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 Amendment
The following addresses applicant’s remarks/ amendments dated October 16, 2025. Claims 1, 9, 12 are amended. Claims 3, 5-8, 11, 14, 16 and 17 are canceled. Claims 1-2, 4, 9-10, 12-13, 15, and 18-20 are pending in the current application and are addressed below.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claim(s) Claims 1-2, 4, 9-10, 12-13, 15, and 18-20 have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on any reference applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument.
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.
Claims 1-2, 4, 9-10, 12-13, 15, and 18-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Campbell, US 9869754 B1, (Campbell) in view of Streid et.al., US 20080002161 A1, (“Streid”).
Regarding claim 1, Campbell teaches a lidar (Column 5, Line 38-67, lidar system 100), comprising: a transmitter configured to generate a plurality of first laser pulses in a first direction to detect an object (Column 3, Line 22-44, light source 110); a receiver configured to receive a laser pulse reflected from the object (Column 6, Line 46-52, receiver 140); a first galvanometer scanner comprising a first mirror (Column 5, Line 45-51, galvanometer scanner) […]; a second galvanometer scanner comprising a second mirror (Column 5, Line 45-51, galvanometer scanner), […]; and a signal processor configured to process signals of the transmitter and the receiver (Column 11, Line 43-65, controller 150); wherein the first mirror is further configured to reflect and deflect the plurality of first laser pulses to a second direction (Column 5, Line 38-67, Column 6, Line 6-25), the second direction extending across a first range (Column 6, Line 6-25, vertical FOR as first range) wherein the second mirror is further configured to reflect and deflect a plurality of second laser pulses to a third direction, the second laser pulses being reflected and deflected by the first mirror (Column 6, Line 6-25), the third direction extending across a second range, wherein the second range is wider than the first range (Column 6, Line 6-25, horizontal FOR as second range), wherein the lidar is installed in a vehicle (Column 8, Line 45-48).
Campbell fails to teach a first galvanometer scanner comprising a first mirror, the first mirror being configured to move in a first rotating direction, the first rotating direction being about a first axis; a second galvanometer scanner comprising a second mirror, the second mirror being configured to move in a second rotating direction opposite to the first rotating direction, the second rotating direction being about a second axis, the second axis being parallel to the first axis.
However, Streid teaches a first galvanometer scanner comprising a first mirror, the first mirror being configured to move in a first rotating direction ([0060]- [0061] Fig. 4, folding mirror 56 as first mirror, rotational axis 70 as first axis), the first rotating direction being about a first axis; a second galvanometer scanner comprising a second mirror, the second mirror being configured to move in a second rotating direction opposite to the first rotating direction ([0060]-[0061] Fig 4, scanning mirror 58 as second mirror, rotational axis 64 as second axis), the second rotating direction being about a second axis, the second axis being parallel to the first axis ([0061] It will be apparent that the rotational axis 70 of the folding mirror is parallel to the rotational axis 64 of the scanning mirror).
It would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filling date of the claimed invention, to modify the 2D scanning mirrors of Campbell with the scanning mirrors of Stried with a reasonable expectation of success. This would have the predictable result of limiting the space used to perform the scanning function, resulting in more a compact lidar scanning system.
Regarding claim 2, Campbell, as modified in view of Stried teaches the lidar of claim 1, wherein a plurality of third laser pulses are at a view angle extending on a plane perpendicular to the first axis, the third laser pulses being reflected and deflected by the second mirror (Campbell, Column 5, Line 38-67, Column 6, Line 6-25, See figure 3).
Regarding claim 4, Campbell, as modified in view of Stried teaches the lidar of claim 1, further comprising: a first motor configured to rotate the first mirror; and a second motor configured to rotate the second mirror (Campbell, Column 5, Line 38-67).
Regarding claim 9, Campbell, as modified in view of Stried teaches the lidar of claim 1, wherein the vehicle is an autonomous vehicle or comprises an advanced driver assistance system (ADAS), and performs an autonomous driving operation or an advanced driver assistance operation using information detected by the lidar (Campbell, Column 9, Line 4-56).
Regarding claim 10, Campbell, as modified in view of Stried teaches the lidar of claim 1, wherein the receiver comprises a photoelectric conversion device arranged in one dimension to receive the laser pulse reflected from the object (Campbell, Column 6, Line 46-67).
