Obviousness

Obviousness Analysis of US Patent 7916180 under 35 U.S.C. § 103

Based on the "Prior Art" section and the "BACKGROUND" description within US Patent 7916180, the claimed invention, particularly as embodied in independent claim 1, would likely have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art (PHOSITA) at the time of the invention (priority date: August 25, 2004).

Claim 1 of US7916180:
"1. A digital camera system comprising:
a plurality of camera channels, each camera channel of the plurality of camera channels configured to have a field of view;
wherein a first camera channel of the plurality of camera channels is configured to have a first field of view and a second camera channel of the plurality of camera channels is configured to have a second field of view, the second field of view being different from the first field of view;
wherein each camera channel of the plurality of camera channels includes an optics component and a sensor array, the sensor array including a plurality of photo-detectors arranged in an array; and
a processing component coupled to the plurality of camera channels, the processing component configured to independently control simultaneous data acquisition with each of the plurality of camera channels during a frame."

Identified Prior Art and Combinations (from US7916180's own disclosure):

1. Primary Prior Art (from US7916180 BACKGROUND): The patent explicitly states, "Multiple digital cameras with different fields of view can be integrated into a single camera body and used to acquire images simultaneously; however a system including multiple digital cameras is large and expensive."

   • This reference directly teaches:
     • "a plurality of camera channels" (each "digital camera" constitutes a channel).
     • Each channel is "configured to have a field of view."
     • At least a "first field of view" and a "second field of view, the second field of view being different from the first field of view."
     • The cameras are "integrated into a single camera body" forming a "digital camera system."
     • The system is "used to acquire images simultaneously" (i.e., "simultaneous data acquisition... during a frame").
   • A "digital camera" inherently includes "an optics component and a sensor array, the sensor array including a plurality of photo-detectors arranged in an array," as described for the conventional digital camera 100 in FIG. 1.
   • The act of "acquiring images simultaneously" from multiple digital cameras necessarily implies a "processing component coupled to the plurality of camera channels" to manage and process the incoming image data.

2. Secondary Prior Art (from US7916180 BACKGROUND): The "conventional digital camera 100" (FIG. 1, 2A, 2B) further details the fundamental components of a digital camera, including a lens assembly (optics component 110), an image sensor (sensor array 116) with photo detectors, and processing circuitry. This reinforces the inherent components implied by "multiple digital cameras."

3. General Knowledge/Motivation (from US7916180 BACKGROUND): The patent acknowledges the industry's continuous need for "smaller size and/or lower cost" in digital imaging applications, often conflicting with the desire for "higher performance or better image quality, more and/or better features." The express recognition that the known "multiple digital cameras with different fields of view integrated into a single camera body" system is "large and expensive" provides a clear motivation to improve upon this prior art.

Motivation for Combination and Obviousness:

A person having ordinary skill in the art (PHOSITA) in digital camera design, faced with the desire for simultaneous multiple field of view (FOV) imaging (as provided by the known "multiple digital cameras" system), but recognizing its "large and expensive" drawback, would have been motivated to find ways to miniaturize and reduce the cost of such a system.

The broad features of Claim 1, including the plurality of camera channels with different FOVs, each having optics and a sensor array, and a processing component for simultaneous data acquisition, are directly taught by the patent's own description of existing prior art: "Multiple digital cameras with different fields of view can be integrated into a single camera body and used to acquire images simultaneously."

The remaining element of Claim 1 is "independently control simultaneous data acquisition with each of the plurality of camera channels during a frame." When integrating "multiple digital cameras" into a single system, it would be a routine design choice for a PHOSITA to implement independent control over various acquisition parameters (such as integration time, gain, or frame rate) for each camera channel. This independent control would be beneficial for optimizing image quality, especially when the channels are configured for different fields of view, or for advanced imaging techniques like High Dynamic Range (HDR) capture. Such independent control is a natural characteristic of operating distinct imaging paths, even if physically integrated. The patent itself notes that imager electrical operation "can be similar in each camera channel or configured so as to be optimized for each field of view (such as imager frame rate and integration time)." This suggests that optimization for each FOV, including independent control, is a known and desirable engineering objective.

Therefore, combining the explicit teaching of a system with "multiple digital cameras with different fields of view... integrated into a single camera body and used to acquire images simultaneously" with the general knowledge of how digital cameras operate (including optics, sensors, and processing, as described for conventional digital camera 100) and the ubiquitous motivation to reduce size and cost in electronics, would lead a PHOSITA to the claimed invention. The independent control of data acquisition would be a predictable and obvious design choice for optimizing the performance of such a multi-channel system.