www.uspto.gov
`
`UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
`United States Patent and TrademarkOffice
`Address: COMMISSIONER FOR PATENTS
`P.O. Box 1450
`Alexandria, Virginia 22313-1450
`
`17/298,669
`
`06/01/2021
`
`HIDEKI SUMI
`
`PIPMM-65923
`
`7861
`
`ranean
`
`OR
`PEA
`PEARNE & GORDON LLP
`1801 EAST 9TH STREET
`SUITE 1200
`CLEVELAND,OH 44114-3108
`
`ZAAB, SHARAH
`
`2863
`
`PAPER NUMBER
`
`NOTIFICATION DATE
`
`DELIVERY MODE
`
`12/19/2022
`
`ELECTRONIC
`
`Please find below and/or attached an Office communication concerning this application or proceeding.
`
`Thetime 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):
`
`patdocket@ pearne.com
`
`PTOL-90A (Rev. 04/07)
`
`

`

`Office Action Summary
`
`Application No.
`17/298,669
`Examiner
`SHARAH ZAAB
`
`Applicant(s)
`SUMI etal.
`Art Unit
`2863
`
`AIA (FITF) Status
`Yes
`
`-- The MAILING DATEof this 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) Responsive to communication(s) filed on 06/01/2021.
`C} A declaration(s)/affidavit(s) under 37 CFR 1.130(b) was/werefiled on
`
`2a)() This action is FINAL. 2b)¥)This action is non-final.
`3)02 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)\0) 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.
`
`Disposition of Claims*
`1-12 is/are pending in the application.
`)
`Claim(s)
`5a) Of the above claim(s) ___ is/are withdrawn from consideration.
`Cj} Claim(s)
`is/are allowed.
`Claim(s) 1-12 is/are rejected.
`S)
`) © Claim(s)___is/are objected to.
`Cj) 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)( The specification is objected to by the Examiner.
`11) The drawing(s) filed on 06/01/2021 is/are: a)[¥) accepted or b)(. 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)1) Acknowledgment is made of a claim for foreign priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119(a)-(d)or (f).
`Certified copies:
`_—_c)L) None ofthe:
`b)L) Some**
`a)Q) All
`1.2) Certified copies of the priority documents have been received.
`2.2 Certified copies of the priority documents have been received in Application No.
`3.4.) Copies of the certified copies of the priority documents have been receivedin 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 06/01/2021.
`U.S. Patent and Trademark Office
`
`3)
`
`(LJ Interview Summary (PTO-413)
`Paper No(s)/Mail Date
`4) (J Other:
`
`PTOL-326 (Rev. 11-13)
`
`Office Action Summary
`
`Part of Paper No./Mail Date 20221205
`
`

`

`Application/Control Number: 17/298,669
`Art Unit: 2863
`
`Page 2
`
`DETAILED ACTION
`
`Notice of Pre-AlA 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.
`
`Claim Interpretation
`
`The following is a quotation of pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph:
`
`An element in a claim for a combination may be expressed as a means or step
`
`for performing a specified function without the recital of structure, material, or acts in
`
`support thereof, and such claim shall be construed to cover the corresponding structure,
`
`material, or acts described in the specification and equivalents thereof.
`
`Use of the word “means”(or “step for”) in a claim with functional language
`
`creates a rebuttable presumption that the claim element is to be treated in accordance
`
`with 35 U.S.C. 112(f) (pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph). The presumption that
`
`35 U.S.C. 112(f) (pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph) is invoked is rebutted when
`
`the function is recited with sufficient structure, material, or acts within the claim itself to
`
`entirely perform the recited function.
`
`

`

`Application/Control Number: 17/298,669
`Art Unit: 2863
`
`Page 3
`
`Absenceof the word “means”(or “step for’) in a claim creates a rebuttable
`
`presumption that the claim elementis not to be treated in accordancewith 35 U.S.C.
`
`112(f) (pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph). The presumption that 35 U.S.C. 112(f)
`
`(pre-AlA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph) is not invokedis rebutted when the claim
`
`element recites function but fails to recite sufficiently definite structure, material or acts
`
`to perform that function.
`
`Claim elements in this application that use the word “means”(or “step for’) are
`
`presumedto invoke 35 U.S.C. 112(f) except as otherwise indicated in an Office action.
`
`Similarly, claim elements that do not use the word “means”(or“step for’) are presumed
`
`not to invoke 35 U.S.C. 112(f) except as otherwise indicated in an Office action.
`
`Claim limitations “means for” has/have beeninterpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f)
`
`or pre-AlA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph, becauseit uses/they use a generic
`
`placeholder “means for’ coupled with functional language “storing, acquiring, etc.”
`
`without reciting sufficient structure to achieve the function. Furthermore, the generic
`
`placeholder is not precededby a structural modifier.
`
`Since the claim limitation(s) invokes 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112,
`
`sixth paragraph, Claim 29 has/have been interpreted to cover the corresponding
`
`structure described in the specification that achieves the claimed function, and
`
`equivalents thereof.
`
`According to MPEP 2181, Il, B, “In cases involving a special purpose computer-
`
`implemented means-plus-function limitation, the Federal Circuit has consistently
`
`required that the structure be more than simply a general purpose computer or
`
`microprocessor and that the specification must disclose an algorithm for performing the
`
`

