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 § 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.
Claim 2 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. Limitation “shifting the portion to a new position; and subsequently receiving light reflected from the field of view onto the portion at the new position.” Is unclear . What is a “new position” is it a position on the detector or is it a position on mirror array. If it is a position on the mirror then it is unclear how “shifting happens”. Light from region of interest is already on the specified mirror , how do you shift the position. It is unclear what Applicant means by the limitation.
Claim 4 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. it is unclear what Applicant means by term “writing”. Examiner wants to note that the it is a mirror elements, its not a memory. Examiner interprets as sequentially activating the mirrors in order to align individual mirror to direct light to detector or absorber.
The following is a quotation of the first paragraph of 35 U.S.C. 112(a):
(a) IN GENERAL.—The specification shall contain a written description of the invention, and of the manner and process of making and using it, in such full, clear, concise, and exact terms as to enable any person skilled in the art to which it pertains, or with which it is most nearly connected, to make and use the same, and shall set forth the best mode contemplated by the inventor or joint inventor of carrying out the invention.
The following is a quotation of the first paragraph of pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112:
The specification shall contain a written description of the invention, and of the manner and process of making and using it, in such full, clear, concise, and exact terms as to enable any person skilled in the art to which it pertains, or with which it is most nearly connected, to make and use the same, and shall set forth the best mode contemplated by the inventor of carrying out his invention.
Claim 2 rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(a) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), first paragraph, as failing to comply with the written description requirement. The claim(s) contains subject matter which was not described in the specification in such a way as to reasonably convey to one skilled in the relevant art that the inventor or a joint inventor, or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the inventor(s), at the time the application was filed, had possession of the claimed invention. Examiner tried to identify the part of the specification which explains limitation ““shifting the portion to a new position; and subsequently receiving light reflected from the field of view onto the portion at the new position” but was not able to find it. Term “shifting” used in several paragraphs of the specification but none of the is related to the limitation.
Examiner interpreted the whole procedure as by shifting from one ROI to second ROI on the mirror array the regions of Qr are also shifted. This interpretation reads on par [0082] and claim 4.
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.
Claim(s) 1, 12, 18, 21 and claims bellow are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Royo US 20150378023 A1.
Regarding claims 1, 12 18 and 21 Royo teaches
A method, comprising:
a LIDAR transmitter(fig. 1 F+ Me) configured to scan a field of view with a laser beam using a transmit pattern;(fig. 1)
receiving light reflected from a field of view(Br) at a spatial light modulator(Qr) that includes a two-dimensional array of picture elements;(fig. 2 two dimensional Qr)
determining a portion of the two-dimensional array that corresponds to a region of interest(fig. 1 and 2), in response to a transmit scan beam illuminating a part of the field of view;(fig. 1 Si)
dividing the portion of the two-dimensional array into subportions(fig. 2 received light Sqr multiple mirrors some of them register beam from regions in Si some register out of Si ); and
for each subportion separately from the other subportions, directing light that impacts the two-dimensional array at the subportion to at least one photodiode(fig. 2 Qd element ), and directing light that impacts the two-dimensional array outside the subportion away from the at least one photodiode(this can be interpreted two ways, 1st some mirrors are redirecting portion of light from region Si to different photodiode or 2nd sone redirect to absorber A see fig. 2 ), so the light directed to the at least one photodiode over a period of time is eventually inclusive of light that impacts the two-dimensional array at the portion in response to the transmit scan beam reflected from the part of the field of view.(fig. 2)
determining a first portion(one bin or mirror from Qr) of the spatial light modulator that corresponds to a first region of interest, in response to a first transmit scan beam illuminating the field of view;(fig. 2)
determining a second portion (onother bin or mirror from Qr) of the spatial light modulator that corresponds to a second region of interest, in response to a second transmit scan beam illuminating the field of view;(fig. 2)
directing light from the first portion and the second portion to at least one photodiode; (first and second pixel of Qd)and
directing light outside the first portion and outside the second portion away from the at least one photodiode.(some are deflected to absorber)
2. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the portion of the two-dimensional array includes:
receiving the light onto the portion of the two-dimensional array, wherein the portion is a contiguous two-dimensional portion of the picture elements;
after receiving light onto the portion, shifting the portion to a new position; and
subsequently receiving light reflected from the field of view onto the portion at the new position.[0165-0167]
3. The method of claim 2, wherein the spatial light modulator is one selected from: a row addressable spatial light modulator; and a column addressable spatial light modulator.
