Appeal No. 2004-0659
Application No. 09/111,978
22. The examiner found that Kuchel describes “a method for non-
contact measuring of [an] object surface.”
23. However, the examiner found that “Kuchel does not teach the step
of moving the object relative to [a] projector.”
24. The examiner further found that Bullock shows, in the same field
of endeavor, moving the object while measuring its shape.
25. The examiner noted:
Kuchel discloses a method and apparatus for non-contact measuring of
object surface in which the gratings (G1 and G2) are moving and the measured
object is fixed. Kuchel does not teach the step of moving the object relative to the
at least one projector at the vision station to scan the projected pattern of
electromagnetic radiation across a surface of the object; however, such a feature is
known in the art, for example as taught by Bullock et al. Bullock et al, in the
same field of endeavor, discloses a method and apparatus for measuring the shape
of a surface of an object in which the steel strip 1 is moving in direction A over
support surface 2, an array of line-scan cameras (5) positioned to view and record
the light patterns and to process in parallel data representative of the recorded
light patterns to provide a measure of the shape of the object surface (figures 1-3).
26. The examiner held that:
Those of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made
would have found it obvious to move the object taught by Bullock et a1 instead of
moving the grating because they would function in the same manner. A
substitution for each other is generally recognized as being within the level of
ordinary skill in the art.
27. In due course, Applicant filed an amendment responding to the
examiner's first Office action.
28. In the amendment, Applicant amended claims 1 and 14, as shown
below.
29. Claim 1 as amended read as follows ([brackets] indicate a deletion
from the claim by Applicant, underline indicates an insertion into the claim by
Applicant):
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