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 Interpretation
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(f):
(f) Element in Claim for a Combination. – An element in a claim for a combination may be expressed as a means or step for performing a specified function without the recital of structure, material, or acts in support thereof, and such claim shall be construed to cover the corresponding structure, material, or acts described in the specification and equivalents thereof.
The following is a quotation of pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph:
An element in a claim for a combination may be expressed as a means or step for performing a specified function without the recital of structure, material, or acts in support thereof, and such claim shall be construed to cover the corresponding structure, material, or acts described in the specification and equivalents thereof.
This application includes one or more claim limitations that do not use the word “means,” but are nonetheless being interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph, because the claim limitation(s) uses a generic placeholder that is coupled with functional language without reciting sufficient structure to perform the recited function and the generic placeholder is not preceded by a structural modifier. Such claim limitation(s) is/are: obtainer, generator, degree obtainer, holding object determiner, and holding posture determiner in claims 1-13.
Because this/these claim limitation(s) is/are being interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph, it/they is/are being interpreted to cover the corresponding structure described in the specification as performing the claimed function, and equivalents thereof.
If applicant does not intend to have this/these limitation(s) interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph, applicant may: (1) amend the claim limitation(s) to avoid it/them being interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph (e.g., by reciting sufficient structure to perform the claimed function); or (2) present a sufficient showing that the claim limitation(s) recite(s) sufficient structure to perform the claimed function so as to avoid it/them being interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claim(s) 1-14 have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on any reference applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument.
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) 1-2, 7-9, 13-14 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Zhang et al. (“Low-cost Solution for Vision-based Robotic Grasping”) in view of Chou et al. (US2016/0224829).
To claim 1, Zhang teach an information processing device, comprising:
an obtainer configured to obtain depth information indicating a depth in a measurement space, the measurement space including a plurality of objects (pages 54-56, II; page 60, V, RGB-D camera capturing); and
a generator configured to generate high-position information indicating a high portion of the plurality of objects at a higher position than another portion of the plurality of objects in the measurement space (pages 55-56, II-B-C, the top object is first grasped, wherein high position information is stored; page 58, II-D, compute coordinate, i.e., height), by performing, on the depth information, filtering corresponding to an object size of an object of the plurality of objects (pages 5556, II-B, Hough Circle Transform as a specialized filter or feature extraction technique, pick full circles instead of semicircles).
But, Zhang do not expressly disclose filtering the depth information using a filter.
Chou teach recognizing and counting objects in image by filtering the information into depth information of the object (abstract, Fig. 9, paragraphs 0015, 0017, 0022, 0027).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate teaching of Chou into the apparatus of Zhang, in order to identify position and size of object of interest.
To claim 13, Zhang and Chou teach a robot control system, comprising:
the obtainer, the generator, the identifier, the degree obtainer, the holding object determiner, and the holding posture determiner included in the information processing device according to claim 12 (as explained in response to claim 1 above); and a robot controller configured to control the robot based on the holding posture determined by the holding posture determiner (pages 59-60).
To claim 14, Zhang and Chou teach a non-transitory computer-readable recording medium for causing a computer to perform operations (as explained in response to claim 1 above).
To claim 2, Zhang and Chou teach claim 1.
Zhang teach wherein the generator is configured to perform the filtering on a depth image indicated by the depth information using at least one space filter function corresponding to the object size (Zhang, pages 56-57, II-C, template matching technique is a spatial filter corresponding to the object size; Chou, paragraphs 0017, 0022, filtering range/depth is a space filter function).
To claim 7, Zhang and Chou teach claim 2.
Zhang teach wherein the object size includes a size in a first direction and a size in a second direction different from the first direction, and the at least one space filter function includes a space filter function corresponding to the size in the first direction and a space filter function corresponding to the size in the second direction (page 56, II-C, height and width are sizes in different directions).
To claim 8, Zhang and Chou teach claim 1.
Zhang teach further comprising: an identifier configured to identify, for each of a plurality of candidate objects, an object image of the candidate object in a captured image of the measurement space based on the high-position information, each of the plurality of candidate objects being, among the plurality of objects, an object including a partial high portion included in the high portion (pages 56-57, Figs. 5-7, 9-12, with depth information captured, object would have its top portion considered as partial high portion).
To claim 9, Zhang and Chou teach claim 8.
