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 .
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) 1-15 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Sharma (20170052065).
Referring to claims 1, Sharma shows a light detection and ranging (LiDAR) device for measuring a distance using histogram data for plurality of detecting cycles (figure 1 and figure 6), comprising:
a laser detecting array including a first detecting unit (see figure 2 note the SPAD array Ref 52)
a delay generating unit configured to obtain a detection signal from the first detecting unit and output a delay signal (see figure 2 note the sub-window manager Ref 62);
a signal detecting unit configured to detect the delay signal outputted from the delay generating unit using a preset clock (see figure 2 note the pixel controller also see figure 2 note the preset clock Ref 66 also see paragraph 34);
a memory unit configured to store a histogram data based on a detection result by the signal detecting unit (see figure 2 note Ref 70 see the histogram memory); and
a data processing unit for calculating a distance value for the first detecting unit based on the histogram data stored in the memory unit (see paragraph 43 note the pixel controller extracts the TOF data and outputs to the controller Ref 44);
wherein the delay generating unit applies a first delay value for a first detecting cycle (see figure 5 note the delays as shown by Ref 110 in the second line),
and applies a second delay value for a second detecting cycle, wherein the first delay value and the second delay value are different from each other (see the delay associated with Ref 110 in the third line).
Referring to claim 2, Sharma shows number of detecting cycles to which the first delay value is applied among the plurality of detecting cycles is two or more (see the gating shows in the top group of delays Ref 100 in figure 5), wherein a number of detecting cycles to which the second delay value is applied among the plurality of detecting cycles is two or more (see the second group from the top group of delays 100 in figure 5).
Referring to claim 3, Sharma the preset clock is the same for the plurality of detecting cycles (see the clock as shown by figure 2 Ref 66 also note paragraph 66 note that the clock serves the entire processing to chip 38).
Referring to claim 4, Sharma shows first delay value and the second delay value are smaller than a unit length of a time bin of the histogram data (see figures 5 note the delay between different offsets as well as the bins as well as the bits of data per bin as shown in paragraph 35).
Referring to claim 5, Sharma shows the second delay value is twice the first
delay value (see figure 5 note the delay between the first group 100 and the second group 100 are evenly spaced resulting in a doubling of the delay).
Referring to claim 6, Sharma shows a number of detecting cycles to which the first delay value is applied is the same as a number of detecting cycles to which the second delay value is applied (see paragraph 40 note each successive group has the same number of gating periods).
Referring to claim 7, Sharma shows a difference between the first delay value and the second delay value is smaller than a unit length of a time bin of the histogram data (see paragraph 40 and 66).
Referring to claim 8, Sharma shows the data processing unit extracts valid data
based on the histogram data, wherein the data processing unit calculates the distance value for the first detecting unit based on the valid data (see the counts shown in figure 6 and the controller shown in figure 1 Ref 44 also see paragraph 30-32).
Referring to claim 9, Sharma shows the data processing unit calculates a central time value based on counting values and time bin values included in the valid data, herein the data processing unit calculates the distance value for the first detecting unit based on the central time value (see figure 6 note the central data shown as Ref 124 also see paragraph 46).
Referring to claim 10, Sharma shows a light detection and ranging (LiDAR) device for measuring a distance using histogram data for M detecting cycles (see figure 6 note the bins as shown in the figure pertain to the M detecting cycles), comprising:
a laser detecting array including a first detecting unit (see figure 2 note the SPAD array); a delay generating unit configured to obtain a detection signal from the first detecting unit and output a delay signal to which at least one of a first to Nth delay values is applied (see figure 2 note the sub-window manager Ref 62);
a signal detecting unit configured to detect the delay signal outputted from the delay generating unit using a preset clock (see the pixel controller Ref 72 also see the clock signal Ref 66);
a memory unit configured to store a histogram data based on a detection result by the signal detecting unit (see figure 2 Ref 70); and
a data processing unit for calculating a distance value for the first detecting unit based on the histogram data stored in the memory unit (see paragraph 43 note the pixel controller extracts the TOF data and outputs to the controller Ref 44);
wherein the delay generating unit applies at least one of the first to Nth delay values to each of the M detecting cycles (see paragraph 40 note each successive group has the same number of gating periods), wherein a number of detecting cycles to which the same delay value is applied is M/N (this is inherent with having the same number of detecting cycles for each delay value).
Referring to claim 11, Sharma shows the M is 128, wherein the N is 16, wherein the number of detecting cycles to which the same delay value is applied is 8 (see paragraph 46 note the 128 bins, also see paragraph 35 for the same delay value is applied 8).
Referring to claim 12, Sharma shows A light detection and ranging (LiDAR) device for measuring a distance using histogram data for plurality of detecting cycles, comprising (see figure 1 and 6):
a laser detecting array including a first detecting unit (see figure 2 Ref 52);
a delay generating unit configured to obtain a detection signal from the first detecting unit and output a delay signal (see figure 2 note the sub-window manager Ref 62);
a signal detecting unit configured to detect the delay signal outputted from the delay generating unit using a preset clock (see figure 2 note the pixel controller Ref 72 also the clock Ref 66);
a memory unit configured to store a histogram data based on a detection result by the signal detecting unit (see figure 2 Ref 70); and
a data processing unit for calculating a distance value for the first detecting unit based on the histogram data stored in the memory unit (see figure 1 Ref 44 also see paragraph 43 note the pixel controller extracts the TOF data and outputs to the controller);
wherein when the LiDAR device operates in a first operation mode, the delay generating unit applies the same delay value to the plurality of detecting cycles (see the coarse measurement mode as shown in paragraph 40-42), wherein when the LIDAR device operates in a second operation mode, the delay generating unit applies at least two different delay values to the plurality of detecting cycles (see paragraph 42-43).
Referring to claim 13, Sharma shows a delay value applied in the first operation mode is same as one of the at least two different delay values applied in the second operation mode (see paragraph 21 note the coarse measurement including the delay value applied in the first operation mode is the same through the entire detection frame until the fine measurement phase).
Referring to claim 14, Sharma shows at least two different delay values applied in the second operation mode include a first delay value and a second delay value, wherein the first delay value is smaller than a delay value applied in the first operation mode, wherein the second delay value is greater than the delay value applied in the first operation mode (see paragraph 21 and 23-25 note the switch from the coarse measurement mode and the fine measurement mode, note the switch between the second delay in the coarse measurement mode to the first delay in the fine measurement mode).
Referring to claim 15, Sharma shows the laser detecting array include plurality of detecting units,
wherein each of the plurality of detecting units includes at least one of single photon avalanche diode (SPAD) (see figure 1 Ref 52 note the SPAD array).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to LUKE D RATCLIFFE whose telephone number is (571)272-3110. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 9:00AM-5:00PM EST.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Isam Alsomiri can be reached at 571-272-6970. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/LUKE D RATCLIFFE/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3645