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 Objections
Claim 4 is objected to because of the following informalities: in line 4, the claim term “a first time window” was previously recited and it is not clear if it is the same as or different from the first time window that was recited in parent claim 1. It appears to be a double inclusion issue. Thus, it is assumed that this is a double inclusion issue and that the article “a” should be replaced with --the-- in the claim term to avoid the double inclusion issue.
Claim 9 is objected to because of the following informalities: in line 2, the claim term “a first control signal” was previously recited and it is not clear if it is the same as or different from the first control signal that was recited in parent claim 1. It appears to be a double inclusion issue. Thus, it is assumed that this is a double inclusion issue and that the article “a” should be replaced with --the-- in the claim term to avoid the double inclusion issue.
Claim 10 is objected to because of the following informalities: in line 2, the claim term “a first laser signal” was previously recited and it is not clear if it is the same as or different from the first laser signal that was recited in parent claim 1. It appears to be a double inclusion issue. Thus, it is assumed that this is a double inclusion issue and that the article “a” should be replaced with --the-- in the claim term to avoid the double inclusion issue.
Claim 11 is objected to because of the following informalities: in line 2, the claim term “a first echo signal” was previously recited and it is not clear if it is the same as or different from the first echo signal that was recited in parent claim 1. It appears to be a double inclusion issue. Thus, it is assumed that this is a double inclusion issue and that the article “a” should be replaced with --the-- in the claim term to avoid the double inclusion issue.
Claim 11 is objected to because of the following informalities: in line 3, the claim term “a reflected signal” was previously recited and it is not clear if it is the same as or different from the reflected signal that was recited in parent claim 1. It appears to be a double inclusion issue. Thus, it is assumed that this is a double inclusion issue and that the article “a” should be replaced with --the-- in the claim term to avoid the double inclusion issue.
Claim 12 is objected to because of the following informalities: in the third line from the bottom, the claim term “first duration” appears to be missing an article. It is suggested to insert the article --a-- for the claim term to improve clarity.
Claims 13-20 are objected to due to dependency.
Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claim 7 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Claim 7 recites the limitation “the first feature signal” in line 5. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim. For examination purposes, it is assumed that claim 7 depends on claim 2 instead of claim 1 in order to provide sufficient antecedent basis for the claim term.
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.
Claim(s) 1-5, 9-16, and 20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Wright US8885152.
Regarding independent claim 1, Wright discloses, in Figures 1-12,
A detection control method (Wright; Fig. 1-12), comprising:
emitting, by controlling a laser emitting unit (Wright; Fig. 1; laser with laser pump, master clock, processor, pointer/tracker, slave clock, and optical dome/window for laser output) a first laser signal (Wright; Fig. 3c; first laser signal for “coarse ranging”);
receiving, by controlling a laser detection unit (Wright; Fig. 1; pointer/tracker with sensor and processor) a first echo signal comprising a reflected signal corresponding to the first laser signal (Wright; Fig. 3c; first echo signal for “coarse ranging”);
outputting based on the first echo signal, a first control signal (Wright; Fig. 3d and 12a-12b; controlling/determining/establishing Gate Position #2 with Pings 1-9 that represents “fine resolution target location” at an “over sampled target location gate period”) that indicates a first time location (Wright; Fig. 3d and 12a-12b; Ping 3);
emitting, by controlling the laser emitting unit a second laser signal (Wright; Fig. 3d and 12a-12b; the second signal that corresponds to the “fine resolution target location” at an “over sampled target location gate period” of Fig. 3d in comparison to the previous/earlier first laser signal for “coarse ranging”); and
receiving, in a first time window (Wright; Fig. 3d and 12a-12b; Gate Position #2 with Pings 1-5) by controlling the laser detection unit based on the first control signal, a second echo signal (Wright; Fig. 3d and 12a-12b; the echo signal that corresponds to Gate Position #2) that comprises a reflected signal corresponding to the second laser signal (Wright; Fig. 3d and 12a-12b; the second echo that corresponds to the second signal that corresponds to the “fine resolution target location” at an “over sampled target location gate period” of Fig. 3d in comparison to the previous/earlier first laser signal for “coarse ranging”),
wherein the second echo signal is used for target detection (Wright; Fig. 3d and 12a-12b; the second echo that corresponds to the second signal that corresponds to the “fine resolution target location” at an “over sampled target location gate period” is used for determining distance with higher accuracy using “fine ranging” in comparison to “coarse ranging”),
wherein the first time window is related to the first time location and a first duration (Wright; Fig. 12b; the duration of a gate ping that corresponds to a laser ping),
wherein the first time window (Wright; Fig. 3d and 12a-12b; Gate Position #2 with Pings 1-5) comprises the first time location (Wright; Fig. 3d and 12a-12b; Ping 3), and
wherein the first duration is predefined or preconfigured (Wright; Fig. 12b; the duration of a gate ping that corresponds to a laser ping).
