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`62101 U.S. pTO
`\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\
`01/06/91
`IN THE .DNITED STATES PATENT AND TRADEMARK OFFICE
`
`Examiner:
`K. Presley
`
`Art Unit:
`
`3104
`
`r,)
`
`er
`
`I,._ • .)
`
`Applicant:
`
`BROWN ET AL.
`
`Serial No.:
`
`08/454,736
`
`Filed:
`
`05/30/95
`
`For:
`
`MOTION CONTROL SYSTEMS
`
`AMENDMENT
`
`Assistant Corrunissioner for Patents
`U.S. Patent & Trademark Office
`Washington, D.C.
`20231
`
`Sir:
`
`This is in response to the Office Action (Paper No. 6)
`mailed October 2, 1996.
`It is believed that no fee or charge
`is due at this time to maintain the application in full force
`and effect. However, if any such fee or charge is due, please
`charge this to Deposit Account No. 08-3260.
`In the prosecution of the above-identified application,
`please amend the application as follows:
`
`IN THE DRAWING:
`
`Please substitute drawing sheets 1 and 2 enclosed
`herewith for the origina.lly filed sheets 1 and 2; changes made
`to the new drawing sheets are marked in red.
`
`IN THE SPECIFICATION:
`
`"" Page 7, line 23, please delete "with contain" and
`
`substitute therefor --with, or contain,--.
`\
`Page 22, line 4, please d~ete "extend" and substitute
`therefor --extended--.
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`Page 1 of 14
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`RA v. AMS
`Ex. 1027
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`Please delete reference numeral "34" at the following
`locations:
`Page 7, line 22;
`Page 17, line 27;
`Page 19, lines 27 and 29 (two occurrences); and
`Page 21, lines 10, 12, and 13.
`""
`Please d~te reference numeral "34" and substitute
`therefor --32-- at the following locations:
`Page 19, line 21; and
`Page 58, line 32.
`~
`Please delete reference numeral "24" and substitute
`therefor --35-- at the following locations:
`Pag~22, lines 7, 18, and 25.
`~
`Please delete reference numeral "34" and substitute
`therefor --35-- at the following locations:
`Page 21, lines 7, 8, and 11;
`Page 22, lines 21 and 31;
`Page 23, line 31;
`Page 24, lines 3 t 5, 10, 15, 17, 19, 20, 23, 30,
`33 (two occurrences);
`Page 25, line 7 · I
`lines 7, 12, 16, 24, 25, and 27;
`Page 26 t
`Page 27 I
`lines 4, 9 I 23, 26, and 30;
`Page 28 t
`lines 2 I 5, 6, 19, and 25 (two
`occurrences);
`Page 29, lines 15, 16, 26, 27 t and 32;
`Page 30, lines 1, 12, and 20;
`Page 31, lines 4 and 15;
`Page 32, lines 7 and 10;
`Page 34, line 9. I
`Page 35, line 11;
`Page 37, line 31 (two occurrences);
`Page 38, lines 1, 2 I 5, 15, and 17;
`Page 39, lines 4, 13, and 22;
`
`-2-
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`and
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`Page 2 of 14
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`RA v. AMS
`Ex. 1027
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`\
`"hardware" and substitute
`
`"'
`
`line 32;
`Page 40,
`lines 1 and 8;
`Page 41,
`lines 27 and 29;
`Page 52,
`lines 2, 3, 12, 15, 20, and 31;
`Page 54,
`lines 11, 15, and 29;
`Page 55,
`line 3;
`Page 56,
`Page 57,
`lines 9, 13, and 15;
`lines 10, 22, and 26;
`Page 58,
`line 29;
`Page 63,
`lines 7, 18, 19, and 29;
`Page 65,
`lines 9, 11, and 16; and
`Page 67,
`Page 69,
`line 7.
`~
`Page 23, line 5, please delete
`therefor --motion control system--;
`Page 23, line 6, after "effort" please insert --by the
`hardware designer--;
`'\
`Page 24, line 33, please delete "(Component)".
