`10/03/2019
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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
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`following e—mail address(es):
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`patdoeket@pearne.eom
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`PTOL-90A (Rev. 04/07)
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`

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`0/7709 A0170” Summary
`
`Application No.
`15/785,516
`Examiner
`LIVIUS R CAZAN
`
`Applicant(s)
`SUMI, HIDEKI
`Art Unit
`3729
`
`AIA (FITF) Status
`Yes
`
`- The MAILING DA TE of this communication appears on the cover sheet wit/7 the correspondence address -
`Period for Reply
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`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 CFR 1.136(a). In no event, however, may a reply be timely filed after SIX (6) MONTHS from the mailing
`date of this communication.
`|f 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).
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`Status
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`1). Responsive to communication(s) filed on 4/29/2019.
`[:1 A declaration(s)/affidavit(s) under 37 CFR 1.130(b) was/were filed on
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`2a)D This action is FINAL.
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`2b)
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`This action is non-final.
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`3)[:] An election was made by the applicant in response to a restriction requirement set forth during the interview on
`; 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
`closed in accordance with the practice under Expat/7e Quay/e, 1935 CD. 11, 453 O.G. 213.
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`Disposition of Claims*
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`5)
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`Claim(s) fl is/are pending in the application.
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`5a) Of the above claim(s)
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`is/are withdrawn from consideration.
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`E] Claim(s)
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`is/are allowed.
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`Claim(s) fl is/are rejected.
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`[:1 Claim(s) _ is/are objected to.
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`) ) ) )
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`6 7
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`8
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`
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`are subject to restriction and/or election requirement
`[j Claim(s)
`9
`* If any claims have been determined aflowabie. 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
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`http://www.uspto.gov/patents/init events/pph/index.jsp or send an inquiry to PPeredback@uspto.gov.
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`Application Papers
`10)[:] The specification is objected to by the Examiner.
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`11). The drawing(s) filed on 10/17/2017 is/are: a). accepted or b)[:] objected to by the Examiner.
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`Applicant may not request that any objection to the drawing(s) be held in abeyance. See 37 CFR 1.85(a).
`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
`12). 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). All
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`b)D Some**
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`C)D None of the:
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`1.. Certified copies of the priority documents have been received.
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`2.[:] Certified copies of the priority documents have been received in Application No.
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`3:] Copies of the certified copies of the priority documents have been received in this National Stage
`application from the International Bureau (PCT Rule 17.2(a)).
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`** 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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`1)
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`Notice of References Cited (PTO-892)
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`Information Disclosure Statement(s) (PTO/SB/08a and/or PTO/SB/08b)
`2)
`Paper No(s)/Mai| Date 10/17/2017, 4/29/2019_
`U.S. Patent and Trademark Office
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`3) C] Interview Summary (PTO-413)
`Paper No(s)/Mail Date
`4) CI Other-
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`PTOL-326 (Rev. 11-13)
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`Office Action Summary
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`Part of Paper No./Mai| Date 20190928
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`

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`Application/Control Number: 15/785,516
`Art Unit: 3729
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`Page 2
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`DETAILED ACTION
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`Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
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`1.
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`The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first
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`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 obviousness rejections
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`set forth in this Office action:
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`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.
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`3.
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`Claims
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`1-6 is are re‘ected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as bein
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`un atentable over Maenishi
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`(U52010[0325860A1).
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`4.
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`Maenishi reads on the claims as follows refer to Fi 5. 18-29' limitations not ex licitl disclosed
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`are crossed outl below):
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`Claim 1. A component mounting method in a component mounting apparatus including
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`a first board transport lane (101, Fig. 18; F-lane, Fig. 25), a first mounting head (104), a second
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`board transport lane (102, Fig. 18; R-lane, Fig. 25) which is disposed along the first board transport
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`lane, a second mounting head (107), a first component supplier (106) which is disposed closer to
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`the first board transport lane than to the second board transport lane, and a second component
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`supplier (109) which is disposed closer to the second board transport lane than to the first board
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`transport lane, the method comprising:
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`independent mounting (see ”independent mode” in Figs. 23 and 34; see para. [0434]-
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`[0435]) of independently performing an operation of sucking a component from the first
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`

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`Application/Control Number: 15/785,516
`Art Unit: 3729
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`Page 3
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`component supplier by the first mounting head, and mounting the component on a first board
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`carried in the first board transport lane, and an operation of sucking a component from the second
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`component supplier by the second mounting head, and mounting the component on a second
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`board carried in the second board transport lane; and
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`cross lane alternate mounting (see ”alternating mode” in Figs. 23 and 24; see para. [0436]-
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`[-439]) of alternately performing an operation of sucking a component from—the—seeenel
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`eempenent—su-ppl-i-er by the second mounting head, and mounting the component en—t-he—f-i-rst
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`beard-earried—in—the—fi-rst—beard—transpert—lane, and an operation of sucking a component from-the
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`first—eempenent—su-ppl-ier by the first mounting head, and mounting the component en—t-he—seeend
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`Claim 2. The component mounting method of Claim 1, wherein in a case where the
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`independent mounting is capable of being executed, the independent mounting is executed, and
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`wherein in a case where the independent mounting is not capable of being executed and the cross
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`lane alternate mounting is capable of being executed, the cross lane alternate mounting is
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`executed. See Fig. 24.
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`Claim 3. The component mounting method of Claim 2, wherein for each mounting turn in
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`which the first mounting head and the second mounting head mount the components on the first
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`board and the second board, determining which of the independent mounting and the cross lane
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`alternate mounting is executed. See Figs. 23 and 24,
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`in which the independent or alternating
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`mode is selected.
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`Claim 4. The component mounting method of Claim 2, further comprising: normally
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`alternate mounting that alternately performs, for any one of the first board and the second board,
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`an operation of sucking and mounting a component from-the—fi-rst—eem-penent—su-pplieieby the first
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`

