DETAILED ACTION
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
Continued Examination Under 37 CFR 1.114
A request for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, including the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e), was filed in this application after final rejection. Since this application is eligible for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114. Applicant's submission filed on 07/14/2026 has been entered.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claim(s) 1 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. A new rejection has been made in view of YOSHIDA (US 20060152705 A1) in view of KAJI (US 20220279627 A1), HUANG (US 20220357572 A1), and Costello (US 20100327164 A1).
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) 1-2 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over YOSHIDA (US 20060152705 A1) in view of KAJI (US 20220279627 A1), HUANG (US 20220357572 A1), and Costello (US 20100327164 A1).
Regarding claim 1, YOSHIDA (US 20060152705 A1) teaches a distance measurement device for measuring a distance to an object (Figure 1, radar apparatus 100; Paragraph 28, detect a distance from an object), the distance measurement device comprising:
a detection module (light radiating part 10 and light receiving part 20) comprising an irradiation unit (Figure 1 Paragraph 31, laser diode 11) configured to radiate radiation light for performing scanning along a scanning direction set in advance (Paragraph 32, polygon mirror scans the laser diode at a predetermined angle from the centerline of the vehicle to predetermined angle of the vehicle), and a detection unit configured to detect reflected light from the object, arriving from a scanning region (Figure 1 Paragraphs 33-34, light receiving part 20 has a photo diode that receives a reflected light reflected from an object exiting in the scanning area);
a casing configured to store the detection module (Figure 1 Paragraph 30, preceding parts 10, 20, and 30 are housed in the housing 40);
a transparent window which is part of the casing and disposed so as to face the detection module, and through which the radiation light and the reflected light pass (Figure 1 Paragraph 35, housing 40 has a window part that allows the laser beam and reflected beam to pass through and which is directed toward the light radiation pat 10 and light receiving part 20; Paragraph 71, first window 41a and second window 41b can be constructed of a single cover glass);
a heater wire that heats the transparent window (Paragraphs 54-56, heating member 54 which is electrically conducted to generate heat while the vehicle is running and which is facilitated by heating wires which heat without interfering with the laser beam and reflected light)
YOSHIDA fails to explicitly teach:
a flexible substrate on which a heater wire that heats the transparent window is formed,
wherein the flexible substrate comprises a heater portion in which the heater wire is formed and which is fixed to the transparent window, and a wiring portion in which a wiring to the heater wire is formed and which extends to a rear side of the casing with a side on which the transparent window is provided in the casing being a front side, and
the distance measurement device further comprises:
a fixing member configured to fix the wiring portion within the casing; and
a light shielding member configured to shield stray light, the stray light being the radiation light or object reflected light that was reflected by the transparent window and then further reflected by the fixing member toward the detection unit, wherein
the light shielding member comprises:
a body portion positioned between the detection module and a side surface of the casing and extending in a longitudinal direction of the casing; and
a protruding portion protruding from the body portion toward the side surface of the casing,
wherein the body portion is disposed at a position that divides a space in which the fixing member exists and a space in which the detection module exists, and shields the stray light from the fixing member toward the detection unit, and
wherein the body portion and the protruding portion cover the wiring portion and prevent stray light from a space in which the wiring portion exists from being incident on the space in which the detection module is provided.
KAJI (US 20220279627 A1) teaches a heater device and imaging device for a vehicle, comprising:
a flexible substrate (Paragraph 21, transparent substrate 101 is a substrate that is transparent as high as possible and has a flexibility to follow the shape of a glass surface of a vehicle is used) on which a heater wire that heats the transparent window is formed (Paragraph 34, heating wire 120 is formed on the side of the first surface of the transparent substrate),
wherein the flexible substrate comprises a heater portion in which the heater wire is formed (Paragraph 26, heating wire 120 contains a first line 120 wherein first line 121 is routed in the heating targeted area on the target substrate 101) and which is fixed to the transparent window (Paragraph 21, transparent substrate 101 is transparent as high as possible and has a flexibility to follow the shape of a glass surface of a vehicle is used), and a wiring portion in which a wiring to the heater wire is formed and which extends to a rear side of the casing (Paragraph 28, retreating area 101 is formed on the transparent substrate wherein power supply terminals 111 and 112 and a portion of the second line 122 are connected to the power supply terminals are placed in a retreating area 101a) with a side on which the transparent window is provided in the casing being a front side (Figure 1 Paragraph 21, transparent substrate 101 is transparent as high as possible and has a flexibility to follow the shape of a glass surface of a vehicle is used),
It would have thus been obvious to someone of ordinary skill in the art before the filing date of the claimed invention to have modified YOSHIDA with KAJI and have a heating wire which is fixed to the window by means of a flexible transparent substrate. This would have been done to provide a defrosting and anti-fogging means for window glass (KAJI Paragraph 3) while also providing a safety device for avoiding overheating (KAJI Paragraph 31).
