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 .
This Office Action is in response to amendments and remarks filed September 9, 2025. Claims 1, 4-6, 8-11, 14-16 and 18-20 are currently pending.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claim(s) 1, 4-6, 8-11, 14-16 and 18-20 have been considered but are moot in view of new grounds of rejection as set forth below.
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, 4, 5, 8, 9, 11, 14, 15, 18 and 19 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Metz et al. (US 2016003937) in view of Morcom (US 20050088644).
Re claims 1 and 11: Metz teaches a time-of-flight sensing circuitry for sensing image information in different imaging modes and method for operating (abstract, paragraph 44, fig. 1, 9 and 10), comprising: a light sensing circuitry (106) for detecting light and outputting light sensing signals wherein the light sensing circuitry (106) is a time of flight image sensor (106) (see fig. 1, paragraph 17); and a logic circuitry (102) for processing the light sensing signals from the light sensing circuitry (106) (fig. 1, paragraph 18, 40 and 42-52), wherein the logic circuitry (102) is configured to make a decision for an imaging mode among the different imaging modes wherein the decision is based on a calibration mode (high resolution image mode used to determine ambient light interference/noise, paragraph 43-52, helps control the resolution/binning modes to reduce effects of ambient light interferences, step 1002 and 1004, fig. 10 and 9); and the calibration mode includes a detection of noise (ambient light interference/optical noise, step 1002 and 1004, fig. 10 and 9); and wherein the different imaging modes include at least one of two different binning modes (different binning factors, paragraph 40-41 and 46, fig. 1, 9 and 10), but does not specifically teach the time of flight sensor is a spot time of flight image sensor. Morcom teaches a time-of-flight sensing circuitry for sensing image information in different imaging modes (fig. 4, paragraph 62-63 and 76-78), comprising: a light sensing circuitry (70/54/56/52) for detecting light and outputting light sensing signals wherein the light sensing circuitry (70/54/56/52) is a spot time of flight image sensor (70/54/56/52, fig. 4, paragraph 62-63 and 76-78, spot time of flight image sensor capable of imaging a laser spot with reduced number of pixels down to a single pixel, or as a conventional image sensor). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was filed to have the time of flight sensor of Metz be a spot time of flight sensor similar to Morcom in order to reduce the effects of background signal in the time of flight mode down to a single pixel providing for improved system performance.
Re claims 4 and 14: Metz as modified by Morcom teaches the time-of-flight sensing circuitry and method, wherein the decision is based on a predetermined level of the detected noise (Metz, threshold level for ambient light interference/noise determination, paragraph 44- 52, fig. 1, 9 and 10).
Re claims 5 and 15: Metz as modified by Morcom teaches the time-of-flight sensing circuitry and method, wherein the logic circuitry is further configured to decide an imaging mode sequence (paragraph 44-52, fig. 9 and 10, the method process 900 is an imaging mode sequence).
Re claims 8 and 18: Metz as modified by Morcom teaches the time-of-flight sensing circuitry and method, wherein the decision further includes a determination of an imaging scenario (Metz, paragraph 44, scene analysis determination of an imaging scenario, Morcom, paragraphs 76-78).
Re claims 9 and 19: Metz as modified by Morcom teaches wherein a determined imaging scenario includes at least one of a light scenario and a dark scenario (Metz, fig. 1, 9 and 10, ambient light level high/low, paragraphs 44-52).
Claim(s) 6 and 16 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Metz et al. (US 2016003937) as modified by Morcom (US 20050088644) as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Smith et al. (US 20180278843).
