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 .
DETAILED ACTION
The action is in response to the Applicant’s communication filed on 09/06/2024.
Claims 1-14 are pending, where claims 1 and 13-14 are independent.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 09/06/2024, 05/01/2025 and 12/01/2025 have been filed on/after the filing date of the application. The submission is in-compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
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 1-14 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 101 because the claimed invention is directed to a judicial exception an abstract idea without significantly more.
Independent claim(s) recite(s) a judicial exception: The claim(s) recite(s) the preamble “build data generating device, controlling a three-dimensional powder bed fusion additive manufacturing apparatus, melting a cross-sectional shape of each layer by irradiation of a beam” and limitation “display control unit, distribution of an irradiation energy density accumulated in a target layer by beam scanning for the target layer based on the build data and outputs the data to a display device”, as explained in detail below.
Claim 1: Ineligible
Step 1: The claim recites a series of steps and, therefore, is a process. Thus, the claim is directed to the same as a process, which is a statutory category of invention (Step 1: Yes).
Next, the claims are analyzed to determine directed to a judicial exception.
Under MPEP § 2106.04(a)(2), whether the claim recites:
any judicial exceptions, including certain groupings of abstract ideas (i.e., mathematical concepts, certain methods of organizing human activity such as a fundamental economic practice, or mental processes) ("Step 2A, Prong One"); and
additional elements that integrate the judicial exception into a practical application ("Step 2A, Prong Two").
Step 2A, Prong One: Claim 1 recites a judicial exception with the step of claim(s) recite(s) the preamble “build data generating device, controlling a three-dimensional powder bed fusion additive manufacturing apparatus, melting a cross-sectional shape of each layer by irradiation of a beam” and limitation “display control unit, distribution of an irradiation energy density accumulated in a target layer by beam scanning for the target layer based on the build data and outputs the data to a display device”, as explained in detail below.
The limitations “display control unit, distribution of an irradiation energy density accumulated in a target layer by beam scanning for the target layer based on the build data and outputs the data to a display device” are observations, and therefore recite a mental process, such as an evaluation and judgement. See MPEP § 2106.04(a)(2), subsection III. Thus, the claim recites in a group of mental processes.
Therefore, claim 1 is directed to an abstract idea of a judicial exception (Step 2A Prong one: Yes).
Step 2A Prong two:
The claim(s) does/do not include additional elements that are sufficient to amount to significantly more than the judicial exception because the claim recites the additional elements of “display control unit, distribution of an irradiation energy density accumulated in a target layer by beam scanning for the target layer based on the build data and outputs the data to a display device” via interface and control unit based on data or information collection and display functions that do not add meaningful limitations sufficient amount to significantly more (“inventive concept”) than the judicial exception, that merely further limiting the scope of abstract ideas or stating merely technical environment of these abstract ideas. The additional elements do not integrate the recited judicial exception into a practical application and the claim is directed to the judicial exception.
Next, the claim as a whole is analyzed to determine whether any element, or combination of elements, is sufficient to ensure the claim amounts to significantly more than the abstract idea.
