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 .
Drawings
The drawings are objected to under 37 CFR 1.83(a). The drawings must show every feature of the invention specified in the claims. Therefore, the “second light source for emitting a light signal directly to a reference receiver channel and the multiple receiving optical sensors” of claims 1, 9 and 10 must be shown or the feature(s) canceled from the claim(s). No new matter should be entered.
As illustrated, only fig. 1 appears to contain reference to the claimed subject matter at issue. The relationship between the second light source (10) and light signals from the second light source (11) is shown only in that both exist in fig. 1, with no clear indication as to how the signals are intended to propagate from the second light source, as to how the second light source light source signals are intended to propagate to the reference receiver channel (12), as to how the second light source is intended to be in communication with the reference receiver channel, as to how the second light source is intended to be in communication with the multiple receiving optical sensors, or as to how the second light source signals are intended to propagate to each of the multiple receiving optical sensors. Thus, the drawing merely indicate the physical components but fail to clearly and fully demonstrate their optical communication relationships and their physical relationships, as appropriate.
Corrected drawing sheets in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d) are required in reply to the Office action to avoid abandonment of the application. Any amended replacement drawing sheet should include all of the figures appearing on the immediate prior version of the sheet, even if only one figure is being amended. The figure or figure number of an amended drawing should not be labeled as “amended.” If a drawing figure is to be canceled, the appropriate figure must be removed from the replacement sheet, and where necessary, the remaining figures must be renumbered and appropriate changes made to the brief description of the several views of the drawings for consistency. Additional replacement sheets may be necessary to show the renumbering of the remaining figures. Each drawing sheet submitted after the filing date of an application must be labeled in the top margin as either “Replacement Sheet” or “New Sheet” pursuant to 37 CFR 1.121(d). If the changes are not accepted by the examiner, the applicant will be notified and informed of any required corrective action in the next Office action. The objection to the drawings will not be held in abeyance.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claims 1-15 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Claims 1, 9 and 10 recite some form of emitting a first light signal and then receiving a light signal, which is indefinite due to the face that only one light signal is required by the claims to be transmitted into the environment of the lidar system, yet a light signal is also received. The emitted and the received light signals do not match in antecedent basis, as both are indicated with ”a” which implied that they are intended to be different and distinct signals, not necessarily that they are correlated to one another. Thus, the claims are indefinite due to either the lack of antecedent basis between the terms at issue or due to the claims not reciting additional emitted signals that would be correspond to the recited received signal that is not intended to refer back to the first emitted signal. For purposes of examination, this limitation will be interpreted as at least one signal must be emitted and that a corresponding return signal is received.
Claim 15 recites the limitation “the steps of the characterizing portion”. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim, as no steps and no characterizing portion are previously established in this claim or in any claim on which this claim depends. Therefore, it is unclear to what “the steps of the characterizing portion” refers. The specification recites amplification characteristics (gain), characterization of a receiving optical sensor, characterization of the optical receiver system, a light pulse with a defined characteristic, light emitting characteristics, light receiving characteristics, characterization of separate receiver channels, and “steps of the characterizing portion” which is also lacking antecedent basis in the specification and which is not defined therein, only that an example is given in the form of “particularly the comparison between the output of the receiver channel and the output of the multiple receiver channels”. For purposes of examination, the limitation at issue will be interpreted to the best of the Examiner’s ability as the comparison of receiver channel outputs, of which any output characteristic will be considered.
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) 1-15 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Gilliland (US 10126411).
1 and claims 9 and 10 mutatis mutandis: Gilliland teaches a light detection and ranging system [fig. 3, including at least ladar sensors 32, 34 and LADAR system controller] comprising:
at least one first light source for emitting a light signal to the surroundings of the light detection and ranging system [fig. 3, inherent transmitters in ladar sensors 32 and 34], multiple receiving optical sensors for receiving a light signal from surroundings of the light detection and ranging system [fig. 3, inherent receivers within ladar sensors 32 and 34];
an optical receiver system for processing the signals of the multiple receiving optical sensors [at least col 8, lines 37-42 teach that each of the ladar sensors 32 and 34 may include data processors to reduce the processing load on the ladar system controller 30], wherein the optical receiver system comprises a separate receiver channel for each of the multiple receiving optical sensors [fig. 3, each of ladar sensors 32 and 34 include a corresponding transmitter and receiver], each separate receiver channel comprising an amplifier with an adjustable gain for amplifying the signal of the corresponding receiving optical sensor [fig. 4 illustrates a ladar sensor of either 32 or 34 and includes an electronic amplifier array 80 which inherently performs signal amplification]; and
a second light source for emitting a light signal directly to a reference receiver channel and the multiple receiving optical sensors [fig. 2 illustrates a rightmost ladar sensor that produces a reference signal which is transmitted directly to a receiver as illustrated],
wherein the optical receiver system comprises the reference receiver channel and at least one comparator for comparing the output of the reference receiver channel and the output of each of the separate receiver channels, the reference receiver channel comprising a reference optical sensor and a reference amplifier [col 16, lines 54-57 teaches a threshold voltage comparator that is set to trigger when a pulse is received which exceeds a predetermined threshold (inherently a reference value)], and
wherein the at least one comparator can adjust the gain of the amplifiers of each separate receiver channel based on the result of the comparison of the output of the reference receiver channel and the output of the corresponding separate receiver channel [col 2, lines 16-22 teaches an embodiment in which each ladar sensor 32, 34 may include an optical gain element in the optical receiver path, wherein the gain element may be optically pumped, as in the example of an erbium doped fiber amplifier, or electrically pumped as in the case of a semiconductor optical amplifier. Col 30, beginning at line 27 teaches gain adjustment. While the reference fails to teach explicitly that the comparator is performing the gain adjustment function, the comparator is a threshold voltage comparator which is related in function to adjust or to be capable of adjusting or influencing adjustment of voltage. Both the comparator and the optical gain element described in the reference are employed to increase signal strength and/or signal to noise ratio. Therefore, a person of ordinary skill in the art would find obvious that the combined function of the optical gain element and the comparator as disclosed in the reference serve to fulfil the function of the comparator as claimed, since the same end is achieved within the lidar system of the prior art and that which is claimed.].
