DETAILED ACTION
Claims 1-15 are pending.
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 § 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 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) 1-15 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Takahashi et al.,
US Patent No. 7,291,806 (hereinafter Takahashi).
Regarding claims 1-15, Takahashi discloses all the claimed limitations, as outlined below:
CLAIM 1. A processing control device that controls a processing system that uses a processing machine to process a workpiece, the processing control device comprising: a registration unit configured to allow registration, through a manipulation by a user, of a switching program for switching a state of the processing machine between an initial state in which a predetermined operation for processing the workpiece is not executable and a preparation completion state in which the predetermined operation is executable; a storage unit that stores the switching program that has been registered; and a switching unit that reads, from the storage unit, and executes the switching program in accordance with using of the processing machine (C3 L28-31, C4 L25-31, C4 L64-67, C5 L5-67, and C6 L1-29 - - Using a keyboard/inputting device for configuring/setting robots/laser equipment. Wherein a set of logic codes, including conditional statements, corresponding to each tool individually/collectively, is seamlessly embedded in the high level code/processing program. Each laser oscillator is selectively control in a distributed manner. It can be noted that the “switching”, “interrupting”, “starting” and “ending” are part of the logic codes).
CLAIM 2. The processing control device according to claim 1, wherein the processing machine is a laser oscillator, the processing system is a laser processing system that uses a laser outputted from the laser oscillator to perform laser processing on the workpiece, the initial state is a state in which the laser is not outputtable, and the preparation completion state is a state in which the laser is outputtable (C3 L28-31, C4 L25-31, C4 L64-67, C5 L5-67, and C6 L1-29 - - Using a keyboard/inputting device for configuring/setting robots/laser equipment. Wherein a set of logic codes, including conditional statements, corresponding to each tool individually/collectively, is seamlessly embedded in the high level code/processing program. Each laser oscillator is selectively control in a distributed manner. It can be noted that the “switching”, “interrupting”, “starting” and “ending” are part of the logic codes).
CLAIM 3. The processing control device according to claim 1, wherein the switching program includes a starting program for switching the state of the processing machine from the initial state to the preparation completion state, and the switching unit reads, from the storage unit, and executes the starting program before using the processing machine (C3 L28-31, C4 L25-31, C4 L64-67, C5 L5-67, and C6 L1-29 - - Using a keyboard/inputting device for configuring/setting robots/laser equipment. Wherein a set of logic codes, including conditional statements, corresponding to each tool individually/collectively, is seamlessly embedded in the high level code/processing program. Each laser oscillator is selectively control in a distributed manner. It can be noted that the “switching”, “interrupting”, “starting” and “ending” are part of the logic codes).
CLAIM 4. The processing control device according to claim 1, wherein the switching program includes an ending program for switching the state of the processing machine from the preparation completion state to the initial state, and the switching unit reads, from the storage unit, and executes the ending program after using the processing machine (C3 L28-31, C4 L25-31, C4 L64-67, C5 L5-67, and C6 L1-29 - - Using a keyboard/inputting device for configuring/setting robots/laser equipment. Wherein a set of logic codes, including conditional statements, corresponding to each tool individually/collectively, is seamlessly embedded in the high level code/processing program. Each laser oscillator is selectively control in a distributed manner. It can be noted that the “switching”, “interrupting”, “starting” and “ending” are part of the logic codes).
CLAIM 5. The processing control device according to claim 1, wherein the switching program includes a starting program for switching the state of the processing machine from the initial state to the preparation completion state and an ending program for switching the state of the processing machine from the preparation completion state to the initial state, and the switching unit reads, from the storage unit, and executes the starting program before using the processing machine and reads, from the storage unit, and executes the ending program after using the processing machine (C3 L28-31, C4 L25-31, C4 L64-67, C5 L5-67, and C6 L1-29 - - Using a keyboard/inputting device for configuring/setting robots/laser equipment. Wherein a set of logic codes, including conditional statements, corresponding to each tool individually/collectively, is seamlessly embedded in the high level code/processing program. Each laser oscillator is selectively control in a distributed manner. It can be noted that the “switching”, “interrupting”, “starting” and “ending” are part of the logic codes).
