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
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)(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.
Claim(s) 1-9 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Iwakawa et al (US 12429438 B2).
Regarding claim 1, Iwakawa et al discloses an X-ray inspection apparatus (1) comprising: an inspection unit (1) (col. 3, lines 1-34) that detects X-rays transmitted through an inspection object (article G) in a plurality of energy regions (col. 3, lines 52-67), and inspects the inspection object by using a determination image generated by executing a predetermined image process on at least two pieces of X-ray transmission image data corresponding to at least two energy regions (See Fig. 4, col. 6, lines 23-38); display means (8) (display operation unit) for displaying an inspection result of the inspection unit (col. 7, lines 19-26); display image generation means for generating a display image by executing a display image (difference image) (See Fig. 4 and col. 6, lines 23-38) process different from the image process for generating the determination image, on the X-ray transmission image data; and display control means (10) for causing the display means to display the inspection result and the display image (col. 6, lines 23-49).
Regarding claim 2, Iwakawa et al discloses wherein the determination image is a subtraction image (difference image) obtained by performing a subtraction process on the transmission image data of the X-rays in the plurality of energy regions (first and second energy bands) (col. 6, lines 41-49), which are transmitted through the inspection object (G), and the display image is an image in which an image brightness of the inspection object in the image has a higher contrast than an image brightness of the inspection (col. 6, lines 11-65).
Regarding claim 3, Iwakawa et al discloses wherein further comprising: operation input means for inputting request information according to an operation input of a user (8) (col. 7, lines 19-26), wherein the display image generation means generates the display image as a plurality of different images in which the same target object (G) is reflected (col. 4, lines 40-49), by executing a plurality of types of image processes set in advance on X-ray transmission image data of a specific energy region among the plurality of energy regions, based on the request information from the operation input means (col. 2, lines 6-14).
Regarding claim 4, Iwakawa et al discloses wherein the display image generation means executes a plurality of types of image processes stored in advance (threshold value) to generate a total X-ray image corresponding to the X-ray transmission image data including the plurality of energy regions (col. 6, lines 50-col. 7, line 3), and performs a subtraction process on the X-ray transmission image data of the plurality of energy regions under a plurality of different image processing conditions to generate a plurality of different types of subtraction images (col. 6, lines 50-col. 7, line 3), and the operation input means performs an operation input (8) (col. 7, lines 19-26) of requesting a display output of any one image or a plurality of images among the total X-ray image and the plurality of different types of subtraction images and an operation input of requesting a change setting of the display output (col. 6, lines 23-49).
Regarding claim 5, Iwakawa et al discloses wherein the plurality of different types of subtraction images are subtraction images (difference image) in which article-affected brightness variation of the inspection object in the image are different from each other according to the plurality of different image processing conditions (See Fig. 3A and col. 4, lines 50-col. 5, line 3).
Regarding claim 6, Iwakawa et al discloses a transport device that transports an article on a predetermined transport path (51)(52) (See Fig. 1); and a post-process booth (shield box) (4) disposed on a downstream side of the transport path, wherein an inspection unit (6) of the X-ray inspection apparatus (1) has an X-ray detector (7) that detects X-rays transmitted through the article (G) on the transport path, and outputs a detection signal, and display image generation means (8) of the X-ray inspection (See Fig. 1).
Regarding claim 7, Iwakawa et al discloses wherein An X-ray image forming apparatus (1) comprising: a transmission image data generation unit to which a detection signal of X-rays transmitted through an article is input and which generates X-ray transmission image data in a plurality of different energy regions (See Fig. 4, col. 6, lines 23-38); an image processing unit that executes a predetermined image process on the X-ray transmission image data in the plurality of energy regions to generate at least a subtraction image of the X-ray transmission image data; and an image output unit that causes display means to output the image generated by the image processing unit (See Fig. 4, col. 6, lines 23-38), wherein the image processing unit includes display image generation means (8) for generating a total X-ray image corresponding to the X-ray transmission image data including the plurality of energy regions, and executing the predetermined image process on the X-ray transmission image data in the plurality of energy regions under a plurality of different image processing conditions to generate a plurality of different types of subtraction images as the subtraction image (subtraction of first and second transmission image P1 and P2) (col. 5, lines 4-22), and the image output unit includes selection operation means for selecting and setting at least one image of the total X-ray image and the plurality of different types of subtraction images generated by the display image generation means in a switchable manner as an image to be displayed and output (col. 5, lines 38-58).
Regarding claim 8, Iwakawa et al discloses a transport device that transports an article (G) on a predetermined transport path (51)(52) (See Fig. 1); and a post-process booth (shield box) (4) disposed on a downstream side of the transport path, wherein a transmission image data generation unit of the X-ray image forming apparatus has an X-ray detector (7) that detects X-rays transmitted through the article on the transport path, and outputs a detection signal, and the post-process booth has post-process display means for displaying and outputting at least one of a total X-ray image and a plurality of different types of difference images, which are generated by the image processing unit and selected and set by the selection operation means (See Fig. 1 and col. 5, lines 38-58).
Regarding claim 9, Iwakawa et al discloses wherein the post-process display means is configured to include a plurality of displays spaced apart from each other at least in a transport direction (conveyor) (52) of the article (G), and the post-process booth (shield box) (4) (col. 3, lines 25-46) is provided with sorting means for sorting the article transported on the transport path in an additional process space corresponding to any one of the plurality of displays, in a transport order (col. 5, lines 37-58).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Fessler et al (US 6,754,298 B2) discloses a method for statistically reconstructing images from a plurality of transmission measurements having energy diversity, the method comprising: providing a plurality of transmission measurements having energy diversity; and processing the measurements with an algorithm based on a statistical model which accounts for the energy diversity to obtain at least one final component image which has reduced noise.
Mettler-Toledo et al (US 7,400,709 B2) discloses an x-ray inspection system (198) arranged to inspect at least one object and comprising: a source of radiation (200) a detector (216), in use, capable of detecting the radiation passing through an irradiation zone (214) and generating a periodic output of data therefrom; processing circuitry arranged to process the output generated by the detector (216); a speed determination means (228) arranged, in use, to determine and output to the processing circuitry the speed at which an object passes the detector (216); wherein the processing circuitry is arranged to vary the period of the output of the detector (216) according to the output from the speed determination means (228).
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to FANI POLYZOS BOOSALIS whose telephone number is (571)272-2447. The examiner can normally be reached 7:30-3:30 PM.
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/F.P.B./Examiner, Art Unit 2884
/UZMA ALAM/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2884
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