DETAILED ACTION
Non-Final Rejection
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 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.
Claims 8 and 16 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(a) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, 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. As described in claims, specifically claims 8 and 16 e.g. “geometrical relationship is a 4 X 4 coordinate transformation matrix between a coordinate system of the machining reference feature and of a coordinate system of the setup reference feature”, the disclosure disclose “different types of coordinate transformation techniques may be used in different embodiments. For instance, if a coordinate system other than Cartesian is used, a coordinate transformation other than the afore-mentioned matrix may be preferable. In some embodiments, it may be preferred to use vectors rather than a matrix to establish a geometrical relationship, e.g., to provide a coordinate transformation. The matrix example is provided solely for illustrative purposes”, see [0027] of current application PgPub. The specification does not demonstrate that “geometrical relationship is a 4 X 4 coordinate transformation matrix between a coordinate system” and applicant has made an invention that achieves the claimed function because the invention is not described with sufficient detail such that one of ordinary skill in the art can reasonably conclude that the inventor had possession of the claimed invention. See MPEP 2161.01(I). In other words, the algorithm or steps/procedure taken to perform the function must be described with sufficient detail so that one of ordinary skill in the art would understand how the inventor intended the function to be performed, i.e. about to fail. See MPEP §§ 2163.02 and 2181, subsection IV.".Foe Examining purpose, the Examiner considered such as coordinate transformation.
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) 1-20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Li et al. (US2014/0257542)
Regarding Claim 1. Li teaches a method of manufacturing a part for an aircraft ([0002])powerplant (turbine engine), the method comprising (abstract):
determining a geometrical relationship between a machining reference feature of the part (theoretical coordinates:102; [0024]) and a setup reference feature of the part(surface normal vectors:102; [0024]);
mounting the machining reference feature of the part in a machining fixture(104: fig. 2;[0025]-[0028]);
measuring a position and orientation of the setup reference feature of the part relative the machining fixture([0028]);
computing a position and orientation of the machining reference feature(112: fig.2; [0029]) based on the measured position and orientation of the setup reference feature and on the geometrical relationship(106-108: fig. 2;[0028]); and
machining a target feature of the part relative to the computed position and orientation of the machining reference feature(machining program for the part :[0030]).
Regarding Claim 2. Li further teaches comprising computing a coordinate transformation between the machining reference feature and the setup reference feature, said determining the geometric relationship being based on the coordinate transformation(transformed coordinate system: [0029], [0039]).
Regarding Claim 3. Li further teaches obtaining a tri-dimensional model created by scanning the part, the tri-dimensional model of the part including surfaces of the machining reference feature and of the setup reference feature, and wherein said determining the geometrical relationship is based on the tri-dimensional model of the part([0028], [0031]-[0033], [0038]).
Regarding Claim 4. Li further teaches said measuring is performed using a computer measurement machine (CMM) module integrated to a computer numerical command (CNC) machine, said machining is performed using the CNC machine, said measuring is performed using the CMM module, further comprising measuring the target feature of the part using the CMM module, relative to the computed position and orientation of the machining reference feature([0028], [0030]).
Regarding Claim 5. Li further teaches said machining fixture is in a computer numerical command (CNC) machine when performing said measuring, and said machining is performed using the CNC machine([0027]-[0028], [0030]).
Regarding Claim6. Li further teaches said machining fixture is located outside a computer numerical command (CNC) machine when performing said mounting, further comprising computing a coordinate transformation between a fixture reference feature and the setup reference feature, mounting the machining fixture with the part into the CNC machine, measuring a position and orientation of the fixture reference feature relative the CNC machine, and wherein said computing a position and orientation of the machining reference feature is further based on the coordinate transformation between the fixture reference feature and the setup reference feature and the measurement of the position and orientation of the machining fixture relative the CNC machine([0027], [0048]).
Regarding Claim 7. Li further teaches said measuring a position and orientation of the setup reference feature includes probing the position of points on a surface of the setup reference feature([0029], [0039]).
