DETAILED ACTION
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) 1-11 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Wang (US 2022/0390603) – (also published as WO 2021/057809).
Citations are made in reference to the US Publication – while the WO publication has the earlier publication date.
Regarding Claim 1, Wang discloses a LiDAR controlling method [Fig 13, 14; 0131; 0135], comprising: obtaining an emission policy of a current emission block based on a current measurement scenario [0058-59; 0067-70; 0074-79; 0152; 0164], wherein the emission policy comprises a number of emissions performed by the current emission block and emission power for emitting a laser detection signal each time [0058-59; 0067-70; 0074-79; 0152; 0164]; and controlling, by the LiDAR, the current emission block to emit the laser detection signal based on the emission policy [0058-59; 0067-70; 0074-79; 0131; 0135; 0152; 0164].
Regarding Claim 10, Wang discloses a LiDAR controlling apparatus [Fig 13, 14; 0131; 0135], comprising: a determining module, configured to obtain an emission policy of a current emission block based on a current measurement scenario [0058-59; 0067-70; 0074-79; 0152; 0164], wherein the emission policy comprises a number of emissions performed by the current emission block and emission power for emitting a laser detection signal each time [0058-59; 0067-70; 0074-79; 0152; 0164]; and a control module, configured to be used by the LiDAR to control the current emission block to emit the laser detection signal based on the emission policy [0058-59; 0067-70; 0074-79; 0131; 0135; 0152; 0164].
Regarding Claim 11, Wang discloses a terminal device [Fig 13, 14; 0131; 0135], comprising a memory, a processor, and a computer program stored in the memory and capable of running on the processor, wherein when the processor executes the computer program [Fig 13, 14; 0131; 0135], a LiDAR controlling method is implemented, wherein the LiDAR controlling method comprises: obtaining an emission policy of a current emission block based on a current measurement scenario [0058-59; 0067-70; 0074-79; 0152; 0164], wherein the emission policy comprises a number of emissions performed by the current emission block and emission power for emitting a laser detection signal each time [0058-59; 0067-70; 0074-79; 0131; 0135; 0152; 0164]; and controlling, by the LiDAR, the current emission block to emit the laser detection signal based on the emission policy [0058-59; 0067-70; 0074-79; 0131; 0135; 0152; 0164].
Regarding Claim 2, Wang also discloses wherein the emission block comprises one or more emission units [0058-59; 0067-70; 0074-79; 0131]
Regarding Claim 3, Wang also discloses wherein the LiDAR comprises an emission array, the emission array comprises several groups of parallel emission blocks [0096], and each group of parallel emission blocks emit laser detection signals via the same emission policy [0058-59; 0074-79; 0096; 0131; 0135].
Regarding Claim 4, Wang also discloses wherein when the emission array uses a planar array for emission, emission blocks located in different regions have different emission policies 0058-59; 0074-79; 0096; 0131; 0135].
Regarding Claim 5; Wang also discloses wherein after the controlling, by the LiDAR, the current emission block to emit the laser detection signal based on the emission policy, the method further comprises: adjusting the emission policy of the current emission block in a next measurement cycle based on a measurement result in a current measurement cycle [0068-69; 0103-04; 0131-35].
Regarding Claim 6, Wang also discloses wherein when the emission policy is a first emission policy, the controlling the current emission block to emit the laser detection signal based on the emission policy comprises: controlling the current emission block to emit the laser detection signal at least twice, wherein the emission power for emitting the laser detection signal each time is fixed power, and equal emission power is used for emitting the laser detection signal each time [0067-70; 0074; 0096; 0103-06; 0117; 0123; 0131-35] - as one having ordinary skill in the art could easily choose which one of a plural grouping of emission lasers could be used at least twice with the same amount of power.
Regarding Claim 7, Wang also discloses wherein when the emission policy is a second emission policy, the controlling the current emission block to emit the laser detection signal based on the emission policy comprises: controlling the current emission block to emit the laser detection signal at least twice, wherein the emission power for emitting the laser detection signal each time is fixed power, and different emission power is used for emitting the laser detection signal each time [0067-70; 0074; 0096; 0103-06; 0117; 0123; 0131-35] – as one having ordinary skill in the art could easily choose which one of a plural grouping of emission lasers could be used at least twice with the different amount of power.
Regarding Claim 8, Wang also discloses wherein when the emission policy is a third emission policy, the controlling the current emission block to emit the laser detection signal based on the emission policy [0067-70; 0074; 0096; 0103-06; 0117; 0123; 0131-35] comprises: adjusting a subsequent emission policy based on a first echo signal in a current detection cycle, wherein the first echo signal is an echo signal received by the LiDAR when the laser detection signal is emitted for a first time in the current detection cycle [0150-57].
Regarding Claim 9, Wang also discloses wherein before adjusting the subsequent emission policy based on the first echo signal in the current detection cycle [0067-70; 0074; 0096; 0103-06; 0117; 0123; 0131-35], the method further comprises: determining whether the first echo signal meets a detection requirement; and if the first echo signal meets the detection requirement, stopping emitting the laser detection signal; or if the first echo signal does not meet the detection requirement, adjusting the subsequent emission policy based on the first echo signal in the current detection cycle [0150-57].
Response to Arguments
In response to applicant’s arguments regarding the alleged disqualification of Wang (US 2022/0390603) as prior art, this argument is not found persuasive. The office notes that the US filing date of the pending application is 20 November 2023, while Wang has a US filing date of 25 March 2022, more than 12 months prior to the filing date of the pending application.
Furthermore, the pending application claims foreign priority to CN 2022-11482542, which was filed 24 November 2022. Meanwhile Wang in the very first paragraph of the specification states “The present application is a continuation of International Application No. PCT/CN2020/117217, filed on Sep. 23, 2020, and also claims priority to International Application No. PCT/CN2020/070547, filed on Jan. 6, 2020, and Chinese Patent Application No. 201910917732.X, filed on Sep. 26, 2019, all of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entireties.”. It is unclear what the applicant is intending. Either, the applicant is foregoing or attempting to disown foreign priority of the Wang application, failed to recognize that the Wang application (now US Patent 12,529,792) included a foreign priority claim similar to the pending application, or wishes to somehow have the foreign priority apply only for the pending application, but not the disclosure of the issued patent to Wang and it’s earlier filed foreign priority applications. It appears the applicant has no arguments the merits for the 102 rejection under Wang, and no amendments were made, this is interpreted as the applicant accepts on the merits the rejections under Wang made in Paragraphs 3-13, all of which are maintained.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JAMES R HULKA whose telephone number is (571)270-7553. The examiner can normally be reached M-R: 9am-6pm, F: 10am-2pm.
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JAMES R. HULKA
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 3645
/JAMES R HULKA/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3645
