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 . 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.
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election without traverse of Claims in the reply filed on 08/18/2026 is acknowledged.
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.
Claim(s) 9-22,24-28 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Al Abbas et al. (US 20230221442 A1).
Regarding claim 9, Al Abbas teaches a method comprising:
A method, comprising: generating short-wave infrared (SWIR) pulses by an illumination source toward an object ([0036] generating pulsed infrared light by an emitter); generating a signal-time plot of an index signal, wherein the signal-time plot of the index signal comprises pulsed signals, wherein a time duration of each of the pulsed signals is proportional to a distance between the illumination source and the object; and enabling an image sensor according to the pulsed signals of the index signal, so as to collect the SWIR pulses reflected from the object by the image sensor ([0064] pulsed start signal, time binning based on time of arrival relative to start signal, histogram).
Regarding claim 10, Al Abbas teaches:
The method of claim 9, wherein the image sensor comprises light-sensing element made of Ge or InGaAs ([0044] detector elements include avalanche photodiodes).
Regarding claim 11, Al Abbas teaches:
The method of claim 9, The method of claim 9, further comprising screening out environment lights using a bandpass filter, such that the environment lights are not collected by the image sensor, wherein the bandpass filter permits a radiation having a wavelength that is the same as a wavelength of the SWIR pulses to pass through ([0043] a filter positioned to block environmental lights to allow passage of signal wavelength).
Regarding claim 12, Al Abbas teaches:
The method of claim 9, wherein the time duration of each of the pulsed signals is AT, the distance between the illumination source and the object is D, and wherein AT and D satisfy D=AT*1.5x108(m/s) ([0058] time duration of pulsed signal used to determine distance to object).
Regarding claim 13, Al Abbas teaches:
The method of claim 9, wherein a time duration of each of the SWIR pulses is less than the time duration of each of the pulsed signals ([0056] start time does not need to coincide with pulse time, leading pulse may be after start time, ([0057] optical receiver can start at a later time)).
Regarding claim 14, Al Abbas teaches:
The method of claim 9, wherein the SWIR pulses and the pulsed signals comprise a same frequency ([0036] emitter unit emits a light pulse or continuous wave signal at a time and frequency controlled by driver circuitry, [0039] driver circuits operated in response to timing signals).
Regarding claim 15, Al Abbas teaches:
The method of claim 9, wherein the image sensor is enabled during selected time periods, wherein the selected time periods are the same as time periods of the pulsed signals in the signal-time plot of the index signal ([0042] timing circuits coupled to sensor array to send timing signals to power, enable, and disable all of parts of the sensor array).
Regarding claim 16, Al Abbas teaches a system comprising:
An image sensing system, comprising: a short-wave infrared (SWIR) source configured to generate SWIR pulses toward an object ([0036] generating pulsed infrared light by an emitter) and generate an index signal associated with the SWIR pulses; an image sensor configured to receive the SWIR pulses reflected from the object and generate a sensor signal based on the SWIR pulses ([0064] pulsed start signal, time binning based on time of arrival relative to start signal); and a data computing system configured to screen out dark noise signals in the sensor signal according to the index signal ([0064] time binning based on start signal, histogram accumulated signals to screen out noise).
Regarding claim 17, Al Abbas teaches:
The image sensing system of claim 16, wherein the index signal comprises a signal-time plot having pulsed signals synchronized with the SWIR pulses, and a time duration of each of the pulsed signals is proportional to a distance between the SWIR source and the object ([0064] pulsed start signal, time binning based on time of arrival relative to start signal, histogram).
Regarding claim 18, Al Abbas teaches:
The image sensing system of claim 17, wherein the time duration of each of the pulsed signals is AT, the distance between the SWIR source and the object is D, and wherein AT and D satisfy D=AT*1.5x108(m/s) ([0058] time duration of pulsed signal used to determine distance to object).
