DETAILED ACTION
Claims 1-24 are pending.
Claim 25 is canceled.
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
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
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) 1-24 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Aylsworth,
US Patent Application Publication No. 2017/0050334 (hereinafter Aylsworth).
Regarding claims 1-24, Aylsworth discloses all the claimed limitations, as outlined below.
Claim 1. A method for determining a match between a first board (2) and one of a first plurality of known boards (2), the first board (2) being extracted from one first pack (1) of boards of one or more first packs (1) of boards belonging to a plurality of known packs of boards (2), each known pack (1) of boards comprising a plurality of superposed layers (3) and each of those superposed layers (3) comprising a plurality of known boards (2), wherein: the method comprises a preparation step, during which, for each known pack (1) of boards, a digital dataset relative to the known pack (1) of boards is added to a first digital archive; for each of the plurality of known packs of boards (2), the preparation step in turn comprises a generation step and a saving step (Fig 1-Fig2, Para 0017-0018, 0051-0053, 0057 and 0060 - - Boards of diverse sizes and dimensions are scanned and images are displayed in a display unit. Multiple stacks of lumber 146, including 2x4s and 2x6s, are scanned and features extracted. These features are utilized by the system to correlate them with stored data and determine matches. An elevation profile map 164 is generated and displayed. This profile map allows for comparisons. The systems utilized algorithms for preparing, generating, saving, extracting and comparing);
during the generation step, by means of a first electronic device, one or more reference images are generated, each of which shows at least one reference portion of the known pack (1) of boards (Fig 1-Fig2, Para 0017-0018, 0051-0053, 0057 and 0060 - - Boards of diverse sizes and dimensions are scanned and images are displayed in a display unit. Multiple stacks of lumber 146, including 2x4s and 2x6s, are scanned and features extracted. These features are utilized by the system to correlate them with stored data and determine matches. An elevation profile map 164 is generated and displayed. This profile map allows for comparisons. The systems utilized algorithms for preparing, generating, saving, extracting and comparing);
during the saving step, which is carried out by a first computer, reference features, linked to the one or more reference images of the known pack (1) of boards, are saved in a digital memory (15) together with information relative to the known pack (1) of boards, creating said digital dataset relative to the known pack (1) of boards, said information relative to the known pack (1) of boards comprising information relative to the identity of each known board (2) which belongs to the known pack (1) of boards; the set of digital datasets relative to the plurality of known packs of boards (2) constitutes said first digital archive; the method further comprises a comparing step carried out by a computer, during which first identifying features relative to the first board (2) are compared with second identifying features relative to boards (2) of the first plurality of known boards (2), which are saved in a second digital archive, to find a match between the first identifying features and the second identifying features of a known board (2) (Fig 1-Fig2, Para 0017-0018, 0051-0053, 0057 and 0060 - - Boards of diverse sizes and dimensions are scanned and images are displayed in a display unit. Multiple stacks of lumber 146, including 2x4s and 2x6s, are scanned and features extracted. These features are utilized by the system to correlate them with stored data and determine matches. An elevation profile map 164 is generated and displayed. This profile map allows for comparisons. The systems utilized algorithms for preparing, generating, saving, extracting and comparing);
the comparing step is carried out by comparing the first identifying features exclusively with the second identifying features relative to each known board (2)belonging to a second plurality of known boards (2) which corresponds to a sub-group of said first plurality of known boards (2);before carrying out the comparing step, the method further comprises a retrieval step which is carried out to identify one or more known packs (1) of boards, amongst said plurality of known packs of boards (2), and to retrieve said saved information relative to said one or more known packs (1) of boards, said one or more known packs (1) of boards overall comprising said second plurality of known boards (2) (Fig 1-Fig2, Para 0017-0018, 0051-0053, 0057 and 0060 - - Boards of diverse sizes and dimensions are scanned and images are displayed in a display unit. Multiple stacks of lumber 146, including 2x4s and 2x6s, are scanned and features extracted. These features are utilized by the system to correlate them with stored data and determine matches. An elevation profile map 164 is generated and displayed. This profile map allows for comparisons. The systems utilized algorithms for preparing, generating, saving, extracting and comparing);
