DETAILED ACTION
Non-Final Rejection
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 .
Benefit of an Earlier Filing
Acknowledgment is made of applicant’s claim for foreign priority under 35 U.S.C. 119 (a)-(d). The certified copy has been filed in Foreign Application No. (JP) 2024-032637 filed on 5th March, 2024.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 02/20/2025 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 § 103
This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention(s) absent any evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and effective filing dates of each claim that was not commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the later invention in order for the examiner to consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) for any potential 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) prior art against the later invention.
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.
The factual inquiries set forth in Graham v. John Deere Co., 383 U.S. 1, 148 USPQ 459 (1966), that are applied for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
Claim(s) 1-4 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over IWAMA (US 2016/0095582 A1) in view of COLBY (US 2009/0018443 A1).
Referring to Claim 1, IWAMA teaches an ultrasound diagnostic apparatus ([0015]; [0017]; [0020]) comprising:
a transducer array having a plurality of transducers ([0015]; [0018]: the ultrasonic probe 2 includes a plurality of piezoelectric transducers that are arranged in parallel and mounted on the distal end of the ultrasonic probe 2. Each piezoelectric transducer generates an ultrasonic wave in response to the driving pulse string (driving signal) transmitted and supplied from a transmission/reception unit 20);
a transmission and reception circuit that causes the plurality of transducers to perform transmission and reception according to a transmission and reception sequence ([0022]: The transmission/reception unit 20 includes transmission circuitry, reception circuitry and a sequence controller. The transmission circuitry transmits driving pulse strings to the respective piezoelectric transducers of the ultrasonic probe 2. The reception circuitry generates a reception signal based on the echo signal generated by each piezoelectric transducer; [0023]: an ultrasonic transmission/reception sequence) including a first transmission and reception period in which an ultrasonic wave for generating a shear wave is transmitted and received ([0004]; [0023]; [0044]; [0046]; [0050]: a push pulse transmission period as part of the SWE sequence; a transmission mode period which push pulses are transmitted to generate shear waves ), a second transmission and reception period in which an ultrasonic wave for observing a shear wave is transmitted and received a plurality of times ([0023]; [0046]; [0052]: a tracking period […] the measurement of the propagation velocity of a shear wave), and an idle period in which no ultrasonic wave is transmitted ([0041]; [0044]-[0045]; [0064]);
wherein phasing addition unit executes a process of generating the plurality of reception beam signals corresponding to one transmission, by using at least a part of a time having a length corresponding to the idle period in addition to a time having a length corresponding to the second transmission and reception period ([0051]-[0054]; [0064]).
IWAMA doesn’t explicitly teach a first storage unit that is provided for each transducer and stores, for each transmission of the ultrasonic waves for observing a shear wave in the second transmission and reception period, a reception signal through the transducer in response to the transmission; a second storage unit that is provided for each transducer and has at least two line memories used to store the reception signals corresponding to different transmissions of the ultrasonic waves for observing a shear wave, the reception signals being read out from the first storage unit; and a phasing addition unit that generates a plurality of reception beam signals by performing phasing addition for each of a plurality of different delay patterns on a set of the reception signals for the plurality of transducers corresponding to the same transmission, the set of the reception signals being read out from the line memories of the second storage unit provided for each transducer, according to the delay pattern.
