DETAILED ACTION
The instant application having Application No. filed on 10/25/2024 is presented for examination by the examiner.
Examiner Notes
Examiner cites particular columns and line numbers in the references as applied to the claims below for the convenience of the applicant. Although the specified citations are representative of the teachings in the art and are applied to the specific limitations within the individual claim, other passages and figures may apply as well. It is respectfully requested that, in preparing responses, the applicant fully consider the references in entirety as potentially teaching all or part of the claimed invention, as well as the context of the passage as taught by the prior art or disclosed 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 and 3 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Sagawa et al. (US 20030023341) (referenced in the IDS dated 04/05/2024 and hereinafter referred to as Sagawa).
Regarding claim 1
Sagawa teaches a machining processing apparatus configured to machine a workpiece according to machining conditions, wherein the machining is performed in a plurality of processes (see par. 16, “a plurality of standard machining conditions required in the plurality of types of cutting processes”),
wherein the machining conditions include a plurality of items and setting values for the respective items for each of the plurality of processes, wherein the same item is defined for each process (see par. 16 “specifying a standard machining condition required in each of the at least one of the cutting processes”),
wherein the machining processing apparatus comprises an individual input processing unit (see Fig. 1, input unit 12), a support input processing unit (see Fig. 1, cutting condition determination processing unit 20), and an input/output unit, wherein the support input processing unit calculates an amount of change to be used for each process with respect to a setting value to be set for one or a plurality of items of the machining conditions (see par. 118) , and displays the processes to be modified and the one or the plurality of items as the detailed change items together with the amount of change for each item, according to a single input made by a user for a modification of a machining shape of the workpiece (see par. 95, “the user operates the input unit 12 to make the display of the display unit 14 display the process designating screen 32”), and wherein the individual input processing unit performs input processing for a modification in the form of a numerical value for a setting value to be set for individual items of the machining conditions for each process with reference to detailed change items input by the user (see par. 119).
Regarding claim 3
Sagawa teaches a machining conditions setting method used for a machining processing apparatus configured to machine a workpiece according to machining conditions, wherein the machining processing is performed in a plurality of processes (see par. 16, “a plurality of standard machining conditions required in the plurality of types of cutting processes”),
wherein the machining conditions include a plurality of items and setting values for each item of the plurality of processes, wherein the same item is defined for each process (see par. 16 “specifying a standard machining condition required in each of the at least one of the cutting processes”),
wherein the machining processing apparatus comprises an individual input processing unit (see Fig. 1, input unit 12), a support input processing unit (see Fig. 1, cutting condition determination processing unit 20), and an input/output unit, wherein the support input processing unit calculates an amount of change to be used for each process with respect to a setting value to be set for one or a plurality of items of the machining conditions (see par. 118), and displays the processes to be modified and the one or the plurality of items as detailed change items together with the amount of change for each item, according to a single input made by a user for a modification of a machining shape of the workpiece (see par. 95, “the user operates the input unit 12 to make the display of the display unit 14 display the process designating screen 32”), and wherein the individual input processing unit performs input processing for a modification in the form of a numerical value for a setting value to be set for individual items of the machining conditions for each process with reference to detailed change items input by the user (see par. 119).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 2 and 4 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 claims 2 and 4:
The prior art, taken either singly or in combination, fails to anticipate or fairly suggest wherein the plurality of items includes a first item, a second item, and a third item, wherein the support input processing unit performs processing according to the single input such that a setting value of the first item is not modified for all the processes, such that a setting value of the second item is not modified for a part of the processes and the setting value thereof is calculated and displayed for the remaining processes, and such that a setting value of the third item is calculated and displayed for all the processes, in combination with the other limitations of claim 1.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to THOMAS PHAM whose telephone number is (571) 572‐3689. The examiner can normally be reached Monday ‐ Thursday 7 AM ‐ 4 PM.
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/THOMAS K PHAM/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2876
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