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 .
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.
(a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claims 1-2, 5-9, 12-16, and 19-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) and 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by U.S. Patent No. 10,190,907 (“Miller”).
Claim 1
Miller discloses a system comprising: a camera configured to detect thermal radiation emitted from a target (thermal imaging system 500 with sensor 508); an optical assembly configured to be disposed between the camera and the target; and a hot stop assembly disposed between the camera and the optical assembly, the hot stop assembly (Fig. 5A, optical assembly components 506, 509, 530) comprising: a hot aperture having a first surface configured to face the target and a second surface configured to face an interior portion of the hot stop assembly (Fig. 5A, warm shield 530 with aperture 534); and a cold aperture having a first surface configured to face the camera and a second surface configured to face the interior portion of the hot stop assembly (Fig. 5A, cold shield 506 with aperture 507), wherein the hot aperture is thermally isolated from the cold aperture (Fig. 5A, window 509).
Claim 2
Miller discloses the system of Claim 1, wherein the hot stop assembly further comprises: a hot heat sink coupled to the hot aperture and configured to receive thermal energy absorbed by the hot aperture (col. 8, lns 50-63); a cold heat sink coupled to the cold aperture and configured to help maintain the cold aperture at a substantially constant temperature (col. 9, lns 5-10); and a thermal isolation block disposed between the hot heat sink and the cold heat sink and configured to thermally isolate the hot heat sink and the hot aperture from the cold heat sink and the cold aperture (layer 509).
Claim 5
Miller discloses the system of Claim 1, wherein: the first surfaces of the hot aperture and the cold aperture have corresponding first emissivities; and the second surfaces of the hot aperture and the cold aperture have corresponding second emissivities that are lower than the first emissivities (col. 5, lns 13-30).
Claim 6
Miller discloses the system of Claim 1, wherein the target comprises portions of an engine (col. 3, lns 58-65, vehicle or aircraft include engine).
Claim 7
Miller discloses the system of Claim 1, wherein the system and the target are disposed together in a housing (Fig. 5A).
Claim 8
Miller discloses a device comprising: a hot stop assembly configured to be disposed between a thermal imaging camera and an optical assembly that is able to be positioned between the thermal imaging camera and a target (Fig. 5A, optical assembly components 506, 509, 530), the hot stop assembly comprising: a hot aperture having a first surface configured to face the target and a second surface configured to face an interior portion of the hot stop assembly (Fig. 5A, warm shield 530 with aperture 534); and a cold aperture having a first surface configured to face the camera and a second surface configured to face the interior portion of the hot stop assembly (Fig. 5A, cold shield 506 with aperture 507), wherein the hot aperture is thermally isolated from the cold aperture (Fig. 5A, window 509).
Claim 9
Miller discloses the device of Claim 8, wherein the hot stop assembly further comprises: a hot heat sink coupled to the hot aperture and configured to receive thermal energy absorbed by the hot aperture (col. 8, lns 50-63); a cold heat sink coupled to the cold aperture and configured to help maintain the cold aperture at a substantially constant temperature (col. 9, lns 5-10); and a thermal isolation block disposed between the hot heat sink and the cold heat sink and configured to thermally isolate the hot heat sink and the hot aperture from the cold heat sink and the cold aperture (layer 509).
Claim 12
Miller discloses the device of Claim 8, wherein: the first surfaces of the hot aperture and the cold aperture have corresponding first emissivities; and the second surfaces of the hot aperture and the cold aperture have corresponding second emissivities that are lower than the first emissivities (col. 5, lns 13-30).
Claim 13
Miller discloses the device of Claim 8, wherein the target comprises portions of an engine (col. 3, lns 58-65, vehicle or aircraft include engine).
Claim 14
Miller discloses he device of Claim 8, wherein the device and the target are disposed together in a housing (Fig. 5A).
Claim 15
Miller discloses a method comprising: generating thermal images of a target using a camera; manipulating thermal radiation from the target before the thermal radiation reaches the camera using an optical assembly disposed between the camera and the target; and reducing bias effects of background radiation on the thermal images of the target using a hot stop assembly disposed between the camera and the optical assembly (col. 2, lns 50-63); wherein the hot stop assembly comprises (i) a hot aperture having a first surface facing the target and a second surface facing an interior portion of the hot stop assembly (Fig. 5A, warm shield 530 with aperture 534) and (ii) a cold aperture having a first surface facing the camera and a second surface facing the interior portion of the hot stop assembly (Fig. 5A, cold shield 506 with aperture 507); and wherein the hot aperture is thermally isolated from the cold aperture (Fig. 5A, window 509).
Claim 16
Miller discloses the method of Claim 15, wherein the hot stop assembly further comprises: a hot heat sink coupled to the hot aperture and configured to receive thermal energy absorbed by the hot aperture (col. 8, lns 50-63); a cold heat sink coupled to the cold aperture and configured to help maintain the cold aperture at a substantially constant temperature (col. 9, lns 5-10); and a thermal isolation block disposed between the hot heat sink and the cold heat sink and configured to thermally isolate the hot heat sink and the hot aperture from the cold heat sink and the cold aperture (layer 509).
Claim 19
Miller discloses the method of Claim 15, wherein: the first surfaces of the hot aperture and the cold aperture have corresponding first emissivities; and the second surfaces of the hot aperture and the cold aperture have corresponding second emissivities that are lower than the first emissivities (col. 5, lns 13-30).
Claim 20
Miller discloses the method of Claim 15, wherein the target comprises portions of an engine (col. 3, lns 58-65, vehicle or aircraft include engine).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 3-4, 10-11, and 17-18 are 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.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter: the present application relates in general to a hot stop assembly for a thermal imaging camera including a hot aperture; cold aperture; and the hot aperture being thermally isolated from the cold aperture. The cited art, U.S. Patent No. 10,190,907 (“Miller”), discloses a similar hot stop assembly for a thermal imaging camera also including a hot aperture; cold aperture; and the hot aperture being thermally isolated from the cold aperture. However, the cited art does not appear to explicitly disclose one or more temperature sensors disposed on one or more surfaces of the hot aperture and the cold aperture. Thus, the specific structure of the system and additionally derived temperature information as required by the claimed invention is not provided by the cited art.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ERICA S Y LIN whose telephone number is (571)270-7911. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 8-4, TW M,W.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Douglas X Rodriguez can be reached at (571) 431-0716. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/ERICA S LIN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2853
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