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
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.
Claims 1-5, 9, 11-14 and 18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Condron et al (US 2020/0275004 A1).
Regarding claim 1, Condron discloses a camera system ([0026] “Referring now to the drawings and the illustrative embodiments depicted therein, a vehicle 10 includes an imaging system or vision system 12 that includes at least one exterior facing imaging sensor or camera, such as a rearward facing imaging sensor or camera 14a (and the system may optionally include multiple exterior facing imaging sensors or cameras, such as a forward facing camera 14b at the front (or at the windshield) of the vehicle, and a sideward/rearward facing camera 14c, 14d at respective sides of the vehicle), which captures images exterior of the vehicle, with the camera having a lens for focusing images at or onto an imaging array or imaging plane or imager of the camera”, Fig, 1), comprising:
a lens system ([0026] “… with the camera having a lens for focusing images at or onto an imaging array or imaging plane or imager of the camera…”); and
a rotatable lens cover protecting the lens system from external environment ([0027] “As shown in FIGS. 2-6, an exterior camera module 22 is configured to be fixedly mounted at an exterior portion of the vehicle so as to have an exterior field of view. The module 22 includes a housing 24 and a clear lens or cover 26 (such as a transparent glass disk) that is disposed in front of the lens of the camera 14”);
wherein the rotatable lens cover is configured to rotate about an optical axis of the lens system while the camera system is capturing images to reduce artifacts on the captured images caused by contaminants on the rotatable lens cover ([0030] “The camera module motor operates (when actuated or energized or electrically powered) to spin the cover or disk fast enough to accelerate water/debris off of the cover. The water/debris are off of the cover, then artifacts reduced).
Regarding claim 2, the camera system of claim 1, further comprising a gear system driving the rotatable lens cover ([0027] ... “A motor 28 and gear assembly 30 are disposed at and in the housing 22, whereby operation of the motor 28 rotatably drives an output gear 30a, which in turn rotatably drives a bearing gear 30b to rotate the cover 26 at a bearing 32 at the outer housing portion 24b …”).
Regarding claim 3, the camera system of claim 2, wherein the gear system comprises a driving gear and a driven gear, and wherein the rotatable lens cover is coupled to and rotates along with the driven gear ([0027] ... “A motor 28 and gear assembly 30 are disposed at and in the housing 22, whereby operation of the motor 28 rotatably drives an output gear 30a, which in turn rotatably drives a bearing gear 30b to rotate the cover 26 at a bearing 32 at the outer housing portion 24b …”).
Regarding claim 4, the camera system of claim 3, wherein the driving gear is rotating at a rate slower than a rotation rate of the driven gear (see Fig. 6, 30b rotates slower than 30a).
Regarding claim 5, the camera system of claim 1, further comprising a motion controller
configured to: determine an exposure time of the camera system (an exposure time of camera is the time when the camera is exposed to dirt or debris, since the claim is not clearly define the exposure time); and configure the rotatable lens cover to rotate at a rate based on the determined exposure time ([0047] “The wiping element and motor control may be responsive to detection of dirt or debris or the like at the cover element. For example, responsive to detection (such as via processing of image data captured by the camera) that presence of dirt or ice or debris at the cover element exceeds a threshold amount, a controller may automatically control the motor and cause the motor speed to reduce or slow down (and optionally may increase the drive torque of the motor), and may control the wiping element to move the wiping element into engagement or contact with the cover element. After a period of time operating with the wiping element engaged with the cover element (and with the motor speed at the reduced speed) or responsive to determination that the dirt or ice or debris has been sufficiently removed, the controller may control the wiping element to move the wiping element from engagement with the cover element and to increase the motor speed (and optionally reduce the drive torque) to return the motor to its previous/normal operating speed”).
Regarding claim 9, the camera system of claim 5, wherein the rotatable lens cover is configured to rotate at a rate between 1800 and 30,000 revolutions per minute (RPM) ([0046] “… The motor gear assembly may have different gearing mechanisms or shifting of gears to provide low-torque, high RPM (e.g., greater than 1,000 RPMs or greater than 2,000 RPMs) operation”).
Regarding claim 11, Condron discloses a computer implemented method, comprising:
determining an exposure time ([0047] The wiping element and motor control may be responsive to detection of dirt or debris or the like at the cover element. For example, responsive to detection (such as via processing of image data captured by the camera) that presence of dirt or ice or debris at the cover element exceeds a threshold amount” … “After a period of time operating with the wiping element engaged with the cover element (and with the motor speed at the reduced speed) or responsive to determination that the dirt or ice or debris has been sufficiently removed” an exposure time of camera is the time when the camera is exposed to dirt or debris, since the claim is not clearly define the exposure time) of a camera ([0026] “Referring now to the drawings and the illustrative embodiments depicted therein, a vehicle 10 includes an imaging system or vision system 12 that includes at least one exterior facing imaging sensor or camera, such as a rearward facing imaging sensor or camera 14a (and the system may optionally include multiple exterior facing imaging sensors or cameras, such as a forward facing camera 14b at the front (or at the windshield) of the vehicle, and a sideward/rearward facing camera 14c, 14d at respective sides of the vehicle), which captures images exterior of the vehicle, with the camera having a lens for focusing images at or onto an imaging array or imaging plane or imager of the camera”, Fig, 1);
configuring, by a controller of the camera, a rotational speed of a rotatable lens cover of the camera ([0047] “… After a period of time operating with the wiping element engaged with the cover element (and with the motor speed at the reduced speed) or responsive to determination that the dirt or ice or debris has been sufficiently removed, the controller may control the wiping element to move the wiping element from engagement with the cover element and to increase the motor speed (and optionally reduce the drive torque) to return the motor to its previous/normal operating speed”, claim 9 “… with the vehicular camera module mounted at the exterior portion of the vehicle, the controller controls the electrically powered motor to rotate the transparent cover at a slower speed when the at least one wiping element is engaged with the exterior surface of the transparent cover and at a faster speed when the at least one wiping element is not engaged with the exterior surface of the transparent cover”; claim 23 “… wherein the controller rotates the transparent cover by applying a higher torque when rotating the transparent cover at the slower rotational speed as compared to the torque applied when rotating the transparent cover at the faster rotational speed) based on the exposure time, based on the detected dirt and debris); and
capturing images while the rotatable lens cover ([0027] “… a clear lens or cover 26 …”) rotates (images are captured while the cover 26 spins), thereby reducing artifacts on the captured images caused by contaminants on the rotatable lens cover ([0030] “The camera module motor operates (when actuated or energized or electrically powered) to spin the cover or disk fast enough to accelerate water/debris off of the cover.” The water/debris are off of the cover, then artifacts reduced).
