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 .
Status of Claims
The Office Action is in response to the applicant’s remarks filed 11/06/2025. Claims 1-20 are presently pending and are presented for examination.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments, see 15-24, filed 11/06/2025, with respect to the rejection(s) of claim(s) 1-3, 5-7, 9, 11-12, 14-17, and 19 under 35 U.S.C. 103 as unpatentable in view of Allen US 20190019122 A1 (“Allen”) in combination with Olczak et al. US 20150262474 A1 (“Olczak”) have been fully considered and are persuasive. Therefore, the rejection has been withdrawn. However, upon further consideration, a new ground(s) of rejection is made in view of Allen US 20190019122 A1 (“Allen”) in combination with Pan et al. US 201803740321 A1 (“Pan”) and Kanagarajan et al. US 20200143694 A1 (“Kanagarajan”). Applicant argues that Allen US 20190019122 A1 (“Allen”) in combination with Olczak et al. US 20150262474 A1 (“Olczak”) do not teach the elements of the amended claims, and that the element “wherein the enhanced sensor provider vehicle has additional sensor devices relative to the first provider vehicle” in particular is not taught by the prior art. Applicant also addresses the reference Pan et al. US 201803740321 A1 (“Pan”), which teaches some of the elements of the amended claims, as discussed in the interview held on October 6. 2025. However, none of the previously discussed references teach the element “wherein the enhanced sensor provider vehicle has additional sensor devices relative to the first provider vehicle”, as described in the amended claim 1. However, this element would have been obvious for the following reasons: first, it is broad enough that any type of sensors on the enhanced sensor provider vehicle would read on the claim language, even extra copies of the sensors available on the other vehicles; second, it is mere duplicating of parts, as having one vehicle with more sensors than another could be a copy of the first vehicle with duplicates of the same sensors on the other vehicles, but with more of these types of sensors than any other vehicle (See In re Harza, 274 F.2d 669, 124 USPQ 378 (CCPA 1960)); and third, this element is taught by the new reference Kanagarajan et al. US 20200143694 A1 (“Kanagarajan”). For these reasons, the claims are now rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 in view of Allen US 20190019122 A1 (“Allen”) in combination with Pan et al. US 201803740321 A1 (“Pan”) and Kanagarajan et al. US 20200143694 A1 (“Kanagarajan”).
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, 4-7, 9, 11, 13-17, and 19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Allen US 20190019122 A1 (“Allen”) in combination with Pan et al. US 201803740321 A1 (“Pan”) and Kanagarajan et al. US 20200143694 A1 (“Kanagarajan”).
Regarding Claim 1. Allen teaches a method comprising:
identifying a pool of available provider computing devices for servicing a digital transportation request from a requestor computing device (Paragraph 23 describes ride request from a passenger), the pool of available provider devices comprising a first provider device corresponding to a first provider computing vehicle and a computing second provider device corresponding to an enhanced sensor provider vehicle (The mobile systems in FIG. 1A can be associated with different drivers, representing a pool or group [paragraph 24]);
determining a route corresponding to the transportation request for the second provider computing device corresponding to the enhanced sensor provider vehicle (Paragraph 51 covers the route recommended, although it is silent as to which enhanced sensor provider vehicle or device is used. Ultimately, it does not matter which vehicle in Allen is the second provider vehicle. Paragraph 30 states that the mobile devices can possess a variety of sensors. Allen does not specify that the second vehicle has greater or enhanced sensory capabilities over other vehicles. However, this is a matter of design choice; as it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was filed to simply include fewer sensors on a first vehicle that has a human driver and more sensors on an autonomous vehicle that needs more sensory input to make up for the lack of a human pilot. Paragraph 27 even states that the vehicles with mobile systems may be autonomous vehicles, implying that the vehicles without mobile systems might be human-driven. The enhanced sensors can also include, for example, a camera for video recording [paragraph 54], similar to the description in paragraph 0034 of the applicant’s specification);
generating a data collection value reflecting a value of sensory data resulting from utilizing the enhanced sensor provider vehicle and one or more of the additional sensor devices to collect the sensory data corresponding to the route, the sensory data comprising at least one of photos or videos captured by the enhanced sensor provider vehicle along the route (Paragraphs 25-26 describes collecting information along the route and calculating scores for drivers and/or riders and vehicles, and providing rankings of drivers in particular. Data collected can include video, audio, etc. [paragraph 19]);
generating, from the data collection value, a transportation value for dispatching the second provider computing device corresponding to the enhanced sensor provider vehicle (a second score can be determined for the second driver, and in FIG. 7, at step 725, the system determines that the score for one driver is higher than the score for a second driver, and will transmit a notification of a ride opportunity to a rider based on the difference between the two scores [paragraph 102], which reads on a transport value (the difference between the two scores) that is generated from the data collection value);
selecting, utilizing a device matching algorithm, a provider computing device from the pool of available provider computing devices by comparing the transportation value, generated from the data collection value, for dispatching the second provider computing device corresponding to the enhanced sensor provider vehicle with an additional transportation value for dispatching the first provider computing device (Paragraph 85 describes selecting the driver etc. based on the driver profile and the vehicle. In some embodiments, the score-based rankings may be adjusted based on a profile match similarity (e.g., between a driver and a rider requesting a trip and/or between one or more current riders in a vehicle and a potential new rider for the same vehicle), such that drivers of vehicles associated with profiles that more closely match a new rider's profile may be ranked higher for a potential ride. Paragraph 98 also teaches selecting the vehicle based on vehicle profile, and paragraph 102 teaches how the different scores of drivers are used to match the rider with a driver opportunity); and
dispatching the provider computing device to service the transportation request by transmitting navigational instructions to the provider computing device (Paragraph 51 describes transmitting trip data, which can include a recommended route between the pickup and drop-off locations).
