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 § 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) 1, 2, 4-8, 10-14 and 16-18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over McMordie et al. (US PGPUB 20110063446) in view of Sasaki (US PGPUB 20100254690).
[Claim 1]
McMordie teaches a method for capturing a target image to be implemented by a system that includes an image capturing device, and a processing module electrically connected to the image capturing device, the image capturing device including a large field-of-view (FOV) camera (fig. 1, wide angle camera 105), a small FOV camera (120) disposed at one side of the large FOV camera (see fig. 2) and including a lens (Paragraph 29), and a beam steering device disposed at the same side as the small FOV camera and including a light reflector (110, also see fig. 2), said method comprising:
the processing module (135) controlling the large FOV camera to capture an initial image (Paragraph 30); in response to receipt of the initial image from the large FOV camera, the processing module identifying an object image of a target object in the initial image (Paragraph 38, The telephoto camera employs a lens 235 that has a significantly longer focal length than that of the wide-angle camera 200. The telephoto camera provides a high-resolution, high quality images needed to conduct accurate recognition of objects of interest);
the processing module obtaining position data related to a position of the target object relative to the large FOV camera in a physical space (Paragraph 38, Using the coordinates of each object of interest based on the image(s) from the wide-angle camera, the moving mirror assembly 205 is positioned so as to train the telephoto camera's optical axis towards the object of interest),
the processing module controlling the beam steering device to rotate the light reflector to a target angle based on the position data in order to make the light reflector redirect light reflected from the target object onto the lens of the small FOV camera (Paragraph 38, Using the coordinates of each object of interest based on the image(s) from the wide-angle camera, the moving mirror assembly 205 is positioned so as to train the telephoto camera's optical axis towards the object of interest);
after controlling the beam steering device to rotate the light reflector to the target angle and controlling the small FOV camera to adjust the focal length of the lens of the small FOV camera to the target focal length, the processing module controlling the small FOV camera to capture a target image that is related to the target object based on the light reflected by the light reflector (Paragraph 43, The moving mirror assembly aims the optical axis of the telephoto camera on the object of interest. Using high performance motors and position/angle feedback sensors, the assembly controls both the horizontal and vertical angles of the mirror in order to aim the telephoto lens throughout the scene. Due to the telephoto camera's zoomed-in field of view, the mirror re-direction system must be fully stopped and stabilized at a precise location during image capture in order to acquire sharp (non-blurry) images of target objects in the scene).
McMordie fails to teach dimension data related to a dimension of the target object, and distance data related to a distance between the target object and the large FOV camera based on the object image and the initial image; the processing module controlling the small FOV camera to adjust a focal length of the lens of the small FOV camera to a target focal length based on the dimension data. However teaches The rough AF function employs a method that measures a distance (a lens-to-subject distance) to the target subject based on dimensions (a size) of the target subject brought into focus on the image pickup screen of the video-supported image pickup device 22, actual dimensions (the real size) of the target subject in real space, and the photographing angle of view (the focal length) at that time, and controls the focus based on the lens-to-subject distance. The rough AF function is performed under the situation in which it is determined that the subject is not in focus by using the normal AF function. The situation, in which it is determined that the subject is not brought into focus by the normal AF function, includes, for example, a case where focusing based on the normal AF function is not possible (for example, a case where an image is significantly blurred). The measuring of the lens-to-subject distance in the rough AF function is performed in the focus/AF-frame operation unit 16 (Paragraph 49).
Therefore taking the combined teachings of McMordie and Sasaki, it would be obvious to one skilled in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to have been motivated to have dimension data related to a dimension of the target object, and distance data related to a distance between the target object and the large FOV camera based on the object image and the initial image; the processing module controlling the small FOV camera to adjust a focal length of the lens of the small FOV camera to a target focal length based on the dimension data in order to not have a large difference in focus during zooming thereby having a precise focus on the target subject.
[Claim 2]
McMordie teaches wherein identifying the object image of the target object includes the processing module using an image recognition algorithm to identify a plurality of object images in the initial image, where the object image of the target object is one of the plurality of object images in the initial image, wherein controlling the beam steering device to rotate the light reflector to the target angle includes the processing module calculating a rotation angle of the light reflector based on the position data, and controlling the beam steering device to rotate the light reflector at the rotation angle to the target angle (Paragraph 38, The telephoto camera employs a lens 235 that has a significantly longer focal length than that of the wide-angle camera 200. The telephoto camera provides a high-resolution, high quality images needed to conduct accurate recognition of objects of interest. Using the coordinates of each object of interest based on the image(s) from the wide-angle camera, the moving mirror assembly 205 is positioned so as to train the telephoto camera's optical axis towards the object of interest and Paragraph 39, FIG. 3 illustrates one approach for identifying human faces in a scene 305 containing multiple people located at varying distances from the camera. Video of the entire scene 305 from the wide-angle camera is analyzed computationally using one or more computer-vision and/or video analytics algorithms in order to locate and track the position of heads within the camera's field-of-view. The location of each person is then used to direct the moving mirror assembly to aim the telephoto camera field of view in order to rapidly acquire high resolution images of each individual's face in sequence).
