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 .
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed December 22, 2025, have been fully considered but they are not persuasive. Applicant argues that the cited references do not teach a method as claimed including “real-time measuring and controlling of an amount of the sealant in flow between said sealant exiting said dispensing tip prior to the sealant being completely deposited and its complete deposition on said part the at least one feature based on real-time processing of the visual images of the sealant being dispensed which are acquired during dispensing of the sealant to produce a seal.” There is an issue of scope with respect to this limitation and it appears that Davacens ‘046 can be interpreted broadly to disclose acquiring real time visual images and disclosing real-time measuring and controlling of an amount of the sealant in flow between said dispensing tip and its complete deposition on the at least one feature based on real-time visual processing of the visual images of the sealant being dispensed which are acquired during dispensing of the sealant to produce a seal
In any event, Bergstrom discloses acquiring real time visual images and disclosing real-time measuring and controlling of an amount of the sealant in flow between said dispensing tip and its complete deposition on the at least one feature based on real-time visual processing of the visual images of the sealant being dispensed which are acquired during dispensing of the sealant to produce a seal. See especially the citations above.
Claim Rejections—35 USC §103
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 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.
The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
Claim(s) 1-3, 49, 54 and 56 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Davancens ‘046 (US 8,651,046, of record) in view of Davancens ‘487 (US 2015/0343487, of record), Hubert (US 2004/0005411, of record) and Bergstrom (US 20160031030 A1).
As to claim 1, Davancens ‘046 teaches a real-time computer implemented method for automated sealing one or more features located in a part (see the abstract; see also col. 1, LL. 6-9, disclosing “The present disclosure relates generally to manufacturing and, in particular, to sealing structures. Still more particularly, the present disclosure relates to a method and apparatus for applying sealant to structures.”), comprising:
detecting at least one feature associated with the part to be sealed by acquiring real-time visual images of the one or more features to be sealed (col. 6, LL. 48-57); detecting at least one feature (e.g., a fastener) associated with the part (structure 306) to be sealed (Fig. 3; col. 5, LL. 19-23; col. 8, LL. 4-11);
using the resulting image information 366 to position a dispensing tip of a dispensing nozzle 434 forming part of a sealant dispensing device (sealant flow generation system 510) with respect to the part 306 and its feature prior to dispensing sealant, said dispensing device 510 being mounted (via end effector 408) to a robotic arm 406 (Fig. 3-4, 10; col. 6, LL. 48-54; col. 7, LL. 7-33, LL. 53-56); and real-time measuring and controlling of an amount of the sealant in flow between said sealant exiting said dispensing tip and its complete deposition on the at least one feature based on real-time processing of the visual images of the sealant being dispensed which are acquired during dispensing of the sealant to produce a seal (Fig. 11; col. 6, LL. 54-57; col. 8, LL. 10-11; col. 10, LL. 4-22).
See the abstract, disclosing:
A method and apparatus for applying sealant. The apparatus may comprise a sealant flow control system. The sealant flow control system may be configured to engage a nozzle of a sealant container to reduce a flow of sealant from the nozzle.
See also col. 1, LL. 6-9, disclosing
The present disclosure relates generally to manufacturing and, in particular, to sealing structures. Still more particularly, the present disclosure relates to a method and apparatus for applying sealant to structures.
See also col. 6, LL. 48-57, disclosing:
In these illustrative examples, sensor system 326 may comprise number of cameras 364. Number of cameras 364 may generate image information 366. Image information 366 may include information about sealant 304 on structure 306. Further, image information 366 may be used to position end effector 316 with respect to structure 306 to apply sealant 304 to structure 306. Additionally, sensor system 326 may be used to inspect sealant 304 on structure 306 to determine whether sealant 304 is applied in a desired manner to meet various requirements that may be present.
See also column 7, line 53 to col. 8, line 11
In this illustrative example, end effector 408 also may include sealant flow generation system 510 and sensor system 512. In this depicted example, sealant flow generation system 510 may be part of sealant unit 430 in FIG. 4. Sealant flow generation system 510 may include motor 514, plunger 516, screw 518, gear system 520, and nut 522. Motor 514 may be connected to plunger 516 through screw 518, gear system 520, and nut 522. Motor 514 may be configured to move plunger 516.
