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 .
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 02/12/2026, 09/15/2025, 05/05/2025, 02/10/2025, 12/28/2024, 10/29/2024 are 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.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claim 12 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention. As claimed in claim 12, it is not clear as to what claimed “modifying the one or more characteristics of the first exposure period of the second image sensor comprises avoiding overlapping of the first exposure period of the second image sensor with at least one illumination pulse of the first illumination source.” How modifying the one or more characteristics of the first exposure period of the second image sensor comprises avoiding overlapping of the first exposure period of the second image sensor. The exposure period of the second image sensor could not avoiding overlapping of the exposure period of itself. It does not make any sense. It is unclear what subject matter the applicant is claiming and therefore rendering the claim indefinite.
For the purpose of the art rejection, the Examiner interprets “modifying the one or more characteristics of the first exposure period of the second image sensor comprises avoiding overlapping of the first exposure period of the second image sensor with at least one illumination pulse of the first illumination source.” As “modifying the one or more characteristics of the first exposure period of the second image sensor comprises avoiding overlapping of the first exposure period of the first image sensor with at least one illumination pulse of the first illumination source.”
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.
Claims 1, 2, 5, 7-12, 14 and 16 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Dooley (“Dooley”, US 2021/0164785).
Regarding claim 1, Dooley discloses an imaging system comprising:
a first illumination source associated with a first image sensor, wherein the first illumination source is configured to operate based on a first illumination pulse train (Dooley: see fig. 3B and par. [0070], wherein a first illumination source as floor IR illumination associate with localization camera, wherein the first illumination source as floor IR illumination is configured to operate based on a first illumination pulse train of flood IR illumination);
a second image sensor (Dooley: a depth camera, see par. [0070]); and
a controller (34) comprising processing circuitry, the controller communicatively coupled to the first illumination source, the first image sensor and the second image sensor, wherein the controller is configured to:
determine a start time period and an end time period of a first exposure period of the second image sensor (Dooley: see fig. 3B and par. [0093], wherein the exposure time of depth camera is determined), and
modify one or more characteristics of the first exposure period of the second image sensor to overlap with an illumination period of the first illumination source (Dooley: see fig. 3B and par. [0093], modify one or more characteristics of the first exposure period of the second image sensor as depth camera to overlap with an illumination period of the first illumination source as flood IR illumination).
Regarding claim 2, Dooley discloses the imaging system of claim 1, wherein the start time period and the end time period of the first exposure period of the second image sensor are substantially or fully aligned with a start time period or an end time period of the illumination period of the first illumination source (Dooley: see fig. 3B and par. [0093], wherein the start time period and the end time period of the first exposure period of the second image sensor as depth camera is fully aligned with a start time period or an end time period of the illumination period of the first illumination source as flood IR illumination).
Regarding claim 5, Dooley discloses the imaging system of claim 1, wherein the first image sensor is exposed during at least a second exposure period, wherein the exposure of the first image sensor during the second exposure period begins simultaneously with a start time period of a first illumination pulse of the first illumination pulse train, and wherein an end time period of the second exposure period extends beyond an end time period of the first illumination pulse of the first illumination pulse train (Dooley: see fig. 3B and par. [0093], in which the first image sensor as localization camera is exposed during at least a second exposure period, wherein the exposure of the first image sensor as localization camera during the second exposure period begins simultaneously with a start time period of a first illumination pulse of the first illumination pulse train of the flood IR illumination, and wherein an end time period of the second exposure period as localization camera exposure extends beyond an end time period of the first illumination pulse of the first illumination pulse train).
Regarding claim 7, Dooley discloses the imaging system of claim 1, wherein exposure of the first image sensor begins simultaneously with activation of the first illumination source (Dooley: see fig. 3B, wherein exposure of the first image sensor as localization camera begins simultaneously with activation of the first illumination source as flood IR illumination).
Regarding claim 8, Dooley discloses the imaging system of claim 7, wherein the second image sensor remains deactivated during a first illumination period of a first illumination pulse of the first illumination pulse train (Dooley: see fig. 3B, in which the second image sensor as depth camera remains deactivated during a first illumination period i1 of a first illumination pulse of the first illumination pulse train of flood IR illumination).
Regarding claim 9, Dooley discloses the imaging system of claim 7, wherein the second image sensor is exposed during a part of a second illumination period of a second illumination pulse of the first illumination pulse train (Dooley: see fig. 3B, wherein the second image sensor as depth camera is exposed during a part of a second illumination period of a second illumination pulse train of flood IR illumination).
