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 .
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) 1-12 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Stieff.
1 and 12 mutatis mutandis: Stieff teaches a method for determining wheel alignment parameter of a vehicle comprising a vehicle body, wherein the vehicle body comprises a first and a second longitudinally extending side portion [0041, wherein longitudinal extending side portions are each side of the vehicle comprising two wheels with respect to the vehicle front, indicated by arrow], the method comprising the steps of:
- attaching a measuring arrangement to a first position at the first longitudinally extending side portion of the vehicle body [fig. 9, 10A is attached to wheel 11; fig. 11, 300; wherein the combination of each of 10A and 300 is considered to be the measuring arrangement];
- determining a lateral, longitudinal and vertical coordinate position of the first position at the first longitudinal side portion [0034, wherein wheel alignment angles, vehicle measurements, and lines of the vehicle such as a vehicle rear thrust line or a vehicle centerline are determined to established coordinate reference system, identify positions and orientations within those systems, transform data between established coordinate reference systems; 0033, wherein the system 10 determines the position and orientation of each vehicle wheel 11, 13, 15, 17 and the axis about which they roll];
- attaching the measuring arrangement to a first position at the second longitudinally extending side portion of the vehicle body [fig. 9, 10A is attached to wheel 17; fig. 11, 300; wherein the combination of each of 10A and 300 is considered to be the measuring arrangement], the longitudinal and vertical coordinate positions of the first position at the second longitudinally extending side portion corresponding to the longitudinal and vertical coordinate positions of the first position at the first longitudinal side portion [0034, wherein wheel alignment angles, vehicle measurements, and lines of the vehicle such as a vehicle rear thrust line or a vehicle centerline are determined to established coordinate reference system, identify positions and orientations within those systems, transform data between established coordinate reference systems; 0033, wherein the system 10 determines the position and orientation of each vehicle wheel 11, 13, 15, 17 and the axis about which they roll; fig. 9], respectively;
- determining a lateral coordinate position of the first position at the second longitudinal side portion [0034, wherein wheel alignment angles, vehicle measurements, and lines of the vehicle such as a vehicle rear thrust line or a vehicle centerline are determined to established coordinate reference system, identify positions and orientations within those systems, transform data between established coordinate reference systems; 0033, wherein the system 10 determines the position and orientation of each vehicle wheel 11, 13, 15, 17 and the axis about which they roll; fig. 9];
- attaching the measuring arrangement to a second position at the first longitudinally extending side portion of the vehicle body [fig. 9, 10A is attached to wheel 13; fig. 11, 300; wherein the combination of each of 10A and 300 is considered to be the measuring arrangement];
- determining a lateral, longitudinal and vertical coordinate position of the second position at the first longitudinal side portion [0034, wherein wheel alignment angles, vehicle measurements, and lines of the vehicle such as a vehicle rear thrust line or a vehicle centerline are determined to established coordinate reference system, identify positions and orientations within those systems, transform data between established coordinate reference systems; 0033, wherein the system 10 determines the position and orientation of each vehicle wheel 11, 13, 15, 17 and the axis about which they roll; fig. 9];
- attaching the measuring arrangement to a second position at the second longitudinally extending side portion of the vehicle body [fig. 9, 10A is attached to wheel 15; fig. 11, 300; wherein the combination of each of 10A and 300 is considered to be the measuring arrangement], the longitudinal and vertical coordinate positions of the second position at the second longitudinally extending side portion corresponding to the longitudinal and vertical coordinate positions of the second position at the first longitudinal side portion, respectively [0034, wherein wheel alignment angles, vehicle measurements, and lines of the vehicle such as a vehicle rear thrust line or a vehicle centerline are determined to established coordinate reference system, identify positions and orientations within those systems, transform data between established coordinate reference systems; 0033, wherein the system 10 determines the position and orientation of each vehicle wheel 11, 13, 15, 17 and the axis about which they roll; fig. 9];
