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 .
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
Drawings
The drawings with 4 Sheets of Figs. 1-8 received on 10/23/2024 are acknowledged and accepted.
Claim Objections
Claims 1-3 objected to because of the following informalities:
Claim 1 recites “a sensor mount:” in line 2, “the linear motors: consist” in line 3 and “the flexure: is”. It is incorrect syntax. It is suggested to be replaced with –a sensor mount; --, --the linear motors consist--, and –the flexure is--.
Claim 1 recites “flexure” in line 16. There is antecedent basis for this limitation. It is suggested to be replaced with –the flexure--.
Claim 1 recites “the structure” in line 18. There is lack of antecedent basis for this limitation. It is suggested to be replaced with –a structure--.
Claim 1 recites “the flipping angle” in line 23. There is lack of antecedent basis for this limitation. It is suggested to be replaced with –a flipping angle--.
Claim 1 recites “the eddy current principle” in line 27. There is lack of antecedent basis for this limitation. It is suggested to be replaced with –an eddy current principle--.
Claim 1 recites “the position feedback signal” in line 29. There is lack of antecedent basis for this limitation. It is suggested to be replaced with –a position feedback signal--.
Claim 1 recites “the mechanical structure” in line 34. There is lack of antecedent basis for this limitation. It is suggested to be replaced with –a mechanical structure--.
Claim 1 recites “the next flipping cycle” in line 41. There is lack of antecedent basis for this limitation. It is suggested to be replaced with –a next flipping cycle--.
Claims 2-3 are dependent on claim 1 and hence inherit its deficiencies.
Claim 3 recites “the position sensor signal” in line 2. There is lack of antecedent basis for this limitation. It is suggested to be replaced with –a position sensor signal--.
Appropriate correction is required.
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.
Claims 1-3, as best understood, 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 1 recites “the high-resolution position sensor” in line 22. There is lack of antecedent basis for this limitation. It is not clear whether the high-resolution position sensor is the position sensor or another sensor. For the purposes of examination, the high-resolution position sensor is taken to be the position sensor.
Claim 1 recites “the high-resolution signal” in line 22. There is lack of antecedent basis for this limitation. It is not clear whether the high-resolution position sensor is the position sensor or another sensor. For the purposes of examination, the high-resolution position sensor is taken to be the position sensor.
Claims 2-3 are dependent on claim 1 and hence inherit its deficiencies.
Claim 2 contains the trademark/trade name A7075-T6, SUS304. Where a trademark or trade name is used in a claim as a limitation to identify or describe a particular material or product, the claim does not comply with the requirements of 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph. See Ex parte Simpson, 218 USPQ 1020 (Bd. App. 1982). The claim scope is uncertain since the trademark or trade name cannot be used properly to identify any particular material or product. A trademark or trade name is used to identify a source of goods, and not the goods themselves. Thus, a trademark or trade name does not identify or describe the goods associated with the trademark or trade name. In the present case, the trademark/trade name is used to identify/describe the flexure material and, accordingly, the identification/description is indefinite.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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 (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) 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.
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) 1-3, as best understood, is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Loney et al (US 5,110,195 A).
