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
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112b
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claims 1, 8, 11, 18, 21, and dependent claims are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Claims 1, 8, 11, and 18 newly recite:
“calculating a first value that defines a relationship between image-space displacement and angular movement of the tip portion”. It is unclear what “image-space displacement” is. This term does not appear to be present in the specification. It is unclear of what the displacement is referring, i.e. a lesion, an endoscope tip, or some other element. Additionally, it is unclear what “image-space” means in this context. It will be interpreted as provided in the rejection.
Claim 21 recites the limitation "moving the tip portion" in line 1. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
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.
Claim(s) 1-3, 8, 11-13, 18, 21, 23 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102a1 as being anticipated by Yeung US 20180296281 A1.
Yeung discloses for claim 1, “A method of controlling an endoscopic device (robotic colonoscope 110; fig 1A; 0095), the method comprising:
obtaining an image inside a body from an image sensor (image sensors; 0123);
identifying a lesion (0047, 0087, 0200) from the image based on a pre-trained model (0141 describes pre-trained artificial neural network, 0188 describes using the trained architecture for identification of the object of interest, i.e. a lumen or lesion 0047, 0200); and
controlling a tip portion of the endoscopic device to track the lesion (0047, 0087 describes tracking the object of interest, i.e. a lesion),
wherein the controlling comprises:
prior to tracking the lesion, calculating a first value that defines a relationship between image-space displacement and angular movement of the tip portion by:
obtaining images of a same region inside the body at different tip angles (0201 describes a specific example of an image sensor providing a first image data stream comprising data relating to a position of a region of interest within a field of view and then subsequently adapting to changes in the data of the first image data stream),
determining a positional difference of the lesion between the images in image coordinates (0040, 0200 describes determining endoscopic control based on the location of the object of interest in the image stream),
measuring a change in angle of the tip portion between the images (0097 describes measuring the orientation of the endoscope tip with respect to the image stream, including roll, pitch, and yaw as the measurement of the angle of the tip), and
calculating the first value as a ratio of the positional difference of the lesion to the change in angle of the tip portion (0097 describes detecting the orientation of the tip via measurements of roll, pitch, and yaw with respect to a region of interest to help maintain the view within the image, i.e. providing a relationship between the positional data of the tip – roll, pitch, and yaw with respect to the ROI); and
controlling a tip angle of the tip portion using the calculated first value (0098, 0201-0203 describes control the endoscope tip based on the measured data in order to keep the subject in the field of view)”.
Yeung discloses for claim 2, “The method of claim 1, wherein the target position corresponds to a first area of a field of view of the image sensor (0087 describes tracking an object of interest within the field of view of the image sensor)”.
Yeung discloses for claim 3, “The method of claim 2, wherein the first area comprises a center of the field of view (0041 describes automatically positioning the object of interest in the center of the field of view)”
Yeung discloses for claim 8, “A method of controlling an endoscopic device (robotic colonoscope 110; fig 1A; 0095), the method comprising:
obtaining an image inside a body from an image sensor (image sensors; 0123);
identifying a plurality of lesions (0047, 0087, 0200; 0111 describes the identification of multiple objects or structures) from the image based on a pre-trained model (0141 describes pre-trained artificial neural network, 0188 describes using the trained architecture for identification of the object of interest, i.e. a lumen or lesion 0047, 0200); and
controlling a tip portion of the endoscopic device to track one target lesion selected from among the plurality of lesions (0047, 0087 describes tracking the object of interest, i.e. a lesion)”,
wherein the controlling comprises:
prior to tracking the lesion, calculating a first value that defines a relationship between image-space displacement and angular movement of the tip portion by:
obtaining images of a same region inside the body at different tip angles (0201 describes a specific example of an image sensor providing a first image data stream comprising data relating to a position of a region of interest within a field of view and then subsequently adapting to changes in the data of the first image data stream),
determining a positional difference of the lesion between the images in image coordinates (0040, 0200 describes determining endoscopic control based on the location of the object of interest in the image stream),
measuring a change in angle of the tip portion between the images (0097 describes measuring the orientation of the endoscope tip with respect to the image stream, including roll, pitch, and yaw as the measurement of the angle of the tip), and
calculating the first value as a ratio of the positional difference of the lesion to the change in angle of the tip portion (0097 describes detecting the orientation of the tip via measurements of roll, pitch, and yaw with respect to a region of interest to help maintain the view within the image, i.e. providing a relationship between the positional data of the tip – roll, pitch, and yaw with respect to the ROI); and
controlling a tip angle of the tip portion using the calculated first value (0098, 0201-0203 describes control the endoscope tip based on the measured data in order to keep the subject in the field of view)”.