4. The method of claim 2, wherein shifting the portion to the new position includes:
writing to a row of pixel elements that is one row ahead of a leading edge of the portion of the two-dimensional array, to shift the leading edge of the portion of the two-dimensional array to the new position; and
writing to the row of pixel elements that is a current trailing edge of the portion of the two-dimensional array, to shift the trailing edge of the portion of the two-dimensional array.[0167](After region S1 was scanned we go to S2 region which changes the Sqr region to the next on one fig. 2 to fig. 3 and therefore shifts trailing edge and leading edge)
5. The method of claim 4, wherein the spatial light modulator is a row addressable digital micromirror device (DMD).[0147]
6. The method of claim 1 wherein the spatial light modulator is a digital micromirror device (DMD).[0147]
7. The method of claim 1, wherein the spatial light modulator is a liquid crystal on silicon device.[0060]
8. The method of claim 1, wherein the spatial light modulator is a phase spatial light modulator.(DMD)
9. The method of claim 8, wherein the phase spatial light modulator is a digital micromirror device that includes micromirrors configured to selectively displace in a direction normal to a reflective surface of the phase spatial light modulator.(DMD)
10. The method of claim 1, wherein the photodiode is one selected from: a PIN photodiode; a silicon photomultiplier (SiPM); and an avalanche photodiode (APD).[0116]
11. The method of claim 1, wherein the photodiode is an avalanche photodiode (APD).[0116]
13. The method of claim 12, wherein the portion is a first portion, the region of interest is a first region of interest, the part of the field of view is a first part of the field of view, the subportions are first subportions, the period of time is a first period of time, and the method further comprises:
determining a second portion of the two-dimensional array that corresponds to a second region of interest, in response to the transmit scan beam illuminating a second part of the field of view; and
dividing the second portion of the two-dimensional array into second subportions; and
for each second subportion separately from the other second subportions, directing light that impacts the two-dimensional array at the second subportion to the at least one photodiode, and directing light that impacts the two-dimensional array outside the second subportion away from the at least one photodiode, so the light directed to the at least one photodiode over a second period of time is eventually inclusive of light that impacts the two-dimensional array at the second portion in response to the transmit scan beam reflected from the second part of the field of view.(fig. 2 and fig. 3)
14. The method of claim 12, wherein the portion is a first portion, the region of interest is a first region of interest, the transmit scan beam is a first transmit scan beam, the part of the field of view is a first part of the field of view, the subportions are first subportions, and the method further comprises:
determining a second portion of the two-dimensional array that corresponds to a second region of interest, in response to a second transmit scan beam illuminating a second part of the field of view; and
dividing the second portion of the two-dimensional array into second subportions; and
for each second subportion separately from the other second subportions, directing light that impacts the two-dimensional array at the second subportion to the at least one photodiode, and directing light that impacts the two-dimensional array outside the second subportion away from the at least one photodiode, so the light directed to the at least one photodiode over the period of time is eventually inclusive of light that impacts the two-dimensional array at the second portion in response to the second transmit scan beam reflected from the second part of the field of view.[Fig. 2 and fig. 3]
15. The method of claim 12, wherein dividing the portion of the two-dimensional array into the subportions includes forming each subportion as a respective part of a raster scan pattern for raster scan sensing, over the period of time, of light that impacts the two-dimensional array at the portion in response to the transmit scan beam reflected from the part of the field of view.[0041-0044](sequential redirection)
16. The method of claim 12, wherein dividing the portion of the two-dimensional array into the subportions includes forming each subportion as a respective matrix pattern for compressive sensing, over the period of time, of light that impacts the two-dimensional array at the portion in response to the transmit scan beam reflected from the part of the field of view.[0015](simultaneous detection)[0102]
17. The method of claim 12, wherein the spatial light modulator is one selected from: a digital micromirror device(DMD); a phase spatial light modulator; and a liquid crystal on silicon spatial light modulator.
19. The method of claim 18, wherein the at least one photodiode includes first and second photodiodes, the first photodiode receives light from the first portion, and the second photodiode receives light from the second portion.(fig. 2,3)
20. The method of claim 18, wherein the light from the first transmit scan beam is modulated according to a first scheme, and the light from the second transmit scan beam is modulated according to a second scheme.(schemes can be same )
22. The system of claim 21, wherein the spatial light modulator is one selected from: a digital micromirror device(DMD); a liquid crystal on silicon device; and a phase spatial light modulator device.
Conclusion
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/HOVHANNES BAGHDASARYAN/ Examiner, Art Unit 3645
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