Detailed Action
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 03/07/2024 is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
Claim Objections
3. Claim 31 objected to because of the following informalities: Claim 31 is claimed as being dependent on claim 33.
Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
4. 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.
5. Claims 19 and 34 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Laroia et al. (US 2016/0004144 A1) in view of Kaihara et al. (US 2007/0211162 A1).
6. Regarding claim 19, An electronic device (…Laroia teaches camera device 100, in [0025]; Fig. 1…), comprising:
a memory (…[0025] teaches memory 108; Fig. 1…) and
a processor (…[0025] teaches processor 110; Fig. 1…), wherein
the memory is configured to
store an executable instruction of the processor (…wherein [0041] teaches that processor 110 by software directions which are stored in memory 108…), wherein
the processor is configured to
call a program instruction in the memory to perform the camera cleaning control (…wherein [0069] teaches an assembly of modules 600 (also element 180 of device 100) including a dirty lens cleaning module…), comprising:
determining a target camera that is currently required to be cleaned (…wherein [0073], in accordance with flowchart 500 (figures 5A and 5B) detecting and indicating a dirty lens in the camera device 100; [0093] further teaches that a cleaning operation for the identified lens or lenses is initiated…).
Laroia doesn’t further teach the electronic device
determining a cleaning period of the target camera according to a synchronization signal (…however, Kaihara teaches an image capturing apparatus including a control unit controlling a foreign substance removing unit; wherein [0044], in accordance with Fig. 2, teaches a process in which a predetermined number of times an active sweep has been executed (S203 and s205)…); and
cleaning the target camera during the cleaning period (…wherein during steps S204 and S207 active sweep operation is ongoing.
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 cleaning period determination as taught by Kaihara can be implemented after the determination of a dirty lens condition as taught by Laroia, thereby not unnecessarily initiating a cleaning period that requires power consumption…).
7. Regarding claim 34, the electronic device of claim 19 (see claim 19 above), wherein
after the target camera is cleaned during the cleaning period, the processor is configured to call the program instruction in the memory to perform the camera cleaning control, further comprising:
acquiring an image acquired by the target camera, and detecting the image; and returning to determine the cleaning period of the target camera according to the synchronization signal if the detection result of the target camera is that there is an attachment (…wherein Laroia, in [0011], teaches that after dirty lens condition rectification, change of lens condition is based on subsequent image capturing…), otherwise,
returning to determine the target camera that is currently required to be cleaned (…wherein Laroia, in [0073], in accordance with flowchart 500 (figures 5A and 5B) teaches detecting and indicating a dirty lens in the camera device 100; [0093] further teaches that a cleaning operation for the identified lens or lenses is initiated…).
8. Claims 22 and 35 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Laroia et al. (US 2016/0004144 A1) in view of Layton (US 2021/0000024 A1).
9. Regarding claim 22, a camera cleaning system (…Laroia teaches an assembly of modules 600, in [0069]; Fig. 6…), comprising:
a cleaning control apparatus (…Laroia teaches a dirty lens determination module 604, in [0069]…),
a frame sync generator (…wherein [0064] teaches controller 150 controls sensor readouts in a synchronized manner…), and
a plurality of cameras (…wherein [0062], in accordance with Fig. 4, teaches camera device 200 including several optical chains (camera modules)…),
the frame sync generator is connected to the cleaning control apparatus and is configured to
generate and send a synchronization signal to the cleaning control apparatus (…wherein Laroia, in [0073], teaches flowchart 500 which according Figure 5A includes the capturing of images (steps 504-510) thus to store and use in the process of determining a dirty lens condition…); and
the cleaning control apparatus is connected to the plurality of cleaning apparatuses and is configured to:
determine a target camera that is currently required to be cleaned (…wherein Laroia, in [0081], teaches step 514 wherein the dirty lens determination module 604 determines a dirty lens condition…),
determine a cleaning period of the target camera according to the synchronization signal (…Laroia teaches the storing of information indicating which optical chain includes a dirty lens in step 538; further [0093] teaches an automatic initiation of a camera lens cleaning operation in response to determining a dirty lens condition…), wherein
the cleaning period is within a period from the end of the exposure of a current frame to the beginning of the acquisition of a next frame (…wherein flowchart 500 ends with storing and or outputting a composite image in step 546; the flowchart begins with step 502 and proceeds to steps 504-510 and is evidently repetitive in nature; [0093] teaches an automatic initiation of a camera lens cleaning operation in response to determining a dirty lens condition; thus the examiner views the cleaning period fall between a current cycle of step 538 and steps 504-510…), and
control a cleaning apparatus corresponding to the target camera to clean the target camera during the cleaning period (…wherein Laroia, in [0093], teaches an automatic initiation of a camera lens cleaning operation in response to determining a dirty lens condition…).
Laroia doesn’t further teach
a plurality of cleaning apparatuses, wherein the plurality of cleaning apparatuses are arranged in one-to-one correspondence with the plurality of cameras (…wherein Laroia, in [0069], teaches that element 600 includes a dirty lens cleaning module; further [0074] teaches a plurality of optical chains which are independently operated and controlled; further [0093] teaches an automatic cleaning mechanism for cleaning lenses of the camera; Laroia doesn’t explicitly teach a one-to-one correspondence between the plurality of cleaning apparatuses and plurality of cameras.
