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 Status
Currently, claims 1-15 are pending in the application. Claims 1, 3, 4, 6, and 10-13 are amended.
Response to Arguments / Amendments
Applicant’s arguments have been fully considered but are rendered moot in view of the new ground of rejection necessitated by amendments initiated by the applicant.
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 of this title, 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 1-2 and 4-15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over GAGNON et al. (US 20180232909, hereinafter GAGNON) in view of Blayvas et al. ( US 20180012085 A1, hereinafter Blayvas).
Regarding Claim 1, GAGNON discloses a method for calibrating a camera mounted in a vehicle (Abstract, "determine extrinsic camera parameters"; [0002]: [0008], "the extrinsic parameters relate to three rotation angles, which can be provided by a horizontal and a vertical inclination angle of the camera and a rotation of the image around the projection axis of the camera. The extrinsic parameters can furthermore include a height of the camera above ground level"), comprising:
identifying a known vehicle geometry of a lead vehicle (Abstract, "an image of a neighbouring vehicle ... A vehicle model is derived from the image data and the vehicle model is used to retrieve dimensional information from an onboard database";[0060], "the neighbouring car is in front of the current car"; Figs. 2, 4);
(abstract, "The dimensional information is correlated with the image data"; [0026]) by:
classifying the lead vehicle into a vehicle class of a plurality of vehicle classes by comparing the apparent distance to known vehicle geometries associated with the plurality of vehicle classes (Abstract, "vehicle model is derived from the image data";([0035], the dimensional information is selected from a vehicle height, a vehicle width, a bumper width, a number plate size, a vehicle height; [0060], "vehicle types"; [0063]);
selecting the known vehicle geometry using the vehicle class ([0035], the dimensional information is selected from a vehicle height, a vehicle width, a bumper with, a number plate size, a vehicle height, a vehicle width, a wheel base, a tyre width, a tail lamp height, a tail lamp width, a head lamp height, a head lamp width and a windshield size- the distances between the vehicle's lights provide good recognition features); and
updating a calibration of the camera abstract, "determine extrinsic camera parameters"; [0027]), wherein the known vehicle geometry includes a known tail light width ([0035], the dimensional information is selected from a vehicle height, a vehicle width, a bumper width, a number plate size, a vehicle height, a vehicle width, a wheel base, a tyre width, a tail lamp height, a tail lamp width, a head lamp height, a head lamp width and a windshield size- the distances between the vehicle's lights provide good recognition features).
Although, it is well known that camera height and camera angles, i.e. the extrinsic camera parameters, and distance are related (see e.g. GAGNON, Fig. 2). GAGNON does not explicitly disclose a distance to the lead vehicle is estimated based on the matching; measuring an apparent distance between tail lights of the lead vehicle in the image and calculating an estimated distance from the camera to a midpoint of tail light geometric centers using a geometric construction of the tail lights in the image and the known vehicle geometry for the vehicle class,
Blayvas teaches a distance to the lead vehicle is estimated based on the matching; measuring an apparent distance between tail lights of the lead vehicle in the image and calculating an estimated distance from the camera to a midpoint of tail light geometric centers using a geometric construction of the tail lights in the image and the known vehicle geometry for the vehicle class ([0092] Since certain dimensions of many objects are known and the size of an object in an image is relative to its distance from the camera, the size of a known dimension in an image can be used to calculate distance to the object. Determine distance using object size in an image such as calculate distance to a car ahead based on the height of its license plate in an image. Range sensors may also be used (e.g. laser range sensors), or reference markers, or any other depth determining method known today or to be devised in the future).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the teachings of extrinsic calibration parameters are derived from distance to the lead vehicle is estimated based on the matching as taught by Blayvas ([0092]) into the imaging system of GAGNON in order to provide systems for utilize advanced driver assistance system (ADAS) body for monitoring/sensing a vehicle, detect vehicle driver-related parameter by utilizing the ADAS body and evaluate driver alertness and driver gaze direction through processing circuitry (Blayvas, [0007]).
