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 .
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election without traverse of Group II (claims 1, 12-13, 21 and 32-33) in the reply filed on 17 July 2026 is acknowledged.
Claims 2-6 and 22-26 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to the nonelected invention of Group I, there being no allowable generic or linking claim.
Claims 17, 20, 37 and 40 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to the nonelected invention of Group III, there being no allowable generic or linking claim.
Election was made without traverse in the reply filed on 17 July 2026.
Claim Objections
Claims 1, 12-13, 21 and 32-33 are objected to because of the following informalities:
Regarding claim 1, “includes:” should read --wherein--.
Regarding claim 12, “further includes:” should read --wherein--.
Regarding claims 12 and 32, “wherein,” should read --wherein--.
Regarding claim 21, “includes:” should read --including:--.
Regarding claim 21, “and generates the returned signal” should read --and generate the returned signal--.
Regarding claim 21, “and outputs the distance information” should read --and output the distance information--.
Regarding claim 32, “further includes:” should read --further including:--.
Regarding claim 33, “The detection system according to claim 32, the counting sequence generation module” should read --The detection system according to claim 32, wherein the counting sequence generation module--.
Claims 12-13 and 32-33 are objected to by virtue of dependency.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claims 12-13, 21 and 32-33 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Claim 12 recites “the modulated signal” without antecedent basis. Claim 1, from which claim 12 depends, recites “a modulation signal,” however neither claim 1 nor claim 12 previously introduces “a modulated signal.” It is therefore unclear whether “the modulated signal” refers to the previously recited “modulation signal” or to a different signal.
Claim 21 recites “the driving signal generator” without antecedent basis. Claim 21 previously introduces “a driving signal generating unit,” but does not introduce a “driving signal generator.” It is therefore unclear whether the “driving signal generator” and the “driving signal generating unit” refer to the same component or to different components.
Claims 13 and 33 are further indefinite because each claim recites “the adaptive count sequence” without antecedent basis. Claims 12 and 32 respectively introduce “an adaptive counting sequence,” but neither claim introduces an “adaptive count sequence.” It is therefore unclear whether the “adaptive count sequence” refers to the previously recited “adaptive counting sequence” or to a different sequence. “
Claims 32-33 are further rejected by virtue of dependency.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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.
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.
Claims 1 and 21 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) and 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Zuffada (US 20180188368 A1).
Regarding claim 1, Zuffada discloses a LIDAR ranging method (Fig. 1, system 10; ¶¶ 31-32, 143-145), includes:
a driving signal is generated by the driving signal generating unit (Fig. 1, digital unit 100; Fig. 2(b), generated sequence; ¶ 36) and the driving signal acts on a laser source through a laser modulation driving circuit (Fig. 1, laser driver 101 and laser source 102; ¶ 37) and the laser source receives the driving signal to emit a pulsed laser sequence (Fig. 1, laser source 102; Fig. 2(c), emitted optical pulse sequence; ¶ 38);
an array-type returned light receiving module receives the returned light signal reflected by a detected object in the field of view and generates the returned signal (Fig. 1, photodetector array 106; Fig. 3, photodetector 1060 with array 106; ¶¶ 51, 53, 60); and
a modulation signal (Fig. 1, reference sequence on line 1000 from digital unit 100 to correlator 108) is generated by a processing module (Fig. 1, correlator 108 receiving the original transmitted pulse sequence from digital unit 100; ¶73; wherein under broadest reasonable interpretation (BRI), obtaining the original transmitted digital sequence for processing satisfies “generated,” see App. Spec. ¶¶ 60-61) according to the driving signal generated by the driving signal generating unit (Figs. 1 and 2(b), coded pulse sequence generated by digital unit 100; ¶ 36), and
a distance-related signal (Fig. 1, detection result of correlator 108; ¶¶ 73-74, 145) is obtained by the processing module based on the modulation signal according to a preset rule (Fig. 1, correlator 108; ¶¶ 71-73, 145, matched filtering using an impulse response “matching exactly the digital pattern being tested for reception” followed by correlation processing where echo delay indicates distance), and
the processing module outputs the distance information of the detected object according to the distance-related signal (Fig. 1, output of correlator 108 to user unit U; ¶¶ 74, 145).
Regarding claim 21, Zuffada discloses a detection system for distance detection (Fig. 1, system 10; ¶¶ 31-32), includes:
a driving signal generating unit configured to generate a driving signal and act on a laser source through a laser modulation driving circuit, wherein the laser source receives the driving signal to emit a pulsed laser sequence (Fig. 1, digital unit 100, laser driver 101, and laser source 102; Fig. 2(b) and Fig. 2(c), digital and optical pulse sequences; ¶¶ 36-38);
an array-type returned light receiving module configured to receive the returned light signal reflected by a detected object in the field of view, and generates the returned signal (Fig. 1, photodetector array 106; Fig. 3, photodetector 1060, further detailing array 106; ¶¶ 51, 53, 60); and
a processing module configured to generate a modulation signal (Fig. 1, correlator 108 receiving the original transmitted pulse sequence from digital unit 100; ¶ 73; wherein under BRI, obtaining the original transmitted digital sequence for processing satisfies “generate,” see App. Spec. ¶¶ 60-61) according to the driving signal generated by the driving signal generator (Figs. 1 and 2(b), coded pulse sequence generated by digital unit 100; ¶ 36),
obtain a distance-related signal based on the modulation signal according to a preset rule (Fig. 1, correlator 108; ¶¶ 71-73, 145, matched filtering using an impulse response “matching exactly the digital pattern being tested for reception” followed by correlation processing where echo delay indicates distance) and
outputs the distance information of the detected object according to the distance-related signal (Fig. 1, output of correlator 108 to user unit U; ¶¶ 74, 145).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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.
