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 Amendment
Applicant’s amendment filed October 9th 2025 has been entered and made of record. Claims 1-8 are amended. No new claims are added. Claims 1-8 are pending.
Applicant’s remarks in view of the newly presented amendments have been considered but are not found to be persuasive for at least the following reasons:
Applicant argues that Hagestedt does not disclose the newly amended claim step of:
extract, from a group of still images forming the moving image data, a monitoring target image with reference to a position of the slide and a movement direction of the slide in the image or a state of the material to be processed in the image detected from the still image;
Applicant argues on page 3 of the remarks:
“Thus, in Hagestedt, the captured image is selected when the press is determined to be in a defined operating condition based on those control or sensor signals, not from analysis of image data itself.
In contrast, the processor of the present application extracts a monitoring target image with reference to a position and a movement direction of the slide or a state of the material detected from the image itself, without relying on control signals or sensor signals.”
Examiner disagrees and points out that there is no defined or implied specific image condition determination and/or processing in the discussed claim step.
As broadly recited Hagestedt is considered to read on the claim language.
Hagestedt discloses extract, from a group of still images forming the moving image data, a monitoring target image with reference to a position of the slide and a movement direction of the slide in the image (paragraph [0108], at least on captured image B of camera 21 is selected that can be assigned to the defined operating condition. The operating condition is assigned to a condition in the process and also to a position and movement direction of the slide (press ram 16 in Figs. 1 and 3-5, which is considered comparable to Applicant’s slide 17, in Fig. 1), as discussed in paragraphs [0106]-[0108]. The operating conditions are used to obtain the image of the monitoring target with reference to a position of the slide indicating the step of the process being imaged and the motion/position of the slide/press during the specific step) or a state of the material to be processed in the image detected from the still image (paragraphs [0106]-[0109], Hagestedt also discloses determining a state of the material to be processed. The state of the material to be processed is interpreted as the presence or absence of the workpiece as well as the condition of the workpiece such as “For example, foreign bodies erroneously positioned workpieces, workpieces that comprise errors like cracks, for example, missing line connections, leakages, damages on a tool part 14, 15 or the like can be identified due to the comparison.” From paragraph [0109]. See also paragraphs [0082]-[0104]).
The rejection in view of Hagestedt is therefore maintained and accordingly made FINAL.
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)(1) the claimed invention was patented, described in a printed publication, or in public use, on sale, or otherwise available to the public before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claims 1-8 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a) as being anticipated by USPN 2022/0176667 to Hagestedt et al.
With regard to claim 1, Hagestedt discloses a press machine (Fig. 1, 11) configured to convert rotation of a motor into reciprocating linear motion of a slide (Fig. 1, press ram 16) and to press a material (Fig. 1, workpiece 12) to be processed (paragraphs [0007] and [0071]), the method comprising:
a storage configured to store moving image data captured by an imaging unit (Fig. 1, sensor 20, camera 21) disposed at a position configured to allow the imaging unit to capture an image of a press die area (paragraph [0075], "The camera 21 is configured to record the working area 19 and particularly the first tool part 14 and the second tool part 15 at least partly at its sections facing one another. The camera 21 is configured to capture at least one captured image 8. The camera 27 is communicatively connected with an evaluation unit 24 such that the at least one captured image 8 can be submitted to the evaluation unit 24."); and
a processor (Fig. 1, evaluation unit 24 in control device 18) configured to:
extract, from a group of still images forming the moving image data, a monitoring target image with reference to a position of the slide and a movement direction of the slide in the image (paragraph [0108], at least on captured image B of camera 21 is selected that can be assigned to the defined operating condition. The operating condition is assigned to a condition in the process and also to a position and movement direction of the slide (press ram 16 in Figs. 1 and 3-5, which is considered comparable to Applicant’s slide 17, in Fig. 1), as discussed in paragraphs [0106]-[0108]. The operating conditions are used to obtain the image of the monitoring target with reference to a position of the slide indicating the step of the process being imaged and the motion/position of the slide/press during the specific step) or a state of the material to be processed in the image detected from the still image (paragraphs [0106]-[0109], Hagestedt also discloses determining a state of the material to be processed. The state of the material to be processed is interpreted as the presence or absence of the workpiece as well as the condition of the workpiece such as “For example, foreign bodies erroneously positioned workpieces, workpieces that comprise errors like cracks, for example, missing line connections, leakages, damages on a tool part 14, 15 or the like can be identified due to the comparison.” From paragraph [0109]. See also paragraphs [0082]-[0104]); and
perform image monitoring based on the monitoring target image and to output a monitoring result (paragraph [0109], “… at least one reference image R is selected from a memory or a data base that is assigned io the actually defined operating condition. The at least one captured image B and the at least one reference image R are compared with one another and it is checked based on the comparison whether a disturbance of the operation of the forming and/or separating device 10 or press 11 exists"; see also paragraph [0110], "…an indicator value 1 is calculated based on the comparison that characterizes the deviation between the al least one captured image B and the at least one reference image R…").
