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 .
Priority
This application discloses and claims only subject matter disclosed in prior Application No. 15/235,513, filed 08/12/2016, and names the inventor or at least one joint inventor named in the prior application. Accordingly, this application constitutes a continuation.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 02/03/2026 and 07/21/2026 was considered by the examiner.
Drawings
The drawings were received on 09/15/2025. These drawings are acceptable.
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).
A timely filed terminal disclaimer in compliance with 37 CFR 1.321(c) or 1.321(d) may be used to overcome an actual or provisional rejection based on nonstatutory double patenting provided the reference application or patent either is shown to be commonly owned with the examined application, or claims an invention made as a result of activities undertaken within the scope of a joint research agreement. See MPEP § 717.02 for applications subject to examination under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA as explained in MPEP § 2159. See MPEP § 2146 et seq. for applications not subject to examination under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA . A terminal disclaimer must be signed in compliance with 37 CFR 1.321(b).
The filing of a terminal disclaimer by itself is not a complete reply to a nonstatutory double patenting (NSDP) rejection. A complete reply requires that the terminal disclaimer be accompanied by a reply requesting reconsideration of the prior Office action. Even where the NSDP rejection is provisional the reply must be complete. See MPEP § 804, subsection I.B.1. For a reply to a non-final Office action, see 37 CFR 1.111(a). For a reply to final Office action, see 37 CFR 1.113(c). A request for reconsideration while not provided for in 37 CFR 1.113(c) may be filed after final for consideration. See MPEP §§ 706.07(e) and 714.13.
The USPTO Internet website contains terminal disclaimer forms which may be used. Please visit www.uspto.gov/patent/patents-forms. The actual filing date of the application in which the form is filed determines what form (e.g., PTO/SB/25, PTO/SB/26, PTO/AIA /25, or PTO/AIA /26) should be used. A web-based eTerminal Disclaimer may be filled out completely online using web-screens. An eTerminal Disclaimer that meets all requirements is auto-processed and approved immediately upon submission. For more information about eTerminal Disclaimers, refer to www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/applying-online/eterminal-disclaimer.
Claims 21-23, 37, and 42 are rejected on the ground of nonstatutory double patenting as being unpatentable over claims 5, 7, 9, and 15 of U.S. Patent No. 11,797,009 B2 in view of Derenick et al. US 2017/0267374 A1, hereafter Derenick.
Instant Application No. 19/328,309
Claim 21
U.S. Patent No. 11,797,009 B2
Claim 5
An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) configured for autonomous navigation through a physical environment, the UAV comprising:
An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) configured for autonomous flight through a physical environment, the UAV including:
a rigid airframe;
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a plurality of navigation image capture devices rigidly mounted to the airframe at fixed, pre-defined spatial offsets from one another, the navigation image capture devices being arranged to provide overlapping fields of view of the physical environment surrounding the UAV;
capture, by the navigation image capture devices, stereoscopic images of the physical environment during a same timestep;
multiple image sensors configured to capture images of a physical environment surrounding the UAV;
the images of the physical environment surrounding the UAV are stereoscopic images captured during a same timestep;
the multiple image sensors are configured with pre-defined spatial offsets from each other.
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a gimbaled image sensor configured to capture images of a subject in the physical environment; and
one or more processors communicatively coupled to the navigation image capture devices; and one or more memory units storing instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to:
a control system configured to continually:
identify dense correspondences between pixels in the stereoscopic images captured by at least two navigation image capture devices having overlapping fields of view;
process the images of the physical environment surrounding the UAV to detect images with overlapping fields of view;
process the images with overlapping field of view to identify dense correspondences between the images;
estimate distances to pixels in the stereoscopic images based on the dense correspondences;
estimate a distance to each pixel represented in each of the identified images with overlapping field of view using the dense correspondences; and
simultaneously estimate a pose of the UAV relative to the physical environment while generating and continually updating a three-dimensional (3D) map of the physical environment based on the estimated distances, wherein the pose estimation is further based on data from an inertial measurement unit (IMU) calibrated to the navigation image capture devices; and
generate and continually update a three-dimensional (3D) model of the physical environment based on the distance estimates.
generate control commands to autonomously navigate the UAV through the physical environment based, at least in part, on the continually updated 3D map.
