DETAILED ACTION
Claims 1-10 are presented for examination. Claims 1, 4, 6-7, and 10 are amended. This office action is response to the submission on 11/13/2025.
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 .
Response to Arguments
With respect to 35 U.S.C. §112(b) Rejections:
Applicant's arguments submitted on 3/2/2026 with respect to there being no contradiction with the estimation of tension have been considered but are not persuasive. Applicant argues that:
“The claims are amended for clarity. The tension information acquisition device acquires, as tension before the back tension becomes zero, tension estimated based on the torque measured when the back tension is zero (paragraphs 0041, 0043-0046, and 0057 of the specification). It is respectfully submitted that there is no contradiction.”
Examiner disagrees. The claims as amended are unclear, specifically the limitation “acquire the tension information indicating, as the tension of the wire electrode obtained when the rotational torque is kept at the predetermined magnitude before the magnitude of the back tension becomes zero, the tension of the wire electrode estimated based on an estimated disturbance value of the feed motor or an output torque thereof obtained when the magnitude of the back tension is zero.” In independent claim 1. Independent claim 7 has a limitation that is substantially the same as well.
With respect to 35 U.S.C. §102/103 Rejections:
As the limitations of the claims are unclear, examiner cannot make a determination with respect to prior art.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claims 1-10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Claim 1 includes the limitation “acquire the tension information indicating, as the tension of the wire electrode obtained when the rotational torque is kept at the predetermined magnitude before the magnitude of the back tension becomes zero, the tension of the wire electrode estimated based on an estimated disturbance value of the feed motor or an output torque thereof obtained when the magnitude of the back tension is zero.” It is unclear what the limitations of this portion of the claim are, rendering the claim indefinite.
Examiner believes it is unclear how tension information is acquired. The following limitation: “the tension information indicating, as the tension of the wire electrode obtained when the rotational torque is kept at the predetermined magnitude before the magnitude of the back tension becomes zero,” describes what the tension information indicates but also describes when the tension information is obtained (before the magnitude of the back tension becomes zero.) The later limitation: “the tension of the wire electrode estimated based on an estimated disturbance value of the feed motor or an output torque thereof obtained when the magnitude of the back tension is zero.” Seems to indicate that the tension is estimated when the magnitude of the back tension is zero.
Additionally, there are multiple possible interpretations of this claim limitation “the tension of the wire electrode estimated based on an estimated disturbance value of the feed motor or an output torque thereof obtained when the magnitude of the back tension is zero.” It could be that the tension of the wire electrode is estimated:
based on an estimated disturbance value of the feed motor or an output torque thereof, either the disturbance value of the feed motor or the output torque being obtained when the magnitude of the back tension is zero
Or, the tension of the wire electrode is estimated:
based on an estimated disturbance value of the feed motor or an output torque thereof, with no limitation on when the disturbance value of the feed motor is obtained and the output torque being obtained when the magnitude of the back tension is zero
As the claim limitations do not provide a clear scope of the limitations, examiner cannot provide a rejection over prior art
Claims 2-6 are rejected based on their dependencies on claim 1.
Claim 7 includes the limitation “an acquisition step of acquiring the tension information indicating, as the tension of the wire electrode obtained when the rotational torque is kept at the predetermined magnitude before the magnitude of the back tension becomes zero, the tension of the wire electrode estimated based on an estimated disturbance value of the feed motor or an output torque thereof, obtained when the magnitude of the back tension is zero.” Which is substantially the same as the limitation mentioned above in claim 1 and the same reasoning applies mutatis mutandis. Claims 8-10 are rejected based on their dependencies on claim 7.
Examiner strongly recommends an interview in order to clarify these claim limitations.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Nakagawa et al. (US20150290733A1) teaches a method of estimating tension in a wire EDM using motor current and position in Nakagawa [0030] "The external force estimator 11 uses the stored relationships, the current supplied by the motor control device 6A to the tension control motor 4A, and the signal (the detected position value) transmitted from the motor position detector 5A to estimate the tension in the wire 10 in the feeding direction. The tension in the wire 10 is an external force transferred from the wire 10 via the tension control roller 2 to the tension control motor 4A. Thus, the external force estimator 11 calculates the estimated value of an external force due to friction and the wire tension as an external force estimate. The external force estimator 11 transmits the external force estimate to the external force determiner 12."
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). 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 Zachary A Cain whose telephone number is (571)272-4503. The examiner can normally be reached Mon-Fri 7:00-3:30 CST.
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/Z.A.C./Examiner, Art Unit 2116
/KENNETH M LO/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2116
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