Regarding claim 2, Wright discloses The method according to claim 1, wherein the first time location corresponds to a first feature signal, wherein the first feature signal is obtained based on the first echo signal, and wherein the first feature signal comprises at least one signal portion having a signal type taken from the group consisting of: a pulse signal, a peak signal,
Regarding claim 3, Wright discloses The method according to claim 1, wherein the first control signal further indicates a second time location, and wherein the first time window further comprises the second time location (Wright; Fig. 3d shows the second time location generally indicated by the over sampled target location gate period and represented in Fig. 12b as any one of the pings in Pings 1-9; Ping 4 in Fig. 12b).
Regarding claim 4, Wright discloses The method according to claim 1, wherein the first control signal (Wright; Fig. 3d and 12a-12b; controlling/determining/establishing Gate Position #2 with Pings 1-9 that represents “fine resolution target location” at an “over sampled target location gate period”) further indicates a second time location (Wright; Fig. 3d shows the second time location generally indicated by the over sampled target location gate period and represented in Fig. 12b as any one of the pings in Pings 1-9; Ping 4 in Fig. 12b) wherein the receiving a second echo signal in the first time window comprises receiving, based on the first control signal, the second echo signal in the first time window (Wright; Fig. 3d and 12a-12b; Gate Position #2 with Pings 1-5) and a second time window (Wright; Fig. 3d and 12a-12b; Gate Position #3 with Pings 1-5), wherein the second time window is related to the second time location and the first duration, and wherein the second time window comprises the second time location (Wright; Fig. 12a-12b).
Regarding claim 5, Wright discloses The method according to claim 1, wherein the first control signal further indicates a third time location (Wright; Fig. 3d shows the second time location generally indicated by the over sampled target location gate period and represented in Fig. 12b as any one of the pings in Pings 1-9; Ping 5 in Fig. 12b), and wherein the method further comprises: emitting, by controlling the laser emitting unit a third laser signal; and receiving, by controlling the laser detection unit based on the first control signal, a third echo signal (Wright; Fig. 3d and 12a-12b; the echo signal that corresponds to Gate Position #2) in a third time window (Wright; Fig. 3d and 12a-12b; Gate Position #4 with Pings 1-5), wherein the third echo signal comprises a reflected signal corresponding to the third laser signal, wherein the third echo signal is used for target detection, wherein the third time window is related to the third time location and the first duration, and wherein the third time window comprises the third time location (Wright; Fig. 12a-12b).
Regarding claim 9, Wright discloses The method according to claim 1, wherein the outputting a first control signal (Wright; Fig. 3d and 12a-12b; controlling/determining/establishing Gate Position #2 with Pings 1-9 that represents “fine resolution target location” at an “over sampled target location gate period”) based on the first echo signal comprises: obtaining, by using the laser detection unit and based on the first echo signal (Wright; Fig. 3c; first echo signal for “coarse ranging”), a to-be-detected signal by using the laser detection unit (Wright; Fig. 3c; first echo signal for “coarse ranging”); obtaining the first time location based on the to-be-detected signal; and outputting the first control signal, wherein the first control signal is used to control the laser emitting unit and/or the laser detection unit (Wright; transition from Fig. 3c-3d as described in flowchart Fig. 2a with corresponding coarse ranging step 3c to fine ranging step 3d).
Regarding claim 10, Wright discloses The method according to The method according to wherein the emitting a first laser signal comprises: outputting a second control signal (Wright; Fig. 3d and 12a-12b; the control signal that corresponds to Gate Position #3); and emitting, by controlling the laser emitting unit based on the second control signal, the first laser signal; and wherein the emitting a second laser signal comprises: outputting a third control signal (Wright; Fig. 3d and 12a-12b; the control signal that corresponds to Gate Position #1); and emitting, by controlling the laser emitting unit based on the third control signal, the second laser signal.