Allen does not teach:
determining one or more route features associated with the route corresponding to the transportation request for the second provider computing device; and
the data collection value is generated from the one or more route features.
However, Pan teaches:
determining one or more route features associated with the route corresponding to the transportation request for the second provider computing device (In one implementation, the historical service information and map data are divided into geographic regions, and the road rating service 170 can calculate the probability of matching with a user for a provider traveling along any particular geographic region. The regions can be based on a grid layout or take other shapes based on terrain features or road layouts [paragraphs 46 and 59]); and
the data collection value is generated from the one or more route features (paragraphs 46 and 59).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was filed to modify the invention of Allen with determining one or more route features associated with the route corresponding to the transportation request for the second provider computing device; and the data collection value is generated from the one or more route features as taught by Pan so as to allow the system to divide the route by region and find the closest ride provider, and factor that element into matching a rider with a driver.
Allen also does not teach:
wherein the enhanced sensor provider vehicle has additional sensor devices relative to the first provider vehicle.
However, Kanagarajan teaches:
wherein the enhanced sensor provider vehicle has additional sensor devices relative to the first provider vehicle (real-time sharing of environmental data between moving vehicles to aid in timely remedial action(s) (e.g., real-time sharing of environmental data captured by a larger or more advanced vehicle equipped with advanced equipment and sensors, with smaller or less advanced vehicles with limited resources [paragraph 43], which means one vehicle can have more advanced sensors and a second vehicle can have less advanced sensors).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was filed to modify the invention of Allen with wherein the enhanced sensor provider vehicle has additional sensor devices relative to the first provider vehicle as taught by Kanagarajan, in part because it is mere duplicating of parts, and because it would allow the system to use only one advanced vehicle and save on processing power and other resources by having the second vehicle have fewer sensors.
Regarding Claim 2. Allen in combination with Pan and Kanagarajan teaches the method of claim 1.
Allen also teaches:
further comprising:
determining a relocation value for a first geographic region within a threshold distance of an additional provider computing device (Local device interface 158 may include one or more wired and/or wireless communication interfaces and may, for example, enable mobile system 150 to exchange information with and/or otherwise communicate with one or more devices that may be located inside of, close to, and/or within a predetermined distance of a vehicle in which mobile system 150 may be installed. For example, local device interface 158 may enable mobile system 150 to communicate with one or more smart phones, tablet computers, and/or other mobile computing devices that may be used by and/or otherwise associated with a driver of and/or one or more passengers of a vehicle in which mobile system 150 may be installed [paragraph 30]); and
generating, in response to determining that the relocation value does not exceed a relocation threshold, a relocation dispatch directing the additional provider computing device to relocate, without receiving a transportation request, to a second geographic region (paragraph 26 describes collecting information about drivers, riders, vehicles, road conditions, traffic conditions, etc. Paragraph 30 describes how this collected data is gather via sensors of the mobile device at 157 of FIG. 1C, and 51 describes transmitting trip data, which can include a recommended route between the pickup and drop-off locations).
Regarding Claim 4. Allen in combination with Pan and Kanagarajan teaches the method of claim 1.
Allen does not teach:
further comprising:
identifying a portion of the route that falls within a data collection geofence;
determining a directionality of the route relative to the data collection geofence; and
determining the data collection value based on the portion of the route that that falls within the data collection geofence and the directionality of the route relative to the data collection geofence.
However, Pan teaches:
further comprising:
identifying a portion of the route that falls within a data collection geofence (A score matched to a first transport request in paragraph 11, based on probabilities of the selected provider receiving an additional transport request from an additional user while the selected provider fulfills the first transport request along that navigation route);
determining a directionality of the route relative to the data collection geofence (A score matched to a first transport request in paragraph 11, based on probabilities of the selected provider receiving an additional transport request from an additional user while the selected provider fulfills the first transport request along that navigation route. In paragraph 35, the second user is within a geographic region as defined by a geofence that can request a transport service); and
determining the data collection value based on the portion of the route that that falls within the data collection geofence (In paragraph 35, the second user is within a geographic region as defined by a geofence that can request a transport service).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was filed to modify the invention of Allen with further comprising: identifying a portion of the route that falls within a data collection geofence; determining a directionality of the route relative to the data collection geofence; and determining the data collection value based on the portion of the route that that falls within the data collection geofence as taught by Pan so as to allow the system to adjust the scores assigned to vehicle devices based on regions that might have more difficult roads (Pan gives the example of road closures in paragraph 44, and weather and traffic conditions in paragraph 46), and dispatching vehicles accordingly.
