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 .
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statements (IDS) submitted 05/05/2026, 03/31/2026, 09/19/2025, 12/10/2024 and 11/22/2024 are on are in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statements are being considered by the examiner.
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.
Claims 1-5 and 12-19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Tajima (US PAP 2013/0121464 A1).
With respect to claim 1, Tajima teaches a processing apparatus (14), comprising (see abstract; Figs. 1-11; paragraphs 0009, 0012, 0014, 0017, 0020-0023, 0038, 0039, 0043, 0077, 0079, 0080-0088, 0097, 0098, 0101, 0102-0105 and 0108; claims 1-15):
PNG
media_image1.png
445
651
media_image1.png
Greyscale
a hardware processor (85) that determines whether or not a main exposure condition of a main exposure being an exposure of radiation for a subject is usable by a start timing of the main exposure, wherein the main exposure condition is derived based on a preliminary exposure performed prior to the main exposure, and wherein the hardware processor (85) performs change processing of an execution mode of the main exposure in accordance with a determination result (see abstract; Figs. 1-11; paragraphs 0009, 0012, 0014, 0017, 0020-0023, 0038, 0039, 0043, 0077, 0079, 0080-0088, 0097, 0098, 0101, 0102-0105 and 0108; claims 1-15).
PNG
media_image2.png
637
367
media_image2.png
Greyscale
PNG
media_image3.png
458
591
media_image3.png
Greyscale
With respect to claim 2, Tajima teaches the processing apparatus according to claim 1 (see abstract; Figs. 1-11; paragraphs 0009, 0012, 0014, 0017, 0020-0023, 0038, 0039, 0043, 0077, 0079, 0080-0088, 0097, 0098, 0101, 0102-0105 and 0108; claims 1-15), wherein the hardware processor starts the main exposure at a timing of derivation end of the main exposure condition or a timing being at which a at which the predetermined time elapses from predetermined time point regarding the preliminary exposure (see abstract; Figs. 1-11; paragraphs 0009, 0012, 0014, 0017, 0020-0023, 0038, 0039, 0043, 0077, 0079, 0080-0088, 0097, 0098, 0101, 0102-0105 and 0108; claims 1-15).
With respect to claim 3, Tajima teaches the processing apparatus according to claim 2 (see abstract; Figs. 1-11; paragraphs 0009, 0012, 0014, 0017, 0020-0023, 0038, 0039, 0043, 0077, 0079, 0080-0088, 0097, 0098, 0101, 0102-0105 and 0108; claims 1-15), wherein the hardware processor determines that the main exposure condition is not usable when the derivation of the main exposure is not ended (see abstract; Figs. 1-11; paragraphs 0009, 0012, 0014, 0017, 0020-0023, 0038, 0039, 0043, 0077, 0079, 0080-0088, 0097, 0098, 0101, 0102-0105 and 0108; claims 1-15).
PNG
media_image4.png
379
711
media_image4.png
Greyscale
With respect to claim 4, Tajima teaches the processing apparatus according to claim 2 (see abstract; Figs. 1-11; paragraphs 0009, 0012, 0014, 0017, 0020-0023, 0038, 0039, 0043, 0077, 0079, 0080-0088, 0097, 0098, 0101, 0102-0105 and 0108; claims 1-15), wherein the predetermined time is determined based on at least one or more of information on an imaging condition for the subject in a radiation imaging system, information on a user, and information on a transfer time of a preliminary exposure image in the preliminary exposure (see abstract; Figs. 1-11; paragraphs 0009, 0012, 0014, 0017, 0020-0023, 0038, 0039, 0043, 0077, 0079, 0080-0088, 0097, 0098, 0101, 0102-0105 and 0108; claims 1-15).
With respect to claim 5, Tajima teaches the processing apparatus according to claim 1 (see abstract; Figs. 1-11; paragraphs 0009, 0012, 0014, 0017, 0020-0023, 0038, 0039, 0043, 0077, 0079, 0080-0088, 0097, 0098, 0101, 0102-0105 and 0108; claims 1-15), wherein the hardware processor starts the main exposure using a preliminary exposure condition when determining that the main exposure condition is not usable (see abstract; Figs. 1-11; paragraphs 0009, 0012, 0014, 0017, 0020-0023, 0038, 0039, 0043, 0077, 0079, 0080-0088, 0097, 0098, 0101, 0102-0105 and 0108; claims 1-15).