Regarding claim 10, Dooley discloses an imaging method comprising:
operating a first illumination source associated with a first image sensor based on a first illumination pulse train (Dooley: see fig. 3B and par. [0093], operating a first illumination source as flood IR illumination associated with a first image sensor as localization camera based on a first illumination pulse train as shown in fig. 3B);
determining a first exposure period of a second image sensor (Dooley: see par. [0093], wherein the exposure time of depth camera is determined); and
modifying one or more characteristics of the first exposure period of the second image sensor to overlap with an illumination period of the first illumination source (Dooley: see fig. 3B and par. [0093], modify one or more characteristics of the first exposure period of the second image sensor as depth camera to overlap with an illumination period of the first illumination source as flood IR illumination).
Regarding claim 11, Dooley discloses the imaging method of claim 10, wherein modifying the one or more characteristics of the first exposure period of the second image sensor comprises fully or substantially aligning a start time period or an end time period of the first exposure period of the second image sensor with a start time period or an end time period of an illumination period of at least one illumination pulse of the first illumination source (Dooley: see fig. 3B and par. [0093], in which modifying the one or more characteristics of the first exposure period of the second image sensor as depth camera comprise fully aligning aligning a start time period or an end time period of the first exposure period of the second image sensor as depth camera with a start time period or an end time period of an illumination period of at least one illumination pulse of the first illumination source as flood IR illumination).
Regarding claim 12, Dooley discloses the imaging method of claim 10, wherein modifying the one or more characteristics of the first exposure period of the second image sensor comprises avoiding overlapping of the first exposure period of the first image sensor with at least one illumination pulse of the first illumination source (Dooley: see fig. 3B, modifying the one or more characteristics of the first exposure period of the second image sensor as depth camera comprises avoiding overlapping of the first exposure period of the first image sensor as localization camera with at least one illumination pulse of the first illumination source as flood IR illumination).
Regarding claim 14, Dooley discloses the imaging method of claim 10, further comprising: causing exposure of the first image sensor during at least a second exposure period, wherein the exposure of the first image sensor during the second exposure period begins simultaneously with a start time period of a first illumination pulse of the first illumination pulse train, and wherein an end time period of the second exposure period extends beyond an end time period of the first illumination pulse of the first illumination pulse train (Dooley: see fig. 3B and par. [0093], causing exposure of the first image sensor as localization camera during at least a second exposure period, wherein the exposure of the first image sensor as localization camera during the second exposure period begins simultaneously with a start time period of a first illumination pulse of the first illumination pulse train of flood IR illumination, and wherein an end time period of the second exposure period extends beyond an end time period of the fist illumination pulse of the first illumination pulse train of flood IR illumination).
Regarding claim 16, Dooley discloses an imaging apparatus, comprising:
a memory configured to store executable instructions (Dooley: memory 16, see fig. 1); and
one or more processors (Dooley: processor 14, see fig. 1) configured to execute the executable instructions to:
control operation of a first illumination source associated with a first image sensor based on a first illumination pulse train (Dooley: see fig. 3B and par. [0093], operating a first illumination source as flood IR illumination associated with a first image sensor as localization camera based on a first illumination pulse train as shown in fig. 3B);
determine a first exposure period of a second image sensor (Dooley: see par. [0093], wherein the exposure time of depth camera is determined); and
modify one or more characteristics of the first exposure period of the second image sensor to overlap with an illumination period of the first illumination source (Dooley: see fig. 3B and par. [0093], modify one or more characteristics of the first exposure period of the second image sensor as depth camera to overlap with an illumination period of the first illumination source as flood IR illumination).
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.
Claims 6, 13, 15 and 20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Dooley (“Dooley”, US 2021/0164785).
Regarding claim 6, Dooley discloses the imaging system of claim 1.
Dooley does not explicitly disclose that the controller is further configured to: obtain an image frame captured by exposure of the second image sensor during the first exposure period; determine a brightness of the image frame; and activate a second illumination source associated with the second image sensor based on the determined brightness of the image frame, wherein the second illumination source is configured to operate based on a second illumination pulse train.
The Examiner teaks Official Notice that the controller is further configured to: obtain an image frame captured by exposure of the second image sensor during the first exposure period; determine a brightness of the image frame; and activate a second illumination source associated with the second image sensor based on the determined brightness of the image frame, wherein the second illumination source is configured to operate based on a second illumination pulse train is well known in the art.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one or ordinary skill in the art to incorporate the controller into Dooley’s system to supply the ambient light for the scene.
The ration to so do is to ensure the ambient light enough to capture the image.
Regarding claims 13, 15 and 20, claims 13, 15 and 20 are directed to a method corresponding to the apparatus claimed in claim 6, respectively. Claims 13, 15 and 20 are similar scope to claim 6, respectively, and are therefore rejected under similar rationale.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 3-4, 17-19 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to CHAN T H NGUYEN whose telephone number is (571)272-3452. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 8AM-4PM.
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, Lin Ye can be reached at 571-272-7372. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/CHAN T NGUYEN/Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2638
/LIN YE/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2638
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