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.
Claim(s) below is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Wang (CN101699991).
Referring to claim 1, 14, and 17, Wang shows a system, corresponding monostatic LIDAR, and method (see figure 7), comprising:
a light source (see figure 7 Ref 1);
a detector (see figure 7 Ref 5);
a beam splitter (see figure 7 Ref 3), including:
a first zone disposed along a first portion of a beam splitting surface of the beam splitter, wherein the first zone is polarization selective (see paragraph see unreferenced translation with a text search for note “The beam emitted by the beam source is irradiated to the target through the transflective or polarized beam splitting region”);
a second zone disposed along a second portion of the beam splitting surface of the beam splitter, wherein the second zone is polarization agnostic (see paragraph see unreferenced translation with a text search for “ the splitting surface is divided into a transflective zone (or polarization splitting zone) and a reflective zone”), wherein the light source is positioned to direct light to the first zone (see figure 7 and 8 also see paragraph see unreferenced translation with a text search for “the diverging laser light emitted by the laser diode is compressed to a small angle by the collimating lens, and the semi-transparent region of the optical sheet 3 is passed through with a very thin beam, so that most of the laser energy reaches the first lens”), and wherein the detector is positioned to receive light from the first and second zones (see paragraph see unreferenced translation with a text search for “The laser light returned from the object to be tested 6 is concentrated by the first lens 4 and reflected by the beam splitter 3, and the laser light returned from the object is focused on the detector 5”).
Referring to claims 5 and , Wang shows the light source outputs light having a first linear polarization, and wherein the first zone transmits light of the first linear polarization (see paragraph 5 “the laser is required to be linearly polarized light” and see unreferenced translation with a text search for “the beam emitted by the beam source is irradiated to the target through the transflective or polarization splitting region”).
Referring to claim 6, Wang shows the second zone reflects light of any polarization (see paragraph see unreferenced translation with a text search for “Referring to Figure 1, in the outer region of the beam splitter 3, the region B in the figure, is required. Reflect as much of the reflected light as possible, thus plating into a highly reflective area”).
Referring to claim 7, Wang shows the first zone reflects light of any polarization other than the first linear polarization (see unreferenced translation with a text search for “transflective zone (or polarization splitting zone) and a reflective zone”).
Referring to claim 8, Wang shows the second zone is coated by a reflective material, and wherein the reflective material is absent from the first zone (see unreferenced translation with a text search for “As shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, a beam splitter includes a beam splitter, and the beam splitter body 31 has a first region B for reflection and a second region A for light transmission and reflection”.
Referring to claim 9, Wang shows the beam splitter is a polarizing beam splitter (see unreferenced translation with a text search for “the beam emitted by the beam source is irradiated to the target through the transflective or polarization splitting region”).
Referring to claim 10, Wang shows the first zone is surrounded by the second zone (see figure 1 Ref A and B).
Referring to claim 11, Wang shows the first zone is elliptical when viewed along a line that is orthogonal to the beam splitting surface (see figure 1 Ref A).
Referring to claim 16, Wang shows the first zone transmits light of the first linear polarization, and wherein the second zone reflects light of any polarization (see unreferenced translation text with a text search “When the beam splitter is applied in an optical system, the beam emitted by the beam source is irradiated to the target through the transflective or polarization splitting region, and the reflected light of the target passes through the reflective region and the second region (semi-transflective region or polarization). Spectral zone) reflection”).
Referring to claim 19, Wang shows transmitting light of the first linear polarization toward a scene includes transmitting light of the first linear polarization output from a light source by the first zone, wherein passing light included in the return signal through the first zone of the beam splitter to the detector includes reflecting light of any polarization other than the first polarization from the first zone of the beam splitter to the detector, and wherein passing light included in the return signal through the second zone of the beam splitter to the detector includes reflecting light of any polarization from the second zone of the beam splitter to the detector (see unreferenced translation text with a text search “When the beam splitter is applied in an optical system, the beam emitted by the beam source is irradiated to the target through the transflective or polarization splitting region, and the reflected light of the target passes through the reflective region and the second region (semi-transflective region or polarization). Spectral zone) reflection”).
Claim(s) below is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Shpunt (20130206967).
Referring to claim 1, 14, and 17, Shpunt shows a system, corresponding monostatic LIDAR, and method (see figure 7), comprising:
a light source (see figure 7 Ref 104);
a detector (see figure 7 Ref 114);
a beam splitter (see figure 7 Ref 126), including:
a first zone disposed along a first portion of a beam splitting surface of the beam splitter, wherein the first zone is polarization selective (see figure 7 Ref 124 also see paragraph 76);
a second zone disposed along a second portion of the beam splitting surface of the beam splitter, wherein the second zone is polarization agnostic (see figure 7 Ref 126 also see paragraph 76), wherein the light source is positioned to direct light to the first zone (see figure 7 Ref 124 and 104), and wherein the detector is positioned to receive light from the first and second zones (see figure 7 Ref 126 and 114).
Referring to claim 2, Shpunt shows the light source outputs light having a first linear polarization, and wherein the first zone reflects light of the first linear polarization (see paragraph 76).
Referring to claim 3, Shpunt shows the second zone transmits light of any polarization (see figure 7 Ref 126 and paragraph 76).
Referring to claim 4, Shpunt shows the first zone transmits light of any polarization other than the first linear polarization (see figure 7 Ref 124 and paragraph 76).
Referring to claim 15, Shpunt shows the first zone reflects light of the first linear polarization, wherein the second zone transmits light of any polarization (see paragraph 76 and figure 3).
Referring to claim 18, Shpunt shows transmitting light of the first linear polarization toward a scene includes reflecting light of the first linear polarization output from a light source from the first zone, wherein passing light included in the return signal through the first zone of the beam splitter to the detector includes passing light of any polarization other than the first linear polarization through the first zone of the beam splitter, and wherein passing light included in the return signal through the second zone of the beam splitter to the detector includes passing light of any polarization through the second zone of the beam splitter (see paragraph 59).
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, 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(s) 12, 13, and 20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over by Wang (CN101699991) in view of Roth (20200164788).
Referring to claim 12, Wang fails to show but Roth shows a beam splitter with a first zone is covered by a switchable medium (see paragraph 22-23). It would have been obvious to include the switchable medium because this would allow pulsing of the output beam without the need for pulsing the laser.
Referring to claims 13 and 20, the combination of Wang and Roth renders obvious the use of an LC switching medium (see paragraph 22-23). It is extremely well known that LC switching medium are commonly used and add no new or unexpected results.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to LUKE D RATCLIFFE whose telephone number is (571)272-3110. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 9:00AM-5:00PM EST.
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/LUKE D RATCLIFFE/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3645
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