`

`Application/Control Number: 17/298,669
`Art Unit: 2863
`
`Page 4
`
`claimed function. See, e.g., Noah Systems Inc.v. Intuit Inc., 675 F.3d 1302, 1312, 102
`
`USPQ2d 1410, 1417 (Fed. Cir. 2012); Aristocrat, 521 F.3d at 1333, 86 USPQ2dat
`
`1239. Image... the specification must sufficiently disclose an algorithm to transform a
`
`general purpose microprocessor to a special purpose computer so that a person of
`
`ordinaryskill in the art can implement the disclosed algorithm to achieve the claimed
`
`function. Aristocrat, 521 F.3d at 1338, 86 USPQ2dat 1242.”
`
`A review of the specification shows that the following appears to be the
`
`corresponding processing unit for performing the claimed function as described in the
`
`specification for the 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AlA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph
`
`limitation: Figs. 5, 15-18.
`
`If applicant wishes to provide further explanation or dispute the examiner's
`
`interpretation of the corresponding structure, applicant must identify the corresponding
`
`structure with reference to the specification by page and line number, and to the
`
`drawing, if any, by reference characters in responseto this Office action.
`
`If applicant does not intend to have the claim limitation(s) treated under 35
`
`U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph, applicant may amend the
`
`claim(s) so thatit/they will clearly not invoke 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112,
`
`sixth paragraph, or present a sufficient showing that the claim recites/recite sufficient
`
`structure, material, or acts for performing the claimed function to preclude application of
`
`35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph.
`
`For more information, see MPEP § 2173 et seq. and Supplementary Examination
`
`Guidelines for Determining Compliance With 35 U.S.C. 112 and for Treatmentof
`
`Related Issues in Patent Applications, 76 FR 7162, 7167 (Feb. 9, 2011).
`
`

`

`Application/Control Number: 17/298,669
`Art Unit: 2863
`
`Page 5
`
`Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 101
`
`Claims 1-12 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 101 becausethe claimed invention is
`
`directed to a judicial exception (i.e., a law of nature, a natural phenomenon, or an
`
`abstract idea) without significantly more.
`
`Specifically, representative Claim 1 recites:
`
`“ A component mounter that conveys in a board having a product area in which a
`
`pattern electrode to be incorporated in an electrical product is disposed and an
`
`inspection area in which an inspection electrode for inspecting electrical characteristics
`
`is disposed, and conveys out the board after repeatedly executing an operation
`
`according to an installation sequence program, the operation including picking up a
`
`component supplied by a component feeder andinstalling the component in the product
`
`area, the component mounter comprising detecting occurrence of an event that
`
`requires inspection of the electrical characteristics with respect to the
`
`component; determining whether or not the inspection area is vacant; and an
`
`inspection-required, and detects the occurrence of the event and determinesthat
`
`the inspection area is vacant.”
`
`The claim limitations in the abstract idea have been highlighted in bold
`
`above; the remaining limitations are “additional element.
`
`

