DETAILED ACTION
1. This Office Action for U.S. Patent Application No. 18/577,776 is responsive to communications filed on 12/10/2025, in reply to the Non-Final Rejection mailed on 09/10/2025. Currently, claims 1-10 are pending.
Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
2. The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
Response to Arguments
4. Presented arguments have been fully considered, but are rendered moot in view of the new ground(s) of rejection necessitated by amendment(s) initiated by the applicant(s). Examiner's response to the presented arguments follows below.
Summary of Arguments:
Hansen neither teaches nor suggests a configuration where the scanner body supplies power to an external accessory. In fact, the direction of power flow in Hansen (to the scanner) is opposite to the claimed invention (from the scanner).
Lee does not teach receiving power from the scanner body.
Since Hansen only teaches a scanner receiving power and Lee teaches a self-powered calibration device, there is no motivation for a person skilled in the art to (1) modify Hansen's power receiving port into a power supply port, (2) remove Lee's independent power source, and (3) combine them to arrive at the claimed invention where power is supplied from the oral scanner body to the calibration device. Such a combination would be based on impermissible hindsight. The cited references, even when combined, fail to teach the specific power supply configuration recited in the amended Claim 1.
Examiners Response:
Hansen neither teaches nor suggests a configuration where the scanner body supplies power to an external accessory [0055-0058, 0062].
Lee does not teach receiving power from the scanner body. Lee is not relied to teach receiving power from the scanner body. Hansen is relied on to teach this limitation at paragraph [0055-0058, 0062-0063]
Since Hansen only teaches a scanner receiving power and Lee teaches a self-powered calibration device, there is no motivation for a person skilled in the art to (1) modify Hansen's power receiving port into a power supply port, (2) remove Lee's independent power source, and (3) combine them to arrive at the claimed invention where power is supplied from the oral scanner body to the calibration device. Such a combination would be based on impermissible hindsight. The cited references, even when combined, fail to teach the specific power supply configuration recited in the amended Claim 1.
Examiner respectfully disagrees with for the following reasons:
The motivation to combine Hansen with Lee is substantiated by applicant’s specification specifically the abstract and a plurality of paragraphs:
“An embodiment of the present disclosure provides an oral scanner system including: an oral scanner body which has an optical device and an imaging board disposed therein and is configured to receive power from an external power source or an internal battery… the oral scanner calibration device is electrically connected to the oral scanner body, and power is supplied to the oral scanner calibration device.” [Abstract].
See Paragraphs [0006-0007, 0060-0062, 0067, 0071]
To the examiner based on the combination of Hansen and Lee specifically Hansen discloses an internal and external power source for an intra-cavity scanning device [Abstract, 0022, 0027, 0030, 0040-0041, 0048 etc…]. Lee was relied upon for calibrating intraoral scanner via electrical connection [Abstract, 0078, 0086 etc…].
The motivation to combine the intra-cavity power adaptable device of Hansen used to provide a single interface for an external power supply unit or the internal power supply unit thar (ii) removably mounts and directly powers the device using the external power supply unit or the internal power supply unit with the calibrating cradle of Lee to provide a user the ability to calibrate a scanner device using a pattern plate at various distances and angles with an advantage of improving the reliability of calibration and user convenience.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
5. 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.
6. Claim(s) 1-10 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Hansen et al., [US Pub. No.: 2022/0280020 A1] in view Lee et al., [US Pub. No.: 2024/0115138 A1].
Re. Claim 1, Hansen et al., [US Pub. No.: 2022/0280020 A1] discloses:
An oral scanner [Fig. 1 el 1 intra cavity scanner] system comprising: an oral scanner body which has an optical device [device includes an acquisition unit configured for acquiring raw data of the human intra-cavity |0111] and an imaging board disposed therein and is configured to receive power from an external power source or an internal battery [a housing comprising a part connected to the housing, the part dimensioned for being inserted into said human intra-cavity configured to receive power from an external or internal power source |0022-0024];
and power is supplied to the oral scanner calibration device from the oral scanner body [Fig. 1 internal and external power is supplied to intra cavity scanning device| 0062-0068].
However in the same field of endeavor Lee et al., [US Pub. No.: 2024/0115138 A1] discloses:
and an oral scanner calibration device configured to support the oral scanner body and calibrate the optical device using a pattern plate provided therein [a pattern plate provided inside the fixed case and provided to calibrate the three-dimensional scanner comprising a camera |Abstract], wherein, upon insertion of the oral scanner calibration device into the oral scanner body [Figs. 2 and 3], the oral scanner calibration device is electrically connected to the oral scanner body [Connection Block 18 electrically connects calibration device to scanning device| Fig.2],
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one with ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine Hansen and Lee to provide a user the ability to calibrate a scanner device using a pattern plate at various distances and angles.