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`Application/Control Number: 15/785,516
`Art Unit: 3729
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`Page 4
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`mounting head, and an operation of sucking and mounting a component from—the—seeend
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`eempenent—su-ppl-ier by the second mounting head.
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`Claim 5. The component mounting method of Claim 1, wherein for each mounting turn in
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`which the first mounting head and the second mounting head mount the components on the first
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`board and the second board, determining which of the independent mounting and the cross lane
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`alternate mounting is executed. See Figs. 23 and 24,
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`in which the independent or alternating
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`mode is selected.
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`Claim 6. The component mounting method of Claim 1, further comprising: normally
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`alternate mounting that alternately performs, for at least any one of the first board and the
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`second board, an operation of sucking and mounting a component from—the—fi-rst—eem-penent
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`supplier by the first mounting head, and an operation of sucking and mounting a component from
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`the-seeend—eempenent—supplier by the second mounting head.
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`5.
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`Applicant is respectfully asked to read the detailed description of the second embodiment, at
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`para. [0431] to para. [0636]. In more detail, Maenishi discloses performing the alternating mode, such
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`that the two mounting heads 104 and 107 alternate in picking up components and mounting them onto
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`both the F-board and R-board. There are multiple scenarios that can necessitate utilizing the alternating
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`mode, essentially whenever it is not possible for each mounting head to mount components onto its own
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`board. For example, in Fig. 28, the R-board requires small components a, b, and c, which are available at
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`supply 109, and the F-board requires small components a, d, e, and f, of which d, e, and f are available at
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`supply 106. It can be seen that component a is required by both of the boards. Therefore, since the
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`common component a is only found in one supply, the mounter is operated in alternating mode, with the
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`two heads 104 and 107 taking turns picking up components. In some situations (Fig. 29) the head 104 has
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`two small nozzles and two large nozzles, and head 107 has only small nozzles.
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`In this situation, the
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`mounter can only mount large components (on either board) using head 104. In some situations (see Fig.
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`

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`Application/Control Number: 15/785,516
`Art Unit: 3729
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`Page 5
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`28), supply 109 holds only large components Gt, [3, y, and supply 106 holds only small components a, b, c,
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`d, e, and small components. Here, the head 107 would mount large components onto the R-board, but
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`components a and c would have to be picked up from, supply 106, by either head 104, which is set up to
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`mount small components onto the F-board, or by head 107, if it also has some small nozzles. From these
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`examples, one of ordinary skill in the art, at the time the application was effectively filed, would have
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`found it obvious that the component mounter of Maenishi can be operated in the claimed alternating
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`mode in certain instances. Please consider the following situation:
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`

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`Application/Control Number: 15/785,516
`Art Unit: 3729
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`Page 6
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`6.
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`Maenishi teaches the overall concept of alternating mode, in which the mounting heads alternate
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`in mounting components, and that either head can be used to pick up from either of the supplies, and
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`either head can be used to mount components on either of the two boards, as needed. Applicant is
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`claiming the more particular situation in which the first head picks up components from the first supply
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`and mounts them onto the second board, and the second head picks up components from the second
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`supply and mounts them onto the first board. In the scenario given above, it would have been obvious to
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`one of skill in the art to implement the teachings of Maenishi such that head 104 picks up component a
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`or c from supply 106 and mounts it onto the R-board, and head 107 picks up component from supply 109
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`and mounts it onto the F-board.
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`7.
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`With respect to claims 4 and 6, the claimed normally alternate mounting, similarly, falls within
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`the broader concept taught by Maenishi. In the scenario above, it is readily apparent that head 107 can
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`also pick up a component (such as (3) from supply 109 and mount it onto the R-board, and the head 104
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`can pick up a component (such as e) and mount it onto the F-board.
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`8.
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`The rationale of the rejection is that although Maenishi does not explicitly disclose the specific
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`scenario claimed by Applicant, it falls within the broader teaching of the alternating mode taught by
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`Maenishi, in which the component mounter selects, as applicable, the component source, the target
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`board, and the head to perform the operation.
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`Conclusion
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`9.
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`Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should
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`be directed to LIVIUS R CAZAN whose telephone number is (571)272-8032. The examiner can normally
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`be reached on Monday - Friday noon-8:30pm.
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`Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO
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`supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the
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`USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
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`

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`Application/Control Number: 15/785,516
`Art Unit: 3729
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`Page 7
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`If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Peter
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`Vo can be reached on 571-272-4690. The fax phone number for the organization where this application
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`or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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`Information regarding the status of an application may be obtained from the Patent Application
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`Information Retrieval (PAIR) system. Status information for published applications may be obtained from
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`either Private PAIR or Public PAIR. Status information for unpublished applications is available through
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`Private PAIR only. For more information about the PAIR system, see http://pair-direct.uspto.gov. Should
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`you have questions on access to the Private PAIR system, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at
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`866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative or
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`access to the automated information system, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
`
`/LIVIUS R. CAZAN/
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`Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3729
`
`