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 .
Claim Objections
Claims 5-8, 13 and 14 are objected to under 37 CFR 1.75(c) as being in improper form because a multiple dependent claim should refer to other claims in the alternative only and/or cannot depend from any other multiple dependent claim. See MPEP § 608.01(n). Accordingly, the claims have not been further treated on the merits.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 101
35 U.S.C. 101 reads as follows:
Whoever invents or discovers any new and useful process, machine, manufacture, or composition of matter, or any new and useful improvement thereof, may obtain a patent therefor, subject to the conditions and requirements of this title.
Claims 13 and 14 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 101 because the claimed invention is directed to non-statutory subject matter. The claim(s) does/do not fall within at least one of the four categories of patent eligible subject matter because regarding claim 13, a computer program, which is software, which is non-statutory subject matter. Regarding claim 14, a computer readable memory medium, could be an electrical signal, which is non-statutory subject matter. The Examiner recommends stating a “non-transitory computer-readable memory medium”.
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.
Claim(s) 1-3 and 10-14 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Oiwa et al. U.S. Patent 5,127,140 (hereinafter “Oiwa”).
Regarding claims 1 and 12. Oiwa discloses a method for computer-aided numerical control of a multi spindle machine tool (1), which has a first tool spindle (2a, 2b) equipped with a first tool (3a, 3b) and a second tool spindle (2a, 2b) able to be controlled independently of the first tool spindle (2a, 2b) and equipped with a second tool (3a, 3b) (e.g. col. 4, lines 15-32; col. 7, lines 42-68; col. 22, lines 47-50; Fig. 4 and 6), wherein a first workpiece (5a, 5b) is processed by means of the first tool (3a, 3b) by a predetermined parts program being processed in a first processing channel, and a second workpiece (5a, 5b) is processed by means of the second tool (3a, 3b) by the parts program being processed in a second processing channel synchronized with the first processing channel (e.g. col. 5, lines 23-44; col. 10, lines 21-58; col. 22-23, lines 47-68 and 1-32; Fig. 4 and 6); the processing of the parts program in the first processing channel includes an activation of first machine axes for guidance of the first tool spindle (2a, 2b) in accordance with a first tool track and the processing of the parts program in the second processing channel includes an activation of second machine axes for guidance of the second tool spindle (2a, 2b) in accordance with a second tool track, wherein a processing result of the first workpiece (5a, 5b) at an end of the first tool track is the same as a processing result of the second workpieces (5a, 5b) at an end of the second tool track (e.g. col. 5, lines 23-44; col. 10, lines 21-58; col. 22-23, lines 47-68 and 1-32; Fig. 4 and 6); and the first machine axes and the second machine axes are activated in such a way that a difference in time between reaching the end of the first tool track and reaching the end of the second tool track is less than or equal to a predetermined limit value (e.g. col. 15, lines 4-17).
Regarding claim 2, Oiwa discloses the method as claimed in claim 1, wherein respective parameter values of at least one mechanical parameter and/or at least one dynamic parameter and/or at least one position parameter differ from one another for the first tool spindle (2a, 2b) and the second tool spindle (2a, 2b) (e.g. col. 5, lines 23-44; col. 10, lines 21-58; col. 22-23, lines 47-68 and 1-32; Fig. 4 and 6).
Regarding claim 3, Oiwa discloses the method as claimed in claim 2, wherein the at least one mechanical parameter contains tool dimensions of the first tool (3a, 3b) or of the second (3a, 3b) tool respectively; and/or the at least one dynamic parameter contains a maximum permissible or possible advance of the first tool spindle (2a, 2b) or of the second tool spindle (2a, 2b) respectively; and/or the at least one position parameter contains a zero point (e.g. origin point) position of the first tool (3a, 3b) or of the second tool (3a, 3b) respectively (col. 10-11, lines 60-68 and 1-55; Fig. 5).
Regarding claim 10, Oiwa discloses the method as claimed in one of the preceding claims, wherein identical required dimensions are predetermined for the first workpiece (5a, 5b) and the second workpiece (5a, 5b) and the parts program is predetermined in accordance with the required dimensions (e.g. col. 5, lines 23-44; col. 10, lines 21-58; col. 22-23, lines 47-68 and 1-32; Fig. 4 and 6).
Regarding claim 11, Oiwa discloses the method as claimed in claim 3, wherein the tool dimensions of the first tool (3a, 3b) and/or of the second tool (3a, 3b) are measured by means of at least one measuring apparatus of the multi spindle machine tool (1) (e.g. col. 13-14, lines 14-68 and 1-14).
Regarding claim 13, Oiwa discloses a computer program having commands that, when executed by the control apparatus (4) of a multi spindle machine tool (1) in accordance with claim 12, cause the multi spindle machine tool (1) to carry out the method as claimed in one of claims 1 to 11 (e.g. col. 13-14, lines 14-68 and 1-37; col. 14-15, lines 40-68 and 1-62).
Regarding claim 14, Oiwa discloses a computer-readable memory medium, which stores a computer program as claimed in claim 13 (e.g. col. 13-14, lines 14-68 and 1-37; col. 14-15, lines 40-68 and 1-62).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 4 and 9 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:
Regarding claim 4, Oiwa does not disclose a method wherein a difference in speed between a first average track speed of the first tool track and a second average track speed of the second tool track is set, so that the difference in time is less than or equal to the limit value.
Regarding claim 9, Oiwa does not disclose a method wherein a difference in acceleration between a first track acceleration of the first tool track and a second track acceleration of the second tool track is set as a function of the parameter values for the first tool spindle (2a, 2b) and the second tool spindle (2a, 2b); and/or a difference in jerk between at least one first track jerk of the first tool track and a second track jerk of the second tool track is set as a function of the parameter values for the first tool spindle (2a, 2b) and the second tool spindle (2a, 2b); and/or a difference in snap between a first track snap of the first tool track and a second track snap of the second tool track is set as a function of the parameter values for the first tool spindle (2a, 2b) and the second tool spindle (2a, 2b).
Conclusion
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, Kenneth Lo can be reached at (571) 272-9774. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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CK
June 23, 2026
/CHARLES R KASENGE/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2116
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