DETAILED ACTION
Claims 1-20 are pending in the application.
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and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114.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 12/29/2025 has been entered.
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 12/29/2025 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive. Applicant argues that the prior art of record Cai et al (US 2021/0337117 A1) fails to teach the claimed limitations as a whole, specifically “the image signal processing pipeline adapted based on associated processing information that indicates the updated image is processed for vehicle navigation or processed for human-visualization”. Examiner respectfully disagrees. Attention is directed towards figs. 1 and 9 of the prior art. Image capture and processing system 100 is designed for capturing image data and outputting image data after the image is processed to I/O devices. Fig. 9 of the prior art, computing system 900 can be performed by image capture and processing system 100 can be used for an autonomous vehicle, or computing device of an autonomous vehicle, wherein the components may be used to carry out the steps of the process, para 0105 (emphasis added). Therefore, based on the claim limitations as currently constructed/recited, the prior art of Cai reads on the limitations. It is highly suggested to amend the claim language further to highlight the inventive concept of instant application. The prior art of rejection will remain.
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.
4. Claims 1-4, 6, 7-9, 11-14, 16-18, and 20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Cai et al (US 2021/0337117 A1).
As per claim 1, Cai discloses a vehicle (figs. 1 and 9, image capture and processing system 100, computing system 900, para 0105, …an autonomous vehicle), comprising:
at least one computer-readable medium storing computer-executable instructions (fig. 1, image capture and processing system 100, RAM 140);
at least one processor communicatively coupled to at least one camera and configured to execute the computer executable instructions (fig. 1, image capture and processing system 100, image processor 150 is connected to RAM 140 and image sensor 130), the execution carrying out operations including:
obtaining, using at least one SoC, raw data associated with a raw image from at least one camera (fig. 1, image sensor 130 may capture raw image data, para 0035);
generating, using the at least one SoC, an updated image based on the raw image from the at least one camera, wherein the updated image represents photons received by the at least one camera (fig. 1, image sensor 130 captures raw image data and is updated by the image signal processor (ISP) 154 based on light/photons from image sensor 130);
providing, using the at least one SoC, the updated image to an image and signal processing pipeline (fig. 1, ISP 154, updated image goes through processing blocks, see para 0035 and 0053);
processing, using the at least one SoC, the updated image using at least one processing operation of the image signal processing pipeline adapted based on associated processing information that indicates the updated image is processed for vehicle navigation or processed for human-visualization; (fig. 1, ISP 154, updated image goes through processing blocks, see para 0035 and 0053, furthermore, fig. 1, image capture processing system 100, wherein image processor 150 controls the functionality of images being processed including input/output 160 which may be associated with the updated image, furthermore image capture and processing system 100 is designed for capturing image data and outputting image data after the image is processed to I/O devices. Fig. 9 of the prior art, computing system 900 can be performed by image capture and processing system 100 can be used for an autonomous vehicle, or computing device of an autonomous vehicle, wherein the components may be used to carry out the steps of the process, para 0105, see figs. 1 and 9, image capture and processing system 100, computing system 900, image processor 150, input/output 160, para 0047, 0048, 0050 and 0105); and
transmitting instructions for causing a vehicle to operate based at least in part on information obtained from an analysis of the processed image (figs. 1 and 9, image capture and processing system 100, computing system 900, I/O 160, output device 935, communication interface 940, see para 0048, 0105, 113, 115).
As per claim 2, Cai further discloses the vehicle of claim 1, the operations comprising:
identifying steps of the image signal processing pipeline to be omitted in processing of the updated image (fig. 1, image capture and processing system 100, ISP 154, the ability to select which signal processing to perform, para 0053).
As per claim 3, Cai further discloses the vehicle of claim 2, wherein the processing of the updated image omits the steps identified for omission (fig. 1, image capture and processing system 100, ISP 154, the ability to select which signal processing to perform, and which signal processing not to perform, para 0053).
As per claim 4, Cai further discloses the vehicle of claim 2, wherein identifying steps of the image signal processing pipeline to be omitted in processing of the updated image comprises one or more hardware components to be omitted (fig. 1, image capture and processing system 100, ISP 154, should be noted ISP 154 can include multiple modules, i.e. hardware, para 0053).
As per claim 6, Cai further discloses the vehicle of claim 1, wherein the image signal processing pipeline comprises one or more hardware components (fig. 1, image capture and processing system 100, ISP 154, should be noted ISP 154 can include multiple modules, i.e. hardware, para 0053).
As per claim 7, Cai further discloses the vehicle of claim 1, wherein the image signal processing pipeline comprises one or more SoCs (fig. 1, image capture and processing system 100, image processor 150, para 0046).
As per claim 8, Cai further discloses the vehicle of claim 1, wherein the at least one camera approximates an amount of photons captured to generate the updated image (fig. 1, image capture device 105A, para 0050 and 0051).
As per claim 9, Cai further discloses the vehicle of claim 1, wherein the raw image data is obtained by controlling an acquisition time of the at least one camera (fig. 1, image capture device 105A, control mechanisms 120, exposure 125A).
