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 .
Status of Claims/Response to Amendment
Claims 1-11 are currently pending in response to the claim amendments filed on 08/03/2026. Claims 1-2 and 6-10 are currently amended and claim 11 is new. The claim amendments and remarks overcame the 112a (single mean), 112b (circuitry mean without supporting structure, 112f), and 103 rejections as set forth in the Non-Final Office Action mailed on 05/12/2026. Nonetheless, upon further consideration of the new claim amendments, new ground(s) of rejections are made as follows.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of the first paragraph of 35 U.S.C. 112(a):
(a) IN GENERAL.—The specification shall contain a written description of the invention, and of the manner and process of making and using it, in such full, clear, concise, and exact terms as to enable any person skilled in the art to which it pertains, or with which it is most nearly connected, to make and use the same, and shall set forth the best mode contemplated by the inventor or joint inventor of carrying out the invention.
The following is a quotation of the first paragraph of pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112:
The specification shall contain a written description of the invention, and of the manner and process of making and using it, in such full, clear, concise, and exact terms as to enable any person skilled in the art to which it pertains, or with which it is most nearly connected, to make and use the same, and shall set forth the best mode contemplated by the inventor of carrying out his invention.
Claim 11 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(a) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), first paragraph, as failing to comply with the written description requirement. The claim(s) contains subject matter which was not described in the specification in such a way as to reasonably convey to one skilled in the relevant art that the inventor or a joint inventor, or for pre-AIA the inventor(s), at the time the application was filed, had possession of the claimed invention.
Claim 11 is new and presents a new subject matter “control the display to display the detection result of the first product together with the detection result of the second product and the detection result of the third product without receiving selection of a detection result or information for identifying the second product and selection of a detection result or information for identifying the third product” that fails to comply with the written description requirement. A review of Applicant’s disclosure fails to teach displaying the detection result of the second product and the third product “without” receiving a selection of a detection result/information to identify the second product and the third product. Thus, the written description fails to provide support for the claimed limitations of claim 11.
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 1-6 and 9-11 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) and/or (a)(2) as being anticipated by USUI KAZUO (JP-H074844-B2).
With respect to claims 1 and 10, USUI teaches a production management device and a production device for producing a plurality of products, the production device (data processing system {S} of the injection molding machine, fig.1 and p.2) comprising circuitry (controller 2 attached to the injection molding machine, fig.2 and p.2) configured to:
control a display to display detection results (display 3 is connected to the controller 2 to display data, fig.2 and p.2) detected by a detection unit in a process of producing a plurality of products by a production device (molding monitor data is automatically detected by various sensors attached to the injection molding machine and processed by a computer…for the molding results such as the occurrence of defective products, p.1; the molding monitor data Dm1, various history data based on molding defects are arranged together with shot numbers, times, etc., and preferably arranged in time series…can be displayed on the display 3 as the output format…can be selected on the setting panel of the input device 1 and executed individually or simultaneously, p.4);
receive selection of a detection result or information for identifying a product among the plurality of products (The controller 2 is connected to the input device 1 having a setting panel on which various numeric keys, function selection keys, etc. are arranged, p.2; obtain molding monitor data such as the injection start position, the injection end position, the most advanced position, and the measurement start position…for each shot, p.3; molding monitor data Dm1 is obtained as an absolute value or a deviation value with respect to the set monitor range, and a representation format such as a graph format can be selected by a setting panel of the input device 1, p.3; the molding monitor data Dm1, various history data based on molding defects are arranged together with shot numbers, times, etc., and preferably arranged in time series…can be displayed on the display 3 as the output format…can be selected on the setting panel of the input device 1 and executed individually or simultaneously, p.4); and
upon receiving the selection of the detection result or the information for identifying the product (molding monitor data Dm1 is obtained as an absolute value or a deviation value with respect to the set monitor range, and a representation format such as a graph format can be selected by a setting panel of the input device 1, p.3), control the display to display a detection result of a first product together with a detection result of a second product and a detection result of a third product (the graph format as displayed in fig.1 can be displayed on the display 3, displaying shot number 3 {interprets as a first product}, shot number 2 {interprets as a second product}, and shot number 4 {interprets as a third product}, fig.1 and p.4), the first product being identified by the detection result or the information for identifying the product, the second product being produced by the production device immediately before the first product, and the third product being produced by the production device immediately after the first product (shot number 3 {interprets as a first product} is identified as the error item De1 including the shot number "3" in which the molding failure occurs, the occurrence time "18:11", the error code "0909", and the error name "most advanced position over", p.3; shot number 2 {interprets as a second product} being produced immediately before the shot number 3, fig.1; and shot number 4 {interprets as a third product} being produced immediately after the shot number 3, fig.1).
