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 .
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of papers submitted under 35 U.S.C. 119(a)-(d), which papers have been placed of record in the file.
Information Disclosure Statement
The references listed in the Information Disclosure Statement filed on 09/08/2023 have been considered by the examiner (see attached PTO-1449 forms).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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 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 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.
(a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claims 1-7, 11-16, 19 and 20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by YAMAGUCHI [US Patent Application Publication 2015/0332100 A1].
Regarding claim 1, Yamaguchi teaches a position obtaining device (a moving object location/attitude angle estimation system - 0020) comprising a processor that
in response to a predetermined condition being met, derives a first attitude angle as an attitude angle of the position obtaining device based on a plurality of first light sources and positions (step S130 calculate a number of virtual locations and attitude angle candidates – 0051-0053) thereof on an image obtained by a first camera (fish-eye lens camera - 0047) (extracts a brightness change - 0048),
in response to the attitude angle of the position obtaining device being known, derives a three-dimensional position of the position obtaining device (step S130 calculate a number of virtual locations and attitude angle candidates – 0051-0053) based on two or more second light sources and positions thereof on an image obtained by a second camera (pinhole camera – 0121, 0122), and
in response to a predetermined number of second light sources or more being captured in the image obtained by the second camera, derives the three-dimensional position of the position obtaining device and a second attitude angle as the attitude angle of the position obtaining device (step S130 calculate a number of virtual locations and attitude angle candidates – 0051-0053), and
integrates a first derived result of the first attitude angle and a second derived result of the three- dimensional position and the second attitude angle to estimate the attitude angle and the three-dimensional position of the position obtaining device (step S160 – calculate location and attitude angle of moving object – 0060).
Regarding claim 2, Yamaguchi teaches the position obtaining device according to wherein the processor determines a likelihood of the estimated attitude angle and the estimated three- dimensional position of the position obtaining device (set a likelihood - 0048) (step S150, likelihood is obtained – 0058).
Regarding claim 3, Yamaguchi teaches a likelihood of the first attitude angle is higher than a likelihood of the second attitude angle (higher the degree of coincidence, highest likelihood – 0058-0060).
Regarding claim 4, Yamaguchi teaches a likelihood of the first attitude angle is higher than a likelihood of the second attitude angle (higher the degree of coincidence, highest likelihood – 0058-0060).
Regarding claim 5, Yamaguchi teaches the processor gives a greater weight to the first derived result than to the second derived result, and integrates the weighted first derived result and the weighted second derived result (obtain a weighted mean – 0060).
Regarding claim 6, Yamaguchi teaches the processor derives the first attitude angle by pattern matching of a positional relationship between the first light sources captured in the image obtained by the first camera with light source arrangement data prepared in advance (step S130 – 0051-0055).
Regarding claim 7, Yamaguchi teaches the position obtaining device according to wherein the processor derives the first attitude angle by pattern matching of a positional relationship between the first light sources captured in the image obtained by the first camera with light source arrangement data prepared in advance (step S130 – 0051-0055).
Regarding claim 11, Yamaguchi teaches the more the second light sources captured in the image obtained by the second camera, the higher a likelihood of the second attitude angle (higher the degree of coincidence, highest likelihood – 0058-0060).
Regarding claim 12, Yamaguchi teaches the more the second light sources captured in the image obtained by the second camera, the higher a likelihood of the second attitude angle (higher the degree of coincidence, highest likelihood – 0058-0060).
Regarding claim 13, Yamaguchi teaches in response to the predetermined condition not being met but the predetermined number of second light sources or more being captured in the image obtained by the second camera, the processor estimates the attitude angle and the three-dimensional position of the position obtaining device based on the derived second attitude angle and the derived three-dimensional position (brightness average value is not less than a threshold THmax (unit: none) or not more than a threshold THmin (unit: none), the surrounding environment is determined to be blocked - 0093).
Regarding claim 14, Yamaguchi teaches in response to the predetermined condition not being met but the predetermined number of second light sources or more being captured in the image obtained by the second camera, the processor estimates the attitude angle and the three-dimensional position of the position obtaining device based on the derived second attitude angle and the derived three-dimensional position (brightness average value is not less than a threshold THmax (unit: none) or not more than a threshold THmin (unit: none), the surrounding environment is determined to be blocked - 0093).
Regarding claim 15, Yamaguchi teaches the first light sources and the second light sources are different from one another (sunlight, darkness; darkest, brightest – 0093) (light environment, shadows – 0099).
Regarding claim 16, Yamaguchi teaches the position obtaining device according to wherein the first light sources and the second light sources are different from one another (sunlight, darkness; darkest, brightest – 0093) (light environment, shadows – 0099).
Regarding claim 19, Yamaguchi teaches a position obtaining method (figure 4, 0044) comprising: in response to a predetermined condition being met, deriving a first attitude angle as an attitude angle of the position obtaining device based on a plurality of first light sources and positions (step S130 calculate a number of virtual locations and attitude angle candidates – 0051-0053) thereof on an image obtained by a first camera (fish-eye lens camera - 0047) (extracts a brightness change - 0048); in response to the attitude angle of the position obtaining device being known, deriving a three-dimensional position of the position obtaining device (step S130 calculate a number of virtual locations and attitude angle candidates – 0051-0053) based on two or more second light sources and positions thereof on an image obtained by a second camera (pinhole camera – 0121, 0122), and in response to a predetermined number of second light sources or more being captured in the image obtained by the second camera, deriving the three-dimensional position of the position obtaining device and a second attitude angle as the attitude angle of the position obtaining device (step S130 calculate a number of virtual locations and attitude angle candidates – 0051-0053); and integrating a first derived result of the first attitude angle and a second derived result of the three- dimensional position and the second attitude angle to estimate the attitude angle and the three-dimensional position of the position obtaining device (step S160 – calculate location and attitude angle of moving object – 0060).
Regarding claim 20, Yamaguchi teaches a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprising a program that causes a computer to (an electronic control unit including a ROM, a RAM, an arithmetic circuit - 0021): in response to a predetermined condition being met, derive a first attitude angle as an attitude angle of the position obtaining device based on a plurality of first light sources and positions (step S130 calculate a number of virtual locations and attitude angle candidates – 0051-0053) thereof on an image obtained by a first camera (fish-eye lens camera - 0047) (extracts a brightness change - 0048); in response to the attitude angle of the position obtaining device being known, derive a three-dimensional position of the position obtaining device (step S130 calculate a number of virtual locations and attitude angle candidates – 0051-0053) based on two or more second light sources and positions thereof on an image obtained by a second camera (pinhole camera – 0121, 0122), and in response to a predetermined number of second light sources or more being captured in the image obtained by the second camera, derive the three-dimensional position of the position obtaining device and a second attitude angle as the attitude angle of the position obtaining device (step S130 calculate a number of virtual locations and attitude angle candidates – 0051-0053); and integrate a first derived result of the first attitude angle and a second derived result of the three- dimensional position and the second attitude angle to estimate the attitude angle and the three-dimensional position of the position obtaining device (step S160 – calculate location and attitude angle of moving object – 0060).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 8-10, 17 and 18 are 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.
Relevant Prior Art / Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Ishigami (US Patent Number 12, 475,592 B2) discloses a position apparatus capable of measuring position of a moving body using an image capturing apparatus.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to RICKY GO whose telephone number is (571)270-3340. The examiner can normally be reached on Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Arleen M. Vazquez can be reached on (571) 272-2619. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/RICKY GO/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2857