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 .
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments, see Remarks, filed 7/7/2025, with respect to the rejection(s) of claim(s) 42 under 35 U.S.C. 102 have been fully considered and are persuasive. Therefore, the rejection has been withdrawn. However, upon further consideration, a new ground(s) of rejection is made in view of Kubli et al. U.S. PGPub 2012/0123579.
Claim Objections
Claim 43 is objected to because of the following informalities: In the Remarks filed 7/7/2025 the last portion of claim 43 is on the 1st Remarks page. The presented all claims should be presented on a page distinct from the Remarks. Appropriate correction is required.
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)(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.
Claim(s) 42 and 43 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Kubli et al. U.S. PGPub 2012/0123579 (hereinafter “Kubli”).
Regarding claim 42, Kubli discloses a method of monitoring the manufacture of a particular type of part by a manufacturing process including a plurality of manufacturing steps in a system including at least one processing unit and a memory, the method comprising: receiving a plurality of previously generated non-compliance reports (via loaded stored definitions of problem zones) corresponding to the manufacture of a plurality of respective parts of the type of part (e.g. ¶30 and 54), with the plurality of non-compliance reports indicating at least one visually detected defect (e.g. structural problem/failure, splitting, cracking) corresponding to a particular location on a particular part of the plurality of respective parts (e.g. ¶30, 39-45 and 54); aligning each visually detected defect from the plurality of compliance reports for the plurality of respective parts to at least one simulated location of a simulated model (e.g. visual representation of part) associated with at least a portion of a part of the type of part, wherein the at least one simulated location corresponds to the particular location on the type of part corresponding to the visually detected defect (e.g. ¶30, 39-45, 54 and 99-111; Fig. 3a-7); determining a plurality of aligned visually detected defects (i.e. splitting, cracking) that are aligned to at least one of a common simulated location on the simulated model or related simulated locations on the simulated model (e.g. ¶30, 39-45, 54 and 99-111; Fig. 3a-7); and analyzing the plurality of aligned visually detected defects on the same simulated model for the plurality of respective parts to determine whether a manufacturing problem is occurring in the manufacturing process of the particular type of part (e.g. ¶30, 39-45, 54 and 99-111; Fig. 3a-7).
Regarding claim 43, Kubli discloses a method for monitoring the manufacture of a particular type of manufactured part by a manufacturing process in a system of the type that includes at least one processing unit and a memory, the method comprising: receiving a first set of data that comprises indications of potential problems (e.g. problem zones) at locations on parts of the particular type of manufactured part that is manufactured by the manufacturing process (e.g. ¶30, 39-45, 54 and 99-111; Fig. 3a-7); aligning the indications of the first set of data to a simulated model (i.e. visual respreentation of the part) associated with at least a portion of the type of part, including aligning each indication to a corresponding simulated location on the simulated model (e.g. ¶30, 39-45, 54 and 99-111; Fig. 3a-7); the step of aligning the data including the selection of an alignment algorithm and use of that alignment algorithm to transform the indication data into a coordinate system of the simulated model for locating the indication data on the simulated model (e.g. ¶30, 39-45, 54 and 99-111; Fig. 3a-7); receiving a second set of previously generated data that comprises indications of potential problems (e.g. stored definitions of problem zones) at locations on parts of the particular type of manufactured part that were previously aligned to the simulated model (e.g. ¶30, 39-45, 54 and 99-111; Fig. 3a-7); comparing the indications of potential problems in the first and second sets of data to find similar indications of potential problems (e.g. ¶30, 39-45, 54 and 99-111; Fig. 3a-7); generating a display representation (e.g. CAD/reference/design model) that visually represents the at least a portion of the simulated model and the indications of the first and second sets of data aligned to corresponding simulated locations of the at least a portion of the simulated model (e.g. pg. 1, ¶7-9; pg. 2-3, ¶19-30; pg. 3-4, ¶34-38 and 42-45; Fig. 1-7).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 21-33 and 35-41 are allowed.
The following is an examiner’s statement of reasons for allowance: the prior art of record does not disclose receiving manufacturing data associated with the manufacturing process that includes at least one possible root cause problem associated with particular locations of the type of part; and associating the at least one possible root cause problem to at least one aligned indication of potential problems. The allowability, at least in part, resides in these facts.
Any comments considered necessary by applicant must be submitted no later than the payment of the issue fee and, to avoid processing delays, should preferably accompany the issue fee. Such submissions should be clearly labeled “Comments on Statement of Reasons for Allowance.”
Conclusion
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 CHARLES R KASENGE whose telephone number is (571)272-3743. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday 7:30am to 4pm EST.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Kamini Shah can be reached on (571) 272-2279. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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CK
October 15, 2025
/CHARLES R KASENGE/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2116