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 § 103
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
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.
Claims 1-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Cannon, et al., US 2023/0025747 A1, in view of Raring, et al., US 2021/0194206 A1.
As per Claim 1, Cannon teaches a light detection and ranging (LIDAR) system (¶¶ 29-30; lidar system 100 of Figures 1, 2, 3 and 4) comprising:
a first optical source and a second optical source configured to emit respectively a first optical beam and a second optical beam (¶ 61; “light sources 110A and 110B” of Figure 3), wherein the first optical beam and the second optical beam are frequency modulated (¶¶ 55-56);
an optical amplifier to receive the first optical beam and the second optical beam and generate a first output optical beam and a second output optical beam (¶¶ 24, 68); and
an optical arrangement configured to emit the first output optical beam and the second output optical beam towards a target and collect light returned from the target in a first return beam and a second return beam (¶ 61; “[s]cattered light from a target 130 returns to the lidar system 130 returns to the lidar system 100 as input beam 135” as in Figure 3).
Cannon does not expressly teach: an optical element to generate a first beat frequency from the first return beam and to generate a second beat frequency from the second return beam; a signal processing system to determine a range and velocity of the target from the first beat frequency and the second beat frequency; and circuitry to control an amplitude of the first optical beam input to the optical amplifier to amplitude modulate the first output optical beam and the second output optical beam. Raring teaches:
an optical element (¶ 38) to generate a first beat frequency from the first return beam and to generate a second beat frequency from the second return beam (¶¶ 42-43; within “a modulation frequency range”);
a signal processing system to determine a range and velocity of the target from the first beat frequency and the second beat frequency (¶ 410; to determine “speed and heading”); and
circuitry to control an amplitude of the first optical beam input to the optical amplifier to amplitude modulate the first output optical beam and the second output optical beam (¶ 500).
At the time of the invention, a person of skill in the art would have thought it obvious to combine the lidar system of Cannon with the frequency modulation system of Raring, in order to transmit information at a higher bandwidth.
As per Claim 2, Cannon does not expressly teach controlling the amplitude of the first optical beam comprises to reduce the amplitude of the first optical beam, wherein a resulting power reduction in the first output optical beam causes a corresponding power increase in the second output optical beam. Raring teaches controlling the amplitude of the first optical beam comprises to reduce the amplitude of the first optical beam (¶ 500), wherein a resulting power reduction in the first output optical beam causes a corresponding power increase in the second output optical beam (¶¶ 498-499). See Claim 1 above for the rationale based on obviousness, motivations and reasons to combine.
As per Claim 3, Cannon does not expressly teach that to control the amplitude of the first optical beam comprises to turn off the first optical beam to cause a doubling of power in the second output optical beam. Raring teaches that to control the amplitude of the first optical beam comprises to turn off the first optical beam to cause a doubling of power in the second output optical beam (¶ 156; “the white light output would be increased from 600 lumens to 1200 lumens”). See Claim 1 above for the rationale based on obviousness, motivations and reasons to combine.
As per Claim 4, Cannon teaches that to control the amplitude of the first optical beam comprises to control a power output by first optical source (¶ 102).
As per Claim 5, Cannon teaches that to control the amplitude of the first optical beam comprises to control an attenuation of the first optical beam (¶ 88).
As per Claim 6, Cannon teaches that the signal processing system is to:
determine, for a first frame, the range and velocity of the target from the first beat frequency and the second beat frequency (¶ 50); and
determine, for a second frame, the range of the target from the second beat frequency but not the velocity of the target (¶ 42).
As per Claim 7, Cannon teaches that the signal processing system couples the velocity of the target determined from the first frame to the range of the target determined for the second frame (¶ 50; “the autonomous-vehicle driving system may update control signals based on this information”).
As per Claim 8, Cannon the optical amplifier is a first optical amplifier and the combined beam is a first combined beam (¶ 29; e.g., from “beam combiners”), the LIDAR system comprising:
circuitry to split the first optical beam and the second optical beam to generate a third optical beam and fourth optical beam (¶ 29; with “beam splitters”);
circuitry to combine the third optical beam and the fourth optical beam to generate a second combined beam (¶ 55);
at least a second optical amplifier to receive the second combined beam and generate a third optical output beam and a fourth optical output beam (¶ 56); and
circuitry to control an amplitude of the third optical beam input to the second optical amplifier to amplitude modulate the third output optical beam and the fourth output optical beam separately from the first output optical beam and the second output optical beam (¶¶ 100-101).
As per Claim 9, Cannon teaches a method of operating a frequency modulated continuous wave (FMCW) light detection and ranging (LIDAR) system (¶¶ 17-18) comprising:
emitting a first optical beam and a second optical beam (¶ 61; “light sources 110A and 110B” of Figure 3), wherein the first optical beam and the second optical beam are frequency modulated (¶¶ 55-56);
amplifying the first optical beam and the second optical beam using an optical amplifier to generate a first output optical beam and a second output optical beam (¶¶ 24, 68); and
emitting the first output optical beam and the second output optical beam towards a target and collecting light returned from the target in a first return beam and a second return beam (¶ 61; “[s]cattered light from a target 130 returns to the lidar system 130 returns to the lidar system 100 as input beam 135” as in Figure 3);
Cannon does not expressly teach: generating a first beat frequency from the first return beam and generating a second beat frequency from the second return beam; determining a range and velocity of the target from the first beat frequency and the second beat frequency; and controlling an amplitude of the first optical beam input to the optical amplifier to amplitude modulate the first output optical beam and the second output optical beam. Raring teaches:
generating a first beat frequency from the first return beam and generating a second beat frequency from the second return beam (¶¶ 38, 42-43; within “a modulation frequency range”);
determining a range and velocity of the target from the first beat frequency and the second beat frequency (¶ 410; determining “speed and heading”); and
controlling an amplitude of the first optical beam input to the optical amplifier to amplitude modulate the first output optical beam and the second output optical beam (¶ 500).