and wherein the retrieval step in turn comprises: an observation step, executed after the preparation step and before the first board (2) is extracted from said one first pack (1) of boards, during which at least one digital camera (16) is used to acquire at least one digital photograph (17) of at least one comparison portion of each of said one or more first packs (1) of boards (Fig 1-Fig2, Para 0017-0018, 0051-0053, 0057 and 0060 - - Boards of diverse sizes and dimensions are scanned and images are displayed in a display unit. Multiple stacks of lumber 146, including 2x4s and 2x6s, are scanned and features extracted. These features are utilized by the system to correlate them with stored data and determine matches. An elevation profile map 164 is generated and displayed. This profile map allows for comparisons. The systems utilized algorithms for preparing, generating, saving, extracting and comparing);
a comparison step, carried out by means of a second computer, during which, for each of said one or more first packs (1) of boards, first features linked to the at least one digital photograph (17) are compared with saved reference features relative to the one or more reference images of one or more of said known packs of boards (2), to identify a match between the first features and the saved reference features relative to one or more of the reference images and a corresponding match between the first pack (1) of boards and the known pack (1) of boards for which the match has been identified between the first features and the saved reference features (Fig 1-Fig2, Para 0017-0018, 0051-0053, 0057 and 0060 - - Boards of diverse sizes and dimensions are scanned and images are displayed in a display unit. Multiple stacks of lumber 146, including 2x4s and 2x6s, are scanned and features extracted. These features are utilized by the system to correlate them with stored data and determine matches. An elevation profile map 164 is generated and displayed. This profile map allows for comparisons. The systems utilized algorithms for preparing, generating, saving, extracting and comparing);
an extraction step, carried out by means of a third computer and for each of said one or more first packs (1) of boards, during which there is extraction from the first digital archive of the saved information which belongs to the same digital dataset to which belong the reference features for which the comparison step identified the match and which are relative to the identity of each known board (2) which belongs to the known pack (1) of boards for which the match has been identified; during the extraction step, for each of said one or more first packs (1) of boards, the extracted saved information relative to the identity of each known board (2) which belongs to the known pack (1) of boards, are assigned to the first pack (1) of boards; and the sub-group of interest, to which the comparing step must be applied, is identified in the set of those known boards (2) which overall belong to said one or more known packs (1) of boards for which the match has been identified (Fig 1-Fig2, Para 0017-0018, 0051-0053, 0057 and 0060 - - Boards of diverse sizes and dimensions are scanned and images are displayed in a display unit. Multiple stacks of lumber 146, including 2x4s and 2x6s, are scanned and features extracted. These features are utilized by the system to correlate them with stored data and determine matches. An elevation profile map 164 is generated and displayed. This profile map allows for comparisons. The systems utilized algorithms for preparing, generating, saving, extracting and comparing). See a portion of Figure 1 below:
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Claim 2. The method according to claim 1, wherein, during the generation step, each reference image is generated by acquiring a digital image of the at least one reference portion of the relative known pack (1) of boards (Fig 1-Fig2, Para 0017-0018, 0051-0053, 0057 and 0060 - - Boards of diverse sizes and dimensions are scanned and images are displayed in a display unit. Multiple stacks of lumber 146, including 2x4s and 2x6s, are scanned and features extracted. These features are utilized by the system to correlate them with stored data and determine matches. An elevation profile map 164 is generated and displayed. This profile map allows for comparisons. The systems utilized algorithms for preparing, generating, saving, extracting and comparing).
Claim 3. The method according to claim 1, wherein, during the generation step, each reference image is generated by identifying which known boards (2) are present in said reference portion of the relative known pack (1) of boards, and combining digital images previously obtained of those known boards (2) (Fig 1-Fig2, Para 0017-0018, 0051-0053, 0057 and 0060 - - Boards of diverse sizes and dimensions are scanned and images are displayed in a display unit. Multiple stacks of lumber 146, including 2x4s and 2x6s, are scanned and features extracted. These features are utilized by the system to correlate them with stored data and determine matches. An elevation profile map 164 is generated and displayed. This profile map allows for comparisons. The systems utilized algorithms for preparing, generating, saving, extracting and comparing).
Claim 4. The method according to claim 3, also comprising, before the preparation step, a monitoring step for monitoring the creation of each known pack (1) of boards, carried out by means of a fourth computer, during which data about the identity and the position of each board (2) inside the known pack (1) of boards is saved in the digital memory (15) (Fig 1-Fig2, Para 0017-0018, 0051-0053, 0057 and 0060 - - Boards of diverse sizes and dimensions are scanned and images are displayed in a display unit. Multiple stacks of lumber 146, including 2x4s and 2x6s, are scanned and features extracted. These features are utilized by the system to correlate them with stored data and determine matches. An elevation profile map 164 is generated and displayed. This profile map allows for comparisons. The systems utilized algorithms for preparing, generating, saving, extracting and comparing).