For example, without limitation, motor 514 may run and cause gear system 520 to move. Gear system 520 may include gear 524 and gear 526 in this illustrative example. Movement of gear system 520 may turn screw 518 in the direction of arrow 528. Screw 518 may be connected to plunger 516 such that movement of screw 518 may move plunger 516. Movement of plunger 516 in the direction of arrow 530 may cause sealant to flow from sealant unit 430 through nozzle 434 in FIG. 4.
In this illustrative example, sensor system 512 includes camera system 532 and camera system 534. Camera system 532 may be used for viewing the location onto which sealant is to be applied. For example, camera system 532 may be positioned to view the part, fastener, and/or seam onto which the sealant is to be applied. Camera system 534 may be used for viewing the amount of sealant applied to a location.
Davancens ‘046 does not specifically teach the details of how the image information 366 is used to position the dispensing tip with respect to the part 306 and its feature, and thus, does not disclose the limitations of “detecting… a dispensing tip of the dispensing nozzle and spatially locating the at least one feature in 3 dimensions relative to the dispensing tip” or “computing a position and orientation of the at least one feature of the one or more features relative to the dispensing tip of the dispensing nozzle forming part of a sealant dispensing device”
However, Davancens ‘487 and Hubert disclose that it is known to perform “detecting… a dispensing tip of the dispensing nozzle and spatially locating the at least one feature in 3 dimensions relative to the dispensing tip” or “computing a position and orientation of the at least one feature of the one or more features relative to the dispensing tip of the dispensing nozzle forming part of a sealant dispensing device” and thus use acquired visual images to compute a position and orientation of a feature to be sealed relative to a sealant dispensing tip of a dispensing nozzle, and to determine what position and orientation the dispensing tip needs to be positioned in with respect to the feature prior to dispensing sealant.
See Figures 1 and 2 of Davancens ‘487. See Fig. 1-2; See also the Abstract; [0060])
Abstract
One example of the present disclosure relates to a system for dispensing a substance in a form of a bead on a surface in a progression direction along a path. The system includes a dispenser having, while the substance is being dispensed: a leading edge, a contact portion including two contact points with the surface, and a trailing edge that extends between the two contact points and terminates therein. The system also includes first means for moving the dispenser along a virtual travel plane, which is parallel to the path and passes through the two contact points, while maintaining the contact portion in communication with the surface as the substance is being dispensed. The system also includes second means for monitoring a leading portion of the bead and for generating a signal responsive to at least one characteristic of the leading portion, wherein the leading portion is located ahead of a portion of the leading edge in the progression direction along the path. The system further includes third means for controlling, responsive to the signal generated by the second means, at least one of a speed of the dispenser along the path or a flow rate of the substance to the dispenser to provide a substantially uniform cross-sectional shape of the bead along the path.
…
[0060] In one aspect of the disclosure, which may include at least a portion of the subject matter of any of the preceding and/or following examples and aspects, controlling at least one of the speed of the dispenser 110 along the path 108 or the flow rate of the substance 102 to the dispenser 110 includes at least one of increasing the speed of the dispenser 110 along the path 108 or decreasing the flow rate of the substance 102 to the dispenser 110 if the shortest lengthwise distance L3 is above a predefined extent (operation 1020). Thus, different virtual planes may be defined to maintain the leading portion 128 within the predefined extent by using distances that account for the orientation (e.g., angle or rotation) and position of the dispenser 110 relative to the surface 106 and along the path 108. Because the dispenser 110 configuration, orientation, and position may be varied, including during the dispensing, one or more aspects monitor the leading portion 128 relative to different virtual planes to ensure the proper positioning of the leading portion 128 within the predefined extent to provide the substantially uniform cross-sectional shape of the bead 104 along the path 108. For example, one or more virtual planes may be defined based on the particular application, which may include the substance 102 being dispensed, the configuration of the surface 106, and the configuration of the path 108, among others.
