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 .
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.
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)(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) 1,18,20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by US20170052065A1, Anup K. Sharma.
Regarding claim 1, Sharma teaches:
A device comprising: a first generation unit configured to generate a first timing that is periodically repeated ([0023] first sequence of acquisition periods, gating interval) and a second timing that is periodically repeated ([0023] second sequence of acquisition periods, gating intervals), and configured to supply the first timing and the second timing to an emitting device as information indicating light emission timing ([0039] synchronization of acquisition periods with an emission pulse from illumination device);
a receiving unit configured to generate a signal based on incident light incident in an exposure period ([0031] generates pulses in response to incident photons during gating interval.);
a control unit configured to perform control to shift the exposure period with reference to the first timing ([0024] Controller fixes the gating interval to coincide with respective detection window in the first phase); and
a second generation unit ([0022] gating generators) configured to generate a frequency distribution indicating a relationship between time information from light emission of the emitting device to light reception in the receiving unit ([0020] distribution of TOF measurement) and a frequency of light reception in the receiving unit based on a signal generated in the receiving unit ([0036] Distribution of counts over different time bins) and information indicating a shift amount in the exposure period ([0032] gating signal generator comprising a shift register value),
wherein a length of a shift range of the exposure period ([0031] generate output pulses in response to incident photons during short gating intervals) is shorter than a length of a period corresponding to a range ([0028] emits short pulses of light, with pulse duration in the picosecond range and repetition frequency in the range of 1-10 MHz).
Regarding claim 18, Sharma teaches:
Equipment comprising: the device according to claim 1; and a processing device configured to process distance information acquired by the device ([0011] the processing circuits are configured to measure times of flight of the photons).
Regarding claim 20, Sharma teaches:
Generating a first timing that is periodically repeated ([0023] first sequence of acquisition periods, gating interval) and a second timing that is periodically repeated ([0023] second sequence of acquisition periods, gating intervals);
supplying the first timing and the second timing to an emitting device as information indicating light emission timing ([0039] synchronization of acquisition periods with an emission pulse from illumination device);
generating a signal based on incident light incident in an exposure period while shifting the exposure period with reference to the first timing ([0024] Controller fixes the gating interval to coincide with respective detection window in the first phase); and
generating a frequency distribution indicating a relationship between time information from light emission of the emitting device ([0022] gating generators, [0020] distribution of TOF measurement) to light reception of the incident light and a frequency of light reception ([0036] Distribution of counts over different time bins) based on the generated signal and information indicating a shift amount in the exposure period ([0032] gating signal generator comprising a shift register value),
wherein a length of a shift range of the exposure period ([0031] generate output pulses in response to incident photons during short gating intervals) is shorter than a length of a period corresponding to a range ([0028] emits short pulses of light, with pulse duration in the picosecond range and repetition frequency in the range of 1-10 MHz).
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) 2-12,16-18 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over US20170052065A1, Anup K. Sharma in further view of NL 2032819 A, Merav Sicron.
Regarding claim 2, Sharma, as modified above, teaches:
The device of claim 1
Sharma does not teach.
Wherein a period corresponding to the range includes a first range, a second range, and a third range, and wherein the shift range of the exposure period corresponds to the first range.
Sicron teaches:
Wherein a period corresponding to the range includes a first range, a second range, and a third range, and wherein the shift range of the exposure period corresponds to the first range ([00582] first range, second range, [001121] third range, [00568] shift range relative to range of first range).
It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art to modify the sensing device of Sharma to take multiple shifted ranges within a period. This would have the predictable result of shortening the ranging time and frame period without a loss of frame rate. Sharma opens the door to taking multiple scans within the same period ([0006] The processing circuits include a gating generator, which is configured to variably set a start time of the gating interval for each sensing element within each acquisition period) but lacks the means to shift those ranges. The shifted multi ranging system of Sicron fills the gaps
Regarding claim 3, Sharma, as modified above, teaches:
The device of claim 2.
Sharma does not teach.
wherein a length of the first range, a length of the second range, and a length of the third range are equal to each other.
