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 1-15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lin et al. (US 2019/0247162 A1) in view of Fridman et al. (US Patent No. 12,011,337 B2).
In considering claim 1, Lin et al. discloses all the claimed subject matter, note 1) the claimed a projector unit configured to emit light at least onto a dental object of a patient is met by the projection module 12 may be a digital light processing (DLP) module or other projection modules to project a predetermined image to the three-dimensional object such as teeth, so as to form a constructed image on a surface of the three-dimensional object (Fig. 1, page 2, paragraph #0020 to #0021), 2) the claimed an image sensor configured to acquire reflected light from at least the dental object is met by the image sensor 10 (Fig. 1, page 2, paragraph #0020 to #0021), 3) the claimed a battery for powering the intraoral scanner is met by the power supply 22 (Fig. 1, page 2, paragraph #0020 to #0021), 4) the claimed a processor unit configured to process the reflected light into one or more 2D images and/or 3D images is met by the processor 18 may be a processor or a controller with data calculating/processing function (Figs. 1-3, page 2, paragraph #0020 to page 3, paragraph #0032), 5) the claimed a wireless interface configured to communicate with an external device the one or more 2D images and/or 3D images is met by the intraoral scanner 1 may communicate with the host device 70 through wired or wireless connection (page 4, paragraph #0035), 6) the claimed a motion sensor configured to sense a motion of the intraoral scanner is met by the motion sensor 14 may be a G sensor, a gyro, or a combination thereof which configures to sense three motion variations corresponding to three axes according to a motion state of the intraoral scanner 1 (Fig. 1, page 2, paragraph #0020 to page 3, paragraph #0032), 7) the claimed a timer unit is met by a time period (three seconds, five seconds, etc.) (Figs. 1-3, page 3, paragraph #0029- #0031), and 7) the claimed a power management unit configured to reduce the power consumption of the intraoral scanner based on a motion signal provided by the motion sensor, a timer signal provided by the timer unit, and wherein the motion signal includes information about motion of the intraoral scanner, wherein the motion is below a motion threshold during one or more time periods, and after each of the one or more time periods the power consumption is reduced gradually is met by the processor 18 determines whether the three motion variations of the intraoral scanner 1 are smaller than or equal to the three first variation thresholds, respectively, so as to determine that the intraoral scanner 1 is in an operation state or in an idle state, the invention may take a difference between a maximum motion value and a minimum motion value sensed by the motion sensor 14 within a time period (three seconds, five seconds, etc.) to be the aforesaid motion variation and the processor 18 may control the power supply 22 to stop supplying power to the image sensor 10 and the projection module 12, so as to reduce power consumption (Figs. 1-3, page 2, paragraph #0022 to page 3, paragraph #0032).
However, Lin et al. explicitly do not disclose the claimed a temperature sensor configured to produce a temperature signal that includes a temperature of the intraoral scanner and the power consumption is reduced when the temperature of the intraoral scanner is above a temperature threshold.
Fridman et al. teach that for some applications, at least one temperature sensor 1332 is coupled to rigid structure 1306 and measures a temperature of rigid structure 1306, temperature control circuitry 1334 disposed within handheld wand 1300 (a) receives data from temperature sensor 1332 indicative of the temperature of rigid structure 1306 and (b) activates a temperature control unit 1336 in response to the received data, temperature control unit 1336, e.g., a PID controller, keeps probe 1308 at a target temperature (e.g., between 35 and 43 degrees Celsius, between 37 and 41 degrees Celsius, etc.) (Fig. 13, col. 56, lines 14-41).
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 the temperature sensor as taught by Fridman et al. into Lin et al.’s system in order to reduce the power of the intraoral scanner based on the temperature.
In considering claim 2, the claimed wherein the power consumption reduction includes setting the intraoral scanner into different power modes based on the motion signal and the timer signal after each of the one or more time periods is met by the processor 18 determines whether the three motion variations of the intraoral scanner 1 are smaller than or equal to the three first variation thresholds, respectively, so as to determine that the intraoral scanner 1 is in an operation state or in an idle state (Figs. 1-3, page 2, paragraph #0022 to page 3, paragraph #0032 of Lin et al.).
