Prosecution Insights
Last updated: April 19, 2026
Application No. 18/537,710

NON-CONTACT OPTIC PROBE FOR ENHANCING MEASUREMENT OF BACK DRILLING PROFILE DEPTH

Non-Final OA §103
Filed
Dec 12, 2023
Examiner
TON, TRI T
Art Unit
2877
Tech Center
2800 — Semiconductors & Electrical Systems
Assignee
Cin Phown Technology Co. Ltd.
OA Round
1 (Non-Final)
86%
Grant Probability
Favorable
1-2
OA Rounds
2y 3m
To Grant
97%
With Interview

Examiner Intelligence

Grants 86% — above average
86%
Career Allow Rate
1011 granted / 1169 resolved
+18.5% vs TC avg
Moderate +11% lift
Without
With
+10.8%
Interview Lift
resolved cases with interview
Typical timeline
2y 3m
Avg Prosecution
47 currently pending
Career history
1216
Total Applications
across all art units

Statute-Specific Performance

§101
3.9%
-36.1% vs TC avg
§103
50.4%
+10.4% vs TC avg
§102
21.7%
-18.3% vs TC avg
§112
17.0%
-23.0% vs TC avg
Black line = Tech Center average estimate • Based on career data from 1169 resolved cases

Office Action

§103
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 . DETAILED ACTION Election/Restrictions 1. Applicant’s election of Specie 1, Claims 1-6 in the reply filed on 10/28/25 is acknowledged. Claims 7-10 have been withdrawn acknowledged. Drawings 2. The drawings filed on 12/12/23. These drawings are objected some elements in the specification are not described clearly in drawings. For example, the specification discloses the second reflection point 212. However, there is no second reflection point 212 in the drawings. For the purpose of examination, the claims are interpreted in view of the objections/rejections indicated above as follow: second reflection point 212: any reflection point. Appropriate correction is required. Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103 3. 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 of this title, 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. 4. Claim(s) 1 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Takayuki et al. (CN 109702337) in view of Yang et al. (CN 114222429) and Lei et al. (CN 101743089). Hereafter “Takayuki”, “Yang”, “Lei”. (Please see attached files for references of Takayuki, Yang, Lei). Regarding Claim(s) 1, Takayuki teaches a non-contact optic probe for enhancing measurement of back drilling profile depth (figure 6), comprising: a retaining device, which is connected with a first moving module (the following figure 6, portion B of piece 101 is not different from a retaining device, movable platform 110 is not different from a first moving module), the first moving module comprising a first power source (it is inherent that any movable platform must contain power source for operation), the retaining device comprising a reflection fixture, (figure 6, reflection 104a is not different from reflection fixture), the board being formed with at least one first drilled hole (the following figure 6, portion A of piece 101 is not different from the board formed with at least one first drilled hole 104); at least one optic probe body, which is arranged above the retaining device (figure 6, elements 120, 109, 106 is not different from optic probe body, which is arranged above the retaining device portion B of piece 101); and a computer, which is electrically connected with the optic probe body and the first moving module (figure 6, computer 112, optic probe body elements 120, 109, 106), the computer comprising an output unit (figure 6, display unit is not different from an output unit), wherein the computer is operable to activate the optic probe body to emit a light beam, the light beam having a diameter that is smaller than a radius of the first drilled hole, the light beam irradiating the board (the following figure 6, elements 120, 109, 106 is not different from optic probe body, light beam C having a diameter that is smaller than a radius of the first drilled hole 104, portion A of piece 101 is not different from a board), and meanwhile, the computer controls the first power source to drive the retaining device to move so as to have the first drilled hole pass under the optic probe body, the first drilled hole being continuously irradiated with the light beam, and the computer records a plurality of first reflection points from entry of the light beam into the first drilled hole and the reflection fixture to exit therefrom, and generates a first drilled hole depth plane chart according to each of the first reflection points, and outputs the first drilled hole depth plane chart by means of the output unit (page 2, lines 5-17; The following figure 6, computer 112, moving platform 110, drilled hole 104, light beam C, output unit 122, the measured optical path length to determine depth of hole 104 as the penetration depth is not different from drilled hole depth plane chart). However, Takayuki does not teach the reflection fixture having a top surface on which at least one board is positionable. Yang teaches the reflection fixture having a top surface on which at least one board is positionable (figure 7, substrate 130 is not different from a board, metal film 120 is not different from the reflection fixture, and the reflection fixture 120 having a top surface on which at least one board 130 is positionable). It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention was made to modify Takayuki by having the reflection fixture having a top surface on which at least one board is positionable in order to reflect light beam efficiently to depth detector for inspection (Yang, page 5, lines 33-39). Moreover, although Takayuki has disclosed drilled hole depth plane chart as indicated above, Lei also teaches drilled hole depth plane chart (figures 4-8). It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention was made to modify Takayuki by having drilled hole depth plane chart in order to shown in the graph of the through hole for inspection (figures 4-8). 