See also Hubert (Abstract; Fig. 3; [0035-0036]), which teaches the vision system verify the position of the robotic arm which holds the sealant applying means, disclosing:
[0035] The workstation 10 can also include means for sensing the position of robotic means 14 along path means 12. For example, sensors 60a-60f can be disposed along path means 12 to detect the proximity of the robotic means 14. Alternatively, means 48 for moving robotic means 14 can include sensors for determining the position of robotic means 14. The controller 100 can receive signals emitted by the position sensors corresponding to a position of robot means 14 along path means 12 and control the robotic arm 26, sealant applying means 28, and moving means 48 in response to signals received from the position sensors.
[0036] The workstation 10 can also include a machine vision system mountable with respect to robotic means 14 for enhancing the application of sealant with respect to the spar 16. Specifically, the machine vision system can improve the accuracy of placement of sealant with respect to the spar 16 by verifying the position of the robotic arm 26 relative to the spar 16. As shown in FIG. 7, one or more cameras 62 can be disposed on the robotic arm 26d with a light source 64. The cameras 62 can emit a signal to the controller 100 as shown in FIG. 6. The controller 100 can control the robotic arm 26d to move in response to the signals received from the cameras 62. The machine vision system can also detect flaws in a spar such as cracks or apertures. The machine vision system can be VisLOC vision system operable to support up to four cameras.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the filing of the invention to heave perform the limitations of detecting… a dispensing tip of the dispensing nozzle and spatially locating the at least one feature in 3 dimensions relative to the dispensing tip and computing a position and orientation of the at least one feature of the one or more features relative to the dispensing tip of the dispensing nozzle forming part of a sealant dispensing device as suggested by Davancens ‘487 and Hubert in order to control the robotic arm to move in response to the signals and thus enable the use of the image information 366 of Davancens ‘046 to compute a position and orientation of the at least one feature of the one or more features relative to the dispensing tip, to thereby determine the position and orientation needed of the dispensing tip, and to move the robotic arm 406 to position the dispensing device 510 accordingly, in order to accurately dispense the sealant on the intended feature as desired by Davancens ‘046.
Davancens ‘046 has been interpreted as disclosing acquiring real time visual images and disclosing real-time measuring and controlling of an amount of the sealant in flow between said dispensing tip and its complete deposition on the at least one feature based on real-time visual processing of the visual images of the sealant being dispensed which are acquired during dispensing of the sealant to produce a seal.
In any event, Bergstrom discloses acquiring real time visual images and disclosing real-time measuring and controlling of an amount of the sealant in flow between said dispensing tip and its complete deposition on the at least one feature based on real-time visual processing of the visual images of the sealant being dispensed which are acquired during dispensing of the sealant to produce a seal. See paragraph 0012-0013, disclosing:
[0012] The technology disclosed is also advantageous in that it provides a relatively thorough real-time, or instantaneous, monitoring of the volume of the deposited viscous medium. More specifically, the volume applied to a certain location on the substrate may be estimated by counting the number of the jetted drops that together form the deposited volume, or by estimating the volume of individual droplets. Thus, the technology disclosed enables the volume of the deposited medium to be estimated with an accuracy of the volume of a single jetted drop without using any additional, downstream optical inspection equipment.
[0013] In the context of the present application, it is to be noted that the term “viscous medium” should be understood as solder paste, solder flux, adhesive, conductive adhesive, or any other kind of medium of fluid used for fastening components on a substrate, conductive ink, resistive paste, or the like, and that the term “jetted droplet”, or “shot” should be understood as the volume of the viscous medium that is forced through the jetting nozzle and moving towards the substrate in response to an impact of the impacting device. The jetted droplet may also include a cluster of droplets jetted due to an impact of the impacting device. It is also to be noted that the term “deposit”, or a volume of “deposited medium”, refers to a connected amount of viscous medium applied at a position on a substrate as a result of one or more jetted droplets, and that the term “substrate” should be interpreted as a printed wiring board (PWD), a printed circuit board (PCB), a substrate for ball grid arrays (BGAs), chip scale packages (CSP), quad flat packages (QFP), wafers, flip-chips, or the like.