However, Layton in [0010] teaches an automated camera cleaning system including a lens shield housing 14, wherein a camera 12 is mounted to the lens shield housing.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention that the dirty lens cleaning module, as taught by Laroia, can be implemented in accordance individual lens shield housings, as taught by Layton, thereby cleaning only a required amount of lenses in accordance with a determination process identifying dirty lenses…).
10. Regarding claim 35, claim 35 is rejected for reasons related to claim 22.
11. Claim 23 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Laroia et al. (US 2016/0004144 A1) in view of Layton (US 2021/0000024 A1) and further view of FPD-Link III-TI-DS90UB953 (further referred to as TI).
12. Regarding claim 23, Laroia in view of Layton teaches the system of claim 22 (see claim 22 above). Though Laroia teaches the flowchart 500, Laroia doesn’t specify by what manner image capturing performed in steps 504-509 is further image processed wherein further steps 512 and 514 are performed. Thus, the combined reference doesn’t teach the system further comprising:
a plurality of serializers that are arranged in one-to-one correspondence with the plurality of cameras (…however, TI teaches a serializer (DS90UB953) in connection with image sensor (which also can be implemented with a camera…), wherein
one end of the plurality of serializers is connected to the frame sync generator (…wherein REFCLK(fo) is viewed as a frame sync generator, connected to one end of the serializer; Fig. 4…),
the other end of the plurality of serializers is connected to the plurality of cameras one by one (…wherein the image sensor is connected to the other end of the serializer; Fig. 4…), and
the other end of at least one serializer is connected to the cleaning control apparatus (…wherein the serializer connects to the image signal processor through a deserializer…) , wherein
the plurality of serializers are configured to
synchronously output the synchronization signal generated by the frame sync generator to the plurality of cameras and the cleaning control apparatus (…wherein CLK_OUT is viewed as a synchronization signal which is derived from REF(fo).
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 Synchronous Mode of the serializer, as taught by TI, can be implemented in the teaching of Laroia’s flowchart 500, wherein the serializer is implementable between the processes of 504-510 and 512 and 514 thereby allowing for an ultra-high-speed forward channel for image data transport…).
Allowable Subject Matter
13. Claims 24, 30, and 36 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.
14. Regarding claim 24, Laroia in view of Kaihara teaches the electronic device of claim 19 (see claim 19 above), wherein
the processor is configured to
call the program instruction in the memory to determine the target camera that is currently required to be cleaned, comprising: determining the target camera that is currently required to be cleaned, wherein the target camera currently uses a first lens (…wherein Laroia, in [0073], in accordance with flowchart 500 (figures 5A and 5B) teaches detecting and indicating a dirty lens in the camera device 100; [0093] further teaches that a cleaning operation for the identified lens or lenses is initiated; wherein lenses 103, 115, and 109 are identified in Fig. 3 belonging to respective optical chains…); wherein
the processor is configured to call the program instruction in the memory to determine the cleaning period of the target camera according to the synchronization signal (…wherein Kaihara teaches an image capturing apparatus including a control unit controlling a foreign substance removing unit; wherein [0044], in accordance with Fig. 2, teaches a process in which a predetermined number of times an active sweep has been executed (S203 and s205)…).
the camera is equipped with a plurality of lenses (…wherein lenses 103, 115, and 109 are identified in Fig. 3 belonging to respective optical chains, as taught by Laroia…).
The combined references do not further teach wherein
determining a switching period of the first lens according to the synchronization signal, wherein
the switching period is within a period from the end of the exposure of a current frame to the beginning of the acquisition of a next frame, and
a period after completion of the switching is a cleaning period of the first lens; and wherein
the processor is configured to call the program instruction in the memory to clean the target camera during the cleaning period, comprising:
switching the currently used lens to a second lens during the switching period and
cleaning the first lens after the switching is completed, wherein
the second lens is a lens other than the first lens among the plurality of lenses arranged in the camera.
Fan et al. (US 2020/0070778 A1) teaches an imaging device including a cleaning member including a casing body (11), a plurality of cameras (2), and wiping (cleaning) members (3), and transparent cover 12 (see Fig. 4); wherein the transparent cover is rotatable relative to the casing body, as taught in [0044].
A drive motor drives the transparent cover to rotate thus wiping and cleaning the transparent cover by the wiping member 3, as taught in [0048].
In accordance with Fig. 4, each camera 2 faces a portion of the transparent cover and after a wiping operation, each camera faces a different portion of the transparent cover. Thus, the transparent cover is viewed as a lens system that is switched with respect to each camera as a rotation occurs.
[0042] teaches that image acquisition of camera 2 is not affected thus there is no determination requiring the rotation of the transparent cover to fall into a particular time. Nor is there a specific timing requiring cleaning period to be a period after completion of lens switching.
However, the instant claim states to limit
“the switching period is within a period from the end of the exposure of a current frame to the beginning of the acquisition of a next frame”.
Thus, the switching period is particular in as far as when it is to occur. However, according the reference of Fan, image acquisition is not affected by the rotation of the transparent cover and thus the rotation can occur at any time.
15. Claims 25-29 are dependent on claim 24 and are thus allowable subject matter.
16. Claim 30 includes limitations (of further detail) similar to claim 24 and is allowable subject matter.
17. Claims 31-33 are dependent on claim 30 and are thus allowable subject matter.
18. Claim 36 includes limitations similar to claim 24 and is allowable subject matter.
19. Claims 37-40 are dependent on claim 36 and are thus allowable subject matter.
Conclusion
20. 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
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