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
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.
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 1-17 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.
Regarding claim 1, line 2; claim 3, lines 6, 8; the phrase "especially" renders the claim indefinite because it is unclear whether the limitations following the phrase are part of the claimed invention. See MPEP § 2173.05(d).
Claim 1, line 2 recites “the steps”. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claims 2 and 4-17 are rejected as being dependent upon claim 1.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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.
(a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claims 1-6, 8-10, 13, 14, 16 and 17 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) / (a)(2) as being anticipated by Petschik (DE102010060958). An English machine translation of Petschik (DE102010060958) is included with the Notice of Reference Cited (PTO-892).
With respect to the limitations of claim 1, Petschik teaches a method for determining a position of a workpiece (0006) for a laser machining process, especially a laser welding process (0003, 0010, laser welding), the method comprising the steps: radiating a measurement beam (Figs 1, 2, scan laser 7, scan laser beam 9, 0039) to at least one workpiece (workpiece 27, 0044) and a support device (light scattering plate 33, 0045), which holds said at least one workpiece and at least partly surrounds the same (see figures 1, 2) along at least one first measurement path and along at least one second measurement path (scan lines S1, S2, S3, 0044); acquiring a portion of said radiated measurement beam reflected by said support device and said at least one workpiece along said first measurement path and along said second measurement path by means of at least one photodiode (light detector 31, light sensors 35, photodiodes, 0045) and generating a corresponding measurement signal, said support device and said at least one workpiece being different from each other in reflectivity (0046, 0047); and determining a position of said at least one workpiece based on said measurement signal (0048).
With respect to the limitations of claims 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10 and 13, Petschik teaches said radiated measurement beam is a laser beam, a pilot laser beam, or LED light (scan laser 7, scan laser beam 9);
a surface of said support device and a surface of said at least one workpiece, to which said measurement beam is radiated, consists of different materials (metal workpiece, 0010; light-diffusing plate 33, quartz, glass, plexiglass, 0045) and/or exhibits different surface roughnesses (0019, surface roughness); and/or said surface of said support device is of a metal, especially of aluminum or steel, or comprises the same; and/or said surface of said at least one workpiece being is of a metal, especially of copper, or comprises the same;
said radiated measurement beam exhibits a power of fewer than 300 watts or a power lower than a laser power for said laser machining process and/or is moved along said measurement paths with a speed of at least 0.3 m/s; and/or an energy input by said radiated measurement beam being is adapted such that said measurement beam does not modify and/or melt said at least one workpiece (0060, the intensity during a scanning process (e.g. B. to determine the positioning of a workpiece) can be reduced to or below a predetermined threshold, where the threshold is e.g. B. can be chosen such that the laser beam intensity is below an intensity required to modify the workpiece material in a way that alters its structure (e.g. B. below a material removal threshold or below a melting threshold of the workpiece to be processed));
said first measurement path and/or said second measurement path comprises a first area and a third area on said support device as well as a second area on said at least one workpiece, said second area arranged between said first area and said third area (Fig 2, scan lines S1, S2, S3, 0044);
said first measurement path and said second measurement path is linear; and/or said predetermined angle is 90°; and/or said first measurement path comprises a plurality of first measurement paths parallel and offset from each other; and/or said second measurement path comprises a plurality of second measurement paths parallel and offset from each other (Fig 2, scan lines S1, S2, S3, 0044);
radiating said measurement beam along said at least one first measurement path and/or along said at least one second measurement path occurs with constant speed (0066, the scan beam 9 can be set by means of the control device 25 in the form of a line grid, e.g. B. at a constant speed, over the workpiece surface 37);
for determining said position of said at least one workpiece, said measurement beam is determined to be reflected at a point of said surface of said at least one workpiece, when said measurement signal at said corresponding place is equal to or larger than a predetermined first value (0051, determines the position of the outer circumferential edge 29 based on whether a predetermined brightness threshold is exceeded or fallen below);
determining said position of said at least one workpiece based on said measurement signal comprises: determining whether said at least one workpiece is present in or at said support device (0051, the control device 25 can be configured such that it determines the position with the greatest slope in the edge scan brightness profile 41 as the position of the outer circumferential edge 29, workpiece is present if edge scan brightness profile 41 is present);
said at least one workpiece is or comprises an electrode, a bar-shaped electrode (metal workpiece 27 in the shape of an electrode bar, 0010), an i-pin, a hairpin, or a winding segment of a stator winding; and/or said support device comprises: a component (light-diffusing plate 33, quartz, glass, plexiglass, 0045), and/or a battery, and/or a jig for clamping said at least one workpiece, and/or a jig in which two workpieces to be welded to each other or welded to each other are chucked.
With respect to the limitations of claim 14, Petschik teaches a method for machining a workpiece by means of a laser beam, the method comprising: determining a position of said workpiece by means of the method according to claim 1 (as set forth in the rejection of claim 1 above); and radiating a laser beam to said workpiece for machining said workpiece based on said determined position of said workpiece (0009, 0010, 0058).
With respect to the limitations of claims 16 and 17, Petschik teaches a laser machining system (Fig 1, laser processing device 1, 0039) for machining a workpiece (workpiece 27, 0043) by means of a laser beam (processing laser 3, 0039), comprising: a laser machining apparatus (1) for radiating a measurement beam (scan laser 7, scan beam 9, 0039) to said workpiece; a sensor module with at least one photodiode (light detector 31, light sensors 35, photodiodes, 0045) for acquiring reflected measurement radiation; and a control unit (control device 25, 0042), configured to perform the method according to claim 1 (as set forth in the rejection of claim 1 above);
said laser machining apparatus comprises a deflection unit for deflecting said measurement beam along said measurement paths (scan head 11, 0040, 0042).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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.