`

`Application/Control Number: 17/298,669
`Art Unit: 2863
`
`Page 6
`
`Under the Step 1 of the eligibility analysis, we determine whether the
`
`claims are to a statutory category by considering whether the claimed subject
`
`matter falls within the four statutory categories of patentable subject matter
`
`identified by 35 U.S.C. 101: Process, machine, manufacture, or composition of
`
`matter. The above claim is considered to be in a statutory category (machine).
`
`Under the Step 2A, Prong One, we consider whether the claim recites a
`
`judicial exception (abstract idea). In the above claim, the highlighted portion
`
`constitutes an abstract idea because, under a broadest reasonable interpretation,
`
`it recites limitations thatfall into/recite an abstract idea exceptions. Specifically,
`
`under the 2019 Revised Patent Subject matter Eligibility Guidance, it falls into the
`
`groupings of subject matter when recited as such in a claim limitation thatfalls
`
`into the grouping of subject matter when recited as such in a claim limitation, that
`
`covers mental processes — concepts performed in the human mind including an
`
`observation, evaluation, judgement, and/or opinion.
`
`This mental processing steps represent a processthat, under its broadest
`
`reasonable interpretation, covers performance ofthe limitation in the mind. That
`
`is, nothing in the claim element precludes the step from practically being
`
`performed in the mind. In the context of this claim, it encompasses the user
`
`manually making a determination whether or not an inspection area is vacant.
`
`(judgement)
`
`Similar limitations comprise the abstract ideas of Claims 9-12.
`
`

`

`Application/Control Number: 17/298,669
`Art Unit: 2863
`
`Page 7
`
`Next, under the Step 2A, Prong Two, we consider whether the claim that
`
`recites a judicial exception is integrated into a practical application.
`
`In this step, we evaluate whether the claim recites additional elements that
`
`integrate the exception into a practical application of that exception.
`
`The above claims comprise the following additional elements:
`
`Claim 1: A component mounter that conveys in a board having a product
`
`area in which a pattern electrode to be incorporated in an electrical
`
`product is disposed and an inspection area in which an inspection
`
`electrode for inspecting electrical characteristics is disposed, and conveys
`
`out the board after repeatedly executing an operation according to an
`
`installation sequence program, the operation including picking up a
`
`component supplied by a component feeder and installing the component
`
`in the product area
`
`Claim 9: A component mounter that conveys in a board having a product
`
`area in which a pattern electrode to be incorporated in an electrical
`
`product is disposed and an inspection area in which an inspection
`
`electrode for inspecting electrical characteristics is disposed, from a
`
`device on an upstream side, and conveys out the board after repeatedly
`
`executing an operation of picking up a component supplied by a
`
`component feeder and installing the component in the product area
`
`

`

`Application/Control Number: 17/298,669
`Art Unit: 2863
`
`Page 8
`
`Claim 10: A component mounter that conveys in a board having a product
`
`area in which a pattern electrode to be incorporated in an electrical
`
`product is disposed and an inspection area in which an inspection
`
`electrode for inspecting electrical characteristics is disposed, and conveys
`
`out the board after repeatedly executing an operation of picking up a
`
`component supplied by a component feeder and installing the component
`
`in the productarea.
`
`Claim 11: A component mounter that conveys in a board having a product
`
`area in which a pattern electrode to be incorporated in an electrical
`
`productis disposed and an inspection area in which an inspection
`
`electrode for inspecting electrical characteristics is disposed, from a
`
`device on an upstream side, and conveys out the board after repeatedly
`
`executing an operation of picking up a component supplied by a
`
`component feeder and installing the component in the product area
`
`Claim 12: A component mounting method by a component mounter that
`
`conveysin a board having a product area in which a pattern electrode to
`
`be incorporated in an electrical product is disposed and an inspection area
`
`in which an inspection electrode for inspecting electrical characteristics is
`
`disposed, and conveys out the board after repeatedly executing an
`
`operation of picking up a component supplied by a component feeder and
`
`installing the component in the product area according to an installation
`
`sequence program
`
`

`

`Application/Control Number: 17/298,669
`Art Unit: 2863
`
`Page 9
`
`The above steps of conveying a product, mounting a component onto a
`
`board by a mounter and inspecting electrical characteristics are
`
`generically recited and represent insignificant extra-solution activity
`
`necessary to execute the abstractidea.
`
`According to the October update on 2019, the above steps are “performed
`
`in order to gather data for the mental analysis step, and is a necessary
`
`precursor for all uses of the recited exception. It is thus extra-solution
`
`activity, and does notintegrate the judicial exception into a practical
`
`application’. Therefore, the claims are directed to a judicial exception and
`
`require further analysis under the Step 2B.
`
`However, the above claims do not include additional elements that are
`
`sufficient to amountto significantly more than the judicial exception (Step 2B
`
`analysis) because these additional elements/steps are well-understood and
`
`conventional in the relevant art based on the prior art of record including
`
`references in the submitted IDS (06/01/2021) by the Applicant (Shibata and
`
`Terachi).
`
`The independent claims, therefore, are not patent eligible.
`
`With regards to the dependent claims, claims 2-8 provide additional
`
`features/steps which are either part of an expandedabstractidea of the
`
`independent claims (additionally comprising mental/organizing human activity
`
`process steps) or adding additional elements/steps that are not meaningful as
`
`