Regarding Claim 2, GAGNON in view of Blayvas discloses the method of claim 1, GAGNON discloses wherein the known vehicle geometry is a track width ([0060], "wheelbase"; claim 6, "wheel base"; Fig. 4, "25").
Regarding Claim 4, GAGNON in view of Blayvas discloses the method of claim 1, GAGNON discloses further comprising identifying a known lane width of a road on which the vehicle is traveling and calibrating the camera based on the known lane width (Abstract, "vehicle model is derived from the image data"; paragraph [0060], "vehicle types"; paragraph [0063]);
Regarding Claim 5, GAGNON in view of Blayvas discloses the method of claim 1, GAGNON discloses wherein a class of the lead vehicle determines the known vehicle geometry ([0063]).
Regarding Claim 6, GAGNON in view of Blayvas discloses the method of claim 1, While GAGNON discloses further comprising adjusting a detection region of interest of the camera based on the updated identifying of a left tail light geometric center and a right tail light geometric center of the tail lights; resolving an angle between the left tail light geometric center and the right tail light geometric center ([0035], dimensional information is selected from a vehicle height, a vehicle width, a bumper width, a number plate size, a vehicle height, a vehicle width, a wheel base, a tyre width, a tail lamp height, a tail lamp width, a head lamp height, a head lamp width and a windshield size- the distances between the vehicle's lights provide good recognition features); and
Blayvas discloses using the angle and the known tail light width to calculate the estimated distance between the camera and a midpoint of the left tail light geometric center and the right tail light geometric center ([0092] Since certain dimensions of many objects are known and the size of an object in an image is relative to its distance from the camera, the size of a known dimension in an image can be used to calculate distance to the object. Determine distance using object size in an image such as calculate distance to a car ahead based on the height of its license plate in an image. Range sensors may also be used (e.g. laser range sensors), or reference markers, or any other depth determining method known today or to be devised in the future). The same reason or rational of obviousness motivation applied as used above in claim 1.
Regarding Claim 7, GAGNON in view of Blayvas discloses the method of claim 1, GAGNON discloses wherein identifying the known vehicle geometry is based on a trained network using images from the camera (Trained networks are ubiquitous to an extent that their use for implementing the vehicle type, and thus vehicle geometry, identification )
Regarding Claim 8, GAGNON in view of Blayvas discloses the method of claim 1, GAGNON discloses further comprising determining whether the lead vehicle is present, and in response to lack of a detected lead vehicle within a threshold duration of a start-up of the camera, utilizing a default calibration (claims relate to trivial details of calibration control and are, thus, not inventive).
Regarding Claim 9, GAGNON in view of Blayvas discloses the method of claim 1, GAGNON discloses wherein the identifying and estimating are performed responsive to every start-up from a shut-down condition of the camera (claims relate to trivial details of calibration control and are, thus, not inventive).
Regarding Claims 10-15, System claims 10-15 of using the corresponding method claimed in claims 19, and the rejections of which are incorporated herein for the same reasons as used above.
Regarding Claim 11: GAGNON in view of Blayvas discloses the method of claim 10, GAGNON discloses wherein updating the calibration of the camera comprises updating a height and/or orientation of the camera based on the estimated distance ([0008], "the extrinsic parameters relate to three rotation angles, which can be provided by a horizontal and a vertical inclination angle of the camera and a rotation of the image around the projection axis of the camera. The extrinsic parameters can furthermore include a height of the camera above ground level")
Regarding Claim 12, Analogous rejection as the rejection of Claim 6 applies.
Regarding Claim 13, Outputting a notification in response to detection is considered obvious in the context of ADAS. Hence, the claim is not inventive
Regarding Claim 14, Analogous rejection as the rejection of Claim 2 applies.
Regarding Claim 15, Analogous rejection as the rejection of Claim 7 applies.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 3 is objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claims, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
Conclusion
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action.
THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Samuel D Fereja whose telephone number is (469)295-9243. The examiner can normally be reached 8AM-5PM.
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/SAMUEL D FEREJA/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2487