Regarding Claim 1, Loney teaches (fig 5) a high-speed flipping mirror system (fast two-dimensional scanning, col 2, lines 32-34, steering mirror assembly, col 5, lines 35-39) comprising components:
a reflective mirror (mirror 20, col 5, lines 42-44), linear motors (actuators 26, col 5, lines 64-65), a flexure (vertical mounting post 30, col 7, lines 12-13), a position sensor (sensor 56, col 5, lines 33-35), a mirror mount (projections 23 are considered the mount) , and a sensor mount,
the linear motors consist of four motors (four actuators 26 positioned underneath the projections 22 of the mirror 20, col 5, lines 64-65) divided into two pairs, mounted perpendicularly to the mirror mount (projections 23 are considered the mount), all positioned on a circle, with each motor spaced 90 degrees apart, and each pair of motors (four actuators 26) symmetrically aligned across a bending direction of the flexure (flexure ring 28, col 6, lines 16-20) (as in fig 5);
when the motors move linearly in opposite pairs, they create an angular motion of the reflective mirror, referred to as the mirror flipping process (“Motion of the actuators 26 results in corresponding angular motion in the mirror 20”, col 6, lines 1-3);
the flipping speed depends on the speed, travel distance, and acceleration of the motors (four actuators 26, col 5, lines 64-65) (tilting speed of mirror is dependent on how fast the actuators work);
the flexure (vertical mounting post 30, col 7, lines 12-13) is mounted with the mirror mount (projections 23 are considered the mount) so that a vertical axis of the mirror mount (projections 23 are considered the mount) and a center of the two-degree-of-freedom flexure (vertical mounting post 30, col 7, lines 12-13) are coincident (as in fig 5);
the flexure (vertical mounting post 30, col 7, lines 12-13) serves as a hinge structure with two rotational axes (the post 30 allows rotation along two lateral axes) , playing a crucial role in ensuring the high-performance operation of the mirror flipping assembly (steering mirror assembly, col 5, lines 35-39);
flipping the mirror (fast two-dimensional scanning, col 2, this indicates tilting of mirror at high speeds) at high speeds leads to requirements for load-bearing capacity, stiffness, and stress concentration at the flexure's rotational axes (a flexure’s performance is measured with its properties of load-bearing capacity, stiffness and stress, also see col 7, lines 12-30);
the reflective mirror (mirror 20, col 5, lines 42-44) is mounted on the mirror mount (projections 23 are considered the mount) and connected to the linear motor assembly (four actuators 26 positioned underneath the projections 22 of the mirror 20, col 5, lines 64-65) and flexure (vertical mounting post 30, col 7, lines 12-13), forming a two-degree-of-freedom flipping mirror system capable of flipping in two directions (“The mirror 20 is designed so that it can tilt in two directions”, col 5),
the reflective mirror (mirror 20, col 5, lines 42-44) has a symmetrical shape, such as circular (as in fig 5), oval, rectangular, or square, depending on the structure and installation space, and is machined to receive light from an optical lens in front and direct it to an image processing sensor behind (The recitation “receive light from an optical lens in front and direct it to an image processing sensor behind”, of the intended use of the claimed invention must result in a structural difference between the claimed invention and the prior art in order to patentably distinguish the claimed invention from the prior art. If the prior art structure is capable of performing the intended use, then it meets the claim. MPEP §2106.) (also see “Steering mirrors may be configured to reflect signals of many different types including microwave radiation signals, light and laser radiation signals”, col 1),
the reflective mirror (mirror 20, col 5, lines 42-44) is fixedly mounted to the mirror mount (projections 23 are considered the mount) so that a center of the mirror and a center of the mirror mount are coincident (as in fig 5);
the high-resolution position sensor (sensor 56, col 5, lines 33-35) is used to determine a linear displacement of the reflective mirror's quadrants, thereby identifying the flipping angle of the mirror (tilt angle of mirror 20), which serves as feedback for a system to accurately control the mirror's position along a desired path (“The actuation causes adjustment of the mirror mechanism 20. Once adjustment has been completed, the actual movement of the mirror is again sensed by the sensors 56 and fed back to the reference 70. This mechanism provides a means for appropriately adjusting the mirror 20 to compensate for vibrational noise and other distortion”, col 8, lines 27-60),
the position sensor (sensor 56, col 5, lines 33-35) is fixedly mounted on the sensor mount (“Each position sensor 56 is housed in an adjustable mount assembly consisting of several components. The position sensor 56 is made up of a coil 71 embedded in a Vespel cylindrical base with a shoulder 73”, col 6, lines 48-60), with the sensor's surface positioned at an equal fixed distance from the mirror surface at four points (as in fig 5),