Regarding Claim 5. Allen in combination with Pan and Kanagarajan teaches the method of claim 1.
Allen also teaches:
further comprising determining the data collection value based on the at least one of:
a time of day for collecting the sensory data along the route utilizing the enhanced sensor provider vehicle, or a portion of the route that includes a prioritized road classification (Paragraph 72 discloses how the computing platform can train the score models based in part during the daytime and calculate a different safety score at night, so at least the time of day for collecting sensory data is used for determining the data collection value).
Regarding Claim 6. Allen in combination with Pan and Kanagarajan teaches the method of claim 1.
Allen does not teach:
further comprising:
determining an alternative route corresponding to the transportation request for the second provider computing device corresponding to the enhanced sensor provider vehicle device;
determining one or more alternative route features associated with the alternative route;
generating, from the one or more alternative route features, an alternative date collection value reflecting a value of sensory data resulting from utilizing the enhanced sensor provider vehicle and one or more of the additional sensor devices to collect the sensory data corresponding to the alternative route; and
dispatching, in response to determining that the data collection value exceeds the alternative data collection value, the provider computing device to service the transportation request by transmitting navigational instructions corresponding to the route.
However, Pan teaches:
further comprising:
determining an alternative route corresponding to the transportation request for the second provider computing device corresponding to the enhanced sensor provider vehicle device (The network computer system receives a first transport request for a first user and performs a selection process to select a provider to fulfill the first transport request. The network computer system determines multiple navigation routes between a current location of the selected provider and a waypoint associated with the first transport request, then computes a match score for each of the navigation routes. The match scores are based on probabilities of the selected provider receiving an additional transport request from an additional user while the selected provider fulfills the first transport request along that navigation route. The network computer system selects one of the navigation routes based on the computed match scores and sends data corresponding to the selected navigation route to a computing device of the selected provider [paragraph 11]);
determining one or more alternative route features associated with the alternative route (To aid the service provider in navigating to waypoints associated with the service request, such as the pickup location and destination, the network computer system 100 can provide street-level navigation data for routes between the current position of the service provider and the waypoints or between any of the waypoints themselves. In order to increase the likelihood of the service provider matching with additional users while fulfilling the first service request, the network computer system 100 can analyze potential routes and select an optimal route to display to the service provider [paragraph 21]);
generating, from the one or more alternative route features, an alternative date collection value reflecting a value of sensory data resulting from utilizing the enhanced sensor provider vehicle and one or more of the additional sensor devices to collect the sensory data corresponding to the alternative route (paragraphs 11 and 21); and
dispatching, in response to determining that the data collection value exceeds the alternative data collection value, the provider computing device to service the transportation request by transmitting navigational instructions corresponding to the route (paragraph 21).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was filed to modify the invention of Allen with further comprising: determining an alternative route corresponding to the transportation request for the second provider computing device corresponding to the enhanced sensor provider vehicle device; determining one or more alternative route features associated with the alternative route; generating, from the one or more alternative route features, an alternative date collection value reflecting a value of sensory data resulting from utilizing the enhanced sensor provider vehicle and one or more of the additional sensor devices to collect the sensory data corresponding to the alternative route; and dispatching, in response to determining that the data collection value exceeds the alternative data collection value, the provider computing device to service the transportation request by transmitting navigational instructions corresponding to the route as taught by Pan so as to allow the system to select and match users with a more appropriate route in addition to finding appropriate drivers.
Regarding Claim 7. Allen in combination with Pan and Kanagarajan teaches the method of claim 1.
Allen also teaches:
wherein selecting the provider device comprises selecting the first provider computing device based on determining that the data collection value or a transportation value fails to satisfy a threshold value (FIG. 5 illustrates a user interface 500 displaying an example driver ranking based on a safety score for each driver. As illustrated, the user interface 500 may be configured to display a “highest risk” ranking (e.g., based on safety scores) [paragraph 82]).
Regarding Claim 9. Allen in combination with Pan and Kanagarajan teaches the method of claim 1.
Allen also teaches:
further comprising:
collecting, via the enhanced sensor provider vehicle, sensory data corresponding to the route (Paragraph 51, wherein both the recommended route and actual route are collected); and
in response to receiving a second transportation request, determining an additional data collection value based on the sensory data collected via the enhanced sensor provider vehicle (Paragraph 86 teaches that if two available drivers are within a threshold distance of a rider requesting a ride, a higher-ranking driver may be given first choice for picking up the rider. In this example, the more highly-ranked driver may receive a notification of the ride opportunity before the lower-ranked driver).
