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 11/21/2023. The submission is following the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
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.
Claims 1, 4, 7, 9 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Adachi (US 2022/0173145 A1) in view of Mizuno (US 2002/0029122 A1).
Regarding claim 1, Adachi discloses an image sensor comprising: a light source (light source 3, Fig. 2) that shines white light (“white light”, [0102]) to a measurement target object (paragraph [0095], “The light source device 3 supplies illumination light for illuminating a subject from the distal end portion 24 of the endoscope 2”, and paragraph [0064], the object (measurement target object) is target object or target side inside the body); a color sensor (244, Fig. 2) that receives reflected light reflected from the measurement target object (paragraph [0069]-[0070], image sensor 244 is arranged to receive light that is reflected/collected from the internal target object) to output an R (red) component sensed value, a G (green) component sensed value, and a B (blue) component sensed value (paragraph [0111], “The image sensor 244 includes a pixel unit 2441 that outputs electrical signals from each of an R pixel, a G pixel, a B pixel, and a Cy pixel”) each with a first predetermined number of bits (“predetermined number of bits (10)”, [0217]), and a converter (the A/D converter 2444, Fig.2) that converts the R, G, and B component sensed values output from the color sensor respectively into sensed values (see Fig.2 and paragraph [0088], the signals from the pixel unit are converted to digital via the A/D converter 2444) with a second predetermined number of bits (“N bits”, [0217]) with respect to a plurality of kinds of measurement target objects (paragraph [0064], “bleeding site, a tumor site, and an abnormal site”), and the second predetermined number of bits smaller than the first predetermined number of bits (paragraph [0217], “the imaging control unit 2446 may reduce the number of bits to be converted by the A/D converter 2444 from the predetermined number of bits (10) to N”).
Adachi does not disclose respective maximum values of R, G, and B component measured values measured in advance by a color sensor as claimed. Mizuno discloses
an A/D converter (400, Fig.1 or Fig.7) modifies analog signals into digital signals (number of bits) with respective maximum values of light sensor component measured values measured in advance by a light sensor (paragraph [0039], A/D converting circuit 400 inputs a maximum voltage value Vmax output by the maximum value detecting circuit 200, and performs A/D conversion of this maximum voltage value). Thus, it would have been obvious to one ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Adachi, by utilizing the teaching of Mizuno, to optimize digital values.
Regarding claim 4 Adachi in view of Mizuno, as discussed in claim 1, do not disclose the first and second predetermined numbers as claimed. However, selecting predetermined numbers and the minimum values for providing a desired range of digital values would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art. Thus, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the proposed system of Adachi in view of Mizuno, accordingly, in order to provide a desired range of digital values.
Regarding claim 7, Adachi in view of Mizuno, as discussed in claim 1, Adachi discloses the measurement target object having a first measurement target and a second measurement target (paragraph [0064], “bleeding site, a tumor site, and an abnormal site”), and the light source (3, Fig. 2) shines the white light (“white light”, [0102]]) onto both of the first and second measurement targets (paragraphs [0064], light source emits or illuminates the bleeding site, tumor site, and the abnormal site).
Regarding claim 9, Adachi in view of Mizuno, as discussed in claim 1, Adachi discloses the measurement target object having a first measurement target (bleeding site , [0064]) and a part other than the first measurement target (abnormal site, [0064]). Adachi does not disclose the light source shining the white light onto, of the first measurement target and the part, only the first measurement target as claimed. However, selecting a specific measurement area to better focus on or improve the visibility of the area would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art. Thus, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the proposed system of Adachi in view of Mizuno, accordingly, in order to provide better visibility for the measurement parts.
Claims 2, 3 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Adachi in view of Mizuno, and further in view of Yamaguchi, (US 2005/0205814 A1).
Regarding claim 2, Adachi in view of Mizuno, as discussed in claim 1, do not disclose the maximum values, respective minimum values of R, G, and B component sensed values acquired in advance by a color sensor with respect to a plurality of kinds of measurement target objects as claimed. Yamaguchi discloses the maximum values, respective minimum values ( “maximum value and the minimum value” ,[0056-0058]) acquired in advance (“The pre-reading image signal”, and histogram , Fig.5 and [0055-0056]) by a color sensor with respect to a plurality of kinds of measurement target objects (see fig.5 , multiple conditions). Thus, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Adachi and Mizuno, by utilizing the teaching of Yamaguchi, so that “the conversion range can be more adequately allotted and at the same time, the range of the electric signal can be easily matched with the conversion range of the A/D converter” (Yamaguchi, [0032]).
Regarding claim 3 Adachi in view of Mizuno and Yamaguchi, as discussed in claim 2, do not disclose the first and second predetermined numbers as claimed. However, selecting predetermined numbers and the minimum values for providing a desired range of digital values would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art. Thus, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the proposed system of Adachi in view of Mizuno and Yamaguchi, accordingly, in order to provide a desired range of digital values.
Claims 5, 6 and 10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Adachi in view of Mizuno, in view of Tandon et al, (US 2003/0132982).
Regarding claim 5, Adachi in view of Mizuno, as discussed in claim 1, do not disclose a resistor as claimed. Tandon et al, disclose a resistor (R, Fig. 3) arranged in a path across which a current passes to the light source (LEDs, see Fig.3). Thus, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Adachi in view of Mizuno, by utilizing the teaching of Tandon et al, to provide better control the current to the light source, leading to better control the light source.
Regarding claim 6, Adachi in view of Mizuno, as discussed in claim 1, do not disclose the light source and the color sensor being mounted on the same circuit board as claimed. Tandon et al, disclose (Fig.2) the light source (D1, D3) and the color sensor (14) being mounted on the same circuit board (Fig.2 and Fig.3 and paragraph [0069]). Thus, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Adachi in view of Mizuno, by utilizing the teaching of Tandon et al, for a compact design if desired.
Regarding claim 10, Adachi in view of Mizuno, as discussed in claim 1, do not disclose the measurement target object being a sheet as claimed. Tandon et al, disclose the measurement target object being a sheet (“sheet”, [0027]). Selecting a measurement target object such as sheet is a design choice. Thus, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Adachi in view of Mizuno, by utilizing the teaching of Tandon et al, for flexibility of system design.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 8 is 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.
Regarding claim 8, the prior art fails to disclose the maximum values being values obtained with respect to combinations of a plurality of the first measurement targets with different colors with a plurality of the second measurement targets with different colors.
Conclusion
6. Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MAI THI NGOC TRAN whose telephone number is (571)272- 3456. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday: 9:00-5:30pm.
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/M.T.T./Examiner, Art Unit 2878
/GEORGIA Y EPPS/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2878