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)(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.
Claim(s) 1-8, 10-16 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as anticipated by or, in the alternative, under 35 U.S.C. 103 as obvious over Pryor (US 6,127,689).
Regarding Claims 1 and 14, Pryor discloses an optical sensing system and method for optical sensing, comprising: (illuminating a scene by means of) at least one optical sensor [Fig 1-3; Col. 3 Lines 35-65]; optics able to produce an image of a scene on the optical sensor [Fig 1-3; Col 4 Lines 10-25]; at least one light source [Col. 3 Lines 35-65], receiving a reflected light signal from the scene by means of a receiver [Col. 3 Lines 35 – Col 4 Line 10]; sampling the reflected light signal [Col. 3 Line 25 – Col. 4 Line 35]; scanning means adapted to scan a light beam from the light source on the scene along a trajectory [Col. 4 Lines 10-25], and a controller, the controller is adapted to vary the output optical power of the light source between at least a first predetermined value, and a second predetermined value higher than the first predetermined value, characterized in that the controller is adapted to vary the optical output power of the light source continuously in an alternating fashion [Col. 3 Line 35 – Col. 4 Line 15].
Regarding Claims 2 and 15, Pryor also discloses an optical sensor has a sampling frequency, wherein the output optical power of the light source is varied between the first and second predetermined values with a rate of at most the sampling frequency [Col. 4 Lines 45-65].
Regarding Claim 3, Pryor also discloses a processing unit, wherein the unit is capable of estimating a power level of the reflected signal by at least one object in the scene and received by the optical sensor, wherein the unit is capable of tuning the controller to vary the output optical power of the light source based on the power level of the reflected signal [Col. 3 Line 25 – Col 4 Line 10; Col. 12 Lines 60-65].
Regarding Claim 4, Pryor also discloses a processing unit, wherein the unit is capable of estimating a distance between the optical sensor and points of at least one object in the scene along the trajectory, wherein the unit is capable of tuning the controller to vary the output optical power of the light source based on
Regarding Claim 5, Pryor also discloses a processing unit, wherein the unit is capable of estimating a spot size of the reflected signal, wherein the unit is capable of tuning the controller to vary the output optical power of the light source based on the spot size [Col. 3 Line 25 – Col 4 Line 10; Col. 7 Lines 10-15].
Regarding Claim 6, Pryor also discloses at least two optical sensors [Fig 11; Col. 7 Line 60 – Col 8 Line30], wherein the distance is estimated by triangulating points of the at least one object in the scene detected by a first optical sensor, with points of the at least one object in the scene detected by a second optical sensor, or with data of emitted light of the at least one light source [Fig 11; Col. 7 Line 60 – Col 8 Line 30].
Regarding Claim 7, Pryor also discloses wherein the unit is capable of classifying regions in the scene to at least two regions, wherein each of the regions corresponds to an output optical power between the first predetermined value and the second predetermined value [Col. 4 Lines 1-10; 25-50].
Regarding Claim 8, Pryor also discloses wherein the output optical power is varied from the second predetermined value to the first predetermined value [Col. 3 Lines 25-65].
Regarding Claim 10, Pryor also discloses a plurality of pixel sensors, each pixel sensor comprising a photo detector, wherein the controller is adapted to vary a bias of each of the photo detectors [Col. 3 Lines 25-65].
Regarding Claim 11, Pryor also discloses wherein the scanning means scan a light beam the light source on the scene based on a beam steering function having a beam angular velocity, wherein the output optical power of the light source is varied based on the angular velocity [Col. 3 Lines 25-65; Col. 4 Lines 35-60].
Regarding Claim 12, Pryor also discloses wherein the output optical power is adapted to be equal to at most the first predetermined value when the angular velocity is less than a threshold angular velocity [Col. 3 Lines 25-65; Col. 4 Lines 35-60].
Regarding Claim 13, Pryor also discloses wherein the duty cycle of the light source is at most 80%, preferably at most 60%, more preferably at most 40%, most preferably at most 20%, wherein
Regarding Claim 16, Pryor also discloses estimating a power level of the reflected signal and tuning based thereon the output optical power of the light source, estimating a distance between the receiver and at least one object and tuning based thereon the output optical power of the light source, or estimating a spot size of the reflected signal and tuning based thereon the output optical power of the light source [Col. 3 Line 25 – Col 4 Line 10; Col. 7 Lines 10-15; Col. 12 Lines 60-65].
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) 9 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Pryor (US 6,127,689), as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Kelly (US 2022/0166909).
Regarding Claim 9, Pryor broadly teaches at least two light sources, wherein the output optical power of the first light source is the first predetermined value, and the output optical power of the second light source is the second predetermined value, wherein the at least two light sources operate at different times [Col. 3 Line 25 – Col 4 Line 10; Col. 7 Lines 10-15; Col. 12 Lines 60-65]. Kelly more explicitly teaches at least two light sources, wherein the output optical power of the first light source is the first predetermined value, and the output optical power of the second light source is the second predetermined value, wherein the at least two light sources operate at different times [0184]. It would have been obvious to modify the system of Pryor to have 2 independently controlled variable light sources in order to obtain time-multiplexed data or allow a window or range of acceptable wavelengths.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JAMES R HULKA whose telephone number is (571)270-7553. The examiner can normally be reached M-R: 9am-6pm, F: 10am-2pm.
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JAMES R. HULKA
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 3645
/JAMES R HULKA/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3645
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