5. Claim(s) 2-6 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Takayuki et al. (CN 109702337) in view of Yang et al. (CN 114222429), and Lei et al. (CN 101743089), and further in view of Bergman et al. (U.S. Pub. No. 2014/0253913). Hereafter “Takayuki”, “Yang”, “Lei”, “Bergman”. (Please see attached files for references of Takayuki, Yang, Lei). Regarding Claim(s) 2, Takayuki and Yang teaches the computer controls the first power source to drive the retaining device to move so as to have the drilled holes passes under the optic probe body, the drilled hole being continuously irradiated with the light beam, and the computer records a plurality of second reflection points from entry of the light beam into the drilled hole and the reflection fixture to exit therefrom, and generates a drilled hole depth plane chart according to each of the second reflection points, and outputs drilled hole depth plane chart by means of the output unit, as in claim 1 above. However, Takayuki and Yang does not teach the board further comprises at least one second drilled hole, and a predetermined distance is formed between the second drilled hole and the first drilled hole, Bergman teaches this limitation, ([0003, 0006, 0009]; Figure 2, drilled holes 280). It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention was made to modify Takayuki and Yang by having the second drilled hole in order to implement inspection system with plurality drilled holes, (Bergman, [0003, 0006, 0009]). Regarding Claim(s) 3, Takayuki teaches the board comprises at least one penetration hole, the drilled hole being respectively drilled in the penetration hole, so that the drilled hole is respectively coincident with and the first penetration hole, diameter of the drilled hole being respectively greater than those of the penetration hole; wherein the drilled hole depth plane chart is applicable to inspection of a thickness of the board, depths of the drilled hole, eccentricity of the drilled hole and the penetration hole, and eccentricity of the second drilled hole and the second penetration hole, (the following figure 6, hole D is not different from a drilled hole, hole E is not different from the penetration hole, and diameter of the drilled hole D being respectively greater than those of the penetration hole E; Page 2, lines 5-17). However, Takayuki and Yang does not teach second hole, wherein the eccentricity is defined as a distance between a circle center of the first hole or a distance between a circle center of the second hole. Bergman teaches this limitation, ([0003, 0006, 0009]; Figure 2, drilled holes 280). It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention was made to modify Takayuki and Yang by having the second drilled hole in order to implement inspection system with plurality drilled holes, (Bergman, [0003, 0006, 0009]). [AltContent: textbox (G)][AltContent: textbox (F)][AltContent: arrow][AltContent: arrow][AltContent: textbox (E)][AltContent: arrow][AltContent: arrow][AltContent: textbox (A)][AltContent: arrow][AltContent: textbox (D)][AltContent: arrow][AltContent: textbox (C)][AltContent: connector][AltContent: textbox (B)][AltContent: arrow] PNG media_image1.png 522 822 media_image1.png Greyscale Regarding Claim(s) 4, Takayuki teaches each of the first reflection points and each of the second reflection points indicate a position where the light beam irradiates a surface of the board, an interior of the first drilled hole, and an interior of the second drilled hole and is blocked to have the light beam reflected back to the optic probe body, (the above figure 6, first and second reflection points F, G, drilled hole 104, portion A of piece 101 is not different from the board), and the computer records and calculates the position and distance of each of the first reflection points and the position and distance of each of the second reflection points, and respectively interconnect each of the first reflection points and each of the second reflection points to form the first drilled hole depth plane chart and the second drilled hole depth plane chart (page 2, lines 5-17. Measuring the optical path length of the measuring light, to determine depth of hole 104 as the penetration depth is not different from to record and calculate the position and distance of each of the reflection points). Regarding Claim(s) 5, Takayuki and Yang teach all the limitations of claim 1 as stated above except for coordinates of the first drilled hole and the second drilled hole and a moving path of the first moving module are inputted through the input unit. Bergman teaches coordinating of the first drilled hole and the second drilled hole and a moving path of the first moving module are inputted through the input unit, ([0056, 0120]). It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention was made to modify Takayuki and Yang by having coordinates of the first drilled hole and the second drilled hole and a moving path of the first moving module in order to implement for the next drilled hole (Bergman, [0056, 0120]). Regarding Claim(s) 6, Takayuki and Yang teach all the limitations of claim 1 as stated above except for the coordinates are the circle center of the first drilled hole and the circle center of the second drilled hole, and when the first moving module moves the board, the moving path is diameter of the first drilled hole and the second drilled hole to allow the first drilled hole and the second drilled hole to pass under the optic probe body. Bergman teaches the coordinates are the circle center of the first drilled hole and the circle center of the second drilled hole, and when the first moving module moves the board, the moving path is diameter of the first drilled hole and the second drilled hole to allow the first drilled hole and the second drilled hole to pass under the optic probe body (figure 2, drilled holes 280, effector 260 is not different from optic probe body). Fax/Telephone Information Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to TRI T TON whose telephone number is (571)272-9064. The examiner can normally be reached on 8am-4pm. If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Michelle Iacoletti can be reached on (571)270-5789. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300. Information regarding the status of an application may be obtained from the Patent Application Information Retrieval (PAIR) system. Status information for published applications may be obtained from either Private PAIR or Public PAIR. Status information for unpublished applications is available through Private PAIR only. For more information about the PAIR system, see http://pair-direct.uspto.gov. Should you have questions on access to the Private PAIR system, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative or access to the automated information system, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000. December 9, 2025 /Tri T Ton/ Primary Examiner Art Unit 2877
Read full office action

