DETAILED ACTION
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
Claim(s) 1-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103.
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) 1-5, 8, 10-15, 18 and 20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over US Publication 2019/0293414 to Sorimoto, in view of US Publication 2011/0221879 to Schmidt.
In regards to claims 1-5, 8, 10-15, 18 and 20, Sorimoto discloses and shows in Figures 1-15, a three-dimensional scanner configured to obtain three-dimensional data of a surface geometry of an object with a focus method (par. 2, 8-9), the three-dimensional scanner comprising:
a lens (82) (par. 8-9, 36);
imaging circuitry (40) configured to take an image of the object located at a focal position of the lens (par. 8-9, 32, 57, 59; wherein a control unit is comprised by a computer and performs image processing);
a lens driver (82b) configured to drive the lens to make reciprocating motion in a linear direction (par. 8-9, 36);
a reference unit (83) configured to detect variations in the conditions of the lens (82) with respect to a prescribed direction (par. 8-9, 34-36, 40-41); and
processing circuitry (40) configured to control an operation of the lens in accordance with the variation detected by the reference unit (par. 8-9, 32, 34-36; wherein a control unit is comprised by a computer and performs lens condition measurements and calibration);
[claims 2 and 12] wherein the processing circuitry is configured to control the lens driver to change an amplitude of the reciprocating motion of the lens (par. 36, 46-47; wherein a controller provides voltage control signals to repeatedly change a lens position from a minimum position to a maximum position);
[claims 3 and 13] wherein the processing circuitry is configured to increase the amplitude of the reciprocating motion of the lens (par. 36, 46-47; wherein a controller provides voltage control signals to repeatedly change a lens position from a minimum position to a maximum position);
[claims 4 and 14] wherein the processing circuitry is configured to change a central position of the reciprocating motion of the lens (par. 36, 46-47; wherein a controller provides voltage control signals to repeatedly change a lens position from a minimum position to a maximum position);
[claims 5 and 15] wherein the lens controller is configured to set repeat the central position of the reciprocating motion of the lens back to a position (par. 36, 46-47; wherein a controller provides voltage control signals to repeatedly change a lens position from a minimum position to a maximum position);
[claims 8 and 18] wherein the reference unit (83) is an incremental encoder or an absolute encoder (Figures 4a-4c) (par. 41);
[claims 10 and 20] further comprising a hand-held housing in which the lens is accommodated (Figures 1-2 and 12) (par. 8-9).
Sorimoto differs from the limitations in that it is silent to the apparatus and method further comprising: an angle detector configured to detect variation in angle of inclination of the lens; and wherein the amplitude of a control signal to adjust a position of the lens is made in accordance with the variation in angle of inclination.
However, Schmidt teaches and shows in Figures 1 and 5, a dental camera objective probe, wherein a plurality of lenses (9, 10) are tilted with respect to an optical axis of the objective, and wherein an evaluation unit (51) performs an optimization algorithm to determine the optimum tilt angles and positions of the lenses, in order to remove system aberrations and improve image quality (par. 7, 25-26, 40, 45, 58, 66, 78).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the effective filing date of the invention, to modify Sorimoto to include the angle detector discussed above for the advantage of removing system aberrations and improving image quality, with a reasonable expectation of success.
Claim(s) 6-7 and 16-17 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Sorimoto, in view of Schmidt, and in further view of US Publication 2016/0187469 to Jeong et al.
In regards to claims 6-7 and 16-17, Sorimoto and Schmidt differ from the limitations in that they are silent to the three-dimensional scanner:
[claims 6 and 16] wherein the imaging circuitry is configured to change a frame rate of imaging of the object in accordance with the variation in angle of inclination;
[claims 7 and 17] wherein the imaging circuitry is configured to increase the frame rate in accordance with the variation in angle of inclination.
However, Jeong teaches and shows in Figures 1-2, 5 and 11, a distance detection apparatus and method wherein a controller (1070) may provide control signals to vary a frame rate and/or a scanning angle of an imaging system (par. 39, 55, 124, 128, 152, 195).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the effective filing date of the invention, to modify Sorimoto to include the imaging parameters discussed above for the advantage of finding an optimum configuration of well-known system parameters, with a reasonable expectation of success.
Claim(s) 9 and 19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Sorimoto, in view of Schmidt, and in further view of US Publication 2021/0389549 to Berner et al.
In regards to claims 9 and 19, Sorimoto and Schmidt differ from the limitations in that they are silent to the three-dimensional scanner, further comprising: a counterweight having a mass approximately the same as a mass of the lens; a counterweight driver configured to drive the counterweight to make reciprocating motion in a direction opposite to the reciprocating motion of the lens; wherein the processing circuitry is configured to control an operation of the counterweight in accordance with the operation of the lens.
However, Berner teaches and shows in Figures 1-8, a dental 3D scanner system (12) wherein a lens (20) is driven through a plurality of focal positions by a linear motor, which has an anchor (40) and a stator (42), and wherein the anchor is utilized as a counterweight to compensate for vibrations and movement of the lens unit (par. 9-10, 12, 14, 21, 44-45).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the effective filing date of the invention, to modify Sorimoto and Schmidt to include the counterweight system discussed above for the advantage of removing vibrations and improving image quality, with a reasonable expectation of success.
Conclusion
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JONATHAN M. HANSEN
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 2877
/JONATHAN M HANSEN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2877