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 § 102
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 the appropriate paragraphs of 35 U.S.C. 102 that form the basis for the rejections under this section made in this Office action:
A person shall be entitled to a patent unless –
(a)(1) the claimed invention was patented, described in a printed publication, or in public use, on sale, or otherwise available to the public before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claim(s) 1-3 and 15-18 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being unpatentable over Miyagi (JP-2008224604-A).
[Claim 1] Miyagi (JP-2008224604-A) discloses An information processing apparatus [0001] The present invention relates to a navigation device that provides guidance information according to a current position, comprising:
a first acquisition section that acquires map information [0029] The communication unit 3 is connected to, for example, an information providing device (not shown) via the network N, and receives various information such as route guidance and map information transmitted from the information providing device via the network… [0040] The map information DB 932a stores map data for the whole country and each region… includes a wide area map (for example, national map data), a medium area map (for example, map data for each local unit), and a detailed map (for example, each municipality unit or each regional unit)… includes address information such as prefectures, municipalities, administrative divisions, and addresses, information on buildings, facilities, stores, parks, railways, topographic information, road information, and the like… latest map data downloaded from the information providing apparatus (not shown) via the network N is updated as needed. Note that the storage medium for storing these map information may be any of optical, magnetic, semiconductor memory, and the like. Further, it may be fixed (for example, magnetic tape, hard disk, etc.) or detachably provided (for example, FD, MO, DVD, etc.).;
a setting section that sets, on a basis of designation of a region that is performed by a user, a content region with which content data is associated [0016] Therefore, the user can store the guidance information in the storage medium in association with the information provision position where the guidance information is desired to be provided, and the current position becomes the information provision position stored in the storage medium… [0044] Here, in the first creation mode, the user designates the information provision position as the guidance information provision point on the map displayed on the display unit 5 and associates it with each designated information provision position… [0016] Therefore, the user can store the guidance information in the storage medium in association with the information provision position where the guidance information is desired to be provided, and the current position becomes the information provision position stored in the storage medium.;
a storage that stores therein the set content region and the map information [0040] The map information DB 932a stores map data for the whole country and each region… includes a wide area map (for example, national map data), a medium area map (for example, map data for each local unit), and a detailed map (for example, each municipality unit or each regional unit)… latest map data downloaded from the information providing apparatus (not shown) via the network N is updated as needed. Note that the storage medium for storing these map information may be any of optical, magnetic, semiconductor memory, and the like. Further, it may be fixed (for example, magnetic tape, hard disk, etc.) or detachably provided (for example, FD, MO, DVD, etc.) in a state of being associated [0044] Here, in the first creation mode, the user designates the information provision position as the guidance information provision point on the map displayed on the display unit 5 and associates it with each designated information provision position. with each other [0016] Therefore, the user can store the guidance information in the storage medium in association with the information provision position where the guidance information is desired to be provided, and the current position becomes the information provision position stored in the storage medium.; and
a display controller that causes the content region to be superimposed on the map information to be displayed [0046] the CPU 91 displays the display data for the first creation mode screen stored in a predetermined area such as the memory unit 93. And the first creation mode screen is displayed on the display unit 5… on the first creation mode screen, a map information display area where map information is displayed, a designated information provision position display area indicating a designated information provision position, and execution of various processes are instructed… [0058] …each set information providing position is displayed in the set information providing position display area… [0063] displayed in the recorded information providing position display area to indicate that the position of Q1 is the information providing position where the voice information has already been input (see FIG. 4).
[Claim 2] Miyagi (JP-2008224604-A) discloses The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:
a second acquisition section that acquires accuracy information regarding accuracy of position information [0065] Here, whether or not the current position of the vehicle on which the navigation device 100 is mounted matches the information providing position stored in the storage medium 61 in association with the voice guidance information is determined based on the current position of the navigation device 100. This is done by determining whether the latitude / longitude data specified as is included in a predetermined error range of the latitude / longitude data as the position information of the information providing position stored in the storage medium 61 acquired by a position sensor [0028] …The latitude / longitude data as the current position acquired by the GPS positioning unit 2 is output to the control unit 9; and
an output section that outputs support information regarding the setting of the content region [0017] According to the third aspect of the present invention, it is a matter of course that the effect of the second aspect of the invention can be obtained, the map information is displayed by the display means, and the position designation means is displayed by the user by the display means. Arbitrary information providing position in the map information is designated on a basis of the acquired accuracy information [0065].
