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, 12 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 § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claims 1, 12 and dependents are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
It is unclear how passive sensor is different from active sensor. Yes According to claims passive sensor has its own source but the activation time of the passive sensor correspond to activation time of the active sensor to sense the return signal and hence the passive sensor is still active for the first source.
Examiner interpretation is that there are plurality of the sources and plurality sensors which can sense the overlapping FOV. One sensor can be a little off axis from main sensor for the specific source.
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, 12 and claims bellow is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over D1 US 20220043128 A1 in view of D0 EP 3864429 B1 or D5 US 20160238698 A1.
Regarding claims 1, 12 D1 teaches
1. A light detection and ranging (LiDAR) blockage detection method comprising:
emitting, by an active channel(244) of a plurality of channels(244, 237) of a LiDAR device(fig. 2), an optical signal toward a configured position on a housing of the LiDAR device;(implicit [0167-0168]
the active channel comprising a first transmitter configured to emit the optical signal and a first receiver configured as active; [0069]
receiving, by a passive listening channel(237) of the plurality of channels, a return signal originating from the optical signal; and[0167-0168]
determining, based on a comparison of data derived from the return signal and data derived from a reference signal, whether a blockage is present at the configured position on the housing.[0166-0168], [0187]
the passive listening channel comprising a second transmitter [0069]( with fig. 4 and 5 “partially overlapping fov”)
but does not explicitly teach
the passive listening channel comprising a second transmitter configured as inactive and a second receiver configured as active;
D0 teaches that some sensors can be passive(page 1) D5 teaches off axis sensor which does not have any other source (or inactive source fig. 2 ) and characterizing medium using information from off axis receiver.
It would be obvious to one of ordinary skills in the art at the time of filing to modify teachings by D1 with teaching by D0/D5 in order to characterize the off axis reflections which can occur from for example damaged window or ice.
4, 15 The method of claim 1, wherein the passive listening channel is located adjacent to the active channel.(fig. 2)
5, 16 The method of claim 1, wherein the passive channel listening is located proximal to the active channel.(fig. 2)
6, 17 The method of claim 1, wherein the housing comprises a window.(implicit [0166-0168])
7, 18 The method of claim 1, further comprising:
emitting, by the active channel, a second optical signal toward the configured position;
receiving, by the passive listening channel, the reference signal, wherein the reference signal originates from the second optical signal and is reflected from the housing of the LiDAR device.[0185-0187]
9, 20 The method of claim 1, wherein determining whether a blockage is present at the configured position on the housing:
determining a first magnitude of an intensity peak of the return signal;(1602)
determining a second magnitude of an intensity peak of the reference signal;(1702)
comparing a ratio or a difference between the first magnitude and the second magnitude to a threshold; and[0177]
if the ratio or the difference is greater than the threshold, determining the blockage is present at the configured position on the housing.[ 0177]
10, 21 The method of claim 1, wherein determining whether a blockage is present at the configured position on the housing:
determining, based on an intensity of a portion of the return signal being greater than a threshold intensity, a first width of an intensity peak of the return signal;(implicit peaks detected in histogram )
determining, based on an intensity of a portion of the reference signal being greater than the threshold intensity, a second width of an intensity peak of the reference signal;(fig. 17a inherent peak detected in reference histogram 1702)
comparing a ratio or a difference between the first width and the second width to a threshold(implicit peaks are subtracted meaning nut just size of the peak but rather the peak structure Hight and width); and
if the ratio or the difference is greater than the threshold, determining the blockage is present at the configured position on the housing.(fig. 17b implicit if peak is detected means that housing reflection present [0177])
11, 22 The method of claim 1, further comprising:
based on determining the blockage is present at the configured position on the housing, generating a notification comprising an indication of the blockage.[0191]
Claim(s) 2, 13 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over D1 in view of D2 JP S60149984 A.
Regarding claim 2 D1 does not teach but D2 teaches
2. The method of claim 1, wherein the active channel comprises:
a transmitter(21) configured to emit the optical signal; and
a receiver configured(33) to receive one or more return signals originating from the optical signal, wherein the one or more return signals comprise the return signal.
It would be obvious to one of ordinary skills in the art at the time of filing to modify teachings by D1 with teaching by D2 in order to have dedicated channel which is detecting window damages without detection of the far field data and therefore complicate the analysis of the mixed signals coming from other objects.
Claim(s) 3, 14 8, 19 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over D1.
3, 14 D1 teaches
a receiver configured to receive one or more return signals originating from the optical signal, wherein the one or more return signals comprise the return signal.
Although D1 does not teach
wherein the passive listening channel comprises:
a transmitter configured as inactive; and
Inactive components so not contribute in any way to the invention and adding the dummy /inactive elements cannot be considered novel.
Regarding claim 8, 19 D1 teaches
8. The method of claim 1, wherein determining whether a blockage is present at the configured position on the housing comprises:
determining a first area under an intensity peak of the return signal;(1602)
determining a second area under an intensity peak of the reference signal;(1702)
comparing a ratio or a difference(fig. 17b) between the first area and the second area to a threshold; and
Although does not explicitly say
if the ratio or the difference is greater than the threshold, determining the blockage is present at the configured position on the housing.
D1 explicitly teaches comparing histogram to the threshold[0177](fig. 15) and as histogram is an area and threshold is an area then localized area over threshold area are compared and even not explicitly taught fig. 15 makes obvious comparison of the area of the peak with area of the threshold(peak is more than one bin).
Conclusion
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/HOVHANNES BAGHDASARYAN/Examiner, Art Unit 3645