DETAILED ACTION
Claims 1-3, 5, 7-9, 11-12, 14-16, 18, and 20 are pending, and claims dated 11/05/2025 are being examined.
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 .
Continued Examination Under 37 CFR 1.114
A request for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, including the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e), was filed in this application after final rejection. Since this application is eligible for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114. Applicant's submission filed on 11/19/2025 has been entered.
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 11/05/2025 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive. The Applicant’s amendments render the claims indefinite, see 35 USC § 112(b) rejections. After further search and consideration, Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Applicant’s arguments filed 08/05/2025 with respect to claims have been considered but are moot at least because the new ground of rejection does not rely on Michalakis as the primary reference.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claims 1-3, 5, 7-9, 11-12, 14-16, 18, and 20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Regarding claim 1, claim 1 recites conflicting language. In the first “transmit” paragraph, the claim requires a selection to use the sensor capability information to determine either (1) a driving scenario requirement that indicates at least a collection time interval and a collection geographic region OR (2) a driving time and a driving location.
The following “obtain” paragraph supports this alternative language selection by claiming information indicates either (1) OR (2).
However, second “transmit” paragraph, recites “during the collection time interval and within the collection geographic region indicated by the information”. For this step to occur, (1) must be selected. It is not clear how this step makes it so that the information must indicate (1), when the broadest reasonable interpretation (BRI) of the claim allows for the information to indicate just (2) earlier in the claim.
Similarly, in the same second “transmit” paragraph, (1), the driving scenario requirement, is claimed to be “utilized”. However, as above, for this step to occur, (1) must be determined. It is not clear how this step makes it so that the determination requires (1), when the BRI of the claim allows for the determination of just (2) earlier in the claim.
Similarly, in the “prevent” paragraph, this step is said to occur “during the collection time interval corresponding to the driving scenario requirement”. However, as above, for this step to occur, (1) must be determined. It is not clear how this step makes it so that the determination requires (1), when the BRI of the claim allows for the determination of just (2) earlier in the claim.
For examination purposes, the claims will be examined so that the BRI of the claim allows for the information to indicate (1) OR (2). Therefore, any claim limitation that further limits steps that occur when (1) is required – (as in second “transmit” paragraph and in the “prevent” paragraph where these steps occur when (1) is determined and indicated) are met by the prior art that teaches all of steps that occur when (2) is required.
Claims 2-3, 5, 7-8 are similarly rejected, because of their dependencies on rejected claim 1.
Regarding claim 9, claim 9 similarly recites conflicting language as explained in the above rejection of claim 1. The same reasoning applies, and for examination purposes, the claims will be examined so that the BRI of the claim allows for the information to indicate (1) OR (2).
Claims 11-12 are similarly rejected, because of their dependencies on rejected claim 9.
Regarding claim 14, claim 14 similarly recites conflicting language as explained in the above rejection of claims 1 and 9. The same reasoning applies, and for examination purposes, the claims will be examined so that the BRI of the claim allows for the information to indicate (1) OR (2).
Claims 15-16, 18, and 20 are similarly rejected, because of their dependencies on rejected claim 14.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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 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.
The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
Claims 1-3, 7-9, 11-12, 14-16, and 20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Cheng et al. (US-20180365909-A1), in view of Tsuyunashi et al. (US-20200077292-A1), and herein after will be referred to as Cheng and Tsuyunashi, respectively.
