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 .
Status of Claims
Claims 1, 3, 8-10, 15-17, 25-29, and 32-33 are pending.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments, filed 8/27/2026 along with the latest amendment, with respect to the rejection of claims based upon 35 USC 112 have been considered and persuasive and the 35 USC 112 rejections has been withdrawn. The latest amendment includes changes that resolves the previous issues raised based upon 35 USC 112, and therefore the rejection of the claims based upon those issues are now withdrawn.
Applicant’s arguments, based upon the latest amendment, filed 8/27/2026, with respect to the rejection(s) of claim(s) 1, 3, 8-10, 15-17, 25-29, and 32 under at least CREAR have been fully considered and are persuasive. Therefore, the rejection has been withdrawn.
Applicant's arguments filed 8/27/2026 have been fully considered over the rejection of claim 33 but they are not persuasive. Regarding the features in claim 33, it is noted that the features remain directed to process limitations of how the claimed apparatus would operate. In this regards, the limitations do not provide structural features that would distinguish from that of the CREAR reference. Here, the apparatus claim does not contain the limitation of a control device that is configured to operate the method of claim 1, and whereupon while considered does not provide structural limitations that would provide additional distinction over the prior art references teaching a similar structure. It is noted that claim 32 does contain a claimed control device configured to operate process limitations which is considered and may provide distinction over the prior art reference.
The latest amendment to claim 33 includes an ambiguous antecedent basis issue that is raised, see rejection below.
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 33 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Claim 33 recites the limitation “a cross-section of the object in the layer” in lines 6 and 11. There is ambiguous antecedent basis issue regarding this limitation since it is unclear if it is directed to the same cross-section of the object in the layer, a new cross-section of the object in the layer, or something else.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
The text of those sections of Title 35, U.S. Code not included in this action can be found in a prior Office action.
Claim(s) 33 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by US 2019/056714 A1 (CREAR, see IDS).
Re 33, CREAR teaches of an additive manufacturing device (100) for manufacturing an object (102), the object being manufactured by means of the additive manufacturing device being configured to manufacture the object by applying a building material layer by layer and solidifying the building material in a build area with an energy input device by supplying radiation energy to solidification positions in each layer, the solidification positions being associated with a cross-section of the object in the layer (see [0011]), wherein the additive manufacturing device comprises (see Fig. 2):
a layer application device (164) suitable for applying a layer of a building material to an already existing building material layer; and
an energy input device (110, 112) suitable for supplying radiation energy to solidification positions in each layer that are associated with a cross-section of the object in the layer, the energy input device comprising, above the build area, a first beam emitter from which a first beam can be directed to the build area and a second beam emitter from which a second beam can be directed to the build area,
the first beam emitter (110) being assigned a first working region in the build area (1) to which the first beam can be directed, and the second beam emitter (112) being assigned a second working region (2) in the build area to which the second beam can be directed,
the first and second working regions (1, 2) adjoining each other at a boundary (see Fig. 3, see interface 210), wherein the solidification positions of a layer in the first and second working regions are each scanned by moving the first and second beams, respectively, along a plurality of trajectories (see scan vectors teachings [0045], and scan contours) in the build area (see Fig. 3, [0045]); and
wherein the additive manufacturing device comprises a device according to claim 1, whereupon, this is an intended use of the apparatus structure, see MPEP 2114, as the manner of operating does not differentiate from the structure taught in CREAR.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 1, 3, 8-10, 15-17, 25-29, and 32 are allowed over the prior art references.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter:
The prior art references fail to teach the claimed features in the additive manufacturing device and method, in particular of the scanning in the subregions/working regions that are coordinated, as these are not specifically taught in this manner in the prior art references, such those of CREAR and FRANKLIN references (see IDS).
It is noted that the MORAN (US 12649284 B2) is directed to slicing and operation for multiple stereolithography systems and coordination for forming a images and locations. The reference being directed to stereolithography systems wherein the coordination between the images and scanning optics of two or more systems which allows for coordination in forming patterns to form a larger items. This feature being different from the claimed operation of the subregions within the same system and with the scanning and coordination between the subregions within the same additive manufacturing device.
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 nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) 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 mailing date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to EMMANUEL S LUK whose telephone number is (571)272-1134. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 9 to 5.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Xiao S Zhao can be reached at 571-270-5343. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/EMMANUEL S LUK/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1744
