Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
The present application, filed on or after 16 Mar 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
DETAILED ACTION
Applicant presents Claims 1-15 for examination. The Office rejects Claims 1-15 as detailed below.
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.
Claims 1-15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Nash et al. (U.S. Pub. 20190339364 [IDS Entry]).
As for Claim 1, Nash teaches an array of light emitting elements (Fig. 10, laser array 1002, ¶68|3-8), wherein each light emitting element is configured to emit light to illuminate an illumination plane and wherein the array of light emitting elements comprises at least two groups of light emitting elements (¶56|2: “The emitters may include a first group of light emitters for emitting light with a first field of transmission [i.e., illumination plane]. The emitters may further include a second or different group of light emitters for emitting light with a second field of transmission. ”); and an array of optical elements configured to affect the emitted light to affect the illumination in the illumination plane, wherein the array of optical elements comprises at least two groups of different optical elements, wherein a first group of optical elements is configured to affect the light emitted by a first group of light emitting elements and a second group of optical elements is configured to affect the light emitted by a second group of light emitting elements (¶68|3: “FIG. 10 is a depiction of an example laser array 1002 configured to be the light source for a number of light emitters greater than the number of lasers in the laser array 1002. …In some example implementations, each laser is coupled to its own DOE [optical element]. The DOE may be manufactured to diffuse the light from the laser into one or more light emissions with a defined field.” That is, each element of the light emitting array is coupled to one or more optical elements. Each group of emitters includes a corresponding group of optical elements.), and wherein the first group of optical elements is configured to affect the light differently from the second group of optical elements to illuminate a particular region on the illumination plane with two different illumination profiles wherein the first group of optical elements are diffusing optical elements adapted to diffuse light emitted by light emitting elements of the first group of light emitting elements (Figs. 10 and 11A-C, showing the various broad and narrow emission fields, ¶69|1: “FIG. 11A is a depiction of the first emission field of the example laser array 1002 in FIG. 10 (such as in a first mode 1102A). The lasers for the first mode are switched on (such as single laser 1004A). The lasers for the second mode and the third mode are switched off (such as single laser 1004B and single laser 1004C).” That is the first group of optical elements diffuse the light into a broad emission field, compared to the other groups.), and the second group of optical elements are focusing optical elements adapted to focus light emitted light emitting elements of the second group of light emitting elements (Figs. 10 and 11A-C, showing the various broad and narrow emission fields, ¶69|6: “FIG. 11B is a depiction of the second emission field of the example laser array 1002 in FIG. 10 (such as in a second mode 1102B). The lasers for the second mode are switched on (such as single laser 1004B). The lasers for the first mode and the third mode are switched off (such as single laser 1004Aand single laser 1004C). FIG. 11C is a depiction of the third emission field of the example laser array 1002 in FIG. 10 (such as in a third mode 1102C).” That is, the optical elements in the second and third groups narrow the focus of the emission field compared to the previous group.)
As for Claim 2, which depends on Claim 1, Nash teaches wherein the light emitting elements are vertical cavity surface emitting lasers, VCSELs, of the same type (¶67|1: “In some example implementations, each light emitter may be a laser (such as a vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser (VCSEL) or other suitable type of laser). In this manner, the array of light emitters may be an array of VCSELs (or other suitable laser).”)
As for Claim 3, which depends on Claim 1, Nash teaches wherein the light emitting elements of the first group have a different size and/or shape than the light emitting elements of the second group (¶67|8: “Each laser 904 may be configured to have an emission field that may differ from other lasers. For example, some lasers may have an emission field of a first size, some other lasers may have an emission field of a second size, and some other lasers may have an emission field of a third size.”)
As for Claim 4, which depends on Claim 1, Nash teaches wherein the first group of optical elements is configured to provide a homogenous illumination in the illumination plane, and the second group of optical elements is configured to provide a spot pattern of illumination in the illumination plane (Fig. 8, showing homogenous coverage in one mode, and a spotted pattern in other modes.)
As for Claim 5, which depends on Claim 4, Nash teaches wherein the first group of optical elements is adapted to affect the light of the first group of light emitting elements such that an illumination of one light emitting element belonging to the first group of light emitting elements intersects in the illumination plane with an illumination of a neighboring light emitting element belonging to the same group of light emitting elements; or wherein the second group of optical elements is configured to create at least one spot of illumination in the illumination plane resulting from emitted light of a plurality of light emitting elements belonging to the second group of light emitting elements (Fig. 4 showing three different transmission fields from the different groups of optical elements, ¶57|1: “FIG. 4 is a depiction of different fields of emission/ transmission for a TOF transmitter 402. The transmitter's first field of transmission 406 may be larger than the second field of transmission 410 at a depth from the TOF transmitter 402. The first field of transmission 406 may also be larger than a third field of transmission 414 for the depth from the TOF transmitter 402. Darker fields of emission/transmission indicate a more focused emission (where the field is smaller at a depth from the transmitter the for less focused emission).”)