Bergstrom discloses the benefits in paragraphs 0022-23, teaching that:
[0022] The present invention is thus advantageous in that it provides the possibility to monitor the jetting of droplets during the jetting process or jetting program such that interruptions or disturbances of the jetting process can be detected during the jetting process in real time or at least early. Thereby potential defects of the printing result may be detected prior to forwarding the substrates downstream the processing line, which may improve the production yield, reduce the rejection rate, and reduce the reworking of substrates.
[0023] The technology disclosed is also advantageous in that it provides the possibility to save additional, downstream inspection steps such as e.g. manual inspection or Automatical Optical Inspection (AOI). Reducing the number of tools of the production line, and/or the number operators may advantageously reduce production costs.
[0024] In-process detection of the jetted drops enables detection of the smallest applicated amount, i.e. the single jetted drops that form a deposit, prior to application of the viscous medium to the surface of the substrate. This enables an improved process control and an improved monitoring of the volume of the deposited viscous medium.
[0025] The technology disclosed is also advantageous in that it provides the possibility to correct printing errors by supplemental jetting of droplets of the viscous medium onto the substrate without performing a separate inspection.
Paragraph 0077 discloses:
[0077] A sensor arrangement 5 is arranged after the jetting nozzle 2, as seen in the direction of the jetted droplet 22, such that the path of the jetted droplet 22 intersects a sensor field 17 controlled by the sensor arrangement 5. Thus, the droplet 22 passing by the sensor arrangement 5 may cause a disturbance of the sensor controlled field 17 such that a presence of viscous medium may be detected.
[0078] With reference to FIG. 1b, there is depicted an ejector 1 similar to the ejector as described with reference to FIG. 1a. According to FIG. 1b, the ejector may further comprise a wall, or vacuum washer 24, arranged below, or after, the nozzle outlet 4, as seen in the jetting direction. The vacuum washer 24 is provided with a through hole, or orifice, through which the jetted droplet 22 may pass without being hindered or negatively affected by the vacuum washer 24. Consequently, the hole is concentric with the nozzle outlet 4. The vacuum washer 24 is spaced apart from the nozzle outlet 4 such that an air flow chamber 16 is formed between the vacuum washer 24 and the nozzle outlet 4, acting as a channel or guide which enables a gaseous flow towards and past the nozzle outlet 4.
[0079] FIG. 1c depicts a further ejector 1 similar to the ejectors as previously described with reference to FIG. 1a and b. As indicated in FIG. 1c, the sensor arrangement 5 may be integrated with the vacuum washer 24.
[0080] With reference to FIG. 2, a jetting nozzle 2, a piston 6, and a sensor arrangement 5 is depicted in accordance with an implementation of the technology disclosed. The jetting nozzle 2 comprises a nozzle space 3 provided with a volume of viscous medium, which, upon impact by the impacting device, is forced through the nozzle outlet 4. Thereby a jetted droplet 22 of the viscous medium is expelled from the jetting nozzle 2 and passing through an optical field 17 controlled by the sensor arrangement, comprising e.g. an optical sensor. The droplet 22 passing by the sensor arrangement 5 may cause a disturbance of the sensor controlled field 17, such that a presence of viscous medium may be detected.
[0081] A similar arrangement as described with reference to FIG. 2 is shown in FIG. 3, wherein a first and second sensor arrangement 5a, 5b is consecutively arranged in the jetting direction. The path of the jetted droplet hence intersects two sensor controlled fields 17a, 17b, such that at least two different and time separated sensor signals may be generated upon passage of the droplet 22. A substrate sensor arrangement 5c is directed towards the substrate 23 so as to enable detection of viscous medium on the substrate 23.
[0082] It will however be appreciated that the sensor arrangement 5 may comprise a plurality of sensor devices consecutively arranged in the jetting direction, which may be integrated with a vacuum washer 24 or not integrated with the same.
[0083] Turning now to FIG. 4, the vacuum washer 24 may comprise a silicon chip 21 having a suction hole 15 and a sensor device 5 arranged across the suction hole 15, wherein the sensor 5 device includes a light emitting diode (LED) 17 and an oppositely arranged photo sensor 18. The LED 17 and the photo sensor 18 are connected to electric wirings 19 for transferring electric power and sensor signals to and from the surroundings via electric contact pads 20. The vacuum washer 24 and the integrated sensor arrangement may be combined with any one of the embodiments as described with reference to FIG. 1-3.
