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 .
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) 1-3, 5, 7-9, 12-17, 19-22, 24 and 26 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Gameros Madrigal et al. (US 2021/0060721).
Regarding claim 1, Gameros Madrigal et al. (hereinafter Gameros Madrigal) teaches a method for determining a location of an object 350 relative to a component 23a, the method comprising: providing a frame 310 [0141]; coupling a plurality of encoders 400 to the frame 310 [0250], wherein the plurality of encoders 400 is configured to generate a plurality of encoder signals [0251], wherein each encoder signal from the plurality of encoder signals is representative of a location of the object 350 relative to the respective encoder 400 [0250]; removably attaching the frame 310 to the component 23a; receiving the plurality of encoder signals from the plurality of encoders 400 [0251]; and determining a location of the object 350 relative to the component 23a based on the plurality of encoder signals [0251].
Regarding claim 2, Gameros Madrigal teaches the method of claim 1, wherein determining the location of the object 350 relative to the component 23a further comprises combining the plurality of encoder signals received from the plurality of encoders 400 [0251].
Regarding claim 3, Gameros Madrigal teaches the method of claim 1, further comprising determining coordinates of the object 350 relative to the component 23a based on the plurality of encoder signals [0208].
Regarding claim 5, Gameros Madrigal teaches the method of claim 3, further comprising providing the coordinates of the object 350 to an inspection device 150 [0210].
Regarding claim 7, Gameros Madrigal teaches the method of claim 5, wherein the object 350 comprises an inspection probe 200 configured to generate one or more probe signals [0121], and wherein the method further comprises providing the one or more probe signals to the inspection device 200 [0122].
Regarding claim 8, Gameros Madrigal teaches the method of claim 7, further comprising combining, via the inspection device 200, the coordinates of the object 350 and the one or more probe signals to generate an inspection map [0211].
Regarding claim 9, Gameros Madrigal teaches the method of claim 1,wherein the object 350 comprises a tool [0207].
Regarding claim 12, Gameros Madrigal teaches the method of claim 1,wherein the plurality of encoders comprises a plurality of distance measuring sensors [0206].
Regarding claim 13, Gameros Madrigal teaches the method of claim 1, wherein removably attaching the frame 350 to the component 23a further comprises removably coupling at least one of a clamp of the frame and a suction cup of the frame to the component 23a (a clip (as a type of clamp), [0219]).
Regarding claim 14, Gameros Madrigal teaches the method of claim 1, wherein the component 23a comprises a fan blade 23a, and wherein removably attaching the frame to the component further comprises removably attaching the frame to the fan blade [0219].
Regarding claim 15, Gameros Madrigal teaches a system for determining a location of an object relative to a component, the system comprising: a frame 310 configured to be removably attached to the component 23a [0141]; a plurality of encoders 400 coupled to the frame 310 [0250], wherein the plurality of encoders 400 is configured to generate a plurality encoder signals [0251], wherein each encoder signal from the plurality of encoder signals is representative of a location of the object 350 relative to the respective encoder 400 [0251]; and a processor 150 communicably coupled to the plurality of encoders 400 [0261]; wherein the processor 150 is configured to: receive the plurality of encoder signals from the plurality of encoders 400 [0261]; and determine a location of the object 350 relative to the component 23a based on the plurality of encoder signals [0261].
Regarding claim 16, Gameros Madrigal teaches the system of claim 15, wherein the processor 150 is further configured to combine the plurality of encoder signals to determine the location of the object 350 relative to the component 23a based on the plurality of encoder signals [0261].
Regarding claim 17, Gameros Madrigal teaches the system of claim 15, wherein the processor 150 is further configured to determine coordinates of the object 350 relative to the component 23a based on the plurality of encoder signals [0208].
Regarding claim 19, Gameros Madrigal teaches the system of claim 17, further comprising an inspection device 100 communicably coupled to the processor 150, and wherein the processor 150 is further configured to provide the coordinates to the inspection device 100 [0122].
Regarding claim 20, Gameros Madrigal teaches the system of claim 19, wherein the object 350 comprises an inspection probe 200 communicably coupled to the inspection device 100 and configured to generate one or more probe signals [0122], and wherein the inspection device 100 is configured to receive the one or more probe signals from the inspection probe 200 [0122].
Regarding claim 21, Gameros Madrigal teaches the system of claim 20, wherein the inspection device 100 is further configured to combine the coordinates of the object 23a and the one or more probe signals to generate an inspection map [0211].
Regarding claim 22, Gameros Madrigal teaches the system of claim 15, wherein the object 350 comprises a tool [0201].
Regarding claim 24, Gameros Madrigal teaches the system of claim 15, wherein the frame 350 further comprises at least one of a clamp and a suction cup, and wherein the at least one of the clamp and the suction cup is removably coupled to the component 23a to removably attach the frame 350 to the component 23a (a clip is a type of clamp [0219]).
Regarding claim 26, Gameros Madrigal teaches the system of claim 15, wherein the plurality of encoders comprises a plurality of distance measuring sensors [0206].
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 4, 6, 10-11, 18, 23, and 25 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.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Safai et al. (US2006/0043303) teaches an non-destructive inspection device.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ANDREW V DO whose telephone number is (571)270-3420. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 7:30-4:30.
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/WALTER L LINDSAY JR/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2852
/A.V.D/Examiner, Art Unit 2852