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 .
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 03/23/2023 is being considered by the examiner.
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 1-2 and 6 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Yamazaki (JP 2013-146773).
Regarding claims 1 and 6, Yamazaki is directed towards an laser processing apparatus. Yamazaki does teach a scanner (the galvanometer mirror 42 and the f8 lens 44) capable of scanning a workpiece (Figure 1, the workpiece W ) with a laser beam (the first visible light VLl); a moving device configured to move the scanner relative to the workpiece ([0034] The console 16 connected to the main body 11 includes a display unit 16a and an operation unit 16b. The user can set desired print data using the operation unit 16b.);
and a scanner control device configured to control the scanner ([0036]
The control unit 17 drives the laser oscillator 18 and the galvano motor 43 based on the print data. The laser oscillator 18 emits laser light L to the fiber cable 12 , and the laser light L is transmitted to the head unit 14 via the fiber cable 12 . The laser light L emitted from the tip surface 12a of the fiber cable 12 passes through the half mirror 41, is scanned in two directions by the galvanometer mirror 42, and is irradiated onto the printing surface Wa of the workpiece W via the fθ lens 44 and protective glass 45.) ,
wherein the scanner control device comprises a trajectory control unit configured to control the scanner to illuminate the workpiece with a control point correction trajectory for correcting a preset control point in a state in which the moving device is stopped, and wherein the control point correction trajectory has a predetermined length for identifying a deviation of the laser beam in an optical axis direction and a predetermined shape for identifying a position of the control point and a direction defined by the control point in a coordinate system ([0031], [0049]-[0052], fig. 8 (a) and (b)).
Regarding claim 2, Yamazaki does teach the limitations of claim 1. Yamazaki does teach the trajectory control unit controls the scanner to repeatedly scan the control point correction trajectory at a predetermined cycle ([0089] Although not specifically mentioned in the above embodiment, a configuration may be adopted in which the same character is repeatedly marked (processed) in the same area and the thickness of the lines constituting the marked character or symbol is changed.).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 3-5 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.
Regarding claim 3, the prior art does not teach or suggest the control point correction trajectory illuminated on the workpiece has the same length and shape as a control point correction trajectory in a scanner program for controlling the scanner, and can be compared with a correction pattern that can be disposed on the workpiece.
Regarding claim 4, the prior art does not teach or suggest a control point moving unit configured to move the control point based on the control point correction trajectory; and a control point storage unit configured to store a position of the moved control point and a direction defined by the moved control point in a coordinate system, and wherein the trajectory control unit controls the scanner to illuminate the workpiece with the control point correction trajectory based on the position of the moved control point and the direction defined by the moved control point in the coordinate system.
Regarding claim 5, the prior art does not teach or suggest the predetermined length for identifying the deviation of the laser beam in the optical axis direction is calculated from a distance at which a change of a length of the control point correction trajectory can be visually recognized, an amount of the deviation of the laser beam in the optical axis direction, and a distance between the scanner and a laser irradiation point of the laser beam.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to KEITH BRIAN ASSANTE whose telephone number is (571)272-5853. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 7:30 am - 4:30 pm EST.
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/KEITH BRIAN ASSANTE/Examiner, Art Unit 3761
/ELIZABETH M KERR/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3761