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 .
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.
Claim(s) 1 and claims bellow are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by D1 US 20170307876 A1.
Regarding claim 1 D1 teaches
1. (Currently Amended) A scanning system, comprising:
a drive function generator configured to generate a plurality of periodic signals, the plurality of periodic signals including a first periodic signal and a second periodic signal;(fig. 2b)[0086](implicit)
a plurality of optical scanners including a first optical scanner and a second optical scanner; (fig. 2b)[0086]
a first mirror associated with of the first optical scanner; and(fig. 2b)[0086]
a second mirror associated with of the second optical scanner; (fig. 2b)[0086]
wherein the first mirror is configured to operate oscillates based on the first periodic signal, (fig. 2b)[0086]
wherein the second mirror is configured to operate oscillates based on the second periodic signal, and(fig. 2b)[0086]
wherein the drive function generator is configured to generate the first periodic signal has based on a periodic function with a first phase shift and to generate the second periodic signal has based on the periodic function with a second phase shift different from the first phase shift. (fig. 2b)[0086]
3. (Currently Amended) The scanning system of claim 1, wherein: the periodic function is a sine function. [0086]
10. (Original) The scanning system of claim 1, further comprising:a scan data processor configured to receive scan data from the plurality of optical scanners. (implicit it is a lidar which receives data obtained by using two scanning mirrors and processes them )
11-24. (Cancelled)
27. (New) The scanning system of claim 6, wherein, prior to generating the first periodic signal, the drive function generator is capable of adjusting the periodic function based on: a first time interval between a first detection of light and a second detection of light from the second index light source; and a second time interval between a first detection of light and a second detection of light from the first index light source.
28. (New) The scanning system of claim 6, wherein, prior to generating the first periodic signal, the drive function generator is capable of adjusting the periodic function based on a first time interval between a first detection of light and a second detection of light from the second index light source.
29. (New) The scanning system of claim 7, wherein, prior to generating the first periodic signal, the drive function generator is capable of adjusting the first phase shift based on a timing at which a light from the third index light source is detected.
30. (New) The scanning system of claim 8, wherein, prior to generating the first periodic signal, the drive function generator is capable of adjusting the first phase shift based on a timing at which a light from the third index light source is detected.
31. (New) The scanning system of claim 1, wherein the second optical scanner includes:a light source device including an array of light sources,a first index light source,a second index light source, anda third index light source.
32. (New) The scanning system of claim 31, wherein:the first index light source is aligned with a first column of the array of light sources,the second index light source is aligned with a last column of the array of light sources.
33. (New) The scanning system of claim 31, wherein:the third index light source is aligned with a center line between a first column of the array of light sources and a last column of the array of light sources.
34. (New) The scanning system of claim 31, wherein:the third index light source is aligned with a middle column of the array of light sources.
35. (New) The scanning system of claim 32, wherein, prior to generating the second periodic signal, the drive function generator is capable of adjusting the periodic function based on:a first time interval between a first detection of light and a second detection of light from the second index light source; anda second time interval between a first detection of light and a second detection of light from the first index light source.
36. (New) The scanning system of claim 32, wherein, prior to generating the second periodic signal, the drive function generator is capable of adjusting the periodic function based on a first time interval between a first detection of light and a second detection of light from the second index light source.
37. (New) The scanning system of claim 33, wherein, prior to generating the second periodic signal, the drive function generator is capable of adjusting the second phase shift based on a timing at which a light from the third index light source is detected
38. (New) The scanning system of claim 34, wherein, prior to generating the second periodic signal, the drive function generator is capable of adjusting the second phase shift based on a timing at which a light from the third index light source is detected.
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) 2, 4, 25, 26 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over D1.
Although D1 does not explicitly teach
2, 4 wherein:the first phase shift is 0, and the second phase shift is one-quarter of a -period of the second periodic signal.
25. (New) The scanning system of claim 1, wherein the drive function generator is configured to generate the first periodic signal and the second periodic signal at a common fundamental frequency. [0050](obvious modification to achieve desired scan pattern)
26. (New) The scanning system of claim 1, wherein the drive function generator is capable of adjusting at least one of the first phase shift and the second phase shift during operation of the scanning system. [0050](obvious modification to achieve desired scan pattern)[0098][0106]
This is just a matter of the design choice to obtain the specific emission pattern.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 5-9, 27-38 objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
According to specification “index light source” has specific meaning “In this disclosure, index light sources (e.g., row of index light sources) provide or emit constant light that is being used to track or monitor the movement of the scanning mirror.”[0010]
Prior art does not teach or render obvious using plurality of index light sources. Closest available art by US 20180113200 A1 teaches light monitoring the mirror but it is not combinable with this application as operational principals are different .
Conclusion
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/HOVHANNES BAGHDASARYAN/Examiner, Art Unit 3645
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