Yeung discloses for claim 11, “An endoscopic device comprising:
a tip portion comprising an image sensor (first sensor/image sensor 0084; fig 1A, 3); and
a control unit (control system 0084) configured to obtain an image inside a body from the image sensor, identify a lesion (0047, 0087, 0200) from the image based on a pre-trained model, and control the tip portion to track the lesion (0141 describes pre-trained artificial neural network, 0188 describes using the trained architecture for identification of the object of interest, i.e. a lumen or lesion 0047, 0200)”,
wherein the control unit is further configured to:
prior to tracking the lesion, calculating a first value that defines a relationship between image-space displacement and angular movement of the tip portion by:
obtaining images of a same region inside the body at different tip angles (0201 describes a specific example of an image sensor providing a first image data stream comprising data relating to a position of a region of interest within a field of view and then subsequently adapting to changes in the data of the first image data stream),
determining a positional difference of the lesion between the images in image coordinates (0040, 0200 describes determining endoscopic control based on the location of the object of interest in the image stream),
measuring a change in angle of the tip portion between the images (0097 describes measuring the orientation of the endoscope tip with respect to the image stream, including roll, pitch, and yaw as the measurement of the angle of the tip), and
calculating the first value as a ratio of the positional difference of the lesion to the change in angle of the tip portion (0097 describes detecting the orientation of the tip via measurements of roll, pitch, and yaw with respect to a region of interest to help maintain the view within the image, i.e. providing a relationship between the positional data of the tip – roll, pitch, and yaw with respect to the ROI); and
controlling a tip angle of the tip portion using the calculated first value (0098, 0201-0203 describes control the endoscope tip based on the measured data in order to keep the subject in the field of view)”.
Yeung discloses for claim 12, “The endoscopic device of claim 11, wherein the target position corresponds to a first area of a field of view of the image sensor (0087 describes tracking an object of interest within the field of view of the image sensor)”.
Yeung discloses for claim 13, “The endoscopic device of claim 12, wherein the first area comprises a center of the field of view (0041 describes automatically positioning the object of interest in the center of the field of view)”.
Yeung discloses for claim 18, “An endoscopic device comprising:
a tip portion comprising an image sensor (image sensors; 0123); and
a control unit (control system 0084) configured to obtain an image inside a body from the image sensor, identify a plurality of lesions (0047, 0087, 0200; 0111 describes the identification of multiple objects or structures) from the image based on a pre-trained model (0141 describes pre-trained artificial neural network, 0188 describes using the trained architecture for identification of the object of interest, i.e. a lumen or lesion 0047, 0200), and control the tip portion to track one target lesion from among the plurality of lesions (0047, 0087 describes tracking the object of interest, i.e. a lesion)”,
wherein the control unit is further configured to:
prior to tracking the lesion, calculating a first value that defines a relationship between image-space displacement and angular movement of the tip portion by:
obtaining images of a same region inside the body at different tip angles (0201 describes a specific example of an image sensor providing a first image data stream comprising data relating to a position of a region of interest within a field of view and then subsequently adapting to changes in the data of the first image data stream),
determining a positional difference of the lesion between the images in image coordinates (0040, 0200 describes determining endoscopic control based on the location of the object of interest in the image stream),
measuring a change in angle of the tip portion between the images (0097 describes measuring the orientation of the endoscope tip with respect to the image stream, including roll, pitch, and yaw as the measurement of the angle of the tip), and
calculating the first value as a ratio of the positional difference of the lesion to the change in angle of the tip portion (0097 describes detecting the orientation of the tip via measurements of roll, pitch, and yaw with respect to a region of interest to help maintain the view within the image, i.e. providing a relationship between the positional data of the tip – roll, pitch, and yaw with respect to the ROI); and
controlling a tip angle of the tip portion using the calculated first value (0098, 0201-0203 describes control the endoscope tip based on the measured data in order to keep the subject in the field of view)”.
