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 .
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to the claim(s) have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on any reference applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
The text of those sections of Title 35, U.S. Code not included in this action can be found in a prior Office action.
Claim(s) 1, 2, 4-6, and 8-12 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Ferreira (US 2020/0284883 A1) in view of Jost (US 2022/0410931 A1).
Claim 1, Ferreira teaches a vehicle (autonomous vehicle; paragraph 0399) comprising at least one gated camera (camera 81 gated by LIDAR sensor controller 53; paragraph 2349),
at least one light source synchronized with the at least one gated camera, wherein the at least one light source is physically offset (it is inherent that the light source and camera of Ferreira occupy different physical spaces, i.e., is physically offset; see paragraph 2349) from the at least one gated camera (LIDAR pulse, paragraph 2349, is inherently synchronized with the sensor in order to measure the time-of-flight of the radiation pulse; see paragraph 2363), and
a liquid lens arranged in an optical path in front of an image sensor of the at least one gated camera (camera lens may be adjustable, paragraph 2408. An adaptively adjustable lens may be a fluid lens; paragraph 0461),
wherein the at least one light source is configured to illuminate an obstacle during capture of at least one image of the obstacle with the at least one gated camera (electro-magnetic radiation is emitted to probe for obstacles and the sensor system is configured to receive and measure the reflected radiation; paragraph 2446),
but Ferreira is silent regarding wherein illumination of the obstacle with the at least one light source results in a shaded area behind the obstacle captured in the at least one image, the shaded area is dimensioned greater than the obstacle.
However, the dimensions of a shaded area, i.e., a shadow, cast by the light source behind an obstacle is a function of the angle and distance between the light source and the obstacle.
Jost teaches wherein illumination of an obstacle with a light source results in a shaded area behind the obstacle captured in an image, the shaded area is dimensioned greater than the obstacle (“Depending on the angle of the light source to the object 10,11 that casts the shadow 20, the shadow 20 might be larger than the object 10,11 that casts it;” paragraph 0061).
It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have used the teaching of Jost with that of Ferreira in order to improve object detection and to identify false positive identifications (see paragraph 0030 of Jost).
Claim 2, Ferreira further teaches the vehicle further comprising a camera control module (sensor control system; paragraph 5512) which is configured to adjust a focus of the liquid lens in a gate-specific manner (sensor control system may be configured to change camera focus; paragraph 5512. The camera and LIDAR can be synchronized and gated together; see paragraph 2349).
Claim 4, Ferreira further teaches wherein the vehicle is a semi-autonomous or fully autonomous vehicle (autonomous vehicle; paragraph 0399).
Claim 9, Ferreira further teaches wherein the at least one gated camera is oriented forward in a longitudinal direction (see forward FOV of the vehicle; Fig. 65).
Claim 11, Ferreira further teaches wherein the light source is a laser light source (LIDAR light source may be a pulsed laser; paragraph 2436).
Claims 5, 6, 8, 10 and 12 are analyzed and rejected as method claims for performing the functions of the vehicle of claims 1, 2, 4, 9, and 11, respectively.
Claim(s) 13 and 15-23 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Ferreira in view of Jost, and further in view of Wang (US 2018/0220057 A1).
