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 .
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 6/28/2024 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 § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
Claims 10 and 18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor, or a joint inventor, regards as the invention.
Claim 10 is rejected under this paragraph because the term “the switching threshold” lacks antecedence and is not defined by the claim or a parent claim. One of ordinary skill in the art cannot ascertain the meets and bounds of the claim.
Claim 18 is rejected under this paragraph because it appears to be incomplete. In the interest of expediting prosecution, the Examiner shall assume that the claim is intending for the overlap of the first and second fields of view to be less than 80% of each of the first and second fields of view.
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 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.
Claims 1, 3-8 and 10-19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Jeong (US 2017/0163944 A1).
Regarding claim 1, Jeong discloses a device (Figs.1-5 and 9A-11), including:
a) a first surface 178 (pars.0145-0146, Figs.9A and 11);
b) a second surface 178, the first surface 178 and the second surface 178 mutually tilted and configured to face the monitoring zone (Fig.11);
c) a first IR radiation sensor 144-1 extending on the first surface 178, the first IR radiation sensor 144-1 configured to detect IR radiation of an emitting body when the emitting body is in a first field view (Zones 1 and 2, Fig.11) of the first IR radiation sensor 144-1; and
d) a second IR radiation sensor 144-2 extending on the second surface 178, the second IR radiation sensor 144-2 configured to detect IR radiation of the emitting body when the emitting body is in a second field of view (Zones 2-4, Fig.11) of the second IR radiation sensor 144-2, the first and the second fields of view are configured to be partially superimposed on each other at the monitoring zone (Zone 2, Fig.11).
With respect to claim 3, Jeong further discloses that the first surface 178 and the second surface 178 have between each other a first tilting angle between 110o and 170o (Fig.9A, 135o, the complement of the illustrated angle of 55o; also see pars.0145-0146).
With respect to claim 4, Jeong further discloses that the first and second fields of view have a mutual superimposition region Zone 2 that is smaller than 80% of each of the first and second fields of view (Zone 2 is roughly less than half of Zones 1+2 and less than half of Zones 2+3+4, Fig.11).
With respect to claim 5, Jeong further discloses a control unit 109 coupled to the first and second IR radiation sensors 144-1,2, the control unit 109 configured to:
e) receive a first detection signal from the first IR radiation sensor 144-1, the first detection signal indicating a presence or an absence of the emitting body in the first field of view (par.0176);
f) receive a second detection signal from the second IR radiation sensor 144-2, the second detection signal indicating a presence or an absence of the emitting body in the second field of view (par.0176); and
g) determine, based on the first and second detection signals, whether the passage of the emitting body in the monitoring zone has occurred (par.0176; also see Figs.17-18 and 28).
With respect to claim 6, Jeong further discloses when the passage of the emitting body in the monitoring zone has been determined to have occurred, the control unit 109 is configured to verify, based on the first and second detection signals, whether the passage of the emitting body in the monitoring zone has occurred along a first passage direction or a second passage direction opposite to each other and extending in the monitoring zone (par.0148).
With respect to claim 7, Jeong further discloses that the first and second detection signals are respective temperature signals indicative of a temperature of the emitting body, when the emitting body is present respectively in the first and second fields of view (Figs.17, 19, 21, 23 and/or 28); or that the first and second detection signals are respective motion signals indicative of variations over time of respective temperature signals configured to be generated respectively by the first and second IR radiation sensors 144-1,2 and indicative of the temperature of the emitting body, when the emitting body is present respectively in the first and the second fields of view (Figs.17, 19, 21, 23 and/or 28).
With respect to claim 10, Jeong further discloses that the first and second detection signals are the respective motion signals, where the control unit 109 is configured to confirm that the first and the second control signals respectively have the first signal peak maxPIR1 and the second signal peak maxPIR2 within a passage time interval measured starting from a first of the first signal peak and the second signal peak (Figs.19-20) when, in succession to each other in the passage time interval,
h) the first detection signal goes from a value lower than a switching threshold to a value higher than the switching threshold (sufficient magnitude of the signal to indicate motion within the field of view, par.0166 and Figs.17-18, thus triggers the switching on of the video functions), the second detection signal goes from a value lower than the switching threshold to a value higher than the switching threshold, the first detection signal goes from a value higher than the switching threshold to a value lower than the switching threshold, the second detection signal goes from a value higher than the switching threshold to a value lower than the switching threshold; or
i) vise-versa (pars.0148 and 0174-0180 and Figs.19-20).
