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 .
This is the first office action on the merits and is responsive to the papers filed 09/12/2025. Claims 1-13 are currently pending and examined below.
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.
Claims 1-6, 10-11, 13 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Villeneuve et al. (US 20170153319 A1 “Villeneuve”) in view of Yanagisawa et al. (US 2006/0071846 A1, “Yanagisawa”).
Regarding claim 1, Villenuve teaches a LiDAR device (Fig. 7, para 42) comprising:
a light source to output laser light (At least FIGS. 3-7, 21, 30, para 151, 155, 179. Villeneuve discloses a light source configured to output laser light. Specifically, Villeneuve discloses laser system 300 including seed laser 400 and laser diodes 440 configured to generate optical pulses);
a demultiplexer/distributor to receive the laser light output from the light source (and to output local oscillation light) and a plurality of signal light beams (Villeneuve discloses a demultiplexer/distributor configured to distribute optical pulses into multiple signal paths. Specifically, Villeneuve discloses demultiplexer 410 (Distributor) configured to distribute amplified optical pulses between multiple optical links 330-1 to 330-N (Villeneuve, para 179–180; FIG. 30). Villeneuve further discloses that multiplexer 412 may be similar to demultiplexer 410 (para 91, para 110.) Multiplexer 412 will be the demultiplexer and demultiplexer 410 the distributor
Villeneuve does not expressly disclose splitting the laser output into local oscillation light for coherent detection. However, Yanagisawa teaches a coherent laser radar in which a first optical coupler (FIG. 1, coupler 32) splits laser light into a local light and a transmitted light (FIG. 1, para 36), the transmitted light being directed toward a target and the received scattered light being mixed with the local light for heterodyne detection, and a signal processing device determining distance and velocity based on the beat signal (Para 50-53). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to incorporate Yanagisawa’s local oscillator split and coherent detection architecture into Villeneuve’s distributed multi-channel (link) LiDAR system in order to enable coherent detection, improved sensitivity, and Doppler/velocity measurement for each distributed sensor head, since both references are directed to fiber-based laser radar/LiDAR architectures employing optical fibers, optical couplers, amplifiers, and receiver signal processing.
Villeneuve in view of Yanagisawa, teaches
a plurality of amplifiers corresponding to the respective signal light beams output from the demultiplexer/distributor, the plurality of amplifiers being configured to amplify the respective signal light beams (Villeneuve explicitly discloses a plurality of amplifiers corresponding to respective distributed signal paths. Specifically, Villeneuve discloses amplifier 470-1, amplifier 470-2, … amplifier 470-N corresponding to respective optical links 330-1 to 330-N (Villeneuve para 179; FIG. 30). Villeneuve further discloses each optical link includes gain fiber 660 configured to amplify optical pulses propagating through the corresponding optical link (Villeneuve para 152, para 179–180).).
a plurality of light transmission/reception devices disposed in such a manner that radiation directions thereof differ from each other, the plurality of light transmission/reception devices corresponding to the respective amplifiers, and being configured to emit, as transmission light, the signal light beams output from the corresponding amplifiers into space, and to receive, as reception light, scattered light from a measurement target present in space by the transmission light from the light transmission/reception devices (Villeneuve discloses multiple sensor heads 310 configured to emit amplified optical pulses and receive reflected light. Specifically, Villeneuve discloses multiple sensor heads 310 receiving amplified optical pulses and directing amplified pulses to scanner 120 for emission into space (Villeneuve para 151, para 154; FIG. 21; FIG. 30). Villeneuve further discloses scanner 120 configured to scan optical beams across different spatial directions (Villeneuve para 151, para 154).). Villeneuve discloses sensor heads configured to emit and receive pulses independently (Villeneuve para 75, para 79, para 86; Fig. 4)
a signal processing device to calculate a distance to the measurement target and a property of the measurement target on a basis of the reception light from the plurality of light transmission/reception devices and the local oscillation light from the demultiplexer/distributor (Villeneuve teaches a controller that determines distance and other object characteristics from received signals (para 62, para 80, para 217 “a processor or controller 150 may determine a distance from the lidar system 100 to a target 130 based at least in part on a duration of a received pulse of light, a shape of a received pulse of light,…”). Yanagisawa teaches a signal processing device (Fig. 1, signal processing device) determining distance and velocity based on the beat signal (Para 15-16, 50-53). It would have been obvious to use coherent processing in Villeneuve’s multi-beam architecture to improve detection sensitivity and enable Doppler measurement.;
and a plurality of transmission/reception separation devices corresponding to the respective amplifiers and the respective light transmission/reception devices, the plurality of transmission/reception separation devices being configured to couple the transmission light from the amplifiers to the respective light transmission/reception devices and to couple the reception light received by the respective light transmission/reception devices to the corresponding signal processing device (Villeneuve teaches mirror 115, which may be configured as an overlap or beam-combiner mirror such that output beam 125 passes through the mirror while input beam 135 is reflected by the mirror (Para 57). Mirror 115 thus separates transmitted light and received light along a substantially coaxial path, coupling transmission light from the optical link and amplifier to scanner 120 and coupling reception light from the target to receiver 140 for processing (Para 57, 76, 79). In a multi-head system (At least FIGS.4-7; Para 179, 86), each sensor head necessarily includes corresponding optical components for directing and separating transmit and receive beams, thereby providing a plurality of transmission/reception separation devices corresponding to respective amplifiers and respective sensor heads.).