With respect to claim 2/1, USUI teaches further wherein the circuitry is further configured to control the display to display a detection result extracted from the detection results of each of the plurality of products by a statistical procedure (molding monitor data Dm1 is obtained as an absolute value or a deviation value with respect to the set monitor range, p.3; the statistical table H regarding the molding monitor data and the history data is displayed, fig.1 and p.4), or the information for identifying the product, the product satisfying a predetermined condition from among the plurality of products produced by the production device (the operator operates the setting panel of the input device 1 to change the molding condition for eliminating the molding failure. This change data is set in the controller 2 and next to the pass / fail judgment item Di1. Items for changing molding conditions displayed with "Nozzle temperature 195.0 °C .fwdarw. 190.0 °C", p.3; data relating to changes in molding conditions, molding defects, etc. can be output separately from the molding monitor data and can be selected on the setting panel of the input device…outputting in time series for each shot, history data including at least one error item based on molding failure, molded product quality determination item, one or more items of molding condition change item…the change item Ds2 of the molding condition is displayed, p.4), and upon receiving selection of the detection result extracted by the statistical procedure or the information, control the display to display the detection result of the first product, the detection result of the second product, and the detection result of the third product (fig.1 and p.3-4).
With respect to claim 3/2, USUI teaches wherein the detection result extracted by the statistical procedure is a maximum value or a minimum value (statistical table H displayed with MAX and MIN values, fig.1 and p.4).
With respect to claim 4/2, USUI teaches wherein the predetermined condition indicates criteria for determining whether an abnormality has occurred in each of the products (in addition to the molding monitor data Dm1, various history data based on molding defects are arranged together with shot numbers, times, etc., and preferably arranged in time series. Therefore, it is possible to confirm at a glance how the molding history changes in accordance with the setting of the molding conditions, p.4).
With respect to claim 5/1, USUI teaches wherein the circuitry is further configured to sort, upon receiving selection of a predetermined item, the products based on the detection results classified into the predetermined item to display the sorted products, and receive selection of each of the detection results displayed in a sorted manner (the molding monitor data Dm1 ... and various history data based on molding defects are gathered and arranged in time series, a series of history situations in the molding work process are organically combined, p.2; the molding monitor data Dm1, various history data based on molding defects are arranged together with shot numbers, times, etc., and preferably arranged in time series. Therefore, it is possible to confirm at a glance how the molding history changes in accordance with the setting of the molding conditions or the change, p.4).
With respect to claim 6/1, wherein the circuitry is further configured to filter, upon receiving selection of a predetermined item into which the detection results are classified, the detection results classified into the predetermined item by a predetermined condition, display a filtered detection result, and receive selection of the displayed filtered detection result (the molding monitor data Dm1, various history data based on molding defects are arranged together with shot numbers, times, etc., and preferably arranged in time series. Therefore, it is possible to confirm at a glance how the molding history changes in accordance with the setting of the molding conditions or the change…While outputting in time series for each shot, history data including at least one error item based on molding failure, molded product quality determination item, one or more items of molding condition change item, p.4).
With respect to claim 9, USUI teaches further wherein the circuitry is further configured to upon the plurality of products being produced over time by injection molding using an injection molding machine, the circuitry displays the detection results by the detection unit for each product (shot numbers 1-9 as displayed individually, fig.1, outputting in time series for each shot, history data including at least one error item based on molding failure, molded product quality determination item, one or more items of molding condition change item, p.4)
With respect to claim 11, USUI teaches wherein the circuitry is further configured to, upon receiving the selection of the detection result or the information for identifying the product, control the display to display the detection result of the first product together with the detection result of the second product and the detection result of the third product without receiving selection of a detection result or information for identifying the second product and selection of a detection result or information for identifying the third product (shot 3 is selected/identified as a molding failure and shot 2 and 4 are not selected/identified as a molding failure but are displayed as shown in fig.1).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 7-8 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 and to further overcome the 112a rejections as set forth above.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter: The prior art of record, taken alone or in combination, fails to disclose or render obvious, which makes the following claims allowable over the prior art:
With respect to claim 7, wherein the circuitry is further configured to perform, upon displaying the detection results of each product in a first display area of the display and subsequently receiving selection of the detection result or the information, jumping control or scrolling control to display the detection result of the first product, the detection result of the second product, and the detection result of the third product in the first display area.
With respect to claim 8, wherein the circuitry is further configured to control the display to display a display area different from a display area displaying the detection results detected by the detection unit in a process of producing the products, and control the display to display the detection result of the first product, the detection result of the second product, and the detection result of the third product in the display area different from the display area displaying the detection results upon selection of the detection result or the information for identifying the product.
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 extension fee 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 date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to HIEN (CINDY) D KHUU whose telephone number is (571)272-8585. The examiner can normally be reached on Monday-Friday 8a-8p.
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/HIEN D KHUU/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2116 October 13, 2026
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