`Page 31, line 20, please de~te "in this manual" and
`\
`substitute therefor --herein--; '\
`Page 44, line 21, please delete "is" and
`therefor --are--;
`Page 54, line 24, after "component", please insert
`--35--;
`"'\
`Page 67, line 17, please ~ete "Component"; ~
`Page 69, line 4, please delete "38 (CPL)" and substitute
`therefor -- (CPL) 38--;
`~
`Page 73, line 3, please delete "Component";
`Page 74, lines 3 and 30, please d~ete "Component";
`..........
`Page 75, line 19, please delete "Component"; "-
`Page 79, line 26, please de~te "34" and substitutue
`therefor --35.--; and
`"'.
`Page 82, line 28, please delete "you with".
`
`substitute
`
`\
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`Page 3 of 14
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`RA v. AMS
`Ex. 1027
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`IN THE CLAIMS:
`
`Please amend the claims as follows:
`
`(once amended) A method of moving an object in a
`1.
`desired manner, comprising the steps of:
`defining a set of motion control operations, where
`each motion control operation is either a primitive operation
`that is necessary to perform motion control and that cannot be
`simulated using other motion control operations or a non(cid:173)
`primi ti ve operation that does not meet the definition of a
`primitive operation;
`defining a core set of core driver functions, where
`each core driver function [is associated with] identifies one
`of the primitive operations;
`defining an extended set of extended driver
`functions, where each extended driver function [is associated
`with] identifies one of the non-primitive operations;
`defining a set of component functions;
`providing component code for each of the
`component functions, where the component code [associates]
`cross-references at least some of the component functions with
`at least some of the driver functions;
`developing a set of software drivers, where (i) each
`software driver [is associated with] is developed for a motion
`control device in a supported group of motion control devices
`and (ii) each software driver comprises driver code for
`implementing the motion control operations associated with at
`least some of the driver functions;
`providing an application program comprising a series
`of component functions, where the application program defines
`the motion steps necessary to move the object in the desired
`manner;
`
`-4-
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`RA v. AMS
`Ex. 1027
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`selecting one motion control device from the group
`of supported motion control devices;
`attaching the object to the selected motion control
`
`device;
`
`selecting from the set of software drivers the
`software driver [associated with] developed for the selected
`motion control device;
`generating control commands based on the component
`functions of the application program, the component code
`[associated with] of the component functions, and the driver
`code [associated with] of the selected software driver; and
`operating the selected motion control device based
`on the control commands to move the object in the desired
`manner.
`
`4.
`which:
`
`(once amended) A method as recited in claim 3, in
`
`non-supported extended driver functions are extended
`driver functions having no driver code associated therewith;
`and
`
`the step of generating control commands comprises
`the step of generating the control commands based on the
`driver code associated with a combination of the core driver
`functions to emulate the [plurality of incremental motion
`steps] motion control operations associated with at least some
`of the non-supported extended driver functions.
`
`(once amended) A method as recited in claim 4, in
`5.
`which the step of generating the control commands further
`comprises the steps of:
`developing an extended function pointer table that
`maps the non-supported extended driver functions to the
`combination of core driver functions employed to emulate the
`non-supported extended functions; and
`
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`RA v. AMS
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`generating the control commands further based on the
`contents of the [stub] extended function pointer table.
`
`""
`
`(once amended) A method as recited in claim [9] ~'
`9.
`in which certain of the destinations of control commands
`generate response data, the method further comprising the
`steps of:
`
`providing response stream code for the streams
`associated with the destinations of control commands that
`generate response data; and
`processing the response data based on the response
`stream code.
`
`(once amended) A method of moving an object in a
`10.
`desired manner, comprising the steps of:
`defining a first set of first driver functions and a
`second set of second driver functions, where each first driver
`function is [associated with] identifies an incremental motion
`step performed by motion control devices and each second
`driver function [is associated with] identifies a plurality of
`such incremental motion steps;
`providing a plurality of software drivers, where
`each software driver comprises driver code and is [associated
`with one] provided for a motion control device selected from a
`group of supported motion control devices;
`providing an application program comprising a
`sequence of program instructions;
`selecting a motion control device from the supported
`group of motion control devices;
`mounting the object on the selected motion control
`
`device;
`
`selecting the software driver [associated with]
`provided for the selected motion control device;
`
`-6-
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`Page 6 of 14
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`RA v. AMS
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`•
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`•
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`generating control commands based on the application
`program, the first and second driver functions, and the driver
`code [associated with] of the selected software driver; and
`operating the selected motion control device based
`on the control commands to move the object in the desired
`manner.