Regarding claim 1, Cheng teaches a driving data collection apparatus (FIG. 1 vehicle 114 & FIG. 16 apparatus (e.g., a sensing device); [0212] FIG. 16 illustrates a block diagram of an example hardware implementation of an apparatus 1600 configured to communicate (e.g., using on-demand sensor sharing) according to one or more aspects of the disclosure. The apparatus 1600 could embody or be implemented within a sensing device, a vehicle), comprising:
at least one processor; and (FIG. 16 processing circuit (e.g., processor) 1610)
at least one memory storing program instructions, wherein the at least one processor is coupled to the at least one memory to execute the instructions to (FIG. 16 storage medium (e.g., memory) 1604):
transmit, to a network side device (FIG. 1 sensor (e.g., road-side device) 118 & FIG. 14 apparatus), sensing capability information of a vehicle comprising identities of available in-vehicle sensors and their operating characteristics utilized by the network side device ([0051] The process 300 may take place within a processing circuit (e.g., the processing circuit 1410 of FIG. 14), which may be located in […] a road-side device; [0054] At block 304, the apparatus receives a vehicle information message. […] In some cases, a vehicle information message may indicate at least one capability of the sending apparatus (e.g., types of sensors supported, available FOVs, etc.); [0153] This may include generic sensor properties, mounting position of the sensor on the vehicle, as well as the sensor's range and opening angle (i.e. the sensor's frustum), and the sensor type) to determine a driving scenario requirement that indicates at least a collection time interval and a collection geographic region, or to determine a driving time and a driving location ([0006] In some aspects, the disclosure provides a method of communication including: generating a request for vehicle sensor information, wherein the generation of the request is based on at least one sensor capability of a responder; [0057] In some aspects, the request may specify the information to be sent in a response. For example, the request may specify at least one type of sensor information being requested, reference position information, a period of interest, at least one sensor type, at least one sensor identifier, at least one requested object type, at least one zone of interest, or any combination thereof))
obtain, from the network side device, information indicating the driving scenario requirement, or the driving time and the driving location ([0068] At block 312, the apparatus sends the request. For example, the apparatus may transmit a V2X message over-the-air (OTA) via unicast signaling (e.g., to the apparatus of FIG. 4), via broadcast signaling, or via multicast signaling).
transmit, to the network side device, a target data set constructed on the vehicle based on a first part of driving data collected by at least one sensor on the vehicle based on the information during the collection time interval and within the collection geographic region indicated by the information ([0069] At block 314, the apparatus receives a response to the request (e.g., from the apparatus of FIG. 4). This response may include the sensor information requested by the request; see [0163] Table 1: showing target data set collected by vehicle includes sensor data based on the period of interest and zone of interest indicated from the request)
Cheng does not explicitly teach: wherein the target data set comprises a tag related to the driving scenario requirement, or the target data set comprises a tag related to the driving time and a tag related to the driving location.
However, Tsuyunashi teaches wherein a target data set comprises a tag related to the driving scenario requirement, or the target data set comprises a tag related to the driving time and a tag related to the driving location ([0008] FIG. 2A is a diagram of an example of tag data; [0047] The data collection condition and the tag data generation data are transmitted to data collection object vehicles (vehicle condition of which is specified by the data user) and also stored in the on-vehicle device 50; [0048] Subsequently, the on-vehicle device 50 each monitor output data from the sensors and the camera. If an event that satisfies the stored data collection condition occurs, the on-vehicle device 50 each store real data R in a storage device. The on-vehicle device 50 each generate and store therein tag data T corresponding to the real data R (vehicle state data) based on the real data R and the stored tag data generation data; [0049] The on-vehicle device 50 transmit the tag data T to the data collection apparatus 1, and the data collection apparatus 1 stores therein the tag data T. The real data R is not transmitted to the data collection apparatus 1; [0060] If the system described above is formed by cloud, the on-vehicle device 50 each tag the information, such as time, position, and speed, to the collected data; supported by [0054]-[0055]).
It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the present claimed invention to modify the target data set as taught in Cheng to incorporate the teachings of Tsuyunashi to include wherein a target data set comprises a tag related to the driving scenario requirement, or the target data set comprises a tag related to the driving time and a tag related to the driving location, with a reasonable expectation of success since doing so would have achieved the benefit of organizing the collected data and making it easier to search the collected data, by including “additional information suitably used as index data” (Tsuyunashi [0103]).
