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 .
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statements (IDS) submitted on 3/31/2025, 10/1/2024 and 5/25/2023 were filed in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
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 (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 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.
1: Claim(s) 1, 2, 4-8, 10-13, 19 and 20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by US 2015/0185313 A1 Zhu.
2: As for Claim 1, Zhu teaches and depicts in Figures 1 and 6 A LiDAR system comprising: a light source (pulsed laser 2) configured to emit pulsed laser light beams (Paragraph [0004]); a scanning optical assembly (220, 240, 230) configured to direct the pulsed laser light beams to scan an environment (object 10 depicted in Figure 1) for detecting one or more objects in the environment, the scanning optical assembly including: a first optical element (220) rotatable about a first axis and configured to receive a light beam at a first surface of the first optical element (220) and refract the light beam by a second surface of the first optical element (220) at which the light beam exits the first optical element (Paragraph [0047]); and a second optical element (230) spaced from the first optical element (220) and rotatable about a second axis (Paragraph [0047]), the second optical element (230) including: a reflective surface (231) configured to reflect the light beam to the environment (10); and a refractive surface (surface marked 230 in Figure 7) configured to refract the light beam to the reflective surface (231) (Paragraph [0072]); a receiver (element 7 depicted in Figure 6) configured to receive, via the scanning optical assembly (220, 240 and 230), return light beams reflected by the one or more objects (10) in the environment (Paragraph [0005]).
3: As for Claim 2, Zhu teaches and depicts in Figures 1 and 6 and teaches in Paragraph [0072] wherein: the refractive surface (231) is a first refractive surface of the second optical element (230); and the second optical element (230) further includes a second refractive surface (232 depicted in Figure 7) configured to refract the light beam reflected by the reflective surface (231) to the environment, the light beam exiting the second optical element (230) from the second refractive surface (232).
4: As for Claim 4, Zhu depicts in Figure 7 wherein the second optical element (230) includes a triangular prism.
5: As for Claim 5, Zhu depicts in Figure 2 and teaches in Paragraph [0072] wherein the triangular prism (230) is a right-angle prism.
6: As for Claim 6, Zhu depicts in Figures 2a, 3 and 7 and teaches in Paragraph [0070] wherein the first optical element (220) includes a wedge prism or an irregular prism configured to translate the light beam toward a central area of the reflective surface (231) of the second optical element (230).
7: As for Claim 7, Zhu teaches in Paragraph [0003] and depicts in Figure 6 further comprising: a collimating element (3) configured to direct the light beam towards the first surface of the first optical element (220); wherein: the first optical element includes a wedge prism (220); and the collimating element (3) is located between the light source (2) and the wedge prism (220).
8: As for Claim 8, Zhu teaches in Paragraph [0060] dimensions for the wedge prism (220) whichwhen calculated results in the wedge angle in a range from 16o to 25o; and/or wherein the wedge prism includes a transparent material with a refractive index in a range from 1.7 to 2.1.
9: As for Claim 10, Zhu teaches in Paragraph [0003] and depicts in Figures 2a and 6 wherein at least one of the first surface and the second surface of the wedge prism (220) is tilted relative to the collimating element (3) to collimate the light beam for receipt by the first optical element (220).
10: As for Claim 11, Zhu teaches in Paragraph [0060] dimensions for the wedge prism (220) which when calculated results in the wedge angle of the second surface of the wedge prism has a second inclination angle in a range from 12o to 16o.
11: As for Claim 12, Zhu depicts in Figure 6 and teaches in Paragraph [0093] further comprising: a third optical element (610) spaced from the light source (2) and including: a transmissive area (small aperture) disposed substantially in a center of the third optical element (610) and configured to transmit the light beam (8) generated by the light source (2); and a reflective area is disposed substantially on a peripheral area of the third optical element (610) and configured to reflect a return beam towards a receiver (7) spaced from the third optical element (610).
12: As for Claim 13, Zhu depicts in Figures 2 and 4 and teaches in Paragraphs [0051 and 0052] structure and housing used to support the movable prism during rotation. This support therefore acts as a balancing element (440, 450, 442, 410) attached to the second optical element (220) and configured to balance the second optical element (220) during rotation about the second axis.
13: As for Claim 19, Zhu depicts in Figures 2 and 4 and teaches in Paragraphs [0051 and 0052] wherein a central axis of the balancing element and the second optical element deviates from the second axis, and/or the balancing element includes metal, plastic, glass, or polymer.
14: As for Claim 20, Zhu teaches and depicts in Figures 1 and 6 A movable platform comprising: an optical assembly (220, 240 and 230) onboard the movable platform (vehicle) and configured to direct light beams to scan an environment (1) to detect one or more objects in the environment, the optical assembly including: a first optical element (220) rotatable about a first axis and configured to receive a light beam (8) at a first surface of the first optical element (220) and refract the light beam (8a) by a second surface of the first optical element (220) at which the light beam exits the first optical element (220) (Paragraphs [0056 and 0057]); and a second optical element (230) spaced from the first optical element (220) and rotatable about a second axis (Paragraph [0047]), the second optical element (230) including: a reflective surface (231) configured to reflect the light beam to the environment (10); and a refractive surface (233) configured to refract the light beam (8) to the reflective surface (231) (Paragraph [0072]); and a propulsion system configured to propel the movable platform in the environment (propulsion system of autonomous vehicle) (Paragraph [0025]).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 3, 9 and 14-18 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.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JAMES M HANNETT whose telephone number is (571)272-7309. The examiner can normally be reached 8:00 AM-5:00 PM Monday thru Thursday.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Twyler Haskins can be reached at 571-272-7406 The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/JAMES M HANNETT/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2639
JMH
February 6, 2026