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 .
Prior arts cited in this office action:
Pack et al. (US 20150350839 A1, hereinafter “Pack”)
Neumann et al. (US 20200070355 A1, hereinafter “Neumann”)
Sun et al. (US 20160240579 A1, hereinafter “Sun”)
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.
The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
Claims 1-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Pack et al. (US 20150350839 A1, hereinafter “Pack”) in view of Neumann et al. (US 20200070355 A1, hereinafter “Neumann”) and in view of Sun et al. (US 20160240579 A1, hereinafter “Sun”).
Regarding claims 1 and 15:
Pack teaches an information processing device for simultaneous localization and mapping (Pack [0001], [0051], where Pack teaches This disclosure relates to simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM) for mobile robots), comprising
circuitry configured (Pack [001], figs. 1A, 3A) to:
obtain time-of-flight data of an environment of the information processing device (Pack [0053], [0056], where Pack teaches image sensors 450 may be capable of producing the following types of data: (i) a depth map or point cloud 452, (ii) a reflectivity based intensity image, and/or (iii) a regular intensity image. The 3-D image sensors 450 may obtain such data by image pattern matching, measuring the flight time and/or phase delay shift for light emitted from a source and reflected off of a target);
detect, based on the time-of-flight data, a floor in the environment (Pack [0004]-[0005], [0012], [0053], [0056], [0076], where Pack teaches, the method may include receiving a three-dimensional point cloud, identifying ground plane cloud points, fitting a ground plane to the ground plane cloud points, and updating the ground plane occupancy grid map);
obtain image data representing an image of the environment (Pack [0006], [0012], [0053], [0055], where Pack teaches In some implementations, one of the cameras 420,420r, 420l is a 2D image camera, while the other is a 3D image camera. The camera(s) 420 capture images 422, which the navigation system 300 receives for localizing the robot 100 and mapping its surroundings);
track, based on the image data, the floor (Pack [0006]-[0007], [0066], [0070], [0074]-[0076], claim 6, where Pack teaches A feature 424 may be a specific point or line in an image 422 that a tracking algorithm can lock onto and follow through multiple images 422 (see e.g., FIGS. 4A and 4C). The feature tracker 310 may select features 424 that are bright/dark spots, edges or corners depending on the particular tracking algorithm. In some examples, the feature tracker 320 tracks vertical line features and point features. Each feature 424 represents a specific point on the surface of a real object, such as a floor 5, wall 7, or some object 12 in a scene 10 about the robot 100); and
localize the information processing device in the environment, based on the detected and
tracked floor (Pack [0051]-[0052]m [0069]-[0071], [0088], [0096], where Pack teaches the camera(s) 420 capture images 422, which the navigation system 300 receives for localizing the robot 100 and mapping its surroundings… A navigation system 300 executable by the robot controller 500 concurrently builds multiple maps 310 (e.g., feature based maps 310a, occupancy maps 310b and/or ground plane maps 310c) using image data 302 for simultaneously localizing the robot 100 and mapping its environment).
Pack fails to explicitly teach the ground is a floor and obtaining the time of flight in combination with or based on image pixel data.
Neumann teaches the mobile robots 100, 200 may include a localizing circuit that builds a metric, range-based map of walls and obstacles (using, for example, a laser range finder, sonar, radar, triangulation, time-of-flight, or phase difference calculating) and/or an occupancy map of free space (for example, traversable floor space, or floor space not occupied by an object or fixture), and can localize the robot on the map(s) using techniques such as scan matching, ICP (iterative closest point), and/or RANSAC (RANdom Sample consensus) (Neumann [0064]). And Sun teaches combining the time of flight determination with a plurality of image pixels for acquiring image data in order to determine the position of the device and the environment around the device (Sun Abstract [0009]-[0011], [0022], [0027], [0033], figs. 2-4).
Therefore, taking the teachings of Pack, Neumann and Sun as a whole it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the application to not only determine the time of flight but to also detect the environment including objects in the environment the device, such as the robot or car, is operated in, in order to properly guide and navigate in the environment and avoid obstacles.
