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`UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
`United States Patent and TrademarkOffice
`Address; COMMISSIONER FOR PATENTS
`P.O. Box 1450
`Alexandria, Virginia 22313-1450
`
`16/131,263
`
`09/14/2018
`
`Noriaki Imaoka
`
`WASHM-59780
`
`1019
`
`“mae
`
`aR
`PEA
`PEARNE & GORDON LLP
`1801 EAST 9TH STREET
`SUITE 1200
`CLEVELAND,OH 44114-3108
`
`GLASS, ERICK DAVID
`
`2846
`
`PAPER NUMBER
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`NOTIFICATION DATE
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`DELIVERY MODE
`
`07/24/2020
`
`ELECTRONIC
`
`Please find below and/or attached an Office communication concerning this application or proceeding.
`
`The time period for reply, if any, is set in the attached communication.
`
`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.com
`
`PTOL-90A (Rev. 04/07)
`
`

`

`
`
`Disposition of Claims*
`1-4 is/are pending in the application.
`)
`Claim(s)
`5a) Of the above claim(s) ___ is/are withdrawn from consideration.
`C] Claim(s)
`is/are allowed.
`Claim(s) 1-4 is/are rejected.
`S)
`) O Claim(s)___is/are objected to.
`C] Claim(s
`are subjectto restriction and/or election requirement
`)
`S)
`* If any claims have been determined allowable, you maybeeligible to benefit from the Patent Prosecution Highway program at a
`participating intellectual property office for the corresponding application. For more information, please see
`http:/Awww.uspto.gov/patents/init_events/pph/index.jsp or send an inquiry to PPHfeedback@uspto.gov.
`
`) )
`
`Application Papers
`10)L) The specification is objected to by the Examiner.
`11)M The drawing(s)filed on 9/14/18 is/are: a) accepted or b)C) 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).
`Replacement drawing sheet(s) including the correction is required if the drawing(s) is objected to. See 37 CFR 1.121 (d).
`
`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:
`c)X None ofthe:
`b)L) Some**
`a) All
`1.4] Certified copies of the priority documents have been received.
`2.1.) Certified copies of the priority documents have been received in Application No.
`3.1.) 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)).
`* See the attached detailed Office action for a list of the certified copies not received.
`
`Attachment(s)
`
`1)
`
`Notice of References Cited (PTO-892)
`
`Information Disclosure Statement(s) (PTO/SB/08a and/or PTO/SB/08b)
`2)
`Paper No(s)/Mail Date 9/14/18.
`U.S. Patent and Trademark Office
`
`3) (J Interview Summary (PTO-413)
`Paper No(s)/Mail Date
`(Qj Other:
`
`4)
`
`PTOL-326 (Rev. 11-13)
`
`Office Action Summary
`
`Part of Paper No./Mail Date 20200715
`
`Application No.
`Applicant(s)
`16/131 ,263
`Imaokaetal.
`
`Office Action Summary Art Unit|AIA (FITF) StatusExaminer
`ERICK D GLASS
`2846
`Yes
`
`
`
`-- The MAILING DATEofthis communication appears on the cover sheet with the correspondence address --
`Period for Reply
`
`A SHORTENED STATUTORY PERIOD FOR REPLYIS SET TO EXPIRE 3 MONTHS FROM THE MAILING
`DATE OF THIS COMMUNICATION.
`Extensions of time may be available underthe provisions of 37 CFR 1.136(a). In no event, however, may a reply betimely filed after SIX (6) MONTHSfrom 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) MONTHSfrom 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, evenif timely filed, may reduce any earned patent term
`adjustment. See 37 CFR 1.704(b).
`
`Status
`
`1)C) Responsive to communication(s) filed on
`CJ A declaration(s)/affidavit(s) under 37 CFR 1.130(b) was/werefiled on
`
`2a)L) This action is FINAL. 2b)¥)This action is non-final.
`3)0) An election was madeby the applicant in responseto a restriction requirement set forth during the interview
`on
`; the restriction requirement and election have been incorporated into this action.
`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 Exparte Quayle, 1935 C.D. 11, 453 O.G. 213.
`
`

`

`Application/Control Number: 16/131,263
`Art Unit: 2846
`
`Page 2
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`Notice of Pre-AlA 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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`inventorto file provisions of the AIA.
`
`Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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`2.
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`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 personshall be entitled to a patent unless —
`
`(a)}{2} the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, orinanapplication
`for patent published or deemed published under s ection 122(b), in which the patent or application, as
`the case maybe, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effectivefiling date of
`the claimed invention.
`
`3.
`
`Claim(s) 1-4 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being taught by Shimizu et al (PGPUB
`
`2013/0030570).
`
`With respect to claim 1, Shimizu teachesa mobile unit capable of turning movement, the mobile
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`unit comprising:
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`an involute shape (fig. 1, 100) on an outer side surface of the mobile unit, wherein
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`a center point of a basecircle (fig. 2, Z-axis through 112 and 103) of the involute shape passes
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`through at least one axis among center axes of the turning movement.
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`With respect to claim 2, Shimizu teaches further comprising: a plurality of driving sections(fig. 1,
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`102R/L) that independently rotate on an identical rotation axis to perform the turning movement,
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`wherein
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`the center point of the basecircle of the involute shape is on a plane passing through the
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`identical rotation axis of the plurality of driving sections and being perpendicular (fig. 2, axis thru 102is
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`perpendicular to ground) to the ground.
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`

`

`Application/Control Number: 16/131,263
`Art Unit: 2846
`
`Page 3
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`With respect to claim 3, Shimizu teaches further comprising:
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`arm parts extending from right and left positions (fig. 2, 105R/L) in a width direction (roll
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`direction) of the mobile unit, wherein
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`the armparts are combined at a center portion in the width direction of the mobile unit by hand
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`parts provided in a forward direction of (fig. 2, 104 extends forward/back) the arm parts, and
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`an outer side of each of the arm parts (fig. 1, arms add to shape of robot) is the involute shape.
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`With respect to claim 4, Shimizu teachesfurther comprising:
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`shoulder parts (fig. 2, 104R/L rotate arms forward/back) that turn the arm parts about a rotation
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`shaft parallel to the width direction of the mobile unit, wherein
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`positions of the hand parts(fig. 2, 113R/L) ina forward and backward direction and a height
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`direction are adjusted by the shoulder parts (104/105/106 of shoulder move arm/hand in all x/y/z
`
`directions).
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`Conclusion
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`4.
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`Anyinquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner
`
`should be directed to ERICK DAVID GLASS whose telephone number is (571)272-8395. The examiner can
`
`normally be reached on Mon-Fri_8-5pm.
`
`Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a
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`
`If attempts to reachthe examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor,
`
`Eduardo Colon-Santana can be reached on 571-272-2060. The fax phone number for the organization
`
`wherethis application or proceedingis assigned is 571-273-8300.
`
`Information regarding the status of an application may be obtained from the Patent Application
`
`Information Retrieval (PAIR) system. Status information for published applications may be obtained
`
`

`

`Application/Control Number: 16/131,263
`Art Unit: 2846
`
`Page 4
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`from either Private PAIR or Public PAIR. Status information for unpublished applications is available
`
`through Private PAIR only. For more information about the PAIR system, see https://ppair-
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`9199 (IN USA OR CANADA)or 571-272-1000.
`
`/ERICK D GLASS/
`Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2846
`
`