Re claims 6 and 16: Metz as modified by Morcom teaches the time-of-flight sensing circuitry and method, wherein the logic circuitry is further configured to decide an imaging mode sequence (paragraph 44-52, fig. 9 and 10, the method process 900 is an imaging mode sequence), but does not specifically teach wherein the imaging mode sequence includes at least one of a predetermined sequence, a random sequence and a periodic sequence of the different imaging modes. Smith teaches a time-of-flight sensing circuitry and method, wherein logic circuitry (70/320/330) is further configured to decide an imaging mode sequence (paragraphs 50-55 and 61-70, see fig. 4 and 6-9), wherein the imaging mode sequence includes at least one of a predetermined sequence, a random sequence and a periodic sequence of the different imaging modes (paragraphs 50-55 and 61-70, see fig. 4 and 6-9). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was filed to have the imaging mode sequence of Metz as modified by Morcom include at least one of a predetermined sequence, a random sequence and a periodic sequence of the different imaging modes similar to Smith in order to prioritize different imaging modes in various ways dependent on operating demands providing for a versatile efficient design.
Claim(s) 10 and 20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Metz et al. (US 2016003937) as modified by Morcom (US 20050088644) as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Smith et al. (US 20180278843) and Masunaga et al. (US 4329033).
Re claims 10 and 20: Metz as modified by Morcom teaches the time-of-flight sensing circuitry and method for sensing image information in different imaging modes (Metz, abstract, paragraph 44, fig. 1, 9 and 10, Morcom, fig. 4, paragraph 62-63 and 76-78), comprising: a light sensing circuitry (Metz, 106, Morcom, 70/54/56/52) for detecting light and outputting light sensing signals wherein the light sensing circuitry (Metz, 106, Morcom, 70/54/56/52) is a spot time of flight image sensor (Morcom, 70/54/56/52, fig. 4, paragraph 62-63 and 76-78, spot time of flight image sensor capable of imaging a laser spot with reduced number of pixels down to a single pixel, or as a conventional image sensor, Metz, time of flight with binning, paragraph 44-52), but does not specifically teach wherein the logic circuitry includes a sequencer circuitry and a register circuitry, wherein the register circuitry includes multiple registers for storing data which are derived on the basis of the light sensing signals and wherein each imaging mode of the different imaging modes is based on a predetermined set of registers, and wherein the sequencer circuitry is adapted to dynamically select a set of registers for setting the imaging mode among the different imaging modes in response to the decision. Smith teaches the time-of-flight sensing circuitry and method, wherein a logic circuitry (70/320/330) includes an arbiter/state circuitry (330/320) and a memory bin circuitry (paragraph 44), wherein the memory bin circuitry includes multiple registers for storing data which are derived on the basis of the light sensing signals and wherein each imaging mode of the different imaging modes is based on a predetermined set of memory bins (paragraph 44, 45, 49 and 51-53, different groups of memory bins associated with different modes), and wherein the arbiter/state circuitry is adapted to dynamically select a set of memory bins for setting the imaging mode among the different imaging modes in response to the decision (paragraphs 44-55, fig. 2, 3 and 4). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was filed to use circuitry similar to Smith with the different image sequencing/capturing of Metz as modified by Morcom in order to allocate different images in different environments to different memory bins providing for increase processing power and speed for more efficient imaging under various scenarios. Metz as modified by Morcom and Smith does not specifically state the use of sequencer circuitry and register circuitry. Masunaga teaches multiple registers (SR1-SR7) storing data on a basis of light sensing signals (from 32, output DV and DS) and different modes are based on set of registers, wherein a sequencer circuit (70) is used to dynamically select a set of registers setting a mode of the different modes (see fig. 3, 7 and 9, col. 27, lines 23-68, col. 28, lines 1-68, col. 29, lines 1-65, col. 38, lines 52-68, col. 39, lines 1-28, col. 6, lines 57-68 and col. 7, lines 1-11). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was filed to use a sequencer circuit and a register circuit similar to Masunaga as the circuitry for selecting and storage of data in Metz as modified by Morcom and Smith in order to quickly access data to more efficiently switch between different imaging modes providing for more efficient design.
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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/JENNIFER D BENNETT/Examiner, Art Unit 2878