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.
Claims 1-16 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. The term “potential” in line 12 of claim 1 makes the claim indefinite because it is unclear whether the contact region of the metallic layer is for equalization or not.
The term “can be” in line 2 of claim 6 makes the claim indefinite because it is unclear whether the voltage is applied to the metallic layer or not.
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.
Claims 1,2,7-16 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102 (a)(1) as being anticipated by OSTOJIC(DE 102020109596 A1).
Considering Claim 1 Ostojic discloses an optoelectronic sensor for detecting an object in a monitored zone that comprises a light transmitter for transmitting transmitted light(See Abstract, Paragraph 44, fig. 6 i.e. an optoelectronic sensor(10) for detecting an object in a monitored zone(18) that comprises a light transmitter(12) for transmitting transmitted light(14)), a light receiver having a plurality of light reception elements operable in Geiger mode to receive transmitted light remitted in the monitored zone(See Abstract, Paragraph 44, fig. 6 i.e. a light receiver(26) having a plurality of light reception elements(26a) operable in Geiger mode to receive transmitted light remitted in the monitored zone(18)), a reception optics arranged upstream of the light receiver and having a diaphragm(See Abstract, Paragraph 44,47, fig. 6 i.e. a reception optics(22) arranged upstream of the light receiver(26) and having a diaphragm(24)), and a control and evaluation unit that is configured to determine a distance from the object with reference to a received signal of the light receiver from a time of flight between the transmission of the transmitted light and the reception of the remitted received light(See Paragraph 31,45, fig. 6 i.e. a control and evaluation unit(28) that is configured to determine a distance from the object with reference to a received signal of the light receiver from a time of flight between the transmission of the transmitted light and the reception of the remitted received light), wherein the diaphragm comprises a diaphragm substrate having at least one metallic layer and one diaphragm aperture, wherein a contact region of the metallic layer for potential equalization is electrically conductively connected to another component of the sensor(See Abstract, Paragraph 47,48,51,fig. 4,6 i.e. wherein the diaphragm(24) comprises a diaphragm substrate(34) having at least one metallic layer(32) and one diaphragm aperture(42), wherein a contact region of the metallic layer(32) is electrically conductively connected to another component of the sensor(10)).
Considering Claim 2 Ostojic discloses the sensor in accordance with claim 1, that has a conductive shield of at least the light receiver(See Paragraph 47, fig. 1,4 i.e. the sensor(10 of fig. 1) a conductive shield(36,38,40 of fig. 4) of at least the light receiver(26)).
Considering Claim 7 Ostojic discloses the sensor in accordance with claim 1 wherein the at least one metallic layer is arranged on a side of the diaphragm substrate facing the light receiver and/or remote from the light receiver(See fig. 4 i.e. the at least one metallic layer(32) of the diaphragm(24) is arranged on a side of the diaphragm substrate(24) facing the light receiver(26) and/or remote from the light receiver(26) ).
Considering Claim 8 Ostojic discloses the sensor in accordance with claim 1 wherein a metallic layer facing the light receiver is at least partially exposed to reflect backscattered transmitted light remitted by the light receiver to the light receiver again(See Paragraph 48, fig. 4 i.e. wherein a metallic layer(32) facing the light receiver(26) is at least partially exposed to reflect backscattered transmitted light remitted by the light receiver(26) to the light receiver(26) again).
Considering Claim 9 Ostojic discloses the sensor in accordance with claim 8, wherein the exposed part of the metallic layer is structured to set reflection properties.
Considering Claim 10 Ostojic discloses the sensor in accordance with claim 1 wherein the diaphragm is configured as multilayer having at least one of the following additional layers on a side facing the light receiver and/or remote from the light receiver: an absorption layer, an anti-reflection layer, a filter layer(See Paragraph 47, fig. 2,4 i.e. wherein the diaphragm(24) is configured as multilayer having at least one of the following additional layers on a side facing the light receiver(26) and/or remote from the light receiver(26): an absorption layer(32), an anti-reflection layer(34), a filter layer(38)).