Regarding Claim 11. Allen teaches a system comprising:
at least one processor (paragraph 3 features a processor and a memory); and
a non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising instructions that (Paragraph 105 describes that the memory can be a non-transitory memory), when executed by the at least one processor, cause the system to:
identify a pool of available provider computing devices for servicing a digital transportation request from a requestor computing device (Paragraph 23 describes ride request from a passenger), the pool of available provider computing devices comprising a first provider computing device corresponding to a first provider vehicle and a second provider computing device corresponding to an enhanced sensor provider vehicle (The mobile systems in FIG. 1A can be associated with different drivers, representing a pool or group [paragraph 24]);
determine a route corresponding to the transportation request for the second computing provider device corresponding to the enhanced sensor provider vehicle (Paragraph 51 covers the route recommended, although it is silent as to which enhanced sensor provider vehicle or device is used. Ultimately, it does not matter which vehicle in Allen is the second provider vehicle. Paragraph 30 states that the mobile devices can possess a variety of sensors. Allen does not specify that the second vehicle has greater or enhanced sensory capabilities over other vehicles. However, this is a matter of design choice; as it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was filed to simply include fewer sensors on a first vehicle that has a human driver and more sensors on an autonomous vehicle that needs more sensory input to make up for the lack of a human pilot. Paragraph 27 even states that the vehicles with mobile systems may be autonomous vehicles, implying that the vehicles without mobile systems might be human-driven. The enhanced sensors can also include, for example, a camera for video recording [paragraph 54], similar to the description in paragraph 0034 of the applicant’s specification);
generate, from one or more route features, a transportation value for dispatching the second provider computing device corresponding to the enhanced sensor provider vehicle (a second score can be determined for the second driver, and in FIG. 7, at step 725, the system determines that the score for one driver is higher than the score for a second driver, and will transmit a notification of a ride opportunity to a rider based on the difference between the two scores [paragraph 102], which reads on a transport value (the difference between the two scores) that is generated from the data collection value);
select, utilizing a device matching algorithm, a provider computing device from the pool of available provider computing devices by comparing the transportation value, generated from the data collection value, for dispatching the second provider computing device corresponding to the enhanced sensor provider vehicle with an additional transportation value for dispatching the first provider computing device (Paragraph 85 describes selecting the driver etc. based on the driver profile and the vehicle. In some embodiments, the score-based rankings may be adjusted based on a profile match similarity (e.g., between a driver and a rider requesting a trip and/or between one or more current riders in a vehicle and a potential new rider for the same vehicle), such that drivers of vehicles associated with profiles that more closely match a new rider's profile may be ranked higher for a potential ride. Paragraph 98 also teaches selecting the vehicle based on vehicle profile, and paragraph 102 teaches how the different scores of drivers are used to match the rider with a driver opportunity); and
dispatch the provider computing device to service the transportation request by transmitting navigational instructions to the provider computing device (Paragraph 51 describes transmitting trip data, which can include a recommended route between the pickup and drop-off locations).
Allen does not teach:
determining one or more route features associated with the route corresponding to the transportation request for the second provider computing device; and
the data collection value is generated from the one or more route features.
However, Pan teaches:
determining one or more route features associated with the route corresponding to the transportation request for the second provider computing device (In one implementation, the historical service information and map data are divided into geographic regions, and the road rating service 170 can calculate the probability of matching with a user for a provider traveling along any particular geographic region. The regions can be based on a grid layout or take other shapes based on terrain features or road layouts [paragraphs 46 and 59]); and
the data collection value is generated from the one or more route features (paragraphs 46 and 59).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was filed to modify the invention of Allen with determining one or more route features associated with the route corresponding to the transportation request for the second provider computing device; and the data collection value is generated from the one or more route features as taught by Pan so as to allow the system to divide the route by region and find the closest ride provider, and factor that element into matching a rider with a driver.
Allen also does not teach:
wherein the enhanced sensor provider vehicle has additional sensor devices relative to the first provider vehicle.
However, Kanagarajan teaches:
wherein the enhanced sensor provider vehicle has additional sensor devices relative to the first provider vehicle (real-time sharing of environmental data between moving vehicles to aid in timely remedial action(s) (e.g., real-time sharing of environmental data captured by a larger or more advanced vehicle equipped with advanced equipment and sensors, with smaller or less advanced vehicles with limited resources [paragraph 43], which means one vehicle can have more advanced sensors and a second vehicle can have less advanced sensors).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was filed to modify the invention of Allen with wherein the enhanced sensor provider vehicle has additional sensor devices relative to the first provider vehicle as taught by Kanagarajan, in part because it is mere duplicating of parts, and because it would allow the system to use only one advanced vehicle and save on processing power and other resources by having the second vehicle have fewer sensors.