See also all Figures, such as Figure 1a and 1b below, showing measuring and controlling of an amount of the sealant in flow between said dispensing tip and its complete deposition:
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Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the filing of the invention to have utilized acquiring real time visual images and disclosing real-time measuring and controlling of an amount of the sealant in flow between said dispensing tip and its complete deposition on the at least one feature based on real-time visual processing of the visual images of the sealant being dispensed which are acquired during dispensing of the sealant to produce a seal as taught by Bergstrom’s use of real time monitoring and sensing of the droplet path such that interruptions or disturbances of the jetting process can be detected during the jetting process in real time or at least early in order to enable an improved process control and an improved monitoring of the volume of the deposited viscous medium.
As to claim 2, Davancens ‘046 teaches that the method includes acquiring a real-time image of the produced seal, and includes assessing a quality of the produced seal by analyzing the real-time images before and after the seal is applied (Fig. 11; col. 6, LL. 54-57; col. 8, LL. 10-11; col. 10, LL. 4-22).
As to claim 3, Davancens ‘046 teaches that assessing the quality of the seal includes determining whether the seal is placed at a pre-selected location over the at least one feature (Fig. 11; col. 6, LL. 54-57; col. 10, LL. 4-22).
As to claim 49, Davancens ‘046 teaches that said one or more features may be any one or combination of fasteners and joints (col. 1, LL. 20-22; col. 2, LL. 27-32; col. 8, LL. 4-10).
As to claim 54, Davancens ‘046 does not disclose further comprising measuring an amount of sealant dispensed between the nozzle tip and the at least one feature being sealed using a meter mechanism.
However, Bergstrom discloses and makes obvious further comprising measuring an amount of sealant dispensed between the nozzle tip and the at least one feature being sealed using a meter mechanism. See paragraph 0012 and 0096 below, disclosing:
[0012] The technology disclosed is also advantageous in that it provides a relatively thorough real-time, or instantaneous, monitoring of the volume of the deposited viscous medium. More specifically, the volume applied to a certain location on the substrate may be estimated by counting the number of the jetted drops that together form the deposited volume, or by estimating the volume of individual droplets. Thus, the technology disclosed enables the volume of the deposited medium to be estimated with an accuracy of the volume of a single jetted drop without using any additional, downstream optical inspection equipment.
…
[0096] A sensor arrangement further comprising at least two sensor devices arranged in a plane perpendicular to the jetting direction. By comparing two presence values (PV) from a first and a second sensor device arranged in a plane perpendicular to the jetting direction, wherein the two presence values, the diameter of the droplet may be calculated as a droplet diameter value (DDIAV). A droplet volume value (DVOLV) may then be calculated 126 based on the droplet diameter value (DDIAV) and the droplet length value (DLV).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the filing of the invention to have utilized further comprising measuring an amount of sealant dispensed between the nozzle tip and the at least one feature being sealed using a meter mechanism as taught by Bergstrom’s use of real time monitoring and sensing of the droplet path such that interruptions or disturbances of the jetting process can be detected during the jetting process in real time or at least early in order to enable an improved process control and an improved monitoring of the volume of the deposited viscous medium.
As to claim 56, Davancens ‘046 does not disclose wherein the step of depositing remaining sealant between the feature and said dispensing tip on the feature to give complete deposition includes commanding the robotic arm to move the nozzle in a preselected pattern to deposit the remaining sealant between the feature and the dispensing tip on the already deposited sealant in a preselected fluid shape.