Regarding claim 12, Campbell teaches a vehicle comprising a lidar (Column 5, Line 38-67, lidar system 100, Column 8, Line 45-48, vehicle), wherein the lidar comprises: a transmitter configured to generate a plurality of first laser pulses in a first direction to detect an object (Column 3, Line 22-44, light source 110); a receiver configured to receive a laser pulse reflected from the object (Column 6, Line 46-52, receiver 140); a first galvanometer scanner comprising a first mirror (Column 5, Line 45-51, galvanometer scanner) […]; a second galvanometer scanner comprising a second mirror (Column 5, Line 45-51, galvanometer scanner), […]; and a signal processor configured to process signals of the transmitter and the receiver (Column 11, Line 43-65, controller 150); wherein the first mirror is further configured to reflect and deflect the plurality of first laser pulses to a second direction (Column 5, Line 38-67, Column 6, Line 6-25), the second direction extending across a first range (Column 6, Line 6-25, vertical FOR as first range) wherein the second mirror is further configured to reflect and deflect a plurality of second laser pulses to a third direction, the second laser pulses being reflected and deflected by the first mirror (Column 6, Line 6-25), the third direction extending across a second range, wherein the second range is wider than the first range (Column 6, Line 6-25, horizontal FOR as second range), wherein the lidar is installed in a vehicle (Column 8, Line 45-48).
Campbell fails to teach a first galvanometer scanner comprising a first mirror, the first mirror being configured to move in a first rotating direction, the first rotating direction being about a first axis; a second galvanometer scanner comprising a second mirror, the second mirror being configured to move in a second rotating direction opposite to the first rotating direction, the second rotating direction being about a second axis, the second axis being parallel to the first axis.
However, Streid teaches a first galvanometer scanner comprising a first mirror, the first mirror being configured to move in a first rotating direction([0060]- [0061] Fig. 4, folding mirror 56 as first mirror, rotational axis 70 as first axis), the first rotating direction being about a first axis; a second galvanometer scanner comprising a second mirror, the second mirror being configured to move in a second rotating direction opposite to the first rotating direction ([0060]-[0061] Fig 4, scanning mirror 58 as second mirror, rotational axis 64 as second axis), the second rotating direction being about a second axis, the second axis being parallel to the first axis ([0061] It will be apparent that the rotational axis 70 of the folding mirror is parallel to the rotational axis 64 of the scanning mirror).
It would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filling date of the claimed invention, to modify the 2D scanning mirrors of Campbell with the scanning mirrors of Stried with a reasonable expectation of success. This would have the predictable result of limiting the space used to perform the scanning function, resulting in more a compact lidar scanning system.
Regarding claim 13, Campbell, as modified in view of Stried teach the vehicle of claim 12, wherein a plurality of third laser pulses deflected at a view angle extending on a plane perpendicular to the first axis, the third laser pulses being reflected and deflected by the second mirror (Campbell, Column 5, Line 38-67, Column 6, Line 6-25, See figure 3).
Regarding claim 15, Campbell, as modified in view of Stried teaches the lidar of claim 1, further comprising: a first motor configured to rotate the first mirror; and a second motor configured to rotate the second mirror (Campbell, Column 5, Line 38-67).
Regarding claim 18, Campbell, as modified in view of Stried teach the vehicle of claim 12.
Campbell fails to teach wherein the first mirror and the second mirror are disposed such that the first axis is closer to the vertical direction of the vehicle than to the horizontal direction of the vehicle.
However, Streid teaches wherein the first mirror and the second mirror are disposed such that the first axis is closer to the vertical direction of the vehicle than to the horizontal direction of the vehicle (Stried [0061] It will be apparent that the rotational axis 70 of the folding mirror is parallel to the rotational axis 64 of the scanning mirror).
It would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filling date of the claimed invention, to modify the 2D scanning mirrors of Campbell with the scanning mirrors of Stried. It would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filling date of the claimed invention, to modify the 2D scanning mirrors of Campbell with the scanning mirrors of Stried with a reasonable expectation of success. This would have the predictable result of limiting the space used to perform the scanning function, resulting in more a compact lidar scanning system. To achieve and implement a wide field of view as taught by Stried, the parallel scan mirrors of Stried would be mounted in a vertical position. The first mirror would therefore be disposed such that the first axis is closer to the vertical direction.
Regarding claim 19, Campbell, as modified in view of Stried teaches the lidar of claim 1, wherein the vehicle is an autonomous vehicle or comprises an advanced driver assistance system (ADAS), and performs an autonomous driving operation or an advanced driver assistance operation using information detected by the lidar (Campbell, Column 9, Line 4-56).
Regarding claim 20, Campbell, as modified in view of Stried teaches the vehicle of claim 12, wherein the receiver comprises a photoelectric conversion device arranged in one dimension to receive the laser pulse reflected from the object (Campbell, Column 6, Line 46-67).
Conclusion
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/ANDREA MARIA BACA/Examiner, Art Unit 3645
/YUQING XIAO/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3645