Cheng also teaches: and wherein the at least one sensor but not all sensors on the vehicle is selected at the vehicle based on driving scenario information corresponding to the driving scenario requirement, the driving scenario requirement utilized to determine which vehicle sensors are to contribute data for the target data set; and prevent, during the collection time interval corresponding to the driving scenario requirement, transmitting a second part of driving data collected by a sensor other than the selected at least one sensor on the vehicle ([0006] In some aspects, the disclosure provides a method of communication including: generating a request for vehicle sensor information, wherein the generation of the request is based on at least one sensor capability of a responder; transmitting the request via a vehicle communication link; and receiving a response to the request via the vehicle communication link; [0117] The Sensor Type and/or the Sensor ID may indicate, for example, that only LIDAR sensors are to be used; supported by Table 1: Type of sensor data request).
In Cheng, Examiner understands when the data request indicates only LIDAR sensors are to be used, the responding vehicles will only use LIDAR sensors (thereby any other data other than LIDAR data is prevented from being transmitted).
Regarding claim 2, Cheng, as modified, teaches the driving data collection apparatus according to claim 1.
Cheng also teaches wherein the data in the target data set is only the first part of the driving data collected by the at least one sensor ([0117] The Sensor Type and/or the Sensor ID may indicate, for example, that only LIDAR sensors are to be used; supported by Table 1: Type of sensor data request).
Regarding claim 3, Cheng, as modified, teaches the driving data collection apparatus according to claim 1.
Cheng also teaches wherein, to obtain the information, the at least one processor is coupled to the at least one memory to execute the instructions to: receive the information from a network side device (FIG. 16 processing circuit (e.g., processor) 1610 and storage medium (e.g., memory) 1604; FIG. 4 receive request for sensor information 404).
Regarding claim 7, Cheng, as modified, teaches the driving data collection apparatus according to claim 1.
Cheng also teaches wherein the at least one processor is coupled to the at least one memory to execute the instructions to: store the target data set in a storage medium (FIG. 16 processing circuit (e.g., processor) 1610 and storage medium (e.g., memory) 1604).
Cheng, as modified, does not explicitly teach in the same embodiment that the storage medium is removable.
However, Cheng teaches examples of a storage medium may include “a magnetic storage device (e.g., hard disk, floppy disk, magnetic strip), an optical disk (e.g., a compact disc (CD) or a digital versatile disc (DVD)), a smart card, a flash memory device (e.g., a card, a stick, or a key drive), a random access memory (RAM), a read only memory (ROM), a programmable ROM (PROM), an erasable PROM (EPROM), an electrically erasable PROM (EEPROM), a register, a removable disk, and any other suitable medium for storing software and/or instructions that may be accessed and read by a computer” ([0172]).
It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the present claimed invention to modify the storage medium as taught in Cheng, as modified, to be removable as taught in other embodiments of Cheng, with a reasonable expectation of success since doing so would have achieved the well-known benefits of portability and making it easier to transfer data between different computers.
Furthermore, it has been held that where the claimed structure is disclosed in the prior art, except with regard to the structure made separable or removable, as long as the separability would not have modified the operation of the device, it would be obvious to make the claimed structure removable. See In reDulberg, 289 F.2d 522, 523, 129 USPQ 348, 349 (CCPA 1961) (The claimed structure, a lipstick holder with a removable cap, was fully met by the prior art except that in the prior art the cap is “press fitted” and therefore not manually removable. The court held that “if it were considered desirable for any reason to obtain access to the end of [the prior art’s] holder to which the cap is applied, it would be obvious to make the cap removable for that purpose.”).
Regarding claim 8, Cheng, as modified, teaches the driving data collection apparatus according to claim 1.
Cheng also teaches wherein the at least one sensor is determined based on the information ([0117] The Sensor Type and/or the Sensor ID may indicate, for example, that only LIDAR sensors are to be used; supported by Table 1: Type of sensor data request)
In Cheng, Examiner understands when the data request indicates only LIDAR sensors are to be used, the responding vehicle(s) will determine to use only LIDAR sensors.