[Claim 3] Miyagi (JP-2008224604-A) discloses The information processing apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising a generator [0041] The ROM 94 has a program storage area composed of a nonvolatile memory. Specifically, the current position specifying program 94a, a creation mode selection program 94b, a first creation program 94c, a second creation program 94d, and a third creation program. 94e, a provision program 94f, and the like are stored that generates the accuracy information on a basis of a difference between first position information and second position information, the first position information being set on a basis of the map information, the second position information being acquired by the position sensor [0028] …The latitude / longitude data as the current position acquired by the GPS positioning unit 2 is output to the control unit 9 at a position, in a real world, that corresponds to the first position information [0065] Here, whether or not the current position of the vehicle on which the navigation device 100 is mounted matches the information providing position stored in the storage medium 61 in association with the voice guidance information is determined based on the current position of the navigation device 100. This is done by determining whether the latitude / longitude data specified as is included in a predetermined error range of the latitude / longitude data as the position information of the information providing position stored in the storage medium 61.
[Claim 15] Miyagi (JP-2008224604-A) discloses The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the content data includes at least one of sound data or image data [0064-65] In addition, the voice guidance information input by the user is converted into a voice data file, and each voice data file corresponds to each information provision position (for example, Q2, Q3) where the voice guidance information is input. In addition, it is stored in the storage medium 61… when the current position specified by the CPU 91 executing the current position specifying program 94a matches the information providing position based on the position information stored in the storage medium 61, the provided program 94f It is a program for realizing a function of providing the user with voice guidance information stored in association with the position information.
[Claim 16] Miyagi (JP-2008224604-A) discloses The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the position sensor is a GPS sensor [0074] a GPS positioning unit 2.
[Claim 17] In re claim 17. The limitations are similar to those disclosed in re claim 1 and are therefore rejected under the same premise. For more information, please see the rejection in re claim 1.
[Claim 18] In re claim 18. The limitations are similar to those disclosed in re claim 1 and are therefore rejected under the same premise. For more information, please see the rejection in re claim 1.
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.
Claim(s) 4-7, 11, and 13-14 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Miyagi (JP-2008224604-A), as applied to claim 3 above and further in view of Nelapati (US-20180365500-A1).
[Claim 4] Miyagi (JP-2008224604-A) discloses The information processing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the generator generates the accuracy information [0065] on a basis of a difference between
**** [0070] Based on information provided from the information providing apparatus 300 via the network N according to the current position, various information such as route search to the destination, route guidance, and map information is provided.
information and the position information, the
****
information being set on the basis of the map information, the position information being acquired by the position sensor in a path, in the real world, [0065] Here, whether or not the current position of the vehicle on which the navigation device 100 is mounted matches the information providing position stored in the storage medium 61 in association with the voice guidance information is determined based on the current position of the navigation device 100. This is done by determining whether the latitude / longitude data specified as is included in a predetermined error range of the latitude / longitude data as the position information of the information providing position stored in the storage medium 61
****
Miyagi lacks the following underlined limitations:
a basis of a difference between path information and the position information, the path information being set on the basis of the map information, the position information … that corresponds to the path information
Regarding the limitation; Nelapati (US-20180365500-A1) discloses in a similar invention field of endeavor [0035] The apparatus that determines an error in global navigation information 100 may be implemented as part of a vehicle, as a standalone component, as a hybrid between an on vehicle and off vehicle device, or in another computing device, a consideration for [0019] The computer executable instructions cause the at least one processor to determine the longitudinal error at the detected first position by analyzing high resolution mapping data corresponding to the detected first position to determine first curvature information of a path corresponding to the detected first position, analyzing data from a sensor that senses second curvature information of a path around the sensor, comparing the first curvature information to the second curvature information to determine whether there is an error in the detected position, and in response to determining that there is an error in detected position, aligning the first curvature information and the second curvature information and determining the adjustment value used to align the first curvature information and the second curvature information.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the time the instant application was effectively filed to adapt the modified system of Miyagi to include path information with a reasonable expectation for success, as taught by Nelapati, for the benefit of adjusting system operations, according to sensed differences in path information, in order to increase data accuracy of a vehicle travel route.