- determining a lateral coordinate position of the second position at the second longitudinal side portion [0034, wherein wheel alignment angles, vehicle measurements, and lines of the vehicle such as a vehicle rear thrust line or a vehicle centerline are determined to established coordinate reference system, identify positions and orientations within those systems, transform data between established coordinate reference systems; 0033, wherein the system 10 determines the position and orientation of each vehicle wheel 11, 13, 15, 17 and the axis about which they roll];
- determining, using the lateral coordinate position of the first position at the first longitudinally extending side portion and the lateral coordinate position of the first position at the second longitudinal side portion, a first lateral center position of the vehicle [0034, wherein wheel alignment angles, vehicle measurements, and lines of the vehicle such as a vehicle rear thrust line or a vehicle centerline are determined to established coordinate reference system, identify positions and orientations within those systems, transform data between established coordinate reference systems; 0033, wherein the system 10 determines the position and orientation of each vehicle wheel 11, 13, 15, 17 and the axis about which they roll];
- determining, using the lateral position of the second position at the first longitudinally extending side portion and the lateral position of the second position at the second longitudinal side portion, a second lateral center position of the vehicle [0034, wherein wheel alignment angles, vehicle measurements, and lines of the vehicle such as a vehicle rear thrust line or a vehicle centerline are determined to established coordinate reference system, identify positions and orientations within those systems, transform data between established coordinate reference systems; 0033, wherein the system 10 determines the position and orientation of each vehicle wheel 11, 13, 15, 17 and the axis about which they roll]; and
- determining a wheel alignment parameter in the form of a longitudinally extending centerline of the vehicle, the longitudinally extending centerline extending between the first lateral center position and the second lateral center position [0034, wherein wheel alignment angles, vehicle measurements, and lines of the vehicle such as a vehicle rear thrust line or a vehicle centerline are determined to established coordinate reference system, identify positions and orientations within those systems, transform data between established coordinate reference systems; 0033, wherein the system 10 determines the position and orientation of each vehicle wheel 11, 13, 15, 17 and the axis about which they roll].
Regarding claim 12, Stieff teaches a control unit [0008, external control unit; 0013 control system (ECU); 0015 ECU or controller; 0054 ECM].
One of ordinary skill in the art would find obvious that since Stieff teaches determination of various wheel alignment angles, vehicle measurements, and lines of the vehicle, such as a vehicle rear thrust line or a vehicle centerline, utilizing known machine vision methods to establish coordinate reference systems, identify positions and orientations within those systems, transform data between established coordinate reference systems, it follows that from that information, any additional information relating to a coordinate reference point (e.g. longitudinal, vertical, and/or centerline measurements would be derived therefrom. Thus, the measurement system of Stieff would allow for a person of ordinary skill in the art to determine any desired coordinate point or line of each wheel or point on or line extending therefrom, provided by the measurements and parameters disclosed. 0041-42 additionally teach particulars of the wheel alignment system, such as its positioning.
2: Stieff teaches - projecting the second lateral center position to a vertical position corresponding to the vertical coordinate position of the first lateral center position [0034 facilitates establishing a coordinate system and transforming data between established coordinate reference systems].
3: Stieff teaches the measuring arrangement is attached to the second position at the first longitudinally extending side portion at a vertical coordinate position corresponding to the vertical coordinate position of the first position at the first longitudinal side portion [fig. 9].
4: Stieff teaches the lateral, longitudinal and vertical coordinate position of the first position at the first longitudinally extending side portion is determined by capturing an image, using the measuring arrangement, of an optical marker, the optical marker being positioned at a distance from the vehicle and comprises a predefined measuring pattern for determining a relative distance between the measuring arrangement and the optical marker [0033, 0034].
5: Stieff teaches the measuring arrangement comprises a support portion comprising three supporting elements arranged to attach to the vehicle body [0040 and figs. 8 and 11, wherein the three supporting elements are support arm 306, supporting surface G, and target base panel 308], and an image capturing unit connected to the support portion [0033 and fig. 9 teach optical targets 11A, 13A, 15A, 17A attached to 10A, which is attached to components 300; 0033 teaches imaging sensors or cameras 21, 23, 25, 27; the image capturing unit is considered to be the combination of the respective optical targets and their corresponding cameras].
