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 .
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 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.
DETAILED ACTION
Priority
This application claims priority to US provisional application 63/607,668 filed on 12/8/23.
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 6 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. In particular, claim 6 recites “wherein the second object is the first object displaced relative to the stereo vision system.” However, claim 1 recites “the second object being farther away from the stereo vision system than the first object.” The first object cannot be further away from itself. Claim 6 creates a contradiction that cannot be resolved and is also not examinable.
Claims 16-17 are 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. Claim 16 recites “further comprising estimating a disparity, wherein receiving data from the first camera and the second camera includes activating the first camera and the second camera based at least in part on the estimated disparity.” The order of events here is contradictory. One activates the camera to obtain data to determine the disparity so the activation cannot be based on the disparity as no disparity is estimatable until the camera is activated. For purposes of examination, claim 16 will be interpreted only as estimating a disparity and claim 17 cannot be examined.
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.
(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 1-18 are rejected under 35 USC 102 as being anticipated by US 2019/0098209, Venkataraman, et al. hereafter (Ven).
1. A stereo vision system comprising:
a first camera;
a second camera, the second camera separated from the first camera by a first baseline; and
a third camera, the third camera separated from the second camera by a second baseline, the second baseline greater than the first baseline, wherein the stereo vision system is operable to determine a first depth characterization of a first object using data received from the first camera and the second camera, and operable to determine a second depth characterization of a second object using data received from the second camera and the third camera, the second object being farther away from the stereo vision system than the first object. (Ven fig 1. Illustrates several cameras (104) in module (102). See also ¶46 describing a 4x4 camera, which has more than 3 cameras. Ven ¶5 describes using any two of the cameras to generate a depth map, which by definition determines distances of objects in the image)
2. The stereo vision system of claim 1, the third camera separated from the first camera by a third baseline, the third baseline greater than the second baseline, wherein the stereo vision system is operable to determine a third depth characterization of a third object using data received from the first camera and the third camera, the third object being farther away from the stereo vision system than the second object. (Ven fig 1 top row of the cameras, the leftmost G is a distance from the B, which is a further distance from the R and as each pair is operable to generate a depth map for objects, the distance away from each object is based only on the choice of object to be the third object in an image)
3. The stereo vision system of claim 2, wherein the third baseline is the sum of the first baseline and the second baseline. (This is by definition. See also fig 1 where the distance from left G to R is the sum of left G to B and B to R)
4. The stereo vision system of claim 1, the stereo vision system further operable to form a stereo disparity map, the stereo disparity map which includes at least the first object, wherein the stereo disparity map is based at least in part on the first depth characterization. (Ven ¶50 pixel disparity)
5. The stereo vision system of claim 1, wherein the stereo vision system is further operable to form a stereo pair of images, the stereo pair of images comprising a first image from the first camera and a second image from the second camera. (Ven ¶83 stereo pair)
6. The stereo vision system of claim 1, wherein the second object is the first object displaced relative to the stereo vision system. (This claim is not examined. See the 112 rejection)
7. The stereo vision system of claim 1, wherein the first object is at a first depth in a first range of depths, the first range of depths extending from a first near-depth to a first far-depth, and the second object is at a second depth in a second range of depths, the second range of depths extending from a second near-depth to a second far-depth, the first near-depth nearer to the stereo vision system than the second near-depth, and the second far-depth farther away from the stereo vision system than the first far-depth. (This appears to be definitional and does not provide significant patentable distinctions from the prior art as the first object is already defined as closer to the system than the second object )
8. The stereo vision system of claim 7, wherein the first far-depth is equal to the second near-depth. (This appears to be definitional and does not provide significant patentable distinction from the prior art)
9. The stereo vision system of claim 7, wherein the first range of depths and the second range of depths overlap each other, and the first far-depth is farther away from the stereo vision system than the second near-depth. (This appears to be definitional and does not provide significant patentable distinction from the prior art)
10. The stereo vision system of claim 1, wherein the first depth characterization includes a first depth, and the second depth characterization includes a second depth. (This appears to be definitional and by definition, a depth of the object includes a depth)
11. The stereo vision system of claim 1, wherein the first depth characterization includes a position of the first object relative to the second object. (Ven ¶50 pixel disparity)
12. The stereo vision system of claim 1, wherein the first depth characterization includes a position of the first object relative to at least one object in an environment of the stereo vision system other than the second object. (Ven measures depth from the camera)
13. The stereo vision system of claim 1, the third camera separated from the first camera by a third baseline, the third baseline greater than the second baseline, wherein: the stereo vision system is operable to determine a third depth characterization of a third object using data received from the first camera and the third camera, the third object being farther away from the stereo vision system than the second object; (Ven fig 1. Illustrates several cameras (104) in module (102). See also ¶46 describing a 4x4 camera, which has more than 3 cameras. Ven ¶5 describes using any two of the cameras to generate a depth map, which by definition determines distances of objects in the image; Ven fig 1 top row of the cameras, the leftmost G is a distance from the B, which is a further distance from the R and as each pair is operable to generate a depth map for objects, the distance away from each object is based only on the choice of object to be the third object in an image)