`

`Application/Control Number: 17/298,669
`Art Unit: 2863
`
`Page 10
`
`they are recited in generality and/or not qualified as particular machine/ and/or
`
`eligible transformation and, therefore, do not reflect a practical application as well
`
`as not qualified for “significantly more’.
`
`Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
`
`The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 103 which forms the basis for all
`
`obviousnessrejections setforth 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 effectivefiling date of the claimed invention to a person having
`
`ordinaryskill in the art to which the claimed invention pertains.
`
`Patentability shall not be negated by the manner in which the invention
`
`was made.
`
`Claims 1-8 and 12 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over
`
`Shibata et al. (US20160150687), hereinafter referred to as ‘Shibata’ and Terachi etal.
`
`(JP200232299), hereinafter referred to as ‘Terachi’.
`
`

`

`Application/Control Number: 17/298,669
`Art Unit: 2863
`
`Page 11
`
`Regarding Claim 1, Shibata discloses a component mounterthat conveys ina
`
`board having a product area to be incorporatedin an electrical product is
`
`disposed (mounting management device of the invention is a mounting management
`
`device that manages information relating to a component of a mounting process device
`
`in which a storage section with the componentstored therein is installed and which
`
`executes a mounting process to mount the component on a printed circuit board [0007])
`
`and an inspection area in which an inspection electrode for inspecting electrical
`
`characteristics is disposed (The characteristic measuring unit 40 is configured as an
`
`LCR meter which measuresthe electrical characteristics of the component P suchas,
`
`for example, inductance, capacitance, resistance, and impedance. Asillustrated in FIG.
`
`3, the characteristic measuring unit 40 is provided with terminals 41 which are
`
`connected to contacts of the component P, a measuring circuit 42, and the like [0046]),
`
`and conveys out the board after repeatedly executing an operation according to
`
`an installation sequence program, the operation including picking up a
`
`component supplied by a componentfeeder and installing the component in the
`
`product area (The mounting machine 21 is provided with a printed circuit board
`
`processing unit 30 which executes transporting and clamping of a printed circuit board
`
`as a unit which executes the mounting process, a pick-and-place processing unit 33
`
`which executes a processof disposing the componentP on the printed circuit board, a
`
`supply unit 37 which supplies the componentP whichis stored in the reel 55 or the tray
`
`to a predetermined pickup position [0036]), the component mounter comprising
`
`(mounting management device of the invention is a mounting management device that
`
`manages information relating to a component of a mounting process device in which a
`
`

`

`Application/Control Number: 17/298,669
`Art Unit: 2863
`
`Page 12
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`storage section with the componentstored therein is installed and which executes a
`
`mounting process to mount the component on a printed circuit board [0007]): a target
`
`event occurrence detector for detecting occurrence of an event that requires
`
`inspection of the electrical characteristics with respect to the component
`
`supplied by the componentfeeder (The mounting determination section 24 performs
`
`a process of determining whether or not the reel 55 and the measured componentP are
`
`in the correct correspondencerelationship based on the information of the reel 55 and
`
`the measurement result information of the electrical characteristics of the component P
`
`whichis stored in the reel 55 [0038]); a determiner for determining (and a
`
`management determination section 64 as functional blocks of the management device
`
`controller 61 [(0049); and an inspection-required component installer for installing
`
`the component picked up from the component feeder in the inspection area as an
`
`inspection-required component (When the feeder 50 is installed in the supply unit 37,
`
`the control section 51 performs communication with the mounting machine controller 22,
`
`and performsa processin which the information (for example, the feeder ID and the
`
`like) relating to the feeder 50 whichis stored in the memory section 52 is output. The
`
`control section 51 controls the tape feeder unit to feed out the tape to a predetermined
`
`pickup position at which the component P which is stored in the reel 55 is sucked to by
`
`the suction nozzle 36 [0043]), when the target event occurrence detector detects
`
`the occurrence of the event and the determiner determinesthat the inspection
`
`area is vacant (The management determination section 64 performs a process of
`
`determining whether or not the reel 55 and the measured component P are in the
`
`correct correspondencerelationship based on the information of the reel 55 and the
`
`