Step 2B: In addition to the steps that describe the abstract idea of “display control unit, distribution of an irradiation energy density accumulated in a target layer by beam scanning for the target layer based on the build data and outputs the data to a display device”, the claim recites the additional limitation of build data generating device, controlling a three-dimensional powder bed fusion additive manufacturing apparatus, melting a cross-sectional shape of each layer by irradiation of a beam”. This additional element taken individually represents a general purpose structures and data collection for displaying data outputs, as evidence discussed in the background [paragraph 0003-05] “additive manufacturing methods for manufacturing an article, a powder bed fusion method is known - powder bed fusion method is a manufacturing method - of a powder layer formed by spreading powder with a predetermined thickness is selectively irradiated with a laser or a charged particle beam to melt and solidify a portion having a cross-sectional shape of an article to be manufactured” and [0080] “the build data generating device 30 is configured by a computer - a general-purpose personal computer (PC) be used as the build data generating device 30”. This is analogous to such concepts identified by the courts as abstract, such as collection, analysis and display information in Electric Power Group, LLC, v. Alstom, (671 F.3d 1317, 101 U.S.P.Q.2d 1785 (Fed. Cir. 2012)) and the “manipulation of data to generate additional datasets” or (“organizing information through mathematical correlations”) in Digitech Image Technologies LLC v. Electronics for Imaging, Inc. (758 F.3d 1344 (Fed. Cir 2014))]. The additional elements “build data generating device, controlling a three-dimensional powder bed fusion additive manufacturing apparatus, melting a cross-sectional shape of each layer by irradiation of a beam” are mainly structure, data or information collection to display functions that are not sufficient amount to significantly more (“inventive concept”) than the judicial exception. The claim recites generic computer. As such, the claim is directed to a judicial exception. Accordingly, the claim is ineligible for patenting. (Step 2B: No)
As to independent Claims 13-14, reciting similar subject matter as claim 1 for similar reasons as those outlined above, likewise do not amount to significantly more than the above noted abstract idea.
As to the dependent claims 2-8, reciting the similar elements of “displaying irradiation energy density distribution” in “additive manufacturing apparatus”, which does not rise to a level of significantly more than the abstract idea, and are accordingly not eligible under 35 USC 101. See MPEP 2106.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 103 which forms the basis for all obviousness rejections set forth in this Office action:
A patent for a claimed invention may not be obtained, notwithstanding that the claimed invention is not identically disclosed as set forth in section 102 of this title, if the differences between the claimed invention and the prior art are such that the claimed invention as a whole would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to which the claimed invention pertains. Patentability shall not be negated by the manner in which the invention was made.
The factual inquiries set forth in Graham v. John Deere Co., 383 U.S. 1, 148 USPQ 459 (1966), that are applied for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
Claims 1-14 are rejected under AIA 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Arthur, et al. USPGPub No. 20160179064 A1.
As to claim 1, Arthur discloses A build data generating device that generates build data for controlling a three-dimensional powder bed fusion additive manufacturing apparatus that manufactures an article by melting a cross-sectional shape of each layer by irradiation of a beam (Arthur [0014-36] “additive layer manufacturing (AM) system 100 for conducting a three-dimensional (3D) manufacturing process, for generating AM visualization data, and for displaying AM visualization data to a user - high-powered laser, a positioning assembly 106, one or more processors 108, one or more sensors 110, a metallic powder material delivery system 112, and a substrate 114 (a powder bed) - control the powder system 112 - enable the deposition nozzle 128 to deliver powder - melted by the laser beam - deposited on the work piece surface 118 to form a layer - to form a particular work piece as desired by a user” [abstract], elements of figures 1-3 provides the preamble elements), the build data generating device comprising:
a display control unit that generates data indicating a distribution of an irradiation energy density accumulated in a target layer by beam scanning for the target layer based on the build data and outputs the data to a display device (Arthur [0014-35] “generating AM visualization data, and for displaying AM visualization data to a user - one or more processors 108, one or more sensors 110 - control the powder system 112 - enable the deposition nozzle 128 to deliver powder - melted by the laser beam - deposited on the work piece surface 118 to form a layer” [0001-07] [abstract] see Fig. 1-3, servers, controllers, microcontrollers, processors, sensors, generating visualization data for displaying to user via user devices and control powder system to deliver powder melted by laser beam and obviously provides display control unit that generates data indicating a distribution of an irradiation energy density accumulated in a target layer by beam scanning for the target layer based on the build data and outputs the data to a display device).
Application and the reference Arthur are analogous arts from the same field of endeavor and contain overlapping structural and functional similarities and both contain displaying AM manufacturing process data.
It would be therefore obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time of the invention that generating visualization data for displaying and control powder system to deliver by laser beam and energy density are assumed as display control unit generates data indicating distribution irradiation energy density.
