Prior art

To identify the most relevant prior art for US patent 8810803, I will focus on the patent citations explicitly marked as "Cited by examiner" from the "Citations" section of the Google Patents record for US8810803. The priority date for US8810803 is November 12, 2007, so any anticipatory prior art must have a publication or filing date before this.

Here's an analysis of the examiner-cited prior art:

Most Relevant Prior Art for US8810803

1. US5418583A

• Full Citation: US5418583A, Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd., "Optical illumination system and projection display apparatus using the same"
• Publication/Filing Date: Publication: May 23, 1995. Priority: March 31, 1992. (Date is prior to US8810803's priority date of 2007-11-12)
• Brief Description: This patent describes an optical illumination system that uses a light source (e.g., a lamp) and an integrator, such as a fly's eye lens, to obtain uniform illumination. It mentions a lenticular lens array for beam shaping.
• Potential Anticipation (35 U.S.C. § 102): This patent potentially anticipates elements of Claims 1 and 15 related to a "light source" and a "cluster of lenses" (fly's eye lens or lenticular array can be considered a cluster of lenses for illumination). It describes an illumination system, but the specific configuration with a condenser lens concentrating light towards the center of the cluster, and the application to projecting a pattern of light for computer vision to determine object location, would need further detailed comparison.

2. US5473396A

• Full Citation: US5473396A, Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd., "Display apparatus and method of making the same"
• Publication/Filing Date: Publication: December 5, 1995. Priority: September 8, 1993. (Date is prior to US8810803's priority date of 2007-11-12)
• Brief Description: This patent describes a display apparatus with a light source, a light deflecting sheet (e.g., a prism array sheet), and a projection lens. The deflecting sheet scatters or diffuses light from the light source.
• Potential Anticipation (35 U.S.C. § 102): This reference is broadly related to display and light manipulation. Its relevance to US8810803's specific combination of emitters in a pattern, a condenser lens, and a cluster of lenses for projecting a pattern for computer vision is less direct but might broadly cover aspects of a "light source" and "lenses."

3. US5662401A

• Full Citation: US5662401A, Philips Electronics North America Corporation, "Integrating lens array and image forming method for improved optical efficiency"
• Publication/Filing Date: Publication: September 2, 1997. Priority: December 13, 1995. (Date is prior to US8810803's priority date of 2007-11-12)
• Brief Description: This patent details an integrating lens array for improved optical efficiency in illumination systems, particularly for projection displays. It focuses on homogenizing light.
• Potential Anticipation (35 U.S.C. § 102): This reference discusses an "integrating lens array," which is analogous to a "cluster of lenses" in US8810803. It also relates to optical efficiency, which the condenser lens in US8810803 aims to improve. The core difference would likely lie in the purpose (homogenizing light vs. projecting a distinct pattern for computer vision) and the specific arrangement with a patterned emitter array for that purpose.

4. US5900982A

• Full Citation: US5900982A, Projectavision, Inc., "High efficiency light valve projection system"
• Publication/Filing Date: Publication: May 4, 1999. Priority: December 31, 1987. (Date is prior to US8810803's priority date of 2007-11-12)
• Brief Description: This patent describes a projection system with a light source, an integrating lens array (e.g., fly's eye lens), and a condenser lens to direct light efficiently to a light valve.
• Potential Anticipation (35 U.S.C. § 102): This patent is highly relevant as it explicitly mentions a "light source," an "integrating lens array" (cluster of lenses), and a "condenser lens" for efficient light delivery. This combination is central to Claims 1 and 15 of US8810803. The key distinction for US8810803 would be the "plurality of emitters arranged in a pattern" in the light source, and the concurrent focusing and projecting light from each of the emitters in a plurality of directions to form a detectable pattern for object location determination by a computing device.

5. US5997150A

• Full Citation: US5997150A, Texas Instruments Incorporated, "Multiple emitter illuminator engine"
• Publication/Filing Date: Publication: December 7, 1999. Priority: October 25, 1995. (Date is prior to US8810803's priority date of 2007-11-12)
• Brief Description: This patent describes an illuminator engine with multiple emitters (e.g., LEDs) arranged in an array, and optical elements to combine and project light from these emitters.
• Potential Anticipation (35 U.S.C. § 102): This patent directly addresses a "light source including multiple emitters configured to emit light, the plurality of emitters arranged in a pattern," which is a core element of Claims 1, 8, and 15. The "optical elements to combine and project light" could potentially overlap with the function of a condenser lens and a cluster of lenses. The specificity of US8810803's lens cluster concurrently focusing and projecting light from each of the emitters in a plurality of directions to create a pattern for computer vision would be the differentiating factor.