CLAIM 6. The processing control device according to claim 1, wherein the registration unit is configured to allow registration of the switching program per a type of the processing machine, a type selection unit configured to allow selection, by the user, of a type of the processing machine is further included, and the switching unit reads, from the storage unit, and executes the switching program corresponding to the type selected through the type selection unit (C3 L28-31, C4 L25-31, C4 L64-67, C5 L5-67, and C6 L1-29 - - Using a keyboard/inputting device for configuring/setting robots/laser equipment. Wherein a set of logic codes, including conditional statements, corresponding to each tool individually/collectively, is seamlessly embedded in the high level code/processing program. Each laser oscillator is selectively control in a distributed manner. It can be noted that the “switching”, “interrupting”, “starting” and “ending” are part of the logic codes).
CLAIM 7. The processing control device according to claim 1, further comprising: a program command unit configured to allow input of a processing program through a manipulation by the user; and a control unit that controls the processing system based on the processing program that has been inputted, wherein the switching unit reads, from the storage unit, and executes the switching program in accordance with the using of the processing machine based on execution of the processing program (C3 L28-31, C4 L25-31, C4 L64-67, C5 L5-67, and C6 L1-29 - - Using a keyboard/inputting device for configuring/setting robots/laser equipment. Wherein a set of logic codes, including conditional statements, corresponding to each tool individually/collectively, is seamlessly embedded in the high level code/processing program. Each laser oscillator is selectively control in a distributed manner. It can be noted that the “switching”, “interrupting”, “starting” and “ending” are part of the logic codes).
CLAIM 8. The processing control device according to claim 7, wherein the registration unit is configured to allow input of the switching program by way of a program language that can be used when inputting the processing program into the program command unit (C3 L28-31, C4 L25-31, C4 L64-67, C5 L5-67, and C6 L1-29 - - Using a keyboard/inputting device for configuring/setting robots/laser equipment. Wherein a set of logic codes, including conditional statements, corresponding to each tool individually/collectively, is seamlessly embedded in the high level code/processing program. Each laser oscillator is selectively control in a distributed manner. It can be noted that the “switching”, “interrupting”, “starting” and “ending” are part of the logic codes).
CLAIM 9. The processing control device according to claim 7, wherein the storage unit stores the switching program corresponding to a first type and the switching program corresponding to a second type that is different from the first type, the processing machine that is the first type and the processing machine that is the second type are used through execution of the processing program, and the switching unit reads, from the storage unit, and executes the switching program corresponding to the first type in accordance with using of the processing machine that is the first type based on execution of the processing program and reads, from the storage unit, and executes the switching program corresponding to the second type in accordance with using of the processing machine that is the second type based on execution of the processing program (C3 L28-31, C4 L25-31, C4 L64-67, C5 L5-67, and C6 L1-29 - - Using a keyboard/inputting device for configuring/setting robots/laser equipment. Wherein a set of logic codes, including conditional statements, corresponding to each tool individually/collectively, is seamlessly embedded in the high level code/processing program. Each laser oscillator is selectively control in a distributed manner. It can be noted that the “switching”, “interrupting”, “starting” and “ending” are part of the logic codes).
CLAIM 10. The processing control device according to claim 1, wherein the switching program includes an ending program for switching the state of the processing machine from the preparation completion state to the initial state, and the switching unit reads, from the storage unit, and executes the ending program when processing has been interrupted or ended (C3 L28-31, C4 L25-31, C4 L64-67, C5 L5-67, and C6 L1-29 - - Using a keyboard/inputting device for configuring/setting robots/laser equipment. Wherein a set of logic codes, including conditional statements, corresponding to each tool individually/collectively, is seamlessly embedded in the high level code/processing program. Each laser oscillator is selectively control in a distributed manner. It can be noted that the “switching”, “interrupting”, “starting” and “ending” are part of the logic codes).