YOSHIDA modified with KAJI fails to teach:
the distance measurement device further comprises:
a fixing member configured to fix the wiring portion within the casing; and
a light shielding member configured to shield stray light, the stray light being the radiation light or object reflected light that was reflected by the transparent window and then further reflected by the fixing member toward the detection unit, wherein
the light shielding member comprises:
a body portion positioned between the detection module and a side surface of the casing and extending in a longitudinal direction of the casing; and
a protruding portion protruding from the body portion toward the side surface of the casing,
wherein the body portion is disposed at a position that divides a space in which the fixing member exists and a space in which the detection module exists, and shields the stray light from the fixing member toward the detection unit, and
wherein the body portion and the protruding portion cover the wiring portion and prevent stray light from a space in which the wiring portion exists from being incident on the space in which the detection module is provided.
HUANG (US 20220357572 A1) teaches a defogging function which uses an electric wire to heat the lens element (Paragraph 3), wherein:
the distance measurement device (optical device 100) further comprises:
a fixing member configured to fix the wiring portion within the casing (Figure 14C Paragraph 214, fixing element 70 provides elastic force such that the first conductive element 42 and second conductive element 43 is fixedly and held at a position in contact with heating element 30 wherein conductor 50 extends outward from the second conductive element; Figure 14D Paragraph 215, first conductive element 42 and second conductive element 43 are integrally connected, welded, clamped, or bonded and connected by the conductive adhesive 60; Paragraph 214, first conductive element is fixed to a side surface of the barrel wall 21); and
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Huang Annotated Figure 17; Casing and light shielding member are both indicated wherein a protruding portion extending toward the casing and a body portion extending in a longitudinal direction of the casing are also indicated
a light shielding member (Huang Annotated Figure 17, portion of barrel wall 21 closer to middle of lens barrel 20) configured to shield stray light, the stray light being the radiation light or object reflected light that was reflected by the transparent window and then further reflected by the fixing member toward the detection unit (Paragraphs 227-228, conductor 50 extends through conductor channel 202 which extends along the inside of barrel wall 21; Paragraph 82, barrel wall is made of non-conductive material; barrel wall would be fully capable of shielding stray light from being reflected by the fixing unit as the barrel wall surrounds and covers said fixing unit), wherein
the light shielding member (Huang Annotated Figure 17, portion of barrel wall 21 closer to middle of lens barrel 20) comprises:
a body portion positioned between the detection module and a side surface of the casing (Yoshida Figure 1, the light radiating part 10 and light receiving part 20 are both centrally located components aligned with their respective windows such as to respectively facilitate emitting or receiving light; Huang Annotated Figure 17, body portion is positioned at an edge of the housing of the barrel adjacent to the casing wherein various wiring components do not block or interfere with the light being transmitted through the lens; one of ordinary skill in the art would have thus have found it obvious to have positioned the body portion adjacent to the casing/housing between the detection module and a side surface of the casing such as to facilitate a conductor channel which leads to a power source located at an exterior of the casing)1 and extending in a longitudinal direction of the casing (Huang Annotated Figure 17, body portion extends in a longitudinal direction of the casing); and
a protruding portion protruding from the body portion toward the side surface of the casing (Huang Annotated Figure 17, a protruding portion extends towards a side surface, outside surface, of the casing),
wherein the body portion is disposed at a position that divides a space in which the fixing member exists and a space in which the detection module exists (Figures 14C-D and Huang Annotated Figure 17, body portion consisting of barrel wall 21 separates conductor channel 202 from a central region wherein the detection module is located for transmitting signals through the lens), and shields the stray light from the fixing member toward the detection unit (Figures 14C-D, barrel wall would be fully capable of shielding stray light from being reflected by the fixing unit as the barrel wall surrounds and covers said fixing unit), and
wherein the body portion and the protruding portion cover the wiring portion and prevent stray light from a space in which the wiring portion exists from being incident on the space in which the detection module is provided (Huang Annotated Figure 17, barrel wall cover the conductors 50 positioned within conductor channel 202 from a central region wherein the detection module is located).
It would have thus been obvious to someone of ordinary skill in the art before the filing date of the claimed invention to have modified YOSHIDA with HUANG and have a light shielding member form a conductor channel for the wiring. This would have been done to facilitate connecting the heating element with a power supply (HUANG Paragraph 210).
While the Office does not concede the point, the applicant may argue that the lens barrel does not explicitly teach that the lens barrel is made of a material configured to shield stray light other than it being made of a non-conductive material (HUANG Paragrpah 238). However, Costello (US 20100327164 A1) teaches an optical proximity sensor package with molded infrared light rejection barrier, wherein a light shielding member is used to shield stray light which is reflected from the both the window and the various internal components (Costello Paragraph 31). It would have thus been obvious to someone of ordinary skill in the art before the filing date of the claimed invention to have modified YOSHIDA with Costello and have the lens barrel be made of a material which would help prevent internal reflections. This would have been done to improve the performance of the sensor by reducing crosstalk and interference caused by undesired reflected, refracted, or diffracted light rays (Costello Paragraph 31).
