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 .
Information Disclosure Statement
The listing of references in the specification is not a proper information disclosure statement. 37 CFR 1.98(b) requires a list of all patents, publications, or other information submitted for consideration by the Office, and MPEP § 609.04(a) states, "the list may not be incorporated into the specification but must be submitted in a separate paper." Therefore, unless the references have been cited by the examiner on form PTO-892 or marked as reviewed on an Information Disclosure Statement, they have not been considered.
Title of Invention
The title of the invention is too high-level and generic and is therefore not sufficiently descriptive. A new title is required that is clearly indicative of the invention to which the claims are directed.
The Examiner suggests the following: DETERMINING A MEASUREMENT TARGET REGION WITH A DIRECT TIME OF FLIGHT SENSOR BASED UPON DETECTED EVENTS.
Specification
The disclosure is objected to because of the following informality:
On line 2 of page 6, “laser bean” should be “laser beam.”
Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Objections
Claims 1-9 are objected to because of the following informalities:
On line 1 of claim 1, “a dToF sensor” should be “a direct time of flight (dToF) sensor…”
On line 4 of claim 1, “includes” should be followed by a colon.
In claims 1-9, the recited elements should be properly indented.
On line 4 of claim 4, the comma after “sensor” should be removed.
On line 1 of claim 6, “a dToF sensor” should be “a direct time of flight (dToF) sensor…”
On line 4 of claim 6, “including” should be followed by a colon.
On line 1 of claim 8, “a dToF sensor” should be “a direct time of flight (dToF) sensor…”
On line 1 of claim 9, “a dToF sensor” should be “a direct time of flight (dToF) sensor…”
For claim 1, the Examiner suggests the following amendment:
1. (currently amended) A control circuit of a direct time of flight (dToF) sensor, comprising:
a memory for storing a program code; and
a processor for executing operation in accordance with the program code, wherein the operation includes:
counting the number of events detected in a measurement possible region of the dToF sensor by an event-based vision sensor, and
determining a measurement target region of the dToF sensor in the measurement possible region according to the number of the events.
The remaining claims should be amended similarly. Appropriate correction is required.
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 (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 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.
(a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claims 1-9 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) and 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Wang et al. (US 2022/0308189).
With respect to independent claim 1, Wang discloses a control circuit of direct time of flight (dToF) sensor (Abstract), comprising: a memory for storing a program code (Abstract, [0067], and Fig. 15); and a processor for executing operation in accordance with the program code (Abstract, [0067], and Fig. 15), wherein the operation includes:
counting the number of events detected in a measurement possible region of the dToF sensors by an event-based vision sensor (Abstract, [0006], [0036]-[0039], [0059], [0063]-[0066], and Figs. 1, 9, and 11-14; image sensors 107); and determining a measurement target region of the dToF sensor in the measurement possible region according to the number of the events (Abstract, [0006], [0036]-[0039], [0059], [0063]-[0066], and Figs. 1, 9, and 11-14).
With respect to depending claim 2, Wang discloses wherein the events are counted in each of multiple regions into which the measurement possible region is divided in a prescribed time window, and a region where the number of the events is relatively large among the multiple regions is determined as the measurement target region (Abstract, [0006], [0036]-[0039], [0059], [0063]-[0066], and Figs. 1, 9, and 11-14).
With respect to depending claim 3, which depends on claim 2, Wang discloses wherein the region where the number of the events is relatively large includes a first region, and a second region where the number of the events is less than that in the first region, and the first region and the second region are determined in this order as the measurement region (Abstract, [0006], [0036]-[0039], [0059], [0063]-[0066], and Figs. 1, 9, and 11-14).
With respect to depending claim 4, Wang discloses wherein the operation further includes setting at least any one of a light source or a mirror included in the dToF sensor toward the measurement target region ([0036] and Fig. 1; pulsed laser source 101).
With respect to depending claim 5, Wang discloses wherein, in a case where the number of the events is less than a threshold, determination of the measurement target is refrained (Abstract, [0063]-[0066], and Figs. 12-14).
With respect to independent claim 6, Wang discloses a system including a direct time of flight (dToF) sensor (Abstract), the system comprising: at least one device including a memory for storing a program code and a processor for executing operation in accordance with the program code (Abstract, [0067], and Fig. 15),
the operation including:
counting the number of events detected in a measurement possible region of the dToF sensors by an event-based vision sensor (Abstract, [0006], [0036]-[0039], [0059], [0063]-[0066], and Figs. 1, 9, and 11-14; image sensors 107); and determining a measurement target region of the dToF sensor in the measurement possible region according to the number of the events (Abstract, [0006], [0036]-[0039], [0059], [0063]-[0066], and Figs. 1, 9, and 11-14).
With respect to depending claim 7, Wang discloses further comprising: the dToF sensor (Abstract and [0006]); and
the event-based vision sensor (Abstract, [0037], and Fig. 1; image sensors 107), wherein the processor is included in a control circuit of the dToF sensor (Abstract and [0067]), and a control circuit of the vision sensor transmits at least information indicating the number of the events to the control circuit of the dToF sensor via a communication interface between the vision sensor and the dToF sensor (Abstract, [0006], [0036]-[0039], [0059], [0063]-[0066], and Figs. 1, 9, and 11-14).
With respect to independent claim 8, Wang discloses a method of controlling a direct time of flight (dToF) sensor (Abstract), through operation that is executed by a processor in accordance with a program code stored in a memory (Abstract, [0067], and Fig. 15), the method comprising:
counting the number of events detected in a measurement possible region of the dToF sensor by an event-based vision sensor (Abstract, [0006], [0036]-[0039], [0059], [0063]-[0066], and Figs. 1, 9, and 11-14; image sensors 107); and determining a measurement target region of the dToF sensor in the measurement possible region according to the number of the events (Abstract, [0006], [0036]-[0039], [0059], [0063]-[0066], and Figs. 1, 9, and 11-14).
With respect to independent claim 9, Wang discloses a program for controlling a direct time of flight (dToF) sensor (Abstract), through operation that is executed by a processor in accordance with the program (Abstract, [0067], and Fig. 15), the program comprising:
counting the number of events detected in a measurement possible region of the dToF sensor by an event-based vision sensor (Abstract, [0006], [0036]-[0039], [0059], [0063]-[0066], and Figs. 1, 9, and 11-14; image sensors 107); and determining a measurement target region of the dToF sensor in the measurement possible region according to the number of the events (Abstract, [0006], [0036]-[0039], [0059], [0063]-[0066], and Figs. 1, 9, and 11-14).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Majumdar et al. (US 2018/0045818) teaches a control circuit of a time of flight sensor comprising a memory, a processor, and multiple sensors.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to AVI T. SKAIST whose telephone number is (571)272-9348. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 9:30-6.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Doug Hutton can be reached at (571) 272-4137. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/AVI T SKAIST/Examiner, Art Unit 3674
/WILLIAM D HUTTON JR/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3674
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