DETAILED ACTION
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 .
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election without traverse of Group I (Claims 1014 and 18-20) in the reply filed on 10/07/2025 is acknowledged.
Claims 15-17 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected invention, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Election was made without traverse in the reply filed on 10/07/2025.
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) 1-9 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Bunce, et al. (US 5,598,007).
Regarding claim 1, Bunce discloses “a camera (Fig. 4, ref.# 42); a first light source (Fig. 4, ref.# 60B); and a second light source (Fig. 4, ref.# 60B), wherein a main optical axis of the first light source intersects with a main optical axis of the second light source at an intersection point (Fig. 4, crossing of ref.# 64B, 66B), and the intersection point is not located within a depth of field of the camera (Fig. 4, DOF located near location of do).”
Regarding claim 2, Bunce discloses “wherein the intersection point (Fig. 4, crossing of ref.# 64B, 66B) is located closer to the camera (Fig. 4, ref.# 42) than a depth of field of the camera (Fig. 4, DOF located near location of do).”
Regarding claim 3, Bunce discloses “wherein a distance between the camera (Fig. 4, ref.# 42) and the first light source (Fig. 4, ref.# 60B) is equal or substantially equal to a distance between the camera and the second light source (Fig. 4, ref.# 62B).”
Regarding claim 4, Bunce discloses “wherein a main optical axis (Fig. 4, ref.# 46) of the camera intersects with the intersection point (Fig. 4, crossing of ref.# 64B, 66B).”
Regarding claim 5, Bunce discloses “wherein: the camera is a line scan camera, and an axis passing through the first light source and the second light source is parallel or substantially parallel to a scanning direction of the camera.” (column 1, lines 40-42: detector array (Chandler EPA0524029A2 also discloses a line scan camera; column 6, line 33: detector array 45)
Regarding claim 6, Bunce discloses “wherein the axis passing through the first light source and the second light source also passes through the camera.” (See Fig. 4)
Regarding claim 7, Bunce discloses “a plate (Fig. 8, ref.# 111: platform), wherein each of the camera (Fig. 9, ref.# 45(, the first light source (Fig. 8, ref.# 108), and the second light source (Fig. 8, ref.# 108) is fixed to the plate.”
Regarding claim 8, Bunce discloses “wherein: the first light source is fixed to a first end of the plate, the second light source is fixed to a second end of the plate, and the camera is fixed to a middle portion of the plate.” (See Fig. 8)
Regarding claim 9, Bunce discloses “wherein: the camera is a line scan camera, and the plate is movable along a scanning direction of the camera.” (Chandler EPA0524029A2 also discloses a line scan camera; column 6, line 33: detector array 45)
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 10-14 and 18-20 objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure:
Lee, eta l. (US 2024/0126092) and Tsikkos, et al. (US 2008/0128508) teach a camera; a first light source; and a second light source, wherein a main optical axis of the first light source intersects with a main optical axis of the second light source at an intersection point, and the intersection point is not located within a depth of field of the camera.
Armstrong, et al. (US 2017/0186183), Braun (US 5,142,299) and Tusting (US 4,707,094) teach a camera; a first light source; and a second light source, wherein a main optical axis of the first light source intersects with a main optical axis of the second light source at an intersection point, and the intersection point is located within a depth of field of the camera.
Chandler (EP 0524029) is cited by Bunce and teaches a line scan camera.
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/RODNEY E FULLER/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2852
February 24, 2026