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
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
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.
Claims 1, 7-8, and 19-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Lin (US 2012/0134233 A1; ids).
Regarding claim 1, Lin teaches a system comprising:
a) an imaging array that generates an imaging signal [[abstract] configuring a plurality of apertures in a transducer array of an ultrasound imaging device, where the apertures include one or more transducer elements; [0003] probe may be coupled to an ultrasonic scanner that provides electrical signals for transmission … transducer converts the vibrations into signals that travel to the ultrasonic scanner where they are processed];
b) a decompression subsystem that computes delays based on polynomial coefficients of a polynomial that computes the delays [[0039] a polynomial function may be used to compute the compound delay profile], the delays being delays between a signal sent by the imaging array [[0008] plurality of apertures is focused at specific target regions in the plurality of target regions using a compound delay profile. Subsequently, one or more tracking pulses are delivered to the plurality of target regions for detecting corresponding displacements of at least the specific target regions in the plurality of target region]; and
c) a pulser subsystem that computes a control signal, based on the polynomial coefficients, that causes the imaging array to send an imaging signal [[abstract] one or more reference pulses are delivered to a plurality of target regions; [0011] controller computes a compound delay profile for controlling a delivery time and a delivery position of the pulse sequence through the two or more apertures].
Regarding claim 7, Lin teaches the system of claim 1, wherein the delays of a first group of elements are computed based on a second group of elements [[0011] system further includes a controller coupled to the transducer array. The controller groups the plurality of transducer elements into one or more apertures for focusing the pulse sequence at one or more target regions. Further, the controller computes a compound delay profile for controlling a delivery time and a delivery position of the pulse sequence through the two or more apertures].
Regarding claim 8, Lin teaches the system of claim 7, wherein elements of the first group are adjacent elements of the second group of elements [[0011]].
Regarding claim 19, Lin teaches a method comprising:
a) generating, by an imaging array, an imaging signal [[abstract][0003]];
b) computing, by a delay computation subsystem, delays based on polynomial coefficients of a polynomial that computes the delays, the delays being delays between signals sent by elements of the imaging array [[0008][0039]]; and
c) computing, by a pulser subsystem, based on the polynomial, coefficients a control signal that causes the imaging array to send an imaging signal [[0011]].
Regarding claim 20, Lin teaches the method of claim 18, further comprising detecting, by a switching subsystem, a signal received by the imaging array [[0029] transmit circuitry 104 and/or the receive circuitry 106 are electronically coupled to a controller 108 for controlling the flow of data through the system 100].
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 9-14 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.
Regarding claim 9, the closest prior art does not appear to teach the system of claim 7, wherein the delays of the first group of elements are computed by adding a first derivative of the delays to delays of the second group of elements.
Regarding claim 10, Tomov (2004) teaches first derivatives [[sec. 2.2] connection between delays and channel weights; [pgs. 262-263 bridging]]. However, Tomov (2004) does not appear to teach the system of claim 9, wherein the first derivatives of the delays are computed by adding second derivatives of the delays to prior values of the first derivatives.
Regarding claim 11, the closest prior art does not appear to teach the system of claim 9, wherein derivatives of a first order of the delays are computed by adding derivatives of a second order of derivative of the delays to prior values of the first order of derivatives, the second-order being one degree higher than the first order.
Regarding claim 12, the closest prior art does not appear to teach the system of claim 11, wherein if a derivative of a particular order is a constant or zero, no higher derivatives of the derivative of the particular order are computed when computing the delays of the first group.
Regarding claim 13, the closest prior art does not appear to teach the system of claim 11, wherein the coefficients are computed from delay values of a group of elements that includes a smaller number of elements than are computed by the polynomial.
Regarding claim 14, the closest prior art does not appear to teach the system of claim 9, wherein elements of the first group are adjacent elements of the second group.
Claim 21 is allowed.
The following is an examiner’s statement of reasons for allowance: (see below).
Any comments considered necessary by applicant must be submitted no later than the payment of the issue fee and, to avoid processing delays, should preferably accompany the issue fee. Such submissions should be clearly labeled “Comments on Statement of Reasons for Allowance.”
Regarding claim 21, Lin teaches a system, comprising:
an imaging array that generates an imaging signal, and wherein at least one of [[abstract] [0003]]:
the delays are computed by inserting position coordinates of an element of the imaging array into the polynomial, the delay being applied to the element [[0008][0039]];
the delays are computed by interpolating the coefficients [[0039] continually varied as the focal position varies linearly between two values as a function of distance from the center of the aperture];
the delays of a first group of elements are computed based on a second group of elements [[0011] system further includes a controller coupled to the transducer array. The controller groups the plurality of transducer elements into one or more apertures for focusing the pulse sequence at one or more target regions. Further, the controller computes a compound delay profile for controlling a delivery time and a delivery position of the pulse sequence through the two or more apertures];
a pulser subsystem that computes a control signal, based on the polynomial coefficients, that causes the imaging array to send an imaging signal [[abstract] one or more reference pulses are delivered to a plurality of target regions; [0011]]; and a switching subsystem that detects a signal received by the imaging array [[0029] transmit circuitry 104 and/or the receive circuitry 106 are electronically coupled to a controller 108 for controlling the flow of data through the system 100].
However, Lin does not appear to explicitly teach the polynomial computes delays of a group of elements in which the delays vary at an amount that is less than a threshold value;
the delays of a first row of elements are computed based at least in part on a second row of elements;
the delays of a first column of elements are computed based on a second column of elements; or
the delays are computed from the polynomial coefficients by successively numerically integrating higher order derivatives of the polynomial to derive lower order derivatives of the polynomial until the delay value for a given point is arrived at by numerically integrating a first-order derivative of the polynomial.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JONATHAN D ARMSTRONG whose telephone number is (571)270-7339. The examiner can normally be reached M - F 9am-5pm.
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/JONATHAN D ARMSTRONG/Examiner, Art Unit 3645
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