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 .
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.
Joint Inventors
This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention(s) absent any evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and effective filing dates of each claim that was not commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the later invention in order for the examiner to consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) for any potential 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) prior art against the later invention.
Response to Amendments
Claims 1, 13, and 17 have been amended. are presented and are being examined herein. No claims have been added or canceled. All previous rejections have been withdrawn, and an updated rejection is presented below.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments filed 10/29/2025 have been considered and are not persuasive.
Applicant’s contentions regarding the previous rejection are considered moot as the previous rejection has been withdrawn.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Claim 1-8 and 10-20 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kim (US11669094, referred to as Kim) in view of Xu (CN115520267A)
Regarding claim 1: Kim discloses: A computer-implemented method for operating an autonomous driving vehicle (ADV), comprising: determining steering control information and steering motor control information of a primary steering system of the ADV; [transferring, during operation of the ADV] ([col. 6, lines 58-61] The autonomous driving cancellation determination unit 120 receives a command steering angle and steering angular velocity information, and determines whether to cancel the autonomous driving. ([col. 10, lines 1-11] since external noise or tire vibration is increased as the vehicle velocity increases, the cut-off frequency may be lagged ( or increased) when the value of the differentiation time Td is lowered (or decreased). Furthermore, when the value of the differentiation time Td is raised ( or increased) as the vehicle velocity is low, the cut-off frequency may be lowered to control a wider bandwidth. This is decided through a test in consideration of the control stability of the MDPS, and the values of the gain G and the differentiation time Td are stored in a tuning map according to the vehicle velocity and the steering angular velocity.) [transferring the steering control information and the steering motor control information of the primary steering system to a secondary steering system;] [col. 11, lines 33-47] When urgent steering is performed, the autonomous driving may be cancelled. That is, when urgent steering is performed, signals such as high steering velocity, acceleration, non-linear steering command and column torque increase, which are not generated in a general autonomous driving situation, are applied to the MDPS system. When it is determined that signals which are not generated in a general autonomous driving situation are applied to the MDPS system, the performance of the position controller may be momentarily maximized to quickly and accurately perform the urgent steering command without canceling the autonomous driving, which makes it possible to stably and urgently avoid an obstacle at a dangerous moment.) controlling, by the primary steering system, the ADV to drive autonomously based on the steering control information and the steering motor control information of the primary steering system; and ([col. 10, lines 1-11] since external noise or tire vibration is increased as the vehicle velocity increases, the cut-off frequency may be lagged ( or increased) when the value of the differentiation time Td is lowered (or decreased). Furthermore, when the value of the differentiation time Td is raised ( or increased) as the vehicle velocity is low, the cut-off frequency may be lowered to control a wider bandwidth. This is decided through a test in consideration of the control stability of the MDPS, and the values of the gain G and the differentiation time Td are stored in a tuning map according to the vehicle velocity and the steering angular velocity.) [in response to detecting a failure of the primary steering system, controlling, by the secondary steering system, the ADV to drive autonomously based on the steering control information and the steering motor control information of the primary steering system that was transferred prior to failure].
Kim does not explicitly disclose: [transferring, during operation of the ADV] … [transferring the steering control information and the steering motor control information of the primary steering system to a secondary steering system;] … [in response to detecting a failure of the primary steering system, controlling, by the secondary steering system, the ADV to drive autonomously based on the steering control information and the steering motor control information of the primary steering system that was transferred prior to failure].
Kim does not disclose the following limitations, however Xu, in an analogous field of endeavor, teaches: transferring, during operation of the ADV … transferring the steering control information and the steering motor control information of the primary steering system to a secondary steering system; … in response to detecting a failure of the primary steering system, controlling, by the secondary steering system, the ADV to drive autonomously based on the steering control information and the steering motor control information of the primary steering system that was transferred prior to failure. ([pg. 2, lines 14-24] an information receiving part configured to receive at least one fault signal from the steering control system; a determining part configured to determine fault state information according to the fault signal, the fault state information including at least one of the following: fault occurrence location, fault point number, and fault risk level; and a fault response part configured to determine fault state information according to the fault The status information controls the steering control system such
that the steering control system selectively activates a normal mode of operation, a fault operable mode, or a shutdown mode of operation. Thus, the fault response method and system thereof according to the present invention can respond differently to conditions such as faults occurring in different positions of the steering control system and the corresponding risk levels of each fault, so that even if the steering control system is in two or more different positions When a failure occurs, its redundant components can also be fully utilized to control)
Kim and Xu are analogous art to the claimed invention since they are from the similar field of autonomous vehicle steering control systems. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention, with a reasonable expectation for success, to modify the urgent steering data processing of Kim to enable the redundant steering system taught in Xu.