As for Claim 6, which depends on Claim 1, Nash teaches wherein the optical elements belonging to the first group of optical elements and the optical elements belonging to the second group of optical elements are spatially intermixed (Fig. 6 showing spatially intermixed optical elements)
As for Claim 7, which depends on Claim 6, Nash teaches wherein the optical elements belonging to the first group of optical elements and the optical elements belonging to the second group of optical elements are arranged in an interleaved arrangement of optical elements of the first group and optical elements of the second group (Fig. 6 showing interleaved optical elements)
As for Claim 8, which depends on Claim 6, Nash teaches wherein the optical elements of the first group of optical elements have a different footprint than the optical elements of the second group of optical elements (Fig. 6 showing interleaved optical elements)
As for Claim 9, which depends on Claim 1, Nash teaches wherein the optical elements are lenses and wherein the optical elements of the first group of optical elements have a different focal length than the optical elements of the second group of optical elements (¶36|1: “The transmitter 102 may be configured to project a spatial distribution 104 onto the scene (including objects 106A and 106B). In some example implementations, the transmitter 102 may include one or more light sources 124 (such as laser sources), a lens 126, and a light modulator 128. In some embodiments, the light modulator 128 includes one or more diffractive optical elements (DOEs) to diffract the emissions from one or more light sources 124 (which may be directed by the lens 126 to the light modulator 128) into additional emissions. The light modulator 128 may also adjust the intensity of the emissions.” Further, Fig. 4 showing three different transmission fields from the different groups of optical elements, ¶57|1: “FIG. 4 is a depiction of different fields of emission/ transmission for a TOF transmitter 402. The transmitter's first field of transmission 406 may be larger than the second field of transmission 410 at a depth from the TOF transmitter 402. The first field of transmission 406 may also be larger than a third field of transmission 414 for the depth from the TOF transmitter 402. Darker fields of emission/transmission indicate a more focused emission (where the field is smaller at a depth from the transmitter the for less focused emission).”)
As for Claim 10, which depends on Claim 1, Nash teaches wherein the optical elements are integrally formed with the light emitting elements (¶36|1: “The transmitter 102 may be configured to project a spatial distribution 104 onto the scene (including objects 106A and 106B). In some example implementations, the transmitter 102 may include one or more light sources 124 (such as laser sources), a lens 126, and a light modulator 128. In some embodiments, the light modulator 128 includes one or more diffractive optical elements (DOEs) to diffract the emissions from one or more light sources 124 (which may be directed by the lens 126 to the light modulator 128) into additional emissions. The light modulator 128 may also adjust the intensity of the emissions.”)
As for Claim 11, which depends on Claim 1, Nash teaches wherein at least one group of optical elements comprises optical elements which are each configured to affect the light of one light emitting element to realize a multiple-spot pattern of illumination in the illumination plane (Fig. 8, showing homogenous coverage in one mode, and a spotted pattern in other modes.)
As for Claim 12, which depends on Claim 1, Nash teaches further comprising: a control unit configured to control the illumination of the array of light emitting elements, wherein the illumination of the first group of light emitting elements and the illumination of the second group of light emitting elements is controlled separately (¶51|1: “The transmitter 301 and the receiver 302 may be part of a TOF system (such as TOF system 200 in FIG. 2) controlled by the TOF controller 310 and/or the processor 304.”)
As for Claim 13, which depends on Claim 1, Nash teaches wherein the camera system includes a time of flight (TOF) camera system (¶50|10: “The device 300 may also optionally include a camera 303 (which may be a single camera, dual camera module, or a module with any number of camera sensors) coupled to a camera controller 322 (which may include one or more image signal processors 324 for processing captures from the camera 303).”)
Claims 14-15 recite substantially the same subject matter as Claim 1 and stand rejected on the same basis accordingly.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to CLINT THATCHER whose telephone number is (571)270-3588. The examiner can normally be reached Mon-Fri 9am-5:30pm ET and generally keeps a daily 2:30pm timeslot open for interviews.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Yuqing Xiao, can be reached at (571) 270-3603.
Though not relied on, the Office considers the additional prior art listed in the Notice of Reference Cited form (PTO-892) pertinent to Applicant's disclosure. The listed patents and published applications [*Entries A-G*] relate to TOF systems using VCSEL arrays.
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/Clint Thatcher/
Examiner, Art Unit 3645
/YUQING XIAO/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3645