the first object is at a first depth in a first range of depths, the first range of depths extending from a first near-depth to a first far-depth; the second object is at a second depth in a second range of depths, the second range of depths extending from a second near-depth to a second far-depth, the first near-depth nearer to the stereo vision system than the second near-depth, and the second far-depth farther away from the stereo vision system than the first far-depth; and the third object is at a third depth in a third range of depths, the third range of depths extending from a third near-depth to a third far-depth, the second near-depth nearer to the stereo vision system than the third near-depth, and the third far-depth farther away from the stereo vision system than the second far-depth. (This appears to be more definitional and does not provide significant patentable distinction from the prior art)
14. A robot comprising a stereo vision system, the stereo vision system comprising:
a first camera;
a second camera, the second camera separated from the first camera by a first baseline; and
a third camera, the third camera separated from the second camera by a second baseline, the second baseline greater than the first baseline, wherein the stereo vision system is operable to determine a first depth characterization of a first object using data received from the first camera and the second camera, and operable to determine a second depth characterization of a second object using data received from the second camera and the third camera, the second object being farther away from the stereo vision system than the first object. (Ven fig 1. Illustrates several cameras (104) in module (102). See also ¶46 describing a 4x4 camera, which has more than 3 cameras. Ven ¶5 describes using any two of the cameras to generate a depth map, which by definition determines distances of objects in the image)
15. A method of operation of a stereo vision system, the stereo vision system comprising a first camera, a second camera, and a third camera, the second camera separated from the first camera by a first baseline, the third camera separated from the second camera by a second baseline, the second baseline greater than the first baseline, the method comprising: receiving data from the first camera and the second camera; determining a first depth characterization of a first object using the data received from the first camera and the second camera; receiving data from the second camera and the third camera; and determining a second depth characterization of a second object using the data received from the second camera and the third camera, wherein the second object is farther away from the stereo vision system than the first object. (Ven fig 1. Illustrates several cameras (104) in module (102). See also ¶46 describing a 4x4 camera, which has more than 3 cameras. Ven ¶5 describes using any two of the cameras to generate a depth map, which by definition determines distances of objects in the image)
16. The method of claim 15, further comprising estimating a disparity, wherein receiving data from the first camera and the second camera includes activating the first camera and the second camera based at least in part on the estimated disparity. (Ven ¶50 pixel disparity)
17. The method of claim 16, wherein activating the first camera and the second camera based at least in part on the estimated disparity includes activating the first camera and the second camera when the estimated disparity is at least one of greater than a lower disparity threshold and less than an upper disparity threshold. (See the 112 rejection)
18. The method of claim 15, further comprising forming a stereo disparity map, wherein forming the stereo disparity map is based at least in part on the first depth characterization. (Ven ¶50 pixel disparity)
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 of this title, 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 19 and 20 are rejected under 35 USC 103 as being unpatentable over Ven in view of US 2016/0267672, Ciurea, et al. (hereafter Ciurea)
19. The method of claim 15, wherein determining a first depth characterization of a first object using the data received from the first camera and the second camera includes:
Ven does not disclose
rectifying a first image from the first camera with a second image from the second camera;
matching at least a portion of the first image to at least a portion of the second image; and
determining a disparity between the first object in the at least a portion of the first image and the first object in the at least a portion of the second image.
Ciurea ¶163 discloses rectification of the image data, ¶168 matches portions of two images captured from different cameras and determines a disparity. See also ¶171-181. It would have been obvious to modify the system of Ven to include the teachings and depth map of Ciurea because Ven at ¶50 discloses that it contemplates the use of the disparity teachings of Ciurea and incorporated such teachings into the disclosure of Ven.
Claim 20 is rejected under 35 USC 103 as being unpatentable over Ven and Ciurea in view of US 2017/0337702, Chang.
20. The method of claim 19, wherein matching at least a portion of the first image to at least a portion of the second image includes matching a first projected pattern in the at least a portion of the first image to a second projected pattern in the at least a portion of the second image. (Ciurea ¶224-230 discuss matching natural patterns to determine depths)
Ven and Ciurea do not disclose using a projected pattern. However, Chang ¶4-5 discloses projecting a pattern to determine depth information. It would have been obvious to modify the system of Ciurea to project a pattern to determine depth information for the purposes of having an artificial pattern when a natural pattern does not exist in the captured images so that the depth information can be obtained.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
US 2021/0248769, Lou, disclosing a multi-camera depth estimation system
US 2020/0160548, Yun, disclosing disparity determination using a multi camera stereo camera system.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Ming Shui whose telephone number is (303)297-4247. The examiner can normally be reached on 7-5 Pacific Time, M-Th.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Greg Morse can be reached on 571-272-3838. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/Ming Shui/
Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2663
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