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 .
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
Specification
The disclosure is objected to because of the following informalities:
In claim 1, applicant has amended the “a light irradiation device” to --a light irradiator--, further “an imaging device” to --an imager--. The specification needs to be amended to correlate to the proper reference numbers in the specification to the “irradiator” and “imager”.
Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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.
Claim(s) 1-13 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Levesque (2014/0160472) in view of JP20000285363.
Claim 1
Levesque (2014/0160472) discloses an image acquisition device (Fig. 4) comprising: a light irradiator (Fig. 4, Ref. 418) that irradiates a target object (Fig. 4, Ref. 402) with light from a range of a light irradiation unit (Fig. 4, Ref. 404); and an imager (Fig. 4, Ref. 410) configured to detect light that is specularly reflected (Abstract) by the target object (Fig. 4, Ref. 402) in the light, wherein a straight line connecting a center of the light irradiator (Fig. 4, Ref. 418) and an intersection between an optical axis of the imager (Fig. 4, Ref. 410) and the target object (Fig. 4, Ref. 402) is set to be inclined by 2 degrees or more and 120 degrees or less with respect to the optical axis (Para. 0074; 0 – 60 degrees), and a solid angle of the light irradiator as viewed from the intersection is set to 0 steradians or more and 0.15 steradians or less (Para. 0084; 0.15 steradian).
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Levesque (2014/0160472) substantially teaches the claimed invention except that it does not show an imager using an imaging lens. JP20000285363 shows that it is known to provide an imaging lens (Fig. 1, Ref. 12) for an imager (Fig. 1, Ref. 13) for a device for measuring detects of a surface. It would have been obvious to modify the device of Levesque (2014/0160472) with the use of an imaging lens JP20000285363 before the effective filing date of the claimed invention for the purpose of providing the ability to focuses light efficiently, controls brightness and sharpness, and tailors the image’s field of view and magnification, therefore providing higher quality images.
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Claim 2
Levesque (2014/0160472) discloses the image acquisition device (Fig. 1, Ref. 4) according to wherein the straight line connecting the center of the light irradiator (Fig. 1, Ref. 418) and the intersection is set to be inclined by 2 degrees or more and 90 degrees (Para. 0074; 0 – 60 degrees) or less with respect to the optical axis of the imager (Fig. 4, Ref. 410).
Claim 3
Levesque (2014/0160472) discloses the light irradiator (Fig. 4, Ref. 418) includes a point light source (See Ref. 418 in Fig. 4 is a point).
Claim 4
Levesque (2014/0160472) and JP20000285363 discloses the claimed invention except for the light irradiator includes the light irradiator in which a plurality of the point light sources are disposed. It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the effective filing date of the claimed invention was made to modify Levesque (2014/0160472) and JP20000285363 with a plurality of point light sources since it was well known in the art that using multiple light illumination points in image acquisition devices is a proven technique to increase resolution, improve depth perception, reduce noise, and minimize artifacts, therefore enabling more complex and accurate measurements. The examiner takes Official Notice that the elements listed above are well-known, or to be common knowledge in the art are capable of instant and unquestionable demonstration as being well-known.
Claim 5
Levesque (2014/0160472) discloses the light irradiator includes a light scanning unit (Fig. 2, Ref. 208; conveyor) that scans the target object (Fig. 2, Ref. 200) with the light (as the object moves along the conveyor the object is scanned).
Claim 6
Levesque (2014/0160472) discloses the light irradiator (Fig. 4, Ref. 418) includes a member (Fig. 4, Ref. 422) that limits a range of the irradiation with the light to the range of the light irradiator (Ref. 422 converging lens limits the range of the irradiator).
Claim 7
Levesque (2014/0160472) discloses a transport device (Fig. 2, Ref. 208; conveyor belt) that transports the target object (Fig. 2, Ref. 200) in a predetermined direction (conveyor belts moves in a predetermined direction); and an inspection processing unit (Fig. 4, Ref. 414; analyzing unit) configured to inspect the target object (Fig. 4, Ref. 402) based on data output from the image acquisition device (Fig. 4, Ref. 400).
Claim 8
Levesque (2014/0160472) discloses an image acquisition method (See Fig. 4) comprising: using a light irradiator (Fig. 4, Ref. 418) to irradiate a target object (Fig. 4, Ref. 402) with light from a range of a light irradiator (Fig. 4, Ref. 418); and an imager (Fig. 4, Ref. 410) to detect light that is specularly reflected (Abstract) by the target object (Fig. 4, Ref. 402) in the light, wherein a straight line connecting a center of the light irradiator (Fig. 4, Ref. 418) and an intersection between an optical axis of the imager (Fig. 4, Ref. 410) and the target object (Fig. 4, Ref. 402) is set to be inclined by 2 degrees or more and 120 degrees or less with respect to the optical axis (Para. 0074; 0 – 60 degrees), and a solid angle of the light irradiator as viewed from the intersection is set to 0 steradians or more and 0.15 steradians or less (Para. 0084; 0.15 steradian).
Levesque (2014/0160472) substantially teaches the claimed invention except that it does not show an imager using an imaging lens. JP20000285363 shows that it is known to provide an imaging lens (Fig. 1, Ref. 12) for an imager (Fig. 1, Ref. 13) for a device for measuring detects of a surface. It would have been obvious to modify the device of Levesque (2014/0160472) with the use of an imaging lens JP20000285363 before the effective filing date of the claimed invention for the purpose of providing the ability to focuses light efficiently, controls brightness and sharpness, and tailors the image’s field of view and magnification, therefore providing higher quality images.
Claim 9
Levesque (2014/0160472) discloses the image acquisition device (Fig. 1, Ref. 4) according to wherein the straight line connecting the center of the light irradiator (Fig. 1, Ref. 418) and the intersection is set to be inclined by 2 degrees or more and 90 degrees (Para. 0074; 0 – 60 degrees) or less with respect to the optical axis of the imager (Fig. 4, Ref. 410).
Claim 10
Levesque (2014/0160472) discloses the light irradiator (Fig. 4, Ref. 418) includes a point light source (See Ref. 418 in Fig. 4 is a point).
Claim 11
Levesque (2014/0160472) and JP20000285363 discloses the claimed invention except for the light irradiator includes the light irradiator in which a plurality of the point light sources are disposed. It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the effective filing date of the claimed invention was made to modify Levesque (2014/0160472) and JP20000285363 with a plurality of point light sources since it was well known in the art that using multiple light illumination points in image acquisition devices is a proven technique to increase resolution, improve depth perception, reduce noise, and minimize artifacts, therefore enabling more complex and accurate measurements. The examiner takes Official Notice that the elements listed above are well-known, or to be common knowledge in the art are capable of instant and unquestionable demonstration as being well-known.
Claim 12
Levesque (2014/0160472) discloses the light irradiator includes a light scanning unit (Fig. 2, Ref. 208; conveyor) that scans the target object (Fig. 2, Ref. 200) with the light (as the object moves along the conveyor the object is scanned).
Claim 13
Levesque (2014/0160472) discloses the light irradiator (Fig. 4, Ref. 418) includes a member (Fig. 4, Ref. 422) that limits a range of the irradiation with the light to the range of the light irradiator (Ref. 422 converging lens limits the range of the irradiator).
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MICHAEL PATRICK STAFIRA whose telephone number is (571)272-2430. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 6:30am-3pm.
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/MICHAEL P STAFIRA/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2877 June 24, 2026
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