DETAILED ACTION
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments and accompanying amendments, see pages 2 and 7-10, filed 12/11/25, with respect to claim 1 have been fully considered and are persuasive. The rejection of claims 1-7, 11-14, and 16 under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Yamazaki US 2017/0017226 has been withdrawn.
It is noted however that independent claim 8 was not amended and therefore claims 8-10 and 16 remain rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Yamazaki.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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 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 person shall be entitled to a patent unless –
(a)(1) the claimed invention was patented, described in a printed publication, or in public use, on sale, or otherwise available to the public before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claims 8-10 and 15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Yamazaki US 2017/0017226.
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.
Yamazaki discloses:
8. CNC machine tool (e.g., Fig. 1 #11 “machining tool”) comprising:
a frame (e.g., Fig. 1 #21, [0056]: “seat 21”) to which a fixturing member (e.g., Fig. 1 #22, [0056]: “fixture 22”), on which a workpiece (e.g., Fig. 1: “W”, [0056]: “workpiece W”) is fixed to be machined by a tool (e.g., Fig. 1 #17, [0056]: “tool 17”), can be anchored,
an actuator to operate the tool and move it relative to the frame to machine the workpiece in space (e.g., Fig. 1 #17, [0056]),
a sensor for performing an optical scan of a geometry present in a portion of the workpiece (e.g., Fig. 1 #15, Fig. 3: “S13”, [0058]),
an electronic processor configured for
reading digital data generated by the sensor during the optical scan (e.g., [0065]-[0066]: “The calculated three-dimensional coordinates of the workpiece surface are based on a predetermined position in the user coordinate system for the robot 14…the user coordinate system is hereinafter referred to as the robot coordinate system”, Fig. 3: “S15”) and determining from them a coordinate of the geometry in a frame of reference integral with the machine's frame (e.g., [0067]: “the coordinates of a machining start point on the workpiece W, calculated as coordinates in the robot coordinate system, are converted into coordinates in the machine coordinate system”, Fig. 3: “S16”),
generating digital machining coordinates, with which to control the actuator during the workpiece processing, wherein the digital machining data are adapted to command and execute a predetermined sequence of machining operations which is calculated in the frame of reference integral with the machine's frame at said coordinate (e.g., [0067]: “The coordinate converting unit 33 then sets the converted coordinates of the machining start point, namely the workpiece origin, into the machining program 30 in the machine tool control unit 12”, Fig. 3: “S20”).
9. Machine tool according to claim 8, wherein the electronic processor is configured so that said digital data generated by the sensor are processed to recognize a geometric pattern and from the geometric pattern said coordinate is obtained (e.g., [0066], [0073]).
10. Machine tool according to claim 8, wherein the electronic processor is configured so that said digital data generated by the sensor are processed to recognize image parts and assign said coordinates to said parts (e.g., [0066], [0073]).
15. Machine tool according to claim 8, wherein the electronic processor is configured so that said digital data generated by the sensor are processed to recognize a geometric pattern, corresponding to a rough finishing, and from the geometric pattern said coordinate is obtained (e.g., [0066], [0073]).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 1-7, 11-14, and 16 are allowed.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter: The prior art of record fails to teach or fairly suggest the features added to claim 1 in the amendment filed 12/11/25, in combination with the remaining features and elements of the claimed invention.
Conclusion
THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to RYAN A JARRETT whose telephone number is (571)272-3742. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 9:00-5:30.
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/RYAN A JARRETT/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2116
01/31/26