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 .
Election/Restrictions
Applicant's election with traverse of Species I (Figs. 1-7 and 9) and corresponding claims 1-9 and 14-17 in the reply filed on 06/23/2026 is acknowledged. Claims 10-13 have been withdrawn from consideration. The traversal is on the ground that Species I and Species II incorporate the same processing and sensor architecture and would not place serious search/examination burden on the Examiner. This is not found persuasive because, as clearly shown in Fig. 8 of species II and corresponding disclosure in the specification, cameras 104 and 108 are controlled by a first processing unit 102 via VS1 and VS3. A second processing unit 122, on the other hand, generates VS4 and VS5 based on VS2 to control cameras 124 and 128. The operational mode and structural circuit configuration in the species II are distinct from the species I. The routing of VSYNC signals VS2 and VS5 to subsequent processing units 122 and 126 as shown in Fig. 8 of species II clearly changes the architecture of the imaging system. Prior art applicable to one species would not likely be applicable to another species due to such distinct features being claimed. Therefore, there is a serious search and examination for these patentably species due to their mutually exclusive characteristics.
The requirement is still deemed proper and is therefore made FINAL.
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)(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 1-4 and 7-9 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by He et al. (US 2026/0025476 A1, hereinafter “He”).
Regarding claim 1, He discloses a multi-sensor imaging system (Figs. 1-6) comprising:
a processing unit (10), configured to generate a plurality of control signals (Figs. 1-4 and par. [0048]-[0054]); and
a plurality of image sensors (indicated by a plurality of cameras 21-24, 31-34 and 41-44) coupled to the processing unit, each configured to capture a frame image according to a corresponding readout time; wherein each of the plurality of control signals is for adjusting the corresponding readout time of the each image sensor (see Figs. 1-4 and par. [0048]-[0054], wherein each control signal corresponds to a readout time which is adjusted by a frame rate set for each camera).
Regarding claim 2, He also discloses an image signal processor (ISP) (image processor 71 shown in Fig. 7 or an inherent ISP in Fig. 5) coupled to each image sensor and the processing unit (10), configured to process each frame image captured by each image sensor to generate a processed frame image, and send ISP information to the processing unit (note the bidirectional communication between 71 and 10 in Fig. 7 in which some ISP information must be communicated from the image processor 71 to the controller 10); a memory (712) coupled to the ISP; and a display (741 or 742) coupled to the memory and the processing unit, configured to display the processed image frame (see Figs. 5 & 7 and par. [0060], [0067, [0071] & [0076]).
Regarding claim 3, as also disclosed by He, a corresponding control signal of the plurality of control signals is triggered after completing a transmission of settings to an image sensor (see par. [0048]-[0054]).
Regarding claim 4, He discloses that an interval of between pulses of a control signal of the plurality of control signals is adaptively adjusted according to an exposure time of an image sensor of the plurality of image sensors (see Fig. 4 and par. [0051]-[0055], [0063]-[0065]. It should be noted that an interval between pulses of the control signal is dynamically adjusted according to at least exposure start time of an image sensor to coordinate with frame rate of each of the plurality of image sensors in a synchronization mode).
Regarding claim 7, it is further seen in He that said each control signal regulates the readout time of the corresponding image sensor according to a bandwidth load of the multi-sensor imaging system (Figs. 4 & 6 and par. [0049]-[0054], wherein the readout time of each image sensor is encompassed by the frame rate driven by each control signal for that image sensor).
Regarding claim 8, He also discloses that a phase of the each control signal is adjusted independently (par. [0049]-[0054]).
Regarding claim 9, as clearly disclosed by He, the each control signal is a vertical synchronization (VSYNC) signal (Figs. 4 & 6 and par. [0049]-[0055]. It should be noted that the vertical sync is represented by frame synchronization Fsync_slave for each image sensor as the frame synchronization signal comprises a vertical synchronization signal by inherency).
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 5, 6 and 14-17 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over He in view of Liu et al. (US 11,184,553 B1, hereinafter “Liu”).
Regarding claim 5, He discloses a first image sensor (i.e., 31) of the plurality of image sensors (21-44) and the first image sensor is regulated by a first control signal (Fsync_slave_31) of the plurality of control signals (see Figs. 1-6); a second image sensor (i.e., 41) of the plurality of image sensors (21-44) and the second image sensor is regulated by a second control signal (Fsync_slave_41) of the plurality of control signals, and a timing of the second control signal is adjusted relative to the first control signal to synchronize second frame images captured by the second mage sensor with first frame images captured by the first image sensor (Figs. 4 & 6 and par. [0049]-0055]).
Although He does not disclose that the first image sensor operates in a non-HDR mode, and the second image sensor operates in a HDR mode, He discloses that the plurality of image sensors including the first image sensor and the second image sensor can be various models and have different imaging capabilities such as frame rates and resolutions (see He, par. [0006], [0050] & [0055]). It is further well known in the art, as taught by Liu, that different camera models may operate in different modes, for example, a low dynamic range mode (non-HDR or a standard dynamic range mode) and a high dynamic range (HDR) mode in a multi-camera system, wherein the camera which operates in a HDR mode is capable of capturing different images at different exposure times to create a high dynamic range image. According to Liu, the combination of non-HDR images and HDR images from the plurality of cameras provide several advantages under different imaging conditions to improve image quality and effects (see Liu, col. 1, lines 25-55).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to configure the multi-sensor imaging system in He to include the teaching from Liu to obtain the benefits of the non-HDR mode and the HDR mode of the plurality of image sensors as discussed above.
Regarding claim 6, as discussed in claim 5, the combination of He and Liu further discloses that the second frame images comprise a short exposure frame and a long exposure frame (see Liu, col. 1, lines 25-36, wherein the HDR mode comprises different exposure settings which encompass a short exposure time and a long exposure time).
Regarding claim 14, the subject matter of this claim is also met by the combined teaching of He and Liu as discussed in claims 1, 5 and 6 above.
Regarding claim 15, as further seen in the combination of He and Liu, adjusting the timing of the second control signal comprises: advancing a trigger time of the second control signal to align frame images from the first image sensor with short exposure frame images from the second image sensor (see He, Figs. 4 & 6 and par. [0050]-[0055], [0060]-[0065], wherein He teaches that the trigger time of the second control signal for second camera 41 advances to align frame images from the first camera 31 in the synchronization mode demonstrated in Figs. 4 & 6. Taken together with the teaching of Liu as discussed in claim 5, the trigger time alignment would have included the short exposure frame images from the second camera).
Regarding claim 16, the combination of He and Liu further discloses that adjusting the timing of the second control signal comprises: delaying a trigger time of the second control signal to align frame images from the first image sensor with short exposure frame images from the second image sensor (see He, Fig. 8A & 8B and par. [0075]-[0083]. Note the short exposure frame images from the second image camera discussed in claim 5 are included as part of the delaying a trigger time of the second control signal to align image frames from the first image camera in the synchronization mode).
Regarding claim 17, the combination of He and Liu also discloses that the first control signal and the second control signal are vertical synchronization (VSYNC) signals (refer to similar limitations discussed in claim 9 above).
Conclusion
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/NHAN T TRAN/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2638
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