Regarding Claim 8. Li further teaches said geometrical relationship is a 4 X 4 coordinate transformation matrix between a coordinate system of the machining reference feature and of a coordinate system of the setup reference feature([0029]).
Regarding Claim 9. Li further teaches the tri-dimensional model is a partial tri-dimensional model of the part([0028]).
Regarding Claim 10. Li further teaches extracting a position and orientation of the machine reference feature and of the setup reference feature from the tri-dimensional model([0028]).
Regarding Claim 11. Li further teaches said mounting the part to a machining fixture includes obstructing access to the machining reference feature(encapsulation block: [0003], [0026], [0052]).
Regarding Claim 12. Li teaches A method of manufacturing a part for an aircraft powerplant, the method comprising (abstract; [0002]):
creating a tri-dimensional model of the part in an initial configuration, the creating including scanning the part in the initial configuration, the tri-dimensional model of the part including surfaces of a first feature and of a second feature(coordinate measuring machine (CMM), establishing the machine coordinate system. For this purpose, the contact surfaces 216 of the encapsulation block 212 may be used as reference, such surfaces 216 being in contact with the CMM. The machine coordinate system may be established using the Cartesian coordinate system and illustratively comprises X, Y, and Z axes :[0026], [0028]);
determining a coordinate transformation between the first feature and the second feature(transformation matrix:[0029]);
mounting the part on a machining fixture(104: fig. 2;[0025]-[0028]);
measuring a position and orientation of the second feature relative the machining fixture([0028]-[0029]);
determining a coordinate system of the first feature based on the coordinate transformation and on the measured position and orientation of the second feature (The matrix is indicative of a transformation, e.g. translation and/or rotation, to be applied to the machine coordinate system in order to compensate for the measurement deviations. The calculated transformation matrix may then be applied at step 114 to the initial machine coordinate system, resulting in a new or transformed coordinate system, which is a translated and/or rotated version of the original coordinate system:[0028]-[0029]); and
applying a correction to the coordinate system of the CNC machine to match the coordinate system of the first feature(order to bring the measurements within tolerance, the generated machining program may comprise the calculated HTM. This can be done by post-processing the original CNC program to update the machine coordinate system as per the HTM or by applying dynamic fixture offset compensation to the CNC machining center: [0030]).
Regarding Claim 13. Li further teaches machining a target feature of the part based on the corrected coordinate system of the CNC machine(CNC, a machining program for the part: [0027]-[0028], [0030]).
Regarding Claim 14. Li further teaches said measuring is performed using a computer measurement machine (CMM) module integrated to the computer numerical command (CNC) machine, said machining is performed using the CNC machine, further comprising measuring the target feature of the part using the CMM module, relative to the corrected coordinate system of the CNC machine(CNC, a machining program for the part: [0028], [0030]).
Regarding Claim 15. Li further teaches said measuring a position and orientation of the second feature includes probing the position of points on a surface of the second feature([0029], [0039]).
Regarding Claim 16. Li further teaches said coordinate transformation is a 4 X 4 transformation matrix between a coordinate system of the first feature and of a coordinate system of the second feature([0029]).
Regarding Claim 17. Li further teaches the tri-dimensional model is a partial tri-dimensional model of the part([0028], [0033]-[0036]).
Regarding Claim 18. Li further teaches comprising extracting a position and orientation of the first feature and of the second feature from the tri-dimensional mode([0028])l.
Regarding Claim 19. Li further teaches mounting the part on the machining fixture includes obstructing access to the first feature(encapsulation block: [0003], [0026], [0052]).
