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 § 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.
Claims 1-2 and 6-7 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Zhang et al. (CN 103336054 A; IDS dated 08/15/2024 Foreign Patent Cite No. 1; see included machine translation for paragraph citations; hereinafter Zhang) in view of Xuan et al. (CN 109283247 A; IDS dated 08/15/2024 Foreign Patent Cite No. 2; see included machine translation for paragraph citations; hereinafter Xuan).
With regards to claim 1, Zhang teaches a computer-implemented method for determining depth and location of localised thinning in a plate structure (abstract), comprising executing on one or more processors the steps of:
selecting a high-order symmetric Lamb wave mode ([0032]);
generating the selected high-order symmetric Lamb wave mode in the plate structure using one or more first ultrasonic transducers (3; [0063]; FIG. 1) attached to the plate structure ([0033-0034]);
detecting the generated high-order symmetric Lamb wave mode using the one or more first ultrasonic transducers or one or more second ultrasonic transducers (4; [0063]; FIG. 1) attached to the plate structure ([0035]; FIG. 1); and
analysing the arrival times of the detected high-order symmetric Lamb wave mode reflected from an edge of the localised thinning to determine the location of the localised thinning in the plate structure ([0036-0037]).
However, Zhang is silent regarding comparing arrival times of the detected high-order symmetric Lamb wave mode with a set of baseline signals to determine the depth of the localised thinning in the plate structure.
Xuan teaches an ultrasonic nondestructive detection method to detect micro-crack of a plate (abstract). Xuan further teaches a method of comparing arrival times of the detected high-order symmetric Lamb wave mode with a set of baseline signals (from detection of multiple reference specimens 31; [0039-0041]) to determine the depth of the localised thinning in the plate structure (S1-S4; [0030-0055]).
Before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to combine the method of measuring baseline signals as taught by Xuan to the method as taught by Zhang to quickly determine the characteristic of the detected plate ([0057, 0064]; Xuan).
With regards to claim 2, Zhang, as combined with Xuan, teaches the computer-implemented method for determining depth and location of localised thinning in the plate structure according to claim 1, wherein the step of selecting the high-order symmetric Lamb wave mode comprises: obtaining group velocity dispersion curves of Lamb wave modes based on plate material and plate thickness ([0030]; Zhang).
With regards to claim 6, Zhang, as combined with Xuan, teaches the computer-implemented method for determining depth and location of localised thinning in the plate structure according to claim 1, wherein the step of comparing the arrival times of the detected high-order symmetric Lamb wave mode with the set of baseline signals comprises: generating the set of baseline signals representing an initial state of the plate structure (S1-S4; [0030-0055]).
With regards to claim 7, Zhang, as combined with Xuan, teaches the computer-implemented method for determining depth and location of localised thinning in the plate structure according to claim 6, wherein the step of generating the baseline signal comprises: applying electrical driving signals at a selected frequency to the one or more first ultrasonic transducers attached to the plate structure to generate a plurality of high-order symmetric Lamb waves in the selected high-order symmetric Lamb wave mode ([0033-0034]; Zhang).
Claims 3-4 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Zhang et al. (CN 103336054 A; IDS dated 08/15/2024 Foreign Patent Cite No. 1; see included machine translation for paragraph citations; hereinafter Zhang) in view of Xuan et al. (CN 109283247 A; IDS dated 08/15/2024 Foreign Patent Cite No. 2; see included machine translation for paragraph citations; hereinafter Xuan), and further in view of Kobayashi et al. (US Patent 5,438,872; hereinafter Kobayashi).
With regards to claim 3, Zhang, as combined with Xuan, teaches the computer-implemented method for determining depth and location of localised thinning in the plate structure according to claim 2, wherein the step of selecting the high-order symmetric Lamb wave mode further comprises: determining fastest group velocities from the group velocity dispersion curves of the plate structure.
Kobayashi teaches a method and apparatus for measuring a thickness of a plate material using a Lamb wave (abstract). Kobayashi further teaches determining fastest group velocities from the group velocity dispersion curves of the plate structure (col. 4, lines 49-68; FIG. 6).
Before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to determine the fastest group velocity as taught by Kobayashi to the method as taught by Zhang, as combined with Xuan, with reasonable expectation of determining the group velocities as originally intended for thickness measurement (col. 4, lines 14-18; Kobayashi).
With regards to claim 4, Zhang, as combined with Xuan and Kobayashi, teaches the computer-implemented method for determining depth and location of localised thinning in the plate structure according to claim 3, wherein the step of selecting the high-order symmetric Lamb wave mode further comprises: selecting a frequency for the high-order symmetric Lamb wave mode based on the fastest group velocities from the group velocity dispersion curves of the plate structure (col. 4, lines 14-18; Kobayashi).
Claims 5 and 8 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Zhang et al. (CN 103336054 A; IDS dated 08/15/2024 Foreign Patent Cite No. 1; see included machine translation for paragraph citations; hereinafter Zhang) in view of Xuan et al. (CN 109283247 A; IDS dated 08/15/2024 Foreign Patent Cite No. 2; see included machine translation for paragraph citations; hereinafter Xuan), and further in view of Wong et al. (US Publication 2021/0341427; hereinafter Wong).
With regards to claim 5, Zhang, as combined with Xuan, teaches the computer-implemented method for determining depth and location of localised thinning in the plate structure according to claim 1. However, Zhang, as combined with Xuan, is silent regarding wherein a wavelength of the selected high-order symmetric Lamb wave mode corresponds to a periodicity of a comb-shaped electrode of at least one of the one or more first ultrasonic transducers and the one or more second ultrasonic transducers.