`

`Application/Control Number: 17/298,669
`Art Unit: 2863
`
`Page 13
`
`measurement result information of the component P whichis stored in the reel 55
`
`[0049]).
`
`However, Shibata does not disclose a pattern electrode, an inspection area, and
`
`an inspection area is vacant.
`
`It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective
`
`filing date of the claimed invention to modify Shibata to identify if an inspection areais
`
`vacant for enabling electrodes to determine electrical characteristics and improving
`
`functionality of the mounting system.
`
`Nevertheless, Terachi discloses pattern electrode (In order to solve the above-
`
`mentioned problems, the present invention provides a component recognition method
`
`for recognizing the positions of electrodes by imaging a component having a
`
`predeterminedarray of electrode patterns. Small windows of a predetermined size are
`
`sequentially set in the image to extract the electrodes, the pattern of the extracted
`
`electrodes and the coordinates of the electrodes are obtained, and the extracted
`
`electrode pattern and the electrode pattern of the predetermined arrangement are
`
`compared. A configuration is adopted in which the image coordinates of the electrodes
`
`of the electrode pattern of the predetermined array are determined based on the results
`
`of collation by superimposing them [0011]).
`
`It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective
`
`filing date of the claimed invention to modify Shibata in view of Terachi to include a
`
`pattern electrode ‘enabling the determination of electrical characteristics of components.
`
`

`

`Application/Control Number: 17/298,669
`Art Unit: 2863
`
`Page 14
`
`Regarding Claim 2, Shibata and Terachi disclosed the claimed invention
`
`discussed in claim 1.
`
`Shibata discloses a data adderfor adding additional data for installing the
`
`inspection-required componentin the inspection areato the installation program
`
`(The management device controller 61 is configured as a microprocessor centered on a
`
`CPU whichis not depicted in the drawings and is provided with flash memoryin which
`
`various processing programs and the like are stored, and a RAM whichstores data
`
`temporarily. The mounting management server 60 has a function of executing an
`
`operation corresponding to an input operation when a worker performs the input
`
`operation of a cursor or the like which is displayed on the display 66 via the input device
`
`67. The management device controller 61 is electrically connected to the memory
`
`section 65, the display 66, the input device 67, the I/F 68, and the like using a bus 69.
`
`The mounting management server 60 commands the mounting process device 20 to
`
`perform the mounting process using an installed program [0048]) when the target
`
`event occurrence detector detects the occurrence of the event and the determiner
`
`determines (The management determination section 64 performs a processof
`
`determining whether or not the reel 55 and the measured component P are in the
`
`correct correspondencerelationship based on the information of the reel 55 and the
`
`measurement result information of the component P which is stored in the reel 55
`
`[0049]), wherein the inspection-required component installer installs the
`
`inspection-required componentin the inspection area based on the additional
`
`data added to the installation program (For example, there are cases in which the
`
`

`

`Application/Control Number: 17/298,669
`Art Unit: 2863
`
`Page 15
`
`feeder 50 is removed from the supply unit 37 and temporarily kept in a warehouse, is
`
`attached to a different mounting machine 21, or the like. In the mounting process
`
`device, it is conceivable to perform the measurement of the electrical characteristics of
`
`the stored component P everytime this re-installation takes place. Here, when the
`
`measurementinformation is present in step S130, that is, wnen measurementresults
`
`are obtained whichindicate that the corresponding component P is stored in the correct
`
`reel 55, the mounting processis performed without performing the re-measurement of
`
`the corresponding componentP. In this case, it is possible to further suppress the
`
`number of times the component P is measured by the characteristic measuring unit 40.
`
`After step S160, the mounting process device 20 can restart the mounting processafter
`
`interrupting the mounting process in the measurement processofthe electrical
`
`characteristics. In the mounting process of step S170, the CPU of the mounting
`
`machine controller 22 moves the mounting head 35 to the pickup position of the
`
`component to be mounted on the printed circuit board based on the pickup position, the
`
`mounting position, the movement conditions, and the like of the component which are
`
`stored in the mounting process condition information 26b [0059]).
`
`However, the combination does not disclose an inspection area is vacant.
`
`It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective
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`filing date of the claimed invention to modify Shibata and Terachi to identify if an
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`inspection area is vacant for enabling electrodes to determine electrical characteristics
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`and improving functionality of the mounting system.
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`