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Although the claims at issue are not identical, they are not patentably distinct from each other because claim 21 of the instant application differs from claim 5 of the U.S. Patent in that the instant application includes a rigid airframe, rigidly mounted image capturing devices, simultaneously estimate a pose of the UAV relative to the physical environment, wherein the pose estimation is further based on data from an inertial measurement unit (IMU) calibrated to the navigation image capture devices; and generate control commands to autonomously navigate the UAV through the physical environment based, at least in part, on the continually updated 3D map. However, this is well known in the art as disclosed by Derenick, which is in the same field of endeavor (autonomous UAV 100; spectral sensors 206a-206d; inertial navigation data that may be acquired by IMU or GPS including pose estimates; vehicle controls 218 may provide flight control command signals require for flight augmentation of autonomous UAV 100 in order to land on a surface of a platform) [FIG. 1; FIG. 2; 0032; 0033].
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to use estimate a pose and generate control commands of a rigid airframe with rigidly mounted sensors, as disclosed by Derenick, the motivation being state estimation [0001].
Instant Application No. 19/328,309
Claim 22
U.S. Patent No. 11,797,009 B2
Claim 7
wherein the navigation image capture devices are arranged to provide a full 360-degree field of view around the UAV.
wherein the multiple image sensors are arranged to provide a full 360 degree view around the UAV.
Instant Application No. 19/328,309
Claim 23
U.S. Patent No. 11,797,009 B2
Claim 9
wherein the navigation image capture devices comprise fisheye lenses.
wherein the multiple image sensors are arranged such that at least one image sensor comprises a fisheye lens.
Instant Application No. 19/328,309
Claim 23
U.S. Patent No. 11,797,009 B2
Claim 19
A method of autonomously navigating an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) through a physical environment, the method comprising:
A method comprising:
capturing, by a plurality of navigation image capture devices rigidly mounted to the UAV at fixed spatial offsets, stereoscopic images of the physical environment during a same timestep;
capturing, by multiple navigation image sensors of an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), images of a physical environment surrounding the UAV;
the images of the physical environment surrounding the UAV are stereoscopic images captured during a same timestep and the multiple image sensors are configured with pre-defined spatial offsets from each other.
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capturing, by a gimbaled image sensor of the UAV, images of a subject in the physical environment;
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processing the images of the physical environment surrounding the UAV to detect images with overlapping fields of view;
identifying dense correspondences between pixels in the stereoscopic images captured by navigation image capture devices having overlapping fields of view;
processing the images with overlapping field of view to identify dense correspondences between the images;
estimating distances to pixels in the stereoscopic images based on the dense correspondences;
estimating a distance to each pixel represented in each of the identified images with overlapping field of view using the dense correspondences; and
simultaneously estimating a pose of the UAV while generating and continually updating a three-dimensional (3D) map of the physical environment based on the estimated distances; and
generating and continually updating a three-dimensional (3D) model of the physical environment based on the distance estimates;
autonomously navigating the UAV through the physical environment based, at least in part, on the continually updated 3D map.
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Although the claims at issue are not identical, they are not patentably distinct from each other because claim 37 of the instant application differs from claim 15 of the U.S. Patent in that the instant application includes rigidly mounted image capturing devices, simultaneously estimate a pose of the UAV, and autonomously navigate the UAV through the physical environment based, at least in part, on the continually updated 3D map. However, this is well known in the art as disclosed by Derenick, which is in the same field of endeavor (autonomous UAV 100; spectral sensors 206a-206d; inertial navigation data that may be acquired by IMU or GPS including pose estimates; vehicle controls 218 may provide flight control command signals require for flight augmentation of autonomous UAV 100 in order to land on a surface of a platform) [FIG. 1; FIG. 2; 0032; 0033].
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to use estimate a pose and generate control commands with rigidly mounted sensors, as disclosed by Derenick, the motivation being state estimation [0001].
