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 .
Priority
Acknowledgment is made of applicant’s claim for foreign priority under 35 U.S.C. 119 (a)-(d). The certified copy has been filed in parent Application No. JP 2020-070001, filed on April 9, 2020.
Claim Objections
Claim 7 is objected to because of the following informalities: Line 7 of claim 7 states “performing a focusing of focusing the laser light…”. 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 factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
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 1, 3-7, and 9-12 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Seo et al. JP 2006119427 A in view of Matsumoto et al. US 9,383,597 B2.
Regarding claim 1, Seo discloses a laser processing apparatus [TITLE] comprising: a spatial light modulator (Para. 19; Fig. 1, Ref. 3) configured to input laser light output from a laser light source (Fig. 1, Ref. P’), present a hologram for modulating a phase of the laser light in each of a plurality of pixels arranged two-dimensionally (Para. 19), and output laser light after phase modulation by the hologram (Para. 20 “synthesis”); a focusing optical system (Fig. 1, Ref. 4; Para. 56) provided at a subsequent stage of the spatial light modulator (Para. 44 wherein the focal length is adjusted); and a control unit (Fig. 1, Ref. 5) configured to present, on the spatial light modulator, the hologram for focusing the laser light after the phase modulation output from the spatial light modulator (Para. 109 wherein the controller uses the hologram calculation means) on a plurality of irradiation points in a processing object by the focusing optical system (Fig. 4; Ref. G9).
While Seo discloses controlling the intensity distribution of the laser (Para. 19), it is not specifically disclosed wherein the control unit is configured to control light intensities of at least two irradiation points included in the plurality of irradiation points independently of each other.
However in the same field of endeavor, Matsumoto teaches wherein the control unit is configured to control light intensities of at least two irradiation points included in the plurality of irradiation points independently of each other (Col. 9, Lines 61-67 wherein the intensity between condensing points can be adjusted) to control the light condensing state reliably as preferred (Matsumoto Col. 6, Lines 52-56).
It would have been prima facie obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to control the light condensing state reliably as preferred (Matsumoto Col. 6, Lines 52-56).
Regarding claim 3, Seo discloses a storage unit configured to store in advance data related to the light intensity of each irradiation point according to a material distribution in the processing object, wherein the control unit is configured to control the light intensity of each irradiation point based on the data (Para. 19 wherein predetermined processing shapes are considered advance data and the controller controls the intensity distribution of the laser light).
Regarding claim 4, Seo discloses wherein the control unit is configured to set at least one of a shape and a size of a processing region defined by the plurality of irradiation points in a first plane intersecting an optical axis of the laser light (Para. 19 wherein a predetermined processing shape is applied to the workpiece) after the phase modulation with which the processing object is irradiated and a processing region defined by the plurality of irradiation points in a second plane intersecting the optical axis and separated from the first plane in a direction of the optical axis to be different from each other (Para. 82 wherein the laser light is displaced within a plane perpendicular to the optical axis).
Regarding claim 5, Seo discloses wherein the control unit is configured to sequentially present, on the spatial light modulator, a plurality of holograms for changing a position of each irradiation point along a virtual line which determines a processing region defined by the plurality of irradiation points (Para. 25).
Regarding claim 6, Seo discloses wherein when the hologram is changed, the control unit is configured to present, on the spatial light modulator, a hologram with which the light intensity of the laser light is less than a processing threshold value at any portion in the processing object during a period from erasing a certain hologram to presenting another hologram (Paras. 63 and 64 wherein the hologram position is shifted. A person of ordinary skill in the art would adjust the light intensity to form the hologram on the object as needed).
Regarding claim 7, Seo discloses a laser processing method [TITLE] repeatedly (Para. 42, “multiple times”) performing: performing a control of presenting, on a spatial light modulator (Para. 19; Fig. 1, Ref. 3), a hologram for modulating a phase of light in each of a plurality of pixels arranged two-dimensionally (Para. 19); performing a light modulation of inputting laser light output from a laser light source to the spatial light modulator (Fig. 1, Ref. P’), and performing phase modulation of the laser light by the hologram (Para. 19); and performing a focusing of focusing the laser light after the phase modulation, wherein in the control, the spatial light modulator presents the hologram for focusing the laser light after the phase modulation output from the spatial light modulator (Para. 109 wherein the controller uses the hologram calculation means) on a plurality of irradiation points in a processing object by the focusing, and light intensities of at least two irradiation points (Fig. 4; Ref. G9) included in the plurality of irradiation points are controlled independently of each other (Para. 19 wherein the intensity distribution is controlled).
