CTNF 18/520,084 CTNF 88010 DETAILED ACTION Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status 07-03-aia AIA 15-10-aia The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA. Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102 07-07-aia AIA 07-07 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 – 07-08-aia AIA (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. 07-12-aia AIA (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. 07-15-03-aia AIA Claim(s) 1-7, 9, 11-17, and 19 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by O’Keeffe (US 2022/0242319) . Regarding Claim 1, O’Keeffe discloses a light emission module [#405 of Fig 4A; 0127-128], comprising: a laser source, configured for emitting a laser beam [#420 of Fig 4A; 0127-28]; a beam steering element [0136; 0228; 0299], configured for receiving the laser beam and further for splitting the laser beam into at least two laser beams [#406, #420, #430 of Fig 4A; 0128]; a focusing lens set, configured for receiving the at least two laser beams split from the beam steering element [0117; 0124; 0129; 0140] ; an imaging fiber bundle set, including a receiving element and a plurality of branch elements [0046-51; 0107-08; 0120-25; 0134]; the plurality of branch elements being individually connected to the receiving element, distributed disposing, and oriented to individual desired scanning directions [0046-51; 0107-08; 0120-25], wherein the focusing lens set is disposed between the beam steering element and the receiving element [0117; 0124; 0129; 0140], the at least two laser beams are focused on the receiving element by the focusing lens set and emitted through one of the plurality of branch elements [0046-51; 0107-08; 0120-29; 0134]; and a plurality of expansion lens sets [0111; 0117; 0124; 0128; 0140; 0299] , disposed individually corresponding to the plurality of branch elements, the plurality of expansion lens sets receiving the laser beams emitted from the plurality of branch elements and further controlling each of the laser beams correspondingly have a spread angle and an expanding angle [0116; 0146-47; 0151; 0299; 0311]. Regarding Claim 11, O’Keeffe discloses a wide angle scanning system, comprising: a light emission module [#405 of Fig 4A; 0127-128], including: a laser source, configured for emitting a laser beam [#420 of Fig 4A; 0127-28]; a beam steering element [0136; 0228; 0299], configured for receiving the laser beam and further for splitting the laser beam into at least two laser beams [#406, #420, #430 of Fig 4A; 0128]; a focusing lens set, configured for receiving the at least two laser beams split from the beam steering element [0117; 0124; 0129; 0140]; an imaging fiber bundle set, including a receiving element and a plurality of branch elements [0046-51; 0107-08; 0120-25; 0134], the plurality of branch elements being individually connected to the receiving element, distributed disposing, and oriented to individual desired scanning directions [0046-51; 0107-08; 0120-25], wherein the focusing lens set is disposed between the beam steering element and the receiving element [0117; 0124; 0129; 0140], the at least two laser beams are focused on the receiving element by the focusing lens set and emitted through one of the plurality of branch elements [0046-51; 0107-08; 0120-29; 0134]; and a plurality of expansion lens sets [0111; 0117; 0124; 0128; 0140; 0299], disposed individually corresponding to the plurality of branch elements, the plurality of expansion lens sets receiving the laser beam emitted from the plurality of branch elements and further controlling each of the laser beams correspondingly have a spread angle and an expanding angle [0116; 0146-47; 0151; 0299; 0311]; and at least one beam receiving module, each of the at least one beam receiving module including: a receiving lens set, configured for receiving laser beams reflected from the plurality of laser beams emitted by the plurality of expansion lens set [0107; 0114; 0127; 0133-34; 0140; 0146-47]; and a sensor set, configured for receiving laser beams transmitted from the receiving lens set [0127; 0130-34; 0140; 0146-47]. Regarding Claims 2 and 12, O’Keeffe also discloses wherein a plurality of said spread angles corresponding to the plurality of branch elements integrally define a vertical scan angle, and a plurality of said expanding angles