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)(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, 3-8, and 10-13 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by D1 (US 2020/249326 A1, Bhaskaran et al.).
Claim 1
An optical device comprising: an emitter for emitting pulses of light; a detector for detecting light emitted by the emitter and reflected from one or more targets, wherein the detector comprises a plurality of detection zones covered by a lens arranged to direct incident light onto the plurality of zones, and wherein the detector is configured to provide an output signal from each detection zone; and one or more processors configured to: process the output signals; dynamically set a signal threshold for the one or more targets; filter out output signals having an amplitude below the signal threshold; determine a distance to the one or more targets; group the one or more targets into one or more groups of targets based on the distance to each target; and for each group of targets, set the signal threshold for the group of targets based at least partly on the output signals of the one or more targets in the group of targets.
D1 discloses:
An emitter for emitting pulses of light ([0026], [0027], [0022]: “channel A emitter 102”, “emitter … may emit light pulses”).
A detector for detecting reflected light, with a plurality of detection zones covered by a lens ([0027], [0028], [0029], Figs. 1A, 1B: “detector array 120”, “lens 122”, “multiple sensors/channels”).
Each zone provides an output signal ([0029]: “output signal(s) generated by the sensor(s) of any currently active channels”).
Processor(s) process output signals ([0040]: “processor 140 processes the output signals”).
Dynamically set a signal threshold ([0041], [0043], [0047]: “detection threshold … may be set … to avoid identifying noise”; “detection threshold … may be a variable stored and/or controlled by detector 116”).
Filter out output signals below the threshold ([0029], [0044], [0048]: “determine whether an amplitude … meets or exceeds a detection threshold”; “identify a portion … that meets or exceeds a detection threshold as a return”).
Determine distance to targets ([0029], [0045]: “distance … determined from signal timing”).
Group targets by distance ([0046], [0049], [0056]: “difference in distance indicated by returns … may be used to group or screen returns”).
For each group, set the signal threshold based at least partly on the output signals of the group ([0051], [0061]: “threshold difference may be determined dynamically … as a function of distance”; “threshold may be set using a moving average or amplitude of a return in a group”).
Claim 3
The optical device according to claim 1, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to: determine a maximum output signal for the group of targets; and set the signal threshold based at least partly on the maximum output signal.
D1 discloses:
Determining a maximum output signal for a group ([0056]: “detector … may identify a first return (and channel) having the greatest intensity and compare other returns … identifying as false return(s) any … with intensity less than the greatest intensity by an amount … that meets or exceeds the threshold difference”).
Setting the signal threshold based at least partly on the maximum output signal ([0061]: “threshold difference may be determined dynamically … a percentage of a maximum amplitude of the channel (e.g., 70% of the amplitude of return 310)”).
Claim 4
The optical device according to claim 1, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to: map the distance of a group of targets to a threshold factor; and set the signal threshold of the group of targets based at least partly on the threshold factor.
D1 discloses:
Mapping distance to a threshold factor ([0055], [0061]: “such threshold differences may be determined dynamically (e.g., based on previous valid return), as a function of distance (time)”).
Setting the signal threshold based at least partly on the threshold factor ([0061]: “a moving average … as a function of distance (time)”).
Claim 5
The optical device according to claim 1, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to: dynamically set the signal threshold for each group of targets and for each zone that detects a target of the group of targets.
D1 discloses:
Dynamically setting the signal threshold for each group and each zone ([0056], [0060], [0061]: “detector … may identify … the greatest intensity and compare other returns of the other channels”, “threshold may be set for one or both channels”, “threshold may be determined per channel, per group”).
Claim 6
The optical device according to claim 5, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to: map the zone to a threshold factor, wherein the signal threshold for the zone is at least partly determined by the threshold factor.
D1 discloses:
Mapping the zone to a threshold factor ([0061]: “threshold … may be a moving average of a channel that contains a true return … associated with the false return”).
The signal threshold for the zone is at least partly determined by the threshold factor ([0061]: “modified detection threshold … may comprise a modified moving average of the amplitude of channel A”).
Claim 7
An autofocus camera system comprising an optical system according to claim 1, wherein the autofocus camera system is configured to automatically set a focus based on the one or more targets detected by the optical system.
D1 discloses:
Lidar system used for object detection and distance measurement ([0036], [0038], [0040], [0083]: “may be applied to mapping, manufacturing, augmented reality, etc.”; “sensor(s) … may include … cameras, depth cameras”).
System output can be used for focus or other camera-like operations (see [0083] for sensor/camera integration; [0036] for mapping and object detection).
Claim 8
A method of detecting one or more targets, the method comprising: emitting a pulse of light; receiving in one or more zones of a detector emitted light reflected from the one or more targets; for each zone, providing an output signal based on the received light; setting a signal threshold for the one or more targets; filtering out output signals with an amplitude below the signal threshold; determining a distance to the one or more targets; grouping the one or more targets into one or more groups of targets based on the distance to each target; and for each group of targets, setting the signal threshold for the group of targets based at least partly on the output signals of the one or more targets in the group of targets.
D1 discloses: All steps as described above for claim 1 ([0026]–[0061], [0064]–[0075], Figs. 1A, 3, 4A–C, 5).
Claim 10
The method according to claim 8, further comprising: determining a maximum output signal for the group of targets; and setting the signal threshold based at least partly on the maximum output signal.
D1 discloses: See claim 3 above ([0056], [0061]).
Claim 11
The method according to claim 8, further comprising: mapping the distance of a group of targets to a threshold factor; and setting the signal threshold of the group of targets based at least partly on the threshold factor.
D1 discloses: See claim 4 above ([0055], [0061]).
Claim 12
The method according to claim 8, further comprising: setting the signal threshold for each group of targets and for each zone that detects a target of the group of targets.
D1 discloses: See claim 5 above ([0056], [0060], [0061]).
Claim 13
The method according to claim 12, further comprising: mapping the zone to a threshold factor and determining the signal threshold at least partly based on the threshold factor.
D1 discloses: See claim 6 above ([0061]).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ISAM ALSOMIRI whose telephone number is (571)272-6970. The examiner can normally be reached 9-5:30 M-F.
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/ISAM A ALSOMIRI/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3645
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