The motivation for modification would have been to provide the redundant steering control taught in Xu to the processing of Kim for the benefit of reliability during strenuous steering conditions that could lead to steering control system failure.
Regarding claim 2: The combination of Kim and Xu teaches: The method of claim 1,
Kim further discloses: wherein the steering control information comprises at least one of a feedforward control term, a proportional control term, an integral control term, or a derivative control term. ([col. 9, lines 42-65] the variable HPF 161 receives an error value (i.e. position control error) corresponding to a difference between a current steering angle and a command steering angle, the cut-off frequency is decided according to a command steering angular velocity, and the gain G of the gain adjusting unit
162 is calculated by multiplying the position control gain Kp (G=Kp*Td) by the differentiation time Td.
Here, Kp represents a P gain of the PID controller. For reference, since the differentiation time Td may define the control period and frequency of the D controller in the PID controller, the value of Kd is varied to control the gain G. Here, Kd represents a D gain of the PID controller. As already defined, the value of Kd is increased as the steering angular velocity is high within a transfer function, and decreased as the steering angular velocity is low. Thus, the gain response characteristic of the controller is varied.
Furthermore, as described above, a specific portion (i.e. (1/Td)+s), *s) in the transfer function of ((1/Td)/((1/Td)+s)) *Td*Kp*s) has the same form as the HPF, and can be set to a desired frequency through 1/Td. That is, a transfer function of a general HPF may be expressed as s/(s+w). Here, w is 2*pi*f, where f represents a cut-off frequency.)
Regarding claim 3: The combination of Kim and Xu teaches: The method of claim 1,
Kim further discloses: wherein the steering motor control information comprises at least one of a feedforward motor control term, a proportional motor control term, or an integral motor control term. ([col. 10, lines 38-55] In order to prevent the resonance of the MDPS system when the MDPS system performs position control in a normal situation during autonomous driving, the steering angle position controller 150 is designed, and the PID gain is tuned. However, when the performance of the steering
angle position controller 150 is maximized to momentarily avoid an obstacle, that is, when the gain G is momentarily raised or the cut-off frequency of the variable HPF 161 is lowered to a range of 8 to 12 Hz, the gain may be increased according to the frequency characteristic. Thus, the stability of the steering angle position controller 150 may be degraded to cause vibration. In general, the torsion bar resonant frequency of 8 to 12 Hz is not detected in the MDPS system. When a signal of the corresponding frequency is detected by the vibration detection unit 130, the gain G may be lowered, or the cut-off frequency of the variable HPF 161 may be returned to a level corresponding to a normal condition in which no vibration occurs.)
Regarding claim 4: The combination of Kim and Xu teaches: The method of claim 1,
Kim further discloses: wherein the steering control information and the steering motor control information of the primary steering system are [transferred to the secondary steering system] by at least one of a computer interface (CI), a cable area network (CAN) interface 1, or a CAN interface 2. ([col. 11-12, lines 63-3] The method can be implemented in a device such as a processor which generally refers to a processing device including a computer, a microprocessor, an integrated circuit or a programmable logic device. The processor includes a communication device, such as a computer, a cell phone, a PDA (Personal Digital Assistant) and another device, which can facilitate information communication between end users.)
Kim does not explicitly disclose: [transferred to the secondary steering system]
Kim does not disclose the following limitations, however Xu, in an analogous field of endeavor, teaches: transferred to the secondary steering system ([pg. 2, lines 14-24] an information receiving part configured to receive at least one fault signal from the steering control system; a determining part configured to determine fault state information according to the fault signal, the fault state information including at least one of the following: fault occurrence location, fault point number, and fault risk level; and a fault response part configured to determine fault state information according to the fault The status information controls the steering control system such that the steering control system selectively activates a normal mode of operation, a fault operable mode, or a shutdown mode of operation. Thus, the fault response method and system thereof according to the present invention can respond differently to conditions such as faults occurring in different positions of the steering control system and the corresponding risk levels of each fault, so that even if the steering control system is in two or more different positions When a failure occurs, its redundant components can also be fully utilized to control)
As previously stated, Kim and Xu are analogous art to the claimed invention since they are from the similar field of autonomous vehicle steering control systems. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention, with a reasonable expectation for success, to modify the urgent steering data processing of Kim to enable the redundant steering system taught in Xu.
