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 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.
Claim(s) 1, 14 and claims bellow are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by D1 US 20200386876 A1.
Regarding claims 1, 14 D1 teaches
(Previously Presented) A detection method of a LiDAR comprising a scanner(12) with at least one reflection surface(fig. 1B 12), the detection method comprising:
determining a plurality of corrective detector units based on a pre-stored inclination angle of a surface, (fig. 1A , B detectors RL corresponding to the vertical or horizontal line of scanning are determined corresponding to inclination angle of 12)[0079]
wherein the surface includes one of the at least one reflection surface; and(fig. 1A , B detectors RL corresponding to the vertical or horizontal line of scanning are determined)
performing signal collection by the plurality of corrective detector units to generate a point cloud image.[0079-0084][0066]
(claim 14)a corrector module pre-storing an inclination angle([0079] prestored 40 degree) of a surface and configured to determine a plurality of corrective detector units based on the inclination angle of the surface,[0079]
12, 27 (Previously Presented) The detection method of claim 1, wherein:the inclination angle of the surface to be corrected comprises a vertical inclination angle and a horizontal inclination angle; and
determining the plurality of corrective detector units comprising determining the plurality of corrective detector units based on the vertical inclination angle and the horizontal inclination angle.D1 [0064]
13. (Previously Presented) A LiDAR, comprising:a scanner comprising: at least one reflection surface; (12)and
a processor configured to perform the detection method of claim 1.(fig. 2)
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.
Claim(s) 2, 15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over D1 in view of D2 CN 113330332 (US 20240053448 used for mapping).
Regarding claims 2, 15 D1 teaches
determining the inclination angle of the surface; and.[Fig. 1A and B and par 0079-0084]
determining the plurality of corrective detector units based on the inclination angle of the surface, wherein the plurality of corrective detector units correspond to the surface to be corrected.[Fig. 1A and B and par 0079-0084]
does not teach but D2 teaches
2, 15 (Previously Presented) The detection method of claim 1, wherein:the scanner comprises a plurality of reflection surfaces[0004]; and
the detection method further comprises:
determining the surface prior to determining the plurality of corrective detector units; [0129]
determining the inclination angle of the surface; and
It will be obvious to one of ordinary skills in the art to modify teachings taught by D1 with teachings by D2 in order to provide lidar which can scan simultaneously different regions of interest using multiple mirrors.
Claim(s) 3,4, 16, 17 and claims bellow are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over D1 in view of D3 US 20200200877 A1.
Regarding claims 3, 16, 4, 17 D1 teahces
3, 16 (Previously Presented) The detection method of claim 1, wherein:the LiDAR comprises a light-emitter module;
the light-emitter module comprises: a plurality of light emitting units(10), and the plurality of light emitting units and the plurality of corrective detector(15); and
performing signal collection by the plurality of corrective detector units comprises:
enabling the light emitting unit to generate detection light, the detection light forming corresponding echo light after reflected by an object outside the LiDAR;(fig. 1a,b)
and receiving the echo light by a corresponding corrective detector unit to collect signal.(fig. 1a-1b, [0079-0084])
(4, 17)determining a plurality of corrective detector units(units of 15 corresponding to 10),
a plurality of corrective light emitting units(10) based on the inclination angle of the surface in combination with the plurality of corrective detector units, [0079-0084], [0047]
but does not teach
units have a one-to-one correspondence
D3 teaches
units have a one-to-one correspondence(fig. 4A)[0071-0072][0079]
It will be obvious to one of ordinary skills in the art to modify teachings taught by D1 with teachings by D3 in order to reduce amount of sensor data acquired and provided to the signal processing chain of the LIDAR.
5, 18 (Previously Presented) The detection method of claim 4, wherein each of the corrective light emitting units comprises a plurality of emitters.(D1 fig. 1A 10)
6, 19 (Previously Presented) The detection method of claim 5, wherein the plurality of emitters comprise a plurality of lasers, which are independently addressable and controllable. D1 [0032]
7, 21 (Previously Presented) The detection method of claim 1, wherein each of the corrective detector units comprises a plurality of detectors. D1(fig. 1A 15) [0032]
8, 22 (Previously Presented) The detection method of claim 7, wherein the plurality of the detectors are independently addressable and controllable.[0032]
9, 24 (Original) The detection method of claim 1, wherein the reflection surface rotates around a rotation shaft.(13)
10, 25 (Previously Presented) The detection method of claim 9, wherein the scanner comprises a rotating mirror; and the reflection surface forms a mirror surface of the rotating mirror.(fig. 1A 12)
11, 26 (Previously Presented) The detection method of claim 1, wherein:the LiDAR comprises a light emitting module to generate detection light;
the detection light is emitted after reflected by the surface to be corrected;
the emitted detection light forms echo light after reflected by an object outside the LiDAR; and
the echo light is reflected by the surface to be corrected to the plurality of corrective detector units.(D1 Fig. 1A and [0079-0084])
Although D1 does not explicitly teach regarding claims 20, 23
20. (Original) The LiDAR of claim 19, wherein the emitter comprises: a vertical cavity surface emitting laser.
23. (Original) The LiDAR of claim 22, wherein the detector comprises: a single photon avalanche diode.
Using VCSEL emitter and SPAD receives are well known in the art in order to produce multiple beams and detect low intensity signals.
It will be obvious to one of ordinary skills in the art to modify teachings taught by D1 to use VCSEL and SPAD in order to produce multiple beams as required in D1 and provide array of sensors which is sensitive o low intensity light .
Conclusion
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/HOVHANNES BAGHDASARYAN/Examiner, Art Unit 3645
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