Yanagisawa also teaches a transmitting/receiving light splitting device (FIGS. 1-2, transmitting/receiving light splitting device 39) that separates transmitted and received light paths (e.g., polarization-based splitter with polarizer/quarter-wave plate) (Para 37-38).
Regarding claim 2, Villeneuve in view of Yanagisawa, teaches the LiDAR device according to claim 1, wherein the demultiplexer/distributor includes:
a demultiplexer to divide the laser light output from the light source into the local oscillation light and a signal light (Yanagisawa teaches splitting laser light into local light and transmitted light via an optical coupler (FIG. 1, para 11, 13, 36)); and
a distributor to divide the signal light from the demultiplexer into the plurality of signal light beams and to output the plurality of signal light beams (Villeneuve discloses demultiplexer 410 located after amplifier 470 configured to distribute amplified optical pulses to multiple optical links/channels (Villeneuve para 179–180). It would have been obvious to implement the LO split (Yanagisawa) prior to the distribution among multiple channels (Villeneuve) as a predictable use of known fiber couplers/demultiplexers to provide a local oscillator and distributed transmitted beams, thereby meeting claim 2.
Regarding claim 3, Villeneuve in view of Yanagisawa, teaches the LiDAR device according to claim 2, further comprising a pre-amplifier to amplify the signal light beams from the demultiplexer and to output the amplified signal light beams to the distributor (Villeneuve, Villeneuve discloses a pre-amplifier configured to amplify signal light prior to distribution, as required by Claim 3. Specifically, Villeneuve teaches combining optical pulses and amplifying the combined optical pulses using amplifier 470 prior to distributing the amplified pulses via demultiplexer 410 into multiple optical links (Fig. 30, para 179-180). Additionally, Villeneuve explicitly discloses a pre-amplifier stage that amplifies seed pulses from a laser source prior to further optical routing and amplification (Fig. 21, para 151 “Amplifier 1 may act as a preamplifier and amplify seed pulses from seed laser 400”.). Accordingly, amplifier 470 in FIG. 30 corresponds to the claimed pre-amplifier configured to amplify signal light and output the amplified signal light beams to a distributor. See also, rejection of claim 1).
Regarding claim 4, Villeneuve in view of Yanagisawa, teaches the LiDAR device according to claim 2, further comprising a modulator to modulate the signal light from the demultiplexer and to output the modulated signal light to the distributor (Yanagisawa teaches an optical modulator that modulates the transmitted light (e.g., AO modulator driven by pulses) (FIG. 1, para 40-41). It would have been obvious to incorporate such modulation in the transmitted/signal path of the combined Villeneuve system prior to distributing into multiple channels, to provide pulse shaping/frequency shifting suitable for coherent detection and ranging as taught by Yanagisawa, thereby meeting claim 4.).
Regarding claim 5, Villeneuve in view of Yanagisawa, teaches the LiDAR device according to claim 1, wherein the light source outputs light having a plurality of mutually different wavelengths, the plurality of amplifiers amplifies the respective light beams having mutually different wavelengths, and the demultiplexer/distributor selects and divides the light input from the light source in such a manner that the light beams are input to amplifiers capable of amplifying the light beams for each of the wavelengths (Villeneuve teaches multiple laser diodes combined by a multiplexer and subsequent amplification and distribution (FIG. 30; Para179) and further teaches multiplexers/demultiplexers configured to combine/distribute optical pulses in any suitable manner (Para 180).).
Regarding claim 6, Villeneuve in view of Yanagisawa, teaches the LiDAR device according to claim 1, wherein the laser light output from the light source is laser light having a wavelength in an eye safe band (Villeneuve, para 185).
Regarding claim 10, Villeneuve in view of Yanagisawa, teaches the LiDAR device according to claim 1, further comprising an excitation light source to output excitation light to at least one of the plurality of amplifiers (Villeneuve, para 113, para 153, pump laser 640).