Regarding claim 9, Cheng teaches a driving data collection apparatus (FIG. 1 sensor (e.g., road-side device) 118 & FIG. 14 apparatus; [0167] FIG. 14 illustrates a block diagram of an example hardware implementation of an apparatus 1400 configured to communicate (e.g., using on-demand sensor sharing) according to one or more aspects of the disclosure), comprising:
at least one processor; and (FIG. 14 processing circuit (e.g., processor) 1410)
at least one memory storing program instructions, wherein the at least one processor is coupled to the at least one memory to execute the instructions to (FIG. 14 storage medium (e.g., memory) 1404):
receive, from a vehicle (FIG. 1 vehicle 114 & FIG. 16 apparatus (e.g., a sensing device), sensing capability information of the vehicle comprising identities of available in-vehicle sensors and their operating characteristics ([0051] The process 300 may take place within a processing circuit (e.g., the processing circuit 1410 of FIG. 14), which may be located in […] a road-side device; [0054] At block 304, the apparatus receives a vehicle information message. […] In some cases, a vehicle information message may indicate at least one capability of the sending apparatus (e.g., types of sensors supported, available FOVs, etc.); [0153] This may include generic sensor properties, mounting position of the sensor on the vehicle, as well as the sensor's range and opening angle (i.e. the sensor's frustum), and the sensor type) to determine a driving scenario requirement that indicates at least a collection time interval and a collection geographic region, or to determine a driving time and a driving location ([0006] In some aspects, the disclosure provides a method of communication including: generating a request for vehicle sensor information, wherein the generation of the request is based on at least one sensor capability of a responder; [0057] In some aspects, the request may specify the information to be sent in a response. For example, the request may specify at least one type of sensor information being requested, reference position information, a period of interest, at least one sensor type, at least one sensor identifier, at least one requested object type, at least one zone of interest, or any combination thereof))
transmit, to the vehicle, information indicating the driving scenario requirement, or the driving time and the driving location ([0068] At block 312, the apparatus sends the request. For example, the apparatus may transmit a V2X message over-the-air (OTA) via unicast signaling (e.g., to the apparatus of FIG. 4), via broadcast signaling, or via multicast signaling).
obtain a target data set constructed based on a first part of driving data collected on the vehicle by at least one sensor based on the information during the collection time interval and within the collection geographic region indicated by the information ([0069] At block 314, the apparatus receives a response to the request (e.g., from the apparatus of FIG. 4). This response may include the sensor information requested by the request; see [0163] Table 1: showing target data set collected by vehicle includes sensor data based on the period of interest and zone of interest indicated from the request)
Cheng does not explicitly teach: wherein the target data set comprises a tag related to the driving scenario requirement, or the target data set comprises a tag related to the driving time and a tag related to the driving location.
However, Tsuyunashi teaches wherein a target data set comprises a tag related to the driving scenario requirement, or the target data set comprises a tag related to the driving time and a tag related to the driving location ([0008] FIG. 2A is a diagram of an example of tag data; [0047] The data collection condition and the tag data generation data are transmitted to data collection object vehicles (vehicle condition of which is specified by the data user) and also stored in the on-vehicle device 50; [0048] Subsequently, the on-vehicle device 50 each monitor output data from the sensors and the camera. If an event that satisfies the stored data collection condition occurs, the on-vehicle device 50 each store real data R in a storage device. The on-vehicle device 50 each generate and store therein tag data T corresponding to the real data R (vehicle state data) based on the real data R and the stored tag data generation data; [0049] The on-vehicle device 50 transmit the tag data T to the data collection apparatus 1, and the data collection apparatus 1 stores therein the tag data T. The real data R is not transmitted to the data collection apparatus 1; [0060] If the system described above is formed by cloud, the on-vehicle device 50 each tag the information, such as time, position, and speed, to the collected data; supported by [0054]-[0055]).