However, Bergstrom discloses and makes obvious wherein the step of depositing remaining sealant between the feature and said dispensing tip on the feature to give complete deposition includes commanding the robotic arm to move the nozzle in a preselected pattern to deposit the remaining sealant between the feature and the dispensing tip on the already deposited sealant in a preselected fluid shape. See especially paragraph 0087, disclosing:
[0087] A repair jetting program, in which printing errors such as e.g. missed shots and droplets having a volume below a predetermined value, may be generated similarly to the jetting program as described with reference to FIG. 6. Upon detection of printing errors, e.g. by use of the sensor arrangement referred to above, a repair jetting program may be generated by defining 603 required deposits based on the detected errors. The repair jetting program may then be compiled 604 and sent 605 to the jetting machine wherein the missing droplets, or erroneous deposits, are complemented by additional jetting. It will be realised that the pre-processing of the repair jetting program may be performed automatically, e.g. by the software program, of include some manual steps performed by an operator.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the filing of the invention to have utilized wherein the step of depositing remaining sealant between the feature and said dispensing tip on the feature to give complete deposition includes commanding the robotic arm to move the nozzle in a preselected pattern to deposit the remaining sealant between the feature and the dispensing tip on the already deposited sealant in a preselected fluid shape as taught by Bergstrom’s use of real time monitoring and sensing of the droplet path such that interruptions or disturbances of the jetting process can be detected during the jetting process in real time or at least early in order to enable an improved process control and an improved monitoring of the volume of the deposited viscous medium.
Claim(s) 4-6 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Davancens ‘046, Davancens ‘487, Hubert and Bergstrom as applied to claims 1-3, 49, 54 and 56 above, and further in view of Guirguis et al. (US 2016/0325489, of record) and Trend et al. (US 2016/0279863, of record).
As to claim 4, Davancens ‘046 does not specifically teach that assessing the quality of the produced seal includes determining whether the produced seal is of a pre-selected shape.
However, it is well known in the art that the shape of seals produced on fasteners (like those of vehicles as taught by Davancens ‘046 [col. 1, LL. 50-54]) is an important parameter of the seals’ quality. Additionally, imperfections in the shape may affect the vehicle’s performance, as evidenced by Guirguis et al. (Abstract; Fig. 1A-1C; [0027-0029]) and Trend et al. (Abstract; [0002-0004]).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the filing of the invention to perform the full limitation of assessing the quality of the produced seal includes determining whether the produced seal is of a pre-selected shape in the method of Davancens ‘046, in order to verify the quality of the produced seal because Guirguis and Trend disclose that imperfections in the shape may affect the vehicle’s performance.
As to claim 5, Davancens ‘046 does not specifically teach the shape of the produced seal. However, it is well known in the art that seals in the shape of a dome are appropriate for fasteners, e.g., to minimize disruption of fluid flowing thereover, as evidenced by Trend et al. (Fig. 9-15; [0024, 0052]), such that it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to choose a dome as the pre-selected shape of the produced seal of Davancens ‘046.
Regarding claim 6, Davancens ‘046 does not specifically teach the shape of the produced seal. However, it is well known in the art that seals in the shape of a cone are appropriate for fasteners, e.g., to minimize disruption of fluid flowing thereover, as evidenced by Guirguis et al. (Fig. 2A; [0004, 0025]; claim 9), such that it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to choose a cone as the pre-selected shape of the produced seal of Davancens ‘046.
Claim(s) 7-8 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Davancens ‘046, Davancens ‘487, Hubert and Bergstrom as applied to claims 1-3, 49, 54 and 56 above, and further in view of Tropf (US 2007/0236565, of record).
Regarding claim 7, Davancens ‘046 does not specifically teach the dimensionality of the image of the produced seal. However, it is well known in the art that both 2D and 3D images of seals produced by such methods are useful in assessing the quality of the seal, as evidenced by Tropf (Abstract; [0006, 0031, 0048]) , such that it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to acquire and analyze a 2D image of the produced seal of Davancens ‘046 in order to assess a quality thereof.
Regarding claim 8, Davancens ‘046 does not specifically teach the dimensionality of the image of the produced seal. However, it is well known in the art that both 2D and 3D images of seals produced by such methods are useful in assessing the quality of the seal, as evidenced by Tropf (Abstract; [0006, 0031, 0048]) , such that it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to acquire and analyze a 3D image of the produced seal of Davancens ‘046 in order to assess a quality thereof.
Claim(s) 9 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Davancens ‘046, Davancens ‘487, Hubert, and Bergstrom as applied to claims 1-3, 49, 54 and 56 above, and further in view of Schucker (US 2004/0011284, of record).