With respect to claim 8, Jeong further discloses that, to determine whether the passage of the emitting body in the monitoring zone has occurred, the control unit is configured to:
h) verify whether the first and second detection signals respectively have a first signal peak and a second signal peak within a passage time interval measured starting from a first of the first signal peak and the second signal peak (par.0148); and
i) confirm the passage of the emitting body in the monitoring zone if the first and the second detection signals have the first signal peak and the second signal peak in the passage time interval (Figs.19-20, if time interval between peaks of adjacent sensors is less than a threshold, then it is likely a vehicle and not a person, and is thus filtered out as a false positive; while longer time periods are likely a person and the system continues operation accordingly).
With respect to claim 11, Jeong further discloses that, to verify whether passage of the emitting body in the monitoring zone has occurred along the first passage direction or the second passage direction, the control unit 109 is further configured to:
h) verify which of a first signal peak of the first detection signal and a second signal peak of the second detection signal has been detected first in a passage time interval measured starting from a first of a first peak signal and the second peak signal; and
i) determine that the passage of the emitting body in the monitoring zone has occurred along the first passage direction if the first signal peak precedes the second signal peak in the passage time interval, or determine that the passage of the emitting body in the monitoring zone has occurred along the second passage direction if the second signal peak precedes the first signal peak in the passage time interval (par.0148).
Regarding claim 12, Zeong discloses a method for detecting a passage of an IR radiation emitting body in a monitoring zone (Figs.1-5, 9A-11 and 17-28), including:
a) detecting, by a first IR radiation sensor 144-1 on a first surface 178 of a device, the IR radiation of the emitting body when the emitting body is in a first field of view (Zones 1+2) of the first IR radiation sensor 144-1 (Figs.9A and 11);
b) detecting, by a second IR radiation sensor 144-2 on a second surface 178 of the device, the IR radiation of the emitting body when the emitting body is in a second field of view (Zones 2+3+4) of the second IR radiation sensor 144-2, the first surface 178 and the second surface 178 being mutually tilted and configured to face the monitoring zone (Figs.9A and 11, also see pars.0145-0146);
c) receiving, by a control unit 109 of the device, a first detection signal from the first IR radiation sensor 144-1 and a second detection signal from the second IR radiation sensor 144-2, the first and second detection signals indicating a presence or an absence of the emitting body in the first and second fields of view, respectively (Figs.17-18), the first and second fields of view are configured to be partially superimposed on each other at the monitoring zone (Zone 2, Fig.11); and
d) determining, by the control unit 109 and based on the first and second detection signals, whether the passage of the emitting body in the monitoring zone has occurred (par.0176; also see Figs.17-18 and 28).
With respect to claim 13, Jeong further discloses verifying, when the passage of the emitting body in the monitoring zone has been determined to have occurred and based on the first and second detection signals, whether the passage of the emitting body in the monitoring zone has occurred along a first passage direction or a second passage direction opposite to each other and extending in the monitoring zone (par.0148).
With respect to claim 14, Jeong further discloses that the first and second detection signals are respective temperature signals indicative of a temperature of the emitting body, when the emitting body is present respectively in the first and second fields of view (Figs.17, 19, 21, 23 and/or 28); or that the first and second detection signals are respective motion signals indicative of variations over time of respective temperature signals configured to be generated respectively by the first and second IR radiation sensors 144-1,2 and indicative of the temperature of the emitting body, when the emitting body is present respectively in the first and the second fields of view (Figs.17, 19, 21, 23 and/or 28).
With respect to claim 15, Jeong further discloses:
e) verifying, by the control unit 109, whether the first and second detection signals respectively have a first signal peak and a second signal peak within a passage time interval measured starting from a first of the first signal peak and the second signal peak (par.0148); and
f) confirming, by the control unit 109, the passage of the emitting body in the monitoring zone if the first and the second detection signals have the first signal peak and the second signal peak in the passage time interval (Figs.19-20, if time interval between peaks of adjacent sensors is less than a threshold, then it is likely a vehicle and not a person, and is thus filtered out as a false positive; while longer time periods are likely a person and the system continues operation accordingly).