[Claim 5] Miyagi (JP-2008224604-A) discloses The information processing apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the support information includes image information that includes the map information [0017] According to the third aspect of the present invention, it is a matter of course that the effect of the second aspect of the invention can be obtained, the map information is displayed by the display means, and the position designation means is displayed by the user by the display means. Arbitrary information providing position in the map information is designated, the image information being used to set at least one of the content region [0040] a detailed map (for example, each municipality unit or each regional unit) or the path information …and the storage control means associates the position information of the information providing position designated by the position designation means with the guidance information inputted by the input means. It is stored in a predetermined storage medium.
[Claim 6] Miyagi (JP-2008224604-A) lacks The information processing apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the output section causes a correction region or a plurality of correction regions to be displayed on the map information in the image information, the correction region being based on the content region input on a basis of the map information, the plurality of correction regions being based on a plurality of the content regions input on the basis of the map information.
Regarding the limitation; Nelapati (US-20180365500-A1) discloses in a similar invention field of endeavor [0035] The apparatus that determines an error in global navigation information 100 may be implemented as part of a vehicle, as a standalone component, as a hybrid between an on vehicle and off vehicle device, or in another computing device, a consideration for [0019] The computer executable instructions cause the at least one processor to determine the longitudinal error at the detected first position by analyzing high resolution mapping data corresponding to the detected first position to determine first curvature information of a path corresponding to the detected first position, analyzing data from a sensor that senses second curvature information of a path around the sensor, comparing the first curvature information to the second curvature information to determine whether there is an error in the detected position, and in response to determining that there is an error in detected position, aligning the first curvature information and the second curvature information and determining the adjustment value used to align the first curvature information and the second curvature information… [0045-46] The output 104 may output notification including one or more from among an audible notification, a light notification, and a display notification. The notifications may indicate information on a position of a vehicle or a location of a vehicle. Moreover, the output 104 may output navigation information based on the position of a vehicle and/or a location of a vehicle… The user input 106 is configured to provide information and commands to the apparatus that determines an error in global navigation information 100. [0053] The adjustment value may be retrieved by the controller 101 to provide position information displayed on a map or navigation information from position determined based on the adjustment value.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the time the instant application was effectively filed to adapt the modified system of Miyagi to include a correction region or a plurality of correction regions to be displayed on the map information in the image information with a reasonable expectation for success, as taught by Nelapati, for the benefit of providing a system enabled to display corrected navigational/positional information to a user during operations, increasing positional and navigational accuracy according to sensed and map data.
[Claim 7] Miyagi (JP-2008224604-A) discloses The information processing apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the output section causes a region including the position information to be displayed [0067] map information is displayed by the display unit 5 as the correction region [0065] when the current position specified by the CPU 91 executing the current position specifying program 94a matches the information providing position based on the position information stored in the storage medium 61, the provided program 94f It is a program for realizing a function of providing the user with voice guidance information stored in association with the position information, the position information being likely to be acquired by the position sensor at a position, in the real world, that corresponds to a position situated in the input content region [0065] Here, whether or not the current position of the vehicle on which the navigation device 100 is mounted matches the information providing position stored in the storage medium 61 in association with the voice guidance information is determined based on the current position of the navigation device 100. This is done by determining whether the latitude / longitude data specified as is included in a predetermined error range of the latitude / longitude data as the position information of the information providing position stored in the storage medium 61 … [0028] …The latitude / longitude data as the current position acquired by the GPS positioning unit 2 is output to the control unit 9.