CLAIM 11. The processing control device according to claim 1, wherein the switching program includes a starting program for switching the state of the processing machine from the initial state to the preparation completion state, and the switching unit reads, from the storage unit, and executes the starting program when processing is to be restarted after the processing has been interrupted (C3 L28-31, C4 L25-31, C4 L64-67, C5 L5-67, and C6 L1-29 - - Using a keyboard/inputting device for configuring/setting robots/laser equipment. Wherein a set of logic codes, including conditional statements, corresponding to each tool individually/collectively, is seamlessly embedded in the high level code/processing program. Each laser oscillator is selectively control in a distributed manner. It can be noted that the “switching”, “interrupting”, “starting” and “ending” are part of the logic codes).
CLAIM 12. The processing control device according to claim 1, wherein the switching program includes a starting program for switching the state of the processing machine from the initial state to the preparation completion state, and the switching unit skips execution of the starting program during a processing disabled period in which a manipulation based on which processing should be disabled has been performed (C3 L28-31, C4 L25-31, C4 L64-67, C5 L5-67, and C6 L1-29 - - Using a keyboard/inputting device for configuring/setting robots/laser equipment. Wherein a set of logic codes, including conditional statements, corresponding to each tool individually/collectively, is seamlessly embedded in the high level code/processing program. Each laser oscillator is selectively control in a distributed manner. It can be noted that the “switching”, “interrupting”, “starting” and “ending” are part of the logic codes).
CLAIM 13. The processing control device according to claim 12, wherein the processing disabled period includes a period of a teaching mode under which the user teaches the processing system an operation (C3 L28-31, C4 L25-31, C4 L64-67, C5 L5-67, and C6 L1-29 - - Using a keyboard/inputting device for configuring/setting robots/laser equipment. Wherein a set of logic codes, including conditional statements, corresponding to each tool individually/collectively, is seamlessly embedded in the high level code/processing program. Each laser oscillator is selectively control in a distributed manner. It can be noted that the “switching”, “interrupting”, “starting” and “ending” are part of the logic codes).
CLAIM 14. The processing control device according to claim 1, wherein, in a state before the switching program is registered through a manipulation on the registration unit by the user, the storage unit stores at least a part of the switching program corresponding to a predetermined type of the processing machine (C3 L28-31, C4 L25-31, C4 L64-67, C5 L5-67, and C6 L1-29 - - Using a keyboard/inputting device for configuring/setting robots/laser equipment. Wherein a set of logic codes, including conditional statements, corresponding to each tool individually/collectively, is seamlessly embedded in the high level code/processing program. Each laser oscillator is selectively control in a distributed manner. It can be noted that the “switching”, “interrupting”, “starting” and “ending” are part of the logic codes).
CLAIM 15. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a processing control program for causing a computer to function as a processing control device that controls a processing system that uses a processing machine to process a workpiece, and for causing the computer to further function as units comprising: a registration unit configured to allow registration, by a user, of a switching program for switching a state of the processing machine between an initial state in which a predetermined operation for processing the workpiece is not executable and a preparation completion state in which the predetermined operation is executable; a storage unit that stores the switching program that has been registered; and a switching unit that reads, from the storage unit, and executes the switching program in accordance with using of the processing machine (C3 L28-31, C4 L25-31, C4 L64-67, C5 L5-67, and C6 L1-29 - - Using a keyboard/inputting device for configuring/setting robots/laser equipment. Wherein a set of logic codes, including conditional statements, corresponding to each tool individually/collectively, is seamlessly embedded in the high level code/processing program. Each laser oscillator is selectively control in a distributed manner. It can be noted that the “switching”, “interrupting”, “starting” and “ending” are part of the logic codes).
Citation of Pertinent Prior Art
The following prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure:
Akturk, M. Selim, Jay B. Ghosh, and Rabia K. Kayan. "Scheduling with tool changes to minimize total completion time under controllable machining conditions." Computers & operations research 34.7 (2007): 2130-2146.
Miller, US Patent No. 8,688,258 relates to – controlling a machine tool using one or more part programs.
Nishiyama et al., US Patent Application Publication No. 2014/0005805 relates to – execution control process and control programs.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to CARLOS R ORTIZ RODRIGUEZ whose telephone number is (571)272-3766. The examiner can normally be reached on Mon-Fri 10:00 am- 6:30 pm.
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/CARLOS R ORTIZ RODRIGUEZ/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2119
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