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 12-13 and 32-33 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Zuffada in view of Pacala (WO 2021026241 A1).
Regarding claim 12, Zuffada discloses the LIDAR ranging method according to claim 1, and further discloses: before the processing module obtains the distance-related signal based on the modulated signal according to the preset rule (Fig. 1, correlator 108; ¶¶ 73, 145, “both the original transmitted pulse sequence” and “its reflected echoes” are made available to correlator 108 prior to determining distance of object O from echo delay), [1: …], wherein, the distance-related signal obtained by the processing module based on the modulated signal according to the preset rule includes: the distance-related signal obtained by the processing module based on the modulated signal (Fig. 1, correlator 108 receiving the original transmitted pulse sequence on line 1000 and reflected echoes; ¶¶ 71-74) and [2: …] according to the preset rule (Fig. 1, correlator 108; ¶¶ 71-73, 145, matched filtering using an impulse response “matching exactly the digital pattern being tested for reception” followed by correlation processing where echo delay indicate distance).
Zuffada does not teach:
[1] [before the processing module obtains the distance-related signal] “a counting sequence generating module generates an adaptive counting sequence according to the returned signal”; and,
[2] [distance-related signal obtained based on] “the adaptive counting sequence.”
Pacala teaches limitation [1] by accumulating returned photon counts in ordered histogram bins, determining a measurement specific background noise level, and subtracting the background noise level from corresponding histogram bins before distance measurements (Figs. 36-37, background time bins 3610, background noise level 3712, and peaks 3606 and 3608; ¶¶ 270-280); and further teaches limitation [2] by using the resulting background corrected peak data for subsequent distance calculations (Fig. 37, corrected peaks 3606 and 3608; ¶¶ 280-281).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the LIDAR ranging method of Zuffada with the teachings of Pacala with a reasonable expectation of success in order to generate a background corrected photon counting sequence from the returned histogram, thereby yielding a ranging method with reduced background noise and a more accurate characterization of the reflected pulse for determining distance (Pacala, ¶¶ 4-5, 66, 280-281).
Regarding claim 13, Zuffada in view of Pacala teaches the LIDAR ranging method according to claim 12, and further teaches: wherein the adaptive counting sequence is generated from the returned signal include: an adaptive correction sequence is generated according to an average value of the returned signals or the sum of the returned signals (Pacala, Figs. 36-37, ¶ 275, average of the background time bin values; ¶ 276, total photon count divided by the integration interval), and the adaptive count sequence is generated based on the returned signal and the adaptive correction sequence (Pacala, Fig. 37, background noise level 3712 subtracted to produce background corrected histogram values with peaks 3606 and 3608; ¶ 280; wherein under BRI, the background noise subtraction repeated for respective histogram bins corresponds to the adaptive correction sequence, and the resulting background corrected histogram corresponds to the adaptive count sequence, see App. Spec. ¶¶ 78-79, 84-86).
Regarding claim 32, Zuffada discloses the detection system according to claim 21, and further discloses: [1: …], wherein, the processing module is further configured to obtain the distance-related signal based on the modulation signal (Fig. 1, correlator 108 receiving the original transmitted pulse sequence on line 1000 and reflected echoes; ¶ 73), and [2: …] according to the preset rule (Fig. 1, correlator 108; ¶¶ 71-73, 145, matched filtering and correlation using the transmitted digital pattern where echo delay indicate distance).
Zuffada does not teach:
[1] “a counting sequence generation module configured to generate an adaptive counting sequence according to the returned signal”; and,
[2] [obtain the distance-related signal based on] “the adaptive counting sequence.”
Pacala teaches limitation [1] by accumulating returned photon counts in ordered histogram bins, determining a measurement specific background noise level, and subtracting the background noise level from corresponding histogram bins to produce corrected count data (Figs. 36-37, ¶¶ 270-280); and further teaches limitation [2] by providing the background corrected peak data for subsequent distance calculations (Fig. 37, corrected peaks 3606 and 3608; ¶¶ 280-281).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the detection system of Zuffada with the teachings of Pacala with a reasonable expectation of success in order to generate a background corrected photon counting sequence from the returned histogram, thereby yielding a system with reduced noise and increased accuracy in reflected pulse detection and distance measurement (Pacala,¶¶ 4-5, 66, 280-281).
Regarding claim 33, Zuffada in view of Pacala teaches the detection system according to claim 32, and further teaches: the counting sequence generation module is configured to: generate an adaptive correction sequence according to an average value of the returned signal or the sum of the returned signal (Pacala, Figs. 36-37, ¶ 275, average of the background time bin values; ¶ 276, total photon count divided by the integration interval), and based on the returned signal and the adaptive correction sequence to generate the adaptive count sequence (Pacala, Fig. 37, background noise level 3712 subtracted to produce background corrected histogram values with peaks 3606 and 3608; ¶ 280; wherein under BRI, the background noise subtraction repeated for respective histogram bins corresponds to the adaptive correction sequence, and the resulting background corrected histogram corresponds to the adaptive count sequence, see App. Spec. ¶¶ 78-79, 84-86).
Conclusion
Prior art made of record though not relied upon in the present basis of rejection are noted in the attached PTO 892 and include: Gupta (US 20200284907 A1) which discloses the correction of lidar histogram bins using cumulative photon counts prior to the estimation of depth. Moore (EP 3370086 A1) which discloses correction of photon counting histograms prior to distance determination.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ZHENGQING QI whose telephone number is 571-272-1078. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM ET.
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, YUQING XIAO can be reached on 571-270-3603. 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.
/ZHENGQING QI/Examiner, Art Unit 3645
Prosecution Insights