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 § 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 –
(a)(1) the claimed invention was patented, described in a printed publication, or in public use, on sale, or otherwise available to the public before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
(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 1-4 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) & (a)(2) as being anticipated by Tapia et al (U.S. PGPub # 2020/0333294).
Regarding Independent claim 1, Tapia teaches:
An eddy-current flaw detection device comprising:
a probe configured to detect a change in eddy-current (Fig. 6 Elements 44 & 44a. See paragraph 0085.) in a component surface of an inspection object (Fig. 6 Elements 16 & 17. See paragraphs 0085-0086.); and
a control unit configured to cause the probe to scan the component surface along a scanning path (Fig. 6 Element 126. See paragraph 0085.) that crosses an edge of the component surface (Fig. 6 Elements 15, 16 & 17. See paragraph 0085.); wherein
the scanning path includes a first scanning path that is scanned in a first direction from a first region of the component surface adjacent to an edge region extending along the edge to a region outside the edge across the edge region (Fig. 4A & 4B Elements 182, 188, respectively. Fig. 6 Element 212. See paragraphs 0074-0075 & 089.), and
the probe scans along the first scanning path to detect the change in eddy-current in the edge region (Fig. 4A & 4B Elements 182 & 188, respectively. Fig. 6 Element 212. See paragraphs 0074-0075 & 089.).
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Regarding claim 2, Tapia teaches all elements of claim 1, upon which this claim depends.
Tapia teaches the scanning path includes a second scanning path that is scanned in a second direction from the region outside the edge to the first region across the edge (Fig. 4A & 4B Elements 182 & 188, respectively. Fig. 6 Element 212. In both figures 4 & 6 there are scanning paths along elements and between them. See paragraphs 0072, 0074-0076, 0078 & 0089.), and the probe scans along the second scanning path to detect the change in eddy-current in the first region (Fig. 4A & 4B Elements 182 & 188, respectively. Fig. 6 Element 212. See paragraphs 0072, 0074-0076, 0078 & 0089. See also the abstract.).
Regarding claim 3, Tapia teaches all elements of claim 1, upon which this claim depends.
Tapia teaches a determination unit configured to determine a first region signal indicating the change in eddy-current in the first region (Fig. 6 Element 124. See paragraphs 0055, 0057-0058, 0060, 0062-0063, 0072, 0074-0076, 0078 & 0089. See also the Abstract.), wherein the first region signal includes: a first signal detected by scanning along the first scanning path and a second signal detected by scanning along the second scanning path (Fig. 4A & 4B Elements 182 & 188, respectively. See paragraphs 0055, 0057-0058, 0063, 0072, 0074-0076, 0078 & 0089.), and the determination unit determines one of the first signal and the second signal, which has a higher intensity, as the first region signal (Fig. 6 Element 124. 0055, 0057-0058, 0060, 0062-0063, 0072, 0074-0076, 0078 & 0089. See also the Abstract.).
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Regarding Independent claim 4, Tapia teaches:
An eddy-current flaw detection method comprising:
scanning (Fig. 4A & 4B Elements 182 & 188, respectively. Fig. 6 Element 212. See paragraphs 0074-0075 & 089.) a component surface of an inspection object (Fig. 6 Elements 16 & 17. See paragraphs 0085-0086.) by a probe that detects a change in eddy-current (Fig. 6 Elements 44 & 44a. See paragraph 0085.) in the component surface along a scanning path that crosses an edge of the component surface (Fig. 6 Elements 16 & 17. See paragraphs 0085-0086.); wherein
the scanning path includes a first scanning path that is scanned in the first direction from the first region of the component surface adjacent to the edge region extending along the edge toward the region outside the edge across the edge region (Fig. 4A & 4B Elements 182 & 188, respectively. Fig. 6 Element 212. See paragraphs 0074-0075 & 089.); and
the probe scans along the first scanning path to detect the change of eddy-current in the edge region (Fig. 4A & 4B Elements 182 & 188, respectively. Fig. 6 Element 212. See paragraphs 0074-0075 & 089.).
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Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. The prior art listed but not cited represents the previous state of the art and analogous art that teaches some of the limitations claimed by applicant.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to CHRISTOPHER P MCANDREW whose telephone number is (469)295-9025. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Thursday 6-4:30.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Lee Rodak can be reached on 571-270-5628. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/CHRISTOPHER P MCANDREW/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2858
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