Regarding claim 9, Seo discloses before the control, performing a storage of storing in advance data related to the light intensity of each irradiation point according to a material distribution in the processing object, wherein in the control, the light intensity of each irradiation point is controlled based on the data (Para. 19 wherein predetermined processing shapes are considered advance data and the controller controls the intensity distribution of the laser light).
Regarding claim 10, Seo discloses wherein in the control, at least one of a shape and a size of a processing region defined by the plurality of irradiation points in a first plane intersecting an optical axis of the laser light (Para. 19 wherein a predetermined processing shape is applied to the workpiece) after the phase modulation with which the processing object is irradiated and a processing region defined by the plurality of irradiation points in a second plane intersecting the optical axis and separated from the first plane in a direction of the optical axis is set different from each other (Para. 82 wherein the laser light is displaced within a plane perpendicular to the optical axis).
Regarding claim 11, Seo discloses wherein in the control, the spatial light modulator sequentially presents a plurality of holograms for changing a position of each irradiation point along a virtual line which determines a processing region defined by the plurality of irradiation points (Para. 25).
Regarding claim 12, Seo discloses wherein in the control, when the hologram is changed, the spatial light modulator presents a hologram with which the light intensity of the laser light is less than a processing threshold value at any portion in the processing object during a period from erasing a certain hologram to presenting another hologram (Paras. 63 and 64 wherein the hologram position is shifted. A person of ordinary skill in the art would adjust the light intensity to form the hologram on the object as needed).
Claims 2 and 8 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Seo et al. JP 2006119427 A in view of Takiguchi US 2015/0301256 A1.
Regarding claim 2, while Seo discloses an imaging optical system, Seo does not specifically disclose an observation light source configured to irradiate the processing object with observation light; and a photodetector configured to detect the observation light reflected from the processing object, wherein the control unit is configured to detect a material change at each irradiation point based on a detection result by the photodetector, and change the light intensity of each irradiation point according to the material change.
However in the same field of endeavor, Takiguchi teaches an observation light source configured to irradiate the processing object with observation light (Fig. 7, Ref. L3); and a photodetector configured to detect the observation light reflected from the processing object (Fig. 7, Ref. 15b), wherein the control unit is configured to detect a material change at each irradiation point based on a detection result by the photodetector, and change the light intensity of each irradiation point according to the material change (Para. 45 wherein the intensity is changed based on detector feedback).
It would have been prima facie obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to use an observation light source and photodetector to detect and respond to material change obtain an observation optical image of an irradiated portion even when the light condensing position of modulated light is changed in the optical axis direction (Takiguchi Para. 9), and automatically focus the device without bothering the operator (Takiguchi Para. 8).
Regarding claim 8, while Seo discloses an imaging optical system, Seo does not specifically disclose performing a photodetection of irradiating the processing object with observation light, and detecting the observation light reflected from the processing object, wherein in the control, a material change at each irradiation point is detected based on a detection result by the photodetection, and the light intensity of each irradiation point is changed according to the material change.
However in the same field of endeavor, Takiguchi teaches performing a photodetection of irradiating the processing object with observation light (Fig. 7, Ref. L3), and detecting the observation light reflected from the processing object (Fig. 7, Ref. 15b), wherein in the control, a material change at each irradiation point is detected based on a detection result by the photodetection, and the light intensity of each irradiation point is changed according to the material change (Para. 45 wherein the intensity is changed based on detector feedback).
It would have been prima facie obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to use an observation light source and photodetector to detect and respond to material change obtain an observation optical image of an irradiated portion even when the light condensing position of modulated light is changed in the optical axis direction (Takiguchi Para. 9), and automatically focus the device without bothering the operator (Takiguchi Para. 8).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to KRISTINA B BURNS whose telephone number is (571)272-8973. The examiner can normally be reached Monday and Wednesday 6:00 am-12:00 pm and Tuesday 6:00 am-2:30 pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Ibrahime Abraham can be reached at (571) 270-5569. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/K.B.B./Examiner, Art Unit 3761
/IBRAHIME A ABRAHAM/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3761