Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
1. 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
2. The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 08/21/2024 is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
3. 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.
4. Claims 21-24, 29-32 and 37 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102 (a)(1) as being anticipated by Scepanovic et al. (US 2018/0288295 A1; further referred to as Scepanovic).
5. Regarding claim 21, claim 21 is rejected for reasons related to claim 29 (see below for claim 29).
6. Regarding claim 22, claim 22 is rejected for reasons related to claim 30 (see below for claim 30).
7. Regarding claim 23, claim 23 is rejected for reasons related to claim 31 (see below for claim 31).
8. Regarding claim 24, claim 23 is rejected for reasons related to claim 32 (see below for claim 32).
9. Regarding claim 29, a system for illuminating a scene during an image capture (…wherein Scepanovic, in [0057-58], teaches an electronic device including an adjustably controllable light module and also including a camera module…) comprising:
an adaptive light source module (…Scepanovic, in [0064], teaches lighting module 206…) comprising
a plurality of emitters (…wherein [0094] teaches that the light source can include any light beam emitters…);
a first camera; a second camera; (…wherein [0088] teaches camera modules 602 A-B; Fig. 6A…) and
a processor (…wherein [0007] teaches a processor…) configured to:
determine a target field of view of the scene (…wherein [0007] also teaches that the processor can, in response to a command to the camera modules, capture separate images of a common subject, initially controllably adjust the collimator actuator, based on a camera field of view…);
determine an illumination profile based at least in part on the determined target field of view (…wherein [0007] further teaches that the processor can controllably adjust a collimator actuator based upon identifying a subject within an image, captured by the camera module, of the camera field of view.…);
drive the adaptive light source module to illuminate the scene according to the determined illumination profile using the adaptive light source module (…wherein [0007] teaches that the processor can controllably adjust the light output of the light source, based at least in part upon the illumination field of view…),
wherein illuminating the scene comprises:
generating light with a first subset of the plurality of emitters when the determined target field of view is a first field of view corresponding to the first camera (…wherein [0087-0088] teach a camera which can capture a narrow-angle image of a particular subject located within a scene and accordingly the lighting module can adjustably direct a collimated light beam in accordance the field of view of the camera; wherein as stated in [0099] a lighting module comprises a set of multiple light sources which can be separately and independently controlled…); and
generating light with all of the plurality of emitters when the determined target field of view is a second field of view corresponding to the second camera (…wherein [0087-0088] teaches a camera which can capture a wide-angle image of a particular subject located within scene and accordingly the lighting module can adjustably direct a collimated light beam in accordance the field of view of the camera…); and
capture an image of the determined target field of view while illuminating the scene (…wherein [0007] teaches that each camera module can capture an image of respective field of views to the cameras, wherein a processor controls to adjust a light output of a light source based on an illumination field of view…).
10. Regarding claim 30, Scepanovic teaches the system of claim 29 (see claim 29 above), wherein
the first subset of the plurality of emitters comprises
a first emitter (…wherein [0161] teaches separate light sources included in a lighting module including a set of partially independently controllable light sources, and
wherein generating light with the first emitter fills the first field of view (…wherein [0087-0088] teach a camera which captures a narrow-angle image of a particular subject located within scene and accordingly the lighting module can adjustably direct a collimated light beam in accordance the field of view of the camera above; for example, with regards to Fig. 3C, [0072] teaches a limited region of field 334 is illuminated…).
11. Regarding claim 31, Scepanovic teaches the system of claim 30 (see claim 30 above), wherein
generating light with all of the plurality of emitters fills the second field of view (…with regards to Fig. 3A, Scepanovic, in [0069], teaches wherein a camera module is focused on scene 310; wherein the lighting module is accordingly adjusted to illuminate a wider field of view. Generally, Scepanovic teaches light sources that puts out a light beam in accordance with the field of view of the camera; wherein the feature of additionally controlling independent light sources is an option; hence this can read on using all emitters to illuminate a scene…).
12. Regarding claim 32, Scepanovic teaches the system of claim 29 (see claim 29 above), wherein
the second field of view is larger than the first field of view (…wherein Scepanovic teaches a field of view 324, which is larger than field of view 334; in accordance with figures 3A and 3C…).
13. Regarding claim 37, a device (…wherein Scepanovic teaches device 100 in [0058]…) comprising:
a processor (…wherein [0007] teaches a processor…); and
memory storing instructions that when executed by the processor (… [0177] teaches memory 1602 wherein one or more processors run software programs stored in memory 1602…), cause the device to:
determine a target field of view of a scene (…wherein [0007] also teaches that the processor can, in response to a command to the camera modules, capture separate images of a common subject, initially controllably adjust the collimator actuator, based on a camera field of view…);
determine an illumination profile based at least in part on the determined target field of view (…wherein [0007] further teaches that the processor can controllably adjust a collimator actuator based upon identifying a subject within an image, captured by the camera module, of the camera field of view.…);
control an adaptive light source module to illuminate the scene according to the determined illumination profile using the adaptive light source module (…wherein [0007] teaches that the processor can controllably adjust the light output of the light source, based at least in part upon the illumination field of view…), wherein
illuminating the scene comprises:
generating light with a first subset of a plurality of emitters of the adaptive light source module when the determined target field of view is a first field of view corresponding to a first camera (…wherein [0087-0088] teaches a camera which can capture a narrow-angle image of a particular subject located within scene and accordingly the lighting module can adjustably direct a collimated light beam in accordance the field of view of the camera; wherein as stated in [0099] a lighting module comprises a set of multiple light sources which can be separately and independently controlled…); and
generating light with all of the plurality of emitters when the determined target field of view is a second field of view corresponding to a second camera (…wherein [0087-0088] teaches a camera which can capture a wide-angle image of a particular subject located within scene and accordingly the lighting module can adjustably direct a collimated light beam in accordance the field of view of the camera…); and
control at least one of the first camera or the second camera to capture an image of the determined target field of view while illuminating the scene (…wherein [0007] teaches that each camera module can capture an image of respective field of views to the cameras, wherein a processor controls to adjust a light output of a light source based on an illumination field of view…).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
14. 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 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.