Instant Application No. 19/328,309
Claim 42
U.S. Patent No. 11,797,009 B2
Claim 5
An apparatus comprising:
An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) configured for autonomous flight through a physical environment, the UAV including:
one or more non-transitory computer-readable media; and program instructions stored on the one or more non-transitory computer-readable media that, when executed by one or more processors of a vehicle, cause the vehicle to:
a control system configured to continually:
capture stereoscopic images of a physical environment using a plurality of navigation image capture devices rigidly mounted to the vehicle at fixed spatial offsets;
multiple image sensors configured to capture images of a physical environment surrounding the UAV;
the images of the physical environment surrounding the UAV are stereoscopic images captured during a same timestep;
the multiple image sensors are configured with pre-defined spatial offsets from each other.
-
a gimbaled image sensor configured to capture images of a subject in the physical environment; and
-
process the images of the physical environment surrounding the UAV to detect images with overlapping fields of view;
identify dense correspondences between pixels in the stereoscopic images;
process the images with overlapping field of view to identify dense correspondences between the images;
estimate distances to pixels based on the dense correspondences;
estimate a distance to each pixel represented in each of the identified images with overlapping field of view using the dense correspondences; and
simultaneously estimate a pose of the vehicle and generate and continually update a three- dimensional (3D) map of the physical environment; and
generate and continually update a three-dimensional (3D) model of the physical environment based on the distance estimates;
generate control commands to autonomously navigate the vehicle through the physical environment based on the continually updated 3D map.
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Although the claims at issue are not identical, they are not patentably distinct from each other because claim 42 of the instant application differs from claim 5 of the U.S. Patent in that the instant application includes rigidly mounted image capturing devices, simultaneously estimate a pose of the UAV, and autonomously navigate the UAV through the physical environment based, at least in part, on the continually updated 3D map. However, this is well known in the art as disclosed by Derenick, which is in the same field of endeavor (autonomous UAV 100; spectral sensors 206a-206d; inertial navigation data that may be acquired by IMU or GPS including pose estimates; vehicle controls 218 may provide flight control command signals require for flight augmentation of autonomous UAV 100 in order to land on a surface of a platform) [FIG. 1; FIG. 2; 0032; 0033].
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to use estimate a pose and generate control commands with rigidly mounted sensors, as disclosed by Derenick, the motivation being state estimation [0001].
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.
Claims 21-48 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.
The term “rigid” in independent claim 21 is a relative term which renders the claim indefinite. The term “rigid” is not defined by the claim, the specification does not provide a standard for ascertaining the requisite degree, and one of ordinary skill in the art would not be reasonably apprised of the scope of the invention. Dependent claims 22-36 fall together accordingly.
The term “rigidly” in independent claims 21, 37, and 42 is a relative term which renders the claims indefinite. The term “rigidly” is not defined by the claims, the specification does not provide a standard for ascertaining the requisite degree, and one of ordinary skill in the art would not be reasonably apprised of the scope of the invention. Dependent claims 22-36, 38-41, and 43-48 fall together accordingly.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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 (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) 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.
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.
The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
Claims 21, 24, 26, and 29 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Oba US 2016/0110618 A1, hereafter Oba, in view of Kojo et al. US 2013/0182906 A1, hereafter Kojo, further in view of Ni et al. US 2017/0305546 A1, hereafter Ni, further in view of Li et al. US 2018/0109767 A1, hereafter Li.
Regarding claim 21, Oba a vehicle (vehicle) [abstract] comprising:
a rigid frame (vehicle) [abstract];
a plurality of navigation image capture devices rigidly mounted to the vehicle (plurality of imaging units 310 are disposed in the vehicle) [0125], the navigation image capture devices being arranged to provide overlapping fields of view of the physical environment surrounding the vehicle (there are two or more captured images obtained by imaging the object at mutually different angles) [0125];
one or more processors communicatively coupled to the navigation image capture devices (approaching object notification system 1; vehicle) [FIG. 2; abstract]; and
one or more memory units storing instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors (one processor-readable storage medium) [0016], cause the one or more processors to:
identify dense correspondences between pixels in the stereoscopic images captured by at least two navigation image capture devices having overlapping fields of view (a subject (object) corresponding to pixels included in an overlap region in the plurality of captured images {instant specification uses feature-based methods to identify overlapping and pixel correspondence, see paragraph [0037]}) [0125];
estimate distances to pixels in the stereoscopic images based on the dense correspondences (a distance (subject distance) to a subject (object) corresponding to pixels included in an overlap region in the plurality of captured images may be calculated) [0125].