The motivation to combine the references has been discussed in claim 1 above.
In considering claim 3, the claimed wherein the power consumption reduction includes gradually turning off components of the intraoral scanner after each of the one or more time periods is met by the difference between a maximum motion value and a minimum motion value sensed by the motion sensor 14 within a time period (three seconds, five seconds, etc.) to be the aforesaid motion variation…and at this time, the intraoral scanner 1 should be still in a standby state rather than an idle state, accordingly, the processor 18 may control the power supply 22 to stop supplying power to the image sensor 10 and the projection module 12, so as to reduce power consumption (Figs. 1-3, page 2, paragraph #0022 to page 3, paragraph #0032 of Lin et al.).
The motivation to combine the references has been discussed in claim 1 above.
In considering claim 4, the claimed wherein the power consumption reduction includes gradually turning off one or more groups of components of the intraoral scanner after each of the one or more time periods, and wherein each of the one or more groups includes one or more components of the intraoral scanner is met by the difference between a maximum motion value and a minimum motion value sensed by the motion sensor 14 within a time period (three seconds, five seconds, etc.) to be the aforesaid motion variation…and at this time, the intraoral scanner 1 should be still in a standby state rather than an idle state, accordingly, the processor 18 may control the power supply 22 to stop supplying power to the image sensor 10 and the projection module 12, so as to reduce power consumption (Figs. 1-3, page 2, paragraph #0022 to page 3, paragraph #0032 of Lin et al.).
The motivation to combine the references has been discussed in claim 1 above.
In considering claim 5, the claimed wherein the motion sensor includes at least an accelerometer and a gyroscope is met by the motion sensor 14 may be a G sensor, a gyro, or a combination thereof (Fig. 1, page 2, paragraph #0020 to page 3, paragraph #0032 of Lin et al.).
The motivation to combine the references has been discussed in claim 1 above.
In considering claim 6, Lin et al. discloses all the claimed subject matter, note 1) the claimed wherein the different modes include: a scanning mode, wherein the motion signal includes information about motion of the intraoral scanner being above the motion threshold is met by the operation state (Fig. 2, page 2, paragraph #0022 to page 3, paragraph #0032), 2) the claimed an idle mode, wherein the motion signal includes information about motion of the intraoral scanner that is below the motion threshold during a first time-period is met by the idle state (Fig. 2, page 2, paragraph #0022 to page 3, paragraph #0032), 3) the claimed a sleep mode, wherein the motion signal includes information about motion of the intraoral scanner that is below the motion threshold during a second time period, wherein the second time period is longer than the first time period is met by the standby state (Fig. 2, page 2, paragraph #0022 to page 3, paragraph #0032), and 4) the claimed a deep sleep mode, wherein the motion signal includes information about motion of the intraoral scanner that is below the motion threshold during a third time period, wherein the third time period is longer than the second time period, and wherein the first time-period, the second time period and the third time period are part of the one or more time periods is met by the power-on state (Fig. 2, page 2, paragraph #0022 to page 3, paragraph #0032).
The motivation to combine the references has been discussed in claim 1 above.
In considering claim 7, the claimed wherein the intraoral scanner includes components and/or one or more groups of components, and the components include at least the projector unit, the image sensor, processor unit, the wireless interface, the motion sensor, the timer unit, and the power management unit is met by the intraoral scanner 1 (Fig. 1, page 2, paragraph #0020 to page 3, paragraph #0032 of Lin et al.).
The motivation to combine the references has been discussed in claim 1 above.
In considering claim 8, the claimed wherein the scanning mode includes that all components are turned on is met by the operation state, when the intraoral scanner 1 is in an operation state, the power consumption is largest (Fig. 2, page 2, paragraph #0026 to paragraph #0027 of Lin et al.).
