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 .
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) 1-14 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Zhu (US 2021/0247499).
Regarding Claim 1, Zhu discloses a light detection and ranging (LiDAR) driving system comprising: an optical transmission unit including a plurality of emitters arranged in a 2-dimensional matrix structure [#301 of Fig 3-6, 9; 0011; 0058; 0073]; and an optical reception unit including a plurality of photodetection elements arranged in a 2-dimensional matrix structure [Fig 3-6, 9; 0011; 0043-45; 0052; 0058; 0073-77], wherein the optical transmission unit sets activation patterns for a plurality of emitters using at least one of an array structure of the emitter, an array structure of the photodetection element, and a preset number of photodetection elements capable of simultaneous photodetection and controls driving states of the emitters [#301 of Fig 3-6, 9; 0011; 0058; 0073-77], and wherein the optical reception unit sets activation patterns of the photodetection elements corresponding to the activation patterns of the emitters set by the optical transmission unit and controls driving states of the photodetection elements [#301 of Fig 3-6, 9; 0058; 0073-79].
Regarding Claim 8, Zhu discloses a method of controlling a light detection and ranging (LiDAR) driving system including an optical transmission unit including a plurality of emitters arranged in a 2-dimensional matrix structure [#301 of Fig 3-6, 9; 0011; 0058; 0073], and an optical reception unit including a plurality of photodetection elements arranged in a 2-dimensional matrix structure [Fig 3-6, 9; 0011; 0052; 0058; 0073-77], the method comprising: setting, by the optical transmission unit, activation patterns for a plurality of emitters using at least one of an array structure of the emitter, an array structure of the photodetection element, and a preset number of photodetection elements capable of simultaneous photodetection and controlling driving states of the emitters [#301 of Fig 3-6, 9; 0011; 0058; 0073-77], and setting, by the optical reception unit, activation patterns of the photodetection elements corresponding to the activation patterns of the emitters set by the optical transmission unit and controlling driving states of the photodetection elements [#301 of Fig 3, Fig 4-6, 9; 0058; 0073-79].
Regarding Claims 2 and 9, Zhu also discloses wherein the LiDAR driving system controls the driving state of the emitter and the driving state of the photodetection element at a same time based on the set activation pattern [Fig 3-6, 9; 0043-45; 0058; 0073-77].
Regarding Claims 3 and 10, Zhu also discloses wherein the optical transmission unit sets the activation pattern so that at least one deactivated emitter is included between the activated emitters [Fig 3-6, 9; 0043-45; 0058; 0073-77].
Regarding Claims 4 and 11, Zhu also discloses wherein the optical transmission unit sets the activation pattern so that at least one deactivated emitter is included in each of a horizontal direction and a vertical direction based on one activated emitter [Fig 3-6, 9; 0043-45; 0058; 0073-77].
Regarding Claims 5 and 12, Zhu also discloses wherein the optical transmission unit sets the activation pattern so that the preset number of deactivated emitters is included between the activated emitters [Fig 3-6, 9; 0043-45; 0058; 0073-77].
Regarding Claims 6 and 13, Zhu also discloses wherein the optical transmission unit determines a number of simultaneously activated emitters based on a number of photodetection elements capable of simultaneous photodetection and sets the activation pattern [Fig 3-6, 9; 0043-45; 0058; 0073-77].
Regarding Claims 7 and 14, Zhu also discloses wherein the photo transmission unit is configured to: determine a number of activation patterns by comparing a total number of emitters and the number of simultaneously activated emitters; set the activation patterns according to the determined number of activation patterns; and sequentially control the driving state of the emitter and the driving state of the photodetection element at a same time using the set activation pattern, and wherein the emitters activated by the activation patterns do not overlap each other for each activation pattern [Fig 3-6, 9; 0043-45; 0058; 0073-77].
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
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