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 .
Specification
The disclosure is objected to because of the following informalities:
Paragraph 4: “has been become” should read “has become”
Paragraph 7, line 2: “operating” should read “operation”
Paragraph 14, line 6: “connecting means indirectly” should read “indirectly connecting means”
Paragraph 16, line 3: “sensing” should read “senses”
Paragraph 28, line 4: “which also the timing” should read “which is also the timing”
Paragraph 29, line 6: “falling edge” is unclear as to what the applicant is referring to, perhaps it should read “falling edge F”
Paragraph 33, line 3: Applicant calculates the time to rotate 1 degree as, 1/1800(degrees/second) = 555.55 ms (per degree of rotation), or 0.55555 s. But the correct value should be 1/1800 = 0.000555s, or 0.555 ms.
Paragraph 33, line 6: “Tg differs the receiving” should read “Tg differs from the receiving”
Paragraph 34, line 3: “module30” should read “module 30”
Paragraph 35, line 2: “second rising edge R” did applicant meant “first rising edge R”
Appropriate correction is required.
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.
(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.
Claim(s) 1 and 8 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1)/(a)(2) as being anticipated by Guo et al. (US 2020/0049792A1)
Regarding Claim 1, Guo et al. discloses a ranging device with a ranging module for obtaining distance sensing values [FIG 3, 302: 0024]; a control module [FIG 3, 301: 0175] coupled to the ranging module [FIG 3, 302: 0176]; generating packet with distance sensing values and angle information [FIG 2, S103B: 0126].
Regarding Claim 8, Guo et al. discloses a method for reporting angles applied to a ranging device, consisting of driving said device [0100]; acquiring a plurality of distance sensing values [FIG 3, 302: 0024]; acquiring angle information [FIG 3, 302: 0024]; generating packet with plurality of distance sensing values and angle information [FIG 2, S103B: 0126].
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) 2-6 and 9-13 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Guo et al. (US 2020/0049792 A1) in view of Gosh et al. (US 8,724,096 B2).
Regarding Claim 2, Guo et al. teaches the device of Claim 1 wherein said ranging module provides said plurality of distance sensing values in a period when an angle sensing module senses rotation [Fig 1, S102: 0086]; said control module generates said packet according to said distance measurement value and said angle information, and said packet includes said distance measurement value and an angle value [0017].
Guo et al. does not explicitly teach, wherein said control module acquires said plurality of distance sensing values from said ranging module according to a periodic sequence and generates a distance measurement value according to said acquired plurality of distance sensing values.
Gosh et al. does teach, wherein a control module acquires said plurality of distance sensing values from said ranging module according to a periodic sequence and generates a distance measurement value according to said acquired plurality of distance sensing values [Fig 7, 54: Column 10, 26-29; Fig 3, 110: Column 9, 10-19].
It would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the ranging device disclosed by Guo et al. by implementing the control module, disclosed by Gosh et al, that acquires said plurality of distance sensing values according to a periodic sequence and generates a distance measurement value. Someone of ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated to make this modification in order to decrease interference by outside factors and improve cost-effectiveness [Gosh et al. Column 2].
Regarding claim 3, Guo et al., as modified above, teaches the device of claim 2.
Guo et al. does not explicitly teach, wherein a sensing sequence for said angle sensing module generating said angle information and said periodic sequence are independent.
Gosh et al. does teach wherein an angle sensing sequence and a periodic sequence are independent [Fig 1: Column 7, 36-42].
It would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the ranging device disclosed by Guo et al. such that the angle sensing sequence and the periodic sensing sequence are independent, similarly to Gosh et al. with a reasonable expectation of success. This would have the predictable result of measuring the angle sensing sequence and periodic sequence from Guo et al. independently.
Regarding claim 4, Guo et al., as modified above, teaches the device of claim 2.
Guo et al. does not explicitly teach, wherein when a timing of a sensing sequence for said angle sensing module generating said angle information is earlier than a timing of said periodic sequence, said control module reduces the number of said plurality of distance sensing values acquired by said control module and generates said distance measurement value.
Gosh et al. does teach, wherein when the angle sensing happens earlier than the periodic sequence, a control module reduces the distance sensing values and generates the distance measurement value [Column 10, 51-53].
It would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the ranging device disclosed by Guo et al. by implementing a control module that reduces the distance sensing values and generates the distance measurement values when the angle sensing happens earlier than the periodic sequence, with a reasonable expectation of success. This would have the predictable result of optimally assigning the distance sensing values to the angle sensing values whenever the timing of both sequences does not align.
Regarding claim 5, Guo et al., as modified above, teaches the device of claim 2.
Guo et al. does not explicitly teach, wherein when a timing of a sensing sequence for said angle sensing module generating said angle information is earlier than a timing of said periodic sequence, said control module generates said packet according to a next new angle information and a next new distance measurement value.
Gosh et al. does teach, wherein when the angle sensing happens earlier than the periodic sequence, a control module generates the packet containing the distance and angle information according to a next new angle information and a next new distance measurement value. [Column 3, 53-55; Column 4, 9-11; Column 11, 20-22].
It would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the ranging device disclosed by Guo et al. by implementing a control module that generates the packet containing the distance and angle information according to a next new angle information and a next new distance measurement value, when the angle sensing happens earlier than the periodic sequence, with a reasonable expectation of success. This would have the predictable result of optimally assigning the distance sensing values to the angle sensing values whenever the timing of both sequences does not align.
Regarding claim 6, Guo et al., as modified above, teaches the device of claim 2.