Yeung discloses for claim 21, “The method of claim 1, wherein moving the tip portion comprises generating a movement trajectory based on the calculated total movement angle and advancing the tip portion along the trajectory over a plurality of control periods (0201 describes the control system configured to provide auto tracking capability using an image data stream, i.e. multiple sequential images of an object of interest within a field of view and generating steering control output signal as the claimed movement trajectory, based on the image data, i.e. detection of angles as described in 0097, across multiple control periods, i.e. the steering control output signal adapts to changes in the image data stream to account for multiples movements)”.
Yeung discloses for claim 23, “The method of claim 21, wherein advancing the tip portion along the movement trajectory comprises updating a tip position command at each control period based on the movement trajectory (0201 describes the system adapting to changes in the image data, i.e. subsequent images with changes in detected movement of the object of interest)”.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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.
Claim(s) 9, 10, 19, 20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yeung as applied to claims 8 and 18 respectively above, and further in view of Bydlon US 20190374130 A1.
Yeung discloses for claim 9, “The method of claim 8, further comprising: outputting, on a display, on-image lesion position information for the plurality of identified lesions (0040 describes the image data stream containing position data for the object of interest)”.
Yeung does not disclose “and selecting the target lesion from among the plurality of lesions via a user input on a manipulation unit”. Bydlon teaches in the same field of endeavor, providing a GUI such that the user may interact with the system to select lesions (0069, 0075). It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate the modification of Bydlon into the invention of Yeung in order to configure the method e.g. as claimed because allows the user to interact with the identified lesions (0069).
Modified Yeung discloses for claim 10, “The method of claim 9, wherein the user input comprises at least one of a single input (Bydlon: 0069 describes user interaction as at least a single input), an input for a threshold time or longer, and a double input within a threshold time”.
Yeung discloses for claim 19, “The endoscopic device of claim 18, further comprising:
a display unit configured to output the image; and
wherein the control unit is further configured to output, on the display unit, on-image lesion position information for the identified plurality of lesions (0040 describes the image data stream containing position data for the object of interest)”.
Yeung does not disclose “a manipulation unit configured to receive an input from a user; select the target lesion from among the plurality of lesions in response to a user input received via the manipulation unit”. Bydlon teaches in the same field of endeavor, providing a GUI such that the user may interact with the system to select lesions (0069, 0075). It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate the modification of Bydlon into the invention of Yeung in order to configure the endoscopic device e.g. as claimed because allows the user to interact with the identified lesions (0069).
Modified Yeung discloses for claim 20, “The endoscopic device of claim 19, wherein the user input comprises at least one of a single input (Bydlon: 0069 describes user interaction as at least a single input), an input for a threshold time or longer, and a double input within the threshold time”.
Claim(s) 22 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yeung as applied to claim 21 above, and further in view of Tadano US20150148594.
Yeung does not disclose for claim 22, “The method of claim 21, wherein the movement trajectory is generated based on a predefined angular velocity and a predefined control period”. Tadano teaches in the same field of endeavor, providing a velocity control which sets the angular velocity instruction to a predetermined limit value (0041). It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate the modification of Tadano into the invention of Yeung in order to configure the method e.g. as claimed because it provides a level of safety in limiting a motion’s velocity.
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 3/18/2026 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive. Applicant asserts that the amended claims were indicated by the examiner as likely to overcome the current rejection and advance the prosecution. The examiner’s interview summary of 3/16/26 does not indicate this.
Conclusion
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). 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 JAE K WOO whose telephone number is (571)272-0837. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 8:30-2:30p, 6p-9p.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Anhtuan Nguyen can be reached at (571) 272-4963. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/Jae Woo/Examiner, Art Unit 3795
/ANH TUAN T NGUYEN/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3795
6/2/26
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