[Claim 11] Miyagi (JP-2008224604-A) discloses The information processing apparatus according to claim 6, wherein when correction regions of the plurality of correction regions overlap, the output section outputs information regarding the content data associated with the content region corresponding to a corresponding one of the plurality of overlapping regions [0065] when the current position specified by the CPU 91 executing the current position specifying program 94a matches the information providing position based on the position information stored in the storage medium 61, the provided program 94f It is a program for realizing a function of providing the user with voice guidance information stored in association with the position information… Here, whether or not the current position of the vehicle on which the navigation device 100 is mounted matches the information providing position stored in the storage medium 61 in association with the voice guidance information is determined based on the current position of the navigation device 100. This is done by determining whether the latitude / longitude data specified as is included in a predetermined error range of the latitude / longitude data as the position information of the information providing position stored in the storage medium 61 … [0028] …The latitude / longitude data as the current position acquired by the GPS positioning unit 2 is output to the control unit 9.
[Claim 13] Miyagi (JP-2008224604-A) discloses The information processing apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the output section causes comparison-target information to be displayed on the image information [0029] The communication unit 3 is connected to, for example, an information providing device (not shown) via the network N, and receives various information such as route guidance and map information transmitted from the information providing device via the network., the comparison-target information including a set of the path information and the position information, the path information being set on the basis of the map information [0070] Based on information provided from the information providing apparatus 300 via the network N according to the current position, various information such as route search to the destination, route guidance, and map information is provided, the position information being acquired by the position sensor in the path, in the real world, that corresponds to the path information [0082] The current position specifying program 96a is a program for causing the CPU 95 to realize a function for specifying the current position of the navigation device 200, for example. Specifically, the CPU 95 acquires latitude / longitude data as the current position of the navigation device 200 based on a plurality of radio waves transmitted from a plurality of artificial satellites (not shown) at a predetermined interval by the GPS positioning unit 2. To do. The CPU 95 functions as a current position specifying unit together with the GPS positioning unit 2 by executing the current position specifying program 96a.
[Claim 14] Miyagi (JP-2008224604-A) discloses The information processing apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the output section causes the comparison-target information to be superimposed on the map information in the image information [0029] The communication unit 3 is connected to, for example, an information providing device (not shown) via the network N, and receives various information such as route guidance and map information transmitted from the information providing device via the network.
Claim(s) 8 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Miyagi (JP-2008224604-A), and Nelapati (US-20180365500-A1), as applied to claim 6 above and further in view of Okamua (US-20110122153-A1).
[Claim 8] Miyagi (JP-2008224604-A) lacks The information processing apparatus according to claim 6, wherein when correction regions of the plurality of correction regions overlap, the output section changes at least one of a position or a size of each of the plurality of correction regions in order for the correction regions of the plurality of correction regions to no longer overlap.
Regarding the limitation; Okamua (US-20110122153-A1) discloses in a similar invention field of endeavor, a consideration for [0326] Accordingly, the second embodiment of the present invention is directed to optimal placement of individual cluster maps on a map which makes it possible to avoid overlapping of cluster maps in regions where the cluster maps are densely concentrated, without changing the size of the cluster maps. When placing the cluster maps in this way, the placement is performed in accordance with the following placement criteria (1) to (3)… [0378] …a plurality of cluster maps can be displayed with substantially no overlap. Also, for example, if the threshold th11 is set as th11=0, by appropriately determining the size of each cluster map with respect to the display area on the display screen, a plurality of cluster maps can be displayed with no overlap without fail.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the time the instant application was effectively filed to adapt the modified system of Miyagi to include changes at least one of a position or a size of each of the plurality of regions in order for the correction regions of the plurality of regions to no longer overlap with a reasonable expectation for success, as taught by Okamua, for the benefit of [0378] appropriately determining the size of each cluster map with respect to the display area on the display screen, a plurality of cluster maps can be displayed with no overlap without fail.
Claim(s) 9 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Miyagi (JP-2008224604-A), and Nelapati (US-20180365500-A1), as applied to claim 6 above and further in view of Gabel (US-20200279377-A1).