The Office further notes that using walls positioned between conductive wires and optical sensors to prevent reflection of incident light by conductive wires is known in the art as evidenced by Paragraph 291 and Figure 41 of CHINO (US 20210233949 A1).
Regarding claim 2, YOSHIDA as modified teaches the distance measurement device according to claim 1.
HUANG further teaches:
the light shielding member comprises a guide surface configured to guide the wiring portion to the rear side of the casing (Figure 11 Paragraph 210, conductor channel 202 communicates with the fixed cavity and extends along the inside of the barrel wall to the bottom 211 of the barrel wall 21; Paragraph 200, conductor 50 extends along the conductor channel 202 to a bottom 211 of the barrel wall 21).
It would have been obvious for the same motivation as claim 1.
Claim(s) 3 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over YOSHIDA (US 20060152705 A1) in view of KAJI (US 20220279627 A1), HUANG (US 20220357572 A1), and Costello (US 20100327164 A1) as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Bayha (US 20140320845 A1)
Regarding claim 3, YOSHIDA as modified teaches the distance measurement device according to claim 1.
KAJI further teaches:
the fixing member is provided in the integrated portion (Figure 1 Paragraphs 26-30, first and second power supply terminals are supplied in a retreating area 101a wherein said power terminals supply power to the heating wire at each of the loops; glue/fixing member of Bernal would be applied to said retreating area wherein the power supply terminals are located)
It would have been obvious for the same motivation as claim 1.
YOSHIDA as modified fails to explicitly teach:
the heater wire comprises:
an irradiation side heater wire configured to heat a region through which the radiation light passes; and
a detection side heater wire configured to heat a region through which the reflected light to be detected by the detection unit passes,
the flexible substrate is divided into an irradiation side heater portion in which the irradiation side heater wire is formed, and a detection side heater portion in which the detection side heater wire is formed in the heater portion,
the wiring portion comprises an integrated portion obtained by integrating a portion extending from the irradiation side heater portion and a portion extending from the detection side heater portion, and
the fixing member is provided in the integrated portion.
Bayha (US 20140320845 A1) teaches an optical measuring device for LIDAR, wherein:
the heater wire (Paragraph 32, at least one heating connector 24, 24.1, 24.2 can be embodied as a heating wire) comprises:
an irradiation side heater wire configured to heat a region through which the radiation light passes (Figure 3 Paragraphs 27 and 35, emission window 10 is framed by heating conductors 24, 24.1, and 24.2 such as to heat the region through which the emission beam is emitted through)2; and
a detection side heater wire configured to heat a region through which the reflected light to be detected by the detection unit passes (Figure 3 Paragraph 36, multiple electrical heating conductors extend directly in the region of the reception window 7),
the flexible substrate is divided into an irradiation side heater portion in which the irradiation side heater wire is formed, and a detection side heater portion in which the detection side heater wire is formed in the heater portion (Figures 2-3, heating conductors are divided into conductors which extend in the region of the reception window 7 and the conductors which frame the emission window 10; Figure 2 Paragraph 31, elastic carrier 22 on which the electrical heating conductors is formed on the reception window),
the wiring portion comprises an integrated portion obtained by integrating a portion extending from the irradiation side heater portion and a portion extending from the detection side heater portion (Figure 3, electrical heating conductor 24.1 is a vertical portion which connects the various conductors 24 and 24.2 extending from the irradiation side heater portion and from the detection side heater portion), and
the fixing member is provided in the integrated portion (Paragraph 4, adhesive layer is applied to the film to ensure contact of at least one electrical heating conductor with the cover disc).
It would have thus been obvious to someone of ordinary skill in the art before the filing date of the claimed invention to have modified YOSHIDA with Bayha and split the heater wire into a detection side heater portion and an irradiation side heater portion as well as an integrated portion which connects both portions. This would have been done to simplify installation of the heating assembly on the window while saving space by providing a power line on the edge of the reception window (Bayha Paragraph 18).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to FRANKLIN JEFFERSON WANG whose telephone number is (571)272-7782. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 10AM-6PM (E.S.T).
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Ibrahime Abraham can be reached at (571) 270-5569. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/F.J.W./Examiner, Art Unit 3761
/WOODY A LEE JR/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3761
1 The Office further notes that having wiring for powering heating wire on a transparent cover extend past the bottom of a radar system, wherein the radar system is positioned centrally to said transparent cover is well known in the art as evidenced by Figure 1 of HIROTANI (US 20210155168 A1). Thus, a body portion which attempts to form a conductor channel for the wiring would be positioned between said radar device and a wall of the casing.
2 While the Bayha states that the region of the emission window is left out, Paragraphs 27 and 35 of Bayha still teaches indirect heating of the emission window through the use of heating wire, which frames the window and thus it would be reasonable under BRI to consider those wires as the irradiation side heater portion. The Office further notes that placing heating wires at both the emission and receiving portions of the window of a LIDAR system such as to provide heating to both is well known in the art as evidenced by Figure 2 of Beuth (US 20220357457 A1).
Prosecution Insights