Claim 5. The method according to claim 1, wherein said reference portion of each known pack (1) of boards corresponds to at least part of one of either the upper face (8) or the lateral faces (9) of the known pack (1) of boards (Fig 1-Fig2, Para 0017-0018, 0051-0053, 0057 and 0060 - - Boards of diverse sizes and dimensions are scanned and images are displayed in a display unit. Multiple stacks of lumber 146, including 2x4s and 2x6s, are scanned and features extracted. These features are utilized by the system to correlate them with stored data and determine matches. An elevation profile map 164 is generated and displayed. This profile map allows for comparisons. The systems utilized algorithms for preparing, generating, saving, extracting and comparing).
Claim 6. The method according to claim 1, wherein said reference portion of the known pack (1) of boards comprises one or more known boards (2) in predetermined positions (Fig 1-Fig2, Para 0017-0018, 0051-0053, 0057 and 0060 - - Boards of diverse sizes and dimensions are scanned and images are displayed in a display unit. Multiple stacks of lumber 146, including 2x4s and 2x6s, are scanned and features extracted. These features are utilized by the system to correlate them with stored data and determine matches. An elevation profile map 164 is generated and displayed. This profile map allows for comparisons. The systems utilized algorithms for preparing, generating, saving, extracting and comparing).
Claim 7. The method according to claim 6, wherein each reference image shows part, or all, of one of either the upper face (8) or the lateral faces (9) of the relative known pack (1) of boards (Fig 1-Fig2, Para 0017-0018, 0051-0053, 0057 and 0060 - - Boards of diverse sizes and dimensions are scanned and images are displayed in a display unit. Multiple stacks of lumber 146, including 2x4s and 2x6s, are scanned and features extracted. These features are utilized by the system to correlate them with stored data and determine matches. An elevation profile map 164 is generated and displayed. This profile map allows for comparisons. The systems utilized algorithms for preparing, generating, saving, extracting and comparing).
Claim 8. The method according to claim 1 wherein each reference image shows at least one side of at least one known board (2) placed at a predefined position inside the known pack (1) of boards (Fig 1-Fig2, Para 0017-0018, 0051-0053, 0057 and 0060 - - Boards of diverse sizes and dimensions are scanned and images are displayed in a display unit. Multiple stacks of lumber 146, including 2x4s and 2x6s, are scanned and features extracted. These features are utilized by the system to correlate them with stored data and determine matches. An elevation profile map 164 is generated and displayed. This profile map allows for comparisons. The systems utilized algorithms for preparing, generating, saving, extracting and comparing).
Claim 9. The method according to claim 1, wherein during the observation step at least one digital photograph (17) is acquired in which both said comparison portion of the pack (1) of boards, and other elements extraneous to the comparison portion are visible, and wherein said extraneous elements are ignored during the comparison step (Fig 1-Fig2, Para 0017-0018, 0051-0053, 0057 and 0060 - - Boards of diverse sizes and dimensions are scanned and images are displayed in a display unit. Multiple stacks of lumber 146, including 2x4s and 2x6s, are scanned and features extracted. These features are utilized by the system to correlate them with stored data and determine matches. An elevation profile map 164 is generated and displayed. This profile map allows for comparisons. The systems utilized algorithms for preparing, generating, saving, extracting and comparing).
Claim 10. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 9claim 1, wherein the comparison step also comprises a calibration step, during which the at least one digital photograph (17) is made comparable to the one or more reference images (Fig 1-Fig2, Para 0017-0018, 0051-0053, 0057 and 0060 - - Boards of diverse sizes and dimensions are scanned and images are displayed in a display unit. Multiple stacks of lumber 146, including 2x4s and 2x6s, are scanned and features extracted. These features are utilized by the system to correlate them with stored data and determine matches. An elevation profile map 164 is generated and displayed. This profile map allows for comparisons. The systems utilized algorithms for preparing, generating, saving, extracting and comparing).
Claim 11. The method according to claim 10, wherein during the calibration step, the at least one digital photograph (17) is modified to reduce distortions due to perspective effects and/or due to the position of the camera relative to the first pack (1) of boards (Fig 1-Fig2, Para 0017-0018, 0051-0053, 0057 and 0060 - - Boards of diverse sizes and dimensions are scanned and images are displayed in a display unit. Multiple stacks of lumber 146, including 2x4s and 2x6s, are scanned and features extracted. These features are utilized by the system to correlate them with stored data and determine matches. An elevation profile map 164 is generated and displayed. This profile map allows for comparisons. The systems utilized algorithms for preparing, generating, saving, extracting and comparing).
