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.
Claims 1-12 are 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.
Claim 1 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being incomplete for omitting essential steps, such omission amounting to a gap between the steps. See MPEP § 2172.01. Independent claim 1 recites:
“A radiation imaging system comprising: a controller comprising a hardware processor; and a storage, wherein the hardware processor, under control of a program stored in the storage, performs processes comprising:
obtaining a radiation image including a plurality of frame images;
calculating an exposure index representative value of the radiation image, based on information obtained from the radiation image; and
setting a target value of an exposure index differently for each of at least one imaging mode of the radiation imaging system, and
wherein the target value of the exposure index represents a preferable value of the exposure index representative value.”
The claim recites “calculating an exposure index representative value of the radiation image, based on information obtained from the radiation image.” The omitted steps are: the step(s) comprising “setting a target value of an exposure index differently for each of at least one imaging mode of the radiation imaging system, and wherein the target value of the exposure index represents a preferable value of the exposure index representative value.” It is not understood how this is done. Specifically, it is not understood the relationship between the exposure index representative value and if and/or how it is used to set a target value of an exposure index differently for each of at least one imaging mode of the radiation imaging system, and wherein the target value of the exposure index represents a preferable value of the exposure index representative value. It is not understood how the preferable value of the exposure index representative value is determined. Also, it is noted that the disclosure teaches two imaging modes: still image imaging mode and dynamic image imaging mode (page 5, lines 15-16). But only “at least one imaging mode” as claimed is required. The metes and bounds of the claim are indeterminable.
Claims 2-11 are rejected by virtue of their dependency on claim 1.
Independent claim 12 is rejected for reasons similar to the rejection of independent claim 1 above.
Conclusion
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/JURIE YUN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2884
August 17, 2026
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