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 .
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.
Claim(s) 1-11 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Eshel et al (US 20180120424) in view of Ockenfuss et al (US 20230141377) and in view of Otteman (US 20050088748)
Regarding Claim 1,
Eshel et al discloses an optical sensing device, which scans a projected beam toward an outside detection area and detects a reflected beam from the detection area with respect to the projected beam ([0010], describes a scanning optical detection system which projects and receives reflected beams as part of a LIDAR/noise mitigation system (scans outgoing and receives return)), the optical sensing device comprising: an optical unit including a light projecting portion that projects the projected beam, and a light receiving portion that receives the reflected beam (Eshel et al discloses optics for transmitting/receiving beams (combined projections and sensors)(. The overlapping optical path footprint matches [0132]) of which a footprint of an optical path overlaps with that of the projected beam; and an accommodation unit which forms an accommodation chamber accommodating the optical unit therein (In Lidar systems, the optics are enclosed in a housing. Eshel et al implies and optical enclosure used in a scanning system [0802]), from the detection area to the accommodation chamber; wherein the light receiving portion includes a light-receiving lens system guiding the reflected beam which is formed with a large diameter protruding toward a side of the optical window portion more than a light-projecting lens system (known design in optical sensor systems receivers are often larger collection optics than projectors in scanning optical devices shown commonly in LIDAR architectures. This is a known design choice and is obvious one you have a scanning transmitter/receiver pair) guiding the projected beam in the light projecting portion,
Eshel et al does not disclose wherein the accommodation unit includes: an optical window portion which transmits the projected beam from the accommodation chamber to the detection area and transmits the reflected beam, a holding portion which holds the optical window portion from a side of an outer periphery; and an optical partition member, in which a reflectance rate to the projected beam is lower than that of the holding portion on a side of the optical window portion and an absorptance rate to the projected beam is higher than that of the holding portion on a side of the optical window portion, is arranged to partition between the optical unit and the optical window portion, and wherein the optical partition member includes a deflection structure which is deflected to a side of the optical window portion 16 at a location next to the light-receiving lens system more than a location next to the light-projecting lens system.
Ockenfuss et al discloses wherein the accommodation unit includes: an optical window portion which transmits the projected beam from the accommodation chamber to the detection area and transmits the reflected beam (sensor window with transmissive optical layers that allow light beams to pass through to an underlying sensor [0018]), a holding portion which holds the optical window portion from a side of an outer periphery; and an optical partition member, in which a reflectance rate to the projected beam is lower than that of the holding portion on a side of the optical window portion and an absorptance rate to the projected beam is higher than that of the holding portion on a side of the optical window portion (the window layers are structured to reduce reflections and control light transmission, which inherently implies a layered partition with different optical properties (reflectance vs absorptance)), is arranged to partition between the optical unit and the optical window portion (the window/filter layers themselves separate the internal optical sensor from the external environment functioning like an optical partition [0017]).
Otteman discloses wherein the optical partition member (ABSTRACT: tubular liner with multiple radially extending baffle structures) includes a deflection structure (radially extending baffle structures are shaped to direct incident light to be absorbed) which is deflected to a side of the optical window portion 16 at a location next to the light-receiving lens system more than a location next to the light-projecting lens system (baffle prevents stray reflections from propagating along the optical path toward the sensor or image, the purpose of radial baffles is to maximize absorption/deflection of stray light toward interior absorptive surfaces, which functionally redirects stray light away from the transmitter path and toward regions near the receiver path).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to modify Eshel et al to include Ockenfuss et al an optical window portion which transmits the projected beam from the accommodation chamber to the detection area and transmits the reflected beam a holding portion which holds the optical window portion from a side of an outer periphery; and an optical partition member, in which a reflectance rate to the projected beam is lower than that of the holding portion on a side of the optical window portion and an absorptance rate to the projected beam is higher than that of the holding portion on a side of the optical window portion motivated by the desire to manage stray reflections and maximize signals to further include Otteman’s optical partition member includes a deflection structure which is deflected to a side of the optical window portion 16 at a location next to the light-receiving lens system more than a location next to the light-projecting lens system motivated by the desire to improve signal quality.
Regarding Claim 2,
In addition to Eshel et al, Ockenfuss et al, and Otteman, Ockenfuss discloses wherein the optical partition member is arranged to surround footprints of the projected beam and the reflected beam from a side of an outer periphery (shows multilayer optical window/filter extending over entire optical path and covering sensor aperture)[0006].
