DETAILED ACTION
Notice of Pre-AIA 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 .
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election without traverse of Claims 20-29 in the reply filed on January 10, 2025 is acknowledged. Claims 30-39 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected invention, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Election was made without traverse in the reply filed on January 10, 2025.
Claim Objections
Claim 28 is objected to because of the following informalities: Examiner believes “black light intensity level” is a typo, and will exam the claim as if Applicant wrote “black intensity level” because the Specification includes information about black intensity level, but not black light intensity level. Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 103 which forms the basis for all obviousness rejections set forth 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 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.
The text of those sections of Title 35, U.S. Code not included in this action can be found in a prior Office action.
This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention(s) absent any evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and effective filing dates of each claim that was not commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the later invention in order for the examiner to consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) for any potential 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) prior art against the later invention.
Claims 20-29 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Wu (US 2012/0224755) in view of Shiau (US 5,960,109) and Salvo, et al. (US 2013/016387).
In reference to Claim 20, Wu discloses a 3D printing method using a printer ([0034]) (a method for processing a three-dimensional (3D) object for printing by a 3D printer) using image data from a computer loaded image data set ([0034]) ((a) obtaining, by a computer processor, a digital image corresponding to at least a portion of said 3D object) volumetric pixels, voxels ([0004]), are identified in the image data set ([0012]) ((b) identifying, by said computer processor, at least one pixel of said digital image), adjusting parameters ([0073]-[0074] including attributes such as intensity ([0034]) adjusting a printing method parameter until satisfied with the settings ([0074]) ((c) changing, by said computer processor, a parameter level of said at least one pixel and an additional parameter level of said at least one pixel relative to one another, to generate a parameter level profile of said digital image, wherein said parameter profile is usable by said 3D printer to print said at least said portion of said 3D object).
Wu does not disclose interior or exterior pixels, nor changing a light intensity level.
Shiau discloses identifying interior pixels (16:57-58) along with exterior pixels (15:49) (identifying at least one interior pixel of said digital image and at least one exterior pixel of said digital image).
It would be obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to complete the method of 3D printing of Wu by identifying interior and exterior pixels like Shiau. One would have been motivated to identify the interior and exterior pixels like Shiau because identifying pixels allows for proper placement. The reasonable expectation of success is Wu’s 3D printing method can be adjusted using the process of Shiau which identifies interior and exterior pixels.
Salvo discloses pixels with light intensities that are changeable ([0039]-[0040]) ((c) changing, by said computer processor, a light intensity level of said at least one pixel and an additional light intensity level of said at least one pixel relative to one another, to generate a light intensity level profile of said digital image, wherein said light intensity profile is usable by said 3D printer to print said at least said portion of said 3D object).
It would be obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to complete the method of 3D printing of Wu by modifying light intensities of pixels like Salvo. One would have been motivated to modify the light intensities of pixels like Salvo because Wu prepares for adjustment to the model (). The reasonable expectation of success is Wu’s 3D printing method can be adjusted using the method of Salvo which is changes light intensity per pixel.
In reference to Claim 21, modified Wu discloses the method of Claim 20, as described above.
Salvo discloses the ability to change the light intensity of the pixel, but not the requirement to change the intensity ([0039]-[0040]) (in (c), one of said light intensity level and said additional light intensity level is reduced, while the other of said light intensity level and said additional light intensity level remains substantially unchanged).
In reference to Claim 22, modified Wu discloses the method of Claim 20, as described above.
Salvo discloses changing pixel intensity ([0039]-[0040]) (assigning increased duration of exposure of (i) said at least one interior pixel to light at said light intensity level that is changed or (ii) said at least one exterior pixel to light at said additional light intensity level that is changed).
In reference to Claim 23, modified Wu discloses the method of Claim 22, as described above.
Salvo discloses the computer assigning changing pixel intensity ([0039]-[0040]) (assigning increased duration of exposure of (i) said at least one interior pixel to light at said light intensity level that is changed and (ii) said at least one exterior pixel to light at said additional light intensity level that is changed).
In reference to Claim 24, modified Wu discloses the method of Claim 22, as described above.
Salvo discloses the computer changes the pixel intensities based on information gathered ([0039]-[0040]) (light intensity level and said additional light intensity level are changed based at least in part on said increased duration of exposure).
In reference to Claim 25, modified Wu discloses the method of Claim 20, as described above.
Salvo discloses the light intensity signal is based on whether the corresponding image pixel correlates to a morphological change in the surface of the object (Abstract) (light intensity level and said additional light intensity level are changed based on a nominal curing parameter of a resin that is usable for forming said at least said portion of said 3D object).
In reference to Claim 26, modified Wu discloses the method of Claim 20, as described above.
Salvo discloses the light intensity signal is based on whether the corresponding image pixel correlates to a morphological change in the surface of the object (Abstract) (light intensity level and said additional light intensity level are changed to enhance curing quality of said at least said portion of said 3D object).
In reference to Claim 27, modified Wu discloses the method of Claim 20, as described above.
Salvo discloses the light intensity signal is based on whether the corresponding image pixel correlates to a morphological change in the surface of the object (Abstract) specifically the edges ([0053]) (light intensity level and said additional light intensity level are changed to enhance curing quality at one or more edges of said at least said portion of said 3D object).
In reference to Claim 28, modified Wu discloses the method of Claim 20, as described above.
Salvo discloses some pixels are equivalent to black image pixels ([0071]) (identifying comprises classifying a target pixel as said at least one exterior pixel when one or more neighboring pixels of said target pixel has a black intensity level).
In reference to Claim 29, modified Wu discloses the method of Claim 20, as described above.
Wu discloses adjusting a printing method parameter until satisfied with the settings ([0074]) (sending said parameter profile to said 3D printer to print said at least said portion of said 3D object).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to KELSEY C GRACE whose telephone number is (571)270-1113. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Thursday 7:00 AM - 5:00 PM EST, Friday 7:00 AM - 11:00 AM EST.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Christina Johnson can be reached at (571)272-1176. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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KELSEY C. GRACE
Examiner
Art Unit 1742
/CHRISTINA A JOHNSON/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 1742
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