Regarding claims 2 and 16:
Pack in view of Neuman and in view of Sun teaches wherein the circuitry is configured to determine, based on the time-of-flight data, a height of the information processing device and a vertical direction in the environment relative to the detected floor (Pack [0005], [0018], [0064], [0092, [0113], [0116]; Neumann [0064]).
Regarding claims 3 and 17:
Pack in view of Neuman and in view of Sun teaches wherein the circuitry is configured to track the floor based on the height and the vertical direction (although nor clear this limitation is interpreted as the tracking based on the height of the walls when indoors outdoor would not work) (Pack [0005], [0018], [0064], [0085]-[0087], [0092, [0113]- [0116]; Neumann [0064]).
Regarding claims 4 and 18:
Pack in view of Neuman and in view of Sun teaches wherein the circuitry is configured to determine, based on the tracking of the floor, a horizontal position and a horizontal orientation of the information processing device (Pack [0018], [0046],-[0052], [0069]-[0071], [0075], [0077], [0083]-[0084]; Neumann [0064]).
Regarding claims 5 and 19:
Pack in view of Neuman and in view of Sun teaches wherein the circuitry is configured to localize the information processing device based on the height, the vertical direction, the horizontal position and the horizontal orientation (Pack [0018], [0046],-[0052], [0069]-[0071], [0075], [0077], [0083]-[0084], [0096]; Neumann [0064]).
Regarding claim 6:
Pack in view of Neuman and in view of Sun teaches wherein the circuitry is configured to obtain sensor data, and to detect and track the floor further based on the sensor data (Pack [0008], [0013]-[0014], claim 1; Sun Abstract [0022], [0024], [0027]; Neumann [0064]).
Regarding claims 7 and 20:
Pack in view of Neuman and in view of Sun teaches wherein the circuitry is configured to localize the information processing device further based on the sensor data (Pack [0008], [0013]-[0014], claim 1; Sun Abstract [0022], [0024], [0027]; Neumann [0064]).
Regarding claim 8:
Pack in view of Neuman and in view of Sun teaches comprising a time-of-flight device configured to acquire the time-of-flight data and the image data (Pack [0055]-[0060], fig. 2A; Sun Abstract [0022], [0024], [0027]; Neumann [0064]).
Regarding 9:
Pack in view of Neuman and in view of Sun teaches wherein the time-of-flight data are indirect time-of-flight data (Pack [0056]; Sun Abstract [0022], [0024], [0027]).
Regarding claim 10:
Pack in view of Neuman and in view of Sun teaches wherein the image data correspond to amplitude data obtained based on the indirect time-of-flight data Sun Abstract (Pack [0056], [0077]; Sun [0022]-[0024], [0027]).
Regarding claim 11:
Pack in view of Neuman and in view of Sun teaches wherein the time-of-flight device includes an image sensor including a plurality of time-of-flight pixels for acquiring the time-of-flight data and a plurality of image pixels for acquiring the image data (Pack [0056]; Sun fig. 1; Neumann [0064]).
Regarding claim 12:
Pack in view of Neuman and in view of Sun teaches further comprising a camera configured to acquire second image data representing a second image of the environment, wherein the circuitry is configured to track the floor further based on the second image data and to localize the information processing device further based on the second image data (Pack [0018], [0055], [0069], [0070], [0074]-[0076]).
Regarding claim 13:
Pack in view of Neuman and in view of Sun teaches comprising a time-of-flight device configured to acquire the time-of-flight data and a camera configured to acquire the image data (Pack [0053]-[0060], [0069]).
Regarding claim 14:
Pack in view of Neuman and in view of Sun teaches comprising an inertial measurement unit configured to acquire the sensor data (Pack [0068], [0079], [0099]).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to WEDNEL CADEAU whose telephone number is (571)270-7843. The examiner can normally be reached Mon-Fri 9:00-5:00.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Chieh Fan can be reached at 571-272-3042. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
/WEDNEL CADEAU/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2632 June 16, 2026
Prosecution Insights