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 .
Continued Examination Under 37 CFR 1.114
A request for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, including the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e), was filed in this application after final rejection. Since this application is eligible for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114. Applicant's submission filed on 06/03/2026 has been entered.
Response to Amendment
Claim 1 has been amended. Claims 1-5 and 9 are pending while claims 6, 8, 10-28 have been withdrawn.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments, see pages 8 - 11, filed 06/03/2026, with respect to the rejection(s) of claim(s) 1-5 and 9 under U.S.C 103 have been fully considered and are persuasive. Therefore, the rejection has been withdrawn. However, upon further consideration, a new ground(s) of rejection is made in view of Subhash (WO 2021262528 A1) in view of Ummalaneni (Pub 20190167366) in view of Graetzel (WO 2022112969 A1). Examiner notes that Gratzel was used in a previous combination of references and is now used with a different combination of reference which fall in the same field of endeavor. Gratzel is at least combinable with Ummalaneni for maintaining image data with a frame of reference selected by a user such as disclosed by Ummalaneni, see rejection below.
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.
Claim(s) 1-4 and 9 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Subhash (WO 2021262528 A1) in view of Ummalaneni (Pub 20190167366) in view of Graetzel (WO 2022112969 A1).
Regarding claim 1, Subhash discloses dental vision system, comprising:
an intraoral camera component positionable within an oral cavity of a patient and
movable manually by a user to obtain patient image data from various viewpoints within the oral cavity, (see image sensor 169 Fig 4 and Para. [0074] and [0081]);
the intraoral camera component having at least two camera modules, (see image sensor 169 Fig 4 and optical sensor 171 Fig 4 which may comprise an image sensor Para. [0081])
and an inertial accelerometer configured to collect position and movement data relating to the intraoral camera component, (see accelerometer 191 Fig 4 and Para. [0070]);
and a camera controller linked to the intraoral camera component, wherein the camera controller receives the patient image data and the position and movement data relating to the intraoral camera component and is configured to determine a selected viewing orientation for the patient image data based at least in part on the position and movement data, (see programmable processor 165 Fig 4 that receives sensor data and generates images/video 223 Fig 4. The generated images are aligned with the device coordinate system comprising the image sensor/inertial sensor, Para. [0086]).
However, wherein the selected viewing orientation comprises a user-selected principal direction within a three-dimensional coordinate system associated with the oral cavity is not disclosed.
In a similar field of endeavor, Ummalaneni discloses wherein the selected viewing orientation comprises a user-selected principal direction within a three-dimensional coordinate system associated with the oral cavity, (Note determining rotation and/or translation motion of camera Para. [0097]. Also note transforming visual frame of reference and/or control frame of reference based on medical instrument tip frame of reference to a desired frame of reference, Para. [0122]. The frame of reference is adjusted by rotating the visual frame of reference with respect to a longitudinal axis of the medical instrument based on user input Para. [0128]). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to modify the Subhash by Ummalaneni for the benefit of generating an intuitive display of captured images that is aligned with an operator of a medical instrument.
The combination does not disclose wherein the camera controller is configured to automatically rotate the patient image data in substantially continuous incremental angular rotations to maintain alignment of the patient image data with the selected viewing orientation as the intraoral camera component is translated and/or rotated.
In a similar field of endeavor, Graetzel discloses wherein the camera controller is configured to automatically rotate the patient image data in substantially continuous incremental angular rotations to maintain alignment of the patient image data with the selected viewing orientation as the intraoral camera component is translated and/or rotated, (Note user interface for displaying rotated image data as an imaging device is rolled, Para. [0122]. A correlation is established between the imaging device and the user interface that maintains the image data according to a frame of reference such as “the user’s view”, Para. [0123]. It is further disclosed that the image data can be rotated incrementally and continuously to maintain the image with respect to the frame of reference, Para. [0133-0134]). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to modify the combination by Graetzel for the benefit of preventing viewer disorientation when the imaging device moves thereby allowing a viewer/operator to focus on captured images.
Regarding claim 2, Subhash discloses wherein the camera controller is programmed to apply an angular rotation to the patient image data such that each patient image is substantially aligned with the selected viewing orientation, (transforming sensor data to be expressed as enhanced image data Para. [00014]. Note the sensor data comprise motion and orientation data).
Regarding claim 3, Subhash discloses wherein the selected viewing orientation comprises a gravitational up orientation, (see magnetometer in Para. [0070][0071] which can be used to generate motion/orientation data to be processed by programmable processor 165 Fig 4 to generate image/video data 223 Fig 4).
Regarding claim 4, Subhash discloses wherein the selected viewing orientation is determined with reference to a magnetic compass, (see magnetometer Para. [0070-0071]).
Regarding claim 9, Subhash discloses wherein the at least two camera modules are mounted to a common plane, (note image sensor 171 and optical sensor 171 which may function as an image sensor, Para. [0081] are substantially mounted on a same plane Fig 3/Fig 4 to generate 3D image data).
Claim(s) 5 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Subhash (WO 2021262528 a1) in view of Ummalaneni (Pub 20190167366) in view of Graetzel (WO 2022112969 A1) in view of Pereira Penha (WO 2024/127303 A1).
Regarding claim 5, the combination discloses claim 1. However, wherein the selected viewing orientation is determined with reference to an absolute three-dimensional coordinate system is not disclosed.
In a similar field of endeavor, Pereira Penha discloses wherein the selected viewing orientation is determined with reference to an absolute three-dimensional coordinate system., (see para [00112]] note absolute coordinate for tooth representation where tooth movements comprising tooth positions and orientations are used to generate 3D representations of teeth). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention was filed to modify the combination by Pereira Penha for the common purpose of generating different perspectives of oral cavity which is reference to a common coordinate system thereby simplifying data preprocessing and improving processing related to captured images.
Conclusion
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HUMAM M. SATTI
Examiner
Art Unit 2422
/JOHN W MILLER/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2422
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