Regarding Claim 20. Li teaches a system for preparing machining of a part, the system comprising(400: fig.9):
a processor(414: fig.9); and
a non-transitory machine-readable memory operatively connected to the processor, and storing(402:fig. 9) :
a coordinate transformation between a machining reference feature and a setup reference feature of a part(transformation matrix:[0029]);
a measurement of a position and orientation of the setup reference feature relative a machining fixture([0028]-[0029]); and
instructions executable by the processor and configured to cause the processor to(414: fig.9):
compute a coordinate system of the machining reference feature (112: fig.2; [0029]) based on the coordinate transformation and on the measured position and orientation of the setup reference feature(106-108: fig. 2;[0028]); and
apply a coordinate transformation to the coordinate system of a CNC machine to match the coordinate system of the machining reference feature(order to bring the measurements within tolerance, the generated machining program may comprise the calculated HTM. This can be done by post-processing the original CNC program to update the machine coordinate system as per the HTM or by applying dynamic fixture offset compensation to the CNC machining center: [0030]).
Examiner Notes
Claims 1-20 are also rejected by Bae system (EP2937754A1 ) in view of Karl et al. (US 2017/0200287) , see Bae’s [0025], [0036], [0049]-[0080] and karl’s[0036].
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
a) Guiassa et al. (US 2023/0366736): disclose systems and methods for machining a component and in particular systems and methods for machining a component using a computer numerical control (CNC) machine tool. The present disclosure may be used to manufacture a variety of different components and therefore is not limited to any particular component. The present disclosure provides considerable utility in the manufacture of components having relatively complex multi-dimensional configurations. Gas turbine aircraft engines, as an example, very often include components having multi-dimensional configurations that are difficult to manufacture.
2) Boswell (US 2021/0405611): disclose A virtual computer numerical control (CNC) machining system includes: a virtual CNC design server, including a work-holding library and workpiece library; a virtual CNC manufacturing server, including a CNC Machine library and a machining tool library; a virtual CNC manufacturing device; a virtual CNC machine job, including a logical workpiece, a design model, a logical work-holding device, a logical machining tool, a logical CNC machine, and a logical machine job; a plurality of physical CNC machine systems, each including a physical CNC machine, and physical work-holding devices, machining tools, and work pieces. Also disclosed is a virtual CNC machining method, including installing CNC machine systems; creating, editing, validating, translating, and calculating cost of a logical machine job; and manufacturing.
3) Liu et al. (US 11,014,211) disclose monocular vision six-dimensional measurement method for high-dynamic large-range arbitrary contouring error of a CNC machine tool is characterized in that the method designs a measurement fixture and a measuring system, and in combination with priori knowledge, the monocular vision pose algorithm is used to promote vision measurable dimension and range of interpolation contouring errors of machines; the whole machine tool motion contour is represented by a selected reference primitive; a small field of view is used to enhance the measurement accuracy of the visible coded primitives; then, six-dimensional information (X, Y, Z, pitch, roll and yaw) of the machine tool interpolation contour represented by the reference primitive in machine tool coordinate system is obtained through datum transformation; the method is used to traverse each shot frame image to obtain the final actual six-dimensional motion contour of the machine tool; a six-dimensional contouring error generated by the CNC machine tool interpolation is computed by comparing the measured contour with the nominal one; specific steps of the method are as follows: first step: installing the measurement fixture and the measurement system the measurement fixture.
4) Thenoz (US 2021/0026327): disclose CNC controller.
5) Brand et al. (US 9,513,623): disclose A method for generating a trajectory based on an input trajectory formed by points representing spatial coordinates for a numerically controlled (NC) process determines a plurality of sequences of the points and determines, for each sequence, local costs of each point in the input trajectory.
6) US 2016/0202689: determining the location of one or more virtual reference points comprises locating one or more intersections between one or more of stringers, ribs, and spars in the synthetic NDI view of an aircraft; and determining the location of the one or more actual reference points comprises locating an intersection between one or more stringers, ribs, and spars in a subsurface of the aircraft in the actual NDI view.
Contact Information
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MOHAMMAD K ISLAM whose telephone number is (571)270-0328. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m..
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Shelby A Turner can be reached at 571-272-6334. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/MOHAMMAD K ISLAM/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2857
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