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 05/15/2024 and 06/28/2024 are in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
Priority
Acknowledgment is made of applicant’s claim for foreign priority under 35 U.S.C. 119 (a)-(d) which papers have been placed of record in the file.
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.
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.
Claims 1, 3-7 and 11-14 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over LIU et al. (US 2017/0224272) in view of WANG et al. ( US 2022/0155059 A1 ).
Regarding claim 1, LIU discloses three-dimensional scanning ranging device([see in Fig. 1A]- FIG. 1A, there is shown an intra-oral imaging apparatus 10 for contour imaging of one or more teeth 20 that includes an intraoral camera 18 the form of a probe), comprising an optical scanning chip([see in Fig. 3 and 9] fringe pattern generator 12), a focusing lens([see in Fig. 2]-imaging lens 22), a light receiving element and a microprocessor([see in Fig. 2]- detector 30" and computer 40), wherein: the optical scanning chip([see in Fig. 7A-7D]- scanning device with mirrors rotatable; [para 0049]- MEMS modulator 26) is used for sequentially scanning and outputting line shaped light spots of a plurality of scanning angles([see Fig. 1B and para 0047-0049]- projecting lines at each of several angular increments), and irradiating the line shaped light spots onto a to-be-measured object([para 0035]- pattern of equidistant lines of light projected onto the surface of interest); the focusing lens is used for sequentially focusing a plurality of light beams reflected from the to-be-measured object under irradiation of the line-shaped light spots([see in Fig. 1A, 2 and 3]- FIG. 1A, there is shown an intra-oral imaging apparatus 10 for contour imaging of one or more teeth 20 that includes an intraoral camera 18 the form of a probe. The camera 18 communicates, over a wired or wireless data communication channel, with a computer 40 that obtains the images from the projected fringe pattern. Computer 40 processes the images and provides output image data that can be stored as a data tile and displayed on a display 42. As shown in FIG. 1B, camera 18 includes a projector that scans an emitted pattern 54 of lines 58 or other features along the surface of tooth 20 as shown in an inset B); the light receiving element is used for sequentially receiving the plurality of light beams focused by the focusing lens so as to obtain multiple images containing a bright spot; and the microprocessor is coupled to the light receiving element and is used for receiving the multiple images containing a bright spot([para 0042]- an intra-oral imaging apparatus 10 for contour imaging of one or more teeth 20 that includes an intraoral camera 18 the form of a probe. The camera 18 communicates, over a wired or wireless data communication channel, with a computer 40 that obtains the images from the projected fringe pattern. Computer 40 processes the images and provides output image data that can be stored as a data tile and displayed on a display 42. As shown in FIG. 1B, camera 18 includes a projector that scans an emitted pattern 54 of lines 58 or other features along the surface of tooth 20 as shown in an inset B. Camera 18 then captures the image periodically during the scan in order to obtain multiple images that can be combined to show contour information about the tooth surface. The contour imaging components of the present disclosure can be incorporated in a camera that also provides standard imaging using reflectance images or fluorescence imaging. According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the scan of the emitted patterned light beam along the tooth surface is continuous, so that camera 18 is actuated at regular intervals to obtain successive images of the projected line).
LIU does not explicitly discloses analyzing, on the basis of a first relationship between the bright spot and a depth of the to-be-measured object at different scanning angles and in different pixel rows, the multiple images containing a bright spot so as to obtain a three-dimensional point cloud of the to-be-measured object.
In an analogous art, WANG discloses analyzing, on the basis of a first relationship between the bright spot and a depth of the to-be-measured object at different scanning angles([see in Fig. 5]- FIG. 5 shows a DMD used as a reflecting device. However, in other embodiments, the reflecting device may be a mechanical rotating mirror that reciprocates at a predetermined frequency for scanning projection the line-shaped light generated by the laser generator to the capture area at the predetermined frequency. Correspondingly, the measurement instrument included in the synchronization device may be an angle measurer for real-time measurement of the rotation angle of the motor of the reflecting device. The synchronizing device can then perform synchronous turn on of the pixel column imaging based on the measurement result of the angle measurer)and in different pixel rows, the multiple images containing a bright spot so as to obtain a three-dimensional point cloud of the to-be-measured object([see in Fig.3 ] in FIG. 3, the current strip is scanning to the center of the capture area. For this reason, in the image sensor 320, pixel column(s) (for example, three adjacent pixel columns) located in the central area is turned on for imaging. As the strip moves in the y direction (as shown by the arrow in the lower perspective view of FIG. 3), the pixel columns that are turned on for imaging in the image sensor 320 also move synchronously (as shown by the arrow above the matrix in the upper left block diagram of FIG. 3). As a result, the one-dimensional characteristics of the strip image can be used to control the range of the pixel column for imaging at each moment, thereby reducing the adverse effect of ambient light on the measurement result. In order to further reduce the influence of ambient light, the projection device is particularly suitable for projecting light that is not easily confused with ambient light, such as infrared light. In addition, since the corresponding relationship between the pixel column and the scanning light is affected by many factors such as the width, power, speed of the projected light, and the light-sensing efficiency of the image sensor, the range of the pixel column and the corresponding number (that is, the setting of the imaging window) can be determined based on, for example, the calibration operation. In the trigger mode of the rolling sensor, the specific exposure time of the imaging window is determined by the number of simultaneously turned on pixel columns contained in the imaging window; [fig. 1-6]- show a triangulation system)). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to provide the technique of WANG to the modified system of LIU a depth data measuring head, measurement device and measuring method to improve power consumption, large size, poor anti-interference ability, and cannot achieve pixel-level or even sub-pixel-level real-time imaging.