Regarding Claim 13. Allen in combination with Pan and Kanagarajan teaches the system of claim 11.
Allen does not teach:
further comprising instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the system to:
identify a portion of the route that falls within a data collection geofence; and
determine the data collection value based on the portion of the route that that falls within the data collection geofence.
However, Pan teaches:
further comprising instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the system to:
identify a portion of the route that falls within a data collection geofence (A score matched to a first transport request in paragraph 11, based on probabilities of the selected provider receiving an additional transport request from an additional user while the selected provider fulfills the first transport request along that navigation route); and
determine the data collection value based on the portion of the route that that falls within the data collection geofence (In paragraph 35, the second user is within a geographic region as defined by a geofence that can request a transport service).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was filed to modify the invention of Allen with further comprising instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the system to: identify a portion of the route that falls within a data collection geofence; and determine the data collection value based on the portion of the route that that falls within the data collection geofence as taught by Pan so as to allow the system to adjust the scores assigned to vehicle devices based on regions that might have more difficult roads (Pan gives the example of road closures in paragraph 44, and weather and traffic conditions in paragraph 46), and dispatching vehicles accordingly.
Regarding Claim 14. Allen in combination with Pan and Kanagarajan teaches the system of claim 11.
Allen also teaches:
further comprising instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the system to determine the data collection value based on the at least one of:
a time of day for collecting the sensory data along the route utilizing the enhanced sensor provider vehicle;
a directionality of the route relative to one or more data collection geofences;
or
a portion of the route that includes a prioritized road classification (Paragraph 72 discloses how the computing platform can train the score models based in part during the daytime and calculate a different safety score at night, so at least the time of day for collecting sensory data is used for determining the data collection value).
Additionally, and in the alternative, Pan teaches:
further comprising instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the system to determine the data collection value based on the at least one of:
a directionality of the route relative to one or more data collection geofences (A score matched to a first transport request in paragraph 11, based on probabilities of the selected provider receiving an additional transport request from an additional user while the selected provider fulfills the first transport request along that navigation route. In paragraph 35, the second user is within a geographic region as defined by a geofence that can request a transport service).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was filed to modify the invention of Allen with further comprising instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the system to determine the data collection value based on the at least one of: a directionality of the route relative to one or more data collection geofences as taught by Pan so as to allow the system to adjust the scores assigned to vehicle devices based on regions that might have more difficult roads (Pan gives the example of road closures in paragraph 44, and weather and traffic conditions in paragraph 46), and dispatching vehicles accordingly.
Regarding Claim 15. Allen in combination with Pan and Kanagarajan teaches the system of claim 11.
Allen also teaches:
further comprising:
determining a relocation value for a first geographic region within a threshold distance of an additional provider computing device (Local device interface 158 may include one or more wired and/or wireless communication interfaces and may, for example, enable mobile system 150 to exchange information with and/or otherwise communicate with one or more devices that may be located inside of, close to, and/or within a predetermined distance of a vehicle in which mobile system 150 may be installed. For example, local device interface 158 may enable mobile system 150 to communicate with one or more smart phones, tablet computers, and/or other mobile computing devices that may be used by and/or otherwise associated with a driver of and/or one or more passengers of a vehicle in which mobile system 150 may be installed [paragraph 30]); and
generating, in response to determining that the relocation value does not exceed a relocation threshold, a relocation dispatch directing the additional provider computing device to relocate, without receiving a transportation request, to a second geographic region (paragraph 26 describes collecting information about drivers, riders, vehicles, road conditions, traffic conditions, etc. Paragraph 30 describes how this collected data is gather via sensors of the mobile device at 157 of FIG. 1C, and 51 describes transmitting trip data, which can include a recommended route between the pickup and drop-off locations).