The motivation for modification would have been to provide the redundant steering control taught in Xu to the processing of Kim for the benefit of reliability during strenuous system conditions that could lead to steering control system failure.
Regarding claim 5: The combination of Kim and Xu teaches: The method of claim 1,
Kim further discloses: where in the [controlling, by the secondary steering system,] the ADV to drive autonomously based on the steering control information and the steering motor control information of the primary steering system comprises: controlling, by the secondary steering system, the ADV to drive autonomously based on a plurality of control terms of the steering control information and the steering motor control information of the primary steering system with a plurality of control gains, wherein each control term is associated with a control gain. ([col. 9, lines 42-65] the variable HPF 161 receives an error value (i.e. position control error) corresponding to a difference between a current steering angle and a command steering angle, the cut-off frequency is decided according to a command steering angular velocity, and the gain G of the gain adjusting uni 162 is calculated by multiplying the position control gain Kp (G=Kp*Td) by the differentiation time Td. Here, Kp represents a P gain of the PID controller. For reference, since the differentiation time Td may define the control period and frequency of the D controller in the PID controller, the value of Kd is varied to control the gain G. Here, Kd represents a D gain of the PID controller. As already defined, the value of Kd is increased as the steering angular velocity is high within a transfer function, and decreased as the steering angular velocity is low. Thus, the gain response characteristic of the controller is varied. Furthermore, as described above, a specific portion (i.e. (1/Td)+s), *s) in the transfer function of ((1/Td)/((1/Td)+s)) *Td*Kp*s) has the same form as the HPF, and can be set to a desired frequency through 1/Td. That is, a transfer function of a general HPF may be expressed as s/(s+w). Here, w is 2*pi*f, where f represents a cut-off frequency. [col. 10, lines 12-21] However, when urgent steering is performed during the autonomous driving, vibration or the like may be caused by a factor such as the external environment. In this case, the vibration needs to be detected in advance in order to prevent an excessive increase in gain G or a vibration in cut-off frequency of the variable HPF 161. For this operation, the vibration detection unit 130 monitors in real time how frequently the sign of the steering angular velocity is changed for a predetermined time period (see FIG. 2). [col. 10, lines 38-67] In order to prevent the resonance of the MDPS system when the MDPS system performs position control in a normal situation during autonomous driving, the steering angle position controller 150 is designed, and the PID gain is tuned. However, when the performance of the steering angle position controller 150 is maximized to momentarily avoid an obstacle, that is, when the gain G is momentarily raised or the cut-off frequency of the variable HPF 161 is lowered to a range of 8 to 12 Hz, the gain may be increased according to the frequency characteristic. Thus, the stability of the steering angle position controller 150 may be degraded to cause vibration. In general, the torsion bar resonant frequency of 8 to 12 Hz is not detected in the MDPS system. When a signal of the corresponding frequency is detected by the vibration detection unit 130, the gain G may be lowered, or the cut-off frequency of the variable HPF 161 may be returned to a level corresponding to a normal condition in which no vibration occurs. In other words, when the gain G of the steering angle position controller 150 is raised to increase momentary responsiveness or the cut-off frequency is adjusted to increase the gain characteristic of a frequency at which momentary steering is required (in general, as the cut-off frequency of the variable HPF 161 is lowered, the gain level according to the frequency of 8 to 12 Hz is increased), a safety margin of the steering angle position controller 150 is reduced. When the vibration detection unit 130 monitors the reduction in safety margin and determines that vibration occurs, the performance of the steering angle position controller 150 is returned to the normal state. [col. 11, lines 33-47] When urgent steering is performed, the autonomous driving may be cancelled. That is, when urgent steering is performed, signals such as high steering velocity, acceleration, non-linear steering command and column torque increase, which are not generated in a general autonomous driving situation, are applied to the MDPS system. When it is determined that signals which are not generated in a general autonomous driving situation are applied to the MDPS system, the performance of the position controller may be momentarily maximized to quickly and accurately perform the urgent steering command without canceling the autonomous driving, which makes it possible to stably and urgently avoid an obstacle at a dangerous moment. [col. 11, lines 54-66] the embodiments described in this specification may be implemented with a method or process, a device, a software program, a data stream or a signal, for example. Although a feature is discussed only in the context of single implementation (for example, discussed only in a method), the discussed feature can be is implemented in another type (for example, apparatus or program). An apparatus may be implemented in suitable hardware, software or firmware. The method can be implemented in a device such as a processor which generally refers to a processing device including a computer, a microprocessor, an integrated circuit or a programmable logic device)
