CTNF 18/155,001 CTNF 87342 DETAILED ACTION This Office Action is a first Office Action on the merits of the application. Claims 1 - 7, 16, 23 - 28, 31, and 41 - 45 are presented for examination. Claims 4, 5, 7, 16, and 23 - 28 are rejected. Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status 07-03-aia AIA 15-10-aia 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 § 101 07-04-01 AIA 07-04 35 U.S.C. 101 reads as follows: Whoever invents or discovers any new and useful process, machine, manufacture, or composition of matter, or any new and useful improvement thereof, may obtain a patent therefor, subject to the conditions and requirements of this title. Claims 23 - 28 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 101 because the claimed invention is directed to non-statutory subject matter. As per claims 23 - 28, they are being rejected in view of the OG Notice on Subject Matter Eligibility of Computer Readable Media posted on USPTO’s website on 01/28/2010, and in reference to 2106.03 II of the MPEP. It is being reproduced partially below to maintain a clear record: “The broadest reasonable interpretation of a claim drawn to a computer-readable media (also called machine readable medium and other such variations, in this case it is a non-transitory computer-readable storage media) typically covers forms of non-transitory tangible media and transitory propagating signals per se in view of the ordinary and customary meaning of computer readable media, particularly when the specification is silent. The specification does not appear to provide a definition of the computer readable media that would limit the media as being non-transitory only, and leaves the definition open to also cover other types of propagating signals or data carrier waves. While paragraph [00117] recites “ As used herein, the terms non-transitory computer readable medium, non-transitory computer readable storage medium, non-transitory machine readable medium, and non-transitory machine-readable storage medium are expressly defined to include any type of computer readable storage device and/or storage disk and to exclude propagating signals and to exclude transmission media ”, paragraph [00113] recites “ Similarly, the non-transitory computer readable storage media may include one or more mediums located in one or more hardware devices ”. While the [00117] definition appears to exclude medium that would define the non-transitory computer readable storage media to be a 101 issue, paragraph [00113] appears to still provide language that leaves the definition open, and does not limit the media. Based on the language, the specification does not limit the media as being non-transitory only, and leaves the definition open that it can also cover other types of propagating signals or data carrier waves. See MPEP 2111.01. When the broadest reasonable interpretation of a claim covers a signal per se , the claim must be rejected under 35 U.S.C. §101 as covering non-statutory subject matter. {[]} Suggested Language : It is recommended to amend the specification to remove language that leaves the definition of non-transitory computer readable storage media to be open, instead of a limiting definition. Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112 07-30-02 AIA The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b): (b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention. The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA), second paragraph: The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention. 07-34-01 Claims 4, 5, 7, and 24 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention. Claims 4 and 5 lack antecedent basis for “based on the comparisons” (Claim 4, line 3; claim 5, line 3). Suggested language : Amend the claims to recite “based on comparisons”. Claim 7 lacks antecedent basis for “the same” (Claim 7, lines 6 - 7 and 9 - 10). Suggested language : Amend the language to recite “are identical”, for instance “the first number of hole plugs and the second number of hole plugs are identical” and “…second number of hole plugs being identical”. Claim 24 lacks antecedent basis for “the same” (Claim 24, lines 10 and 13). Suggested language : Amend the claim to recite “Identical”, for instance “the first hole plugs and the color of the respective ones of the second hole plugs are identical” and “…respective ones of the second hole plugs being identical”. Allowable Subject Matter 13-03-01 The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter under 35 U.S.C. 103: Claims 1, 16, and 31: The prior art of Xu et al (“Automatic X-Ray Crack Inspection for Aircraft Wing Fastener Holes”) discloses a system with learning capability, using X-Ray images or 2D scanning, learning of fastener holes and patterns, Teixeira Vivaldini et al. (“An Intelligent Hexapod Robot for Inspection of Airframe Components Oriented by Deep Learning Technique”) discloses using deep learning to classify features in images, including components and assembly features in the form of holes regarding aircraft components, Johnson et al. (“An Approach to Human-Robot Collaborative Drilling and Fastening in Aerospace Final Assembly”) discloses imaging capture and classification of fastener holes by a user and by supervised learning, an adjusted feature matching of images for a component, and Thakkar et al. (U.S. PG Pub 2022/0051198 A1) adds using OCR on aircraft components. However, none of the references cited , including the prior art of Xu , Teixeira Vivaldini , Johnson and Thakkar , taken either alone or in combination with the prior art of record discloses for claim 1: An apparatus, for claim 16: a non-transitory computer readable storage medium, and for claim 31: a method for determining hole plug matching for aircraft components, including the step of using the hole plugs from an image of the aircraft component obtained and the hole plugs in a reference model of the aircraft component to determine the differences in the hole plugs identified in both , in combination with the remaining elements and features of the claimed invention. It is for these reasons that the applicants’ invention defines over the prior art of record . Dependent claims 2 - 7, 23 - 28 , and 41 - 45 are allowable under 35 U.S.C. 103 for depending from claims 1, 16 , and 31 allowable base claims under 35 U.S.C. 103 . Conclusion Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to CEDRIC D JOHNSON whose telephone number is (571)270-7089. The examiner can normally be reached M-Th 4:30am - 2:00pm, F 4:30am - 11:30am. Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice. If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Renee Chavez can be reached at 571-270-1104. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300. Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000. /Cedric Johnson/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2186 May 31, 2026 Application/Control Number: 18/155,001 Page 2 Art Unit: 2186 Application/Control Number: 18/155,001 Page 3 Art Unit: 2186 Application/Control Number: 18/155,001 Page 4 Art Unit: 2186
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