Regarding Claim 16. Allen teaches a non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising instructions that (paragraph 3 features a processor and a memory. Paragraph 105 describes that the memory can be a non-transitory memory), when executed by at least one processor, cause a computing device to:
identify a pool of available provider computing devices for servicing a digital transportation request from a requestor computing device (Paragraph 23 describes ride request from a passenger), the pool of available provider computing devices comprising a first provider computing device corresponding to a first provider vehicle and a second provider computing device corresponding to an enhanced sensor provider vehicle (The mobile systems in FIG. 1A can be associated with different drivers, representing a pool or group [paragraph 24]);
determine a route corresponding to the transportation request for the second computing provider device corresponding to the enhanced sensor provider vehicle (Paragraph 51 covers the route recommended, although it is silent as to which enhanced sensor provider vehicle or device is used. Ultimately, it does not matter which vehicle in Allen is the second provider vehicle. Paragraph 30 states that the mobile devices can possess a variety of sensors. Allen does not specify that the second vehicle has greater or enhanced sensory capabilities over other vehicles. However, this is a matter of design choice; as it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was filed to simply include fewer sensors on a first vehicle that has a human driver and more sensors on an autonomous vehicle that needs more sensory input to make up for the lack of a human pilot. Paragraph 27 even states that the vehicles with mobile systems may be autonomous vehicles, implying that the vehicles without mobile systems might be human-driven. The enhanced sensors can also include, for example, a camera for video recording [paragraph 54], similar to the description in paragraph 0034 of the applicant’s specification);
generate, from one or more route features, a transportation value for dispatching the second provider computing device corresponding to the enhanced sensor provider vehicle (a second score can be determined for the second driver, and in FIG. 7, at step 725, the system determines that the score for one driver is higher than the score for a second driver, and will transmit a notification of a ride opportunity to a rider based on the difference between the two scores [paragraph 102], which reads on a transport value (the difference between the two scores) that is generated from the data collection value);
select, utilizing a device matching algorithm, a provider computing device from the pool of available provider computing devices by comparing the transportation value, generated from the data collection value, for dispatching the second provider computing device corresponding to the enhanced sensor provider vehicle with an additional transportation value for dispatching the first provider computing device (Paragraph 85 describes selecting the driver etc. based on the driver profile and the vehicle. In some embodiments, the score-based rankings may be adjusted based on a profile match similarity (e.g., between a driver and a rider requesting a trip and/or between one or more current riders in a vehicle and a potential new rider for the same vehicle), such that drivers of vehicles associated with profiles that more closely match a new rider's profile may be ranked higher for a potential ride. Paragraph 98 also teaches selecting the vehicle based on vehicle profile, and paragraph 102 teaches how the different scores of drivers are used to match the rider with a driver opportunity); and
dispatch the provider computing device to service the transportation request by transmitting navigational instructions to the provider computing device (Paragraph 51 describes transmitting trip data, which can include a recommended route between the pickup and drop-off locations).
Allen does not teach:
determining one or more route features associated with the route corresponding to the transportation request for the second provider computing device; and
the data collection value is generated from the one or more route features.
However, Pan teaches:
determining one or more route features associated with the route corresponding to the transportation request for the second provider computing device (In one implementation, the historical service information and map data are divided into geographic regions, and the road rating service 170 can calculate the probability of matching with a user for a provider traveling along any particular geographic region. The regions can be based on a grid layout or take other shapes based on terrain features or road layouts [paragraphs 46 and 59]); and
the data collection value is generated from the one or more route features (paragraphs 46 and 59).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was filed to modify the invention of Allen with determining one or more route features associated with the route corresponding to the transportation request for the second provider computing device; and the data collection value is generated from the one or more route features as taught by Pan so as to allow the system to divide the route by region and find the closest ride provider, and factor that element into matching a rider with a driver.
Allen also does not teach:
wherein the enhanced sensor provider vehicle has additional sensor devices relative to the first provider vehicle.
However, Kanagarajan teaches:
wherein the enhanced sensor provider vehicle has additional sensor devices relative to the first provider vehicle (real-time sharing of environmental data between moving vehicles to aid in timely remedial action(s) (e.g., real-time sharing of environmental data captured by a larger or more advanced vehicle equipped with advanced equipment and sensors, with smaller or less advanced vehicles with limited resources [paragraph 43], which means one vehicle can have more advanced sensors and a second vehicle can have less advanced sensors).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was filed to modify the invention of Allen with wherein the enhanced sensor provider vehicle has additional sensor devices relative to the first provider vehicle as taught by Kanagarajan, in part because it is mere duplicating of parts, and because it would allow the system to use only one advanced vehicle and save on processing power and other resources by having the second vehicle have fewer sensors.
Regarding Claim 17. Allen in combination with Pan and Kanagarajan teaches the non-transitory computer-readable medium as recited in claim 16.
Allen also teaches:
further comprising instructions, that when executed by the at least one processor, cause the computing device to select the provider computing device by selecting the first provider computing device based on determining that the data collection value fails to satisfy a threshold value (FIG. 5 illustrates a user interface 500 displaying an example driver ranking based on a safety score for each driver. As illustrated, the user interface 500 may be configured to display a “highest risk” ranking (e.g., based on safety scores) [paragraph 82]).
Regarding Claim 19. Allen in combination with Pan and Kanagarajan teaches the non-transitory computer-readable medium as recited in claim 16.
Allen also teaches:
further comprising instructions, that when executed by the at least one processor, cause the computing device to:
collect, via the enhanced sensor provider vehicle, sensory data corresponding to the route; and
in response to receiving a second transportation request, determine an additional data collection value based on the sensory data collected via the enhanced sensor provider vehicle (Paragraph 86 teaches that if two available drivers are within a threshold distance of a rider requesting a ride, a higher-ranking driver may be given first choice for picking up the rider. In this example, the more highly-ranked driver may receive a notification of the ride opportunity before the lower-ranked driver).
