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 .
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claim(s) 07/10/2026 have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on any reference applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument.
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 and claims bellow are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over D1 US 20170307876 A1 in view of D02 US 20180284286 A1 further in view of D03 US 20180113200 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]
but does not teach
wherein the first optical scanner includes a first mirror and a first light source device including an array of light sources, the first light source device providing light to the first mirror,
wherein the second optical scanner includes a second mirror and a second light source device including an array of light sources, the second light source device providing light to the second mirror,
wherein the drive function generator is configured to generate the first periodic signal based on a periodic function with a first phase shift and to generate the second periodic signal based on the periodic function with a second phase shift different from the first phase shift.
D02 teaches two eye system (fig. 12 ) which includes
wherein the first optical scanner(645A) includes a first mirror(680A-1) and a first light source device(630A) including, the first light source device providing light to the first mirror,(fig. 12)
wherein the second optical scanner(645B) includes a second mirror(680B-1) and a second light source device (630B), the second light source device providing light to the second mirror,(fig. 12)
wherein the drive function generator is configured to generate the first periodic signal based on a and to generate the second periodic signal based on the periodic function such that scan patterns are different.[0031](different scan patterns which means different periodic function)
It will be obvious to one of ordinary skills in the art to modify teachings taught by D1 with teachings by D02 in order to provide two eye system which can have different resolutions depending on the direction.
D03 teaches array of the sight sources (fig. 2b) corresponding to one scanner 114
It will be obvious to one of ordinary skills in the art to modify teachings taught by D1 with teachings by D03 in order to simultaneously scan larger area with the same scanner.
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.
39. (New) The scanning system of claim 1, wherein: the first optical scanner further includes a first light detector configured to detect light reflected from the first mirror, and the second optical scanner further includes a second light detector configured to detect light reflected from the second mirror. (D02 fig 12 the motivation same as for claim 1)
40. (New) The scanning system of claim 1, wherein:the first light source device provides light to the first mirror exclusively, and the second light source device provides light to the second mirror exclusively. (D02 fig 12 the motivation same as for claim 1)
Claim(s) 2, 4, 25, 26 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over D1 D02 and D03.
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
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). 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.
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/HOVHANNES BAGHDASARYAN/Examiner, Art Unit 3645
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