It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the present claimed invention to modify the target data set as taught in Cheng to incorporate the teachings of Tsuyunashi to include wherein a target data set comprises a tag related to the driving scenario requirement, or the target data set comprises a tag related to the driving time and a tag related to the driving location, with a reasonable expectation of success since doing so would have achieved the benefit of organizing the collected data and making it easier to search the collected data, by including “additional information suitably used as index data” (Tsuyunashi [0103]).
Cheng also teaches: and wherein the at least one sensor but not all sensors on the vehicle is selected at the vehicle based on driving scenario information corresponding to the driving scenario requirement, the driving scenario requirement utilized to determine which vehicle sensors are to contribute data for the target data set; and prevent, during the collection time interval corresponding to the driving scenario requirement, from receiving a second part of driving data collected by a sensor other than the selected at least one sensor on the vehicle ([0006] In some aspects, the disclosure provides a method of communication including: generating a request for vehicle sensor information, wherein the generation of the request is based on at least one sensor capability of a responder; transmitting the request via a vehicle communication link; and receiving a response to the request via the vehicle communication link; [0117] The Sensor Type and/or the Sensor ID may indicate, for example, that only LIDAR sensors are to be used; supported by Table 1: Type of sensor data request).
In Cheng, Examiner understands when the data request indicates only LIDAR sensors are to be used, the responding vehicles will only use LIDAR sensors (thereby any other data other than LIDAR data is prevented from being transmitted).
Regarding claim 11, Cheng, as modified, teaches the driving data collection apparatus according to claim 9.
Cheng also teaches wherein, to transmit, to the vehicle, the information indicating the driving scenario requirement or the driving time and the driving location, the at least one processor is coupled to the at least one memory to execute the instructions to (FIG. 14 processing circuit (e.g., processor) 1410 and storage medium (e.g., memory) 1404):
transmit, to the vehicle, the information indicating the driving scenario requirement or the driving time and the driving location based on the driving scenario requirement based on the sensing capability information ([0006] In some aspects, the disclosure provides a method of communication including: generating a request for vehicle sensor information, wherein the generation of the request is based on at least one sensor capability of a responder).
Regarding claim 12, Cheng, as modified, teaches the driving data collection apparatus according to claim 11.
Cheng also teaches wherein, to transmit, to the vehicle, the information indicating the driving scenario requirement or the driving time and the driving location, the at least one processor is coupled to the at least one memory to execute the instructions to (FIG. 14 processing circuit (e.g., processor) 1410 and storage medium (e.g., memory) 1404):
transmit, to the vehicle, the information indicating the driving scenario requirement or the driving time and the driving location based on the driving time and the driving location based on the driving scenario requirement ([0006] In some aspects, the disclosure provides a method of communication including: generating a request for vehicle sensor information, wherein the generation of the request is based on at least one sensor capability of a responder; [0057] In some aspects, the request may specify the information to be sent in a response. For example, the request may specify at least one type of sensor information being requested, reference position information, a period of interest, at least one sensor type, at least one sensor identifier, at least one requested object type, at least one zone of interest, or any combination thereof).
