DETAILED ACTION
Claims 1-20 are pending in the application.
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 .
Double Patenting
The nonstatutory double patenting rejection is based on a judicially created doctrine grounded in public policy (a policy reflected in the statute) so as to prevent the unjustified or improper timewise extension of the “right to exclude” granted by a patent and to prevent possible harassment by multiple assignees. A nonstatutory double patenting rejection is appropriate where the conflicting claims are not identical, but at least one examined application claim is not patentably distinct from the reference claim(s) because the examined application claim is either anticipated by, or would have been obvious over, the reference claim(s). See, e.g., In re Berg, 140 F.3d 1428, 46 USPQ2d 1226 (Fed. Cir. 1998); In re Goodman, 11 F.3d 1046, 29 USPQ2d 2010 (Fed. Cir. 1993); In re Longi, 759 F.2d 887, 225 USPQ 645 (Fed. Cir. 1985); In re Van Ornum, 686 F.2d 937, 214 USPQ 761 (CCPA 1982); In re Vogel, 422 F.2d 438, 164 USPQ 619 (CCPA 1970); In re Thorington, 418 F.2d 528, 163 USPQ 644 (CCPA 1969).
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Claims 1-20 are rejected on the ground of nonstatutory double patenting as being unpatentable over claims 1-20 of U.S. Patent No. 12,407,803 B1. Although the claims at issue are not identical, they are not patentably distinct from each other because both sets of claims are directed towards determining disparity between multiple images from multiple cameras and adjusting multiple cameras based on the disparity to achieve stereoscopic camera distance functionality. The claims as currently recited in the instant application are found to be anticipatory by U.S. Patent No. 12,407,803 B1 because the aforementioned patent includes all the limitations as currently recited by the instant application.
Instant Application Patent ‘803
Claim 1 - A method, comprising: determining a disparity between first image data from a first camera and second image data from a second camera, wherein the first camera and the second camera are in a stereoscopic configuration; and adjusting one or more of the first camera or the second camera, based on the disparity and sensor data from a sensor other than the first camera or the second camera, to calibrate the stereoscopic configuration of the first camera and the second camera to achieve stereoscopic camera distance functionality.
Claim 1 - A method comprising: determining a disparity between first image data from a first camera and second image data from a second camera, wherein the first camera and the second camera are in a stereoscopic configuration, and wherein the disparity comprises a difference in placement of one or more objects in the first image data relative to the second image data; and adjusting one or more of the first camera or the second camera, based on the disparity and sensor data from a sensor other than the first camera or the second camera, to calibrate the stereoscopic configuration of the first camera and the second camera to achieve stereoscopic camera distance functionality.
Claim 2 - The method of claim 1, wherein the disparity comprises a difference in placement of one or more objects in the first image data relative to the second image data, and wherein adjusting one or more of the first camera or the second camera comprises modifying, based on the disparity and the sensor data, data describing a relative positioning of the first camera and the second camera.
Claim 1 - A method comprising: determining a disparity between first image data from a first camera and second image data from a second camera, wherein the first camera and the second camera are in a stereoscopic configuration, and wherein the disparity comprises a difference in placement of one or more objects in the first image data relative to the second image data; and adjusting one or more of the first camera or the second camera, based on the disparity and sensor data from a sensor other than the first camera or the second camera, to calibrate the stereoscopic configuration of the first camera and the second camera to achieve stereoscopic camera distance functionality.
Claim 2 - The method of claim 1, wherein adjusting one or more of the first camera or the second camera comprises modifying, based on the disparity and the sensor data, data describing a relative positioning of the first camera and the second camera.
Claim 3 - The method of claim 2, and wherein modifying the data comprises modifying the data based on the disparity in response to no objects being identified in the sensor data.
Claim 3 - The method of claim 2, wherein modifying the data comprises modifying the data based on the disparity in response to no objects being identified in the sensor data.
Claim 4 - The method of claim 2, wherein modifying the data comprises modifying the data based on a difference between a first distance of an object identified in the sensor data and a second distance of the object calculated as a function of the disparity.
Claim 4 - The method of claim 2, wherein modifying the data comprises modifying the data based on a difference between a first distance of an object identified in the sensor data and a second distance of the object calculated as a function of the disparity.