Claim 7 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being obvious over Petschik (DE102010060958) as applied to claim 1, further in view of Kogel-Hollacher (US 2016/0059347).
With respect to the limitations of claim 7, Petschik teaches said second measurement path is linear; and/or said first measurement path comprises a plurality of circular concentrically arranged first measurement paths; and/or said second measurement path comprises a plurality of linear and intersecting second measurement paths (Fig 2, scan lines S2, S3 intersect with scan line S1). Petschik discloses the claimed invention except for said first measurement path is circular.
However, Kogel-Hollacher discloses using a measurement path that is circular (0035, the measuring light beam to travel on a circular path around the processing point; 0091) is known in the art. It would have been obvious for one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to adapt the method for determining a position of a workpiece for a laser machining process of Petschik having a first and second measurement path silent to a circular measurement path with the using a measurement path that is circular of Kogel-Hollacher for the purpose of using a known measurement path configuration that allows for a detection of the seam following the laser processing while ensuring an independence from the processing direction (0092).
Claim 11 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being obvious over Petschik (DE102010060958) as applied to claim 1, further in view of Duan (CN204747769). An English machine translation of Duan (CN204747769) is included with the Notice of Reference Cited (PTO-892).
With respect to the limitations of claim 11, Petschik discloses the claimed invention except for determining said position of said at least one workpiece occurs taking into account a diameter of said measurement beam on said at least one workpiece. However, Duan discloses determining said position of said at least one workpiece occurs taking into account a diameter of said measurement beam on said at least one workpiece (0033, focusing the spot diameter to about 20 micrometers) is known in the art. It would have been obvious for one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to adapt the method for determining a position of a workpiece for a laser machining process of Petschik determining said position of said at least one workpiece silent to taking into account a measurement beam diameter with the determining said position of said at least one workpiece occurs taking into account a diameter of said measurement beam on said at least one workpiece of Duan for the purpose of providing a known diameter size that improves the resolution of measurement and detection (0033).
Claims 12, 13 and 15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being obvious over Petschik (DE102010060958) as applied to claims 1 and 14, further in view of Hofmann (EP 3865242). Hofmann (US 2023/0073600) is being used as an English language equivalent for Hofmann (EP 3865242).
With respect to the limitations of claims 12 and 13, Petschik discloses the claimed invention except for a first workpiece and a second workpiece are arranged in said support device; and said position of said first workpiece, and/or said position of said second workpiece, and/or a position of said first and second workpieces relative to each other, and/or an interval between said first and second workpieces, and/or a position and/or extension of a gap between said first and second workpieces, and/or a diameter of a machining result, and/or a position of first and second machining results relative to each other, and/or an interval between said first and second machining results are determined; said at least one workpiece is or comprises an electrode, a bar-shaped electrode, an i-pin, a hairpin, or a winding segment of a stator winding; and/or said support device comprises: a component, and/or a battery, and/or a jig for clamping said at least one workpiece, and/or a jig in which two workpieces to be welded to each other or welded to each other are chucked.
However, Hofmann discloses the claimed invention except for a first workpiece and a second workpiece (Figs 1-5, conductors ends 16, 16a, 16b, pins 1, 0198, 0199) are arranged in said support device (stator 22, 0199); and said position of said first workpiece, and/or said position of said second workpiece, and/or a position of said first and second workpieces relative to each other, and/or an interval between said first and second workpieces, and/or a position and/or extension of a gap between said first and second workpieces, and/or a diameter of a machining result, and/or a position of first and second machining results relative to each other, and/or an interval between said first and second machining results are determined (0203, measuring device 28 is designed at least for detecting a relative position of a first conductor end 16a and a second conductor end 16b of the respective group of conductor ends 18, 20, 20a-20e); said at least one workpiece is or comprises an electrode, a bar-shaped electrode, an i-pin, a hairpin (hairpins 1, 0199), or a winding segment of a stator winding; and/or said support device comprises: a component (stator 22), and/or a battery, and/or a jig for clamping said at least one workpiece, and/or a jig in which two workpieces to be welded to each other or welded to each other are chucked is known in the art. It would have been obvious for one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to adapt the method for determining a position of a workpiece for a laser machining process of Petschik having a first workpiece silent to a second workpiece with the recited first workpiece and a second workpiece are arranged in said support device of Hofmann for the purpose of forming a known workpiece position detecting configuration that detects a relative position of a first conductor end and a second conductor end of a group of conductor ends and controls a welding energy input to the conductor ends to be welded depending on the detected relative position (0018, 0019), thereby improving the overall versatility of the method.
With respect to the limitations of claim 15, Petschik in view of Hofmann discloses comprising: machining a plurality of workpieces by radiating a laser beam to two adjacent workpieces (Hofmann, Figs 1-5, conductors ends 16, 16a, 16b, pins 1, 0198, 0199), respectively, and welding together said two adjacent workpieces (Hofmann, Fig 4c, molten pool 5, 0200), a plurality of welding domes is generated (Hofmann, Fig 4d, welding seam 6), determining a position of said workpiece comprises determining at least one interval between two adjacent welding domes (Hofmann, 0145).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to THIEN S TRAN whose telephone number is (571)270-7745. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday [8:00-4:00].
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/THIEN S TRAN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3761 12/3/2023