Regarding claim 14, Cheng teaches a method of collecting driving data, applied to a vehicle (FIG. 1 vehicle 114 & FIG. 16 apparatus (e.g., a sensing device); [0212] FIG. 16 illustrates a block diagram of an example hardware implementation of an apparatus 1600 configured to communicate (e.g., using on-demand sensor sharing) according to one or more aspects of the disclosure. The apparatus 1600 could embody or be implemented within a sensing device, a vehicle), comprising:
transmitting, to a network side device (FIG. 1 sensor (e.g., road-side device) 118 & FIG. 14 apparatus), sensing capability information of a vehicle comprising identities of available in-vehicle sensors and their operating characteristics utilized by the network side device ([0051] The process 300 may take place within a processing circuit (e.g., the processing circuit 1410 of FIG. 14), which may be located in […] a road-side device; [0054] At block 304, the apparatus receives a vehicle information message. […] In some cases, a vehicle information message may indicate at least one capability of the sending apparatus (e.g., types of sensors supported, available FOVs, etc.); [0153] This may include generic sensor properties, mounting position of the sensor on the vehicle, as well as the sensor's range and opening angle (i.e. the sensor's frustum), and the sensor type) to determine a driving scenario requirement that indicates at least a collection time interval and a collection geographic region, or to determine a driving time and a driving location ([0006] In some aspects, the disclosure provides a method of communication including: generating a request for vehicle sensor information, wherein the generation of the request is based on at least one sensor capability of a responder; [0057] In some aspects, the request may specify the information to be sent in a response. For example, the request may specify at least one type of sensor information being requested, reference position information, a period of interest, at least one sensor type, at least one sensor identifier, at least one requested object type, at least one zone of interest, or any combination thereof))
obtaining, from the network side device, information indicating the driving scenario requirement, or the driving time and the driving location ([0068] At block 312, the apparatus sends the request. For example, the apparatus may transmit a V2X message over-the-air (OTA) via unicast signaling (e.g., to the apparatus of FIG. 4), via broadcast signaling, or via multicast signaling).
transmit, to the network side device, a target data set constructed on the vehicle based on a first part of driving data collected by at least one sensor on the vehicle during the collection time interval and within the collection geographic region indicated by the information ([0069] At block 314, the apparatus receives a response to the request (e.g., from the apparatus of FIG. 4). This response may include the sensor information requested by the request; see [0163] Table 1: showing target data set collected by vehicle includes sensor data based on the period of interest and zone of interest indicated from the request)
Cheng does not explicitly teach: wherein the target data set comprises a tag related to the driving scenario requirement, or the target data set comprises a tag related to the driving time and a tag related to the driving location.
However, Tsuyunashi teaches wherein a target data set comprises a tag related to the driving scenario requirement, or the target data set comprises a tag related to the driving time and a tag related to the driving location ([0008] FIG. 2A is a diagram of an example of tag data; [0047] The data collection condition and the tag data generation data are transmitted to data collection object vehicles (vehicle condition of which is specified by the data user) and also stored in the on-vehicle device 50; [0048] Subsequently, the on-vehicle device 50 each monitor output data from the sensors and the camera. If an event that satisfies the stored data collection condition occurs, the on-vehicle device 50 each store real data R in a storage device. The on-vehicle device 50 each generate and store therein tag data T corresponding to the real data R (vehicle state data) based on the real data R and the stored tag data generation data; [0049] The on-vehicle device 50 transmit the tag data T to the data collection apparatus 1, and the data collection apparatus 1 stores therein the tag data T. The real data R is not transmitted to the data collection apparatus 1; [0060] If the system described above is formed by cloud, the on-vehicle device 50 each tag the information, such as time, position, and speed, to the collected data; supported by [0054]-[0055]).
It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the present claimed invention to modify the target data set as taught in Cheng to incorporate the teachings of Tsuyunashi to include wherein a target data set comprises a tag related to the driving scenario requirement, or the target data set comprises a tag related to the driving time and a tag related to the driving location, with a reasonable expectation of success since doing so would have achieved the benefit of organizing the collected data and making it easier to search the collected data, by including “additional information suitably used as index data” (Tsuyunashi [0103]).
Cheng also teaches: and wherein the at least one sensor but not all sensors on the vehicle is selected at the vehicle based on driving scenario information corresponding to the driving scenario requirement, the driving scenario requirement utilized to determine which vehicle sensors are to contribute data for the target data set; and preventing, during the collection time interval corresponding to the driving scenario requirement, transmitting a second part of driving data collected by a sensor other than the selected at least one sensor on the vehicle ([0006] In some aspects, the disclosure provides a method of communication including: generating a request for vehicle sensor information, wherein the generation of the request is based on at least one sensor capability of a responder; transmitting the request via a vehicle communication link; and receiving a response to the request via the vehicle communication link; [0117] The Sensor Type and/or the Sensor ID may indicate, for example, that only LIDAR sensors are to be used; supported by Table 1: Type of sensor data request).