Claim 5 - The method of claim 1, wherein adjusting one or more of the first camera or the second camera comprises providing, based on the disparity and the sensor data, a command to crop image data from one or more of the first camera or the second camera to generate cropped image data.
Claim 5 - The method of claim 1, wherein adjusting one or more of the first camera or the second camera comprises providing, based on the disparity and the sensor data, a command to crop image data from one or more of the first camera or the second camera to generate cropped image data.
Claim 6 - The method of claim 5, wherein providing the command comprises determining an optical center of the cropped image data based on the disparity in response to no objects being identified in the sensor data.
Claim 6 - The method of claim 5, wherein providing the command comprises determining an optical center of the cropped image data based on the disparity in response to no objects being identified in the sensor data.
Claim 7 - The method of claim 5, wherein providing the command comprises determining an optical center of the cropped image data based on a difference between a first distance of an object identified in the sensor data and a second distance of the object calculated as a function of the disparity.
Claim 7 - The method of claim 5, wherein providing the command comprises determining an optical center of the cropped image data based on a difference between a first distance of an object identified in the sensor data and a second distance of the object calculated as a function of the disparity.
Claim 8 - The method of claim 1, further comprising generating one or more autonomous driving decisions based on image data from the first camera and the second camera.
Claim 8 - The method of claim 1, further comprising generating one or more autonomous driving decisions based on image data from the first camera and the second camera.
Claim 9 - The method of claim 1, wherein calculating the disparity and adjusting one or more of the first camera and the second camera are performed during an autonomous driving mode of an autonomous vehicle.
Claim 9 - The method of claim 1, wherein calculating the disparity and adjusting one or more of the first camera and the second camera are performed during an autonomous driving mode of an autonomous vehicle.
Claim 10 - An apparatus comprising at least one processor and memory storing instructions that, when executed, cause the at least one processor to perform steps comprising: determining a disparity between first image data from a first camera and second image data from a second camera, wherein the first camera and the second camera are in a stereoscopic configuration; and adjusting one or more of the first camera or the second camera, based on the disparity and sensor data from a sensor other than the first camera or the second camera, to calibrate the stereoscopic configuration of the first camera and the second camera to achieve stereoscopic camera distance functionality.
Claim 10 - An apparatus comprising at least one processor and memory storing instructions that, when executed, cause the at least one processor to perform steps comprising: determining a disparity between first image data from a first camera and second image data from a second camera, wherein the first camera and the second camera are in a stereoscopic configuration, and wherein the disparity comprises a difference in placement of one or more objects in the first image data relative to the second image data; and adjusting one or more of the first camera or the second camera, based on the disparity and sensor data from a sensor other than the first camera or the second camera, to calibrate the stereoscopic configuration of the first camera and the second camera to achieve stereoscopic camera distance functionality.
Claim 11 - The apparatus of claim 10, wherein adjusting one or more of the first camera or the second camera comprises modifying, based on the disparity and the sensor data, data describing a relative positioning of the first camera and the second camera.
Claim 11 - The apparatus of claim 10, wherein adjusting one or more of the first camera or the second camera comprises modifying, based on the disparity and the sensor data, data describing a relative positioning of the first camera and the second camera.
Claim 12 - The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the disparity comprises a difference in placement of one or more objects in the first image data relative to the second image data, and wherein modifying the data comprises modifying the data based on the disparity in response to no objects being identified in the sensor data.
Claim 10 - An apparatus comprising at least one processor and memory storing instructions that, when executed, cause the at least one processor to perform steps comprising: determining a disparity between first image data from a first camera and second image data from a second camera, wherein the first camera and the second camera are in a stereoscopic configuration, and wherein the disparity comprises a difference in placement of one or more objects in the first image data relative to the second image data; and adjusting one or more of the first camera or the second camera, based on the disparity and sensor data from a sensor other than the first camera or the second camera, to calibrate the stereoscopic configuration of the first camera and the second camera to achieve stereoscopic camera distance functionality.
Claim 12 - The apparatus of claim 11, wherein modifying the data comprises modifying the data based on the disparity in response to no objects being identified in the sensor data.
Claim 13 - The apparatus of claim 11, wherein modifying the data comprises modifying the data based on a difference between a first distance of an object identified in the sensor data and a second distance of the object calculated as a function of the disparity.