Wong teaches a transducer and method of monitoring a plate using Lamb wave (abstract) similar to Zhang and Xuan. Wong further teaches wherein a wavelength of the selected high-order symmetric Lamb wave mode corresponds to a periodicity of a comb-shaped electrode of at least one of the one or more first ultrasonic transducers and the one or more second ultrasonic transducers ([0072]).
Before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to combine the teaching of Wong of producing a Lamb wave mode corresponds to a periodicity of the comb-shaped electrode to the at least one of the first or second ultrasonic transducers of Zhang, as combined with Xuan, to monitor the plate structure as originally intended ([0001]; Wong).
With regards to claim 8, Zhang, as combined with Xuan, teaches the computer-implemented method for determining depth and location of localised thinning in the plate structure according to claim 7. However, Zhang, as combined with Xuan, is silent regarding wherein the step of generating the baseline signal further comprises: detecting the high-order symmetric Lamb waves at the one or more first ultrasonic transducers via a pulse-echo working mode.
Wong teaches a transducer and method of monitoring a plate using Lamb wave (abstract) similar to Zhang and Xuan. Wong further teaches wherein the step of generating the baseline signal further comprises: detecting the high-order symmetric Lamb waves at the one or more first ultrasonic transducers via a pulse-echo working ([0084]).
Before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to combine the teaching of Wong of functioning the transducers in pulse-echo mode to the transducers of Zhang, as combined with Xuan, to monitor the plate structure as originally intended ([0001]; Wong).
Claim 9 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Zhang et al. (CN 103336054 A; IDS dated 08/15/2024 Foreign Patent Cite No. 1; see included machine translation for paragraph citations; hereinafter Zhang) in view of Xuan et al. (CN 109283247 A; IDS dated 08/15/2024 Foreign Patent Cite No. 2; see included machine translation for paragraph citations; hereinafter Xuan), and further in view of Panzer et al. (US Publication 2022/0050084; hereinafter Panzer).
With regards to claim 9, Zhang, as combined with Xuan, teaches the computer-implemented method for determining depth and location of localised thinning in the plate structure according to claim 7. However, Zhang, as combined with Xuan, is silent regarding wherein the step of generating the baseline signal further comprises: detecting the high-order symmetric Lamb waves at the one or more second ultrasonic transducers via a pitch-catch working mode.
Panzer teaches a transducer and method of testing a plate using Lamb wave (abstract) similar to Zhang and Xuan. Panzer further teaches wherein the step of generating the baseline signal further comprises: detecting the high-order symmetric Lamb waves at the one or more second ultrasonic transducers via a pitch-catch working mode ([0013]).
Before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to combine the teaching of Wong of functioning the transducers in pitch-catch mode to the transducers of Zhang, as combined with Xuan, to monitor the plate structure as originally intended ([0013]; Panzer).
Claim 10 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Zhang et al. (CN 103336054 A; IDS dated 08/15/2024 Foreign Patent Cite No. 1; see included machine translation for paragraph citations; hereinafter Zhang) in view of Xuan et al. (CN 109283247 A; IDS dated 08/15/2024 Foreign Patent Cite No. 2; see included machine translation for paragraph citations; hereinafter Xuan), and further in view of Jackel (EP 3318869 A1; see machine translation).
With regards to claim 10, Zhang, as combined with Xuan, teaches the computer-implemented method for determining depth and location of localised thinning in the plate structure according to claim 1. However, Zhang, as combined with Xuan, is silent regarding wherein the first ultrasonic transducers and the second ultrasonic transducers are arranged to form one or more linear arrays on the plate structure.
Jackel teaches a non-destructive testing (abstract) similar to Zhang and Xuan. Jackel further teaches wherein the first ultrasonic transducers (a-h) and the second ultrasonic transducers (a’-h’) are arranged to form one or more linear arrays on the plate structure ([0006-0007]).
Before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to combine the teaching of Jackel of having the multiple transducers and in arrays as the transducers of Zhang, as combined with Xuan, to detect the abnormality in the plate structure ([0019]; Jackel).
Claim 11 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Zhang et al. (CN 103336054 A; IDS dated 08/15/2024 Foreign Patent Cite No. 1; see included machine translation for paragraph citations; hereinafter Zhang) in view of Xuan et al. (CN 109283247 A; IDS dated 08/15/2024 Foreign Patent Cite No. 2; see included machine translation for paragraph citations; hereinafter Xuan), and further in view of Paget (US Publication 2010/0264778).
With regards to claim 11, Zhang, as combined with Xuan, teaches the computer-implemented method for determining depth and location of localised thinning in the plate structure according to claim 1. However, Zhang, as combined with Xuan, is silent regarding wherein the second ultrasonic transducers are arranged to form a concentric array on the plate structure.
Paget teaches a non-destructive testing (abstract) similar to Zhang and Xuan. Paget further teaches wherein the second ultrasonic transducers (301, 303) are arranged to form a concentric array on the plate structure ([0022]; FIG. 3).
Before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to combine the teaching of Jackel of having the multiple transducers in array configuration as shown in the Figure as the transducers of Zhang, as combined with Xuan, to detect the directionality of the abnormality in the plate structure ([0022]; Paget).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to QUANG X.L NGUYEN whose telephone number is (571)272-1585. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 9AM-5PM.
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/QXN/ Examiner, Art Unit 2853
/STEPHEN D MEIER/ Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2853
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