DETAILED ACTION
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claim(s) 1, 10-20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Gassend (US 2020/0408882).
Regarding Claim 1, Gassend discloses a method [Abstract; Fig 3-6; 0026; 0039; 0054] comprising: detecting, by a first detector via an optical component, a background signal corresponding to a surrounding environment [0126-29]; illuminating, by a first light source, a first portion of the optical component with a first light signal that is modulated according to a first modulation frequency, wherein a sensing device is configured to detect objects in the surrounding environment via the optical component [Abstract; Fig 5; 0047; 0054; 0107]; detecting, by the first detector when one or more defects are present in a body of the first portion of the optical component or on a surface of the first portion of the optical component, the first light signal [Fig 5; 0047; 0054; 0107]; and determining, by a computing device, when one or more defects are present in the body of the first portion of the optical component or on the surface of the first portion of the optical component based on the detected background signal and the detected first light signal [Fig 5; 0107; 0127], wherein determining when one or more defects are present in the body of the first portion of the optical component or on the surface of the first portion of the optical component based on the detected background signal and the detected first light signal comprises disambiguating the detected background signal from the detected first light signal based on the first modulation frequency [Fig 5; 0026; 0127-30; 0135-36].
Regarding Claim 19, Gassend discloses a system [Abstract; Fig 3-6; 0026; 0039; 0054] comprising: an optical component; a sensing device configured to detect objects in a surrounding environment via the optical component [0126-29]; a first light source configured to illuminate a first portion of the optical component with a first light signal that is modulated according to a first modulation frequency; a first detector configured to: detect, via the optical component, a background signal corresponding to the surrounding environment [Abstract; Fig 5; 0047; 0054; 0107]; and detect, when one or more defects are present in a body of the first portion of the optical component or on a surface of the first portion of the optical component, the first light signal [Fig 5; 0047; 0054; 0107]; and a computing device configured to determine when one or more defects are present in the body of the first portion of the optical component or on the surface of the first portion of the optical component based on the detected background signal and the detected first light signal [Fig 5; 0107; 0127], wherein determining when one or more defects are present in the body of the first portion of the optical component or on the surface of the first portion of the optical component based on the detected background signal and the detected first light signal comprises disambiguating the detected background signal from the detected first light signal based on the first modulation frequency [Fig 5; 0026; 0126-29; 0133-36].
Regarding Claim 20, Gassend discloses computing device[Abstract; Fig 3-6; 0026; 0039; 0054] configured to determine when one or more defects are present in a body of a first portion of an optical component or on a surface of the first portion of the optical component based on a detected background signal and a detected first light signal [Fig 5; 0107; 0127], wherein determining when one or more defects are present in the body of the first portion of the optical component or on the surface of the first portion of the optical component based on the detected background signal and the detected first light signal comprises disambiguating the detected background signal [0126-29] from the detected first light signal based on a first modulation frequency, wherein the detected background signal corresponds to a surrounding environment and was detected by a first detector via the optical component [Abstract; Fig 5; 0047; 0054; 0107], wherein a sensing device is configured to detect objects in the surrounding environment via the optical component, wherein the first portion of the optical component was illuminated by the first light signal by a first light source, wherein the first light signal was modulated according to the first modulation frequency [Fig 5; 0107; 0127], and wherein the first light signal was detected by the first detector when one or more defects were present in the body of the first portion of the optical component or on the surface of the first portion of the optical component [Fig 5; 0026; 0126-29; 0133-36].
Regarding Claim 10, Gassend also discloses illuminating the first portion of the optical component with the first light signal comprises: coupling the first light signal into the body of the first portion of the optical component; and propagating the first light signal through the body of the first portion of the optical component using total internal reflection [Fig 5; 0126-29; 0133-36].
Regarding Claim 11, Gassend also discloses wherein the first light source is positioned within a focal plane of the sensing device or the first detector is positioned at the focal plane of the sensing device [Fig 5; 0126-29; 0133-36].
Regarding Claim 12, Gassend also discloses an image sensor, and wherein the first detector is at least a portion of the image sensor [Fig 5; 0126-29; 0133-36].
Regarding Claim 13, Gassend also discloses the detected background signal corresponds to one or more background images captured using the image sensor, wherein the detected first light signal corresponds to one or more defect images captured using the image sensor, and wherein disambiguating the detected background signal from the detected first light signal based on the first modulation frequency comprises performing a background subtraction from the one or more defect images using the one or more background images [Fig 5; 0126-29; 0133-36].
Regarding Claim 14, Gassend also discloses wherein the detected background signal corresponds to one or more background images captured using the image sensor, wherein the detected first light signal corresponds to one or more defect images captured using the image sensor, wherein an image stream comprises the one or more background images and the one or more defect images, and wherein disambiguating the detected background signal from the detected first light signal based on the first modulation frequency comprises applying a low-pass filter to the image stream [Fig 5; 0126-29; 0133-36].
Regarding Claim 15, Gassend also discloses wherein the first detector is not a part of the sensing device [Fig 5; 0126-29]
Regarding Claim 16, Gassend also discloses determining a type of defect of at least one of the one or more defects by applying a machine-learned model to the disambiguated detected first light signal [Fig 5; 0107].
Regarding Claim 17, Gassend also discloses wherein the type of defect comprises: a scratch, a crack, a smudge, a deformation, an air bubble, an impurity, a degradation, a discoloration, an imperfect transparency, or a warping within the optical component; or condensation, dirt, dust, mud, leaves, rain, snow, sleet, hail, ice, or insect residue on the optical component [0026].