As to claim 2, Arthur further discloses The build data generating device according to claim 1, wherein the display control unit generates the data indicating the distribution of the irradiation energy density accumulated in the target layer by using a layer designated by an operator as the target layer (Arthur [0014-35] “generating AM visualization data, and for displaying AM visualization data to a user - one or more processors 108, one or more sensors 110 - control the powder system 112 - enable the deposition nozzle 128 to deliver powder - melted by the laser beam - deposited on the work piece surface 118 to form a layer” [0001-07] [abstract] see Fig. 1-3, servers, controllers, microcontrollers, processors, sensors, generating visualization data for displaying to user via user devices and control powder system to deliver powder melted by laser beam and energy density obviously provides generates data indicating distribution of irradiation energy density accumulated in the target layer by using a layer designated by an operator as the target layer).
As to claim 3, Arthur further discloses The build data generating device according to claim 2, wherein the display control unit comprises a user interface having:
a designation function of receiving designation of the target layer by the operator; and a display function of displaying the distribution of the irradiation energy density accumulated in a designated layer (Arthur [0014-35] “generating AM visualization data, and for displaying AM visualization data to a user - one or more processors 108, one or more sensors 110 - control the powder system 112 - enable the deposition nozzle 128 to deliver powder - melted by the laser beam - deposited on the work piece surface 118 to form a layer - user device renders or displays 208 a visual depiction of the desired portion of the work piece and/or a desired portion of the AM apparatus on a display screen” [0001-07] [abstract] see Fig. 1-3, displays visual depiction of desired portion of work piece or desired portion based on query on display screen, generating visualization data for displaying to user via user devices and control powder system to deliver powder melted by laser beam and energy density obviously provides receiving designation of the target layer by the operator; - displaying the distribution of the irradiation energy density accumulated in a designated layer).
As to claim 4, Arthur further discloses The build data generating device according to claim 1, wherein the display control unit applies correction selected by an operator to the build data, and
generates the data indicating the distribution of the irradiation energy density accumulated in the target layer by beam scanning with respect to the target layer based on the build data after correction (Arthur [0014-35] “generating AM visualization data, and for displaying AM visualization data to a user - one or more processors 108, one or more sensors 110 - control the powder system 112 - enable the deposition nozzle 128 to deliver powder - melted by the laser beam - deposited on the work piece surface 118 to form a layer - user device renders or displays 208 a visual depiction of the desired portion of the work piece and/or a desired portion of the AM apparatus on a display screen - sensors 110 include more complex sensing and processing systems - three-dimensional scanner using optical techniques - variety of imaging-based automatic inspection, process control, and/or AM machine guidance functions - pass/fail decisions, error detection (audible or visual alerts), work piece shape detection, work piece and/or nozzle position detection, AM apparatus orientation detection, and the like - hardware 142 - operational data collected as a single data set, or distributed over different locations” [0001-07] [abstract] see Fig. 1-3, variety of imaging-based automatic inspection, process control and machine guidance functions, pass/fail decisions, error detection (audible or visual alerts), work piece shape detection, work piece and/or nozzle position detection, orientation detection or like, displays visual depiction of desired portion of work piece or desired portion based on query on display screen, generating visualization data for displaying to user via user devices and control powder system to deliver powder melted by laser beam and energy density obviously provides correction selected by an operator to the build data, and generates the data indicating the distribution of the irradiation energy density accumulated in the target layer by beam scanning with respect to the target layer based on the build data after correction).