Kim does not explicitly disclose: [controlling, by the secondary steering system]
Kim does not disclose the following limitations, however Xu, in an analogous field of endeavor, teaches: controlling, by the secondary steering system ([pg. 2, lines 14-24] an information receiving part configured to receive at least one fault signal from the steering control system; a determining part configured to determine fault state information according to the fault signal, the fault state information including at least one of the following: fault occurrence location, fault point number, and fault risk level; and a fault response part configured to determine fault state information according to the fault The status information controls the steering control system such that the steering control system selectively activates a normal mode of operation, a fault operable mode, or a shutdown mode of operation. Thus, the fault response method and system thereof according to the present invention can respond differently to conditions such as faults occurring in different positions of the steering control system and the corresponding risk levels of each fault, so that even if the steering control system is in two or more different positions When a failure occurs, its redundant components can also be fully utilized to control)
As previously stated, Kim and Xu are analogous art to the claimed invention since they are from the similar field of autonomous vehicle steering control systems. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention, with a reasonable expectation for success, to modify the urgent steering data processing of Kim to enable the redundant steering system taught in Xu.
The motivation for modification would have been to provide the redundant steering control taught in Xu to the processing of Kim for the benefit of reliability during strenuous system conditions that could lead to steering control system failure.
Regarding claim 6: The combination of Kim and Xu teaches: The method of claim 5,
Kim further discloses: further comprising determining the plurality of control gains by tuning. ([col. 10, lines 1-11] since external noise or tire vibration is increased as the vehicle velocity increases, the cut-off frequency may be lagged ( or increased) when the value of the differentiation time Td is lowered (or decreased). Furthermore, when the value of the differentiation time Td is raised ( or increased)
as the vehicle velocity is low, the cut-off frequency may be lowered to control a wider bandwidth. This is decided through a test in consideration of the control stability of the MDPS, and the values of the gain G and the differentiation time Td are stored in a tuning map according to the vehicle
velocity and the steering angular velocity.)
Regarding claim 7: The combination of Kim and Xu teaches: The method of claim 5,
Kim further discloses: further comprising determining the plurality of control gains by setting up a lookup table based on at least one of a speed of the ADV, a predetermined steering angle, a target steering angle, or a road condition. ([col. 9, lines 42-65] the variable HPF 161 receives an error value (i.e. position control error) corresponding to a difference between a current steering angle and a command steering angle, the cut-off frequency is decided according to a command steering angular velocity, and the gain G of the gain adjusting uni 162 is calculated by multiplying the position control gain Kp (G=Kp*Td) by the differentiation time Td. Here, Kp represents a P gain of the PID controller. For reference, since the differentiation time Td may define the control period and frequency of the D controller in the PID controller, the value of Kd is varied to control the gain G. Here, Kd represents a D gain of the PID controller. As already defined, the value of Kd is increased as the steering angular velocity is high within a transfer function, and decreased as the steering angular velocity is low. Thus, the gain response characteristic of the controller is varied. Furthermore, as described above, a specific portion (i.e. (1/Td)+s), *s) in the transfer function of ((1/Td)/((1/Td)+s)) *Td*Kp*s) has the same form as the HPF, and can be set to a desired frequency through 1/Td. That is, a transfer function of a general HPF may be expressed as s/(s+w). Here, w is 2*pi*f, where f represents a cut-off frequency. ([col. 10, lines 1-11] since external noise or tire vibration is increased as the vehicle velocity increases, the cut-off frequency may be lagged ( or increased) when the value of the differentiation time Td is lowered (or decreased). Furthermore, when the value of the differentiation time Td is raised ( or increased) as the vehicle velocity is low, the cut-off frequency may be lowered to control a wider bandwidth. This is decided through a test in consideration of the control stability of the MDPS, and the values of the gain G and the differentiation time Td are stored in a tuning map according to the vehicle velocity and the steering angular velocity.)