With respect to claim 12, Tajima teaches the processing apparatus according to claim 5 (see abstract; Figs. 1-11; paragraphs 0009, 0012, 0014, 0017, 0020-0023, 0038, 0039, 0043, 0077, 0079, 0080-0088, 0097, 0098, 0101, 0102-0105 and 0108; claims 1-15), further comprising: a display that displays the preliminary exposure condition before the preliminary exposure is performed (see abstract; Figs. 1-11; paragraphs 0009, 0012, 0014, 0017, 0020-0023, 0038, 0039, 0043, 0077, 0079, 0080-0088, 0097, 0098, 0101, 0102-0105 and 0108; claims 1-15).
With respect to claim 13, Tajima teaches the processing apparatus according to claim 5 (see abstract; Figs. 1-11; paragraphs 0009, 0012, 0014, 0017, 0020-0023, 0038, 0039, 0043, 0077, 0079, 0080-0088, 0097, 0098, 0101, 0102-0105 and 0108; claims 1-15), further comprising: a display that varies display contents of the preliminary exposure condition before and after use of the preliminary exposure condition is determined (see abstract; Figs. 1-11; paragraphs 0009, 0012, 0014, 0017, 0020-0023, 0038, 0039, 0043, 0077, 0079, 0080-0088, 0097, 0098, 0101, 0102-0105 and 0108; claims 1-15).
With respect to claim 14, Tajima teaches the processing apparatus according to claim 12 (see abstract; Figs. 1-11; paragraphs 0009, 0012, 0014, 0017, 0020-0023, 0038, 0039, 0043, 0077, 0079, 0080-0088, 0097, 0098, 0101, 0102-0105 and 0108; claims 1-15), wherein the display does not display the preliminary exposure condition until use of the preliminary exposure condition is determined and displays the preliminary exposure condition after the use of the preliminary exposure condition is determined (see abstract; Figs. 1-11; paragraphs 0009, 0012, 0014, 0017, 0020-0023, 0038, 0039, 0043, 0077, 0079, 0080-0088, 0097, 0098, 0101, 0102-0105 and 0108; claims 1-15).
With respect to claim 15, Tajima teaches the processing apparatus according to claim 1 (see abstract; Figs. 1-11; paragraphs 0009, 0012, 0014, 0017, 0020-0023, 0038, 0039, 0043, 0077, 0079, 0080-0088, 0097, 0098, 0101, 0102-0105 and 0108; claims 1-15), wherein the hardware processor determines that the main exposure condition is not usable when the main exposure condition of the main exposure derived based on the preliminary exposure is outside the range of a predetermined condition in a radiation imaging system (see abstract; Figs. 1-11; paragraphs 0009, 0012, 0014, 0017, 0020-0023, 0038, 0039, 0043, 0077, 0079, 0080-0088, 0097, 0098, 0101, 0102-0105 and 0108; claims 1-15).
With respect to claim 16, Tajima teaches the processing apparatus according to claim 1 (see abstract; Figs. 1-11; paragraphs 0009, 0012, 0014, 0017, 0020-0023, 0038, 0039, 0043, 0077, 0079, 0080-0088, 0097, 0098, 0101, 0102-0105 and 0108; claims 1-15), wherein the hardware processor does not perform an image addition of the preliminary exposure image based on the preliminary exposure and the main exposure image based on the main exposure when determining that the main exposure condition is not usable (see abstract; Figs. 1-11; paragraphs 0009, 0012, 0014, 0017, 0020-0023, 0038, 0039, 0043, 0077, 0079, 0080-0088, 0097, 0098, 0101, 0102-0105 and 0108; claims 1-15).
