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 .
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 8/18/2023 was filed. The submission is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
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.
Claim 1 recites the limitation "the intended dimensions" in line 6. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
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.
Claim(s) 1, 2, 9, 15, 16, 20, and 21 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Gonzalez Martin et al. [Gonzalez Martin] (US PGPub 2020/0406557).
As to claim 1
Gonzalez Martin discloses a method for preparing virtual build volumes (virtual build volume; see paragraph 0065, line 2) comprising three-dimensional object models (model of a three-dimensional object; see paragraph 0010, lines 2-3/virtual object; see paragraph 0065, line 3) for an apparatus (additive manufacturing apparatus 600, see Fig. 6) for the manufacture of three- dimensional objects (object; see paragraph 0063, line 2), wherein the virtual build volume represents an actual build volume (usable build volume; see paragraph 0021, line 5) over which the one or more objects are to be built; the method comprising the steps of
(a) receiving one or more object models (object model data; see paragraph 0036, lines 1-2), the one or more object models defining the intended dimensions (geometric shape; see paragraph 0036, line 2) of each of the one or more objects (see paragraph 0036, lines 1-4);
(b) applying a transformation (shrinkage factor; see paragraph 0032, line 2) to an initial virtual build volume so as to create a reduced virtual build volume smaller in volume than the initial virtual build volume (see paragraph 0032, lines 1-10; reduction in all dimensions);
(c) positioning the one or more object models within the reduced virtual build volume (see paragraph 0035, lines 1-10); and
(d) applying, from a common origin of the reduced virtual build volume, an inverse transformation to expand the reduced virtual build volume including the one or more object models, such that the reduced virtual build volume and the one or more object models are expanded by the inverse transformation from the common origin (origin at a centre of the virtual object volume; see paragraph 0040, line 2) to create an expanded virtual build volume including one or more expanded object models, wherein each of the one or more expanded object models is larger than the respective one or more object models (see paragraph 0026, lines 2-6; paragraph 0040, lines 1-2; and paragraph 0042, lines 1-11) and a distance from the common origin to each of the one or more expanded object models is larger than a distance from the common origin of the reduced virtual build volume to the respective one or more object models (see paragraph 0047, lines 3-7).
As to claim 2
Gonzalez Martin discloses the method of claim 1, wherein the inverse transformation is the inverse of the transformation, such that the expanded virtual build volume is of the same dimensions as the initial virtual build volume (see paragraph 0026, lines 2-6; paragraph 0040, lines 1-2; and paragraph 0042, lines 1-11).
As to claim 9
Gonzalez Martin discloses the method of claim 1, wherein the common origin is an origin of the initial virtual build volume, and the transformation is applied with respect to the common origin (see paragraph 0032, lines 1-10 and paragraph 0047, lines 3-7).
As to claim 15
Gonzalez Martin discloses the method of claim 1 wherein the transformation is determined based on the shrinkage of the build volume after completion of a build process of the one or more objects and after cooling of the actual build volume (see paragraph 0019, lines 1-8).
As to claim 16
Gonzalez Martin discloses the method of claim 1, further comprising receiving, based on one or more of. an object model parameter, an object model category, a build process parameter, and a build material parameter, preferred location data within the reduced virtual build volume, or within the initial virtual build volume and converting the preferred location data to preferred location data within the reduced virtual build volume; and wherein the step (c) includes positioning the one or more object models within the reduced virtual build volume based on the preferred location data in the reduced virtual build volume (see paragraph 0029, lines 1-6).
As to claim 20
Gonzalez Martin discloses a processor (processor 402, see Fig. 4) configured to carry out the method according to claim 1 (see paragraph 0057, lines 1-6 and paragraph 0058, lines 1-4).
As to claim 21
Gonzalez Martin discloses a non-transitory machine readable medium (machine readable medium 400, see Fig. 4) executable by a processor (processor 402, see Fig. 4), and comprising instructions (instructions 404, see Fig. 4) to carry out the method of claim 1 (see paragraph 0057, lines 1-6 and paragraph 0058, lines 1-4).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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 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(s) 17-19 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Gonzalez Martin et al. [Gonzalez Martin] (US PGPub 2020/0406557) in view of Lopez et al. [Lopez] (US PGPub 2021/0331409).
As to claim 17
Gonzalez Martin discloses the method as cited in claim 1; however, Gonzalez Martin fails to specifically disclose the method further comprising the step of generating slice data for the one or more object models based on the expanded virtual build volume.
Lopez discloses a method comprising the step of generating slice data (2D slice data 128, see Fig. 1) for the one or more object models (object model 116, see Fig. 1) based on the expanded virtual build volume (build volume; see paragraph 0034, line 8) (see paragraph 0034, lines 4-8).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Gonzalez Martin’s invention with Lopez’s in order print layers of the object according to its determined position (see Lopez paragraph 0034, lines 12-14), since doing so could expedite cooling of the build volume (see Lopez paragraph 0035, lines 1-6).
As to claim 18
Lopez discloses the method of claim 17, further comprising the step of providing the slice data to an apparatus for the layerwise manufacture of an object from particulate material, wherein each slice of the slice data defines the cross section of the one or more objects for a corresponding layer (see paragraph 0001, lines 12-15 and paragraph 0034, lines 8-14).
As to claim 19
Lopez discloses the method of claim 18, further comprising manufacturing the one or more objects in the actual build volume of the apparatus based on the slice data (see paragraph 0034, lines 8-14).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 3-5, 7, 8, and 10-14 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.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter:
Gonzalez Martin and Lopez, individually or in combination, fail to specifically disclose the method wherein the transformation comprises a transformation component for each dimension of the initial virtual build volume, and wherein the inverse transformation comprises an inverse transformation component for each dimension of the reduced virtual build volume (in regards to dependent claim 3). Accordingly, dependent claim 3 and the claims which depend upon it (dependent claims 4, 5, 7, and 8) include allowable subject matter.
Also; Gonzalez Martin and Lopez, individually or in combination, fail to specifically disclose the method further comprising receiving a minimum distance, and wherein step (c) comprises positioning the one or more object models within the reduced virtual build volume such that a distance between an object model and at least one of. another object model, and a boundary of the reduced virtual build volume; is equal to or greater than the minimum distance (in regards to dependent claim 10). Accordingly, dependent claim 10 and the claims which depend upon it (dependent claims 11, 12, and 14) include allowable subject matter.
Further; Gonzalez Martin and Lopez, individually or in combination, fail to specifically disclose the method wherein the transformation includes a transformation component for each dimension of the initial virtual build volume, and wherein the inverse transformation includes an inverse transformation component for each dimension of the reduced virtual build volume;
wherein the method further comprises:
a step of receiving a minimum distance, and wherein step (c) includes positioning the one or more object models within the reduced virtual build volume such that a distance between an obj ect model and at least one of: another obj ect model, and a boundary of the reduced virtual build volume; is equal to or greater than the minimum distance; and
a step of reducing the minimum distance to a reduced minimum distance, and wherein step (c) includes positioning the one or more object models such that the distance between an object model and at least one of: another object model, and a boundary of the reduced virtual build volume; is equal to or greater than the reduced minimum distance;
wherein the reduced minimum distance is based on the transformation component that causes the largest relative reduction to one of the dimensions of the initial virtual build volume as a result of applying the transformation (in regards to dependent claim 13). Accordingly, dependent claim 13 includes allowable subject matter.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Michael J. Brown whose telephone number is (571)272-5932. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Thursday from 5:30am-4:00pm.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Thomas Lee can be reached at (571)272-3667. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/Michael J Brown/
Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2115