Claim(s) 3 and 12 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Allen US 20190019122 A1 (“Allen”) in combination with Pan et al. US 201803740321 A1 (“Pan”) and Kanagarajan et al. US 20200143694 A1 (“Kanagarajan”) as applied to claims 2 and 11 above, and further in view of Northcutt et al. US 20200393842 A1 (“Northcutt”).
Regarding Claim 3. Allen in combination with Pan and Kanagarajan teaches the method of claim 1.
Allen does not teach:
further comprising training an autonomous vehicle driving model utilizing the sensory data captured by the enhanced sensor provider vehicle along the route.
However, Northcutt teaches:
further comprising training an autonomous vehicle driving model utilizing the sensory data captured by the enhanced sensor provider vehicle along the route (FIG. 3, paragraphs 47-48 describe the collected data being used to train an autonomous vehicle or autonomous mode for the vehicle, shown in FIG. 3 at step 314).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was filed to modify the invention of Allen with further comprising training an autonomous vehicle driving model utilizing the sensory data captured by the enhanced sensor provider vehicle along the route as taught by Northcutt so as to allow the autonomous vehicles to improve their performance using the sensory data collected. For example, paragraph 47 of Northcutt teaches that the vehicle may be configured to learn multiple routes and to operate autonomously on multiple routes. The vehicle may be configured to select between one or more learned routes automatically when operating in the autonomous based on various inputs to the system.
Regarding Claim 12. Allen in combination with Pan and Kanagarajan teaches the system of claim 11.
Allen also teaches:
further comprising instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the system to:
select the provider device by selecting the second provider device corresponding to the enhanced sensor provider vehicle (Paragraph 85 describes selecting the driver etc. based on the driver profile and the vehicle. In some embodiments, the score-based rankings may be adjusted based on a profile match similarity (e.g., between a driver and a rider requesting a trip and/or between one or more current riders in a vehicle and a potential new rider for the same vehicle), such that drivers of vehicles associated with profiles that more closely match a new rider's profile may be ranked higher for a potential ride);
dispatch the provider device by transmitting the navigational instructions to the second provider device such that the enhanced sensor provider vehicle collects sensory data along the route corresponding to the transportation request (paragraph 26 describes collecting information about drivers, riders, vehicles, road conditions, traffic conditions, etc. Paragraph 30 describes how this collected data is gather via sensors of the mobile device at 157 of FIG. 1C, and 51 describes transmitting trip data, which can include a recommended route between the pickup and drop-off locations).
Allen does not teach:
train an autonomous vehicle driving model utilizing the sensory data collected via the enhanced sensor provider vehicle.
However, Northcutt teaches:
train an autonomous vehicle driving model utilizing the sensory data collected via the enhanced sensor provider vehicle (FIG. 3, paragraphs 47-48 describe the collected data being used to train an autonomous vehicle or autonomous mode for the vehicle, shown in FIG. 3 at step 314).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was filed to modify the invention of Allen with train an autonomous vehicle driving model utilizing the sensory data collected via the enhanced sensor provider vehicle as taught by Northcutt so as to allow the autonomous vehicles to improve their performance using the sensory data collected. For example, paragraph 47 of Northcutt teaches that the vehicle may be configured to learn multiple routes and to operate autonomously on multiple routes. The vehicle may be configured to select between one or more learned routes automatically when operating in the autonomous based on various inputs to the system.
Claim(s) 8 and 18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Allen US 20190019122 A1 (“Allen”) in combination with Pan et al. US 201803740321 A1 (“Pan”) and Kanagarajan et al. US 20200143694 A1 (“Kanagarajan”) as applied to claims 2 and 11 above, and further in view of Singer et al. US 20210055118 A1 (“Singer”).
Regarding Claim 8. Allen in combination with Pan and Kanagarajan teaches the method of claim 1.
Allen also teaches:
wherein selecting the provider device comprises selecting the second provider device corresponding to the enhanced sensor provider vehicle (Paragraph 85 describes selecting the driver etc. based on the driver profile and the vehicle. In some embodiments, the score-based rankings may be adjusted based on a profile match similarity (e.g., between a driver and a rider requesting a trip and/or between one or more current riders in a vehicle and a potential new rider for the same vehicle), such that drivers of vehicles associated with profiles that more closely match a new rider's profile may be ranked higher for a potential ride. Paragraph 98 also teaches selecting the vehicle based on vehicle profile) and further comprising:
generating a command that improves the data collection value; and
transmitting the command to the second provider device such that the enhanced sensor provider vehicle collects sensory data along the modified route (At step 212, the mobile system 150 may also transmit driving and trips data collected at step 208 to shared mobility service management system 120. The mobile system 150 may transmit the driving and trips data periodically and/or in real-time. Referring to FIG. 2D, at step 213, shared mobility service management system 120 may transmit some or all of the driving data and trips data to profile computing platform 110, which receives the transmitted data. In some embodiments, a shared mobility service company associated with shared mobility service management system 120 may only share portions of the gathered driving and trips data associated with a driver with an insurance company associated with profile computing platform).