Sicron teaches:
wherein a length of the first range, a length of the second range, and a length of the third range are equal to each other ([00582] The first burst duration may be equal to the second burst duration, [00580] Each of the first, second, and third burst duration may be less than 1000 microseconds, [00581] Any other burst duration may be implemented).
Regarding claim 4, Sharma, as modified above, teaches:
The device of claim 2.
Sharma does not teach,
wherein the first range, the second range, and the third range do not overlap each other.
Sicron teaches:
wherein the first range, the second range, and the third range do not overlap each other ([00622] the third, second, and first burst sequences may be scheduled during non-overlapping periods).
Regarding claim 5, Sharma, as modidfed above, teaches:
The device of claim 2.
Sharma does not teach,
The device according to claim 2, wherein two of the first range, the second range, and the third range partially overlap each other.
Sicron teaches:
The device according to claim 2, wherein two of the first range, the second range, and the third range partially overlap each other ([00592] First and second sequences of bursts partially overlap, [00593] Second and third sequences of bursts partially overlap).
Regarding claim 6, Sharma, as modified above, teaches:
The device of claim 2.
Sharma does not teach,
The device according to claim 2, wherein a period corresponding to the range includes a fourth range that does not overlap any of the first range, the second range, and the third range, and wherein the frequency distribution does not include frequency information corresponding to the fourth range.
Sicron teaches:
wherein a period corresponding to the range includes a fourth range that does not overlap any of the first range, the second range, and the third range ([00652] the third sequence of bursts may or may not partially overlap the fourth sequence of bursts), and wherein the frequency distribution does not include frequency information corresponding to the fourth range ([00700] post-processing radar information may be distributed between some or all of the plurality of radar ranges).
Regarding claim 7, Sharma, as modified above, teaches:
The device of claim 6.
Sharma does not teach,
wherein in a period corresponding to the range, the fourth range is later than any of the first range, the second range, and the third range.
Sicron teaches:
wherein in a period corresponding to the range, the fourth range is later than any of the first range, the second range, and the third range ([00551] schedule one or more burst-mode radar transmissions).
Regarding claim 8, Sharma, as modified above, teaches:
The device according to claim 2, wherein the shift range of the exposure period is set such that frequency information corresponding to the first range is acquired based on light emitted from the emitting device at the first timing ([0033] Sweeps the gating interval across the acquisition period during the first measurement phase, based on the measurement results from the first phase an optimal detection window is identified and a gating interval is set for subsequent phases),
Sharma does not teach,
Frequency information corresponding to the second range or the third range is acquired based on light emitted from the emitting device at the second timing.
Sicron teaches:
Frequency information corresponding to the second range or the third range is acquired based on light emitted from the emitting device at the second timing ([00598] an overlap between radar burst transmissions may be configured, for example, based on FoVs of the plurality of radar devices, based on a criterion corresponding to interferences between the plurality of radar devices, and/or based on any other criteria. For example, an overlap between radar burst transmissions may be based on vehicle geometry, radar placements, radar orientations, interference mitigation capabilities and/or waveform attributes, which may allow the overlap in time).
Regarding Claim 9, Sharma, as modified above, teaches:
The device of claim 2,
Sharma does not teach,
wherein the second generation unit generates a first frequency distribution including frequency information corresponding to the first range and frequency information corresponding to the third range and a second frequency distribution including frequency information corresponding to the first range and frequency information corresponding to the second range.
Sicron teaches:
wherein the second generation unit generates a first frequency distribution including frequency information corresponding to the first range and frequency information corresponding to the third range and a second frequency distribution including frequency information corresponding to the first range and frequency information corresponding to the second range ([00322] Controller may be configured to generate the first interference-based information for a radar device, to include interference information of one or more interferers to be mitigated by the radar device, [00324] controller may be figured to generate the first interference-based information for radar device, for example, to include one or more radar Tx parameters to configure radar transmissions by the radar device).