Claim 13, Ferreira teaches a method for operating a vehicle, the vehicle comprising at least one gated camera (camera 81 gated by LIDAR sensor controller 53; paragraph 2349) and at least one light source synchronized therewith (LIDAR pulse, paragraph 2349, is inherently synchronized with the sensor in order to measure the time-of-flight of the radiation pulse; see paragraph 2363), wherein the at least one light source is physically offset from the at least one gated camera (it is inherent that the light source and camera of Ferreira occupy different physical spaces, i.e., is physically offset; see paragraph 2349), wherein a liquid lens is arranged in an optical path in front of an image sensor of the gated camera (camera lens may be adjustable, paragraph 2408. An adaptively adjustable lens may be a fluid lens; paragraph 0461), the method comprising:
capturing, via the at least one gated camera, a plurality of images of a roadway (paragraph 1913 and Fig. 65),
illuminating the roadway including at least one obstacle with the at least one light source during capture of plurality of images of the roadway with the at least one gated camera (electro-magnetic radiation is emitted to probe for obstacles and the sensor system is configured to receive and measure the reflected radiation; paragraph 2446);
but Ferreira is silent regarding recognizing, via the shaded area, the at least one obstacle on or proximate the roadway, wherein illumination of the at least one obstacle with the at least one light source results in the shaded area behind the at least one obstacle captured in at least one of the plurality of images, the shaded area is dimensioned greater than the at least one obstacle.
Jost teaches recognizing, via a shaded area, at least one obstacle on or proximate the roadway (shadows 21 are used to detect presence of traffic participants 11; paragraph 0062), wherein illumination of the at least one obstacle with the at least one light source results in the shaded area behind the at least one obstacle captured in at least one of the plurality of images, the shaded area is dimensioned greater than the at least one obstacle (“Depending on the angle of the light source to the object 10,11 that casts the shadow 20, the shadow 20 might be larger than the object 10,11 that casts it;” paragraph 0061).
It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have used the teaching of Jost with that of Ferreira in order to improve object detection and to identify false positive identifications (see paragraph 0030 of Jost).
Ferreira in view of Jost is silent regarding wherein a focus of the liquid lens is adjusted prior to capturing each respective image of the plurality of images.
Wang teaches wherein a focus of a liquid lens is adjusted prior to capturing each respective image of a plurality of images (capturing method comprises adjusting the focus of each liquid crystal lens 111 during the process of capturing of images; paragraph 0032).
It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to have used the teaching of Wang with that of Ferreira and Jost such that different objects located at different distances can be brought into focus (see paragraph 0035 of Wang).
Claims 15 and 17-19 are similarly analyzed and rejected as method claims for performing the functions of the vehicle of claims 2, 4, 9, and 11, respectively.
Claim 16, Ferreira further teaches wherein the vehicle is a utility vehicle or bus (the LIDAR system described in Ferreira may be installed in a public mobility vehicle, e.g., a bus; see paragraph 3409).
Claim 20, Ferreira further teaches wherein the vehicle further comprises a detection module for the gated camera (analysis component 7402; paragraph 2370-2371), wherein the detection module is configured to feed images to an image processing unit (image data is output from analysis component 7402 to data fusion and analysis component 7316; paragraph 2371).
Claim 21, Ferreira in view of Jost teaches the vehicle according to claim 1, but is silent regarding wherein each gate of the at least one gated camera includes a depth of field in a range from a start position to an end position offset from the start position, and wherein a focus of the liquid lens is configured to be adjusted to an optimal point between the start position and the end position.
Wang teaches wherein each gate of the at least one gated camera includes a depth of field in a range from a start position to an end position offset from the start position (a camera capable of being focused inherently has a depth of field corresponding to the focusing range of the focal lens), and wherein a focus of the liquid lens is configured to be adjusted to an optimal point between the start position and the end position (drive module adjusts the focus of each liquid lens based on a distance between each object and corresponding liquid lens; paragraph 0033).
It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to have used the teaching of Wang with that of Ferreira and Jost such that different objects located at different distances can be brought into focus (see paragraph 0035 of Wang).
Claim 22 is similarly analyzed and rejected as a method claim for performing the functions of the vehicle of claim 21.
Claim 23 is similarly analyzed and rejected as a method claim for performing the functions of the vehicle of claim 21.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. See PTO-892 attached.
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to CHIAWEI A CHEN whose telephone number is (571)270-1707. The examiner can normally be reached Mon-Fri 12:00pm - 9:00pm EST.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Sinh Tran can be reached at (571)272-7564. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/CHIAWEI CHEN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2637