Allen does not teach:
wherein the command is a modified route.
However, Singer teaches:
wherein the command is a modified route (Route optimization, shown in FIGS. 2-6. As shown in FIG. 3, the system selects a shortest route in 304, then, responsive to determining that a crossing is present along the shortest route and determining whether the crossing will cause a delay long enough to warrant taking another route, modifying the route to a new route that avoids the crossing [paragraph 49]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was filed to modify the invention of Allen with wherein the command is a modified route as taught by Singer so as to allow the dispatch system to optimize the routes taken by the vehicle for faster transportation.
Regarding Claim 18. Allen in combination with Pan and Kanagarajan teaches the non-transitory computer-readable medium as recited in claim 16.
Allen also teaches:
wherein selecting the provider device comprises selecting the second provider device corresponding to the enhanced sensor provider vehicle (Paragraph 85 describes selecting the driver etc. based on the driver profile and the vehicle. In some embodiments, the score-based rankings may be adjusted based on a profile match similarity (e.g., between a driver and a rider requesting a trip and/or between one or more current riders in a vehicle and a potential new rider for the same vehicle), such that drivers of vehicles associated with profiles that more closely match a new rider's profile may be ranked higher for a potential ride. Paragraph 98 also teaches selecting the vehicle based on vehicle profile) and further comprising:
generating a command that improves the data collection value; and
transmitting the command to the second provider device such that the enhanced sensor provider vehicle collects sensory data along the modified route (At step 212, the mobile system 150 may also transmit driving and trips data collected at step 208 to shared mobility service management system 120. The mobile system 150 may transmit the driving and trips data periodically and/or in real-time. Referring to FIG. 2D, at step 213, shared mobility service management system 120 may transmit some or all of the driving data and trips data to profile computing platform 110, which receives the transmitted data. In some embodiments, a shared mobility service company associated with shared mobility service management system 120 may only share portions of the gathered driving and trips data associated with a driver with an insurance company associated with profile computing platform).
Allen does not teach:
wherein the command is a modified route.
However, Singer teaches:
wherein the command is a modified route (Route optimization, shown in FIGS. 2-6. As shown in FIG. 3, the system selects a shortest route in 304, then, responsive to determining that a crossing is present along the shortest route and determining whether the crossing will cause a delay long enough to warrant taking another route, modifying the route to a new route that avoids the crossing [paragraph 49]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was filed to modify the invention of Allen with wherein the command is a modified route as taught by Singer, so as to allow the dispatch system to optimize the routes taken by the vehicle for faster transportation.
Claim(s) 10 and 20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Allen US 20190019122 A1 (“Allen”) in combination with Pan et al. US 201803740321 A1 (“Pan”) and Kanagarajan et al. US 20200143694 A1 (“Kanagarajan”) as applied to claims 2 and 11 above, and further in view of Beaurepaire et al. US 20200018602 A1 (“Beaurepaire”).
Regarding Claim 10. Allen in combination with Pan and Kanagarajan teaches the method of claim 1.
Allen also teaches:
further comprising:
collecting, via the enhanced sensor provider vehicle, sensory data corresponding to the route (Paragraphs 25-26 describes collecting information along the route).
Allen does not teach:
updating a digital map based on the sensory data.
However, Beaurepaire teaches:
updating a digital map based on the sensory data (Paragraph 69. Probe data can be received from probe vehicles in paragraph 80).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was filed to modify the invention of Allen with updating a digital map based on the sensory data as taught by Beaurepaire so as to enchance the database as suggested in paragraph 69 of Beaurepaire to improve the dispatch system’s ability to determine which vehicles are best suited for each transportation request.
Regarding Claim 20. Allen in combination with Pan and Kanagarajan teaches the non-transitory computer-readable medium as recited in claim 16.
Allen also teaches:
further comprising instructions, that when executed by the at least one processor, cause the computing device to:
collect, via the enhanced sensor provider vehicle, sensory data corresponding to the route (Paragraphs 25-26 describes collecting information along the route).
However, Beaurepaire teaches:
update a digital map based on the sensory data.
However, Beaurepaire teaches:
update a digital map based on the sensory data (Paragraph 69. Probe data can be received from probe vehicles in paragraph 80).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was filed to modify the invention of Allen with update a digital map based on the sensory data as taught by Beaurepaire so as to enchance the database as suggested in paragraph 69 of Beaurepaire to improve the dispatch system’s ability to determine which vehicles are best suited for each transportation request.
Conclusion
THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to AARON G CAIN whose telephone number is (571)272-7009. The examiner can normally be reached Monday: 7:30am - 4:30pm EST to Friday 7:30pm - 4:30am.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Wade Miles can be reached at (571) 270-7777. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/A.G.C./Examiner, Art Unit 3656
/WADE MILES/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3656
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