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`Application/Control Number: 17/298,669
`Art Unit: 2863
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`Page 16
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`Regarding Claim 3, Shibata and Terachi disclosed the claimed invention
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`discussed in claim 2.
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`Shibata discloses the data adder adds the additional data to an endof the
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`installation program [Meanwhile, when the measurementresult in step S150 is not
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`within the normal range, the CPU of the mounting machine controller 22 assumesthat
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`the wrong component P is stored in the reel 55, causes a message or the like indicating
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`this to be displayed on the operation panel 39, performs an error display process, also
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`alarming of a warning sound or the like (step S180), and, for example, transmits the
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`error information to the mounting management server 60 (step S190) and ends the
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`routine in this state. In other words, the CPU stops the mounting processof the
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`component P. In this manner, in the mounting process device 20, when the
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`measurement information is not present, the electrical characteristics of the component
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`P are confirmed, and the mounting processis interrupted when the component P is
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`determined to be wrong. Notethat, as the error information to be transmitted,
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`information may be adoptedindicating that the wrong componentis stored in the reel 55
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`of the componentP which is measured this time. Here, although the routine is ended in
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`this state, the mounting process may be capable of restarting, for example, after
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`displaying the error, when the feeder 50 is exchanged, the processes from step S140
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`onward are performed (0058]; The mounting management server 60 commands the
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`mounting process device 20 to perform the mounting process using an installed
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`program, displays the information of the mounting process device 20, and the like
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`(0048).
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`

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`Application/Control Number: 17/298,669
`Art Unit: 2863
`
`Page 17
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`Regarding Claim 4, Shibata and Terachi disclosed the claimed invention
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`discussed in claim 1.
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`Shibata discloses wherein when the componentfeederis a tape feeder
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`sequentially supplying componentsfed from tapes containing the components,
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`the target event occurrence detector detects the occurrence of the event based
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`on a fact that a preceding tape containing componentsis switched to a
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`succeeding tape containing components (The supply unit 37 is provided with an
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`installation section in which a feeder 50 is installed, and a cutting section which cuts and
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`removesthe tape from which the component P has been picked up. One or more of the
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`feeders 50 which supply the componentP from the reel 55 are installed in the supply
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`unit 37. The feeder 50 is provided with a control section 51 which controls the feeder 50,
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`a memory section 52 which stores information relating to the feeder 50, a tape feeder
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`unit which feeds out the tape which is wound around the reel 55 to the pickup position
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`and is not depicted in the drawings, and the reel 55 around which the tape in which the
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`components P are stored is wound. In the memory section 52, the feeder ID whichis
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`the identifier of the feeder 50, for example, is stored as the information relating to the
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`feeder 50, and it is possible to store the reel ID whichis the identifier of the reel 55, the
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`component ID whichis the identifier of the component P which is stored in the reel 55,
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`and the like as other information. When the feeder 50is installed in the supply unit 37,
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`the control section 51 performs communication with the mounting machine controller 22,
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`and performsa processin which the information (for example, the feeder ID and the
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`

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`Application/Control Number: 17/298,669
`Art Unit: 2863
`
`Page 18
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`like) relating to the feeder 50 which is stored in the memory section 52 is output. The
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`control section 51 controls the tape feeder unit to feed out the tape to a predetermined
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`pickup position at which the component P which is stored in the reel 55 is sucked to by
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`the suction nozzle 36. The reel 55 is provided with a tape in which a storage section
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`which stores the componentP and is not depicted in the drawings is formed, and a label
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`56 which describes the information relating to the stored component P and a bar-code
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`57 which identifies the reel 55 are stuck to the reel 55 [0043)).
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`Regarding Claim 5, Shibata and Terachi disclosed the claimed invention
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`discussed in claim 1.
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`Shibata discloses when the componentfeederis a tape feeder for
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`sequentially supplying components fed from tapes containing the components,
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`the target event occurrence detector detects the occurrence of the event based
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`on a fact that a connector for connecting a preceding tape containing
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`components and a succeeding tape containing componentsis detected(In the
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`memory section 52, the feeder ID whichis the identifier of the feeder 50, for example, is
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`stored as the information relating to the feeder 50, and it is possible to store the reel ID
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`whichis the identifier of the reel 55, the component ID whichis the identifier of the
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`componentP whichis stored in the reel 55, and the like as other information. When the
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`feeder 50 is installed in the supply unit 37, the control section 51 performs
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`communication with the mounting machine controller 22, and performs a processin
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`which the information (for example, the feeder ID and the like) relating to the feeder 50
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`

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`Application/Control Number: 17/298,669
`Art Unit: 2863
`
`Page 19
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`which is stored in the memory section 52 is output. The control section 51 controls the
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`tape feeder unit to feed out the tape to a predetermined pickup position at which the
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`componentP whichis stored in the reel 55 is sucked to by the suction nozzle 36. The
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`reel 55 is provided with a tape in which a storage section which stores the component P
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`and is not d