Regarding claim 12, the method of claim 11, wherein configuring the rotational speed of the rotatable lens cover comprises configuring a gear system driving the rotatable lens cover ([0027] ... “A motor 28 and gear assembly 30 are disposed at and in the housing 22, whereby operation of the motor 28 rotatably drives an output gear 30a, which in turn rotatably drives a bearing gear 30b to rotate the cover 26 at a bearing 32 at the outer housing portion 24b …”).
Regarding claim 13, the method of claim 12, wherein the gear system comprises a driving gear and a driven gear, and wherein the rotatable lens cover is coupled to and rotates along with the driven gear ([0027] ... “A motor 28 and gear assembly 30 are disposed at and in the housing 22, whereby operation of the motor 28 rotatably drives an output gear 30a, which in turn rotatably drives a bearing gear 30b to rotate the cover 26 at a bearing 32 at the outer housing portion 24b …”).
Regarding claim 14, the method of claim 13, wherein the driving gear is rotating at a rate slower than a rotation rate of the driven gear (see Fig. 6, 30b rotates slower than 30a).
Regarding claim 18, the method of claim 11, wherein configuring the rotational speed of the rotatable lens cover comprises configuring the rotatable lens cover to rotate at a rate between 1800 and 30,000 revolutions per minute (RPM) ([0046] “… The motor gear assembly may have different gearing mechanisms or shifting of gears to provide low-torque, high RPM (e.g., greater than 1,000 RPMs or greater than 2,000 RPMs) operation”).
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 10 and 19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Condron et al (US 2020/0275004 A1) in view of Kirchhoff et al (US 2020/0096838 A1).
Condron discloses the claimed invention as set forth above except for wherein the camera system is used as an on-vehicle camera for autonomous driving.
Kirchhoff discloses the camera system is used as an on-vehicle camera (Fig. 1, camera module 100) for autonomous driving ([0038] “The camera module shown herein can not only be integrated in the outer mirror 400, but also on other outside body parts, e.g. a radiator grill or a rear end of a vehicle. This is advantageous because cameras on a vehicle can assist a driver in different driving situations. Particularly when maneuvering the vehicle, the view of the driver may be limited, such that the assistance of a camera is useful. In the implementation of autonomous driving, cameras and the camera module 100 shown here are also advantageous. The cameras are subjected to high standards for autonomous driving, in particular for detecting the environment. For this reason, the camera lenses must be kept clean. In this context, an integration of the camera module 100 with the front cover 120 shown herein is also advantageous because this enables an aerodynamic cleaning of the front cover 120, and it is possible to keep the camera lens of the camera module 100 clean. A special shape of the profile of the outer mirror 400 is necessary for the cleaning of the front cover 120, as is shown here by way of example, which has an advantageous effect on an airflow at the front cover for the aerodynamic cleaning”).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time of invention before the effective filing date to use the Condron camera system as an on-vehicle camera for autonomous driving as taught by Kirchhoff for the purpose of keeping the rotatable lens cover clean, as being motivated to obtain clear views surrounding the vehicle to assist a driver of the vehicle.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 6-8 and 15-17 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
The following is an examiner’s statement of reasons for allowance:
Regarding claims 6 and 15, claims are allowable at least for the reason that the prior art does not teach or reasonably suggest wherein the rotatable lens cover is configured to rotate at a rate that is equal to or greater than an inverse of the exposure time as set forth in the claimed combination.
Regarding claims 7 and 16, claims are allowable at least for the reason that the prior art does not teach or reasonably suggest wherein the rotatable lens cover is configured to rotate at a rate that is one or multiple times an inverse of the exposure time as set forth in the claimed combination.
Regarding claims 8 and 17, claims are allowable at least for the reason that the prior art does not teach or reasonably suggest wherein the motion controller is configured to determine whether the exposure time is greater than a threshold; in response to the exposure time being equal to or less than the threshold, configure a micro motor driving the rotation of the rotatable lens cover to operate in a high-speed mode; and in response to the exposure time being greater than the threshold, configure the micro motor driving the rotation of the rotatable lens cover to operate in a low-speed mode as set forth in the claimed combination.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to EUNCHA P CHERRY whose telephone number is (571)272-2310. The examiner can normally be reached M to F 7am to 3:30pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Pinping Sun can be reached at (571) 270-1284. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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1/24/2026
/EUNCHA P CHERRY/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2872