However, while Oba discloses determining the distance of overlapping pixels in images of an environment surrounding a vehicle, Oba fails to explicitly disclose a rigid airframe; a plurality of navigation image capture devices rigidly mounted to the vehicle at fixed, pre-defined spatial offsets from one another, the navigation image capture devices being arranged to provide overlapping fields of view of the physical environment surrounding the UAV; capture, by the navigation image capture devices, stereoscopic images of the physical environment during a same timestep; simultaneously estimate a pose of the UAV relative to the physical environment while generating and continually updating a three-dimensional (3D) map of the physical environment based on the estimated distances, wherein the pose estimation is further based on data from an inertial measurement unit (IMU) calibrated to the navigation image capture devices; and generate control commands to autonomously navigate the UAV through the physical environment based, at least in part, on the continually updated 3D map.
Koja, in an analogous environment, discloses a plurality of navigation image capture devices rigidly mounted to the vehicle at fixed, pre-defined spatial offsets from one another, the navigation image capture devices being arranged to provide overlapping fields of view of the physical environment surrounding the vehicle (the imaging unit 2 is a so-called stereocamera configured with two cameras (a camera A and a camera B) whose positional relation is already known and fixed…two cameras to be synchronized) [0081];
capture, by the navigation image capture devices, stereoscopic images of the physical environment during a same timestep (the imaging unit 2 is a so-called stereocamera configured with two cameras (a camera A and a camera B) whose positional relation is already known and fixed…two cameras to be synchronized) [0081];
simultaneously estimate a pose of the vehicle relative to the physical environment while generating and continually updating a three-dimensional (3D) map of the physical environment based on the estimated distances (a technique of simultaneously performing map generation and own vehicle position estimation, an SLAM has been proposed; performs scale transform on the 3D coordinates of the feature point which has been subjected to 3D conversion by the environmental map generating unit 37 using the distance information of the pixel calculated by the distance calculating unit) [0036; 0037].
Oba and Kojo are analogous because they are both related to vehicle imaging. Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to use the three-dimensional map of a physical environment, as disclosed by Kojo, with the invention disclosed by Oba, the motivation being improving scale accuracy of a environment map [0005].
Further, Ni in an analogous environment, discloses an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) with a rigid airframe (unmanned aerial vehicle 10) [FIG. 7]; and
generate control commands to autonomously navigate the UAV through the physical environment based, at least in part, on the continually updated 3D map (carrying out autonomous navigation on the unmanned aerial vehicle according to the first map model) [abstract].
Oba, Kojo, and Ni are analogous because they are both related to vehicle imaging. Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to use the autonomous navigation, as disclosed by Ni, with the invention disclosed by Oba and Kojo, the motivation being autonomy [0003].
Further still, Li in an analogous environment, discloses the pose estimation is further based on data from an inertial measurement unit (IMU) calibrated to the navigation image capture devices (the UAV’s local pose…can be determined via a visual-inertial system, for example, fusing measurement from a camera and IMU) [0027].
Oba, Kojo, Ni, and Li are analogous because they are related to vehicle imaging. Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to use the IMU, as disclosed by Li, with the invention disclosed by Oba and Kojo, the motivation being useful when GPS is not available or reliable [0027].
Regarding claim 24, Oba, Kojo, Ni, and Li address all of the features with respect to claim 21 as outlined above.
Li further discloses the navigation image capture devices are calibrated to the inertial measurement unit (IMU) of the UAV using visual inertial odometry (the UAV’s local pose…can be determined via a visual-inertial system, for example, fusing measurement from a camera and IMU) [0027].
Oba, Kojo, Ni, and Li are analogous because they are related to vehicle imaging. Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to use the IMU, as disclosed by Li, with the invention disclosed by Oba and Kojo, the motivation being useful when GPS is not available or reliable [0027].
