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
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.
(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.
Claims 1-13 and 17-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) and 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by AZUMA (US 2022/0075066).
With respect to independent claim 1, AZUMA discloses a ranging device comprising:
a control unit 110 configured to control a timing at which a light source device 40 emits pulsed light ([0046]);
a light receiving unit 60 that includes a pixel 66 configured to generate a signal indicating a presence or absence of incidence of light in some of a plurality of periods corresponding to a time from emission to reception of the pulsed light ([0042]); and
a ranging unit configured to acquire information indicating a distance to an object based on a plurality of signals acquired while shifting a period in which signal generation is performed in the light receiving unit ([0056]-[0057]; [0062]),
wherein the pixel 66 includes a first holding unit m1 configured to hold a signal indicating a presence or absence of incidence of the pulsed light on the pixel in a first period, and a second holding unit m2 configured to hold a signal indicating a presence or absence of incidence of the pulsed light on the pixel in a second period different from the first period ([0042]; [0049]; [0050]; [0051]),
wherein the control unit performs control so that first pulsed light and second pulsed light are emitted at different times in one signal acquisition period ([0053]-[0054]; [0061]-[0062]),
wherein a time difference between the first period and the second period is set to correspond to a time difference between the first pulsed light and the second pulsed light ([0058]-[0060]), and
wherein the ranging unit performs ranging based on the signal held in the first holding unit m1 and the signal held in the second holding unit m2 ([0059]; [0063]; [0065]).
With respect to dependent claim 2, AZUMA discloses wherein the ranging unit performs the ranging based on a first frequency distribution generated based on the signal held in the first holding unit m1 and a second frequency distribution generated based on the signal held in the second holding unit m2 ([0048]-[0049]).
With respect to dependent claim 3, AZUMA discloses wherein the pixel further includes a first counting unit 141 configured to generate a frequency in the first frequency distribution by counting the signal held in the first holding unit, and a second counting unit 142 configured to generate a frequency in the second frequency distribution by counting the signal held in the second holding unit ([0049]).
With respect to dependent claim 4, AZUMA discloses wherein the ranging unit acquires the information indicating the distance to the object based on peaks in a common period among peaks of the frequencies in each of the first frequency distribution and the second frequency distribution ([0049]).
With respect to dependent claim 5, AZUMA discloses wherein the ranging unit extracts a set of peaks having an interval corresponding to a time interval between the first pulsed light and the second pulsed light from a plurality of peaks of frequencies in each of the first frequency distribution and the second frequency distribution (Fig. 5 and 13; [0044]; [0062]; [0064]; [0072]).
With respect to dependent claim 6, AZUMA discloses wherein the pixel further includes a logic circuit configured to output a logical product of the signal held in the first holding unit and the signal held in the second holding unit ([0039]).
With respect to dependent claim 7, AZUMA discloses wherein the ranging unit performs the ranging based on a third frequency distribution generated based on a signal output from the logic circuit ([0049]).
With respect to dependent claim 8, AZUMA discloses wherein the pixel further includes a third counting unit 143 configured to generate a frequency in the third frequency distribution by counting the signal output from the logic circuit ([0049]).
With respect to dependent claim 9, AZUMA discloses wherein the ranging unit acquires the information indicating the distance to the object based on a peak of a frequency in the third frequency distribution ([0049]).
With respect to dependent claim 10, AZUMA discloses wherein the pixel further includes a third holding unit m3 configured to hold a signal indicating a presence or absence of incidence of light on the pixel in a third period different from both the first period and the second period ([0051]).
With respect to dependent claim 11, AZUMA discloses wherein, in a case where the signal held in the third holding unit indicates that light has been incident on the pixel, output of the signal held in the first holding unit and the signal held in the second holding unit is deactivated ([0051]).
With respect to dependent claim 12, AZUMA discloses wherein the pixel further includes a fourth counting unit 144 configured to count the number of times the deactivation has occurred ([0049]).
With respect to dependent claim 13, AZUMA discloses wherein the ranging unit retries the ranging in a case where the number of times the deactivation has occurred counted by the fourth counting unit exceeds a predetermined threshold ([0046]; [0062]-[0064]).
With respect to dependent claim 17, AZUMA discloses wherein the pixel further includes an avalanche photodiode ([0037]).
With respect to dependent claim 18, AZUMA discloses wherein the light receiving unit includes a plurality of the pixels 69 (s1-s9) arranged to form a plurality of rows and a plurality of columns ([0034]-[0036]).
With respect to claim 19, AZUMA discloses equipment comprising:
the ranging device according to claim 1; and
a processing device configured to process distance information acquired by the ranging device ([0045]).
With respect to claim 20, AZUMA discloses a movable body comprising:
the ranging device according to claim 1; and
a movable body control unit configured to control the movable body based on distance information acquired by the ranging device ([0045]).
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.
The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
Claims 14-16 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over AZUMA.
With respect to dependent claim 14, AZUMA discloses a first holding unit m1 and the second holding unit m2, wherein data is stored ([0048]). The reference, however, fails to explicitly disclose the storage capacity thereof, and, thus wherein each holding unit has a storage capacity for holding 1-bit information as claimed. AZUMA does, however, suggest wherein computer-readable storage medium is not limited to a portable storage medium, but also includes computer internal storage devices, as well a external storage devices, wherein computer readable storage medium encompasses any storage medium in which data packets can be fixed (0100]). As such, it is the position of the Office that one having ordinary skill in the art would recognize the optimal storage capacity for each holding unit in the ranging device of AZUMA in order to ensure the device can maintain the necessary data for further processing and ranging.
With respect to dependent claims 15 and 16, AZUMA discloses wherein the signals are held in the first holding unit m1 and the second holding unit m2 (Fig. 6). The reference further suggests wherein the responses stored in the holding units m1 and m2 may be read at predefined timing for histogram generation in the next stage ([0048]). AZUMA additionally suggests wherein responses stored memories m1 and m2 may be read at a desired timing in a later stage ([0051]). Furthermore, the reference suggests the process as iteratively performed at predefined time intervals ([0056]) wherein responses can be stored in their respective memories m1/m2 for a number of repetitions ([0059]). Although silent to wherein the signals held in the first holding unit and second holding unit, i.e., m1 and m2, are reset every time the one signal acquisition period elapse or every time a plurality of signal acquisition period elapses, it is the position of the Office that one having ordinary skill in the art would recognize the optimal timing for resetting of each holding unit as based on the storage capacity thereof and subsequent operation of use of the ranging device. Furthermore, there are a finite number of options of timing for resetting of the first and second holding units, i.e., never, every time a signal acquisition period elapses and every time a plurality of signal acquisition periods elapse, and, thus, it would at least be obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art to reset the signals held in the holding units as claimed in order to yield expected results. “A person of ordinary skill has good reason to pursue the known options within his or her technical grasp. If this leads to the anticipated success, it is likely that product [was] not of innovation but of ordinary skill and common sense." KSR, 550 U.S. at 421, 82 USPQ2d at 1397.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
US 2024/0264307 discloses a distance measuring device that includes a light source unit, a light reception signal generation unit, a time-of-flight detection unit and a distance detection unit.
US 2022/0317266 discloses a ranging device that includes a light emitting circuit.
US 2024/0353559 discloses a ranging device that includes a control register that holds a pixel mode, a plurality of light receiving units and a reading circuit.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Angela M DiTrani Leff whose telephone number is (571)272-2182. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday, 9AM-5PM.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Doug Hutton can be reached at 5712724137. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/Angela M DiTrani Leff/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3674
ADL
08/04/26
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