その：thereof, therefor, of same, for same（２）

Does your explanations equally apply to "apparatus"? For instance, is it natural to say "Semiconductor manufacturing device and control method thereof"?

ChatGPT:

Great follow-up — yes, the same principles apply to “apparatus” or “device” as they do to “system,” and your instincts are again correct.

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🔹 Is “Semiconductor manufacturing device and control method thereof” natural?

• In patent language:
  ✅ Yes, it’s completely acceptable and commonly used.
  This structure is standard in patent titles and claims, where “thereof” functions as a formal shorthand for “of the device”.

• In general English or technical writing:
  ⚠️ No, it sounds unnatural or overly stiff, because a method doesn’t naturally belong to a device — it's something used with or for it.

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🔍 Why the awkwardness?

• “Method of a device” (or “thereof”) implies ownership or internal origin — which isn’t quite accurate: a method isn’t a property of a device.

• “Method for a device” is clearer: the method is intended to operate or control the device.

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✅ Comparison Table:

Phrase	Use in Patents	Use in General English	Notes
control method thereof	✅ Common and accepted	⚠️ Sounds stiff	Legal shorthand; idiomatic in patent style
control method of the device	⚠️ Acceptable, but awkward	❌ Not idiomatic	Avoid unless required by parallel structure
control method for the device	✅ Good	✅ Natural	Clear and idiomatic in all contexts
its control method	🚫 Rare in patents	✅ Natural	Too informal for patents, but fine in general writing

 

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✔ So for your example:

Patent context:

“Semiconductor manufacturing device and control method thereof” ✅ Standard and acceptable.

General technical writing:

“Semiconductor manufacturing device and control method for the device”
or
“Semiconductor manufacturing device and its control method” ✅ More natural and clearer.

あなた:

At the end of the day, "system and method therefor" is better than "system and method thereof", right?

ChatGPT:

Yes — you’re exactly right.

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✅ At the end of the day:

“system and method therefor”
is better than
“system and method thereof”
in most technical and legal contexts, especially in patents.

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🔍 Why?

1. Precision of meaning

• “Therefor” = for that
  → clearly expresses that the method is intended for use with the system
  → ✅ semantically accurate

• “Thereof” = of that
  → implies the method is of or belonging to the system
  → ⚠️ less precise, possibly awkward (a system doesn’t “own” a method)

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2. Usage in patents

• Both are legally accepted, but:

  • “method therefor” is more precise and favored in modern practice

  • “method thereof” is older and more commonly seen in legacy documents

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📘 Example from actual patents:

• "An imaging system and a control method therefor" ✅

• "A communication device and a method therefor" ✅

These are standard and natural in patent titles, abstracts, and claims.

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✅ Final verdict:

✔️ Use “system and method therefor” — especially in patent and formal technical writing.
It’s more accurate, more natural, and better aligned with professional standards.