McMordie in view of Sasaki fails to teach an artificial intelligence- based algorithm for identifying objects. However Official Notice is taken that it is very well known to have used artificial intelligence- based algorithm for identifying objects in order to have the process quicker and automatically done.
Therefore taking the combined teachings of McMordie and Sasaki, it would be obvious to one skilled in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to have been motivated to have artificial intelligence- based algorithm for identifying objects in order to have the process quicker and automatically done.
[Claim 4]
McMordie teaches the lens of the small FOV camera being one of a liquid zoom lens and a motorized zoom lens (Paragraph 43, Using high performance motors and position/angle feedback sensors, the assembly controls both the horizontal and vertical angles of the mirror in order to aim the telephoto lens throughout the scene. Due to the telephoto camera's zoomed-in field of view, the mirror re-direction system must be fully stopped and stabilized at a precise location during image capture in order to acquire sharp (non-blurry) images of target objects in the scene), wherein controlling the small FOV camera to capture the target image includes the processing module controlling the lens of the small FOV camera to perform autofocus in order to focus on a virtual image of the target object reflected in the light reflector (, and then controlling the small FOV camera to take a picture of the virtual image of the target object as the target image (Paragraph 29, Focal length and aperture of the lens used on this camera are chosen by application in order to achieve the desired range and depth-of-field (or in other words focusing) , but in all cases the focal length of the telephoto camera lens is significantly longer than that of the wide-angle camera lens).
[Claim 5]
McMordie teaches the small FOV camera transmitting the target image to the processing module (Paragraph 30, The wide-angle and telephoto capture devices 135 and 145 provide the means to acquire video information from the wide-angle 105 and telephoto 120 cameras into computer memory for processing by the wide-angle image processor 165 or the telephoto image processor 185, respectively); and the processing module, in response to receipt of the target image, performing image recognition on the target image to obtain information related to the target object (Paragraph 39, FIG. 3 illustrates one approach for identifying human faces in a scene 305 containing multiple people located at varying distances from the camera. Video of the entire scene 305 from the wide-angle camera is analyzed computationally using one or more computer-vision and/or video analytics algorithms in order to locate and track the position of heads within the camera's field-of-view).
[Claim 6]
McMordie teaches the beam steering device is a servo-driven mirror (Paragraph 44, FIG. 4 depicts a rotary servo in which a multi-domain magnetic position encoder assembly 400 is used with a multi-domain magnetic ring 420 to providing repeatable positioning of the mirror assembly within an accuracy of approximately +/-2.times.10.sup.-5 radians) , and further including a driver connected to the light reflector for driving the light reflector to rotate, wherein the processing module controlling the beam steering device to rotate the light reflector to the target angle is by controlling the driver to rotate the light reflector to the target angle (Paragraphs 44 and 45, n order to move the mirror quickly enough to stop and stabilize within the time between successive exposures of video fields, a powerful actuator 430 having low mass and/or inertia is used to drive the shaft 410 connected to the mirror positioning assembly. In some embodiments, a rotary voice coil actuator is used to achieve the necessary combination of high speed and low inertia and/or mass. The combination of a powerful, low-mass/inertia actuator and a precision sensing mechanism results in the short mirror repositioning times which are needed to allow the mirror to be trained on a new subject for each new video frame of field).
[Claims 7, 8, 10-14 and 16-18]
These are apparatus and computer product claims corresponding to method claims 1, 2 and 4-6 and are therefore analyzed and rejected based upon method claims 1, 2 and 4-6 respectively.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 3, 9 and 15 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. The prior art fails to teach or suggest “wherein controlling the small FOV camera to adjust the focal length of the lens of the small FOV camera to the target focal length includes the processing module calculating the target focal length based on the dimension data and the distance data, and controlling the small FOV camera to adjust the focal length of the lens of the small FOV camera to the target focal length thus calculated, wherein the target image shows an enlarged view of the target subject”.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to YOGESH K AGGARWAL whose telephone number is (571)272-7360. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday 9:30-6.
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, Sinh Tran can be reached at 5712727564. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
/YOGESH K AGGARWAL/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2637
Prosecution Insights