Regarding claim 11, Wright discloses The method according to The method according to wherein the receiving a first echo signal (Wright; Fig. 3c; first echo signal for “coarse ranging”) comprising a reflected signal corresponding to the first laser signal (Wright; Fig. 3c; first echo signal for “coarse ranging”) comprises: outputting a fourth control signal (Wright; Fig. 3d and 12a-12b; the control signal that corresponds to Gate Position #3); and receiving, by controlling the laser detection unit based on the fourth control signal, the first echo signal comprising the reflected signal corresponding to the first laser signal (Wright; Fig. 3d and 12a-12b; the control signal that corresponds to Gate Position #3).
Regarding independent claim 12, Wright discloses, in Figures 1-12,
A detection control apparatus and method (Wright; Fig. 1-12), comprising:
a laser emitter (Wright; Fig. 1; laser with laser pump, master clock, processor, pointer/tracker, slave clock, and optical dome/window for laser output),
a laser detector (Wright; Fig. 1; pointer/tracker with sensor and processor), and
at least one processor (Wright; Fig. 1; pointer/tracker with sensor and processor);
emitting, by controlling a laser emitting unit (Wright; Fig. 1; laser with laser pump, master clock, processor, pointer/tracker, slave clock, and optical dome/window for laser output) a first laser signal (Wright; Fig. 3c; first laser signal for “coarse ranging”);
receiving, by controlling a laser detection unit (Wright; Fig. 1; pointer/tracker with sensor and processor) a first echo signal comprising a reflected signal corresponding to the first laser signal (Wright; Fig. 3c; first echo signal for “coarse ranging”);
outputting based on the first echo signal, a first control signal (Wright; Fig. 3d and 12a-12b; controlling/determining/establishing Gate Position #2 with Pings 1-9 that represents “fine resolution target location” at an “over sampled target location gate period”) that indicates a first time location (Wright; Fig. 3d and 12a-12b; Ping 3);
emitting, by controlling the laser emitting unit a second laser signal (Wright; Fig. 3d and 12a-12b; the second signal that corresponds to the “fine resolution target location” at an “over sampled target location gate period” of Fig. 3d in comparison to the previous/earlier first laser signal for “coarse ranging”); and
receiving, in a first time window (Wright; Fig. 3d and 12a-12b; Gate Position #2 with Pings 1-5) by controlling the laser detection unit based on the first control signal, a second echo signal (Wright; Fig. 3d and 12a-12b; the echo signal that corresponds to Gate Position #2) that comprises a reflected signal corresponding to the second laser signal (Wright; Fig. 3d and 12a-12b; the second echo that corresponds to the second signal that corresponds to the “fine resolution target location” at an “over sampled target location gate period” of Fig. 3d in comparison to the previous/earlier first laser signal for “coarse ranging”),
wherein the second echo signal is used for target detection (Wright; Fig. 3d and 12a-12b; the second echo that corresponds to the second signal that corresponds to the “fine resolution target location” at an “over sampled target location gate period” is used for determining distance with higher accuracy using “fine ranging” in comparison to “coarse ranging”),
wherein the first time window is related to the first time location and a first duration (Wright; Fig. 12b; the duration of a gate ping that corresponds to a laser ping),
wherein the first time window (Wright; Fig. 3d and 12a-12b; Gate Position #2 with Pings 1-5) comprises the first time location (Wright; Fig. 3d and 12a-12b; Ping 3), and
wherein the first duration is predefined or preconfigured (Wright; Fig. 12b; the duration of a gate ping that corresponds to a laser ping).
Regarding claim 13, Wright discloses the invention substantially the same as described above in reference to claim 2.
Regarding claim 14, Wright discloses the invention substantially the same as described above in reference to claim 3.
Regarding claim 15, Wright discloses the invention substantially the same as described above in reference to claim 4.
Regarding claim 16, Wright discloses the invention substantially the same as described above in reference to claim 5.
Regarding claim 20, Wright discloses the invention substantially the same as described above in reference to claim 9.
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.
Claim(s) 6 and 17 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Wright in view of Sharma US20170052065.
Regarding claim 6, Wright teaches the invention substantially the same as described above, and The method according to claim 1, wherein the laser detection unit comprises at least one photon detection element (Wright; col. 17:58-60 photodiode).