COLBY teaches a first storage unit that is provided for each transducer and stores, for each transmission of the ultrasonic waves for observing a shear wave in the second transmission and reception period ([0025]-[0026]; [0031]-[0034]), a reception signal through the transducer in response to the transmission ([0003]; [0006]-[0009]; [0015]; [0032]-[0035]);
a second storage unit that is provided for each transducer and has at least two line memories ([0009]; [0014]; [0026]; [0029]; [0035]) used to store the reception signals corresponding to different transmissions of the ultrasonic waves for observing a shear wave, the reception signals being read out from the first storage unit ([0006]; [0009]; [0025]-[0026]; [0033]-[0035); and
a phasing addition unit that generates a plurality of reception beam signals ([0003]-[0005]; [0007]; [0009]; [0027]; [0037]) by performing phasing addition for each of a plurality of different delay patterns ([0003]; [0027]; [0029]; [0037]) on a set of the reception signals for the plurality of transducers corresponding to the same transmission ([0014]; [0026]-[0027]; [0029]), the set of the reception signals being read out from the line memories of the second storage unit provided for each transducer, according to the delay pattern ([0026]-[0027]; [0029]).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the ultrasound diagnostic apparatus disclosed in IWAMA with the multiple memory receive beamforming arrangement taught in COLBY with a reasonable expectation of success because it would have permitted multiple beams to be generated without duplicating beamforming hardware by storing reception data from a receive event in memory and subsequently generating receive beams from the same stored data; thereby reducing hardware requirements and power consumption while retaining the ability to generate a desired number of receive beams as taught by COLBY ([0004]-[0005]; [0027]-[0030], [0036]-[0037])
Referring to Claim 2, IWAMA, as modified teaches the ultrasound diagnostic apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the idle period includes a charging period required for transmitting the ultrasonic wave for generating a shear wave ([0005]; [0051]-[0054], [0061]; [0064]) from end of the second transmission and reception period until start of the first transmission and reception period in the next transmission and reception sequence ([0046]; [0052]-[0054]; [0064]).
Referring to Claim 3, IWAMA, as modified teaches the ultrasound diagnostic apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the idle period includes a cooling period ([0065]; [0070]; [0079]) for cooling the transducer array ([0065]; [0070]; [0079]) after the second transmission and reception period ([0046]; [0052]-[0054]; [0066]).
Referring to Claim 4, COLBY teaches the ultrasound diagnostic apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:
a generation unit that generates ([0027]), before each of the individual transmissions in the second transmission and reception period starts ([0024]-[0028]), a parameter for the phasing addition ([0027]-[0028]) for the reception signal corresponding to the transmission ([0026]-[0027]; [0031]-[0034]),
wherein the second storage unit is configured in an internal memory ([0026]; [0029]; [0035]) in the same integrated circuit as the phasing addition unit ([0040]), whereas the first storage unit is configured in an external memory externally attached to the integrated circuit ([0014]; [0040]), and
the parameter generated by the generation unit is temporarily stored in the external memory, and is read from the external memory to the internal memory in a case of being used for the phasing addition ([0027]).
Claim(s) 5-6 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over IWAMA in view of COLBY as applied to Claim(s) 1 above, and further in view of OELZE (US 2024/0045043 A1).
Referring to Claim 5, IWAMA teaches the ultrasound diagnostic apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising: a generation unit ([0022]-[0023]) that generates ([0027]), before each of the individual transmissions in the second transmission and reception period starts ([0023]; [0046]; [0052]).
IWAMA doesn’t explicitly teach a parameter for the phasing addition for the reception signal corresponding to the transmission, wherein the second storage unit is configured in an internal memory in the same integrated circuit as the phasing addition unit, whereas the first storage unit is configured in an external memory externally attached to the integrated circuit, and the parameter generated by the generation unit is temporarily stored in the external memory, and is read from the external memory to the internal memory in a case of being used for the phasing addition.
COLBY teaches a generation unit that generates ([0027]), a parameter for the phasing addition for the reception signal corresponding to the transmission ([0026]-[0027]; [0031]-[0034]);
the parameter generated by the generation unit ([0027]).