With regard to claim 2, Hagestedt discloses the press machine according to claim 1, wherein the processor extracts, from the group of still images, the still images having the same position of the slide, as the monitoring target image (paragraphs [0007], [0024]-[0043] and [0108], namely in “… at least one captured image B of camera 21 is selected that can be assigned to the defined operating condition…”).
With regard to claim 3, Hagestedt discloses the press machine according to claim 1, wherein the processor extracts, from the group of still images, the still image at a timing when the material to be processed is stationary as the monitoring target image (paragraphs [0007] , [0024]-[0043], and [0108], namely in “… at least one captured image B of camera 21 is selected that can be assigned to the defined operating condition…”)
With regard to claim 4, Hagestedt discloses the press machine according to claim 1, wherein the processor sets a monitoring target area corresponding to an area in which the material to be processed is processed in the monitoring target image, and performs the image monitoring on the monitoring target area (paragraph [0113], namely in "in a preferred embodiment of the method the captured image B is subdivided in a multiplicity of image area B1 to Bn… Each image area B1, to Bn is compared with an assigned reference image R1 to Rn and thereby one indicator value I1, to In, is calculated in each case…”).
With regard to claim 5, Hagestedt discloses the press machine according to claim 4, wherein the processor sets the monitoring target area by comparing the monitoring target image extracted from the group of still images of the moving image data captured in a state where the material to be processed is present with the monitoring target image extracted from the group of still images of the moving image data captured in a state where the material to be processed is not present (paragraph [0113], namely in "in a preferred embodiment of the method the captured image B is subdivided in a multiplicity of image area B1 to Bn… Each image area B1, to Bn is compared with an assigned reference image R1 to Rn and thereby one indicator value I1, to In, is calculated in each case…”).
With regard to claim 6, Hagestedt discloses the press machine according to claim 1, wherein the processor outputs, by using a learning model generated by performing machine learning on the monitoring target image acquired in advance at the time of normal operation, a degree of similarity, as the monitoring result, between the monitoring target image acquired at the time of monitoring and the monitoring target image on which the machine learning is performed to generate the learning model (paragraph [0065], “...machine learning can be used In the context of the comparison of the images in addition or alternatively to image processing algorithms.", see also paragraphs [0108], [0110] and [0119]).
With regard to claim 7, Hagestedt discloses the press machine according to claim 1, wherein the processor outputs, by using each learning model generated by performing machine learning on each of the still images of frames before and after the monitoring target image acquired in advance at the time of normal operation, a degree of similarity, as the monitoring result, between each of the still images of the frames before and after the monitoring target image, the still images being acquired at the time of monitoring, and each of the still images on which the machine learning is performed to generate each learning model (paragraph [0065], “...machine learning can be used In the context of the comparison of the images in addition or alternatively to image processing algorithms.", see also paragraphs [0108], [0110] and [0119]).
With regard to claim 8, the discussion of claim 1 applies.
FINAL REJECTION
Applicant’s amendment necessitated the grounds of rejection presented in the 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 37CFR 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 extension fee 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 date of this final action.
Contact Information
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to WESLEY J TUCKER whose telephone number is (571)272-7427. The examiner can normally be reached 9AM-5PM Monday-Friday.
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/WESLEY J TUCKER/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2661