Regarding claim 8: The combination of Kim and Xu teaches: The method of claim 5,
Kim further discloses: further comprising determining the plurality of control gains based on a target torque of a steering actuator of the [secondary steering system]. ([col. 6, lines 50-57] the autonomous driving cancellation determination unit 120 removes the frequency component of column torque (i.e. the frequency component caused by the unintended steering intervention of the user) by filtering
the vibration through the band stop filter 110. Through this operation, the autonomous driving cancellation determination unit 120 does not cancel the autonomous driving even though unintended steering intervention of the user occurs. [col. 9, lines 42-65] the variable HPF 161 receives an error value (i.e. position control error) corresponding to a difference between a current steering angle and a command steering angle, the cut-off frequency is decided according to a command steering angular velocity, and the gain G of the gain adjusting uni 162 is calculated by multiplying the position control gain Kp (G=Kp*Td) by the differentiation time Td. Here, Kp represents a P gain of the PID controller. For reference, since the differentiation time Td may define the control period and frequency of the D controller in the PID controller, the value of Kd is varied to control the gain G. Here, Kd represents a D gain of the PID controller. As already defined, the value of Kd is increased as the steering angular velocity is high within a transfer function, and decreased as the steering angular velocity is low. Thus, the gain response characteristic of the controller is varied. Furthermore, as described above, a specific portion (i.e. (1/Td)+s), *s) in the transfer function of ((1/Td)/((1/Td)+s)) *Td*Kp*s) has the same form as the HPF, and can be set to a desired frequency through 1/Td. That is, a transfer function of a general HPF may be expressed as s/(s+w). Here, w is 2*pi*f, where f represents a cut-off frequency.)
Kim does not explicitly disclose: [secondary steering system]
Kim does not disclose the following limitations, however Xu, in an analogous field of endeavor, teaches: secondary steering system ([pg. 2, lines 14-24] an information receiving part configured to receive at least one fault signal from the steering control system; a determining part configured to determine fault state information according to the fault signal, the fault state information including at least one of the following: fault occurrence location, fault point number, and fault risk level; and a fault response part configured to determine fault state information according to the fault The status information controls the steering control system such
that the steering control system selectively activates a normal mode of operation, a fault operable mode, or a shutdown mode of operation. Thus, the fault response method and system thereof according to the present invention can respond differently to conditions such as faults occurring in different positions of the steering control system and the corresponding risk levels of each fault, so that even if the steering control system is in two or more different positions When a failure occurs, its redundant components can also be fully utilized to control)
As previously stated, Kim and Xu are analogous art to the claimed invention since they are from the similar field of autonomous vehicle steering control systems. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention, with a reasonable expectation for success, to modify the urgent steering data processing of Kim to enable the redundant steering system taught in Xu.
The motivation for modification would have been to provide the redundant steering control taught in Xu to the processing of Kim for the benefit of reliability during strenuous system conditions that could lead to steering control system failure.
Regarding claim 10: The combination of Kim and Xu teaches: The method of claim 1,
Kim further discloses: wherein the steering control information and the steering motor control information of the primary steering system are [transferred to the secondary steering system] in every planning cycle continuously. ([col. 2, lines 3-15] in case of an emergency situation ( e.g. a situation
in which a pedestrian or another vehicle suddenly appears ahead of the vehicle), it may be more effective to urgently steer the vehicle, in order to avoid an accident. However, when the autonomous driving mode is canceled or abnormally performed in such an emergency situation as in the vehicle to which the existing autonomous driving mode is applied, the driver (or user) may be placed in a more
dangerous situation. Therefore, there is a need for technology capable of maximizing responsiveness such that a vehicle can be momentarily and quickly steered in response to an emergency situation, while the autonomous driving mode is continuously retained. [col. 9, lines 36-48] When the control response is continuously raised even after the urgent steering has been completed, disturbance or noise is amplified to degrade the performance of the position control during general driving. However, when urgent steering control is required as in the present embodiment, such control is required to improve the safety of the driver. That is, the variable HPF 161 receives an error value (i.e. position control error) corresponding to a difference between a current steering angle and a command steering angle, the cut-off frequency is decided according to a command steering angular velocity, and the gain G of the gain adjusting unit 162 is calculated by multiplying the position control gain Kp (G=Kp*Td) by the differentiation time Td.)
