Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
The present application, filed on or after 16 Mar 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
DETAILED ACTION
Applicant presents Claims 1-10 for examination. The Office rejects Claims 1-10 as detailed below.
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.
+_+_+ Claims 1, 3, and 5-10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Iida et al. - U.S. Pub 20180106903 +_+_+
As for Claim 1, Iida teaches a light emitting part (Fig. 2, 211 laser light source 211 in light projecting unit 210); a mirror configured to reflect an irradiation light emitted by the light emitting part (Fig. 2, light projecting unit 210 including MEMS mirror 212); a scanner configured to scan a predetermined scanning range with the irradiation light by operating the mirror in a forward movement motion and a backward movement motion (Fig. 2, mirror driving unit 240, Fig 8A. Showing scan pattern up/down, left/right [either of which could be “forward/backward”]); a light receiving part configured to detect a reflected light returned by reflecting the irradiation light from a target existing in the scanning range (Fig. 2, light receiving unit 220); during the forward movement motion of the mirror, a distance calculating part configured to calculate a distance to the target using a time from an emission of an irradiation light by the light emitting part to a detection of the reflected light from the target by the light receiving part (Fig. 2, “Flight Time (Distance) Measuring Unit” 250, ¶42|1: “The flight time (distance) measuring unit 250 measures the flight time of the laser beam (in other words, the time from the emission of a laser beam to hit an object and return to be received). The flight time (distance) measuring unit 250 measures the flight time of the laser beam based on an oscillation time ( emission time) of the laser beam acquired from the laser driving unit 230 and the time when the light receiving unit 220 received the laser beam and calculates the distance to the object.”); and a control unit configured to control a light emission of the light emitting part and an operation of the scanner (Fig 2. measurement control unit 260 controlling laser driving unit 230, and mirror driving unit 240 controlling MEMS mirror 212), wherein the control unit synchronizes the operation of the scanner with a predetermined timing signal (¶83|1: “Next, the sensor 2 adjusts the drive voltage so that the swing angle of the MEMS mirror 212 becomes the predetermined angle (step S1402). The process of step S1402 is performed by the mirror driving unit 240. As the process in step S1402, the mirror driving unit 240 performs, for example, the voltage adjustment process in steps S601 to S608 illustrated in FIG. 5.”) by adjusting a time of one cycle of the scanner while maintaining the distance measuring period of the forward movement motion of the mirror (¶86|1: “Next, the sensor 2 performs offset adjustment of the phase of the sensor signal (step S1405) [in one cycle]. The process in step S1405 is performed by the offset amount calculation unit 273 and the offset adjustment unit 274 of the synchronization control unit 270. The offset amount calculation unit 273 calculates the offset amount of the phase with respect to the sensor clock in which the phase is synchronized with the master clock based on the angle in the non-resonance direction of the MEMS mirror 212. In addition, the offset adjustment unit 274 performs offset adjustment on the phase of the sensor signal based on the calculated offset amount. When the offset adjustment unit 274 outputs the sensor signal after the offset adjustment to the mirror driving unit 240, the synchronization process ends.”)
As for Claim 3, which depends on Claim 1, Iida teaches wherein the control unit increases an adjustment amount of the time for operating the mirror in the backward movement at once in the time for operating the mirror in the backward movement in a next cycle, when the adjustment amount of the time for operating the mirror in the backward movement is equal to or greater than a threshold value, and increases or decreases the time for operating the mirror in the backward movement by a minimum adjustment time that is less than the threshold value in the time for operating the mirror in the backward movement in the next cycle, when the adjustment amount of the time for operating the mirror in the backward movement is less than the threshold value (¶71|1: “On the other hand, in a case where the swing angle of the MEMS mirror 212 is smaller than the threshold (step S604: NO), then, the sensor 2 increases the drive voltage by a predetermined potential (step S606) and determines whether or not the increased drive voltage is equal to or less than a threshold value (step S607). The process in steps S606 and S607 is performed by the drive signal generation unit 241 of the mirror driving unit 240.”)
As for Claim 5, which depends on Claim 4, Iida teaches wherein the control unit increases an adjustment amount of the time for operating the mirror in the backward movement at once in the time for operating the mirror in the backward movement in a next cycle, when receiving an instruction for adjusting at once, and increases or decreases the time for operating the mirror in the backward movement by the minimum adjustment time in the time for operating the mirror in the backward movement in the next cycle, when receiving an instruction for adjusting by dividing (¶71|1: “On the other hand, in a case where the swing angle of the MEMS mirror 212 is smaller than the threshold (step S604: NO), then, the sensor 2 increases the drive voltage by a predetermined potential (step S606) and determines whether or not the increased drive voltage is equal to or less than a threshold value (step S607). The process in steps S606 and S607 is performed by the drive signal generation unit 241 of the mirror driving unit 240.”)
As for Claim 6, which depends on Claim 1, Iida teaches wherein the control unit adjusts the time for one cycle of the scanner by adjusting the time for operating the mirror in the backward movement (¶71|1: “On the other hand, in a case where the swing angle of the MEMS mirror 212 is smaller than the threshold (step S604: NO), then, the sensor 2 increases the drive voltage by a predetermined potential (step S606) and determines whether or not the increased drive voltage is equal to or less than a threshold value (step S607). The process in steps S606 and S607 is performed by the drive signal generation unit 241 of the mirror driving unit 240.”)