As to claim 5, Arthur further discloses The build data generating device according to claim 4, wherein the display control unit comprises a user interface having: a selection function of receiving selection of the correction by the operator; and a display function of displaying a distribution of the irradiation energy density accumulated in the target layer based on the build data to which the selected correction is applied (Arthur [0014-35] “generating AM visualization data, and for displaying AM visualization data to a user - one or more processors 108, one or more sensors 110 - control the powder system 112 - enable the deposition nozzle 128 to deliver powder - melted by the laser beam - deposited on the work piece surface 118 to form a layer - user device renders or displays 208 a visual depiction of the desired portion of the work piece and/or a desired portion of the AM apparatus on a display screen - sensors 110 include more complex sensing and processing systems - three-dimensional scanner using optical techniques - variety of imaging-based automatic inspection, process control, and/or AM machine guidance functions - pass/fail decisions, error detection (audible or visual alerts), work piece shape detection, work piece and/or nozzle position detection, AM apparatus orientation detection, and the like - hardware 142 - operational data collected as a single data set, or distributed over different locations” [0001-07] [abstract] see Fig. 1-3, variety of imaging-based automatic inspection, process control and machine guidance functions, pass/fail decisions, error detection (audible or visual alerts), work piece shape detection, work piece and/or nozzle position detection, orientation detection or like, displays visual depiction of desired portion of work piece or desired portion based on query on display screen, generating visualization data for displaying to user via user devices and control powder system to deliver powder melted by laser beam and energy density obviously provides receiving selection of the correction by the operator; and - displaying a distribution of the irradiation energy density accumulated in the target layer based on the build data to which the selected correction is applied).
As to claim 6, Arthur further discloses The build data generating device according to claim 5, wherein the selection function of receiving selection of the correction by the operator is a function of allowing the operator to select validity or invalidity for each correction type (Arthur [0014-35] “generating AM visualization data, and for displaying AM visualization data to a user - one or more processors 108, one or more sensors 110 - control the powder system 112 - enable the deposition nozzle 128 to deliver powder - melted by the laser beam - deposited on the work piece surface 118 to form a layer - user device renders or displays 208 a visual depiction of the desired portion of the work piece and/or a desired portion of the AM apparatus on a display screen - sensors 110 include more complex sensing and processing systems - three-dimensional scanner using optical techniques - variety of imaging-based automatic inspection, process control, and/or AM machine guidance functions - pass/fail decisions, error detection (audible or visual alerts), work piece shape detection, work piece and/or nozzle position detection, AM apparatus orientation detection, and the like - hardware 142 - operational data collected as a single data set, or distributed over different locations” [0001-07] [abstract] see Fig. 1-3, variety of imaging-based automatic inspection, process control and machine guidance functions, pass/fail decisions, error detection (audible or visual alerts), work piece shape detection, work piece and/or nozzle position detection, orientation detection or like, displays visual depiction of desired portion of work piece or desired portion based on query on display screen, generating visualization data for displaying to user via user devices and control powder system to deliver powder melted by laser beam and energy density obviously provides receiving selection of the correction by the operator is a function of allowing the operator to select validity or invalidity for each correction type).
As to claim 7, Arthur further discloses The build data generating device according to claim 1, wherein the display control unit generates data indicating a temporal change in the distribution of the irradiation energy density accumulated in the target layer according to the order of beam scanning (Arthur [0014-35] “generating AM visualization data, and for displaying AM visualization data to a user - one or more processors 108, one or more sensors 110 - control the powder system 112 - enable the deposition nozzle 128 to deliver powder - melted by the laser beam - deposited on the work piece surface 118 to form a layer - user device renders or displays 208 a visual depiction of the desired portion of the work piece and/or a desired portion of the AM apparatus on a display screen - sensors 110 include more complex sensing and processing systems - three-dimensional scanner using optical techniques - variety of imaging-based automatic inspection, process control, and/or AM machine guidance functions - pass/fail decisions, error detection (audible or visual alerts), work piece shape detection, work piece and/or nozzle position detection, AM apparatus orientation detection, and the like - hardware 142 - operational data collected as a single data set, or distributed over different locations” [0001-07] [abstract] see Fig. 1-3, variety of imaging-based automatic inspection, process control and machine guidance functions, pass/fail decisions, error detection (audible or visual alerts), work piece shape detection, work piece and/or nozzle position detection, orientation detection or like, displays visual depiction of desired portion of work piece or desired portion based on query on display screen, generating visualization data for displaying to user via user devices and control powder system to deliver powder melted by laser beam and energy density obviously provides generates data indicating a temporal change in the distribution of the irradiation energy density accumulated in the target layer according to the order of beam scanning).