Wright is silent regarding wherein the laser detection unit comprises at least one single-photon detection element.
Sharma teaches wherein the laser detection unit comprises at least one single-photon detection element (Sharma; [0007] SPAD sensing elements; [0003] SPADs provide “capturing individual photos with very high time-of-arrival resolution”).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill at the effective filing date of the invention to modify the photon detection element as taught by Wright to be at least one single-photon detection element as taught by Sharma for the purpose of providing high resolution (Sharma; [0003] SPADs provide “capturing individual photos with very high time-of-arrival resolution”).
Regarding claim 17, Wright teaches the invention substantially the same as described above in reference to claim 6.
Claim(s) 7 and 18 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Wright in view of Fine US20210165083.
Regarding claim 7, Wright teaches the invention substantially the same as described above, and The method according to claim 1, wherein the laser detection unit comprises a plurality of detection elements, wherein each detection element, of the plurality of detection elements, corresponds to an output signal of one pixel wherein the first feature signal comprises a signal obtained by performing processing on output signals of adjacent pixels, and wherein the adjacent pixels correspond to at least two adjacent detection elements in the laser detection unit (Wright; col. 6:25-28 pixel array processing of adjacent pixels; col. 17:58-60 photodiode).
Wright is silent regarding performing superposition processing on output signals of adjacent pixels.
Fine teaches performing superposition processing on output signals of adjacent pixels (Fine; [0056] adjacent pixels are superpositioned/aggregated into super-pixel 50 to “enhance the resolution of the TOF measurement”).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill at the effective filing date of the invention to modify the signal processing as taught by Wright to include superposition/super-pixel processing as taught by Fine for the purpose of enhancing “the resolution of the TOF measurement” (Fine; [0056] adjacent pixels are superpositioned/aggregated into super-pixel 50 to “enhance the resolution of the TOF measurement”).
Regarding claim 18, Wright teaches the invention substantially the same as described above in reference to claim 7.
Claim(s) 8 and 19 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Wright in view of Huang US20230375682.
Regarding claim 8, Wright teaches the invention substantially the same as described above, and The method according to claim 1, wherein the method is applied to a laser detection apparatus wherein a start time of the first time window is after a fourth time location (Wright; Fig. 3d and 12a-12b; Gate Position #1 with Pings 1-5 in which Gate Position #1 corresponds to the earliest arrival times that are earlier than those for Gates 2-3) or is the same as a fourth time location wherein the fourth time location a distance from the laser emitting unit to a first optical element (Wright; Fig. 1; outermost optical dome window), and wherein the first optical element is an outermost optical element that belongs to the laser detection apparatus and that is in an emitting optical path of the second laser signal (Wright; Fig. 1; outermost optical dome window).
Wright is silent regarding wherein the fourth time location corresponds to a distance from the laser emitting unit to a first optical element, and wherein the first optical element is an outermost optical element that belongs to the laser detection apparatus and that is in an emitting optical path of the second laser signal.
Huang teaches wherein the fourth time location corresponds to a distance from the laser emitting unit to a first optical element, and wherein the first optical element is an outermost optical element that belongs to the laser detection apparatus and that is in an emitting optical path of the second laser signal (Huang; Fig. 6a; [0083] “echo pulse L22 of the optical window” and “the lidar can calculate the distance of the target object in a normal decoding manner”; [0072] solving the problem relating to “stray light produced by an optical window”).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill at the effective filing date of the invention to modify the fourth time location as taught by Wright to correspond to the distance to the optical element as taught by Huang for the purpose accurately determining the target/object distance in a stray light condition in which the source of the stray light is from an optical element (Huang; Fig. 6a; [0083] “the lidar can calculate the distance of the target object in a normal decoding manner”; [0072] solving the problem relating to “stray light produced by an optical window”).
Regarding claim 19, Wright teaches the invention substantially the same as described above in reference to claim 8.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Billmers US8184270 teaches, in Fig. 2, a gated optical detector.
Steigemann US20200174120 teaches, in Fig. 4 and 8, SPAD gating and a gating circuit 232.
Zhu CN110596723 teaches dynamic coarse-fine tuning.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JONATHAN MALIKASIM whose telephone number is (313)446-6597. The examiner can normally be reached M-F; 8 am - 5 pm (CST).
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/JONATHAN MALIKASIM/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3645 5/26/26
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