Regarding claim 11, Villeneuve in view of Yanagisawa, teaches the LiDAR device according to claim 1, further comprising: an excitation light source to output excitation light; and an excitation light demultiplexer to divide the excitation light output from the excitation light source and to output the divided excitation light to at least one of the plurality of amplifiers (Villeneuve, para 113, para 153, pump laser 640 and pump WDM 650).
Regarding claim 13, Villeneuve in view of Yanagisawa, teaches the LiDAR device according to claim 1, wherein the demultiplexer/distributor includes: a distributor to divide laser light output from the light source into a plurality of laser light beams and to output the plurality of laser light beams; and a plurality of demultiplexers corresponding to the plurality of laser light beams output from the distributor, respectively, to divide the corresponding laser light into local oscillation light and signal light (Villeneuve expressly teaches that demultiplexer 410 may split a single optical pulse into N optical pulses conveyed to N sensor heads (Para 86) and teaches distribution among multiple optical links (Para 179 -180). Yanagisawa teaches splitting laser light into local light and transmitted light via an optical coupler for coherent detection (FIG. 1, para 36, 50-53). In view of Villeneuve’s teaching that each sensor head operates independently (Para 86), it would have been obvious to perform the local oscillator split on a per-channel basis after distribution to each channel, thereby enabling coherent detection independently for each distributed beam.).
Claims 7-9 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Villeneuve in view of Yanagisawa and Victor Khitrov (US 20090262761 A1, “Khitrov”).
Regarding claim 7, Villeneuve in view of Yanagisawa, teaches the LiDAR device according to claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of transmission/reception separation devices includes:
a separator having a signal light-based optical path to output signal light amplified by the corresponding amplifier and propagated through an optical fiber cable to light transmission means in such a manner that the signal light is input to the corresponding light transmission/reception device, and a reception light-based optical path to output reception light propagated through the light transmission means from the corresponding light transmission/reception device to an optical fiber cable in such a manner that the reception light is input to the signal processing device Villeneuve teaches optical fiber optical links providing signal optical transmission paths and reception optical paths between system components and sensor heads. Specifically, Villeneuve discloses optical links 330 coupling amplified optical pulses from amplifiers to sensor heads 310 (Villeneuve teaches mirror 115 configured to transmit output beam 125 and reflect input beam 135 (Para 57), thereby defining distinct transmit and receive optical paths. Villeneuve further teaches that optical links may include single-mode (SM), multi-mode (MM), or large-mode-area (LMA) fibers (Para 76) and that LMA fibers are used to reduce nonlinear effects in high-power transmission (Para 164). Different fiber types possess different core sizes and numerical apertures.).
Villeneuve, however, does not explicitly disclose a numerical aperture converter to perform different numerical aperture conversion between the signal light-based optical path and the reception light-based optical path with the separator.
Khitrov teaches a fiber-based optical system including a large-mode-area (LMA) polarization-maintaining gain fiber (e.g., 30/250 µm) and a smaller-core delivery fiber (e.g., 6/125 µm), and further teaches interposing a mode field adapter to match the mode-field diameter between dissimilar fibers (Para 21). The reference explains that LMA fibers are used to manage high peak powers and nonlinearities (Para 4, 21-24), and that mode-field adaptation is required for efficient coupling between fibers of different effective areas.
It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art to incorporate a known mode-field adapter or equivalent numerical-aperture conversion structure at the fiber interface associated with Villeneuve’s separator (mirror 115) in order to improve coupling efficiency, reduce insertion loss, and preserve beam quality when interfacing dissimilar fiber paths.
Regarding claim 8, Villeneuve in view of Yanagisawa and Khitrov, teaches the LiDAR device according to claim 7, wherein the numerical aperture converter is disposed between the separator and an optical fiber cable through which the reception light is propagated to the signal processing device, the separator converts a numerical aperture of an optical fiber cable through which signal light from the amplifier is propagated into a numerical aperture of the light transmission/reception device, the separator converts the numerical aperture of the light transmission/reception device into the numerical aperture of the optical fiber cable through which the signal light from the amplifier is propagated, and the numerical aperture converter converts the numerical aperture converted into the numerical aperture of the optical fiber cable through which the signal light from the amplifier is propagated by the separator into a numerical aperture of the optical fiber cable through which the reception light is propagated to the signal processing device.
Villeneuve teaches coupling between fiber-optic links and free-space beams via output collimator 340 (Para 76) and teaches that optical components may be arranged in various orders and combinations (Para 161-162). Given Villeneuve’s express disclosure of multiple fiber types (Para 76) and transmit/receive separation via mirror 115 (Para 57).
Khitrov further teaches coupling a smaller-core fiber to a large-mode-area gain fiber through a mode field adapter, explicitly disclosing that the adapter is interposed between fibers of different mode-field diameters (Para 21).