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the embodiments disclosed in Gilliland with a reasonable expectation of success because the reference discloses the embodiments as usable together.
2 and 11 mutatis mutandis: Gilliland teaches the multiple receiver channels and the reference receiver channel further comprise a buffer, an analog-to-digital converter and/or a signal processing unit, particularly a digital signal processing unit [at least col 9, in the section beginning with “Fig. 4”, teaches analog to digital converters].
3 and 12 mutatis mutandis: Gilliland teaches the at least one first light source and the second light source are controlled by the light detection and ranging system and do not emit light simultaneously [at least col 15 teaches transmitted laser pulse modulation between ladar sensors, of which a person of ordinary skill in the art would find obvious implies that the lasers within the system are emitted at different intervals, so not only simultaneously].
4: Gilliland teaches a separate comparator for each separate receiver channel, for comparing the output of the reference receiver channel to the output of the corresponding receiver channel [fig. 5 illustrates the unit cell of each ladar sensor which includes trigger 106 that is typically a threshold voltage comparator; see rejection of claim 1 for additional explanation of comparator].
5: Gilliland teaches the amplifier of each optical receiver channel and the reference receiver channel is a transimpedance amplifier [col 27, beginning line 17 teaches amplifier as transimpedance amplifier].
6: Gilliland teaches the receiving optical sensors of the multiple optical receiver channels and the reference receiver channel are photodiodes [col 11 teaches array of avalanche photodiodes as detector array] and/or the first light source and/or the second light source is a laser source [invention is drawn to ladar systems which inherently use lasers and is disclosed throughout the reference].
7: Gilliland teaches sender optics and/or receiver optics for adjusting light emitting characteristics and/or light receiving characteristics of the light detection and ranging system [at least col 15, teaches different types of emission and/or reception light characteristics such as laser pulse modulation and sensor field of view].
8: Gilliland teaches the optical receiver system is implemented in an integrated circuit [see description of fig. 4, readout integrated circuit].
13: Gilliland teaches the signal of the reference receiver channel and each optical receiver channel are compared in parallel by separate comparators [fig. 5 illustrates the unit cell of each ladar sensor which includes trigger 106 that is typically a threshold voltage comparator; see rejection of claim 1 for additional explanation of comparator; wherein a person of ordinary skill in the art would understand what the comparison carried out by the comparator must occur in parallel due to the reference receiver signal being compared to each ladar signal.].
14: Gilliland teaches the method is performed continuously during operation of the light detection and ranging system [since the nature of the prior art is a vehicular ladar system for the purpose of road hazard avoidance, collision avoidance and autonomous navigation, it follows that the method would be carried out continuously during at least operation of the vehicle.].
15: Gilliland teaches the steps of the characterizing portion are performed in predetermined intervals [at least col 16 teaches operation and function of the threshold voltage comparator and it’s being set to trigger at a predetermined magnitude and that other pulse detection schemes may be used. A person of ordinary skill in the art would find obvious that the predetermined interval as claimed corresponds to the predetermined magnitude of the reference, and/or further that it would be obvious to employ a temporal threshold instead of a voltage threshold.].
Prior art reference not cited but of relevance: Goldstein (2022/0057519) which is drawn to an automated threat detection and deterrence apparatus employing an imaging device and lidar component.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Samantha K. Nickerson whose telephone number is (571)270-1037. The examiner can normally be reached Generally Monday-Tuesday, 7:00AM-3:00PM CT.
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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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SAMANTHA K. NICKERSON
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 3645
/SAMANTHA K NICKERSON/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3645
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