As to claim 8, Arthur further discloses The build data generating device according to claim 7, wherein the display control unit comprises a user interface having: a selection function of allowing an operator to select between execution and non-execution of display of the distribution of the irradiation energy density accumulated in the target layer in a moving image according to an order of beam scanning; and a display function of displaying the distribution of the irradiation energy density accumulated in the target layer, and in a case where the execution of display in the moving image according to the order of the beam scanning is selected in the selection function, the display function displays the distribution of the irradiation energy density accumulated in the target layer in the moving image according to the order of the beam scanning (Arthur [0014-35] “generating AM visualization data, and for displaying AM visualization data to a user - one or more processors 108, one or more sensors 110 - control the powder system 112 - enable the deposition nozzle 128 to deliver powder - melted by the laser beam - deposited on the work piece surface 118 to form a layer - user device renders or displays 208 a visual depiction of the desired portion of the work piece and/or a desired portion of the AM apparatus on a display screen - sensors 110 include more complex sensing and processing systems - three-dimensional scanner using optical techniques - variety of imaging-based automatic inspection, process control, and/or AM machine guidance functions - pass/fail decisions, error detection (audible or visual alerts), work piece shape detection, work piece and/or nozzle position detection, AM apparatus orientation detection, and the like - hardware 142 - operational data collected as a single data set, or distributed over different locations” [0001-07] [abstract] see Fig. 1-3, servers, controllers, microcontrollers, processors, sensors, laser, 3D scanner, user interface, variety of imaging-based automatic inspection, process control and machine guidance functions, pass/fail decisions, error detection (audible or visual alerts), work piece shape detection, work piece and/or nozzle position detection, orientation detection or like, displays visual depiction of desired portion of work piece or desired portion based on query on display screen, generating visualization data for displaying to user via user devices and control powder system to deliver powder melted by laser beam and energy density obviously provides user interface - allowing an operator to select between execution and non-execution of display of the distribution of the irradiation energy density accumulated in the target layer in a moving image according to an order of beam scanning; and a display function of displaying the distribution of the irradiation energy density accumulated in the target layer, and in a case where the execution of display in the moving image according to the order of the beam scanning is selected in the selection function, the display function displays the distribution of the irradiation energy density accumulated in the target layer in the moving image according to the order of the beam scanning).
As to claim 9, Arthur further discloses The build data generating device according to claim 7, wherein the display control unit comprises a user interface having: a time change function of operating an elapsed time from the start of the beam scanning in the display of the distribution of accumulated irradiation energy density; and a display function of displaying the distribution of the irradiation energy density accumulated in the target layer, and the display function displays the distribution of the irradiation energy density accumulated in the target layer at the elapsed time operated by the time change function (Arthur [0014-35] “user device renders or displays 208 a visual depiction of the desired portion of the work piece and/or a desired portion of the AM apparatus on a display screen - sensors 110 include more complex sensing and processing systems - three-dimensional scanner using optical techniques - variety of imaging-based automatic inspection, process control, and/or AM machine guidance functions - pass/fail decisions, error detection (audible or visual alerts), work piece shape detection, work piece and/or nozzle position detection, AM apparatus orientation detection, and the like - hardware 142 - operational data collected as a single data set, or distributed over different locations - user interface 300 also include a current status display area 308 - for a currently active work piece fabrication process - fabrication process such as status, time to completion, source, current time, and the like - modify the fabrication process, restart fabrication, cancel fabrication, change fabrication settings, perform a test, and the like - displays a visual representation of the current status of a work piece being fabricated - current status information (percentage completion, time until start, time until completion, and so forth) for the active resource - user or operator visually monitor progress” [0001-07] [abstract] see Fig. 1-3, currently active work piece fabrication process status, time to completion, source, current time, modify fabrication process, restart fabrication, cancel fabrication, change fabrication settings, perform test, displays visual representation of work piece fabricated, current status information (percentage completion, time until start, time until completion, and so forth) for the active resource - user or operator visually monitor progress, user interface, variety of imaging-based automatic inspection, process control and machine guidance functions, pass/fail decisions, error detection (audible or visual alerts), displays visual depiction of desired portion of work piece or desired portion based on query on display screen obviously provides user interface having: a time change function of operating an elapsed time from the start of the beam scanning in the display of the distribution of accumulated irradiation energy density; and a display function of displaying the distribution of the irradiation energy density accumulated in the target layer, and the display function displays the distribution of the irradiation energy density accumulated in the target layer at the elapsed time operated by the time change function).