6. US6254246B1

• Full Citation: US6254246B1, Industrial Technology Research Institute, "Illumination device and image projection apparatus comprising the device"
• Publication/Filing Date: Publication: July 3, 2001. Priority: May 26, 1998. (Date is prior to US8810803's priority date of 2007-11-12)
• Brief Description: This patent discloses an illumination device that includes a plurality of light sources (e.g., LEDs) and a collimator (lens array) to collimate the light from each source, then a condenser lens and an integrator to provide uniform illumination.
• Potential Anticipation (35 U.S.C. § 102): This patent is highly relevant as it features a "plurality of light sources" (emitters), a "collimator (lens array)" (cluster of lenses), and a "condenser lens," a combination directly recited in Claims 1, 8, and 15. The distinction likely lies in the overall goal (uniform illumination vs. specific patterned projection for computer vision) and the "concurrently focusing and projecting light from each of the emitters in a plurality of directions" aspect of US8810803's lens cluster.

7. US6464375B2

• Full Citation: US6464375B2, Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd., "Lens element and illumination optical apparatus and projection display apparatus"
• Publication/Filing Date: Publication: October 15, 2002. Priority: March 12, 1998. (Date is prior to US8810803's priority date of 2007-11-12)
• Brief Description: This patent describes an illumination optical apparatus with a light source, a first lens array, and a second lens array, designed to improve illumination uniformity and efficiency.
• Potential Anticipation (35 U.S.C. § 102): This patent involves a light source and multiple lens arrays, which could correspond to the light source and cluster of lenses in US8810803. The condenser lens element from US8810803's claims might be represented by one of the lens arrays or an implied optical component. Similar to other illumination patents, the primary distinction would likely be the specific configuration for patterned light projection for computer vision.

8. US6513953B1

• Full Citation: US6513953B1, Seiko Epson Corporation, "Illumination system and projector"
• Publication/Filing Date: Publication: February 4, 2003. Priority: February 23, 1999. (Date is prior to US8810803's priority date of 2007-11-12)
• Brief Description: This patent describes an illumination system using a light source and a fly-eye lens array (integrator) to homogenize light, along with other optical components for projection.
• Potential Anticipation (35 U.S.C. § 102): This patent presents a light source and a "fly-eye lens array," which directly relates to US8810803's "cluster of lenses." The presence and function of a condenser lens, and the precise interaction of the patterned emitters with the lens cluster to produce a computer-vision-detectable pattern, would be critical for differentiation.

9. US6882480B2

• Full Citation: US6882480B2, Seiko Epson Corporation, "Optical device, optical unit and projector"
• Publication/Filing Date: Publication: April 19, 2005. Priority: August 8, 2002. (Date is prior to US8810803's priority date of 2007-11-12)
• Brief Description: This patent describes an optical device for a projector, including a light source and a lens array for optical integration and homogenization.
• Potential Anticipation (35 U.S.C. § 102): Similar to other Epson patents, this references a "light source" and "lens array." The specific claim elements of US8810803 concerning a condenser lens and the patterned nature of emitters and projected light for computer vision differentiate it.

10. US6902310B2

• Full Citation: US6902310B2, [Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.](/litigations/by-plaintiff/Samsung%20Electronics%20Co.%2C%20Ltd.), "Illumination system and projection display device employing the same"
• Publication/Filing Date: Publication: June 7, 2005. Priority: February 1, 2002. (Date is prior to US8810803's priority date of 2007-11-12)
• Brief Description: This patent discloses an illumination system with a light source, a first lens array, and a second lens array, aiming for improved light utilization.
• Potential Anticipation (35 U.S.C. § 102): This patent broadly covers a "light source" and multiple "lens arrays" (cluster of lenses). Differentiation would depend on the specific features of US8810803's claims, such as the condenser lens and the generation of a specific pattern for computer vision.

11. US20050147135A1

• Full Citation: US20050147135A1, Eastman Kodak Company, "Multi-spectral laser array and optical system"
• Publication/Filing Date: Publication: July 7, 2005. Priority: November 25, 2002. (Date is prior to US8810803's priority date of 2007-11-12)
• Brief Description: This application describes a multi-spectral laser array used with an optical system to generate a combined output. It focuses on using different wavelengths of light.
• Potential Anticipation (35 U.S.C. § 102): This reference mentions a "laser array" (multiple emitters) and an "optical system" which could include lenses. While it deals with "multi-spectral" light, similar to US8810803 discussing different frequencies, it does not explicitly disclose the specific lens cluster and condenser lens arrangement for projecting a pattern for computer vision.