Zhang teach wherein the identifier is configured to identify, based on color information in the measurement space, an edge image of the measurement space, or the depth information, a range extended from a partial image corresponding to the partial high portion in the captured image as the object image (pages 58-59, III, Fig. 17, grasp pose estimation).
Claim(s) 3-6 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Zhang et al. (“Low-cost Solution for Vision-based Robotic Grasping”) in view of Chou et al. (US2016/0224829) and Yokono (US2011/0211233).
To claim 3, Zhang and Chou teach claim 2.
But, Zhang and Chou do not expressly disclose wherein the at least one space filter function includes a first space filter function, the first space filter function includes a filter window including a first partial window with which a first value is added to a pixel value of each pixel in an area of the first partial window or the pixel value of each pixel in the area of the first partial window is multiplied by the first value, and a second partial window with which a second value having a sign different from a sign of the first value is added to a pixel value of each pixel in an area of the second partial window or the pixel value of each pixel in the area of the second partial window is multiplied by the second value, and the first partial window has a size corresponding to the object size.
Yokono teach at least one space filter function includes a first space filter function, the first space filter function includes a filter window including a first partial window with which a first value is added to a pixel value of each pixel in an area of the first partial window or the pixel value of each pixel in the area of the first partial window is multiplied by the first value, and a second partial window with which a second value having a sign different from a sign of the first value is added to a pixel value of each pixel in an area of the second partial window or the pixel value of each pixel in the area of the second partial window is multiplied by the second value, and the first partial window has a size corresponding to the object size (Figs. 1A-D, 3-10; paragraphs 0005, 0008-0026, 0066, 0084, 0093, 0095, 0099, 0103, 0105), which would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate into the apparatus of Zhang and Chou, in order to improve search window for object recognition.
To claim 4, Zhang, Chou and Yokono teach claim 3.
Zhang, Chou and Yokono teach wherein the second partial window has a size corresponding to the object size (Yokono, paragraphs 0095, 0099).
To claim 5, Zhang, Chou and Yokono teach claim 3.
Zhang, Chou and Yokono teach wherein the filter window included in the first space filter function further includes a third partial window with which a third value with a same sign as the second value is added to a pixel value of each pixel in an area of the third partial window or the pixel value of each pixel in the area of the third partial window is multiplied by the third value, and the first partial window is between the second partial window and the third partial window (Yokono, paragraphs 0069, 0094, 0127, 0147, 0151, 0184).
To claim 6, Zhang, Chou and Yokono teach claim 3.
Zhang, Chou and Yokono teach wherein the at least one space filter function includes a second space filter function, the second space filter function includes a filter window including the first partial window and the second partial window, and the first partial window and the second partial window are aligned in different directions between the first space filter function and the second space filter function (Yokono, paragraphs 0066, 0084, 0093).
Claim(s) 10-12 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Zhang et al. (“Low-cost Solution for Vision-based Robotic Grasping”) in view of Chou et al. (US2016/0224829) and Ku et al. (US2022/0016767).
To claim 10, Zhang and Chou teach claim 8.
But, Zhang and Chou do not expressly disclose further comprising: a degree obtainer configured to calculate, based on the depth information, a degree of holdability of each of the plurality of candidate objects.
Ku teach a degree obtainer configured to calculate, based on the depth information, a degree of holdability of each of the plurality of candidate objects (Figs. 2-3; paragraphs 0085), which would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate into the apparatus of Zhang and Chou, in order to determine grasp probability.
To claim 11, Zhang, Chou and Ku teach claim 10.
Zhang, Chou and Ku teach further comprising: a holding object determiner configured to determine, based on the degree of each of the plurality of candidate objects, a holding object to be held by a robot among the plurality of candidate objects (Ku, Figs. 2-3).
To claim 12, Zhang, Chou and Ku teach claim 11.
Zhang, Chou and Ku teach further comprising: a holding posture determiner configured to determine, based on the object image, a holding posture of the robot relative to the holding object (Ku, Fig. 1, paragraphs 0023-0027, 0073, 0086, 0089-0090, grasp location).
Conclusion
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ZHIYU LU whose telephone number is (571)272-2837. The examiner can normally be reached Weekdays: 8:30AM - 5:00PM.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Stephen R Koziol can be reached at (408) 918-7630. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
ZHIYU . LU
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 2669
/ZHIYU LU/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2665 August 21, 2026
Prosecution Insights