As to claim 10, Arthur further discloses The build data generating device according to claim 8, wherein, the user interface further has a time elapsed ratio display function of indicating a time elapsed ratio of the elapsed time with respect to a time required from start to completion of beam scanning in the target layer (Arthur [0014-35] “user device renders or displays 208 a visual depiction of the desired portion of the work piece and/or a desired portion of the AM apparatus on a display screen - sensors 110 include more complex sensing and processing systems - three-dimensional scanner using optical techniques - variety of imaging-based automatic inspection, process control, and/or AM machine guidance functions - pass/fail decisions, error detection (audible or visual alerts), work piece shape detection, work piece and/or nozzle position detection, AM apparatus orientation detection, and the like - hardware 142 - operational data collected as a single data set, or distributed over different locations - user interface 300 also include a current status display area 308 - for a currently active work piece fabrication process - fabrication process such as status, time to completion, source, current time, and the like - modify the fabrication process, restart fabrication, cancel fabrication, change fabrication settings, perform a test, and the like - displays a visual representation of the current status of a work piece being fabricated - current status information (percentage completion, time until start, time until completion, and so forth) for the active resource - user or operator visually monitor progress” [0001-07] [abstract] see Fig. 1-3, currently active work piece fabrication process status, time to completion, source, current time, modify fabrication process, restart fabrication, cancel fabrication, change fabrication settings, perform test, displays visual representation of work piece fabricated, current status information (percentage completion, time until start, time until completion, and so forth) for the active resource - user or operator visually monitor progress, user interface, variety of imaging-based automatic inspection, process control and machine guidance functions, pass/fail decisions, error detection (audible or visual alerts), displays visual depiction of desired portion of work piece or desired portion based on query on display screen obviously provides time elapsed ratio of the elapsed time with respect to a time required from start to completion of beam scanning in the target layer).
As to claim 11, Arthur further discloses The build data generating device according to claim 9, wherein, the user interface further has a time elapsed ratio display function of indicating a time elapsed ratio of the elapsed time with respect to a time required from start to completion of beam scanning in the target layer (Arthur [0014-35] “user device renders or displays 208 a visual depiction of the desired portion of the work piece and/or a desired portion of the AM apparatus on a display screen - sensors 110 include more complex sensing and processing systems - three-dimensional scanner using optical techniques - variety of imaging-based automatic inspection, process control, and/or AM machine guidance functions - pass/fail decisions, error detection (audible or visual alerts), work piece shape detection, work piece and/or nozzle position detection, AM apparatus orientation detection, and the like - hardware 142 - operational data collected as a single data set, or distributed over different locations - user interface 300 also include a current status display area 308 - for a currently active work piece fabrication process - fabrication process such as status, time to completion, source, current time, and the like - modify the fabrication process, restart fabrication, cancel fabrication, change fabrication settings, perform a test, and the like - displays a visual representation of the current status of a work piece being fabricated - current status information (percentage completion, time until start, time until completion, and so forth) for the active resource - user or operator visually monitor progress” [0001-07] [abstract] see Fig. 1-3, currently active work piece fabrication process status, time to completion, source, current time, modify fabrication process, restart fabrication, cancel fabrication, change fabrication settings, perform test, displays visual representation of work piece fabricated, current status information (percentage completion, time until start, time until completion, and so forth) for the active resource - user or operator visually monitor progress, user interface, variety of imaging-based automatic inspection, process control and machine guidance functions, pass/fail decisions, error detection (audible or visual alerts), displays visual depiction of desired portion of work piece or desired portion based on query on display screen obviously provides time elapsed ratio of the elapsed time with respect to a time required from start to completion of beam scanning in the target layer).