Regarding Claim 3,
In addition to Eshel et al, Ockenfuss et al, and Otteman, Ockenfuss discloses wherein the optical partition member has a separation structure spaced apart from the optical window portion toward a side of the optical unit (layer stacks with spacing and multi-layer structure which can be interpreted as spaced optical layers controlling incidence/absorption)[0041].
Regarding Claim 4,
In addition to Eshel et al, Ockenfuss et al, and Otteman, Ockenfuss discloses wherein the optical partition member comes into contact with at least one of an outer peripheral side edge portion of the optical window portion and an inner peripheral side edge portion of the holding portion (optical filter layers may be disposed on or around a substrate creating contact interface with mounting structures)[0005].
Regarding Claim 5,
In addition to Eshel et al, Ockenfuss et al, and Otteman, Eshel et al discloses further comprising: a scanning unit which is accommodated in the accommodation chamber, scans the projected beam from the light projecting portion toward the detection area, and reflects the reflected beam from the detection area toward the light receiving portion (explicitly says scanning unit combined with sensor/optics)[0016].
Regarding Claim 6,
In addition to Eshel et al, Ockenfuss et al, and Otteman, Eshel et al discloses wherein the scanning unit includes a mirror portion which is driven in a rotational manner, and wherein the optical window portion includes an inclined surface structure which is inclined with respect to a rotational axis direction of the mirror portion, on a side of the accommodation chamber (using mirrors as light deflectors in scanning systems)[0023].
Regarding Claim 7,
In addition to Eshel et al, Ockenfuss et al, and Otteman, Eshel et al discloses wherein the optical partition member includes a parallel surface structure which is arranged in parallel along the inclined surface structure, on a side of the optical window portion (obvious once an inclined window surface exists matching parallel internal surfaced to maintain optical path management is standard design.).
Regarding Claim 8,
In addition to Eshel et al, Ockenfuss et al, and Otteman, Eshel et al discloses wherein the accommodation unit includes a scanning side optical partition member which is arranged on at least one of a side of the scanning unit opposite to the optical unit and a side of the scanning unit opposite to the optical window portion 16 and has a reflectance rate for the projected beam and the reflected beam lower than that of the holding portion on a side of the scanning unit and an absorptance rate to the projected beam and the reflected beam higher than that of the holding portion on a side of the scanning unit, in addition to the optical partition member as a window-side optical partition member (the use of noise mitigation structures and pratitions on sides of scanning optics to reduce reflections [0309].
Regarding Claim 9,
In addition to Eshel et al, Ockenfuss et al, and Otteman, Eshel et al discloses wherein the accommodation unit includes a light-projecting side optical partition member which is arranged to surround the light projecting portion from a side of an outer periphery and has a reflectance rate for the projected beam and the reflected beam lower than that of the holding portion on a side of the scanning unit and an absorptance rate to the projected beam and the reflected beam higher than that of the holding portion on a side of the scanning unit, in addition to the optical partition member as a window-side optical partition member (Eshel et al teaches by general optical partition concepts wherein optical channels are isolated with absorptive/low-reflectance surfaces.)[0133].
Regarding Claim 10,
In addition to Eshel et al, Ockenfuss et al, and Otteman, Eshel et al discloses wherein the accommodation unit includes a light-receiving side optical partition member which is arranged to surround the light receiving portion from a side of an outer periphery and has a reflectance rate for the projected beam and the reflected beam lower than that of the holding portion on a side of the scanning unit and an absorptance rate to the projected beam and the reflected beam higher than that of the holding portion on a side of the scanning unit, in addition to the optical partition member as a window-side optical partition member (Eshel et al teaches by general optical partition concepts wherein optical channels are isolated with absorptive/low-reflectance surfaces.)[0133]..
Regarding Claim 11,
In addition to Eshel et al, Ockenfuss et al, and Otteman, Eshel et al discloses wherein the accommodation unit includes a casing portion which defines the accommodation chamber by covering an opening with the optical window portion and the holding portion, and wherein the optical partition member is assembled and fixed to the casing portion from a side of the opening (shows optical housings where window and partitions are mounted/fixed to housing covers)[0129].
Conclusion
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/LUCY P CHIEN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2871