the position sensor (sensor 56) operates on the eddy current principle (“These sensors 56 are conventional eddy current sensors”, col 6, lines 33-47), providing very high accuracy feedback on the mirror’s position with accuracy up to micro radians (eddy current sensors provide such accuracy);
the mirror flipping control system (fast two-dimensional scanning, col 2, lines 32-34, steering mirror assembly, col 5, lines 35-39), based on user requirements and the position feedback signal from the position sensor, applies a control voltage to the linear motor assembly at a high frequency (“The actuation causes adjustment of the mirror mechanism 20. Once adjustment has been completed, the actual movement of the mirror is again sensed by the sensors 56 and fed back to the reference 70”, col 8, lines 41-65),
in conditions where the system's rotation angle is limited by the mechanical structure, the flipping mirror system (fast two-dimensional scanning, col 2, lines 32-34, steering mirror assembly, col 5, lines 35-39) is required to flip quickly during the exposure time, with very high accuracy, to achieve this, the flipping mirror system operates according to the following cycle ( It is respectfully noted that intended use and/or other types of functional language must result in a structural difference between the claimed invention and the prior art in order to patentably distinguish the claimed invention from the prior art. If the prior art structure is capable of performing the intended use, then it meets the claim. In a claim drawn to a process of making, the intended use must result in a manipulative difference as compared to the prior art. In re Casey, 152 USPQ 235 (CCPA 1967); In re Otto, 136 USPQ 458, 459 (CCPA 1963). Note that Applicant has burden of proof in such cases, as the above case law makes clear.
As to the present grounds of rejection under section 102(a)1), the function and/or use of the mirror flipping system, for flipping the mirror quickly during the exposure time, is considered to be intended use and/or functional language. This type of description does not affect the structure of the final device. See MPEP ' 2112 that discusses “product claims claimed in terms of function”.):
the mirror is controlled to rotate to one side relative to the system's zero point; before the sensor begins an exposure time, the mirror gradually accelerates to a required speed;
then, the mirror flips at the required speed before the sensor's exposure and maintains this speed throughout the exposure time;
afterward, it returns to the starting point after the sensor's exposure, and the mirror is controlled to rotate back to its initial offset position, ready for the next flipping cycle.
Regarding Claim 2, Loney teaches the high-speed flat mirror flipping system according to claim 1,
wherein the flexure material is A7075-T6, SUS304, or titanium, (“This post 30 is machined out of an aluminum alloy 7075-T6”, col 7, lines 14-15) and the flexure’s bending axis profile has an I-shape (“This post 30 resists compression but is bendable when sufficient force is applied to it”, col 7);
the flexure's bending axis parameters include: a bending axis length (l); a bending axis width (t); a bending axis thickness (w); the two bending axes or rotational joints are arranged orthogonally, with the centers of the bending axes lying on the same plane (post 30’s bending parameters are axis length, width, thickness and the post is bendable around two axes, as the mirror tilts in two orthogonal directions).
Regarding Claim 3, Loney teaches the high-speed flat mirror flipping system according to claim 1,
wherein the sensor mount (“Each position sensor 56 is housed in an adjustable mount assembly consisting of several components. The position sensor 56 is made up of a coil 71 embedded in a Vespel cylindrical base with a shoulder 73”, col 6, lines 48-51) is made from an electrically insulating, anti-static material (Vespel is an insulator) to ensure the reliability of the position sensor signal when operating near electromagnetic components such as linear motors (The recitation “to ensure the reliability of the position sensor signal”, of the intended use of the claimed invention must result in a structural difference between the claimed invention and the prior art in order to patentably distinguish the claimed invention from the prior art. If the prior art structure is capable of performing the intended use, then it meets the claim. MPEP §2106.)
.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Borchers et al (US 8274724 B2) teaches a reflective mirror, linear motors, flexure, position sensor.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JYOTSNA V DABBI whose telephone number is (571)270-3270. The examiner can normally be reached M-Fri: 9:00am-5:00pm.
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/JYOTSNA V DABBI/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2872 9/5/2026
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