Regarding claim 19, Al Abbas teaches:
The image sensing system of claim 16, further comprises a bandpass filter between the object and the image sensor ([0043] filter positioned in front of sensor array).
Regarding claim 20, Al Abbas teaches:
The image sensing system of claim 16, wherein the image sensor comprises light-sensing element made of Ge or InGaAs ([0044] detector elements include avalanche photodiodes).
Regarding claim 21, Al Abbas teaches a method comprising:
Generating light pulses by an illumination source toward an object; generating a signal-time plot of an index signal, wherein the signal-time plot of the index signal comprises pulsed signals, wherein a time duration of each of the pulsed signals is proportional to a distance between the illumination source and the object ([0064] pulsed start signal, time binning based on time of arrival relative to start signal, histogram); enabling an image sensor according to the pulsed signals of the index signal, so as to collect the light pulses reflected from the object by the image sensor ([0042] timing circuits coupled to sensor array to send timing signals to power, enable and disable all or parts of the sensor array, [0045] enable/disable sensors to detect returning light from the target); and screening out environment lights using a bandpass filter, such that the environment lights are not collected by the image sensor, wherein the bandpass filter permits a radiation having a wavelength that is the same as a wavelength of the light pulses to pass through ([0043] a filter positioned to block environmental lights to allow passage of signal wavelength).
Regarding claim 22, Al Abbas teaches:
The method of claim 21, wherein the light pulses are short-wave infrared (SWIR) pulses ([0036] emitters emit pulsed infrared light).
Regarding claim 24, Al Abbas teaches:
The method of claim 21, wherein the image sensor comprises light-sensing element made of Ge or InGaAs ([0044] detector elements include avalanche photodiodes).
Regarding claim 25, Al Abbas teaches:
The method of claim 21, wherein the time duration of each of the pulsed signals is AT, the distance between the illumination source and the object is D, and wherein AT and D satisfy D=AT*1.5x108(m/s) ([0058] time duration of pulsed signal used to determine distance to object).
Regarding claim 26, Al Abbas teaches:
The method of claim 21, wherein the light pulses and the pulsed signals comprise a same frequency ([0036] emitter unit emits a light pulse or continuous wave signal at a time and frequency controlled by driver circuitry, [0039] driver circuits operated in response to timing signals).
Regarding claim 27, Al Abbas teaches:
The method of claim 21, wherein a time duration of each of the light pulses is less than the time duration of each of the pulsed signals ([0056] start time does not need to coincide with pulse time, leading pulse may be after start time, [0057] optical receiver can start at a later time).
Regarding claim 28, Al Abbas teaches:
The method of claim 21, wherein the image sensor is enabled during selected time periods, wherein the selected time periods are the same as time periods of the pulsed signals in the signal-time plot of the index signal ([0042] timing circuits coupled to sensor array to send timing signals to power, enable, and disable all of parts of the sensor array).
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.
Claim(s) 23 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Al Abbas et al. (US 20230221442 A1) as applied to claim 21 above, and further in view of WO 2023190090 A1, SAKAGAMI TAKAHIRO.
Regarding Claim 23, Al Abbas teaches:
The method of claim 21.
Al Abbas does not teach,
wherein the wavelength of the light pulses is in a range from about 1000 nm to about 2500 nm.
Sakagami teaches,
wherein the wavelength of the light pulses is in a range from about 1000 nm to about 2500 nm ([0011] Transmittance of light with a wavelength of 300-2500 nm).
It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art to modify the image sensing method of Al Abbas to utilize a specific infrared wavelength range similar to Sakagami. This would have the predictable result of decreasing the amount of potential interference and noise allowing for more precise measurements and greater scanner detail. Al Abbas opens the door to a more precise wavelength but doe not specify the range, Sakagami fills in the gaps.
Conclusion
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/JOHN CESARE TRIDICO/Examiner, Art Unit 3645
/ISAM A ALSOMIRI/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3645
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