Applying the teachings of Khitrov to Villeneuve renders obvious configuring the transmission optical path and reception optical path with different numerical-aperture or mode-field conversions, since the transmission path in a LiDAR system carries higher optical power and would benefit from coupling to a large-mode-area fiber, whereas the reception path carries weak return signals and would benefit from coupling into a smaller-core fiber optimized for detector sensitivity.
It would have been obvious to implement distinct mode-field/NA conversions for the transmit and receive paths at the separator interface in order to optimize each path according to its known operational requirements. This constitutes a routine design optimization using known fiber coupling principles.
Regarding claim 9, Villeneuve in view of Yanagisawa and Khitrov, teaches the LiDAR device according to claim 7, wherein an optical fiber cable through which signal light from the amplifier is propagated is an optical fiber cable using an LMA fiber, and an optical fiber cable through which the reception light is propagated to the signal processing device is an optical fiber cable using an optical fiber having a smaller effective cross-sectional area for a basic mode than the LMA fiber.
Villeneuve discloses LMA fiber (Para 76) and explains that LMA fiber reduces nonlinear optical effects in high-power pulse propagation (Para 164). Villeneuve also discloses SM fiber (Para 76).
Khitrov discloses a large-mode-area polarization-maintaining gain fiber (e.g., 30/250 µm core/cladding) (Para 21, 23), and a smaller-core single-mode delivery fiber (e.g., 6/125 µm) (Para 21) along with a mode field adapter interposed between them (Para 21). The LMA fiber is described as suitable for managing high peak power and nonlinear effects (Para 4, 21-24).
It would have been obvious to configure the transmission-side fiber in Villeneuve’s LiDAR system as a large-mode-area fiber, as taught by Khitrov, in order to handle higher optical power levels associated with transmitted pulses. Likewise, it would have been obvious to configure the reception-side fiber as a smaller effective-area fiber for efficient coupling to detection electronics, since such fiber configurations are conventional and directly taught in Khitrov.
The use of a mode-field adapter to interface between such dissimilar fibers is taught and represents the predictable application of known fiber coupling techniques to improve optical efficiency.
Claim 12 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Villeneuve in view of Yanagisawa and Victor DiGiovanni et al. (US 20100290106 A1, “DiGiovanni”).
Regarding claim 12, Villeneuve in view of Yanagisawa, teaches the LiDAR device according to claim 10, wherein the excitation light source includes a cascaded Raman fiber laser, and each of the plurality of amplifiers includes an erbium ion-doped fiber amplifier.
Villeneuve discloses a LiDAR system including a fiber-based light source and optical amplification architecture. Specifically, Villeneuve teaches that light source 110 may include a fiber-laser module followed by one or more optical amplification stages, including a single-stage or multi-stage erbium-doped fiber amplifier (EDFA) (Para 54). Villeneuve further discloses that amplifier 470 may include a gain fiber 660 doped with rare-earth ions, including erbium, and explicitly describes an erbium-doped fiber amplifier used to amplify light between approximately 1520–1600 nm (Para 131). Thus, Villeneuve expressly teaches the claimed plurality of amplifiers including erbium ion-doped fiber amplifiers.
Villeneuve further discloses pump laser 640 optically pumping gain fiber 660 (Para 131) and discusses fiber nonlinearities including Raman effects in fiber-based amplification systems (Para 164). However, Villeneuve does not explicitly disclose that the excitation light source comprises a cascaded Raman fiber laser.
DiGiovanni teaches that a cascaded Raman fiber laser (CRFL) can generate a single-mode output at ~1480 nm and expressly identifies that such 1480 nm single-mode output is suitable for use as a high-power pump for an erbium-doped fiber laser/amplifier (EDFL/EDFA) (Para 3, 5-6, 28-29). It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art to implement Villeneuve’s excitation light source / pump light for the erbium-doped fiber amplifier stages using the CRFL of DiGiovanni (i.e., substituting the pump source implementation taught by DiGiovanni for Villeneuve’s pump laser 640), because DiGiovanni explicitly teaches the CRFL’s 1480 nm single-mode output is appropriate for pumping EDFAs, and because selecting a known suitable pump source for exciting an EDFA is a predictable design choice to obtain efficient amplification. This rationale is further consistent with Applicant’s own description that a CRFL outputs single-mode laser light in the 1.48 µm band and that an EDFA is most efficiently excited by 1.48 µm light (Para 82, 87).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Kotake et al. (US 20180356440 A1), teaches Laser Radar Device
Cheng et al. (US 20080037028 A1), teaches Pulsed Coherent Fiber Array and Method
Thomas M. Shay (US 7187492 B1), teaches Self-referenced Locking of Optical Coherence By Single-detector Electronic-frequency Tagging
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/JEMPSON NOEL/Examiner, Art Unit 3645
/YUQING XIAO/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3645