DETAILED ACTION
Response to Amendment
Applicant’s amendments filed on 02 Aprile 2026 have been entered. Claims 1, 9, 11 and 20 have been amended. Claims 4, 5, 7, 8, 10, 14, 15, 17 and 18 have been canceled. Claims 1-3, 6, 9, 11-13, 16, 19 and 20 are still pending in this application, with claims 1, 11 and 20 being independent.
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 .
Continued Examination Under 37 CFR 1.114
A request for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, including the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e), was filed in this application after final rejection. Since this application is eligible for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114. Applicant's submission filed on 02 Aprile 2026 has been entered.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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 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.
Claim(s) 1-3, 6, 9, 11-13, 16, 19 and 20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Hultgren et al. (US 20160175076 A1), referred herein as Hultgren (from IDS) in view of Willis et al. (US 20200151286 A1), referred herein as Willis, Igarashi et al. (US 20090040224 A1), referred herein as Igarashi and CHOI et al. (US 20220087791 A1), referred herein as CHOI.
Regarding Claim 1, Hultgren in view of Willis, Igarashi and CHOI and Igarashi teaches an image processing method comprising (Hultgren [0006] a system and method for simulating occlusal interference using a functional bite map):
obtaining an oral image comprising data about at least one tooth and data about a restoration (Hultgren [0050] using a functional bite map to fabricate a dental restoration 134; [0057] still images are captured of the patient's dentition while the dentition of the patient is positioned in a plurality of bite locations);
obtaining, based on the oral image, an intersection area where a first tooth of the at least one tooth and the restoration overlap each other (Hultgren [0159] In the example shown, the regions 812, 814, 816, and 818 are displayed in different colors that represent the distance between the regions and the interference surface 790 (shown in FIG. 21). Although the embodiment shown in FIG. 22 includes four regions, other embodiments include more or fewer regions);
displaying the oral image such that the intersection area is visually distinguishable from other regions (Hultgren FIG. 21; FIG. 22; [0157] the interference surface 790 is compared to the exterior surface 792 to generate a color map representing the interferences between the dental restoration data 124 and the interference model data 122);
displaying a user interface for adjusting a first distance between the data about the first tooth and the data about the restoration (Hultgren [0154] FIG. 21 is an illustration of a cross-sectional view of the interference model data 122 and the dental restoration data 124. The interference model data 122 includes an interference surface 790. The dental restoration data 124 includes an exterior surface 792 and an interior surface 794. In some embodiments, an illustration similar to FIG. 21 is displayed by a user interface of the design system 118; [0159] the regions 812, 814, 816, and 818 are displayed in different colors that represent the distance between the regions and the interference surface 790);
Hultgren does not but Willis teaches
receiving a user input for adjusting the first distance by using the user interface (Willis [0161] Thus, the user is free to modify the different contours for respective height layers of the object to be manufactured using the 2.5-axis subtractive manufacturing process, and the parametric feature history automatically reconstructed the modified 3D model in response to these user edits. This creates an easy to use editor interface for the user, which allows quick changes to the 3D model);
Hultgren does not but Igarashi teaches
obtaining first data by translating vertices including the data about the first tooth corresponding to the intersection area by the first distance along normal directions of the vertices (Igarashi [0096] The three-dimensional model data generated here represents the three-dimensional coordinates of the respective vertexes and the edges when each vertex of the polygon meshes is moved in its normal direction by the moving distance); [0097] The 2D/3D modeling unit 22 subsequently computes moving distances .DELTA.de of all the vertexes of the polygon meshes under the expansion-contraction restriction from the three-dimensional model data generated at step S143 (step S144);
Hultgren further teaches
obtaining a final image of the restoration by replacing the data about the restoration corresponding to the intersection area with the first data (Hultgren FIG. 21; FIG. 22); and
Hultgren does not but CHOI teaches
displaying the final image of the restoration (CHOI [0067] display and eliminate an overlapped region to be eliminated in an overlapped occluding region in a virtual masticating surface; [0183] obtaining a motion image, correcting the temporary dental restoration, and obtaining a three-dimensional planning image (s530), generating design information of a dental restoration and overlapping the motion image (s540), and deleting the motion image and manufacturing a final dental restoration (s550)).
Willis discloses technologies relating to computer aided design of physical structures using generative design processes. Willis is analogous to the present patent application.
It would have been obvious for a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified Hultgren to incorporate the teachings of Willis, and applying the user interface and ray intersection test into the computer-aided-design (CAD) software that generates a graphical display of one or both of the interference model data 122 and the dental restoration data 124.
Doing so would provide the possibility to evaluate production cost of a 3D model and to perform a final precise simulation of the production of the 3D model.
Igarashi discloses techniques that are adoptable to convert a three-dimensional model to two dimensions and obtain two-dimensional patterns. Igarashi is analogous to the present patent application.
It would have been obvious for a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified Hultgren to incorporate the teachings of Igarashi, and applying vertex moving distance along a normal direction nto the computer-aided-design (CAD) software that generates a graphical display of one or both of the interference model data 122 and the dental restoration data 124.
Doing so would generate two-dimensional patterns that consistent with the user's desired three-dimensional shape with high accuracy.
CHOI discloses a dental restoration manufacturing method for improving the precision and reliability of a dental restoration. CHOI is analogous to the present patent application.