See Claim 1 above for the rationale based on obviousness, motivations and reasons to combine.
As per Claim 10, Cannon does not expressly teach controlling the amplitude of the first optical beam comprises reducing the amplitude of the first optical beam, wherein a resulting power reduction in the first output optical beam causes a corresponding power increase in the second output optical beam. Raring teaches controlling the amplitude of the first optical beam comprises reducing the amplitude of the first optical beam (¶ 500), wherein a resulting power reduction in the first output optical beam causes a corresponding power increase in the second output optical beam (¶¶ 498-499). See Claim 1 above for the rationale based on obviousness, motivations and reasons to combine.
As per Claim 11, Cannon does not expressly teach that controlling the amplitude of the first optical beam comprises to turning off the first optical beam to cause a doubling of power in the second output optical beam. Raring teaches that controlling the amplitude of the first optical beam comprises to turning off the first optical beam to cause a doubling of power in the second output optical beam (¶ 156; “the white light output would be increased from 600 lumens to 1200 lumens”). See Claim 1 above for the rationale based on obviousness, motivations and reasons to combine.
As per Claim 12, Cannon teaches that controlling the amplitude of the first optical beam comprises controlling a power output by first optical source (¶ 102) or controlling an attenuation of the first optical beam (¶ 88).
As per Claim 13, Cannon teaches:
determining, for a first frame, the range and velocity of the target from the first beat frequency and the second beat frequency (¶ 50); and
determining, for a second frame, the range of the target from the second beat frequency but not the velocity of the target (¶ 42).
As per Claim 14, Cannon teaches coupling the velocity of the target determined from the first frame to the range of the target determined for the second frame (¶ 50; “the autonomous-vehicle driving system may update control signals based on this information”).
As per Claim 15, Cannon teaches a frequency modulated continuous wave (FMCW) light detection and ranging (LIDAR) system (¶¶ 29-30; lidar system 100 of Figures 1, 2, 3 and 4), comprising:
a processing device (¶; “a processor”); and
a memory (¶ 97) to store instructions that, when executed by the processing device, cause the LIDAR system to: emit a first optical beam and a second optical beam (¶ 61; “light sources 110A and 110B” of Figure 3), wherein the first optical beam and the second optical beam are frequency modulated (¶¶ 55-56);
amplify the first optical beam and the second optical beam using an optical amplifier to generate a first output optical beam and a second output optical beam (¶¶ 24, 68);
wherein the first output optical beam and the second output optical beam are emitted towards a target, and wherein light returned from the target is collected in a first return beam and a second return beam to generate a first beat frequency from the first return beam and generate a second beat frequency from the second return beam (¶ 61; “[s]cattered light from a target 130 returns to the lidar system 130 returns to the lidar system 100 as input beam 135” as in Figure 3).
Cannon does not expressly teach: determine a range and velocity of the target from the first beat frequency and the second beat frequency; and control an amplitude of the first optical beam input to the optical amplifier to amplitude modulate the first output optical beam and the second output optical beam. Raring teaches:
determining a range and velocity of the target from the first beat frequency and the second beat frequency (¶ 410; to determine “speed and heading”); and
controlling an amplitude of the first optical beam input to the optical amplifier to amplitude modulate the first output optical beam and the second output optical beam (¶ 500).
See Claim 1 above for the rationale based on obviousness, motivations and reasons to combine.
As per Claim 16, Cannon does not expressly teach controlling the amplitude of the first optical beam the processing device is to cause the LIDAR system to reduce the amplitude of the first optical beam, wherein a resulting power reduction in the first output optical beam causes a corresponding power increase in the second output optical beam. Raring teaches controlling the amplitude of the first optical beam the processing device is to cause the LIDAR system to reduce the amplitude of the first optical beam (¶ 500), wherein a resulting power reduction in the first output optical beam causes a corresponding power increase in the second output optical beam (¶¶ 498-499). See Claim 1 above for the rationale based on obviousness, motivations and reasons to combine.
As per Claim 17, Cannon teaches that to control the amplitude of the first optical beam the processing device is to cause the LIDAR system to control a power output by first optical source (¶ 102).
As per Claim 18, Cannon teaches that to control the amplitude of the first optical beam the processing device is to cause the LIDAR system to control an attenuation of the first optical beam (¶ 88).
As per Claim 19, Cannon teaches that the processing device is to:
cause the LIDAR system to determine, for a first frame, the range and velocity of the target from the first beat frequency and the second beat frequency (¶ 50); and
determine, for a second frame, the range of the target from the second beat frequency but not the velocity of the target (¶ 42).
As per Claim 20, Cannon teaches that the processing device is to cause the LIDAR system to couple the velocity of the target determined from the first frame to the range of the target determined for the second frame (¶ 50; “the autonomous-vehicle driving system may update control signals based on this information”).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ATUL TRIVEDI whose telephone number is (313)446-4908. The examiner can normally be reached Mon-Fri; 9:00 AM-5:00 PM EST.
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ATUL TRIVEDI
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 3661
/ATUL TRIVEDI/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3661