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 § 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)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claim(s) 1-20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(1) as being anticipated by Richards et al. (12,332,381).
Regarding claim 1, Richards discloses a distance measuring camera comprising: an image sensor (108, 112);
a light source (106);
a first lens portion including a plurality of lenses and disposed on the light source (504); and
a driving member for moving the light source (col. 7, lines 39-54) or the first lens portion in at least one of a first direction and a second direction perpendicular to an optical axis of the first lens portion (506),
wherein output light emitted from the light source passes through the first lens portion and forms a field of illumination (FOI) region and the FOI region includes a plurality of dots arranged in two dimensions in a region spaced apart from the first lens portion by a first distance (note Fig. 8d),
wherein the FOI region is selectively positioned in a first region (200 in Fig. 2d) or in one of plurality of second regions by the driving member (the background of 200 in Fig. 8d),
wherein the FOI region is configured to move from the first region to one of the plurality of second regions by the driving member (col. 7, lines 6-16; col. 8, lines 26-33),
wherein each of the plurality of second regions partially overlaps the first region in a direction of the optical axis,
wherein a first dot located at one end of the plurality of dots in one of the plurality of second regions is configured to move farther outside the first region than a second dot located at the other end of the plurality of dots (col. 8, lines 26-33),
wherein the first region is a center region defined as an initial position of the FOI region (s204),
wherein the first region serves as common reference region for all of the plurality of second regions,
wherein the FOI region is a region having horizontal and vertical lengths corresponding to the first distance (note Fig. 4a), and
wherein the light source or the first lens portion is configured to be moved by the driving member such that the optical axis is shifted from a center of the first lens portion (note movement from Fig. 5a to Fig. 5b; col. 7, lines 1-16).
It should be noted that although Richards does not explicitly disclose the first region and the plurality of regions as claimed, the region 200 and the background regions behind region 200 in Fig. 8d meet the first region and the second region, respectively. Since Richards can be used to perform many different movements, the initial center light illumination location and the quadrant overlapping movements of the light illuminations are considered an intended used of Richards.
Regarding claim 2, Richards discloses that a distance between a dot located in the second region after movement and a corresponding dot located in the first region before movement, is smaller than a distance between adjacent dots within the FOI region. That is, the actuation mechanism 110 or 506 is intended to non-uniform illumination in any manner (note 6, lines 27-46, line 66, to col. 7, line 16).
Regarding claims 3-12, the movements as claimed are intended use of Richards. That is, the actuation mechanism 110 or 506 is intended to perform the movements as claimed. The initial movement position of the non-uniform illumination can be located at the center or offset from the center of the optical axis, such as in claimed in claim 3. The claimed equations (1-4) do not warrant any patentable weight since they merely define the distances, angles or directions of the moved non-uniform illumination from an initial position. Since the Richards discloses all the structures of the claimed invention, the claimed invention is met.
Regarding claims 13-20, see corresponding rejections to claims 1-12 as set forth above.
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 3/23/26 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
Regarding applicant’s argument that Richards does not disclose a structural configuration in which multiple illumination regions are deliberately designed to overlap a common center region with an overlap relationship defined with respect to an optical axis and a center region serving as a common reference region for all shifted regions, and any overlap between scan positions would be incidental and not structurally defined or required, the examiner disagreed. As shown in Fig. 8d, the dots in region 200 can be moved in horizontal and vertical direction. The dots region 200 can be initially located at the center of a screen and later can be moved into different locations of the screen relative to the initial center location. The locations can be the peripheral areas that overlaps the initial center region. All these movements are merely using the actuation mechanism 110 in Richards. Thus, it is concluded that the claimed movements are considered an intended use of the Richards.
In view of forgoing arguments, it is clear that Richards still meets the claimed invention. As a result, the prior art rejection is maintained.
Conclusion
THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. 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 MICHAEL LEE whose telephone number 571-272-7349. The examiner can normally be reached on Monday through Thursday from 9:00 am to 6:00 pm.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner's supervisor, John Miller, can be reached on 571-272-7353. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/MICHAEL LEE/ Primary Examiner,
Art Unit 2422
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