It would have been obvious for a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified Hultgren to incorporate the teachings of CHOI, and applying the target image obtained by an image-capturing device into the computer-aided-design (CAD) software that generates a graphical display of one or both of the interference model data 122 and the dental restoration data 124.
Doing so, an operation time may be significantly reduced and a reliability of the design information of the dental restoration which is obtained thereby may be significantly improved.
Regarding Claim 2, Hultgren in view of Willis, Igarashi and CHOI and Igarashi teaches the image processing method of claim 1, and further teaches wherein the first tooth comprises at least one of an opposing tooth engaged with the restoration and an adjacent tooth adjacent to the restoration (Hultgren FIG. 21; FIG. 22; [0141] FIG. 16 is an illustration of an example embodiment of the interference model 128 joined with a dental model 640. The interference model 128 includes the interference surface 580, and the opposing dentition surface 646. The dental model 640 includes a model 642 of the restoration site R, and a model 644 of the adjacent dentition).
Regarding Claim 3, Hultgren in view of Willis, Igarashi and CHOI teaches the image processing method of claim 1, and further teaches wherein the obtaining of the intersection area comprises:
performing a ray-intersection test by generating virtual rays in a direction opposite to a normal direction of vertices included in data about the first tooth (Willis [0109] In order to account for interference with the head, a second ray intersection test can be executed using an offset surface); and
obtaining the intersection area based on the intersecting virtual rays (Willis [0143] First, compute the intersection polygon P=∂custom-character∩π.sub.i of π.sub.i with the (integer) axis aligned box ∂custom-character. Then, compute the minimum area coplanar rectangle B⊇P).
Regarding Claim 6, Hultgren in view of Willis, Igarashi and CHOI teaches the image processing method of claim 5, and further teaches wherein the obtaining of the final image of the restoration comprises:
obtaining second data that connects the first data to data about the first tooth which is not moved (Hultgren [0161] the regions 814 and 818 are colored a second color. Here, the second color indicates that the regions 814 and 818 are close to interfering with the interference surface 790. For example, in some embodiments, the second color indicates that the vertices in the regions 814 and 818 are between 0 and 100 micrometers away from the interference surface 790); and
obtaining the final image of the restoration by replacing a part of the data about the restoration with the second data (Willis [0012] The providing can include converting (i) a polygon mesh, which is output by the boundary-based generative design process, or (ii) generative design data obtained directly from the boundary-based generative design process, e.g., level-set distance fields data… generating toolpath specifications for a 2.5-axis subtractive manufacturing machine using the three dimensional model; and manufacturing at least a portion of the physical structure corresponding to the object; [0139] the contours are extracted 1012 from level-set data, where the level-set input is defined by a set of values on a 3D voxel grid, where each value represents the distance to the implicit level-set surface). The same motivation as claim 3 applies here.
Regarding Claim 9, Hultgren in view of Willis, Igarashi and CHOI and Igarashi teaches the image processing method of claim 1, and further teaches further comprising wherein the displaying of the oral image comprises displaying a degree of overlapping between the restoration and the first tooth in the intersection area in a color (Hultgren FIG. 21; FIG. 22; [0157] the interference surface 790 is compared to the exterior surface 792 to generate a color map representing the interferences between the dental restoration data 124 and the interference model data 122).
Regarding Claims 11-13, 16 and 19, Hultgren in view of Willis, Igarashi and CHOI teaches an image processing apparatus comprising: a display; a memory storing one or more instructions; and a processor configured to execute the one or more instructions stored in the memory (Hultgren [0002] The present invention relates to a medical image processing apparatus, an endoscope system, a medical image processing method, and a medical image processing program, and more specifically to a technique for displaying a recognition result of a region of interest; FIG. 2). The metes and bounds of the limitations of the claims substantially correspond to the elements set forth in claims 1-3, 6 and 9; thus they are rejected on similar grounds and rationale as their corresponding limitations.
Regarding Claim 20, Hultgren in view of Willis, Igarashi and CHOI teaches a computer-readable recording medium having recorded thereon a program comprising at least one instruction for executing an image processing method on a computer (Hultgren [0002] The present invention relates to a medical image processing apparatus, an endoscope system, a medical image processing method, and a medical image processing program, and more specifically to a technique for displaying a recognition result of a region of interest; [0082] Computer readable storage media includes volatile and nonvolatile, removable and non-removable media implemented in any device configured to store information such as computer readable instructions, data structures, program modules or other data). The metes and bounds of the limitations of the claims substantially correspond to the elements set forth in claim 1; thus they are rejected on similar grounds and rationale as their corresponding limitations.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments, see page 6, filed on 02 Aprile 2026, with respect to claim objection have been fully considered and are persuasive. The objection of 08 December 2025 has been withdrawn.
Applicant’s arguments, see page 7, filed on 02 Aprile 2026, with respect to the rejection(s) of claim(s) 1, 11 and 20 under 103 rejection have been fully considered and are persuasive. Therefore, the rejection has been withdrawn. However, upon further consideration, a new ground(s) of rejection is made in view of new references.
Applicant's arguments filed on 02 Aprile 2026, with respect to the 103 rejection have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Samantha (Yuehan) Wang whose telephone number is (571)270-5011. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday, 8am-5pm.
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/Samantha (YUEHAN) WANG/
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 2617
Prosecution Insights