With respect to claim 17, Tajima teaches a radiation imaging system (2), comprising (see abstract; Figs. 1-11; paragraphs 0009, 0012, 0014, 0017, 0020-0023, 0038, 0039, 0043, 0077, 0079, 0080-0088, 0097, 0098, 0101, 0102-0105 and 0108; claims 1-15):
PNG
media_image1.png
445
651
media_image1.png
Greyscale
a radiation irradiation apparatus (2a) that emits radiation for exposure; a radiation imaging apparatus (15) that generates image data of an exposure image by receiving an exposure of the radiation; and a processing apparatus comprising a hardware processor (58) that determines whether or not a main exposure condition of a main exposure being an exposure of radiation for a subject is usable by a start timing of the main exposure, wherein the main exposure condition is derived based on a preliminary exposure performed prior to the main exposure, and wherein the hardware processor performs change processing of an execution mode of the main exposure in accordance with a determination result.
PNG
media_image2.png
637
367
media_image2.png
Greyscale
PNG
media_image3.png
458
591
media_image3.png
Greyscale
With respect to claim 18, Tajima teaches the radiation imaging system according to claim 17 (see abstract; Figs. 1-11; paragraphs 0009, 0012, 0014, 0017, 0020-0023, 0038, 0039, 0043, 0077, 0079, 0080-0088, 0097, 0098, 0101, 0102-0105 and 0108; claims 1-15), further comprising: a counter that measures a time to derive the main exposure condition of the main exposure (see abstract; Figs. 1-11; paragraphs 0009, 0012, 0014, 0017, 0020-0023, 0038, 0039, 0043, 0077, 0079, 0080-0088, 0097, 0098, 0101, 0102-0105 and 0108; claims 1-15).
With respect to claim 19, Tajima teaches the radiation imaging system according to claim 17 (see abstract; Figs. 1-11; paragraphs 0009, 0012, 0014, 0017, 0020-0023, 0038, 0039, 0043, 0077, 0079, 0080-0088, 0097, 0098, 0101, 0102-0105 and 0108; claims 1-15), further comprising: a console that performs sets of the radiation irradiation apparatus, wherein the console does not use radio communication to communicate with the radiation irradiation apparatus (see abstract; Figs. 1-11; paragraphs 0009, 0012, 0014, 0017, 0020-0023, 0038, 0039, 0043, 0077, 0079, 0080-0088, 0097, 0098, 0101, 0102-0105 and 0108; claims 1-15).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 6-11 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter:
With respect to claims 6-8, the most relevant prior art, Tajima (US PAP 2013/0121464 A1) teaches the processing apparatus according to claim 5 (see abstract; Figs. 1-11; paragraphs 0009, 0012, 0014, 0017, 0020-0023, 0038, 0039, 0043, 0077, 0079, 0080-0088, 0097, 0098, 0101, 0102-0105 and 0108; claims 1-15) but fails to explicitly teach or make obvious that the hardware processor determines whether the main exposure condition is used for the main exposure instead of the preliminary exposure condition when the main exposure condition of the main exposure is derived based on the preliminary exposure after the main exposure is started using the preliminary exposure condition as claimed in combination with all of the remaining limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
With respect to claims 9-11, the most relevant prior art, Tajima (US PAP 2013/0121464 A1) teaches the processing apparatus according to claim 5 (see abstract; Figs. 1-11; paragraphs 0009, 0012, 0014, 0017, 0020-0023, 0038, 0039, 0043, 0077, 0079, 0080-0088, 0097, 0098, 0101, 0102-0105 and 0108; claims 1-15) but fails to explicitly teach or make obvious that the hardware processor determines the preliminary exposure condition based on at least one or more of an imaging area and an imaging direction of the subject in a radiation system, information on body thickness of a patient, information on body shape of the patient, information on imaging distance, presence/absence and type of additional filters, and presence/absence and type of grids as claimed in combination with all of the remaining limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Sugizaki (US PAP 2013/0208860 A1; see abstract; Figs. 1-11; paragraphs 0036-0061), Sato (US PAP 2013/0223592 A1; see abstract; Figs. 1-14; paragraphs 0039-0060) and Tajima (US PAP 2013/0251106 A1; see abstract; Figs. 1-27; paragraphs 0054-0080) teach the variety of radiation image detecting devices and control methods thereof.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to IRAKLI KIKNADZE whose telephone number is (571)272-6494. The examiner can normally be reached 9:00 AM - 6:00 PM.
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, David J. Makiya can be reached at 571-272-2273. 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.
Irakli Kiknadze
/IRAKLI KIKNADZE/
Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2884
/I.K./ July 24, 2026
Prosecution Insights