As per claim 11, Cai further discloses a method comprising:
obtaining, using at least one SoC, raw data associated with a raw image from at least one camera;
generating, using the at least one SoC, an updated image based on the raw image from the at least one camera, wherein the updated image represents photons received by the at least one camera;
providing, using the at least one SoC, the updated image to an image signal processing pipeline;
processing, using the at least one SoC, the updated image using at least one processing operation of the image signal processing pipeline adapted based on associated processing information that indicates the updated image is processed for vehicle navigation or processed for human-civilization; and
transmitting instructions for causing a vehicle to operate based at least in part on information obtained from an analysis of the processed image (claim limitations have been discussed and rejected, see claim 1 above).
As per claim 12, Cai further discloses the method of claim 11, comprising:
identifying steps of the image signal processing pipeline to be omitted in processing of the updated image (claim limitations have been discussed and rejected, see claim 2 above).
As per claim 13, Cai further discloses the method of claim 12, wherein processing of the updated image omits the steps identified for omission (claim limitations have been discussed and rejected, see claim 3 above).
As per claim 14, Cai further discloses the method of claim 12, wherein identifying steps of the image signal processing pipeline to be omitted in processing of the updated image comprises one or more hardware components to be omitted (claim limitations have been discussed and rejected, see claim 4 above).
As per claim 16, Cai further discloses the method of claim 11, wherein the image signal processing pipeline comprises one or more hardware components (claim limitations have been discussed and rejected, see claim 6 above).
As per claim 17, Cai further discloses the method of claim 11, wherein the image signal processing pipeline comprises one or more SoCs (claim limitations have been discussed and rejected, see claim 7 above).
As per claim 18, Cai further discloses the method of claim 11, wherein the at least one camera approximates an amount of photons captured to generate the updated image (fig. 1, image capture device 105A, para 0050 and 0051).
As per claim 20, Cai further discloses a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprising at least one program for execution by one or more processors of a first device, the at least one program including instructions which, when executed by the one or more processors (para 0108), cause the first device to perform operations comprising:
obtaining, using at least one SoC, raw data associated with a raw image from at least one camera;
generating, using the at least one SoC, an updated image based on the raw image from the at least one camera, wherein the updated image represents photons received by the at least one camera;
providing, using the at least one SoC, the updated image to an image and signal processing pipeline;
processing, using the at least one SoC, the updated image using at least one processing operation of the image signal processing pipeline adapted based on associated processing information that indicates the updated image is processed for vehicle navigation or processed for human-visualization; and
transmitting instructions for causing a vehicle to operate based at least in part on information obtained from an analysis of the processed image (claim limitations have been discussed and rejected, see claim 1 above).
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.
5. Claims 5 and 15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Cai et al (US 2021/0337117 A1) in view of Gray (US 10,007,269 B1).
As per claim 5, The vehicle of claim 2, wherein steps of the image signal processing pipeline to be omitted in processing of the updated image are determined based on a state of the vehicle.
Cai fails to teach the limitations recited above in claim 5. However, Gray discloses an collision-avoidance system wherein based on image frames captured from the camera(s) and the image analysis of the image frames, the state of the vehicle can be determined (Gray, fig. 1, autonomous-capable vehicle 10, collision-avoidance system 100, col. 8 lines 37-col. 9 lines 41).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to combine the teachings of Cai in view of Gray, as a whole, by incorporating the collision-avoidance system as taught by Gray, into the image capturing system as taught by Cai, because doing so would provide a more efficient way to determine a state of the vehicle through the processing of images captured.
As per claim 15, Cai in view of Gray, as a whole, further disclose the method of claim 12, wherein identifying steps of the image signal processing pipeline to be omitted in processing of the updated image are determined based on a state of the vehicle (claim limitations have been discussed and rejected, see claim 5 above).
6. Claims 10 and 19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Cai et al (US 2021/0337117 A1) in view of Schofield et al (US 8,599,001 B2).
As per claim 10, the vehicle of claim 1, wherein the raw image data comprises an approximation of an amount of photons.
Cai fails to teach the limitations as recited above in claim 10. However, Schofield discloses a vehicular vision system comprising a photosensor array 32 having the ability to approximate light (i.e. photons) (Schofield, fig. 5, photosensor array 32, col. 13 lines 30-35).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to combine the teachings of Cai in view of Schofield, as a whole, by incorporating the photosensor array as taught by Schofield, into the image capturing system as taught by Cai, because doing so would provide a more efficient way of imaging a scene.
As per claim 19, Cai further discloses the method of claim 11, wherein the raw image data is obtained by controlling an acquisition time of the at least one camera (fig. 1, image capture device 105A, control mechanisms 120, exposure 125A).
Cai fails to teach comprises an approximation of an amount of photons. However, Schofield discloses a vehicular vision system comprising a photosensor array 32 having the ability to approximate light (i.e. photons) (Schofield, fig. 5, photosensor array 32, col. 13 lines 30-35).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to combine the teachings of Cai in view of Schofield, as a whole, by incorporating the photosensor array as taught by Schofield, into the image capturing system as taught by Cai, because doing so would provide a more efficient way of imaging a scene.
Conclusion
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/JOHN H MOREHEAD III/Examiner, Art Unit 2639
/TWYLER L HASKINS/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2639