Regarding Claim 18, Gassend also discloses in response to determining when one or more defects are present in the body of the first portion of the optical component or on the surface of the first portion of the optical component, performing one or more remedial actions [Fig 5; 0126-29; 0133-36].
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) 2-9 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Gassend (US 2020/0408882), as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Pohlen (WO 2022067047).
Regarding Claim 2, Gassend also teaches wherein the first light signal is within a first wavelength range [0026; 0135-36], and broadly teaches wherein determining when one or more defects are present further comprises disambiguating the detected background signal from the detected first light signal based on the first wavelength range [0026; 0134-36]. Pohlen teaches determining when one or more defects are present further comprises disambiguating the detected background signal from the detected first light signal based on the first wavelength range [ Fig 6, 7; 0040-42]. It would have been obvious to modify the method of Gassend to include disambiguating a signal based on the first wavelength range as frequency of parallel lines may depend on size and or kind of defects which may need to be identified, thus improving image classification.
Regarding Claim 3, Gassend also teaches illuminating, by a second light source, a second portion of the optical component with a second light signal that is modulated according to a second modulation frequency, wherein the second modulation frequency is different from the first modulation frequency, wherein the second light signal is within a second wavelength range, and wherein the second wavelength range does not overlap with the first wavelength range; detecting, by a second light detector when one or more defects are present in a body of the second portion of the optical component or on a surface of the second portion of the optical component, the second light signal [0026; 0134-36]; and broadly teaches determining, by the computing device, when one or more defects are present in the body of the second portion of the optical component or on the surface of the second portion of the optical component based on the detected background signal and the detected second light signal, wherein determining when one or more defects are present in the body of the second portion of the optical component or on the surface of the second portion of the optical component based on the detected background signal and the detected second light signal comprises disambiguating the detected background signal from the detected second light signal based on the second modulation frequency and the second wavelength range [0026; 0134-36]. Pohlen teaches determining, by the computing device, when one or more defects are present in the body of the second portion of the optical component or on the surface of the second portion of the optical component based on the detected background signal and the detected second light signal, wherein determining when one or more defects are present in the body of the second portion of the optical component or on the surface of the second portion of the optical component based on the detected background signal and the detected second light signal comprises disambiguating the detected background signal from the detected second light signal based on the second modulation frequency and the second wavelength range [Fig 6, 7; 0040-42]. It would have been obvious to modify the method of Gassend to include disambiguating a signal based on the first or second wavelength range as frequency of parallel lines may depend on size and or kind of defects which may need to be identified, thus improving image classification.
Regarding Claim 4, Gassend also teaches wherein the first wavelength range corresponds to a first type of defect and the second wavelength range corresponds to a second type of defect [0026; 0134-36]. Pohlen additionally teaches this limitation in [Fig 6, 7; 0040-42].
Regarding Claim 5, Gassend also teaches wherein the first portion of the optical component and the second portion of the optical component at least partially overlap [0026; 0134-36]. Pohlen additionally teaches this limitation in [Fig 6, 7; 0040-42].
Regarding Claim 6, Gassend also teaches wherein the background signal corresponding to the surrounding environment does not include light within the first wavelength range [0026; 0134-36]. Pohlen additionally teaches this limitation in [Fig 6, 7; 0040-42].
Regarding Claim 7, Gassend also teaches wherein the first portion of the optical component does not occupy an entirety of the optical component [0026; 0134-36]. Pohlen additionally teaches this limitation in [Fig 6, 7; 0040-42].
Regarding Claim 8, Gassend also teaches illuminating, by a second light source, a second portion of the optical component with a second light signal that is modulated according to a second modulation frequency, wherein the second modulation frequency is different from the first modulation frequency, and wherein the second portion of the optical component does not overlap with the first portion of the optical component; detecting, by a second light detector when one or more defects are present in a body of the second portion of the optical component or on a surface of the second portion of the optical component, the second light signal [0026; 0134-36]; and broadly teaches determining, by the computing device, when one or more defects are present in the body of the second portion of the optical component or on the surface of the second portion of the optical component based on the detected background signal and the detected second light signal, wherein determining when one or more defects are present in the body of the second portion of the optical component or on the surface of the second portion of the optical component based on the detected background signal and the detected second light signal comprises disambiguating the detected background signal from the detected second light signal based on the second modulation frequency [0026; 0134-36]. Pohlen teaches determining, by the computing device, when one or more defects are present in the body of the second portion of the optical component or on the surface of the second portion of the optical component based on the detected background signal and the detected second light signal, wherein determining when one or more defects are present in the body of the second portion of the optical component or on the surface of the second portion of the optical component based on the detected background signal and the detected second light signal comprises disambiguating the detected background signal from the detected second light signal based on the second modulation frequency [Fig 6, 7; 0040-42]. It would have been obvious to modify the method of Gassend to include disambiguating a signal based on the first or second wavelength range as frequency of parallel lines may depend on size and or kind of defects which may need to be identified, thus improving image classification.
Regarding Claim 9, Gassend also teaches wherein the first portion of the optical component and the second portion of the optical component form at least part of a striped pattern or a checkerboard pattern across the optical component [0026; 0134-36]. Pohlen additionally teaches this limitation in [Fig 6, 7; 0040-42].
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JAMES R HULKA whose telephone number is (571)270-7553. The examiner can normally be reached M-R: 9am-6pm, F: 10am-2pm.
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JAMES R. HULKA
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 3645
/JAMES R HULKA/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3645