Kim does not explicitly disclose: [transferred to the secondary steering system]
Kim does not disclose the following limitations, however Xu, in an analogous field of endeavor, teaches: transferred to the secondary steering system ([pg. 2, lines 14-24] an information receiving part configured to receive at least one fault signal from the steering control system; a determining part configured to determine fault state information according to the fault signal, the fault state information including at least one of the following: fault occurrence location, fault point number, and fault risk level; and a fault response part configured to determine fault state information according to the fault The status information controls the steering control system such that the steering control system selectively activates a normal mode of operation, a fault operable mode, or a shutdown mode of operation. Thus, the fault response method and system thereof according to the present invention can respond differently to conditions such as faults occurring in different positions of the steering control system and the corresponding risk levels of each fault, so that even if the steering control system is in two or more different positions When a failure occurs, its redundant components can also be fully utilized to control)
As previously stated, Kim and Xu are analogous art to the claimed invention since they are from the similar field of autonomous vehicle steering control systems. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention, with a reasonable expectation for success, to modify the urgent steering data processing of Kim to enable the redundant steering system taught in Xu.
The motivation for modification would have been to provide the redundant steering control taught in Xu to the processing of Kim for the benefit of reliability during strenuous system conditions that could lead to steering control system failure.
Regarding claim 11: The combination of Kim and Xu teaches: The method of claim 1,
Kim further discloses: further comprising in response to detecting the failure of the primary steering system, ([col. 10, lines 18-21] the vibration detection unit 130 monitors in real time how frequently the sign of the steering angular velocity is changed for a predetermined time period (see FIG. 2).) resetting the steering control information and steering motor control information of the [secondary steering system] based on the steering control information and the steering motor control information of the primary steering system. ([col. 10, lines 38-55] In order to prevent the resonance of the MDPS system
when the MDPS system performs position control in a normal situation during autonomous driving, the steering angle position controller 150 is designed, and the PID gain is tuned. However, when the performance of the steering angle position controller 150 is maximized to momentarily avoid an obstacle, that is, when the gain G is momentarily raised or the cut-off frequency of the variable HPF 161 is lowered to a range of 8 to 12 Hz, the gain may be increased according to the frequency characteristic. Thus, the stability of the steering angle position controller 150 may be degraded to cause vibration. In general, the torsion bar resonant frequency of 8 to 12 Hz is not detected in the MDPS system. When a signal of the corresponding frequency is detected by the vibration detection unit 130, the gain G may be lowered, or the cut-off frequency of the variable HPF 161 may be returned to a level corresponding to a normal condition in which no vibration occurs.)
Kim does not explicitly disclose: [secondary steering system]
Kim does not disclose the following limitations, however Xu, in an analogous field of endeavor, teaches: secondary steering system ([pg. 2, lines 14-24] an information receiving part configured to receive at least one fault signal from the steering control system; a determining part configured to determine fault state information according to the fault signal, the fault state information including at least one of the following: fault occurrence location, fault point number, and fault risk level; and a fault response part configured to determine fault state information according to the fault The status information controls the steering control system such that the steering control system selectively activates a normal mode of operation, a fault operable mode, or a shutdown mode of operation. Thus, the fault response method and system thereof according to the present invention can respond differently to conditions such as faults occurring in different positions of the steering control system and the corresponding risk levels of each fault, so that even if the steering control system is in two or more different positions When a failure occurs, its redundant components can also be fully utilized to control)
As previously stated, Kim and Xu are analogous art to the claimed invention since they are from the similar field of autonomous vehicle steering control systems. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention, with a reasonable expectation for success, to modify the urgent steering data processing of Kim to enable the redundant steering system taught in Xu.
The motivation for modification would have been to provide the redundant steering control taught in Xu to the processing of Kim for the benefit of reliability during strenuous system conditions that could lead to steering control system failure.