6: Stieff teaches the image capturing unit is arranged to, when the measuring arrangement is attached to the vehicle body, capture a first image of a first optical marker positioned longitudinally forwardly of the measuring arrangement, and capture a second image of a second optical marker positioned longitudinally rearwardly of the measuring arrangement [0033, 0034].
7: Stieff teaches the image capturing unit comprises a first camera arranged to capture the first image, and a second camera arranged to capture the second image [0033, 0034].
8: Stieff teaches the coordinate positions of the first and second lateral center positions are defined relative a geometric plane for consecutive wheel angle measurements [fig 9 illustrates that a plane would define the first and second lateral positions for consecutive wheel angle measurements].
9: Stieff teaches - attaching the measuring arrangement to the second longitudinally extending side portion [fig. 9, 10A is attached to wheel 17; fig. 11, 300; wherein the combination of each of 10A and 300 is considered to be the measuring arrangement]; - capturing an image, using the measuring arrangement, of an optical marker arranged at a distance from the vehicle, the optical marker comprising a predefined measuring pattern [0033 and fig. 9 teach optical targets 11A, 13A, 15A, 17A attached to 10A, which is attached to components 300; 0033 teaches imaging sensors or cameras 21, 23, 25, 27; the image capturing unit is considered to be the combination of the respective optical targets and their corresponding cameras]; - determining a relative distance between the measuring arrangement and the optical marker [0034 teaches position and orientation of the optical targets in three dimensional space from which distance would be derived];- determining a current longitudinal and a current vertical coordinate position of the measuring arrangement at the second longitudinally extending side portion [0034 teaches coordinate of optical targets in three dimensional space]; - comparing the current longitudinal and vertical coordinate positions with the longitudinal and vertical coordinate positions of the first position at the first longitudinal side portion [0034]; and - moving the measuring arrangement to a position of the second longitudinally extending side portion having coordinate positions corresponding to the coordinate positions of the first position at the first longitudinal side portion [fig. 9, 10A is attached to wheels; fig. 11, 300; wherein the combination of each of 10A and 300 is considered to be the measuring arrangement].
10: Stieff teaches the step of moving the measuring device is performed by using a guiding means for guiding the measuring arrangement to the first position at the second longitudinally extending side portion [0014, 0041, wherein the guiding would be done with both or either of a human operator or mechanical means].
11: Stieff teaches the vehicle further comprises a pair of front steerable wheels and a pair of rear wheels, and wherein a wheel measuring device is connected to at least one of the wheels [fig 9], the method further comprising the steps of: - determining, using the wheel measuring device connected to the at least one wheel, coordinate positions for the at least one wheel [0034, wherein wheel alignment angles, vehicle measurements, and lines of the vehicle such as a vehicle rear thrust line or a vehicle centerline are determined to established coordinate reference system, identify positions and orientations within those systems, transform data between established coordinate reference systems; 0033, wherein the system 10 determines the position and orientation of each vehicle wheel 11, 13, 15, 17 and the axis about which they roll]; and - determining a wheel alignment parameter in the form of a wheel angle for the at least one wheel, the wheel angle being defined by the coordinate positions for the at least one wheel relative the longitudinally extending centerline of the vehicle [0034, wherein wheel alignment angles, vehicle measurements, and lines of the vehicle such as a vehicle rear thrust line or a vehicle centerline are determined to established coordinate reference system, identify positions and orientations within those systems, transform data between established coordinate reference systems; 0033, wherein the system 10 determines the position and orientation of each vehicle wheel 11, 13, 15, 17 and the axis about which they roll].
Additional references of relevance but not cited herein:
Burns 7295297
Merrill 2004/0039544
Koerner 5978077
January 5870315, 5724128, 5488472
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Samantha K. Nickerson whose telephone number is (571)270-1037. The examiner can normally be reached Generally Monday-Tuesday, 7:00AM-3:00PM CT.
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SAMANTHA K. NICKERSON
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 3645
/SAMANTHA K NICKERSON/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3645