Regarding claim 9, Davancens ‘046 does not specifically teach that the step of computing a position and orientation further includes a calibration step. However, it is known in the art of such automated adhesive and sealant application methods that a calibration step improves the accuracy of determining the position and orientation of the target features, as evidenced by Schucker (Abstract; [0004-0005, 0010, 0027]; claim 9). Thus, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to include a calibration step as claimed in the method of Davancens ‘046, in order to more accurately dispense the sealant.
Claim(s) 51-53 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Davancens ‘046, Davancens ‘487, Hubert and Bergstrom as applied to claims 1-3 and 49 above, and further in view of Trend et al. and Pajel et al. (US 2015/0108685, of record).
Regarding claim 51, Davancens ‘046 teaches that said one or more features may be fasteners (col. 1, LL. 20-22; col. 2, LL. 27-32; col. 8, LL. 4-10), and teaches that, once a full amount of sealant has been applied, the sealant dispensing device 510 is commanded to stop dispensing sealant (Fig. 11; col. 2, LL. 35-51; col. 6, LL. 54-57; col. 10, LL. 4-22). Further, it is well known in the art that seals in the shape of a dome are appropriate for fasteners, e.g., to minimize disruption of fluid flowing thereover, and to ensure that said dome-shaped seals have the proper size and shape to encapsulate the fastener and provide advantageous flow characteristics without excessive use of sealant, as evidenced by Trend et al. (Fig. 9-15; [0024, 0052-0057]) and Pajel et al. (Abstract; Fig. 4; [0069-0070, 0145, 0158, 0179, 0181-0182, 0197]). Thus, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to configure the sealant deposited on each fastener of Davancens ‘046 as a dome-shaped sealant blob, and to compute an average diameter and/or radius of this blob based on the real-time images, such that the command to stop dispensing sealant taught by Davancens ‘046 is based on reaching a predefined threshold thereof, in order to dispense the correct amount of sealant as desired by Davancens ‘046 and to produce a seal with appropriate characteristics as taught by Trend et al. and Pajel et al.
Regarding claim 52, Davancens ‘046 teaches that the vision processor is configured to ensure that a desired amount of sealant has been applied in the correct location over the fastener (Fig. 11; col. 2, LL. 35-51; col. 6, LL. 48-57; col. 10, LL. 4-22), while Trend et al. (Fig. 9-15; [0024, 0052-0057]) and Pajel et al. (Abstract; Fig. 4; [0069-0070, 0145, 0158, 0179, 0181-0182, 0197]) teach ensuring that the applied seals are dome-shaped with the proper size and shape to encapsulate the fastener and provide advantageous flow characteristics without excessive use of sealant. In particular, Trend et al. teach ensuring that the seals are smooth and circular in contour in order to minimize turbulence over the seal ([0003-0004, 0030, 0056-0057]). Thus, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to program the vision processor of Davancens ‘046 to compute a maximum and minimum radius of the dome-shaped sealant blob from the fastener center, smoothness of contour and circularity of contour for tail detection for the purpose of seal inspection, in order to ensure that the sealant is accurately centered on the fastener and dispensed in the correct amount as desired by Davancens ‘046, and to produce a seal with appropriate characteristics as taught by Trend et al. and Pajel et al.
Regarding claim 53, Davancens ‘046 teaches that the vision processor is configured to ensure that the sealant has been applied in the correct location over the fastener (Fig. 11; col. 2, LL. 35-51; col. 6, LL. 48-57; col. 10, LL. 4-22), such that it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to compute an offset between a center of each fastener and a center of the deposited dome-shaped sealant blob from images of said uncovered and said sealed fastener captured from the same vantage point, in order to determine quality of the seal by the metric of the seal’s correct location as desired by Davancens ‘046.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 55 is 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: As to claim 55, the prior art of record does not disclose or make obvious the additional limitation of “step of spatially locating the at least one feature in 3 dimensions includes determining a depth from the nozzle to the feature using a laser rangefinder and combining rangefinder data with the real-time images to give the at least one feature's location in 3 dimensions.” in combination with the other limitations of claim 1.
Conclusion
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
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/GEORGE R KOCH/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1745
GRK