corresponding to the plurality of branch elements integrally define a horizontal scan angle [0136; 0210; 0228]. Regarding Claims 3 and 13, O’Keeffe also discloses wherein the expanding angle is greater than 90 [0128; 0136; 0170; 0172; 0199; 0210; 0228; 0280]. Regarding Claims 4 and 14, O’Keeffe also discloses wherein the spread angle is greater than 60 [0128; 0136; 0170; 0172; 0199; 0210; 0228; 0280]. Regarding Claims 5 and 15, O’Keeffe also discloses wherein an entrance plane of the receiving element includes a plurality of optical fiber bundle channels disposed individually in correspondence to the plurality of branch elements [0110-11; 0124; 0144]. Regarding Claims 6 and 16, O’Keeffe also discloses wherein the plurality of optical fiber bundle channels are arranged in an array manner [0013; 0049; 0113; 0125]. Regarding Claims 7 and 17, O’Keeffe also discloses wherein each of the plurality of optical fiber bundle channels has a diameter less than 2mm [0111]. Regarding Claims 9 and 19, O’Keeffe also discloses wherein the laser source is an optical fiber laser [0046-51; 0107-08; 0120-25; 0127-28] . Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103 07-20-aia AIA 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. 07-21-aia AIA Claim (s) 1-4, 8-14 and 18-20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Hu (US 2023/0194674) in view of O’Keeffe (US 2022/0242319) . Regarding Claim 1, Hu teaches a light emission module [Fig 1A, 1B], comprising: a laser source, configured for emitting a laser beam [#1-3, L1-L4 of Fig 1A 1B; 0022-25; 0029]; a beam steering element [#1-3, L1-L4 of Fig 1A 1B; 0022-25; 0029], configured for receiving the laser beam and further for splitting the laser beam into at least two laser beams [#1-3, L1-L4 of Fig 1A 1B; 0022-25; 0029]; a focusing lens set [0024; 0030], configured for receiving the at least two laser beams split from the beam steering element [#1-3 of Fig 1A 1B; 0022-25; 0029]… and further controlling each of the laser beams correspondingly have a spread angle and an expanding angle [Fig 1A 1B; 0013; 0022-25; 0029]. Hu does not explicitly teach – but O’Keeffe does teach an imaging fiber bundle set, including a receiving element and a plurality of branch elements [0046-51; 0107-08; 0120-25; 0134]; the plurality of branch elements being individually connected to the receiving element, distributed disposing, and oriented to individual desired scanning directions [0046-51; 0107-08; 0120-25], wherein the focusing lens set is disposed between the beam steering element and the receiving element [0117; 0124; 0129; 0140], the at least two laser beams are focused on the receiving element by the focusing lens set and emitted through one of the plurality of branch elements [0046-51; 0107-08; 0120-29; 0134]; and a plurality of expansion lens sets [0111; 0117; 0124; 0128; 0140; 0299] , disposed individually corresponding to the plurality of branch elements, the plurality of expansion lens sets receiving the laser beams emitted from the plurality of branch elements and further controlling each of the laser beams correspondingly have a spread angle and an expanding angle [0116; 0146-47; 0151; 0299; 0311]. It would have been obvious to modify the module and system of Hu to include an imaging fiber bundle, oriented in different directions, lenses between the beam steering and receivers, and expansion lenses as this enables transmission of the light reflections along the length of the fiber optic bundle without mixing light between fibers and the location of a reflection in the sequence at the output surface can be highly indicative of the reflection direction in the corresponding field of view. Regarding Claim 11, Hu teaches a wide angle scanning system [Fig 1A, 1B], comprising: a light emission module [Fig 1A, 1B], including: a laser source, configured for emitting a laser beam [#1-3, L1-L4 of Fig 1A 1B; 0022-25; 0029]; a beam steering element [#1-3, L1-L4 of Fig 1A 1B; 0022-25; 0029], configured for receiving the laser beam and further for splitting the laser beam into at least two laser beams [#1-3, L1-L4 of Fig 1A 1B; 0022-25; 0029]; a focusing lens set [0024; 0030], configured for receiving the at least two laser beams split from the beam steering element [#1-3, L1-L4 of Fig 1A 1B; 0022-25; 0029]… and at least one beam receiving module, each of the at least one beam