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 .
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement filed 5/9/2024 fails to comply with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97, 1.98 and MPEP § 609 because a copy of foreign patent document 3 is not provided. However, a copy of foreign patent document “1020210059645” is provided. It appears the listed document 3 has a typo in the document number.
It has been placed in the application file, but the information referred to therein has not been considered as to the merits. Applicant is advised that the date of any re-submission of any item of information contained in this information disclosure statement or the submission of any missing element(s) will be the date of submission for purposes of determining compliance with the requirements based on the time of filing the statement, including all certification requirements for statements under 37 CFR 1.97(e). See MPEP § 609.05(a).
Drawings
The drawings are objected to as failing to comply with 37 CFR 1.84(p)(5) because they include the following reference character(s) not mentioned in the description:
221;
222;
2241;
2242;
4230;
3321;
5612.
Corrected drawing sheets in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d), or amendment to the specification to add the reference character(s) in the description in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(b) are required in reply to the Office action to avoid abandonment of the application. Any amended replacement drawing sheet should include all of the figures appearing on the immediate prior version of the sheet, even if only one figure is being amended. Each drawing sheet submitted after the filing date of an application must be labeled in the top margin as either “Replacement Sheet” or “New Sheet” pursuant to 37 CFR 1.121(d). If the changes are not accepted by the examiner, the applicant will be notified and informed of any required corrective action in the next Office action. The objection to the drawings will not be held in abeyance.
Specification
The specification submitted on 5/09/2026 are in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.71. Accordingly, the specification is being considered by the examiner.
Claim Objections
Claims 1 and 11 are objected to because of the following informalities:
Claim 1, line 17: “to adjacent detecting unit” appears to be --to an adjacent detecting unit--;
Claim 11, line 1: “weighting to the first counting value” appears to be --weighting the first counting value--.
Claims 2-14 are objected to due to claim dependency.
Appropriate correction is required.
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 1-4, 8-10, and 12-14 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being unpatentable by Pacala et al. (US 20220043118 A1, “Pacala”).
Regarding claim 1, Pacala teaches a method for obtaining a point cloud data per frame based on a spatio-temporal data set, the method comprising :
generating the spatio-temporal data set per frame (Para [0097], Fig 8, where the lidar system can be solid state and obtain frames of range and therefore spatio-temporal data) ,
wherein the spatio-temporal data set per frame comprises:
a plurality of sets of counting values for all time-bins, wherein each set of counting values of the plurality of sets of counting values is corresponding to each time-bin (Para [0097], [0131] and [0281], Fig 8 and Fig 33, where the positive signals are counted in an arithmetic logic unit (ALU) 804 where each detected photons are received within a particular time bin for a photosensor), wherein each set of counting values comprises a plurality of counting values respectively corresponding to each of detecting units which consist of a detector array (Para [0131], Fig 8, where the signals counted in ALU 804 are associated with photosensors that received photons in an array of photodetectors during the time binning); and
obtaining the point cloud data per frame based on the spatio-temporal data set generated per frame (Para [0097], Fig 8, where the frames of data can be processed into 3D point clouds) ,
wherein the obtaining the point cloud data comprises determining one point data for one of the detecting units with considering all or a part of counting values corresponding to the one of the detecting units and further considering a part of counting values corresponding to the one of the detecting units (Para [0131] and [0254], Fig 8, where the ALU 804 used to get processed 3D point cloud data receives inputs corresponding to the number of photodetectors, and adjacent photosensors may be used to calculate a distance to an object using photon counts).
Regarding claim 2, Pacala teaches the method of claim 1, wherein the one point data is determined based on a first distance value for the one of the detecting units and a location coordinate of the one of the detecting units (Para [0283], Fig 33, where a first histogram generates a distance value measurement for a photosensor and therefore position),
wherein the first distance value is generated based on at least a first counting value corresponding to the one of the detecting units and a second counting value corresponding to the adjacent detecting unit to the one of the detecting units (Para [0280]-[0283], Fig 33, where the photon counts are stored in a memory block 3308 from each photosensor 3302, and adjacent photosensors may have individual time bins that can be combined together into a time bin in a single histogram that generates a distance value),
wherein the first counting value is included in a first set of counting values corresponding to a first time-bin (Para [0280]-[0283], Fig 33, where the photon counts are stored in a memory block 3308 from each photosensor 3302, and adjacent photosensors may have individual time bins that can be combined together into a time bin in a single histogram that generates a distance value), and
wherein the second counting value is included in the same set of counting values as the first counting value (Para [0280]-[0283], Fig 33, where the photon counts are stored in a memory block 3308 from each photosensor 3302, and adjacent photosensors may have individual time bins that can be combined together into a time bin in a single histogram that generates a distance value).