Regarding claim 25, Oba, Kojo, Ni, and Li address all of the features with respect to claim 21 as outlined above.
Oba further discloses the dense correspondences are identified using feature-based or correlation-based computer vision techniques (a subject (object) corresponding to pixels included in an overlap region in the plurality of captured images [0125].
Regarding claim 26, Oba, Kojo, Ni, and Li address all of the features with respect to claim 21 as outlined above.
Oba further discloses estimating distances to pixels comprises generating per-pixel depth estimates (a distance (subject distance) to a subject (object) corresponding to pixels included in an overlap region in the plurality of captured images may be calculated) [0125].
Regarding claim 29, Oba, Kojo, Ni, and Li address all of the features with respect to claim 21 as outlined above.
Ni further discloses a flight controller configured to execute the control commands to avoid collisions with objects represented in the 3D map (carrying out autonomous navigation on the unmanned aerial vehicle according to the first map model) [abstract].
Oba, Kojo, and Ni are analogous because they are both related to vehicle imaging. Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to use the autonomous navigation, as disclosed by Ni, with the invention disclosed by Oba and Kojo, the motivation being autonomy [0003].
Claims 37, 42, 47, and 48 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Oba, Koja, and Ni.
Regarding claim 37, Oba discloses a method (method) [title], the method comprising:
capturing (there are two or more captured images obtained by imaging the object at mutually different angles) [0125], by a plurality of navigation image capture devices rigidly mounted to a vehicle (plurality of imaging units 310 are disposed in the vehicle) [0125];
identifying dense correspondences between pixels in the images captured by navigation image capture devices having overlapping fields of view (a subject (object) corresponding to pixels included in an overlap region in the plurality of captured images {instant specification uses feature-based methods to identify overlapping and pixel correspondence, see paragraph [0037]}) [0125];
estimating distances to pixels in the stereoscopic images based on the dense correspondences (a distance (subject distance) to a subject (object) corresponding to pixels included in an overlap region in the plurality of captured images may be calculated) [0125].
However, while Oba discloses determining the distance of overlapping pixels in images of an environment surrounding a vehicle, Oba fails to explicitly disclose capturing, by a plurality of navigation image capture devices rigidly mounted to the UAV at fixed spatial offsets, stereoscopic images of the physical environment during a same timestep; simultaneously estimating a pose of the UAV while generating and continually updating a three-dimensional (3D) map of the physical environment based on the estimated distances; and autonomously navigating the UAV through the physical environment based, at least in part, on the continually updated 3D map.
Koja, in an analogous environment, discloses capturing, by a plurality of navigation image capture devices rigidly mounted to the UAV at fixed spatial offsets, stereoscopic images of the physical environment during a same timestep (the imaging unit 2 is a so-called stereocamera configured with two cameras (a camera A and a camera B) whose positional relation is already known and fixed…two cameras to be synchronized) [0081];
simultaneously estimating a pose of the UAV while generating and continually updating a three-dimensional (3D) map of the physical environment based on the estimated distances (a technique of simultaneously performing map generation and own vehicle position estimation, an SLAM has been proposed; performs scale transform on the 3D coordinates of the feature point which has been subjected to 3D conversion by the environmental map generating unit 37 using the distance information of the pixel calculated by the distance calculating unit) [0036; 0037].
Oba and Kojo are analogous because they are both related to vehicle imaging. Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to use the three-dimensional map of a physical environment, as disclosed by Kojo, with the invention disclosed by Oba, the motivation being improving scale accuracy of a environment map [0005].
Further, Ni in an analogous environment discloses autonomously navigating an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) through the physical environment based, at least in part, on the continually updated 3D map (carrying out autonomous navigation on the unmanned aerial vehicle according to the first map model) [abstract].
Oba, Kojo, and Ni are analogous because they are both related to vehicle imaging. Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to use the autonomous navigation, as disclosed by Ni, with the invention disclosed by Oba and Kojo, the motivation being autonomy [0003].