12. US6939027B2

• Full Citation: US6939027B2, Kabushiki Kaisha Topcon, "Light source system"
• Publication/Filing Date: Publication: September 6, 2005. Priority: July 9, 2002. (Date is prior to US8810803's priority date of 2007-11-12)
• Brief Description: This patent describes a light source system comprising multiple LED arrays and a diffusion plate for uniform illumination.
• Potential Anticipation (35 U.S.C. § 102): This patent mentions "multiple LED arrays" which can be considered "plurality of emitters arranged in a pattern." However, it focuses on uniform illumination using a diffusion plate, not the specific lens cluster and condenser lens arrangement of US8810803 to project a unique, discernible pattern for computer vision.

13. US20060001760A1

• Full Citation: US20060001760A1, Canon Technology Europe Ltd., "Apparatus and method for object shape detection"
• Publication/Filing Date: Publication: January 5, 2006. Priority: June 23, 2004. (Date is prior to US8810803's priority date of 2007-11-12)
• Brief Description: This application describes an apparatus for object shape detection that projects a pattern (e.g., random dots) onto an object and uses a camera to capture images to determine 3D shape.
• Potential Anticipation (35 U.S.C. § 102): This is highly relevant in terms of application (projecting a pattern for object detection/computer vision), which is a key utility of US8810803. While it discloses the concept of projecting a pattern (e.g., random dots), the specific optical system to generate such a pattern as defined in Claims 1, 8, and 15 (light source with patterned emitters, condenser lens, and lens cluster) would need a detailed comparison.

14. US20060078015A1

• Full Citation: US20060078015A1, United States Of America As Represented By The Dept Of The Army, "Zonal lenslet array"
• Publication/Filing Date: Publication: April 13, 2006. Priority: October 7, 2004. (Date is prior to US8810803's priority date of 2007-11-12)
• Brief Description: This application describes a zonal lenslet array that can be used for beam steering or other optical manipulations.
• Potential Anticipation (35 U.S.C. § 102): A "zonal lenslet array" can be considered a type of "cluster of lenses." This directly relates to a key component of US8810803. The differentiating features would be the overall system context including the patterned light source, condenser lens, and the specific function of projecting a discernible pattern for computer vision.

15. US20060132725A1

• Full Citation: US20060132725A1, Fusao Terada, "Illuminating device and projection type image display unit"
• Publication/Filing Date: Publication: June 22, 2006. Priority: December 26, 2002. (Date is prior to US8810803's priority date of 2007-11-12)
• Brief Description: This application describes an illuminating device with a light source and a lens array (e.g., a fly's eye lens) to improve light uniformity for a projection display.
• Potential Anticipation (35 U.S.C. § 102): This reference discloses a "light source" and a "lens array," similar to the components in US8810803. The primary difference, again, would be the intent and specific design for pattern projection for computer vision as opposed to general illumination uniformity.

16. US7142285B2

• Full Citation: US7142285B2, Carl Zeiss Smt Ag, "Illumination system particularly for microlithography"
• Publication/Filing Date: Publication: November 28, 2006. Priority: May 5, 1998. (Date is prior to US8810803's priority date of 2007-11-12)
• Brief Description: This patent describes an illumination system designed for microlithography, often involving complex optical elements like fly's eye condensers and lens arrays for highly uniform and precise illumination.
• Potential Anticipation (35 U.S.C. § 102): This patent involves a "light source" and sophisticated "lens arrays" (like fly's eye condensers) to manage light. While the application (microlithography) is different, the optical components are similar to the "cluster of lenses" and potentially the "condenser lens" of US8810803. The distinct "pattern of emitters" and the "concurrent focusing and projecting light from each emitter in a plurality of directions" to create a specific pattern for computer vision are likely differentiating features.

