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 .
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 8/19/2025 has been considered by the examiner.
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) 6 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Ljungblad (US 2014/0348691 A1).
Regarding claim 6, Ljungblad teaches an additive manufacturing method of generating a molded article by irradiating a powder material with a laser to melt and cure the powder material (paragraph[j 0009, a method for forming a three-dimensional article through successive fusion of parts of a powder bed), the method comprising:
a step of generating the laser (351, 352 in Figure3; paragraphs 0056, 0062);
a step of irradiating a build surface on which the powder material is laid with the laser (as shown in Figure 3; paragraph 0080) and changing an irradiation angle of the laser with respect to the build surface (paragraphs 0061, 0074);
a step of acquiring an irradiation area of the laser on the build surface (paragraphs 0061, 0074, first energy beam 351 may reach a predetermined area which is dependent on the maximum deflection angle and the distance from the energy beam source 301 to the work table. For this reason, the first energy beam 351 may only reach a portion of the total build area, i.e., a portion of a first cross section of the three-dimensional article 330); and
a step of adjusting an output of the laser based on the irradiation area (paragraphs 0064-0065, 0074, As one of the beams is having a deflection angle which is larger than a predetermined value the beam power may be switched from one beam to two beams. By using two beams, each with a lower power than would be required if just one beam would be used in order to arrive at the desired beam power).
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, 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.
Claim(s) 8 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Ljungblad.
Regarding claim 8, Ljungblad teaches all the elements of claim 6, but does not disclose the output of the laser is adjusted based on a beam diameter on a measurement surface orthogonal to the laser at an arbitrary position on the build surface acquired in advance. However, Ljungblad discloses the output of the laser is adjusted based on a desired beam spot size, the beam spot size being a circular one (paragraph 0074). Hence, it would have been obvious to one skilled in the art the laser is adjusted based on a beam diameter (i.e., desired circular spot size). Further, Figure 3 shows the laser being directed orthogonal to the build surface.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 1- allowed.
The following is an examiner’s statement of reasons for allowance: Claim 1 is allowable for requiring:
“…an output adjustment unit that is capable of adjusting an output of the laser based on an irradiation area of the laser on the build surface,
wherein the output adjustment unit is capable of dividing the build surface into a plurality of sections using dividing lines having a shape of concentric circles centered on an irradiation point of the laser and setting the output of the laser different for each section.”
The closest prior art, Ljungbald (US 2014/0348691 A1), discloses an additive manufacturing apparatus for three-dimensional objects (Figure 3; paragraph 0052) in which a thin layer of powder material is placed on a build platform (314) and a portion of the powder layer is successively melted by a beam (351, 352). As the beam deflection angle increases, the spot size increases and/or the spot shape deviates from a circle, and that the beam output is switched from a single beam to two beams when the beam has a deflection angle greater than a predetermined value (paragraph 0074). It also describes the use of an energy beam source other than the exemplified electron beam, such as a laser beam (paragraph 0062).
However, Ljungblad fails to teach or suggest an output adjustment unit is capable of dividing the build surface into a plurality of sections using dividing lines having a shape of concentric circles centered on an irradiation point of the laser and setting the output of the laser different for each section.
Claims 2-3 and 5 are allowable at least for depending on claim 1.
Claims 7 and 9-10 are 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.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter: Claims 7 and 9 would be allowable for requiring:
“…an output Pxy of the laser at an arbitrary position (x, y) is determined as in the following equation in a case where the output and the irradiation area of the laser in a state where the irradiation angle is zero are denoted by Po and Do, respectively,
Pxy = PO x π/4 x DxcosƟx x DycosƟy/(πDO2/4).”; and
“…in the step of adjusting the output of the laser, the build surface is divided into a plurality of sections by dividing lines having a shape of concentric circles centered on an irradiation point of the laser and the output of the laser different for each section is set.”
And would be allowable for the same reasoning as discussed with respect to claim 1.
Claim 10 would be allowable at least for depending on claim 9.
Any comments considered necessary by applicant must be submitted no later than the payment of the issue fee and, to avoid processing delays, should preferably accompany the issue fee. Such submissions should be clearly labeled “Comments on Statement of Reasons for Allowance.”
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Virak Nguon whose telephone number is (571)272-4196. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Thursday (and alternate Fridays) 7:30-5:00.
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/VIRAK NGUON/Examiner, Art Unit 1741 7/17/2026
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