Prosecution Timeline

Dec 12, 2023
Application Filed
Dec 09, 2025
Non-Final Rejection — §103 (current)

Precedent Cases

Applications granted by this same examiner with similar technology

Patent 12596080
VISION INSPECTION SYSTEMS AND METHODS USING LIGHT SOURCES OF DIFFERENT WAVELENGTHS
2y 5m to grant Granted Apr 07, 2026
Patent 12590902
HIGH CLARITY GEMSTONE FACET AND INTERNAL IMAGING ANALYSIS
2y 5m to grant Granted Mar 31, 2026
Patent 12582290
TECHNIQUES FOR COMPOSITION IDENTIFICATION OF AN ANATOMICAL TARGET
2y 5m to grant Granted Mar 24, 2026
Patent 12584865
DEFECT INSPECTION DEVICE AND METHOD FOR INSPECTING DEFECT
2y 5m to grant Granted Mar 24, 2026
Patent 12578376
OPTICAL SENSOR AND METHOD OF DETECTING AN LED IN SUCH A SENSOR
2y 5m to grant Granted Mar 17, 2026
Study what changed to get past this examiner. Based on 5 most recent grants.

AI Strategy Recommendation

Get an AI-powered prosecution strategy using examiner precedents, rejection analysis, and claim mapping.
Powered by AI — typically takes 5-10 seconds

Prosecution Projections

1-2
Expected OA Rounds
86%
Grant Probability
97%
With Interview (+10.8%)
2y 3m
Median Time to Grant
Low
PTA Risk
Based on 1169 resolved cases by this examiner. Grant probability derived from career allow rate.

Sign in with your work email

Enter your email to receive a magic link. No password needed.

Personal email addresses (Gmail, Yahoo, etc.) are not accepted.

Free tier: 3 strategy analyses per month