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 § 101
101 rejections in the non-final dated 8/15/2025 are withdrawn.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
112 rejections in the non-final dated 8/15/2025 are withdrawn.
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) 1-9 and 11-17 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Hiromi (20160116592).
Referring to claims 1, 16, and 17, Hiromi shows an imaging device (see figure 1) comprising a control unit (see figure 1 Ref 112) configured to
receive a first voltage measured on a mainboard of the imaging device (see figure 1 note the received phase signal on the imaging device as shown in figure 1 Ref 158 also see paragraph 74-75 note the phase sent to the static phase offset corrector Ref 158)
receive a second voltage measured on an ill on an illumination circuit of the imaging device (see the second voltage is either the VF voltage from the VF sensor Ref 408 or the voltage of the temperature sensor Ref 404 or the volate of the supply voltage sensor Ref 406. Any one of these inputs can be used by the static phase offset corrector to generate a corrected phase as shown in paragraph 74-75)
determine a voltage dependent phase error of the imaging device on both the measurement first voltage and the measured second voltage (see paragraph 74-75 note the second order polynomial equation used to perform a phase correction)
cancel the voltage dependent phase error of the imaging device (see paragraph 17) caused by a power supply voltage dependency of a phase angle measured by the imaging device (see paragraph 17 also note this is the purpose of the dynamic gain and phase offset corrector Ref 153 and the static phase offset corrector Ref 158)’
Referring to claim 2, Hiromi shows the control unit is configured to determine a compensated phase angle based on the measured phase angle and based on the voltage dependent phase error (see paragraph 43 and 74).
Referring to claim 3, Hiromi shows compensated phase angle is determined by subtracting the voltage dependent phase error from the measured phase angle (see paragraph 74 note the equation for correcting the phase angle including a voltage dependent variable).
Referring to claim 4, Hiromi shows the control unit is configured to determine the voltage dependent phase error based on a measured power supply voltage value (see paragraph 74 note the supply voltage sensor Ref 406).
Referring to claim 5, Hiromi shows the control unit is configured to determine the voltage dependent phase error based on the measured power supply voltage value by applying a predetermined characteristic curve (see paragraph 74 note the polynomial equation represents a curve).
Referring to claim 6, Hiromi shows the control unit is configured to determine the voltage dependent phase error based on the measured power supply voltage value by applying a predetermined polynomial model (see paragraph 74 note the polynomial equation for correcting phase based on variations in temperature and voltage).
Referring to claim 7, Hiromi shows he control unit is further configured to cancel a temperature dependent phase error of the imaging device caused by a temperature dependency of the phase angle measured by the imaging device (see paragraph 74 note the polynomial equation for correction phase angle based on variations of temperature and voltage).
Referring to claim 8, Hiromi shows the control unit is further configured to cancel a global offset phase error of the imaging device caused by a dependency of the phase angle measured by the imaging device, the global offset phase error being caused by a manufacturing/production process concerning the imaging device (see the static based phase offset is used as a basis of calibration of an individual sensor inherently accommodating for errors caused in manufacturing/production process).
Referring to claim 9, Hiromi shows the control unit is configured to calculate the compensated phase angle based on predetermined nominal values prestored in a memory of the imaging device, based on predetermined model parameters prestored in a memory of the imaging device, and based on voltages, respectively temperatures measured at one or more places on the imaging device, and based on a global offset phase error prestored in a memory of the imaging device (see paragraph 74 note the nominal temperatures and supply voltage, also see paragraph 56 note the static offset is stored in one or more registers or in memory).
Referring to claim 11, Hiromi shows a voltage monitor configured to measure a power supply voltage value of the imaging sensor (see paragraph 74 note the supply voltage sensor Ref 406).
Referring to claim 12, Hiromi shows the voltage monitor is configured to measure a voltage on a mainboard and/or on a laserboard of the imaging device (see paragraph 74 note the digital supply voltage is output by the voltage supply sensor also see paragraph 73 that includes a light source forward voltage drop sensor that specifically measures the drop on a laserboard).
Referring to claim 13, Hiromi shows one or more voltage monitors configured to measure voltages at multiple places on the imaging device, and wherein the control unit is configured to cancel a voltage dependent phase error of the imaging device caused by the multiple voltages measured by the one or more voltage monitors (see paragraph 73 note Ref 406 and 408 also note paragraph 74).
Referring to claim 14, Hiromi shows an imaging sensor (see figure 4 Ref 104) configured to obtain the phase angle measured by the imaging sensor (see paragraph 73-74).
Referring to claim 15, Hiromi shows the imaging sensor is an iTOF imaging sensor (see paragraph 17 note the phase based TOF measurement).
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) 10 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Hiromi (20160116592).
Referring to claim 10, Hiromi shows a similar equation to the one claimed and includes variables that are specifically shown by claim 9 (see above). One of ordinary skilled in the art would realize that the equation of claim 10 is merely an alternate equation that corrects for the same phase error based on the same voltage, temperature, and global offsets as shown by Hiromi.
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.
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
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