17. US7331681B2

• Full Citation: US7331681B2, Litepanels Llc, "Lighting apparatus with adjustable lenses or filters"
• Publication/Filing Date: Publication: February 19, 2008. Priority: September 7, 2001. (Date is prior to US8810803's priority date of 2007-11-12)
• Brief Description: This patent describes a lighting apparatus, typically using LEDs, with adjustable lenses or filters to modify the light output, such as beam spread or color.
• Potential Anticipation (35 U.S.C. § 102): This patent discloses a "light source" (LEDs) and "adjustable lenses," which could broadly relate to US8810803's light source and cluster of lenses. However, it focuses on adjustability for general lighting purposes rather than the specific patterned projection for computer vision with a condenser lens as claimed in US8810803. Note that the publication date (Feb 19, 2008) is after the priority date of US8810803 (Nov 12, 2007), but its priority date (Sept 7, 2001) is earlier, making it valid prior art.

18. US20080245952A1

• Full Citation: US20080245952A1, Troxell John R, "Synchronous imaging using segmented illumination"
• Publication/Filing Date: Publication: October 9, 2008. Priority: April 3, 2007. (Date is prior to US8810803's priority date of 2007-11-12)
• Brief Description: This application describes a system for synchronous imaging that uses segmented illumination. It involves illuminating a scene with a pattern for imaging purposes.
• Potential Anticipation (35 U.S.C. § 102): This is highly relevant due to its focus on "segmented illumination" and using a "pattern" for imaging, which aligns with the computer vision application of US8810803. The description of the optical components to generate this segmented illumination (i.e., whether it explicitly discloses the specific combination of patterned emitters, condenser lens, and lens cluster as in US8810803) would be key to determining anticipation. The publication date (Oct 9, 2008) is after US8810803's priority date, but its priority date (April 3, 2007) is earlier, making it valid prior art.

19. US20120080411A1

• Full Citation: US20120080411A1, Panasonic Corporation, "Laser illumination system with reduced speckle"
• Publication/Filing Date: Publication: April 5, 2012. Priority: September 30, 2010. (Date is after US8810803's priority date of 2007-11-12)
• Brief Description: This application describes a laser illumination system designed to reduce speckle, often by using multiple light sources and optical elements.
• Potential Anticipation (35 U.S.C. § 102): This reference is not prior art to US8810803 because its priority date (September 30, 2010) is after the priority date of US8810803 (November 12, 2007).

20. US20120293625A1

• Full Citation: US20120293625A1, Sick Ag, "3d-camera and method for the three-dimensional monitoring of a monitoring area"
• Publication/Filing Date: Publication: November 22, 2012. Priority: May 18, 2011. (Date is after US8810803's priority date of 2007-11-12)
• Brief Description: This application describes a 3D camera system for monitoring areas, which likely involves structured light projection and depth sensing.
• Potential Anticipation (35 U.S.C. § 102): This reference is not prior art to US8810803 because its priority date (May 18, 2011) is after the priority date of US8810803 (November 12, 2007).

Summary of Most Relevant Prior Art:

The most relevant prior art appears to be patents that combine aspects of multiple light emitters, lens arrays/clusters, and potentially condenser lenses. Specifically:

• US5900982A (Projectavision, Inc.): Directly mentions a light source, integrating lens array, and condenser lens, which are all components of US8810803's Claims 1 and 15. The key distinction would be the specific "patterned" nature of emitters and projected light for computer vision.
• US5997150A (Texas Instruments Incorporated): Focuses on a "multiple emitter illuminator engine" with emitters in an array, directly addressing the "light source including a plurality of emitters configured to emit light, the plurality of emitters arranged in a pattern" element of US8810803's claims.
• US6254246B1 (Industrial Technology Research Institute): Highly relevant as it discloses a plurality of light sources, a lens array (collimator), and a condenser lens, directly mirroring the core structural components of Claims 1 and 15.
• US20060001760A1 (Canon Technology Europe Ltd.): Highly relevant in its application of projecting a pattern (e.g., random dots) for object shape detection/3D sensing, which is the problem US8810803 seeks to solve.
• US20080245952A1 (Troxell John R): Relevant for its concept of "synchronous imaging using segmented illumination" for imaging purposes, further aligning with the application area of US8810803.

For the above references, the novelty of US8810803 would likely rest on the precise combination of these elements, especially the specific configuration of the lens cluster to "concurrently focus and project light from each of the emitters in a plurality of directions" to create a discernible, often semi-random or irregular, pattern specifically tailored for a computer vision system to determine object location, and the inclusion of a condenser lens that concentrates light towards the center of the cluster. The use of invisible infrared light for this purpose (as in Claim 8 and dependent claims of Claim 1) is also a differentiating feature.