[Claim 9] Miyagi (JP-2008224604-A) lacks The information processing apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the output section outputs alert information when correction regions of the plurality of correction regions overlap.
Regarding the limitation; Gabel (US-20200279377-A1) discloses in a similar invention field of endeavor, a consideration for [0045] The vehicle 101 can evaluate the pixels at 509. Since straps and other portions may move somewhat during travel, even if a load is relatively fixed, the process may include some tolerance for change, so that only if a predefined number of pixels, percentage of pixels, or number/percentage relative to the total pixels in the foreground image, overlap, is an alert issued. This allows for some sway along the edges of the foreground image but should also allow for identifying a noteworthy charge.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the time the instant application was effectively filed to adapt the modified system of Miyagi to include alert information when regions overlap with a reasonable expectation for success, as taught by Gabel, for the benefit of calling a user’s attention to note worthy changes [0045].
Claim(s) 10 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Miyagi (JP-2008224604-A), and Nelapati (US-20180365500-A1), as applied to claim 6 above and further in view of Dooley (US-20060167627-A1).
[Claim 10] Miyagi (JP-2008224604-A) lacks The information processing apparatus according to claim 6, wherein when correction regions of the plurality of correction regions overlap, the output section causes overlapping regions to be highlighted to be displayed.
Regarding the limitation; Dooley (US-20060167627-A1) discloses in a similar invention field of endeavor, a consideration for [0003] In accordance with the present invention, a method of generating a map display of the aforementioned type is provided further comprising the step of highlighting a second area on the map surrounding a second position fix wherein the size of the second area corresponds to the accuracy of the second position fix wherein either (a) when the first and second areas overlap, either (i) the one corresponding to the most recent or accurate position fix is displayed on top of the other or (ii) the highlighting of the overlapping area is different from that of those parts of the first and second areas which do not overlap, or (b) the manner in which at least one of the position fixes is obtained is indicated by the colour of the highlight.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the time the instant application was effectively filed to adapt the modified system of Miyagi to include overlapping regions to be highlighted to be displayed with a reasonable expectation for success, as taught by Dooley, for the benefit of providing a manner in which display information can stand out amongst other displayed information, attracting attention and providing analysis for a user during operations.
Claim(s) 12 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Miyagi (JP-2008224604-A), and Nelapati (US-20180365500-A1), as applied to claim 5 above and further in view of Sasaki (US-20130006524-A1).
[Claim 12] Miyagi (JP-2008224604-A) lacks The information processing apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the output section outputs information regarding a scale of the map information.
Regarding the limitation; Sasaki (US-20130006524-A1) discloses in a similar invention field of endeavor, a consideration for [0071] The user can change the scale of the map information displayed on the display unit 17 by operating the input unit 11 of the navigation device 1 illustrated in FIG. 1. In the case where the scale of the map information is changed, the controller 10 defines the first region 41 based on the scale of the map information and the traveling direction of the own vehicle 31.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the time the instant application was effectively filed to adapt the modified system of Miyagi to include information regarding a scale of the map information with a reasonable expectation for success, as taught by Sasaki, for the benefit of providing map information at a size and orientation easily understood by a user in reference to local operating environments.
Conclusion
It should be noted that there exists prior art which is pertinent to significant though unclaimed features of the defined invention or directed to the state of art. The following is a brief description of relevant prior art cited but not applied:
Altamura (US-20120158287-A1) discloses in a similar invention, a consideration for [0005] If the navigation device is determined to be in an acquired image display mode, the method includes determining a location of the navigation device, displaying an acquired image, correlating the acquired image to a portion of a cartographic map associated with the determined location, and displaying overlays of points of interest on the acquired image, the points of interest stored in the cartographic map data, the overlays correlated to be in a correct position with respect to the acquired image.
See PTO-892: Notice of references cited.
Contact
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MATTHEW JOHN MOSCOLA whose telephone number is (571)272-6944. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 7:30-5:30.
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/M.J.M./Examiner, Art Unit 3663
/ABBY J FLYNN/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3663