Regarding claims 42, Oba discloses an apparatus (approaching object notification system 1; vehicle) [FIG. 2; abstract] comprising:
one or more non-transitory computer-readable media (one processor-readable storage medium) [0016]; and
program instructions stored on the one or more non-transitory computer-readable media that, when executed by one or more processors of a vehicle (processor; vehicle) [0016; abstract], cause the vehicle to:
capture images of a physical environment using a plurality of navigation image capture devices rigidly mounted to the vehicle (there are two or more captured images obtained by imaging the object at mutually different angles) [0125];
identify dense correspondences between pixels in the images (a subject (object) corresponding to pixels included in an overlap region in the plurality of captured images {instant specification uses feature-based methods to identify overlapping and pixel correspondence, see paragraph [0037]}) [0125];
estimate distances to pixels based on the dense correspondences (a distance (subject distance) to a subject (object) corresponding to pixels included in an overlap region in the plurality of captured images may be calculated) [0125].
However, while Oba discloses determining the distance of overlapping pixels in images of an environment surrounding a vehicle, Oba fails to explicitly disclose capture stereoscopic images of a physical environment using a plurality of navigation image capture devices rigidly mounted to the vehicle at fixed spatial offsets; simultaneously estimate a pose of the vehicle and generate and continually update a three-dimensional (3D) map of the physical environment; and generate control commands to autonomously navigate the vehicle through the physical environment based on the continually updated 3D map.
Koja, in an analogous environment, discloses capture stereoscopic images of a physical environment using a plurality of navigation image capture devices rigidly mounted to the vehicle at fixed spatial offsets (the imaging unit 2 is a so-called stereocamera configured with two cameras (a camera A and a camera B) whose positional relation is already known and fixed…two cameras to be synchronized) [0081];
simultaneously estimate a pose of the vehicle and generate and continually update a three-dimensional (3D) map of the physical environment (a technique of simultaneously performing map generation and own vehicle position estimation, an SLAM has been proposed; performs scale transform on the 3D coordinates of the feature point which has been subjected to 3D conversion by the environmental map generating unit 37 using the distance information of the pixel calculated by the distance calculating unit) [0036; 0037].
Oba and Kojo are analogous because they are both related to vehicle imaging. Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to use the three-dimensional map of a physical environment, as disclosed by Kojo, with the invention disclosed by Oba, the motivation being improving scale accuracy of a environment map [0005].
Further, Ni, in an analogous environment, discloses generate control commands to autonomously navigate the vehicle through the physical environment based on the continually updated 3D map (carrying out autonomous navigation on the unmanned aerial vehicle according to the first map model) [abstract].
Oba, Kojo, and Ni are analogous because they are both related to vehicle imaging. Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to use the autonomous navigation, as disclosed by Ni, with the invention disclosed by Oba and Kojo, the motivation being autonomy [0003].
Regarding claim 47, Oba, Kojo, and Ni address all of the features with respect to claim 42 as outlined above.
Ni further discloses avoid obstacles represented in the 3D map (carrying out autonomous navigation on the unmanned aerial vehicle according to the first map model) [abstract].
Oba, Kojo, and Ni are analogous because they are both related to vehicle imaging. Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to use the autonomous navigation, as disclosed by Ni, with the invention disclosed by Oba and Kojo, the motivation being autonomy [0003].
Regarding claim 48, Oba, Kojo, and Ni address all of the features with respect to claim 42 as outlined above.
Kojo further discloses perform simultaneous localization and mapping using only the navigation image capture devices (simultaneously performing map generation and own vehicle position estimation, an SLAM has been proposed, and various algorithms on the SLAM have been published) [0036].
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 21-23, 27, 28, and 30-36 would be allowable if rewritten or amended to overcome the double patenting and rejection(s) under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), 2nd paragraph, set forth in this Office action. Claims 38-41 and 43-46 would be allowable if rewritten to overcome the rejection(s) under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), 2nd paragraph, set forth in this Office action and to include all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure: Derenick et al. US 2016/0009410 A1 discloses a lidar-base shipboard tracking and state estimation for autonomous landing.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to STEFAN GADOMSKI whose telephone number is (571)270-5701. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday, 12-8PM EST.
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STEFAN GADOMSKI
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 2485
/STEFAN GADOMSKI/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2485
Prosecution Insights