Regarding Claim 10, Sharma, as modified above, teaches:
The device of claim 9, wherein the first generation unit switches a state in which the second generation unit generates the first frequency distribution and a state in which the second generation unit generates the second frequency distribution by switching a time difference between the first timing and the second timing ([0012] processing circuits include a gating generator, which is configured to variably set a start time of the gating interval for each sensing element within each acquisition period, During a second sequence of the acquisition periods, following the first sequence, the gating generator is controlled so as to fix the gating interval for each sensing element to coincide with the respective detection window).
Regarding claim 11, Sharma, as modified above, teaches:
The device of claim 9
Sharma does not teach,
The device according to claim 9, wherein the second generation unit generates a third frequency distribution based on the first frequency distribution and the second frequency distribution.
Sicron teaches:
The device according to claim 9, wherein the second generation unit generates a third frequency distribution based on the first frequency distribution and the second frequency distribution ([00571] The timing of the third sequence may be offset and/or shifted relative to a timing of radar bursts in the second and/or first sequence of radar bursts).
Regarding claim 12, Sharma, as modified above, teaches:
The device of claim 11.
Sharma does not teach,
Wherein the second generation unit determines a frequency of the third frequency distribution based on values of a first frequency and a second frequency in the same section of the first frequency distribution and the second frequency distribution.
Sicron teaches,
wherein the second generation unit determines a frequency of the third frequency distribution based on values of a first frequency and a second frequency in the same section of the first frequency distribution and the second frequency distribution ([00571] The timing of the third sequence may be offset and/or shifted relative to a timing of radar bursts in the second and/or first sequence of radar bursts).
Regarding claim 16, Sharma, as modified above, teaches:
The device of claim 11.
Sharma does not teach,
wherein the third frequency distribution includes frequency information corresponding to the first range, frequency information corresponding to the second range, and frequency information corresponding to the third range.
Sicron teaches,
wherein the third frequency distribution includes frequency information corresponding to the first range, frequency information corresponding to the second range, and frequency information corresponding to the third range ([001084] the controller is configured to receive third interference-based information from the second radar device, to determine the first interference-based information based on the third interference- based information, and to provide the first interference-based information to the first radar device).
Regarding claim 17, Sharma, as modified above, teaches:
The device of claim 11
Sharma does not teach,
wherein a distance is calculated based on a shift amount corresponding to a peak of frequencies in the third frequency distribution.
Sicron teaches,
wherein a distance is calculated based on a shift amount corresponding to a peak of frequencies in the third frequency distribution ([00159] radar processor 503 may consider a peak as potentially corresponding to an object, e.g., of the range and speed corresponding to the peak’s range bin and speed bin).
Regarding claim 18, Sharma, as modified above, teaches:
The device according to claim 1; and a processing device configured to process distance information acquired by the device ([0043] controller, which processes the histogram at each pixel in order to extract the corresponding TOF value).
Claim(s) 19 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over US20170052065A1, Anup K. Sharma as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of WO 2022239318 A1, Motoyama Takuto.
Regarding claim 19, Sharma, as modified above, teaches:
The device according to claim 1
Sharma does not teach,
a movable body control unit configured to control the movable body based on distance information acquired by the device.
Motoyama teaches,
a movable body control unit configured to control the movable body based on distance information acquired by the device ([0050] The obstacle collision detection unit then generates control information to control the movement of the aircraft (mobile body) based on the distance from the aircraft to the obstacle area).
It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art to modify the sensing device of Sharma by integrating a mobile body and a control unit for that mobile body based on distance information similar to Motoyama with a reasonable expectation of success. This would have the predictable result of integrating the sensing device into a autonomous driving system allowing it to navigate an environment.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 13, 14, 15 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.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JOHN CESARE TRIDICO whose telephone number is (571)270-1048. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Thursday: 6:30-15:00, Friday: 8:00-12:00.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Isam Alsomiri can be reached at (571) 272-6970. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/JOHN CESARE TRIDICO/Examiner, Art Unit 3645
/ISAM A ALSOMIRI/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3645
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