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
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.
Claim(s) 1-15 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Bohleber et al (DE000019816881A1).
As to claim 1, Bohleber et al disclose (fig. 1, fig. 2) an optical monitoring apparatus (detecting apparatus), the apparatus (detecting apparatus), (see Abstract) comprising: an imaging device (11), (paragraph [0015]) for monitoring of material (3) continuously moving (via conveyor belt 6) through a defined imaging area (angular range 5 in order to capture the total width of the conveyor belt 6), (paragraph [0014]) and a lighting unit (1) comprising at least (fig. 1, fig. 2) one source of light (1, 14) and (fig. 2) a concave freeform reflector (21, 27, 29) configured for reflection (reflect) of light (15, 22, 20 in fig. 2 & 10 in fig. 1) from the at least (fig. 1, fig. 2) one source of light (1, 14) in three dimensions (secondary light 10 produce scattering, fluorescence, laser Raman scattering, reflection defines three dimension) to provide uniform illumination (light) across the defined imaging area (angular range 5 in order to capture the total width of the conveyor belt 6), (paragraphs [0014]-[0016]).
As to claim 2, Bohleber et al disclose (fig. 2) the apparatus (detecting apparatus), (see Abstract) wherein the concave freeform reflector (21, 27, 29) is shaped (three-dimensionally shaped toroidal concave mirror) to reflect (reflected) the illumination (9, 10, 22) on the (fig. 1) imaging area (angular range 5 in order to capture the total width of the conveyor belt 6) such that the imaging device (11) provided uniform response with optimized efficiency, (paragraphs [0014]-[0016]).
As to claim 3, Bohleber et al disclose (fig. 1) the apparatus (detecting apparatus), (see Abstract) wherein the width (width) of the illumination area (the laser beam 4 sweeps over the entire angular range 5 in order to capture the total width of the conveyor belt 6), (see paragraph [0014]) defines wherein the width of the illumination area is less or equal to 50mm for an illumination distance in the range of 150mm to 1200mm and the length of the illumination area is in the range of 150mm to 600mm.
As to claim 4, Bohleber et al disclose (fig. 1) the apparatus (detecting apparatus) wherein the (laser beam 4 sweeps over the entire angular range 5 in order to capture the total width of the conveyor belt 6), (see paragraph [0014]) defines wherein the width to length ratio of the illumination area is about 1:10 to 1:60.
As to claim 5, Bohleber et al disclose (fig. 1) the apparatus (detecting apparatus) wherein the concave reflector (21, 27, 29) is shaped (shaped) to provide a sharp cut-of the illumination at each extremity of the imaging area (5), (paragraph [0014]).
As to claim 6, Bohleber et al disclose (fig. 1, fig. 2) the apparatus (detecting apparatus) comprising: at least two lighting units (1, 10, 14) and associated imaging areas (angular range 5 along the conveyor belt 6), wherein at least one concave reflector (21, 27, 29) is shaped (shaped) to control illumination (4, 9, 10) crosstalk with adjacent imaging area (angular range 5 along the conveyor belt 6), (paragraphs [0014]-[0016]).
As to claim 7, Bohleber et al disclose (fig. 1, fig. 2) the apparatus (detecting apparatus) comprising at least two lighting units (1, 14) per an imaging area (angular range 5 along the conveyor belt 6), wherein the concave reflectors (21, 27, 29) of the at least two lighting units (1, 14) are shaped (shaped) so that the sum of the illumination (4, 9, 10 in fig. 1; 15, 22, 20 in fig. 2 ) from the reflectors (21, 27, 29) of the at least two lighting units (1, 14) produce uniform irradiance (light) or uniform response of the imaging device (11) on the imaging area (angular range 5 along the conveyor belt 6), (paragraphs [0014]-[0016]).
As to claim 8, Bohleber et al disclose (fig. 1, fig. 2) the apparatus (detecting apparatus) configured for monitoring (detecting) of bulk material (3) moving (via conveyor belt 6) through the defined imaging area (angular range along the conveyor belt 6), (paragraph [0014]).
As to claim 9, Bohleber et al disclose (fig. 1) the apparatus (detecting apparatus) wherein the lighting (4, 10) is directed to material (3) guided by a conveyor (6), (paragraph [0014]).
As to claim 10, Bohleber et al disclose (fig. 1) the apparatus (detecting apparatus) wherein the material (3) comprises: at least one of granular polymeric material (3), (paragraph [0014]).
As to claim 11, Bohleber et al disclose (fig. 5) the apparatus (detecting apparatus) comprising: a sorting apparatus (59), (paragraph [0020]).
As to claim 12, Bohleber et al disclose (fig. 1) the apparatus (detecting apparatus) configured to at least one of inspect (signal evaluation) and produce a measurement (measured spectra) of the material (3) based on the (fig. 5, fig. 6) imaging (different spectra, colors, 59, 60, 61, 62), (paragraphs [0020-0021]).
As to claim 13, Bohleber et al disclose (fig. 1) the apparatus (detecting apparatus) wherein the source of light (4) comprises at least one halogen light bulb (1), (paragraph [0014]).
As to claim 14, Bohleber et al disclose (fig. 1) a method for optical monitoring (detecting) of material (3), the method comprising: imaging material (3) flowing (via conveyor belt 6) through a defined imaging area (angular range 5 along the conveyor belt 6) by a digital imaging device (11) emitting light (4, 9, 10) from at least one source of light (1) and reflecting (reflected, reflection) the light (4, 9, 10) in three dimensions (secondary light 10 produced by scattering, fluorescence, laser Raman scattering, reflection) by a concave freeform reflector (21, 27, 29) such that uniform illumination (4, 9, 10) is provided across the defined imaging area (angular range 5 along the conveyor belt 6), (paragraphs [0014]-[0016]).
As to claim 15, Bohleber et al disclose (fig. 1) the method comprising: reflecting (reflect, reflection) the light (4, 9, 10) toward the defined imaging area (angular rang 5 along conveyor belt 6) such that a sharp cut-off of the illumination (4, 9, 10) at each extremity of the imaging area (angular range 5 along conveyor belt 6) is provided and/or illumination crosstalk with an adjacent imaging area (angular range 5 along conveyor belt 6) is controlled, (paragraphs [0014]-[0015]).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to DON J WILLIAMS whose telephone number is (571)272-8538. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 8 a.m.-5 p.m..
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/DON J WILLIAMS/Examiner, Art Unit 2878
/GEORGIA Y EPPS/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2878