Regarding claim 3, LIU discloses wherein the optical scanning chip, the focusing lens and the light receiving element are located on a same plane([figures 1 A, 1B]- FIG. 1A, there is shown an intra-oral imaging apparatus 10 for contour imaging of one or more teeth 20 that includes an intraoral camera 18 the form of a probe. The camera 18 communicates, over a wired or wireless data communication channel, with a computer 40 that obtains the images from the projected fringe pattern. Computer 40 processes the images and provides output image data that can be stored as a data tile and displayed on a display 42. As shown in FIG. 1B, camera 18 includes a projector that scans an emitted pattern 54 of lines 58 or other features along the surface of tooth 20 as shown in an inset B).
Regarding claim 4, LIU discloses wherein a distance between the optical scanning chip and the light receiving element is a fixed value ([figure 2]- an intra-oral imaging apparatus 10 for obtaining surface contour information from a tooth 20 using structured light illumination. In camera 18, a fringe pattern generator 12 is energized to form the structured light as a fringe pattern illumination and project the structured light thus formed as incident light toward tooth 20 having a beam direction or optical axis A.sub.0 along an illumination path 86. The patterned light is scanned along the tooth 20 surface. Light reflected and scattered from tooth 20 is provided to a detector 30, through an imaging lens 22. Detector 30 is disposed along a detection path 88).
Regarding claim 5, LIU discloses wherein the optical scanning chip comprises any one of an optical phased array, an optical switch([0038]- a solid-state laser light emitter that includes integral optics for emitting a patterned light beam that projects a pattern of light onto a surface, rather than scanning the single, thin laser beam that is generated by the laser itself and that directs all of the emitted light in parallel along an optical axis) and a MEMS optical scanning mirror([para 0049]-MEMS).
Regarding claim 6, LIU discloses wherein the light receiving element is a charge-coupled device or a CMOS camera ([para 0065]-CMOS).
Regarding claim 7, the claim is interpreted and rejected for the same reason as set forth in claim 1. Hence; all limitations for claim 7 have been met in claim 1.
Regarding claim 11, the claim is interpreted and rejected for the same reason as set forth in claim 3.
Regarding claim 12, the claim is interpreted and rejected for the same reason as set forth in claim 4.
Regarding claim 13, the claim is interpreted and rejected for the same reason as set forth in claim 5.
Regarding claim 14, the claim is interpreted and rejected for the same reason as set forth in claim 6.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 8-10 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:
Regarding claim 8, (Original) The three-dimensional scanning ranging method according to claim 7, wherein the analyzing, on the basis of a first relationship between the bright spot and a depth of the to-be-measured object at different scanning angles and in different pixel rows, the multiple images containing a bright spot so as to obtain a three-dimensional point cloud of the to-be-measured object comprises: analyzing the multiple images containing a bright spot so as to obtain a location of the bright spot in each pixel row in each of the multiple images; acquiring, on the basis of the first relationship, depth information corresponding to the location of the bright spot in each pixel row; acquiring, according to the depth information, a point cloud corresponding to each of the scanning angles; acquiring, according to all of the point clouds corresponding respectively to all of the scanning angles, the three-dimensional point cloud of the to-be-measured object.
Citation of Pertinent Prior Art
The prior art are made of record and not relied upon but considered pertinent to applicant’s disclosure:
1. KÖRNER , US 2020/0141722 A1, discloses a method for depth-scanning strip triangulation with internal or external depth scan, particularly also for the 3D shape measurement in microscopy and mesoscopic.
2. Chen et. al., US 2004/0125381 A1, discloses a miniature three-dimensional contour scanner, which can be used in narrow space to perform non-contact measurements of the three-dimensional objects..
3. WONG et al., US 2017/0254639, discloses measurement of three-dimensional features and/or dimensions using two-dimensional image processing method(s) on a two-dimensional height displacement map.
4. Becker et al., US. US 2012/0188559 A1, discloses a device for optically scanning and measuring an environment.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MD NAZMUL HAQUE whose telephone number is (571)272-5328. The examiner can normally be reached IFW.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, David Czekaj can be reached at 5712727327. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/MD N HAQUE/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2487