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 of Group I (claims 1-7 and 9-14) in the reply filed on 02/16/2026 is acknowledged. Because applicant did not distinctly and specifically point out the supposed errors in the restriction requirement, the election has been treated as an election without traverse (MPEP § 818.01(a)).
The requirement is still deemed proper and is therefore made FINAL.
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 1-7 and 9-14 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, the limitation “a first step of expanding an area irradiated with the laser light toward a first side in the objective area; and a second step of expanding the area irradiated with the laser light toward a second side different from the first side in the objective area” is indefinite. The definition of the expanding an area is unclear, and it is unclear what exact action is required for expanding the area.
Regarding claim 3, the limitations “a first process of moving an irradiation spot of the laser light along each of a plurality of lines extending in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction and arranged in the first direction is sequentially executed from the second side to the first side to expand the area irradiated with the laser light toward the first side” and “a second process of moving the irradiation spot of the laser light along each of a plurality of lines extending in the second direction and arranged in the first direction is sequentially executed from the first side to the second side to expand the area irradiated with the laser light toward the second side” are indefinite. Each of the limitation is a long run-on sentence, and it is unclear what is included or excluded by the claim language.
Regarding claims 5 and 9-10, the limitation “a third step of expanding the area irradiated with the laser light toward a third side in the objective area; and a fourth step of expanding the area irradiated with the laser light toward a fourth side different from the third side in the objective area” is indefinite. The definition of the expanding the area is unclear, and it is unclear what exact action is required for expanding the area.
Regarding claims 2-7 and 9-14, the claims are rejected due to their dependency on an indefinite claim as shown above.
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 1-3 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Hirano (JP 2008178888) (cited in IDS).
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Regarding claim 1, Hirano teaches a laser processing method for imparting compressive residual stress to an object along an objective area (rectangular area PQRS) on a surface of the object by irradiating the objective area with laser light (See para.[0015] “The method of superimposing and irradiating a pulsed laser beam will be described below by taking as an example the case where a rectangular area PQRS indicated by a dotted line in FIG. 3 is subjected to laser peening.”), the method comprising:
a first step of expanding an area irradiated with the laser light toward a first side in the objective area (See fig.3, the aera is irradiated by laser light from left to right, such as L1, L3, L5 and L7.); and
a second step of expanding the area irradiated with the laser light toward a second side different from the first side in the objective area (See fig.3, the aera is irradiated by laser light from right to left, such as L2, L4, and L6.).
Regarding claim 2, Hirano teaches the first side and the second side are sides opposite each other in a first direction (see fig.3, the first side and the second side are opposite each other in a direction in x-axis.).
Regarding claim 3, Hirano teaches wherein, in the first step, a first process of moving an irradiation spot of the laser light along each of a plurality of lines extending in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction and arranged in the first direction is sequentially executed from the second side to the first side to expand the area irradiated with the laser light toward the first side (See fig.3, the irradiation spot of the laser light is moved along a plurality of lines L1, L3, L5 and L7 extending in a direction y-axis, which is perpendicular to the direction in x-axis. The lines L1, L3, L5 and L7 arranged in the direction in x-axis is sequentially executed from the second side to the first side to expand the area irradiated with the laser light toward the first side.), and
wherein, in the second step, a second process of moving the irradiation spot of the laser light along each of a plurality of lines extending in the second direction and arranged in the first direction is sequentially executed from the first side to the second side to expand the area irradiated with the laser light toward the second side (See fig.3, the irradiation spot of the laser light is moved along a plurality of lines L2, L4, and L6 extending in a direction y-axis, which is perpendicular to the direction in x-axis. The lines L2, L4, and L6 arranged in the direction in x-axis is sequentially executed from the first side to the second side to expand the area irradiated with the laser light toward the second side.).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 4, 10, 12, and 14 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to CHRIS Q LIU whose telephone number is (571)272-8241. The examiner can normally be reached Mon-Fri 9:00-6:00.
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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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/CHRIS Q LIU/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3761
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