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 .
Claims 1-16 are currently pending.
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.
The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
Claims 1-16 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over U.S. 2022/0260688 to Won et al. (“Won”).
Regarding claim 1, Won teaches a LiDAR device for measuring distance using a laser comprising: a laser emitter configured to output the laser (claims 1-21); a scanner configured to rotate around an axis of rotation, and be located at a reference measurement position and a scan position; a detector configured to detect the laser (claims 1-21); and a controller configured to control the laser emitter and the detector (claims 1-21), wherein the controller comprises: a laser output controller configured to generate a trigger signal for controlling the laser emitter; and a detector controller configured to process a signal acquired from the detector and control the detector, wherein the detector controller comprises: a correction signal calculator configured to calculate a correction signal to control a voltage applied to the detector; a distance offset calculator configured to calculate a distance offset; and a distance calculator configured to calculate a distance from an object; wherein the correction signal calculator is configured to calculate the correction signal based on a first detecting signal acquired from the detector and outputted from the laser emitter and a reference signal when the scanner locates on the reference measurement position, wherein the distance offset calculator is configured to calculate offset information based on the first detecting signal acquired from the detector and outputted from the laser emitter and reference information when the scanner locates on the reference measurement position, wherein the distance calculator is configured to calculate the distance from the object based on a second detecting signal acquired in the detector and output from the laser emitter and the offset information when the scanner locates on the scan position (claims 1-21).
Regarding claim 2, Won teaches wherein the correction signal calculator is configured to calculate the correction signal based on a difference between a width of the first detecting signal and a width of the reference signal acquired from the detector (claims 1-21).
Regarding claim 3, Won teaches wherein the correction signal calculator is configured to calculate the correction signal based on a half of the difference between the width of the first detecting signal and the width of the reference signal acquired from the detector (claims 1-21).
Regarding claim 4, Won teaches wherein the distance offset calculator is configured to calculate the offset information based on a reference time interval which the reference information comprises and a time point of detection of the first detecting signal acquired from the detector (claims 1-21).
Regarding claim 5, Won teaches wherein the time point of detection of the first detecting signal acquired from the detector is obtained using a preset threshold and the signal acquired from the detector (claims 1-21).
Regarding claim 6, Won teaches wherein the reference time interval is a pre-stored time interval based on a reference light path (claims 1-21).
Regarding claim 7, Won teaches wherein the offset information includes at least one of the offset distance and the offset time (claims 1-21).
Regarding claim 8, Won teaches wherein the distance calculator is configured to calculate the distance from the object based on the offset information and the time point of detection of the second detecting signal and the time point of generation of the trigger signal (claims 1-21).
Regarding claim 9, Won teaches wherein the distance calculator is configured to calculate the distance from the object by correcting the time interval between the time point of detection of the second detecting signal and the time point of generation of the trigger signal using the offset information (claims 1-21).
Regarding claim 10, Won teaches a method for operating a Light Detecting and Ranging (LiDAR) device for measuring distance using the laser, comprising: positioning a scanner in a first reference measurement position; acquiring a first detecting signal for an outputted laser when the scanner is located on the first reference measurement position; acquiring a first compensation signal and first offset information based on the first detecting signal; changing a voltage applied to the detector to a first voltage based on the first compensation signal; positioning the scanner in a first scan position; acquiring a second detecting signal for the outputted laser when the scanner is located on the first scan position; acquiring first distance information based on first offset information and the second detecting signal; positioning the scanner in a second reference measurement position; acquiring a third detecting signal for the outputted laser when the scanner is located on the second reference measurement position; acquiring second offset information and a second compensation signal based on the third detecting signal; changing the voltage applied to the detector to a second voltage based on the second compensation signal; positioning the scanner in the second scan position; acquiring a fourth detecting signal for the outputted laser when the scanner is located on the second scan position; and acquiring the second distance information based on the fourth detecting signal and the second offset information (claims 1-21).
Regarding claim 11, Won teaches wherein the first reference measurement position is identical to the second reference measurement position (claims 1-21).
Regarding claim 12, Won teaches wherein when the first scan position is identical to the second scan position and the first offset information is different from the second offset information, a time point of detection of the second detecting signal and a time point of detection of the fourth detecting signal are not same (claims 1-21).
Regarding claim 13, Won teaches wherein the first compensation signal is acquired based on a width of a pre-stored reference signal and a width of the first detecting signal, and the second compensation signal is acquired based on the width of the pre-stored reference signal and a width of the third detecting signal (claims 1-21).
Regarding claim 14, Won teaches wherein the first compensation signal is acquired based on a difference between the width of the pre-stored reference signal and the width of the first detecting signal, and the second compensation signal is acquired based on a difference between the width of pre-stored reference signal and the width of the third detecting signal (claims 1-21).
Regarding claim 15, Won teaches wherein the first distance information is acquired based on a difference between a width of a pre-stored reference signal and a width of the first detecting signal, the first offset information and the second detecting signal (claims 1-21).
Regarding claim 16, Won teaches wherein the second distance information is acquired based on a difference between the width of the pre-stored reference signal and the width of the third detecting signal, the second offset information and the fourth detecting signal (claims 1-21).
Conclusion
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/MARISA V CONLON/ Examiner, Art Unit 3643