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 with traverse of Group I, claims 1-16 in the reply filed on
06/23/2026 is acknowledged. The traversal is on the ground(s) that “the apparatus as claimed can be used to practice another and materially different process. For instance, control device can be used in a method comprising a liquid material instead of a powder material” is simply false. This is not found persuasive because as evidenced by HULL et al. (EP 1217438), a control device can be used in a method comprising a liquid material instead of a powder material in forming a three-dimensional object layer-by-layer by selectively exposing a solidifiable fluid medium to a beam (Claim 1).
The requirement is still deemed proper and is therefore made FINAL.
Claims 17-18 and 20 withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b), as being drawn to a nonelected invention, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Applicant timely traversed the restriction (election) requirement in the reply filed on 06/23/2026.
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 and 19 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(A)(2) as being anticipated by KROPHOLLER et al. (WO 2023/067199).
Regarding claims 1 and 19, KROPHOLLER et al. discloses a method for planning local solidification of a layer of powder material with a high-energy beam while manufacturing a three-dimensional object layer by layer, the method comprising:
in a connected area of the layer, in which the solidification of the powder material is to take place with the high-energy beam, determining at least one inskin area and at least one downskin area,
defining an inskin pattern for the at least one inskin area, wherein the defining the inskin pattern comprises defining geometric progression of a plurality of inskin vectors for the high-energy beam in the at least one inskin area, and defining a downskin pattern for the at least one downskin area, wherein the defining the downskin pattern comprises defining geometric progression of a plurality of downskin vectors for the high-energy beam in the at least one downskin area, wherein the defining the inskin pattern within the at least one inskin area is independent of the defining the downskin pattern within the at least one downskin area;
defining a processing sequence of the plurality of inskin vectors and the plurality of downskin vectors, wherein the defining the processing sequence comprises defining a plurality of inskin vector blocks and a plurality of downskin vector blocks, wherein each respective inskin vector block comprises one or more of the plurality of inskin vectors to be processed successively, and each respective downskin vector block comprises one or more of the plurality of downskin vectors to be processed successively, and
defining a vector-block sequence for processing the inskin vector blocks and the downskin vector blocks, wherein the inskin vector blocks and the downskin vector blocks are alternately processed (Claims 1-20).
Claim(s) 1 and 19 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(A)(2) as being anticipated by HEIKKINEN et al. et al. (WO 2018/177553).
Regarding claims 1 and 19, HEIKKINEN et al. et al. discloses a method for planning local solidification of a layer of powder material with a high-energy beam while manufacturing a three-dimensional object layer by layer, the method comprising:
in a connected area of the layer, in which the solidification of the powder material is to take place with the high-energy beam, determining at least one inskin area and at least one downskin area,
defining an inskin pattern for the at least one inskin area, wherein the defining the inskin pattern comprises defining geometric progression of a plurality of inskin vectors for the high-energy beam in the at least one inskin area, and defining a downskin pattern for the at least one downskin area, wherein the defining the downskin pattern comprises defining geometric progression of a plurality of downskin vectors for the high-energy beam in the at least one downskin area, wherein the defining the inskin pattern within the at least one inskin area is independent of the defining the downskin pattern within the at least one downskin area;
defining a processing sequence of the plurality of inskin vectors and the plurality of downskin vectors, wherein the defining the processing sequence comprises defining a plurality of inskin vector blocks and a plurality of downskin vector blocks, wherein each respective inskin vector block comprises one or more of the plurality of inskin vectors to be processed successively, and each respective downskin vector block comprises one or more of the plurality of downskin vectors to be processed successively, and
defining a vector-block sequence for processing the inskin vector blocks and the downskin vector blocks, wherein the inskin vector blocks and the downskin vector blocks are alternately processed (Claims 1-11).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 2-16 objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
a) MAURER et al. (DE 102021129705) discloses method, planning device and computer program product for planning a locally selective irradiation of a work area with an energy beam.
b) MEINERS et al. (WO 2022073785) discloses local selective irradiation of a working area with a non-circular beam shape.
c) GEISEN (EP 3542927) discloses method for selectively irradiating a material layer.
d) HULL et al. (EP 1217438) discloses stereolithography using different types of vector scanning.
e) HULL et al. (WO 8910256) discloses CAD/CAM sterolithography.
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STELLA YI
Examiner
Art Unit 1742
/STELLA K YI/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1742
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