As for Claim 7, which depends on Claim 1, Iida teaches wherein the scanner changes an angle of the mirror according to an angle command value from the control unit (Fig. 15, ¶120|1: “For example, as illustrated in FIG. 15, the correction amount table 279 of the sensor 2 according to the present embodiment is a table in which the correspondence between the angle in the vertical direction (non-resonance direction) of the MEMS mirror 212 and the correction time (phase correction amount) is registered.”)
As for Claim 8, which depends on Claim 1, Iida teaches further comprising, a counter configured to count up with the passage of time and be reset each time the scanner is operated for one cycle, wherein the timing signal is a pulse signal, and the control unit adjusts the time for operating the mirror in the backward movement using a count value of the counter when the timing signal is received (¶86|1: “Next, the sensor 2 performs offset adjustment of the phase of the sensor signal (step S1405) [in one cycle]. The process in step S1405 is performed by the offset amount calculation unit 273 and the offset adjustment unit 274 of the synchronization control unit 270. The offset amount calculation unit 273 calculates the offset amount of the phase with respect to the sensor clock in which the phase is synchronized with the master clock based on the angle in the non-resonance direction of the MEMS mirror 212. In addition, the offset adjustment unit 274 performs offset adjustment on the phase of the sensor signal based on the calculated offset amount. When the offset adjustment unit 274 outputs the sensor signal after the offset adjustment to the mirror driving unit 240, the synchronization process ends.”)
As for Claim 9, which depends on Claim 1, Iida teaches wherein the timing signal includes adjustment time information for adjusting the time for operating the mirror in the backward movement (¶129|7: “At this time, each sensor 2 performs the synchronization process of FIG. 16, for example, every time scanning with the laser beam in the horizontal direction is ended once, synchronizes the phase with the master clock, and further generates a sensor signal which is obtained by the offset adjustment based on the shift amount in the non-resonance direction.”)
As for Claim 10, which depends on Claim 1, Iida teaches wherein by using one cycle time, a plurality of timings including a first timing for switching the mirror from backward movement to forward movement and a second timing for switching the mirror from forward movement to backward movement, and the angle command value at the plurality of timings, the control unit calculates an angle command value at an arbitrary timing in one cycle using linear interpolation, adds or subtracts an adjustment amount of the time for operating the mirror in the backward movement to the time of one cycle, and changes the second timing (¶86|1: “Next, the sensor 2 performs offset adjustment of the phase of the sensor signal (step S1405) [in one cycle]. The process in step S1405 is performed by the offset amount calculation unit 273 and the offset adjustment unit 274 of the synchronization control unit 270. The offset amount calculation unit 273 calculates the offset amount of the phase with respect to the sensor clock in which the phase is synchronized with the master clock based on the angle in the non-resonance direction of the MEMS mirror 212. In addition, the offset adjustment unit 274 performs offset adjustment on the phase of the sensor signal based on the calculated offset amount. When the offset adjustment unit 274 outputs the sensor signal after the offset adjustment to the mirror driving unit 240, the synchronization process ends.”)
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 2 and 4 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Iida in view of Gassend et al. - U.S. Pub. 20190011544 [IDS ref.] +_+_+
As for Claim 2, which depends on Claim 1, Iida does not explicitly teach that the timing signal originates from outside the system.
But Gassend teaches further comprising, a timing signal generating part configured to generate the timing signal according to a signal from an outside of the optical distance measuring device (¶23|3: “One example implementation involves a vehicle that includes a LIDAR device and a communication interface (e.g., wireless communication system, sensor antennas, etc.). The communication interface may receive timing information from an external clock source. For example, the timing information may include a global positioning system (GPS) clock signal, a network time protocol (NTP) reference clock signal, or a time signal from a cellular communication network, among other possibilities. The vehicle may also include a controller that operates an actuator to adjust a pointing direction of the LIDAR device based on at least the timing information received from the external clock source. Further, the external clock source can be employed as a common reference clock signal that is used by multiple LIDAR-equipped vehicles.”)
It 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 to combine Iida and Gassend because “the external clock source can be employed as a common reference clock signal that is used by multiple LIDAR-equipped vehicles.” (Gassend ¶23|14)
As for Claim 4, which depends on Claim 1, Gassend teaches wherein the control unit acquires the timing signal from an external control unit provided outside the optical distance measuring device and having a timing signal generating part (¶23|3: “One example implementation involves a vehicle that includes a LIDAR device and a communication interface (e.g., wireless communication system, sensor antennas, etc.). The communication interface may receive timing information from an external clock source. For example, the timing information may include a global positioning system (GPS) clock signal, a network time protocol (NTP) reference clock signal, or a time signal from a cellular communication network, among other possibilities. The vehicle may also include a controller that operates an actuator to adjust a pointing direction of the LIDAR device based on at least the timing information received from the external clock source. Further, the external clock source can be employed as a common reference clock signal that is used by multiple LIDAR-equipped vehicles.”)
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to CLINT THATCHER whose telephone number is (571)270-3588. The examiner can normally be reached Mon-Fri 9am-5:30pm ET and generally keeps a daily 2:30pm timeslot open for interviews.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Yuqing Xiao, can be reached at (571) 270-3603.
Though not relied on, the Office considers the additional prior art listed in the Notice of Reference Cited form (PTO-892) pertinent to Applicant's disclosure.
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/Clint Thatcher/
Examiner, Art Unit 3645
/YUQING XIAO/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3645