Claim 13 - The apparatus of claim 11, wherein modifying the data comprises modifying the data based on a difference between a first distance of an object identified in the sensor data and a second distance of the object calculated as a function of the disparity.
Claim 14 - The apparatus of claim 10, wherein adjusting one or more of the first camera or the second camera comprises providing, based on the disparity and the sensor data, a command to crop image data from one or more of the first camera or the second camera to generate cropped image data.
Claim 14 - The apparatus of claim 10, wherein adjusting one or more of the first camera or the second camera comprises providing, based on the disparity and the sensor data, a command to crop image data from one or more of the first camera or the second camera to generate cropped image data.
Claim 15 - The apparatus of claim 14, wherein providing the command comprises determining an optical center of the cropped image data based on the disparity in response to no objects being identified in the sensor data.
Claim 15 - The apparatus of claim 14, wherein providing the command comprises determining an optical center of the cropped image data based on the disparity in response to no objects being identified in the sensor data.
Claim 16 - The apparatus of claim 14, wherein providing the command comprises determining an optical center of the cropped image data based on a difference between a first distance of an object identified in the sensor data and a second distance of the object calculated as a function of the disparity.
Claim 16 - The apparatus of claim 14, wherein providing the command comprises determining an optical center of the cropped image data based on a difference between a first distance of an object identified in the sensor data and a second distance of the object calculated as a function of the disparity.
Claim 17 - The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the steps further comprise comprising generating one or more autonomous driving decisions based on image data from the first camera and the second camera.
Claim 17 - The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the steps further comprise comprising generating one or more autonomous driving decisions based on image data from the first camera and the second camera.
Claim 18 - The apparatus of claim 10, wherein calculating the disparity and adjusting one or more of the first camera and the second camera are performed during an autonomous driving mode of an autonomous vehicle.
Claim 18 - The apparatus of claim 10, wherein calculating the disparity and adjusting one or more of the first camera and the second camera are performed during an autonomous driving mode of an autonomous vehicle.
Claim 19 - A computer program product disposed upon a non-transitory computer-readable medium, the computer program product comprising computer program instructions that, when executed, cause a computer system to carry out steps comprising: determining a disparity between first image data from a first camera and second image data from a second camera, wherein the first camera and the second camera are in a stereoscopic configuration; and adjusting one or more of the first camera or the second camera, based on the disparity and sensor data from a sensor other than the first camera or the second camera, to calibrate the stereoscopic configuration of the first camera and the second camera to achieve stereoscopic camera distance functionality.
Claim 19 - A computer program product disposed upon a non-transitory computer readable medium, the computer program product comprising computer program instructions that, when executed, cause a computer system to carry out steps comprising: determining a disparity between first image data from a first camera and second image data from a second camera, wherein the first camera and the second camera are in a stereoscopic configuration, and wherein the disparity comprises a difference in placement of one or more objects in the first image data relative to the second image data; and adjusting one or more of the first camera or the second camera, based on the disparity and sensor data from a sensor other than the first camera or the second camera, to calibrate the stereoscopic configuration of the first camera and the second camera to achieve stereoscopic camera distance functionality.
Claim 20 - The computer program product of claim 19, wherein the disparity comprises a difference in placement of one or more objects in the first image data relative to the second image data, and wherein adjusting one or more of the first camera or the second camera comprises modifying, based on the disparity and the sensor data, data describing a relative positioning of the first camera and the second camera.
Claim 19 - A computer program product disposed upon a non-transitory computer readable medium, the computer program product comprising computer program instructions that, when executed, cause a computer system to carry out steps comprising: determining a disparity between first image data from a first camera and second image data from a second camera, wherein the first camera and the second camera are in a stereoscopic configuration, and wherein the disparity comprises a difference in placement of one or more objects in the first image data relative to the second image data; and adjusting one or more of the first camera or the second camera, based on the disparity and sensor data from a sensor other than the first camera or the second camera, to calibrate the stereoscopic configuration of the first camera and the second camera to achieve stereoscopic camera distance functionality.
Claim 20 - The computer program product of claim 19, wherein adjusting one or more of the first camera or the second camera comprises modifying, based on the disparity and the sensor data, data describing a relative positioning of the first camera and the second camera.
Conclusion
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/JOHN H MOREHEAD III/Examiner, Art Unit 2639
/TWYLER L HASKINS/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2639