Re. Claim 2, the rejection of claim 1 is incorporated herein.
Lee et al. meets the claim limitations, as follows:
The oral scanner system of claim 1, wherein: the oral scanner body includes a first substrate electrically connected to the external power source or the internal battery and a connector part mounted on the first substrate [the camera 20 located in the scanning device may include at least two transmissive lenses capable of adjusting a focus of an image |0059];
and the oral scanner calibration device includes a second substrate and a joining part mounted on the second substrate [the camera 20 may include at least two transmissive lenses capable of adjusting a focus of an image. |0059,Fig.3].
Re. Claim 3, Hansen discloses:
The oral scanner system of claim 1, wherein the oral scanner calibration device includes a casing in which an insertion part [Fig. 1 el 4 device includes insertion portion for external or internal power source ], into which the oral scanner body is inserted, is formed [Fig.1 which completes the housing of the intra cavity scanning device].
Re. Claim 4, Hansen discloses:
The oral scanner system of claim 3, wherein, upon insertion of the oral scanner body into the insertion part, the connector part and the joining part are electrically connected [Fig.1 insertion portion 4 is electrically connected to elements 5 or 6 of Fig.1].
Re. Claim 5, Hansen discloses:
The oral scanner system of claim 4, wherein: the connector part is formed of a groove including a conductive line [Fig.2, the single mounting-interface comprises: at least one data coupler, at least one voltage coupler, and at least one detector coupler. In a most preferred embodiment, the single mounting-interface comprises one data coupler pair, one voltage coupler pair, and one detector coupler. | 0105, 0140];
the joining part is formed of a pin including a conductive line [there are two voltage couplers 11, 12|0140];
and upon the insertion of the oral scanner body into the insertion part, the pin is inserted into the groove [upon insertion of the internal or external power supply the two couplers 11 and 12 together forming the power suppling path. |Fig.2 0140-0144].
Re. Claim 6, Hansen discloses:
The oral scanner system of claim 3, wherein: the connector part is positioned at an end of the oral scanner body [Figs. 1 and 2 the connector portion of scanning device is at located at the base of the scanning device];
and the joining part is positioned at the insertion part [Figs 1 and 2 the joining portion is at the insertion portion].
Re. Claim 7, Hansen discloses:
The oral scanner system of claim 3, wherein the insertion part is formed to correspond to a shape of the end of the oral scanner body [insertion portion is configured to fit a shape of the end of scanning device |Fig.1 and 2].
Re. Claim 8, the rejection of claim 1 is incorporated herein.
Lee et al. meets the claim limitations, as follows:
The oral scanner system of claim 1, wherein the oral scanner calibration device includes a driving part configured to be driven to change one or more of an angle and a distance of the pattern plate relative to the optical device [and a movement driver configured to provide a driving force to move at least one of the movable case or the pattern plate. The calibration cradle provides an advantage of improving the reliability of calibration and user convenience.|Fig.3].
Re. Claim 9, the rejection of claim 1 is incorporated herein.
Lee et al. meets the claim limitations, as follows:
The oral scanner system of claim 8, wherein the oral scanner calibration device includes a controller configured to control operation performance of the driving part [a movement driver configured to provide a driving force to move at least one of the movable case or the pattern plate. The calibration cradle provides an advantage of improving the reliability of calibration and user convenience. |Abstract].
Re. Claim 10, the rejection of claim 1 is incorporated herein.
Lee et al. meets the claim limitations, as follows:
The oral scanner system of claim 9, wherein the oral scanner calibration device includes a communication part configured to communicate with an image processing device or the oral scanner body and transmit a control signal to the controller [ the spur gear 163 may be disposed in parallel to the rotation shaft 161 of the case driving motor 160 and may transmit the driving force of the case driving motor 160 to the spur gear 163 in a belt driving manner. |0128-0129].
Conclusion
THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to HOWARD D BROWN JR whose telephone number is (571)272-4371. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday 7:30AM - 5:00PM EST.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Sathyanarayanan Perungavoor can be reached at 5712727455. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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HOWARD D. BROWN JR
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 2488
/HOWARD D BROWN JR/Examiner, Art Unit 2488