OELZE the second storage unit is configured in an internal memory ([0004]; [0053]: a memory beamformer and the implementation of the beamforming buffers using FPGA internal memory such as block RAM (BRAM)) in the same integrated circuit as the phasing addition unit ([0017]; [0022]; [0053]; [0059]), whereas the first storage unit is configured in an external memory ([0017]: run-time pre-calculated delay profile loading from external memory) externally attached to the integrated circuit ([0022]; [0025]: wherein, the processing unit 114 and the memory 118 can be included in the FPGA-based beamformer 150 or can be separate units from the FPGA-based beamformer 150), and
the parameter generated by the generation unit ([0004]; [0027]-[0029]: the ultrasound system can pre-calculate the delay profile matrix) is temporarily stored in the external memory ([0017]; [0027]: wherein the pre-calculated delay-profile information is stored in memory and the run-time pre-calculated delay-profile loading from external memory; therefore, the profile resides in the external storage before being loaded for beamforming), and is read from the external memory to the internal memory ([0004]; [0017]: enables both run-time pre-calculated delay profile loading from external memory together with loading a selected delay profile into a memory buffer of the FPGA. This, the delay parameter is transferred from external storage into internal FPGA memory for use by the beamformer) in a case of being used for the phasing addition ().
Referring to Claim 6, IWAMA, as modified teaches the ultrasound diagnostic apparatus according to claim 3, but doesn’t explicitly teach further comprising: a generation unit that generates, before each of the individual transmissions in the second transmission and reception period starts, a parameter for the phasing addition for the reception signal corresponding to the transmission, wherein the second storage unit is configured in an internal memory in the same integrated circuit as the phasing addition unit, whereas the first storage unit is configured in an external memory externally attached to the integrated circuit, and the parameter generated by the generation unit is temporarily stored in the external memory, and is read from the external memory to the internal memory in a case of being used for the phasing addition.
COLBY teaches a generation unit that generates ([0027]), before each of the individual transmissions in the second transmission and reception period starts, a parameter for the phasing addition for the reception signal corresponding to the transmission ([0026]-[0026]),
OELZE teaches a generation unit that generates, before each of the individual transmissions in the second transmission and reception period starts, a parameter for the phasing addition for the reception signal corresponding to the transmission ([0034]-[0035]; [0054]-[0055])
wherein the second storage unit is configured in an internal memory ([0053]; [0063]) in the same integrated circuit as the phasing addition unit ([0053]; [0063]), whereas the first storage unit is configured in an external memory externally attached to the integrated circuit ([0063]), and
the parameter generated by the generation unit is temporarily stored in the external memory ([0027]), and is read from the external memory ([0027]) to the internal memory ([0037]) in a case of being used for the phasing addition ([0037]; [0041]-[0042]).
Examiner’s Note
Examiner has pointed out particular references contained in the prior art of record in the body of this action for the convenience of the Applicant. However, any citation to specific, pages, columns, lines, or figures in the prior art references and any interpretation of the references should not be considered to be limiting in any way. A reference is relevant for all it contains and may be relied upon for all that it would have reasonably suggested to one having ordinary skill in the art. In re Heck, 699 F.2d 1331, 1332-33, 216 USPQ 1038, 1039 (Fed. Cir. 1983) (quoting In re Lemelson, 397 F.2d 1006, 1009, 158 USPQ 275, 277 (CCPA 1968)). Applicant, in preparing the response, should consider fully the entire reference as potentially teaching all or part of the claimed invention, as well as the context of the passage as taught by the prior art or disclosed by the Examiner.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
CLARK, (US 2019/0231320 A1) teaches ultrasonic shear wave imaging with background motion compensation.
PRICE (US 2019/0361102 A1) teaches delay and apodization control interface for ultrasound beamformer.
MIRANTO (US 2019/0102046 A1) teaches layer for inducing varying delays in ultrasonic signals propagating in ultrasonic sensor.
DAVIS (US 2017/0209121 A1) teaches ultrasound imaging with sparse array probes.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to AMIE M N'DURE whose telephone number is (571)272-6031. The examiner can normally be reached on 8AM-5:30PM.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Isam Alsomiri can be reached on 571-272-6970. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300. Information regarding the status of an application may be obtained from the Patent Application Information Retrieval (PAIR) system. Status information for published applications may be obtained from either Private PAIR or Public PAIR. Status information for unpublished applications is available through Private PAIR only. For more information about the PAIR system, see http://pair-direct.uspto.gov. Should you have questions on access to the Private PAIR system, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative or access to the automated information system, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
/AMIE M NDURE/Examiner, Art Unit 3645
/ABDALLAH ABULABAN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3645
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