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 § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claim 17 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
In particular, claim 17 is directed to an object, comprising a plate, an X-ray detectable feature fixed to one side of the plate, and an optically detectable feature comprising a sheet of material having a 2D pattern, the sheet of material being attachable to another side of the plate at a predetermined location. The remaining limitations of claim 17 are drawn to method steps that include:
the optically detectable feature is removed from the plate before the reference object is used to perform calibration of the X-ray scanner, and the optically detectable feature is attached to the plate at the fixed location before the reference object is used to perform calibration of the one or more optical cameras,
which renders the claim ambiguous as it is unclear whether the claim is directed to the statutory class of apparatus or method. For purposes of examination, Examiner treats the limitation as directed to an apparatus and suggests the method recitation be removed to obviate ambiguity.
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 –
Claim(s) 14 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102a1 as being anticipated by Lin (U.S. Patent 10,492,755).
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As per claim 14, Lin discloses a reference object (phantom (74); Fig. 5A) comprising:
an X-ray detectable feature at multiple fixed locations of the reference object (radio-opaque markers (40)), and
an optically detectable feature at a fixed location of the reference object (markers (30)), and
wherein a relative location between the X-ray detectable feature and the optically detectable feature is predetermined (see e.g. Fig. 5A).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 1-13 and 18-20 are allowed.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter:
As per claim 1 and dependent claims 2-13, the Examiner found no reference in the prior art that disclosed or rendered obvious a method comprising the step(s) of:
calculating, for each of one or more optical cameras, a second transformation matrix using a reference image of an optically detectable feature,
wherein the second transformation matrix aligns a second volume space that defines the optically detectable feature with the 2D coordinate system of the optical camera;
producing, for each of the one or more optical cameras, a calibration transformation matrix using (i) the first transformation matrix, (ii) the second transformation matrix, and (iii) a third transformation matrix that aligns the first volume space and the second volume space based on the predetermined relative location between an X-ray detectable feature and the optically detectable feature in the reference object,
wherein the calibration transformation matrix projects an image of a scan object captured using the optical camera and in the 2D coordinate system of the optical camera to the 3D coordinate system of the X-ray scanner; and
providing the calibration transformation matrix, which is used in aligning an image of a physical object obtained using the optical camera with a CT reconstruction volume of the physical object obtained using the X-ray scanner and including all limitations recited in independent claim 1.
As per claim 18 and dependent claim 19, the Examiner found no reference in the prior art that disclosed or rendered obvious a system comprising a data processing apparatus including at least one hardware processor; and a non-transitory computer-readable medium encoding instructions configured to cause the data processing apparatus to perform operations comprising:
calculating, for each of one or more optical cameras, a second transformation matrix using a reference image of an optically detectable feature, wherein the second transformation matrix aligns a second volume space that defines the optically detectable feature with a 2D coordinate system of the optical camera;
producing, for each of the one or more optical cameras, a calibration transformation matrix using (i) a first transformation matrix, (ii) the second transformation matrix, and (iii) a third transformation matrix that aligns the first volume space and the second volume space based on the predetermined relative location between an X-ray detectable feature and the optically detectable feature in the reference object,
wherein the calibration transformation matrix projects an image of a scan object captured using the optical camera and in the 2D coordinate system of the optical camera to the 3D coordinate system of the X-ray scanner; and
providing the calibration transformation matrix, which is used in aligning an image of a physical object obtained using the optical camera with a CT reconstruction volume of the physical object obtained using the X-ray scanner and including all limitations recited in independent claim 18.
As per claim 20, the Examiner found no reference in the prior art that disclosed or rendered obvious non-transitory computer-readable medium encoding instructions operable to cause data processing apparatus to perform operations comprising:
calculating, for each of one or more optical cameras, a second transformation matrix using a reference image of an optically detectable feature, wherein the second transformation matrix aligns a second volume space that defines the optically detectable feature with a 2D coordinate system of the optical camera;
producing, for each of the one or more optical cameras, a calibration transformation matrix using (i) a first transformation matrix, (ii) the second transformation matrix, and (iii) a third transformation matrix that aligns the first volume space and the second volume space based on a predetermined relative location between an X-ray detectable feature and the optically detectable feature in the reference object,
wherein the calibration transformation matrix projects an image of a scan object captured using the optical camera and in the 2D coordinate system of the optical camera to the 3D coordinate system of the X-ray scanner; and
providing the calibration transformation matrix, which is used in aligning an image of a physical object obtained using the optical camera with a CT reconstruction volume of the physical object obtained using the X-ray scanner and including all limitations recited in independent claim 20.
Claims 15-16 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.
As per claim 15 and dependent claim 16, the Examiner found no reference in the prior art that disclosed or rendered obvious a reference object comprising: a plate, the X-ray detectable feature comprising three or more spheres fixed to one side of the plate, wherein an absolute difference between an X-ray attenuation coefficient of the spheres and an X-ray attenuation coefficient of the plate is larger than a threshold, and the optically detectable feature comprising a sheet of material having a 2D pattern, the sheet of material being attachable to another side of the plate at a predetermined location.
Claim 17 would be allowable if rewritten to overcome the rejection(s) under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), 2nd paragraph, set forth in this Office action and to include all of the 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:
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U.S. Patent Application Publication 20250191279 to Gregerson discloses a multimodal optical/X-ray calibration system (110) including a reference object (111), one or more optical cameras (114), an X-ray source (115B), an X-ray detector (115A). Paragraphs [0084-0085] further disclose optically detectable features and X-ray detectable features associated with the reference object However, Gregerson does not disclose or render obvious the method ad system as recited in independent claims 1, 18 and 20, noted above.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to COURTNEY D THOMAS whose telephone number is (571)272-2496. The examiner can normally be reached M-F: 9 AM - 5 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 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.
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/COURTNEY D THOMAS/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2884
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