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 statement (IDS) submitted on 03/11/2025 is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
Response to Preliminary Amendment
The preliminary amendment filed 03/11/2025 has been entered.
Claims 1-7 have been amended.
Claims 8-16 have been added.
Claims 1-16 are pending.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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 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.
Claims 1, 3-5, 7-10 and 12-15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Malpezzi et al (“Malpezzi” hereinafter, U.S. Publication No. 2019/0094018 A1) in view of Zhang (“Acquiring 3-D models from sequences of contours”, see IDS filed 03/11/2015).
As per claim 1, Malpezzi discloses a method for checking dimensions or geometrical features of a mechanical part (paragraph [0015]: “a method for measuring the axial runout of a plane surface of a workpiece with respect to an axis of rotation”), the method comprising: rotating the mechanical part about a rotation axis (paragraph [0022]: “a motorized rotating holding mechanism 5, which is mounted on the fixed frame 4 for axially retaining the shaft 3, and so the workpiece 2, and for rotating it about an axis of rotation 6”); acquiring, at successive angles of rotation, two-dimensional images of the mechanical part using an optoelectronic system (paragraph [0022]: “an optoelectronic sensor 12, which is mounted on the fork 9 to acquire linear images of the workpiece 2 transverse to the axis of rotation 6”; paragraphs [0024]-[0024]); checking dimensions or geometrical features of the mechanical part (paragraph [0010]: “calculate the axial runout based on all positions of the plane surface”; paragraph [0029]: “the plane surface 22 to be measured”).
However, Malpezzi does not explicitly teach extracting, from each two-dimensional image, of a detected profile; transforming the points of each detected profile into points of a measured profile in a cartesian reference system, which includes a measurement plane and in which an axis of a first coordinate coincided with the rotation axis; identifying, in the cartesian reference system, edge points of each measurement profile in correspondence of a same value of the first coordinate; evaluating the variation of the positions of the edge point as a function of the angle rotation and calculating, based on the variation, the positions of the points of the surface of the mechanical part corresponding to the edge point of the measurement profiles with respect to the measurement plane, and the spatial coordinate of the point of the surface of the mechanical part; repeating the identifying the evaluating steps for a predetermined number of values of the first coordinate.
Zhang teaches an image processing method for computing object shape from contour for acquiring 3D graphics models. Zhang teaches extracting, from each two-dimensional image, of a detected profile (section II: paragraph 2: contour point P on the planar curve); transforming the points of each detected profile into points of a measured profile in a cartesian reference system, which includes a measurement plane and in which an axis of a first coordinate coincided with the rotation axis (section II: A: last paragraph and equation 4); identifying, in the cartesian reference system, edge points of each measurement profile in correspondence of a same value of the first coordinate (section II, paragraph 1: “The 3-D surface of the object can therefore be decomposed into many 2-D curves on the cross sections of the surface with connected rotational planes”; section III: paragraphs 2-3; ); evaluating the variation of the positions of the edge point as a function of the angle rotation and calculating, based on the variation, the positions of the points of the surface of the mechanical part corresponding to the edge point of the measurement profiles with respect to the measurement plane, and the spatial coordinate of the point of the surface of the mechanical part (abstract: “A smooth convex shape can be estimated instantaneously from its contour and by the first derivative of contour movement (trace of contour, or contour distribution with time”; section II: see equation 4; section III: paragraph 5); repeating the identifying the evaluating steps for a predetermined number of values of the first coordinate (P(x,z) is computed from w(θ) repeatedly for each cross section, which is represented by y in w(θ, y)).
At the time of the invention, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art to modify Malpezzi in light of Zhang’s image processing method to computing a mechanical workpiece surface. One would be motivated to so because it would allow the Malpezzi’s system to build a geometrical object model using contours and contour movements, which allows the object shapes to be built in real time (see abstract in Zhang).
As per claim 3, the combination of Malpezzi and Zhang teaches wherein the two-dimensional images of the mechanical part are acquired using a bidimensional sensor of the optoelectronic system (Malpezzi: paragraph [0025]: the linear image sensor 19 are provided with respective telecentric or bi-telecentric optics).
As per claim 4, the combination of Malpezzi and Zhang teaches wherein the two-dimensional images of the mechanical part are acquired using a linear sensor of the optoelectronic system (paragraph [0024]: linear image sensor 19).
As per claim 5, the combination of Malpezzi and Zhang teaches wherein the mechanical part defines an external thread and an operative axis (paragraph [0023]).
As per claim 7, see explanation in claim 1, and see figures 1 and 2 for reference and support device, optoelectronic system (optoelectronic sensor 12) and control and processing unit (control unit 20).
As per claim 8, the combination of Malpezzi and Zhang teaches wherein the optoelectronic system is of the shadow-casting type and comprises linear or matrix sensors and telecentric optics (paragraph [0024]: “The optoelectronic probe 12 also includes a linear image sensor 19 (FIG. 2), which is arranged on the arm 11 so as to be aligned with the illuminator 17, and so is oriented parallel to a plane perpendicular to the axis of rotation 6, for acquiring images of the workpiece 2 according to the shadow casting technique”).
As per claim 9, the combination of Malpezzi and Zhang teaches wherein the linear sensor of the optoelectronic system scans the mechanical part in a direction parallel to the rotation axis (paragraph [0025]: “The illuminator 17 and the linear image sensor 19 are provided with respective telecentric or bi-telecentric optics to ensure that the rays of the beam 18 are parallel to one another”).
As per claim 10, the combination of Malpezzi and Zhang teaches wherein the optoelectronic system is of the shadow-casting type and comprises linear or matrix sensors and telecentric optics (paragraph [0024]: “shadow-casting technique”).
As per claim 12, see explanation in claim 3 above.
As per claim 13, see explanation in claim 4 above.
As per claim 14, see explanation in claim 9 above.
As per claim 15, see explanation in claim 5 above.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 2, 6, 11 and 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.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to TOM Y LU whose telephone number is (571)272-7393. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday, 9AM - 5PM.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Matthew Bella can be reached at (571) 272 - 7778. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/TOM Y LU/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2667
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