In Cheng, Examiner understands when the data request indicates only LIDAR sensors are to be used, the responding vehicles will only use LIDAR sensors (thereby any other data other than LIDAR data is prevented from being transmitted).
Regarding claim 15, Cheng, as modified, teaches the driving data collection method according to claim 14.
Cheng also teaches wherein the data in the target data set is only the first part of the driving data collected by the at least one sensor ([0117] The Sensor Type and/or the Sensor ID may indicate, for example, that only LIDAR sensors are to be used; supported by Table 1: Type of sensor data request).
Regarding claim 16, Cheng, as modified, teaches the driving data collection method according to claim 14.
Cheng also teaches wherein, to obtain the information, the at least one processor is coupled to the at least one memory to execute the instructions to: receive the information from a network side device (FIG. 16 processing circuit (e.g., processor) 1610 and storage medium (e.g., memory) 1604; FIG. 4 receive request for sensor information 404).
Regarding claim 20, Cheng, as modified, teaches the driving data collection method according to claim 14.
Cheng also teaches wherein the at least one sensor is determined based on the information ([0117] The Sensor Type and/or the Sensor ID may indicate, for example, that only LIDAR sensors are to be used; supported by Table 1: Type of sensor data request)
In Cheng, Examiner understands when the data request indicates only LIDAR sensors are to be used, the responding vehicle(s) will determine to use only LIDAR sensors.
Claims 5 and 18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Cheng, in view of Tsuyunashi, in further view of Michalakis (US-20190266264-A1, as cited in the IDS dated 05/22/2023) and herein after will be referred to as Michalakis.
Regarding claim 5, Cheng, as modified, teaches the driving data collection apparatus according to claim 1.
Cheng also teaches wherein the at least one processor is coupled to the at least one memory to execute the instructions to: read the driving scenario requirement in the vehicle (FIG. 16 processing circuit (e.g., processor) 1610 and storage medium (e.g., memory) 1604; FIG. 4 determine content of response).
Cheng does not teach in the same embodiment that the driving requirement is prestored.
However, Michalakis teaches in some embodiments that the driving requirement is prestored ([0026]: “[i]n another embodiment, the database 310 can be stored in the data store 115 of the vehicle 100, described with reference to FIG. 1 and “[i]n another embodiment, the database 310 can include further data request information 370 created by the data targeting module 330”).
It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the present claimed invention to modify Cheng, as modified, to incorporate the teachings of Michalakis to include the driving requirement is prestored, with a reasonable expectation of success to enable the vehicle more accessible access to the driving requirement at all times.
Regarding claim 18, Cheng, as modified, teaches the driving data collection method according to claim 14.
Cheng also teaches wherein the obtaining information comprises: reading the driving scenario requirement in the vehicle (FIG. 16 processing circuit (e.g., processor) 1610 and storage medium (e.g., memory) 1604; FIG. 4 determine content of response).
Cheng does not teach in the same embodiment that the driving requirement is prestored.
However, Michalakis teaches in some embodiments that the driving requirement is prestored ([0026]: “[i]n another embodiment, the database 310 can be stored in the data store 115 of the vehicle 100, described with reference to FIG. 1 and “[i]n another embodiment, the database 310 can include further data request information 370 created by the data targeting module 330”).
It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the present claimed invention to modify Cheng, as modified, to incorporate the teachings of Michalakis to include the driving requirement is prestored, with a reasonable expectation of success to enable the vehicle more accessible access to the driving requirement at all times.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
US-20180288502-A1: Higuchi teaches an information collection apparatus collection sensor information from vehicles
US 20210149394 A1: Li teaches in FIG. 1A a vehicle sending sensor capability information to a vehicle platform such as a server device
US 20200364953 A1: Simoudis discloses a method of managing autonomous vehicle data using a server
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/DAVIN SEOL/Examiner, Art Unit 3662