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 .
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election without traverse of group I, claims 1-10 in the reply filed on 8/04/2026 is acknowledged.
Claims 11 is withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected group II, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Election was made without traverse in the reply filed on 8/04/2026.
Priority
Acknowledgment is made of applicant’s claim for foreign priority under 35 U.S.C. 119 (a)-(d). The certified copy has been filed in Application No. 18945765, filed on 11/13/2024.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 11/13/2024 and 9/15/2026 were filed on/after the filing date of the application on 11/13/2024. The submission is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement has been considered 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.
Claims 1-10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Strasky (US 20180311860 A1).
Regarding claim 1, Strasky teaches a method for producing sawn timber from a log (1), the method including the following steps:
A) determining a first cutting solution for the log which comprises a spatial arrangement of side product boards and main product boards (see Figure 1);
B) processing of the log, by cutting, according to the first cutting solution, wherein an essentially planar surface of the main or side product is produced (see Figure 1);
C) inspecting a quality of the surface in order to determine at least one of i) a defect in the wood (see Figure 5) or ii) a property of the defect in the wood (see Figure 5);
D) determining a second cutting solution depending on the identified at least one of the defect (12) in the wood or the property of the defect in the wood, in which the main product or the side product is subdivided with respect to the first cutting solution into at least one of i) two main product boards and two side product boards (8) or ii) a subdivision of at least two main product boards or two side product boards (8) is modified with respect to the first cutting solution (see Figure 13A-B); and
E) processing of the log (1), by cutting, according to the second cutting solution.
Regarding claim 2, Strasky teaches in method step C) the defect (12) in the wood on the surface is identified and spatially resolved by determining at least one of a defect position or spatial spread of the defect (see Figure 5).
Regarding claim 3, Strasky teaches at least one of before or during method step C), capturing at least one of a waney edge or a waney edge area which in each case laterally borders the surface of the main or side product; and the at least one of the position or spread of the defect with reference to the log is identified and spatially resolved, depending on the at least one of the waney edge or the waney edge area (see Figure 13A-14B).
Regarding claim 4, Strasky teaches method step D) is performed depending on at least one defect-related quality parameter (see Figure 13A-14B).
Regarding claim 5, Strasky teaches at least two of the subdivided main or the side product boards have at least one of different numbers of the defects, different defect densities, different defect positions or different defect types (see Figure 13A-14B).
Regarding claim 6, Strasky teaches in method step C) the identified defect in the wood is formed at least partially by a branch which extends from the surface at least through at least one of the main product or side product (see Figure 5).
Regarding claim 7, Strasky teaches the identified defect in the wood is a branch cross section or a part of a branch cross section of the branch on the surface of the at least one of the main product or the side product (see Figures 5, 13A-14B).
Regarding claim 8, Strasky teaches in method step B) at least one first side product board is cut from the log according to the cutting solution and the planar surface of the side product is consequently created on the log on which at least method step C) is performed(see Figure 13A-14B).
Regarding claim 9, Strasky teaches in method step D) the main product or the side product is subdivided such that a separating plane which runs essentially orthogonally to the surface of the main or side product and subdivides the two main product boards or side product boards is at least one of produced or shifted (see Figure 13A-14B).
Regarding claim 10, Strasky teaches in method step E) at least one scored line is produced and the two or more of the main product or the side product boards are cut from the log by a separating cut (see Figure 13A-14B).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to LIANG DONG whose telephone number is (571)270-0479. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Thursday 8 AM-6 PM.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Ashley Boyer can be reached at 571-272-4502. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
/LIANG DONG/Examiner, Art Unit 3724 9/17/2026