receiving module including: a receiving lens set, configured for receiving laser beams reflected from the plurality of laser beams emitted by the plurality of expansion lens set [Fig 1A, 1B; 0022; 0024; 0029-30; 0034-35]; and a sensor set, configured for receiving laser beams transmitted from the receiving lens set [Fig 1A, 1B; 0022; 0024; 0029-30; 0034-35]. Hu does not explicitly teach – but O’Keeffe does teach an imaging fiber bundle set, including a receiving element and a plurality of branch elements [0046-51; 0107-08; 0120-25; 0134], the plurality of branch elements being individually connected to the receiving element, distributed disposing, and oriented to individual desired scanning directions [0046-51; 0107-08; 0120-25], wherein the focusing lens set is disposed between the beam steering element and the receiving element [0117; 0124; 0129; 0140], the at least two laser beams are focused on the receiving element by the focusing lens set and emitted through one of the plurality of branch elements [0046-51; 0107-08; 0120-29; 0134]; and a plurality of expansion lens sets [0111; 0117; 0124; 0128; 0140; 0299], disposed individually corresponding to the plurality of branch elements, the plurality of expansion lens sets receiving the laser beam emitted from the plurality of branch elements and further controlling each of the laser beams correspondingly have a spread angle and an expanding angle [0116; 0146-47; 0151; 0299; 0311]. It would have been obvious to modify the module and system of Hu to include an imaging fiber bundle, oriented in different directions, lenses between the beam steering and receivers, and expansion lenses as this enables transmission of the light reflections along the length of the fiber optic bundle without mixing light between fibers and the location of a reflection in the sequence at the output surface can be highly indicative of the reflection direction in the corresponding field of view. Regarding Claims 2 and 12, Hu also teaches wherein a plurality of said spread angles corresponding to the plurality of branch elements integrally define a vertical scan angle, and a plurality of said expanding angles corresponding to the plurality of branch elements integrally define a horizontal scan angle [0024-26; 0029-31]. Regarding Claims 3 and 13, Hu also teaches wherein the expanding angle is greater than 90 [0024-25; 0029; 0031; 0038]. Regarding Claims 4 and 14, Hu also teaches wherein the spread angle is greater than 60 [0024-25; 0029; 0031; 0038]. Regarding Claims 8 and 18, Hu also teaches wherein the beam steering element includes a semi-solid or solid beam diverter, the focusing lens set is a lens set with Fourier transformation function [0024-25; 0029-31], the semi-solid or solid beam diverter is configured for steering and diffracting the laser beam to be split into the at least two laser beams [0024-25; 0029-31], the lens set with Fourier transformation function is configured to receive the at least two laser beams from the semi-solid or solid beam diverter and further perform a Fourier transform upon the at least two laser beams so as to focus the at least two laser beams [0024-25; 0029-31]. Regarding Claims 9 and 19, Hu also teaches wherein the laser source is an optical fiber laser [0023; 0029]. Regarding Claims 10 and 20, Hu also teaches wherein the expansion lens set is a compound lens set [0023; 0029]. 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. Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice. If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Helal Algahaim can be reached at 5712705227. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300. Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000. JAMES R. HULKA Primary Examiner Art Unit 3645 /JAMES R HULKA/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3645 Application/Control Number: 18/520,084 Page 2 Art Unit: 3645 Application/Control Number: 18/520,084 Page 3 Art Unit: 3645 Application/Control Number: 18/520,084 Page 4 Art Unit: 3645 Application/Control Number: 18/520,084 Page 5 Art Unit: 3645 Application/Control Number: 18/520,084 Page 6 Art Unit: 3645 Application/Control Number: 18/520,084 Page 7 Art Unit: 3645 Application/Control Number: 18/520,084 Page 8 Art Unit: 3645 Application/Control Number: 18/520,084 Page 9 Art Unit: 3645
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