`
`13.
`which:
`
`(once amended) A method as recited in claim 12, in
`
`non-supported second driver functions are second
`driver functions having no driver code associated therewith;
`and
`
`the step of generating control commands comprises
`the step of generating the control commands based on the
`driver code associated with a combination of_the first driver
`functions to emulate the plurality of incremental motion steps
`[associated with] identified by at least some of the non(cid:173)
`supported second driver functions.
`
`(once amended) A method as recited in claim 13, in
`14.
`which the step of generating the control commands further
`comprises the steps of:
`developing an extended function pointer table that
`maps the non-supported extended driver functions to the
`combination of core driver functions employed to emulate the
`non-supported extended functions; and
`generating the control commands further based on the
`contents of the [stub] extended function pointer table.
`
`(once amended) A method of generating a sequence of
`17.
`control commands for controlling a motion control device to
`(('
`perform a given series of motion steps based on an application
`~program defining the given series of motion steps, the method
`comprising the steps of:
`
`/1
`
`-7-
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`Page 7 of 14
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`RA v. AMS
`Ex. 1027
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`defining a set of motion control operations, where
`each motion control operation is either a primitive operation
`that is necessary to perform motion control and that cannot be
`simulated using other motion control operations or a non(cid:173)
`primiti ve operation that does not meet the definition of a
`primitive operation;
`defining a core set of core driver functions, where
`each core driver function [is associated with] identifies one
`of the primitive operations;
`defining an extended set of extended driver
`functions, where each extended driver function [is associated
`with] identifies one of the non-primitive operations;
`defining a set of component functions;
`providing component code for each of the
`component functions, where the component [34] code
`[associates] cross-references at least some of the
`component [34] functions with at least some of the driver
`functions;
`developing a set of software drivers, where (i) each
`software driver is [associated with one] developed for a
`motion control device in a supported group of motion control
`devices and (ii) each software driver comprises driver code
`for implementing the motion control operations [associated
`with] identified by at least some of the driver functions;
`selecting one motion control device from the group
`of supported motion control devices;
`selecting from the set of software drivers the
`software driver [associated with] developed for the selected
`motion control device; and
`generating control commands based on the application
`program, the component [34] code, and the driver code
`[associated with] of the selected software driver.
`
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`20.
`which:
`
`(once amended) A method as recited in claim 19, in
`
`non-supported extended driver functions are extended
`driver functions having no driver code [associated therewith]
`developed therefor; and
`the step of generating control commands comprises
`the step of generating the control commands based on the
`driver code [associated with] of a combination of the core
`driver functions to emulate the plurality of incremental
`motion steps [associated with] identified by at least some of
`the non-supported extended driver functions.
`
`(once amended) A method as recited in claim 20, in
`21.
`which the step of generating the control commands further
`comprises the steps of:
`developing an extended function pointer table that
`maps the non-supported extended driver functions to the
`combination of core driver functions employed to emulate the
`non-supported extended functions; and
`generating the control commands further based on the
`contents of the [stub] extended function pointer table.
`
`25. A method as recited in claim [23] 24, in which
`certain of the destinations of control commands generate
`response data, the method further comprising the steps of:
`providing response stream code for the streams
`associated with the destinations of control commands that
`generate response data; and
`processing the response data based on the response
`stream code.
`
`/
`
`I
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`Page 9 of 14
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`RA v. AMS
`Ex. 1027
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`REMARKS
`
`•
`
`This Amendment is being submitted in response to an
`Office Action dated October 2, 1996.
`In that Action, the
`Examiner indicated that at least claims 1-9 contained
`allowable subject matter but requested that the claims be
`rewritten to overcome several rejections based on 35 USC §
`112, second paragraph.
`Claims 1, 10, and 17 have been amended above to overcome
`the §112 rejections. Where necessary, claims dependent upon
`claims 1, 10, and 17 have been amended so that the language
`thereof conforms to the language of the amended independent
`claims.
