DETAILED ACTION
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
This action is in response to the claims filed 12/05/2023.
Claims 1-10 are presented for examination.
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statements (IDS) submitted on 12/05/2023 and 10/04/2024 are in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
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.
(a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claim(s) 1-4 and 6-9 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Chuang et al. in US Patent Application Publication 2023/0057196 (hereinafter “Chuang”).
Regarding claim 1, Chuang discloses a thermal image surface processing auxiliary system, applicable for a surface processing apparatus that uses a grinding tool to perform surface processing on at least one workpiece, comprising: a thermal imaging sensor 116 configured to photograph at least one of the grinding tool and the at least one workpiece to generate at least one thermal image (paragraph [0029]); a computing device 112 connected to the thermal imaging sensor and configured to obtain a temperature change of an observation area in the at least one thermal image, control the surface processing apparatus to move the grinding tool toward the at least one workpiece at a speed greater than a preset processing speed when the temperature change is not greater than a preset critical value (paragraph [0036]), and control the surface processing apparatus to move the grinding tool toward the at least one workpiece at the preset processing speed when the temperature change is greater than the preset critical value (paragraph [0036), wherein the observation area corresponds to a portion other than a contact portion of the grinding tool with the at least one workpiece (paragraph [0036]; a “tracking offset”).
Regarding claim 2, Chuang discloses the thermal image surface processing auxiliary system of claim 1, wherein the computing device is configured to obtain an image area corresponding to the contact portion in the at least one thermal image, and use an area adjacent to the image area as the observation area (paragraph [0036]; a “tracking offset”).
Regarding claim 3, Chuang discloses the thermal image surface processing auxiliary system of claim 1, wherein the computing device is further configured to obtain a plurality of thermal images from the thermal imaging sensor before obtaining the observation area, obtain temperature changes of a plurality of local areas in the plurality of thermal images, and use one of the plurality of local areas having a temperature change greater than a preset change as the observation area (this limitation is necessarily met as Chuang is directed to a continuous, iterative process).
Regarding claim 4, Chuang discloses the thermal image surface processing auxiliary system of claim 1, wherein the computing device is further configured to determine whether a moving distance of the grinding tool is greater than a first preset distance when determining that the temperature change is not greater the preset critical value, control the surface processing apparatus to move the grinding tool toward the at least one workpiece at a first preset speed when determining that the moving distance of the grinding tool is not greater than the first preset distance, and control the surface processing apparatus to move the grinding tool toward the at least one workpiece at a speed smaller than the first preset speed when determining that the moving distance of the grinding tool is greater than the first preset distance (Fig. 2; paragraph [0033]-[0036]).
Regarding claim 6, Chuang discloses a thermal imaging surface processing auxiliary method, applicable for a surface processing apparatus that uses a grinding tool to perform surface processing on at least one workpiece, comprising following steps executed by a computing device: obtaining at least one thermal image generated by a thermal imaging sensor 116 photographing at least one of the grinding tool and the at least one workpiece (see Fig. 3A and 3B); obtaining a temperature change of an observation area in the at least one thermal image (via the thermal imaging sensor 116); controlling the surface processing apparatus to move the grinding tool toward the at least one workpiece at a speed greater than a preset processing speed (such as zero velocity) when determining that the temperature change is not greater than a preset critical value (if there is no hotspot, advancing the tool toward the workpiece); and controlling the surface processing apparatus to move the grinding tool toward the at least one workpiece at the preset processing speed when determining that the temperature change is greater than the preset critical value, wherein the observation area corresponds to a portion other than a contact portion between the grinding tool and the at least one workpiece (paragraph [0036]; a “tracking offset”).
Regarding claim 7, Chuang discloses the thermal imaging surface processing auxiliary method of claim 6, wherein a step of obtaining a temperature change of an observation area in the at least one thermal image comprising: obtaining an image area corresponding to the contact portion in the at least one thermal image, and use an area adjacent to the image area as the observation area (paragraph [0036]; a “tracking offset”).
Regarding claim 8, Chuang discloses the thermal imaging surface processing auxiliary method of claim 6, further comprising following steps: obtaining a plurality of thermal images from the thermal imaging sensor before obtaining the observation area; and obtaining temperature changes of a plurality of local areas in the plurality of thermal images, and record one of the plurality of local areas having a temperature change greater than a preset change, wherein a step of obtaining a temperature change of an observation area in the at least one thermal image comprises: using the one of the plurality of local areas having a temperature change greater than the preset change as the observation area (this limitation is necessarily met as Chuang is directed to a continuous, iterative process).
Regarding claim 9, Chuang discloses the thermal imaging surface processing auxiliary method of claim 6, further comprising following steps: determining whether a moving distance of the grinding tool is greater than a first preset distance when determining that the temperature change is not greater the preset critical value (Fig. 2; paragraph [0033]-[0036]); when determining that the moving distance of the grinding tool is not greater than the first preset distance, controlling the surface processing apparatus to move the grinding tool toward the at least one workpiece at the first preset speed; and when determining that the moving distance of the grinding tool is greater than the first preset distance (such as out of a tolerance due to the grinding bit wearing down), controlling the surface processing apparatus to move the grinding tool toward the at least one workpiece at a speed smaller than the first preset speed (Fig. 2; paragraph [0033]-[0036]).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 5 and 10 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.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter.
Regarding claims 5 and 10, the art of record, either alone or in combination, is silent to each and every limitation required of the claims. Chuang, applied above, is considered the closest art of record. Chuang is silent to any equivalent computing device configured to or method of thermal imaging employing the limitations set forth in claim 5 (and equivalently claim 10), particularly the specifically set forth third preset speed and relative distances.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
CN111157119 discloses a thermal imaging monitoring device comprising controlling the thermal imaging element to detect a plurality of sub-areas in the monitoring area, and receiving the current temperature data of the sub-area detected by the thermal imaging element.
US5174068 discloses a method and a device for preventing thermal damage of workpieces due to heat developed by a grinding process. According to the method the temperature increase at the surface being ground is determined and the resulting actual value is compared to a reference value which has been established under the same grinding parameters with a grinding disk that caused thermic damage to the reference workpiece. During manufacture, the grinding process with the respective grinding disk is interrupted as soon as a temperature increase has been detected that corresponds to the respective temperature causing thermic damage. The reference value is determined such that it includes a certain safety margin.
TW202224848 discloses a grinding tool holder for adjusting the cutting amount by the metal tool by advancing and retreating a grinding tool having a tool material in the axial direction of the machine mounting portion, and a control method of the tool holder.
JP2018024040 discloses a numerical control grinding apparatus for controlling relative moving speed between a grindstone and a to-be-operated object, i.e. work-piece.
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/ELDON T BROCKMAN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3799