Regarding claim 16, Zeong discloses a device (Figs.1-5 and 9A-11), including:
a) a first surface 178 facing a monitoring zone (pars.0145-0146, Figs.9A and 11);
b) a second surface 178 facing a monitoring zone (pars.0145-0146, Figs.9A and 11);
c) a first IR radiation sensor 144-1 extending on the first surface 178, the first IR radiation sensor 144-1 configured to detect IR radiation of an emitting body when the emitting body is in a first field view (Zones 1 and 2, Fig.11) of the first IR radiation sensor 144-1; and
d) a second IR radiation sensor 144-2 extending on the second surface 178, the second IR radiation sensor 144-2 configured to detect IR radiation of the emitting body when the emitting body is in a second field of view (Zones 2-4, Fig.11) of the second IR radiation sensor 144-2partially superimposed on each other at the monitoring zone (Zone 2, Fig.11); and
e) a control unit 109 coupled to the first and second radiation sensors 144-1,2, the control unit 109 configured to determine a passage of the body through the monitoring zone based on the first and second IR radiation (see at least pars.0148 and 0176, also see Figs.17-28).
With respect to claim 17, Jeong further discloses that the first surface 178 and second surface 178 are surfaces of a substrate 143, an angle relative to the first surface 178 and the second surface 178 and extending through the substrate 143 is between 110o and 170o (Fig.9A, 135o, the complement of the illustrated angle of 55o; also see pars.0145-0146).
With respect to claim 18, Jeong further discloses that the first and second fields of view overlap in a region that is smaller than 80% of each of the first and second fields of view (Zone 2 is roughly less than half of Zones 1+2 and less than half of Zones 2+3+4, Fig.11).
With respect to claim 19, Jeong further discloses that the control unit 109 is configured to determine a direction of the passage of the body through the monitoring zone based on the first and second IR radiation (par.0148).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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 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.
Claim 2 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Jeong, as applied to claim 1 above, in view of Shoham (US 2018/0202865 A1).
With respect to claim 2, Jeong does not specifically disclose that the IR radiation sensors are TMOS sensors. Jeong simply states that any passive IR sensor (par.0140) that is electrically coupled to a flexible circuit board 145 (par.0147).
Shoham teaches the routine practice of using TMOS passive IR radiation sensors for motion detection (par.0014), where the TMOS sensors provide a number of advantages, including reduces cost and improves the S/N ratio with a lower power consumption (pars.0015-0016 and 0020).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the invention for Jeong to use TMOS IR radiation sensors in order to improve motion detection accuracy and lower power consumption of the device, as recommended by Shoham.
Claim 9 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Jeong, as applied to claim 7 above, in view of Horie (US 2014/0319349 A1).
With respect to claim 9, Jeong does not specifically disclose tracking the rising and falling edges of the first and second IR sensor outputs for determining the direction of motion.
Horie teaches the practice of marking the rising and falling edges of first and second detection outputs Os1 and Os2 of a pair of passive IR radiation sensors P1, P2 mounted on a convex surface and having overlapping fields of view D1 and D2, respectively (Fig.3), where the control unit detects, in succession:
h) the rising edge of the first detection signal Os1, the rising edge of the second detection signal Os2, a falling edge of the first detection signal Os1, and a falling edge of the second detection signal Os2 (Fig.3(d) corresponding to direction Fig.3(b)); or
i) vise versa (Fig.3(c), corresponding to direction Fig.3(a)).
By analyzing the waveforms, the speed of motion across the fields of view, as well as the distance of that motion from the sensor, may be determined for additional useful information regarding the movement speed of the emitting body and proximal location relative to the sensor (pars.0012 and 0070-0071).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the invention for Jeong to measure the direction of motion based on the succession of rising and falling edges of the first and second detection signals in order to provide additional useful information, including the speed and/or distance from the sensor, as taught by Horie.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure (see attached PTO-892 unless otherwise specified): EP 0 326 942 A2 teaches a passive IR sensor having a similar physical layout to that claimed, and the remaining prior art are US patent family members.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to THOMAS R ARTMAN whose telephone number is (571)272-2485. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Thursday 10am-6:30pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, David Makiya can be reached on 571.272.2273. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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THOMAS R. ARTMAN
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 2884
/THOMAS R ARTMAN/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2884