Guo et al. does not explicitly teach, wherein when a timing of a sensing sequence for said angle sensing module generating said angle information is later than a timing of said periodic sequence, said control module stops acquiring said plurality of distance sensing values.
Gosh et al. does teach wherein when the angle sensing happens later than the periodic sequence, a control module stops acquiring distance sensing values [Column 11, 36-43].
It would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the ranging device disclosed by Guo et al. by implementing a control module that stops acquiring said plurality of distance sensing values, when the angle sensing happens later than the periodic sequence, with a reasonable expectation of success. This would have the predictable result of optimally assigning the distance sensing values to the angle sensing values whenever the timing of both sequences does not align.
Regarding Claim 9, Guo et al. teaches the method of Claim 8, further comprising: driving said ranging device to provide a plurality of distance sensing values in a period when angle sensing module senses rotation [0100; Fig 1, S102: 0086]; generating said packet according to said distance measurement value and said angle information, and said packet including said distance measurement value and an angle value [0017].
Guo et al. does not explicitly teach, acquiring said plurality of distance sensing values according to a periodic sequence and generating a distance measurement value according to said acquired plurality of distance sensing values.
Gosh et al. does teach using a periodic sequence to acquire said plurality of distance sensing values and generating a distance measurement value according to said acquired plurality of distance sensing values [Fig 7, 54: Column 10, 26-29; Fig 3, 110: Column 9, 10-19].
It would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the method disclosed by Guo et al. by implementing the method, disclosed by Gosh et al, of acquiring said plurality of distance sensing values according to a periodic sequence and generating a distance measurement value. Someone of ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated to make this modification in order to decrease interference by outside factors and improve cost-effectiveness [Gosh et al. Column 2].
Regarding claim 10, Guo et al., as modified above, teaches the method of claim 9.
Guo et al. does not explicitly teach, wherein a sensing sequence for generating said angle information and said periodic sequence are independent.
Gosh et al. does teach wherein an angle sensing sequence and a periodic sequence are independent [Fig 1: Column 7, 36-42].
It would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the angle reporting method disclosed by Guo et al. such that the angle sensing sequence and the periodic sensing sequence are independent, with a reasonable expectation of success. This would have the predictable result of measuring the angle sensing sequence and periodic sequence independently.
Regarding claim 11, Guo et al., as modified above, teaches the method of claim 9.
Guo et al. does not explicitly teach, wherein when a timing of a sensing sequence for generating said angle information is earlier than a timing of said periodic sequence, reduce the number of said acquired plurality of distance sensing values and generate said distance measurement value.
Gosh et al. does teach wherein when the angle sensing happens earlier than the periodic sequence, reduce the distance sensing values and generate the distance measurement value [Column 10, 51-53].
It would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the angle reporting method disclosed by Guo et al. by reducing the distance sensing values and generating the distance measurement value when the angle sensing happens earlier than the periodic sequence, with a reasonable expectation of success. This would have the predictable result of optimally assigning the distance sensing values to the angle sensing values whenever the timing of both sequences does not align.
Regarding claim 12, Guo et al., as modified above, teaches the method of claim 9.
Guo et al. does not explicitly teach, wherein when a timing of a sensing sequence for generating said angle information is earlier than a timing of said periodic sequence, generate said packet according to a next new angle information and a next new distance measurement value.
Gosh et al. does teach, wherein when the angle sensing happens earlier than the periodic sequence, generate the packet containing the distance and angle information according to a next new angle information and a next new distance measurement value. [Column 3, 53-55; Column 4, 9-11; Column 11:20-22].
It would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the angle reporting method disclosed by Guo et al. by generating the packet containing the distance and angle information according to a next new angle information and a next new distance measurement value, when the angle sensing happens earlier than the periodic sequence, with a reasonable expectation of success. This would have the predictable result of optimally assigning the distance sensing values to the angle sensing values whenever the timing of both sequences does not align.
Regarding claim 13, Guo et al., as modified above, teaches the method of claim 2.
Guo et al. does not explicitly teach, wherein when a timing of a sensing sequence for generating said angle information is later than a timing of said periodic sequence, stop acquiring said plurality of distance sensing values.
Gosh et al. does teach, wherein when the angle sensing happens later than the periodic sequence, stop acquiring distance sensing values [Column 11, 36-43].
It would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the angle reporting method disclosed by Guo et al. by stopping the process of acquiring said plurality of distance sensing values, when the angle sensing happens later than the periodic sequence, with a reasonable expectation of success. This would have the predictable result of optimally assigning the distance sensing values to the angle sensing values whenever the timing of both sequences does not align.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 7 and 14 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.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter: The prior art of record does not explicitly teach nor render obvious the device of Claim 7 or the method of Claim 14, specifically including:
The ranging device of Claim 7, wherein said control module configures said angle value according to a time difference between a generation time corresponding to at least one of said plurality of distance sensing values or said distance measurement value and a receiving time of said angle information.
And the angle reporting method of Claim 14, wherein said ranging device configures said angle value according to the time difference between a generation time corresponding to at least one of said plurality of distance sensing values or said distance measurement value and a receiving time of said angle information.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. The referenced prior arts, teach methods for detecting and configuring angle measurements. Particularly Nishioka et al. (US 2021/0354756 A1) teaches a method for measuring angles based on a signal, and using a time difference to calculate a rotation angle calibration.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Isam Alsomiri can be reached at (571) 272-6970. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/J.N.Z./ Examiner, Art Unit 3645
/ISAM A ALSOMIRI/ Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3645
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