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 .
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.
Claim(s) 1 - 16 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Sang et al (US 2022/0220039).
With regards to claim 1, Sang teaches a method of forming a gypsum panel (Abstract) comprising:
Forming a porous slurry layer on a receiving surface using a plurality of operating parameters (paragraph 135) , where forming the porous slurry layer includes:
Combining stucco and water in a mixer, adding foam to the stucco and water, stirring the stucco, water and foam in the mixer to form a slurry, and distributing the slurry over the receiving surface (paragraphs 87, 88, 94 and 135)
Allowing the porous slurry layer to set to form a gypsum core of a gypsum panel (paragraphs 103 and 104)
Forming a cut surface that extends across the gypsum core (paragraphs 136 and 137)
Capturing an image of a region of the cut surface (paragraphs 47 and 136)
Analyzing the image to identify bubbles having a diameter of at least 50 microns intersecting the cut surface (paragraphs 47, 136 and 137)
Determining, form the identified bubbles, a set of contacting bubbles each of which is in contact with at least one other bubble (paragraphs 137 and 140)
Determining, based on the set of contacting bubbles, a measure of bubble contact in the gypsum core based on the identified bubbles in the image (paragraphs 136 – 138)
And based on the measure of bubble contact, modifying a first operating parameter of the plurality of operating parameters for forming the porous slurry layer on the receiving surface (paragraphs 140 and 141)
With regards to claim 2, the teachings of Sang are presented above. Additionally, Sang teaches that the first operating parameter is the weight percent of at least one of water, stucco or foam added to the slurry (paragraphs 46, 100 and 101).
With regards to claim 3, the teachings of Sang are presented above. Additionally, Sang teaches that the first operating parameter includes the density of the foam or a median bubble size of the foam (paragraphs 46, 100 and 101).
With regards to claim 4, the teachings of Sang are presented above. Additionally, Sang teaches that the first operating parameter is a type of surfactant in the foam or a weight percent of surfactant in the foam (paragraphs 46, 100 and 101).
With regards to claim 5, the teachings of Sang are presented above. Additionally, Sang teaches that the foam is injected into the mixer at a foam injection pressure and where the first operating parameter is the foam injection pressure (paragraph 94).
With regards to claim 6, the teachings of Sang are presented above. Additionally, Sang teaches that the foam is injected into the mixer through a nozzle and where the first operating parameter is a shape of the nozzle (paragraph 94).
With regards to claim 7, the tea chings of Sang are presented above. Additionally, Sang teaches that the first operating parameter is a rotational speed of the mixer (paragraph 94).
With regards to claim 8, the teachings of Sang are presented above. Additionally, Sang teaches that the first operating parameter is a weight percent or composition of a first additive added to the slurry (paragraphs 100 and 101).
With regards to claim 9, the teachings of Sang area presented above. Additionally, Sang teaches a computer implemented method of analyzing a gypsum core (paragraphs 47 and 136) comprising receiving an image of a region of a cut surface of the gypsum core (paragraphs 47 and 136); identifying bubbles having a diameter of at least 50 micron in a portion of the image (paragraphs 47 and 136); identifying a set of contacting bubbles each of which is in contact with at least one other bubble (paragraphs 47 and 136) and determining, based on the set of bubbles, a measure of bubble contact in the gypsum core (paragraphs 136 – 138).
With regards to claim 10, the teachings of Sang are presented above. Additionally, Sang teaches that the measure of bubble contact is a ratio of a geometric area of the set of contacting bubbles and a geometric area of the identified bubbles (Figure 1).
With regards to claim 11, the teachings of Sang are presented above. Additionally, Sang teaches that the measure of bubble contact is a ratio of a geometric area of the set of contacting bubbles and a geometric area of the portion of the image (Figure 1).
With regards to claim 12, the teachings of Sang are presented above. Additionally, Sang teaches that the measure of bubble contact is a ratio of the number of bubbles in the set of contacting bubbles and the number of bubbles identified in the portion of the image (Figure 1).
With regards to claim 13, the teachings of Sang are presented above. Additionally, Sang teaches that the method further comprises determining, based on the measure of bubble contact, a proposed operating parameter modification (paragraph 140 and 141).
With regards to claims 14 – 16, the teachings of Sang are presented above. Additionally, Sang teaches using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) to perform the analysis (paragraphs 47 and 136), which would require a non-transitory computer-readable medium, a computing device and a gypsum core analysis tool comprises a camera configured to capture an image of a region of a cut surface of a gypsum core.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JOSHEL RIVERA whose telephone number is (571)270-7655. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 12pm - 8pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Michael Orlando can be reached at (571) 270-5038. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/JOSHEL RIVERA/Examiner, Art Unit 1746
/MICHAEL N ORLANDO/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 1746