The motivation to combine the references has been discussed in claim 1 above.
In considering claim 9, the claimed wherein the idle mode includes that at least the projector unit, the image sensor and the processor unit are turned off is met by the idle state, at this time, the processor 18 will disable at least one of the image sensor 10 and the projection module 12, such that at least one of the image sensor 10 and the projection module 12 stops operating (Fig. 2, page 3, paragraph #0028 to paragraph #0032 of Lin et al.).
The motivation to combine the references has been discussed in claim 1 above.
In considering claim 10, the claimed wherein the idle mode includes that a heater of the intraoral scanner is configured to heat at a lower temperature than in the scanning mode is met by in the idle state, at least one of the image sensor and the projection module will be disabled, such that at least one of the image sensor and the projection module stop operating, accordingly, the invention can reduce power consumption and avoid temperature rise effectively while the intraoral scanner is in an idle state (Fig. 2, page 1, paragraph #0007 and page 3, paragraph #0028 to paragraph #0032 of Lin et al.).
The motivation to combine the references has been discussed in claim 1 above.
In considering claim 11, the claimed wherein the sleep mode includes that at least the image sensor, the projector unit, the processor unit and the heater are turned off is met by in the standby state, the processor 18 may control the power supply 22 to stop supplying power to the image sensor 10 and the projection module 12, so as to reduce power consumption (Fig. 2, page 2, paragraph #0024 and page 3, paragraph #0030 to paragraph #0032 of Lin et al.).
The motivation to combine the references has been discussed in claim 1 above.
In considering claim 12, the claimed wherein the deep sleep mode includes that at least the projector unit, the image sensor, the processor unit, the wireless interface, and part of the motion sensor are turned off is met by in the power-on state, the image sensor 10, the projection module 12, and the motion sensor 14 are disabled without power consumption (Fig. 2, page 2, paragraph #0022 to paragraph #0023 of Lin et al.).
The motivation to combine the references has been discussed in claim 1 above.
In considering claim 13, the claimed wherein the gyroscope is turned off and the accelerometer is on is met by the one or more inertial measurement devices (e.g., accelerometers and/or gyroscopes) that may be used to navigate the user interface of the intraoral scan application (Fig. 1A, col. 25, lines 19-32 of Fridman et al.).
The motivation to combine the references has been discussed in claim 1 above.
In considering claim 14, the claimed comprising a user interface, and when the power management unit receives a user interface signal from the user interface, the power management unit is configured to set the intraoral scanner into the scanning mode if the intraoral scanner is in the sleep mode or in the deep sleep mode is met by the power button (not shown) disposed on the intraoral scanner 1, when a user presses the power button, the processor 18 is woken up and the magnetic sensor 20 is enabled (Figs. 1-2, page 2, paragraph #0022 to page 3, paragraph #0032 of Lin et al.) or the user interface of the intraoral scanner 150 (Fig. 1A, col. 25, line 33 to col. 26, line 24 of Fridman et al.).
The motivation to combine the references has been discussed in claim 1 above.
In considering claim 15, the claimed wherein the motion is above the motion threshold, the power management unit is configured to set the intraoral scanner into the scanning mode if the intraoral scanner is in the idle mode is met by when the processor 18 determines that all of the three motion variations of the intraoral scanner 1 are larger than the three first variation thresholds, it means that the intraoral scanner 1 is shaking violently, i.e. the intraoral scanner 1 is in an idle state (Figs. 1-2, page 2, paragraph #0022 to page 3, paragraph #0032 of Lin et al.).
The motivation to combine the references has been discussed in claim 1 above.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
KIM et al. (US 2025/0195182 A1) disclose device and method for providing power to scanner.
Hsiao et al. (US Patent No. 11,992,290 B2) disclose intraoral scanner and method of controlling same.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to TRANG U TRAN whose telephone number is (571)272-7358. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 10:00AM- 6:00PM.
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February 21, 2026
/TRANG U TRAN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2422