Claim 12. The method according to claim 1, wherein the comparison step comprises a dividing step, during which first areas (21) of the at least one digital photograph (17) are identified, which are each considered to correspond to a different board (2) of the first pack (1) of boards, and a plurality of comparison sub-steps, during each of which one of the first areas (21) is compared with one of a plurality of second areas identified in each reference image, wherein the second areas are each considered to correspond to a different known board (2) of the relative known pack (1) of boards b(Fig 1-Fig2, Para 0017-0018, 0051-0053, 0057 and 0060 - - Boards of diverse sizes and dimensions are scanned and images are displayed in a display unit. Multiple stacks of lumber 146, including 2x4s and 2x6s, are scanned and features extracted. These features are utilized by the system to correlate them with stored data and determine matches. An elevation profile map 164 is generated and displayed. This profile map allows for comparisons. The systems utilized algorithms for preparing, generating, saving, extracting and comparing).
Claim 13. The method according to claim 12, wherein carried out during each comparison sub-step there are a correlation step during which, for each first area (21) a search is performed in each reference image for a second area which has a position in the known pack of boards which corresponds to the position of the first area (21) in the first pack (1) of boards, and, for each second area identified in this way, an analysis step during which features of that second area are compared with features of the corresponding first area (21) (Fig 1-Fig2, Para 0017-0018, 0051-0053, 0057 and 0060 - - Boards of diverse sizes and dimensions are scanned and images are displayed in a display unit. Multiple stacks of lumber 146, including 2x4s and 2x6s, are scanned and features extracted. These features are utilized by the system to correlate them with stored data and determine matches. An elevation profile map 164 is generated and displayed. This profile map allows for comparisons. The systems utilized algorithms for preparing, generating, saving, extracting and comparing).
Claim 14. The method according to claim 1, wherein during the saving step said reference features relative to each reference image are determined by processing the relative reference image in a predetermined way, and wherein, during the comparison step said first features relative to the at least one digital photograph (17) are determined by processing the at least one digital photograph (17) in the same predetermined way (Fig 1-Fig2, Para 0017-0018, 0051-0053, 0057 and 0060 - - Boards of diverse sizes and dimensions are scanned and images are displayed in a display unit. Multiple stacks of lumber 146, including 2x4s and 2x6s, are scanned and features extracted. These features are utilized by the system to correlate them with stored data and determine matches. An elevation profile map 164 is generated and displayed. This profile map allows for comparisons. The systems utilized algorithms for preparing, generating, saving, extracting and comparing).
Claim 15. The method according to claim 14, wherein respectively the reference features, and the first features, are determined by respectively processing each reference image and the at least one digital photograph (17), with at least one of an image processing algorithm, a machine learning algorithm, a neural network or a deep neural network (Fig 1-Fig2, Para 0017-0018, 0051-0053, 0057 and 0060 - - Boards of diverse sizes and dimensions are scanned and images are displayed in a display unit. Multiple stacks of lumber 146, including 2x4s and 2x6s, are scanned and features extracted. These features are utilized by the system to correlate them with stored data and determine matches. An elevation profile map 164 is generated and displayed. This profile map allows for comparisons. The systems utilized algorithms for preparing, generating, saving, extracting and comparing).
Claim 16. The method according to claim 1, wherein during the comparison step the at least one digital photograph (17) is compared directly with each saved reference image (Fig 1-Fig2, Para 0017-0018, 0051-0053, 0057 and 0060 - - Boards of diverse sizes and dimensions are scanned and images are displayed in a display unit. Multiple stacks of lumber 146, including 2x4s and 2x6s, are scanned and features extracted. These features are utilized by the system to correlate them with stored data and determine matches. An elevation profile map 164 is generated and displayed. This profile map allows for comparisons. The systems utilized algorithms for preparing, generating, saving, extracting and comparing).
Claim 17. The method according to claim 1 wherein said at least one digital photograph (17) is acquired by photographing a board (2) of the first pack (1) of boards, after the board (2) has been extracted from the first pack (1) of boards (Fig 1-Fig2, Para 0017-0018, 0051-0053, 0057 and 0060 - - Boards of diverse sizes and dimensions are scanned and images are displayed in a display unit. Multiple stacks of lumber 146, including 2x4s and 2x6s, are scanned and features extracted. These features are utilized by the system to correlate them with stored data and determine matches. An elevation profile map 164 is generated and displayed. This profile map allows for comparisons. The systems utilized algorithms for preparing, generating, saving, extracting and comparing).