`More specifically, the Examiner objected to the use of
`the term "associated " throughout the claims and noted that
`the phrase "the plurality of incremental motion steps" used in
`claim 4 does not have proper antecedent basis. To overcome
`these rejections based on 35 USC § 112, the claims have been
`amended to delete the use of the terms "associates" or
`"associated with"; these terms has been replaced by the more
`descriptive phrases "identified by", "identifies", "provided
`for", "cross-references", or "developed for", as appropriate.
`The Applicants respectfully submit that the amendments to
`include these more descriptive terms render moot the
`rejections based on the term "associates".
`The term "the plurality of incremental steps" used in
`original claim 4 has been replaced by the term "motion control
`operations", antecedent basis for which can be found in claim
`1. This amendment should render moot the rejection based on
`lack of antecedent basis.
`Additionally, pursuant to the telephone interview
`conducted in September 24, 1996, the Examiner amended claim 1
`
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`Page 10 of 14
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`RA v. AMS
`Ex. 1027
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`to replace the phrase "one motion control device" with the
`term "a motion control device". This phrase was also used in
`claims 10 and 17, and these claims have been amended hereby to
`refer to "a" rather than "one" motion control device. These
`amendments clarify that each software driver is not provided
`or developed for only one motion control device; rather, each
`software driver is provided or developed for at least one
`motion control device.
`In some situations, a given software
`driver is developed for more than one motion control device;
`for example, this might by true in the case of a family of
`motion control devices produced by one manufacturer.
`In addition, the drawing, claims, and specification have
`been checked for editing errors and amended as set forth above
`to correct a number of such e~rors. The reasons for these
`corrections should be apparent and will not be discussed
`herein; the Examiner is invited to contact the undersigned
`attorney if the purpose of any of these corrections is not
`clear.
`It is therefore respectfully submitted currently pending
`claims 1-25 are in condition for allowance, and such allowance
`is respectfully requested. The Examiner is invited to contact
`the Applicants' undersigned attorney if doing so would help
`expedite the prosecution of the present application. The
`Applicants' undersigned attorney can normally be reached at
`the telephone number set forth below.
`
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`Page 11 of 14
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`RA v. AMS
`Ex. 1027
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`•
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`•
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`Signed at Bellingham, County of Whatcom, State of
`Washington this 2nd day of January, 1997.
`
`~espectfully submitted,
`
`BROWN ET AL.
`
`By %dJ tf. s~~__/
`Michael R. Schacht, Reg. No. 33,550
`Hughes, Multer & Schacht, P.S.
`1720 Iowa Street
`Bellingham, WA 98225
`(360) 647-1296
`
`CERTIFICATE OF MAILING C37CFR'l.8a)_
`I hereby certifytbatthispaper(alongwith any paper refened to as·being·attaclledor(cid:173)
`enclosed) is being deposited with the United States Postal Service as first class mail in
`an envelope addressed tD: Commissioner of P&ten1i and T l'lllemarlls, Washington, D.C. 20231,
`on date shown below.
`
`~~mr
`~~~==--
`
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`Page 12 of 14
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`RA v. AMS
`Ex. 1027
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`XMC Motion Control - System Interaction-Map
`
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`Dnit:r B
`
`Figm e t XMC System Interaction-Map
`
`Motion Control
`Device A
`
`Fl a.. I
`
`/{)
`
`ROY-G-BIV Corporation Confidential
`
`5/30/95
`
`Page 13 of 14
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`RA v. AMS
`Ex. 1027
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`XMC Motion Control - Motion Control Component Design Drawings
`
`:.._....... ........................ ...-.-.. -................................. ,. .. ~-·:
`~~f~
`rn
`
`Appllcstions
`
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`9
`
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`Administrator J _
`
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`
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`
`··· --·-·-----.. -----·-·-·-·---·-- ···--·-·---··-·-····-tt~~Lrti!:'r~
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`
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`
`Figure 1 Module Interaction-Map.
`
`ROY-0-SIV Corporation Confidential
`
`2
`
`5/23195
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`Page 14 of 14
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`RA v. AMS
`Ex. 1027