Regarding claim 3, Pacala teaches the method of claim 2, wherein the first counting value is generated based on detection signals generated by the one of detecting units (Para [0097] and [0131], Fig 8, where the positive signals are counted in ALU 804 where each detected photons are received within a particular time bin), and
wherein the second counting value is generated based on detection signals generated by the adjacent detecting unit to the one of the detecting units (Para [0131] and [0254], Fig 8, where the positive signals are counted in ALU 804 and adjacent photosensors may be illuminated).
Regarding claim 4, Pacala teaches the method of claim 2, wherein the second counting value is generated after the first counting value (Para [0142], Fig 8, where the photons measured are done subsequently and thus that of one photosensor must be done one after another).
Regarding claim 8, Pacala teaches the method of claim 1, wherein the determining one point data comprises:
generating a processed spatio-temporal data set, wherein the processed spatio-temporal data set comprises a plurality of sets of values for all time-bins, wherein each set of values of the plurality of sets of values is corresponding to each time-bin (Para [0097], [0131] and [0281], Fig 8 and Fig 33, where the positive signals are counted in an arithmetic logic unit (ALU) 804 where each detected photons are received within a particular time bin for a photosensor. Para [0265] discloses the combining of histogram information after weighting counting values, which are representative of the "plurality of sets of values" ), wherein each set of values comprises a plurality of values respectively corresponding to each of detecting units which consist of the detector array (Para [0131], Fig 8, where the signals counted in ALU 804 are associated with photosensors that received photons in an array of photodetectors during the time binning);
determining one distance value for the one of the detecting units with considering all or a part of values corresponding to the one of the detecting units (Para [0280]-[0283], Fig 33, where the photon counts are stored in a memory block 3308 from each photosensor 3302, and adjacent photosensors may have individual time bins that can be combined together into a time bin in a single histogram that generates a distance value. Para [0265] discloses the combining of histogram information after weighting counting values, which are representative of the "plurality of sets of values"); and
determining the one point data based on the one distance value (Para [0283], Fig 33, where a first histogram generates a distance value measurement for a photosensor and therefore position),
wherein values corresponding to the one of the detecting units comprise a first value included in a first set of values corresponding to a first time-bin (Para [0280]-[0283], Fig 33, where the photon counts are stored in a memory block 3308 from each photosensor 3302, and adjacent photosensors may have individual time bins that can be combined together into a time bin in a single histogram that generates a distance value. Para [0265] discloses the combining of histogram information after weighting counting values, which are representative of the "plurality of sets of values" corresponding to the photon counted values used in a first time bin),
wherein the first value is generated based on a first counting value corresponding to the one of the detecting units (Para [0097] and [0131], Fig 8, where the positive signals are counted in ALU 804 where each detected photons are received within a particular time bin. Para [0265] discloses the combining of histogram information after weighting counting values, which are representative of the "plurality of sets of values" corresponding to the photon counted values used in a first time bin), a second counting value corresponding to the adjacent detecting unit to the one of the detecting units (Para [0131] and [0254], Fig 8, where the positive signals are counted in ALU 804 and adjacent photosensors may be illuminated) and a third counting value corresponding to the one of the detecting units (Para [00257], Fig 28, where photodetector 2802 may be a detector with a third counting value),
wherein the first counting value is included in a first set of counting values corresponding to the first time-bin (Para [0280]-[0283], Fig 33, where the photon counts are stored in a memory block 3308 from each photosensor 3302, and adjacent photosensors may have individual time bins that can be combined together into a time bin in a single histogram that generates a distance value),
wherein the second counting value is included in the same set of counting values as the first counting value (Para [0280]-[0283], Fig 33, where the photon counts are stored in a memory block 3308 from each photosensor 3302, and adjacent photosensors may have individual time bins that can be combined together into a time bin in a single histogram that generates a distance value), and
wherein the third counting value is included in a second set of counting values corresponding to a second time-bin adjacent to the first time-bin (Para [0280]-[0283], Fig 33, where to form a histogram from combined histograms produced by sensors multiple time bins must be present. Therefore one of the adjacent time bins must come from a third sensor that is not one of two spatially adjacent photosensor).
Regarding claim 9, Pacala teaches the method of claim 8, wherein a number of values of the processed spatio-temporal data set corresponds to a number of counting values of the spatio-temporal data set (Para [0265] discloses the combining of histogram information after weighting counting values, which are representative of the "plurality of sets of values").
Regarding claim 10, Pacala teaches the method of claim 9, wherein the processed spatio-temporal data set is stored in a different memory from the spatio-temporal data set (Para [0221], Fig 23, where the data set is represented by the histogram data. The filtered histogram data is represented by the processed spatio-temporal data set that is stored in the buffer 2306. The unfiltered spatio-temporal data set is represented by the unfiltered histogram data that is stored in the histogram memory 806).
