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 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.
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.
Claims 1-8 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Hu US 20220179049 A1 in view of Bronstein US 20260050068 A1 and Akiyama US 20240385298 A1.
Regarding claim 1, Hu teaches a LiDAR controlling method, comprising:
controlling a LiDAR to move by a preset stepping in a scanning direction after the LiDAR completes a task of emitting a detection laser beam via a current emission channel, and emitting the detection laser beam via the next emission channel (multiple transmitting modules (channels) 101-104 and rotation by theta_3 in Fig. 9-12, [0050-53]), wherein the preset stepping is less than a divergence angle of a scanning light spot of the current emission channel (rotation theta_3 is less than beam divergence theta_4, [0053]); and
Hu does not explicitly teach emitting, by the current emission channel, the detection laser beam according to a jitter delay corresponding to the current emission channel, and filtering echo data received by a current receiving channel according to echo data received by adjacent receiving channels to obtain a scanning result of the current receiving channel.
Bronstein teaches jitter delay for each emission channel (“channel-specific inter-pulse delays” or “channel-specific randomized transmission times”, [0092-93]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the Hu to include emitting, by the current emission channel, the detection laser beam according to a jitter delay corresponding to the current emission channel similar to Bronstein with a reasonable expectation of success. This would have the predictable result of allowing identification of beams emitted from each channel.
Akiyama teaches noise filtering using neighboring points ([0033, 97-98])
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the Hu to include filtering echo data received by a current receiving channel according to echo data received by adjacent receiving channels to obtain a scanning result of the current receiving channel similar to Akiyama with a reasonable expectation of success. This would have the predictable result of decreasing noise in the data and improving object identification.
Regarding claim 2, Hu as modified above teaches the LiDAR controlling method according to claim 1, wherein before the controlling the LiDAR to move by the preset stepping in the scanning direction after the LiDAR completes the task of emitting the detection laser beam via the current emission channel and the emitting the detection laser beam via the next emission channel, the method further comprises:
obtaining a detection region corresponding to the current emission channel ([0050-53]); and
determining a stepping size for movement corresponding to the current emission channel in the scanning direction according to the detection region corresponding to the current emission channel (ensuring overlap of beams based on divergence and rotation, Figs. 9-12, [0050-53]).
Regarding claim 3, Hu as modified above teaches the LiDAR controlling method according to claim 1,
Hu does not explicitly teach wherein the filtering the echo data received by the current receiving channel according to the echo data received by the adjacent receiving channels to obtain the scanning result of the current receiving channel comprises: identifying whether a target point is a noise point according to the echo data received by the adjacent receiving channels when the echo data received by the current receiving channel comprises the target point; and when the target point is the noise point, deleting the echo data corresponding to the target point.
Akiyama teaches identifying target points and removing a neighboring pixel when identified as noise ([0033, 97-98])
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the Hu such that the filtering the echo data received by the current receiving channel according to the echo data received by the adjacent receiving channels to obtain the scanning result of the current receiving channel comprises: identifying whether a target point is a noise point according to the echo data received by the adjacent receiving channels when the echo data received by the current receiving channel comprises the target point; and when the target point is the noise point, deleting the echo data corresponding to the target point similar to Akiyama with a reasonable expectation of success. This would have the predictable result of decreasing noise in the data and improving object identification.
Regarding claim 4, Hu as modified above teaches the LiDAR controlling method according to claim 3,
Hu does not explicitly teach wherein the identifying whether the target point is the noise point according to the echo data received by the adjacent receiving channels when the echo data received by the current receiving channel comprises the target point comprises: determining whether the echo data received by the adjacent receiving channels comprise an effective point corresponding to the target point; and when the echo data received by the adjacent receiving channels comprise the effective point corresponding to the target point, determining that the target point is the effective point, and otherwise, determining that the target point is the noise point.
Akiyama teaches identifying target points and removing a neighboring pixel when otherwise identified as noise ([0033, 97-98])
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the Hu such that the identifying whether the target point is the noise point according to the echo data received by the adjacent receiving channels when the echo data received by the current receiving channel comprises the target point comprises: determining whether the echo data received by the adjacent receiving channels comprise an effective point corresponding to the target point; and when the echo data received by the adjacent receiving channels comprise the effective point corresponding to the target point, determining that the target point is the effective point, and otherwise, determining that the target point is the noise point similar to Akiyama with a reasonable expectation of success. This would have the predictable result of decreasing noise in the data and improving object identification.
Regarding claim 5, Hu as modified above teaches the LiDAR controlling method according to claim 4,
Hu does not explicitly teach wherein the determining whether the echo data received by the adjacent receiving channels include the effective point corresponding to the target point comprises: obtaining position information of the target point; and determining whether the echo data received by the adjacent receiving channels comprise the effective point corresponding to the target point according to the position information of the target point.
Akiyama teaches identifying target points and removing a neighboring pixel when otherwise identified as noise using position (distance) information ([0033, 97-98])
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the Hu such that the determining whether the echo data received by the adjacent receiving channels include the effective point corresponding to the target point comprises: obtaining position information of the target point; and determining whether the echo data received by the adjacent receiving channels comprise the effective point corresponding to the target point according to the position information of the target point similar to Akiyama with a reasonable expectation of success. This would have the predictable result of decreasing noise in the data and improving object identification.
