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 .
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claim(s) 1-10 but are not persuasive. Examiner does not see how prior art different from the claim. Prior art by KOSTAMOVAARA explicitly teach single detector 600 and row of such elements 600, moreover KOSTAMOVAARA explicitly teach that “ln an embodiment an example of which is illustrated in Figure 6A, at least one of sub-detector units 600 may comprise one or more detector elements 602 each of which may detect the optical pulse 110. ”
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.
Claim(s) 1, 10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by KOSTAMOVAARA WO 2019197717 A1.
Regarding claims 10 KOSTAMOVAARA teaches
A method of performing range imaging, the method comprising operating a plurality of a receiver's single photon avalanche detector elements arranged two- dimensionally in a Geiger mode;
generating, by a semiconductor laser transmitter(200), optical pulses repeatedly, a single optical pulse of the optical pulses being output as an optical beam with one or more stripes, the stripes of the optical beams parallel to each other and spaced apart in a direction perpendicular to longitudinal axes of the stripes and separate from each other;(fig. 8) such that the semiconductor laser transmitter is configured to cause a single strip(page 6 line 30 -page 7 line 4 beams are parallel stripes outputs sequentially ) to illuminate a single row of the single photon avalanche detector elements where each single stripe of the stripes and each single row of [rows of detector elements are a predetermined pair;
illuminating a single row of detector element configuration of the plurality of the single photon avalanche detector elements by a stripe of an optical beam of the optical beams(fig. 9) of the semiconductor laser transmitter such that the single row and the single stripe forming a pair, (description part to fig. 6a page 11 lines 11 -17 if only two parallel beams 300 exist limitation above is inherently happens )
which are reflected from one or more objects(112) within a field-of-view, a field-of-illumination of the semiconductor transmitter and the field-of-view of the receiver being overlapping(abstract), the detector element configuration comprising a single row(604) of the single photon avalanche detector elements for(intended use no patentable weight) concentrating optical power of each optical pulse to a minimum number of single photon avalanche detector elements, and for(intended use no patentable weight) determining a resolution of the range imaging in a direction of the a row of the single photon avalanche detector elements with a density of the plurality of the single photon avalanche detector elements in said direction;
each of the ows configured to eceive optical power of the single stripe of pair(page 11 lines 11 -17) for(after this point everything is intended use) determining a resolution of the range imaging in a direction of the a row of the single photon avalanche detector elements with a density of the plurality of the single photon avalanche detector elements in said direction, and determining a resolution of the range imaging in a direction perpendicular to a longitudinal direction of the stripes with a density of the stripes; and
performing, by a data processing unit for an optical pulse of the optical pulses and synchronously with the optical pulses repeatedly generated, a selection of single photon avalanche detector
elements of one or more of the detector element configurations in response to a generation of said optical pulse that illuminate one or more of the detector element configurations with one or more of the stripes; and(01: p. 12, I. 14-29; p. 14, I. 24-27; p. 21, I. 6-16),
determining, by the data processing unit, values corresponding to time-of-flights of said optical pulse based on electrical signals from the single photon avalanche detector elements of the selection for performing range imaging. (01: p. 12, I. 30 - p. 13, I. 7).
the data processing unit is, synchronously with the optical pulses repeatedly generated, configured to perform a selection of a single row of the single photon avalanche detector elements per stripe in response to a generation of an optical pulse or(intended use no patentable weight) detecting a single stripe of the predetermined pair, each of which is stripe being configured to illuminate a single row of the detector element, and determine values corresponding to time-of-flights of said optical pulse based on electrical signals from the single photon avalanche detector elements of the selected single row per stripe for performing range imaging. (page 6 line 30 -page 7 line 4 beams are parallel stripes outputs sequentially and according to the page 11 lines 11 -17 each line is read out by its own detector set)
Subject matter of claims 2-9 also known from D1 as presented in Final rejection filed on 09/24/2024
Conclusion
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
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/HOVHANNES BAGHDASARYAN/Examiner, Art Unit 3645