Regarding claim 12, Pacala teaches the method of claim 1, wherein the one point data for the one of the detecting units is determined with considering at least a first counting value and a second counting value included in a first set of counting values corresponding to a first time-bin (Para [0280]-[0283], Fig 33, where the photon counts are stored in a memory block 3308 from each photosensor 3302, and adjacent photosensors may have individual time bins that can be combined together into a time bin in a single histogram that generates a distance value),
wherein the first counting value is corresponding to the one of detecting units (Para [0097] and [0131], Fig 8, where the positive signals are counted in ALU 804 where each detected photons are received within a particular time bin), and
wherein the second counting value is corresponding to the adjacent detecting unit to the one of the detecting units (Para [0131] and [0254], Fig 8, where the positive signals are counted in ALU 804 and adjacent photosensors may be illuminated).
Regarding claim 13, Pacala teaches the method of claim 1, wherein the point cloud data comprises a plurality of point data, wherein each of the plurality of point data comprises three-dimensional location coordinate (Para [0097], Fig 4, where the array of photosensors may be used to generate depth images and 3D point clouds).
Regarding claim 14, Pacala teaches the method of claim 1, wherein the each of the detecting units is configured to detect light for a predetermined period corresponding to an emission of a corresponding laser pulse (Para [0097], Fig 4, where the range data collected is done over a predefined time period, and to be detected in a LIDAR system must correspond to a laser pulse) and
wherein each time-bin is representing a time section in which a specific time has elapsed from an emission time of the corresponding laser pulse (Para [0131], Fig 5, where the particular time bin in which photons are received are determined based on the time in which a photon is detected which is the same as elapsed time after emission as disclosed in Para [0062]).
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.
Claims 5-7 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Pacala in view of Finkelstein et al. (US 20220099814 A1, "Finkelstein”).
Regarding claim 5, Pacala teaches the method of claim 4.
However, Pacala does not teach wherein the adjacent detecting unit is located at a different row and the same column as the one of the detecting units in the detector array.
On the other hand, Finkelstein teaches detector position such that adjacent photon sensors are placed in only columns or rows when photons are counted (Finkelstein, Para [0072], Fig 5, where the where the readout scheme based on detected photon counts are done row-by-row or column-by-column and therefore the adjacent counted values are done in the same column).
Accordingly, it would have been obvious of one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the invention to have modified the method for obtaining a point cloud data frame of Pacala in view of Finkelstein, by using a readout scheme for detectors using either rows or columns, indicating adjacent detectors in respective positions to determine arrival times for detected photons (Finkelstein, Para [0068]-[0070]).
Regarding claim 6, Pacala teaches the method of claim 2.
However Pacala does not teach wherein the second counting value is generated at the same time as the first counting value.
On the other hand, Finkelstein teaches a simultaneous operation of detector pixels and therefore removing the need for selective processing and therefore simultaneous generation of counting values (Finkelstein, Para [0068], Fig 4, where multiple detector pixels are operated simultaneously, and therefore with simultaneous counting values).
Accordingly, it would have been obvious of one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the invention to have modified the method for obtaining a point cloud data frame of Pacala in view of Finkelstein, by using a simultaneous operation of detectors removing the need for selective processing and to determine arrival times for detected photons (Finkelstein, Para [0068]-[0070]).
Regarding claim 7, Pacala in view of Finkelstein teaches the method of claim 6, wherein the adjacent detecting unit is located at the same row and a different column as the one of the detecting units in the detector array (Finkelstein, Para [0072], Fig 4-5, where the where the readout scheme based on detected photon counts are done row-by-row or column-by-column and therefore the adjacent counted values are done in the same row).
Claim 11 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Pacala in view of Zhu et al. (WO 2024040912 A1, “Zhu”)
Regarding claim 11, Pacala teaches the method of claim 8.
However, Pacala does not teach wherein the first value is generated by weighting to the first counting value, the second counting value and the third counting value, wherein a first weight applied to the first counting value is greater than a second weight applied to the second counting value, wherein a third weight applied to the third counting value is the same as the second weight.
On the other hand, Zhu teaches the weighting of a first region and the reduced weighting of subsequent regions (Zhu, Para [0157], Fig 8, where the initial histogram of the theoretical region (first counting value) holds a weight of 50%, where those of the adjacent regions (second and third counting value) hold a weight of 6.25%).
Conclusion
Accordingly, it would have been obvious of one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the invention to have modified the method for obtaining a point cloud data frame of Pacala in view Zhu by introducing weighted regions of a SPAD array to more accurately acquire an echo signal when the detector shifts (Zhu, Para [0157]).
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ZAKI HAWKINS whose telephone number is (571)272-6595. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 7:30am-5pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, YUQING XIAO can be reached at (571) 270-3603. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/ZAKI KEHINDE HAWKINS/ Examiner, Art Unit 3645
/YUQING XIAO/ Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3645
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