Claim 18. The method according to claim 1 wherein, during the comparison step, it is considered that there is a match between the digital photograph (17) and a saved reference image when the first features relative to the digital photograph (17) differ from the reference features by less than a preset deviation (Fig 1-Fig2, Para 0017-0018, 0051-0053, 0057 and 0060 - - Boards of diverse sizes and dimensions are scanned and images are displayed in a display unit. Multiple stacks of lumber 146, including 2x4s and 2x6s, are scanned and features extracted. These features are utilized by the system to correlate them with stored data and determine matches. An elevation profile map 164 is generated and displayed. This profile map allows for comparisons. The systems utilized algorithms for preparing, generating, saving, extracting and comparing).
Claim 19. The method according to claim 1 wherein after carrying out the preparation step, and before carrying out the retrieval step, the first pack (1) of boards undergoes one or more movement and/or processing steps which cause a modification of distances between the boards (2) which constitute each layer (3) (Fig 1-Fig2, Para 0017-0018, 0051-0053, 0057 and 0060 - - Boards of diverse sizes and dimensions are scanned and images are displayed in a display unit. Multiple stacks of lumber 146, including 2x4s and 2x6s, are scanned and features extracted. These features are utilized by the system to correlate them with stored data and determine matches. An elevation profile map 164 is generated and displayed. This profile map allows for comparisons. The systems utilized algorithms for preparing, generating, saving, extracting and comparing).
Claim 20. The method according to claim 1 wherein during the generation step, for each known pack (1) of boards, there is generation of one or more first reference images, each of which shows at least one first reference portion of the known pack (1) of boards, and one or more second references images, each of which shows at least one second reference portion of the known pack (1) of boards (Fig 1-Fig2, Para 0017-0018, 0051-0053, 0057 and 0060 - - Boards of diverse sizes and dimensions are scanned and images are displayed in a display unit. Multiple stacks of lumber 146, including 2x4s and 2x6s, are scanned and features extracted. These features are utilized by the system to correlate them with stored data and determine matches. An elevation profile map 164 is generated and displayed. This profile map allows for comparisons. The systems utilized algorithms for preparing, generating, saving, extracting and comparing).
Claim 21. The method according to claim 20 wherein the first reference portion and the second reference portion are positioned in the relative known pack (1) of boards in positions rotated relative to each other by 180degree about a vertical axis and wherein, during the comparison step, the digital photograph (17) is compared with the first reference image and with the second reference image.
Claim 22. The method according to claim 20 wherein, during the observation step, there is acquisition of at least one first digital photograph (17) of at least one first comparison portion of the first pack (1) of boards, and at least one second digital photograph (17) of at least one second comparison portion of the first pack (1) of boards (Fig 1-Fig2, Para 0017-0018, 0051-0053, 0057 and 0060 - - Boards of diverse sizes and dimensions are scanned and images are displayed in a display unit. Multiple stacks of lumber 146, including 2x4s and 2x6s, are scanned and features extracted. These features are utilized by the system to correlate them with stored data and determine matches. An elevation profile map 164 is generated and displayed. This profile map allows for comparisons. The systems utilized algorithms for preparing, generating, saving, extracting and comparing).
Claim 23. The method according to claim 1 wherein the comparison portion is selected in such a way as to have a position, relative to the first pack (1) of boards, which corresponds to the position which each reference portion has relative to the relative known pack (1) of boards (Fig 1-Fig2, Para 0017-0018, 0051-0053, 0057 and 0060 - - Boards of diverse sizes and dimensions are scanned and images are displayed in a display unit. Multiple stacks of lumber 146, including 2x4s and 2x6s, are scanned and features extracted. These features are utilized by the system to correlate them with stored data and determine matches. An elevation profile map 164 is generated and displayed. This profile map allows for comparisons. The systems utilized algorithms for preparing, generating, saving, extracting and comparing).
Claim 24. The method according to claim 1, wherein the camera with which the observation step is carried out is: a smartphone camera or a tablet camera; or a fixed camera of a wood processing plant; or a camera fitted on a fork-lift truck or on a pallet truck used for moving packs of boards(Fig 1-Fig2, Para 0017-0018, 0051-0053, 0057 and 0060 - - Boards of diverse sizes and dimensions are scanned and images are displayed in a display unit. Multiple stacks of lumber 146, including 2x4s and 2x6s, are scanned and features extracted. These features are utilized by the system to correlate them with stored data and determine matches. An elevation profile map 164 is generated and displayed. This profile map allows for comparisons. The systems utilized algorithms for preparing, generating, saving, extracting and comparing).
Citation of Pertinent Prior Art
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Conclusion
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/CARLOS R ORTIZ RODRIGUEZ/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2119