Considering Claim 11 Ostojic discloses the sensor in accordance with claim 1 wherein the diaphragm aperture is manufactured by a laser(See Paragraph 19 i.e. wherein the diaphragm aperture is manufactured by a laser(laser ablation process)).
Considering Claim 12 Ostojic discloses the sensor in accordance with claim 11 wherein the diaphragm aperture is manufactured by a laser ablation process(See Paragraph 19,21 i.e. the diaphragm aperture is manufactured by a laser ablation process).
Considering Claim 13 Ostojic discloses the sensor in accordance with claim 12 wherein the diaphragm aperture is manufactured individually using the reception optics(See Paragraph 20 i.e. wherein the diaphragm aperture is manufactured individually using the reception optics).
Considering Claim 14 Ostojic discloses the sensor in accordance with claim 1 that is configured as a laser scanner and has a movable deflection unit with whose aid the transmitted light is periodically guided through the monitored zone, wherein the deflection unit is configured in the form of a rotatable scanning unit in which the light transmitter and/or the light receiver is/are accommodated(See Paragraph 40,56,59,claim 13, fig. 6 i.e. the sensor(10) in accordance with claim 1 that is configured as a laser scanner(48) and has a movable deflection unit with whose aid the transmitted light is periodically guided through the monitored zone(18), wherein the deflection unit is configured in the form of a rotatable scanning unit(48) in which the light transmitter(12) and/or the light receiver(26) is/are accommodated).
Considering Claim 15 Ostojic discloses the sensor in accordance with claim 1 wherein the light transmitter is configured to transmit a plurality of mutually separate light beams and the light receiver is configured to generate respective received signals from a plurality of remitted light beams(See Paragraph 32, claim5, fig. 6 i.e. the light transmitter (12) is configured to transmit a plurality of mutually separate light beams and the light receiver(26) is configured to generate respective received signals from a plurality of remitted light beams(20)).
Considering Claim 16 Ostojic discloses the sensor in accordance with claim 15 wherein the diaphragm has one diaphragm aperture per light beam(See Paragraph 32, claim5, fig. 4 i.e. the diaphragm(24) has one diaphragm aperture(42) per light beam(20)).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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 of this title, 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.
Claim 6 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Ostojic(DE 102020109596 A1) in view of Huang(CN 113950227 A) .
Considering Claim 6 Ostojic does not explicitly disclose the sensor in accordance with claim 1 wherein a voltage can be applied to the metallic layer via the contact region to heat the metallic layer.
Huang teaches the sensor in accordance with claim 1 wherein a voltage can be applied to the metallic layer via the contact region to heat the metallic layer(See 26,31, fig. 3,6 i.e. voltage from power module(500) applied to the metallic layer(325) of the diaphragm(320) via the contact region(120) to heat the metallic layer(325)).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skilled in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to modify the invention of Ostojic, and have a voltage to be applied to the metallic layer via the contact region to heat the metallic layer, as taught by Huang, thus providing an efficient transmission system by improving thermal conductivity and optimizing radiating efficiency of the photoelectric device using a variable power supply module, as discussed by Huang (Abstract, Paragraph 37).
Conclusion
GIMPEL(US 2019/0324143) teaches optoelectronic sensor(10 of fig. 5) with a monitored zone(16 of fig. 5) that comprises a light transmitter(12 of fig. 5) for transmitting transmitted light, a light receiver(26 of fig. 5) having a plurality of light reception elements(26a of fig. 5) operable in Geiger mode to receive transmitted light remitted in the monitored zone(See Paragraph 6,7, fig. 5), a reception optics(22 of fig. 6) arranged upstream of the light receiver the light receiver(26 of fig. 5) and having a diaphragm(24 of fig. 5)), and a control and evaluation unit a control and evaluation unit(28 of fig. 5) that is configured to determine a distance (Abstract)).
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to HIBRET A WOLDEKIDAN whose telephone number is (571)270-5145. The examiner can normally be reached 9-5:30.
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/HIBRET A WOLDEKIDAN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2635
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