As to claim 12, Arthur further discloses The build data generating device according to claim 1, wherein the build data includes, as manufacturing conditions, information of an energy density distribution of a beam cross-section in the target layer, a scanning speed, a scanning interval, and a beam scanning path (Arthur [0014-35] “generating AM visualization data, and for displaying AM visualization data to a user - one or more processors 108, one or more sensors 110 - control the powder system 112 - enable the deposition nozzle 128 to deliver powder - melted by the laser beam - deposited on the work piece surface 118 to form a layer - user device renders or displays 208 a visual depiction of the desired portion of the work piece and/or a desired portion of the AM apparatus on a display screen - sensors 110 include more complex sensing and processing systems - three-dimensional scanner using optical techniques - variety of imaging-based automatic inspection, process control, and/or AM machine guidance functions - pass/fail decisions, error detection (audible or visual alerts), work piece shape detection, work piece and/or nozzle position detection, AM apparatus orientation detection, and the like - hardware 142 - operational data collected as a single data set, or distributed over different locations” [0001-07] [abstract] see Fig. 1-3, servers, controllers, microcontrollers, processors, sensors, laser, 3D scanner, generating visualization data for displaying to user via user devices and control powder system to deliver powder melted by laser beam and energy density obviously provides conditions, information of an energy density distribution of a beam cross-section in the target layer, a scanning speed, a scanning interval, and a beam scanning path).
As to the independent claims 13-14, the claims recite similar limitations as the independent claim 1 and rejected using same rational as stated above.
Citation of Pertinent Prior Art
It is noted that any citations to specific, pages, columns, lines, or figures in the prior art references and any interpretation of the reference should not be considered to be limiting in any way. A reference is relevant for all it contains and may be relied upon for all that it would have reasonably suggested to one having ordinary skill in the art. See MPEP 2141.02 VI. PRIOR ART MUST BE CONSIDERED IN ITS ENTIRETY, i.e., as a whole and 2123.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. The prior art made of record:
Pavan, et al. USPGPub No. 2020/0038953 A1 discloses an additive manufacturing environment method for generating energy density map of an object to be built in an additive manufacturing environment.
Madigan, et al. USPGPub No. 2019/0039318 A1 discloses a method for characterizing an additive manufacturing process generating scans and measures amount of energy radiated from the build plane adjusting or proximate one or more locations of build plane.
Ogasawara, USPGPub No. 2016/0071692 A1 discloses a data generating apparatus generates data including irradiation amount of beam in each pixel on an object for an energy beam by irradiating object with energy beam.
Frahnmaker, et al. USPGPub No. 2019/0389137 A1 discloses a method for supervision of an additive manufacturing process for producing a manufacturing product by selectively solidifying build-up material irradiated according to pre-definable irradiation control data and supervisory data set generated based on irradiation control data.
Kitamra, et al. USPGPub No. 2022/0080506 A1 discloses a three-dimensional powder bed fusion additive manufacturing method of building an object by building up layers of a thinly spread powder on a layer-by-layer basis.
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/Md Azad/
Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2119
Prosecution Insights