Regarding claim 6, Hu as modified above teaches the LiDAR controlling method according to claim 4,
Hu does not explicitly teach wherein the determining whether the echo data received by the adjacent receiving channels comprise the effective point corresponding to the target point comprises: obtaining detection time of the target point; and determining whether the echo data received by the adjacent receiving channels comprise the effective point corresponding to the target point according to the detection time of the target point.
Akiyama teaches identifying target points and removing a neighboring pixel when otherwise identified as noise using position (distance) information ([0033, 97-98]), and the distance is calculated form a detection time (time of flight, [0047, 53-54])
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the Hu such that the determining whether the echo data received by the adjacent receiving channels comprise the effective point corresponding to the target point comprises: obtaining detection time of the target point; and determining whether the echo data received by the adjacent receiving channels comprise the effective point corresponding to the target point according to the detection time of the target point similar to Akiyama with a reasonable expectation of success. This would have the predictable result of decreasing noise in the data and improving object identification.
Regarding claim 7, Hu as modified above teaches the LiDAR controlling method according to claim 1, wherein the echo data received by the current receiving channel is the echo data received by the current receiving channel during a preset time (emission times are same as receiving times, [0004, 25]); or wherein the echo data received by the current receiving channel is the echo data received by the current receiving channel after a preset region is scanned (examiner notes that the reflected light will be received only after a region is scanned due to travel time of light).
Regarding claim 8, Hu teaches a LiDAR controlling apparatus, comprising:
a control module (controller [0054]), configured to control a LiDAR to move by a preset stepping in a scanning direction after the LiDAR completes a task of emitting a detection laser beam via a current emission channel , and control a next emission channel to emit the detection laser beam until the tasks of emitting detection laser beams are completed via all emission channels (multiple transmitting modules (channels) 101-104 and rotation by theta_3 in Fig. 9-12, [0050-53]), wherein the preset stepping is less than a divergence angle of a scanning light spot of the current emission channel (rotation theta_3 is less than beam divergence theta_4, [0053]); and
Hu does not explicitly teach configured to emit the detection laser according to a jitter delay corresponding to the current emission channel when the current emission channel emits the detection laser; and a filtering module, configured to filter echo data received by a current receiving channel according to echo data received by adjacent receiving channels to obtain a scanning result of the current receiving channel.
Bronstein teaches jitter delay for each emission channel (“channel-specific inter-pulse delays” or “channel-specific randomized transmission times”, [0092-93]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the Hu to include emit the detection laser according to a jitter delay corresponding to the current emission channel when the current emission channel emits the detection laser similar to Bronstein with a reasonable expectation of success. This would have the predictable result of allowing identification of beams emitted from each channel.
Akiyama teaches noise filtering using neighboring points ([0033, 97-98])
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the Hu to include to filter echo data received by a current receiving channel according to echo data received by adjacent receiving channels to obtain a scanning result of the current receiving channel similar to Akiyama with a reasonable expectation of success. This would have the predictable result of decreasing noise in the data and improving object identification.
Claim 9 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Hu US 20220179049 A1 in view of Bronstein US 20260050068 A1, Akiyama US 20240385298 A1, and Zhu US 20210276589 A1.
Regarding claim 9, Hu teaches LiDAR controlling method comprises:
controlling a LiDAR to move by a preset stepping in a scanning direction after the LiDAR completes a task of emitting a detection laser beam via a current emission channel, and emitting the detection laser beam via the next emission channel, wherein the preset stepping is less than a divergence angle of a scanning light spot of the current emission channel; and
Hu does not explicitly teach a terminal device, comprising a non-transitory memory, a processor and a computer program stored in the non-transitory memory and capable of running on the processor, wherein when the processor executes the computer program, a LiDAR controlling method is implemented, emitting, by the current emission channel, the detection laser beam according to a jitter delay corresponding to the current emission channel; and filtering echo data received by a current receiving channel according to echo data received by adjacent receiving channels to obtain a scanning result of the current receiving channel.
Zhu teaches a computer or terminal to control the LIDAR including memory, processor, and computer program (on-vehicle or remote, [0035, 48, 109, 147, 158])
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the Hu to include a terminal device, comprising a non-transitory memory, a processor and a computer program stored in the non-transitory memory and capable of running on the processor, wherein when the processor executes the computer program, a LiDAR controlling method is implemented similar to Zhu with a reasonable expectation of success. This would have the predictable result of control of the LIDAR from outside of the LIDAR and communication with other systems.
Bronstein teaches jitter delay for each emission channel (“channel-specific inter-pulse delays” or “channel-specific randomized transmission times”, [0092-93]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the Hu to include emitting, by the current emission channel, the detection laser beam according to a jitter delay corresponding to the current emission channel similar to Bronstein with a reasonable expectation of success. This would have the predictable result of allowing identification of beams emitted from each channel.
Akiyama teaches noise filtering using neighboring points ([0033, 97-98])
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the Hu to include filtering echo data received by a current receiving channel according to echo data received by adjacent receiving channels to obtain a scanning result of the current receiving channel similar to Akiyama with a reasonable expectation of success. This would have the predictable result of decreasing noise in the data and improving object identification.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure:
Maayan US 20210278540 A1 teaches filtering using adjacent detectors.
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/J.C.F./Examiner, Art Unit 3645
/ISAM A ALSOMIRI/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3645
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