15. Claims 25-28, 33-36, and 38-40 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Scepanovic et al. (US 2018/0288295 A1; further referred to as Scepanovic) in view of Yoshida et al. (US 2022/0252238 A1, further referred to as Yoshida).
16. Regarding claim 25, claim 25 is rejected for reasons related to claim 33 (see
claim 33 below).
17. Regarding claim 26, claim 26 is rejected for reasons related to claim 34 (see
claim 34 below).
18. Regarding claim 27, claim 27 is rejected for reasons related to claim 35 (see
claim 35 below).
19. Regarding claim 28, claim 28 is rejected for reasons related to claim 36 (see
claim 36 below).
20. Regarding claim 33, Scepanovic teaches the system of claim 29 (see claim 29 above).
However, the reference doesn’t further teach wherein
the first subset of the plurality of emitters comprises at least one central emitter (…however, Yoshida teaches a light source including a plurality of independently operable light emitting devices which may be employed in a camera; wherein [0040] in accordance with Fig. 3 teaches emitting devices 1a-1i; as such, device 1e may be viewed as a central emitter.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention that a light emitting device, as taught by Yoshida, could have been implemented in the teaching of Scepanovic whereby different lighting elements can selectively be chosen from an array of emitters so to illuminate a field of view of a camera to varying degree of a scene…).
21. Regarding claim 34, Scepanovic in view of Yoshida teaches the system of claim 33 (see claim 33 above), wherein
the at least one central emitter comprises
a plurality of central emitters (…wherein Yoshida, in [0043], further teaches that a plurality of light emitting elements may be integrated as a single light emitting device.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention that a light emitting device, as taught by Yoshida, could have been implemented in the teaching of Scepanovic whereby different lighting elements can selectively be chosen from an array of emitters so to illuminate a field of view of a camera to varying degree of a scene…), wherein
light collectively generated by the plurality of central emitters fills the first field of view (…wherein [0087-0088] (Scepanovic) teach a camera which captures a narrow-angle image of a particular subject located within scene and accordingly the lighting module can adjustably direct a collimated light beam in accordance the field of view of the camera above; for example, with regards to Fig. 3C, [0072] teaches a limited region of field 334 is illuminated…).
22. Regarding claim 35, Scepanovic teaches the system of claim 29 (see claim 29 above); though Scepanovic, in [0099], teaches a light sources in a light module comprising a set of multiple light sources which be separately and independently controlled, the reference may not specify wherein
the plurality of emitters comprise a plurality of peripheral emitters that surround the first subset of the plurality of emitters (…however, Yoshida teaches a plurality independently operable light emitting devices 1a-1i in [0040], with reference to Fig. 3, wherein emitting device 1e (e.g.), which may be made up of a plurality of light emitting elements, is surrounded by other light emitting devices.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention that a light emitting device, as taught by Yoshida, could have been implemented in the teaching of Scepanovic whereby different lighting elements can selectively be chosen from an array of emitters so to illuminate a field of view of a camera to varying degree of a scene…).
23. Regarding claim 36, Scepanovic in view of Yoshida teaches the system of claim 35 (see claim 35 above), wherein
light collectively generated by the plurality of peripheral emitters and the first subset of the plurality of emitters fills the second field of view (…wherein Scepanovic teaches a field of view that may be illuminated in accordance with Fig. 3A, wherein [0068] teaches the dynamic adjustment of a light beam in accordance with field of view 324; Yoshida, in [0108] further and explicitly teaches an example wherein all light emitting devices are lit.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention that a light emitting device, as taught by Yoshida, could have been implemented in the teaching of Scepanovic whereby different lighting elements can selectively be chosen from an array of emitters so to illuminate a field of view of a camera to varying degree of a scene…).
24. Regarding claim 38, claim 38 is rejected for reasons related to claim 30 (see above for claim 30).
25. Regarding claim 39, claim 39 is rejected for reasons related to claim 36 (see above for claim 36).
26. Regarding claim 40, claim 40 is rejected for reasons related to claim 32 (see above for claim 32).
Conclusion
27. Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to SURAFEL YILMAKASSAYE whose telephone number is (703)756-1910. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 8:30am-5:00pm.
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/SURAFEL YILMAKASSAYE/Examiner, Art Unit 2639
/TWYLER L HASKINS/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2639