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 .
1. This communication is responsive to the Amendment filed 5/7/2026.
2. Claims 1-2 and 4-5 are pending in this application. Claim 1 is independent. In the instant Amendment, claims 1 and 4 were amended, claim 3 was canceled and claim 5 was added. This is a Non-Final action on the RCE filed 5/7/2026.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
3. In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 103 which forms the basis for all obviousness rejections set forth in this Office action:
A patent for a claimed invention may not be obtained, notwithstanding that the claimed invention is not identically disclosed as set forth in section 102, if the differences between the claimed invention and the prior art are such that the claimed invention as a whole would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to which the claimed invention pertains. Patentability shall not be negated by the manner in which the invention was made.
4. Claim(s) 1-2 and 4-5 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Mochizuki et al (“Mochizuki” JP 2015078922) in view of Ichikawa (JP 2009257821).
Regarding claim 1, Mochizuki discloses a navigation apparatus comprising:
a display device configured to display a map image on a screen (see figs 3 and 4; e.g., fig 3 shows a scrolled map; fig 4 shows a scaled map);
a touch panel configured to detect a touch position of a finger on the screen (see figs 3 and 4; e.g., user touching screen to either scroll or scale map image); and
a control unit configured to execute processing related to display of the map image in response to a touch operation of the finger using the touch panel (see figs 3 and 4; e.g., user touching screen to either scroll or scale map image), wherein the control unit comprises:
a current-location window display unit configured to display a map image of a vehicle position and its surroundings as a current location image at a current-location scale (see fig 3 and paragraph [0021]; e.g., The position information acquisition unit 41 performs a calculation based on the information acquired from the position information detection device 4 and periodically calculates its own position information indicating the current position of the terminal device 3 (in this example, the current position of the host vehicle).);
a scroll window display unit configured to, when swiping of the screen by a user's finger is detected using the touch panel, display, as a scroll window, the map image whose display range has been moved in response to the swipe operation (see fig 3 and paragraph [0021]; e.g., “The display range S of the map image M displayed on the display screen D is changed by the operation of the terminal device 3 by the user. That is, the map image M in which the display range S is changed according to the operation of the terminal device 3 by the user is displayed on the display screen D. The display range S is changed by, for example, a scroll operation of the map image M by the user…The scroll operation…change operation are performed by, for example,..an operation on the touch panel by the user's finger. The operation on the touch panel includes a touch operation, a drag operation, a flick operation,…and the like. Note that the operation of the terminal device 3 by the user for changing the display range S of the map image M displayed on the display screen D is not limited to the scrolling operation, but for changing the display range S. Includes all operations.” (Examiner notes that the operations include a swipe operation notoriously associated with drag, flick and scroll operations));
a scale setting unit configured to, when a pinch-in/out of the screen by the user's finger is detected using the touch panel while the current- location window or the scroll window is displayed, change the current- location scale of the current-location window displayed or the scroll scale of the scroll window in response to the pinch-in/out operation (see fig 4 and paragraph [0021]; e.g., “As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, a map image M of the display range S (see FIG. 2) including the current position of the terminal device 3 is basically displayed on the display screen D. In the example shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, a mark C indicating the current position of the terminal device 3 is displayed over the map image M. The display range S of the map image M displayed on the display screen D is changed by the operation of the terminal device 3 by the user. That is, the map image M in which the display range S is changed according to the operation of the terminal device 3 by the user is displayed on the display screen D. The display range S is changed by, for example,…a scale change operation of the map image M by the user. The scale change operation are performed by, for example,…an operation on the touch panel by the user's finger. The operation on the touch panel includes a touch operation,…a pinch operation (a pinch-in operation or a pinch-out operation), and the like.”).
Mochizuki does not expressly disclose a scale determination unit configured to, when the display of the current-location window is instructed by the user while the scroll window is displayed and a predetermined condition is satisfied, update the current- location scale using the scroll scale, and in other cases, maintain the current-location scale;
wherein after the scale determination unit updates or maintains the current-location scale, the current-location window display unit is configured to display the current-location window; and
wherein the predetermined condition is that a display range of the current-location window having been displayed before the swipe operation by the user overlaps the displayed scroll window.
However, Ichikawa discloses a scale determination unit configured to, when the display of the current-location window is instructed by the user while the scroll window is displayed and a predetermined condition is satisfied, update the current- location scale using the scroll scale, and in other cases, maintain the current-location scale; wherein after the scale determination unit updates or maintains the current-location scale, the current-location window display unit is configured to display the current-location window; and wherein the predetermined condition is that a display range of the current-location window having been displayed before the swipe operation by the user overlaps the displayed scroll window (see figs 2 and 3; e.g., a host vehicle position detection unit which detects a current position of the host vehicle; FIG. 3 illustrates a state in which the display images of the journey guidance screen 22 are scrolled from the state of FIG. 2 to display facilities (PA5, PA6, SA2, PA7) away from the home vehicle location. Figure 3 (a) represents the case where the scale bar linkage button 32 is touched for scrolling, and Figure 3 (b) represents the case where the scale bar linkage button 32 is not touched for scrolling. When the scale bar linkage button 32 is touched for scrolling, the scale of the map data displayed in the map screen 21 is adjusted such that the home vehicle position CM is included in the map screen 21 along with each guide point C5 ~ C8 displayed in the abbreviated guide screen 22, and the guide path 41 is included).
It would have been obvious to an artisan before the effective filing date of the present invention to include Ichikawa’s teachings in Mochizuki’s user interface in order to obtain more accurate display information.
Regarding claim 2, Ichikawa discloses wherein the predetermined condition is that the vehicle position is included in the displayed scroll window (see claim 1 above where the current position of the vehicle is discussed).
Regarding claim 4, the combination of Mochizuki and Ichikawa disclose wherein the predetermined condition is that the entire display range of the current-location window having been displayed before the swipe operation by the user overlaps the displayed scroll window (see claim 1 above).
Regarding claim 5, Mochizuki discloses wherein the vehicle position is determined based on signals received from GPS satellite (see paragraph [0017]; e.g., GPS).
Response to Arguments
5. Applicant’s arguments with respect to the claim(s) have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on any reference applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument.
Conclusion
6. The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Miyazaki et al (US 2012/0109516).
7. Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to RASHAWN N TILLERY whose telephone number is (571)272-6480. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 9:00a - 5:30p.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, William L Bashore can be reached on (571) 272-4088. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/RASHAWN N TILLERY/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2174
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