Regarding claim 12: The combination of Kim and Xu teaches: The method of claim 1,
Kim further discloses: further comprising determining steering control information and steering motor control information of the [secondary steering system], wherein the in response to detecting a failure of the primary steering system, [controlling, by the secondary steering system,] the ADV to drive autonomously based on the steering control information and the steering motor control information of the primary steering system comprises: in response to detecting a failure of the primary steering system, ([col. 10, lines 18-21] the vibration detection unit 130 monitors in real time how frequently the sign of the steering angular velocity is changed for a predetermined time period (see FIG. 2).) [controlling, by the secondary steering system], the ADV to drive autonomously based on both the steering control information and the steering motor control information of the primary steering system and the steering control information and the steering motor control information of the [secondary steering system]. ([col. 10, lines 42-55] when the performance of the steering angle position controller 150 is maximized to momentarily avoid an obstacle, that is, when the gain G is momentarily raised or the cut-off frequency of the variable HPF 161 is lowered to a range of 8 to 12 Hz, the gain may be increased according to the frequency characteristic. Thus, the stability of the steering angle position controller 150 may be degraded to cause vibration. In general, the torsion bar resonant frequency of 8 to 12 Hz is not detected in the MDPS system. When a signal of the corresponding frequency is detected by the vibration detection unit 130, the gain G may be lowered, or the cut-off frequency of the variable HPF 161 may be returned to a level corresponding 55 to a normal condition in which no vibration occurs. [col. 11, lines 33-47] When urgent steering is performed, the autonomous driving may be cancelled. That is, when urgent steering is performed, signals such as high steering velocity, acceleration, non-linear steering command and column torque increase, which are not generated in a general autonomous driving situation, are applied to the MDPS system. When it is determined that signals which are not generated in a general autonomous driving situation are applied to the MDPS system, the performance of the position controller may be momentarily maximized to quickly and accurately perform the urgent steering command without canceling the autonomous driving, which makes it possible to stably and urgently avoid an obstacle at a dangerous moment. [col. 11, lines 54-66] the embodiments described in this specification may be implemented with a method or process, a device, a software program, a data stream or a signal, for example. Although a feature is discussed only in the context of single implementation (for example, discussed only in a method), the discussed feature can be is implemented in another type (for example, apparatus or program). An apparatus may be implemented in suitable hardware, software or firmware. The method can be implemented in a device such as a processor which generally refers to a processing device including a computer, a microprocessor, an integrated circuit or a programmable logic device.)
Kim does not explicitly disclose: [secondary steering system]; [controlling, by the secondary steering system]
Kim does not disclose the following limitations, however Xu, in an analogous field of endeavor, teaches: secondary steering system … controlling, by the secondary steering system ([pg. 2, lines 14-24] an information receiving part configured to receive at least one fault signal from the steering control system; a determining part configured to determine fault state information according to the fault signal, the fault state information including at least one of the following: fault occurrence location, fault point number, and fault risk level; and a fault response part configured to determine fault state information according to the fault The status information controls the steering control system such that the steering control system selectively activates a normal mode of operation, a fault operable mode, or a shutdown mode of operation. Thus, the fault response method and system thereof according to the present invention can respond differently to conditions such as faults occurring in different positions of the steering control system and the corresponding risk levels of each fault, so that even if the steering control system is in two or more different positions When a failure occurs, its redundant components can also be fully utilized to control)
As previously stated, Kim and Xu are analogous art to the claimed invention since they are from the similar field of autonomous vehicle steering control systems. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention, with a reasonable expectation for success, to modify the urgent steering data processing of Kim to enable the redundant steering system taught in Xu.
The motivation for modification would have been to provide the redundant steering control taught in Xu to the processing of Kim for the benefit of reliability during strenuous system conditions that could lead to steering control system failure.
Regarding claim 13: This claim is rejected using the same rationale as claim 5, but it is further directed to a “non-transitory machine-readable medium having instructions stored therein”, which is further disclosed by Kim [col. 5, lines 58-67] Those of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that these block, units, and/or modules are physically implemented by electronic ( or optical) circuits such as logic circuits, discrete components, processors, hard-wired circuits, memory elements, wiring connections, and the like. When the blocks, units, and/or modules are implemented by processors or similar hardware, they may be programmed and controlled using software (e.g., code) to perform various functions discussed herein. [col. 7, lines 16-22] since lateral acceleration or the magnitude and change rate of a yaw rate may be changed according to the length and weight of the vehicle and a turning angle characteristic based on a gear ratio, the condition is tuned in consideration of characteristics for each vehicle and stored in an internal memory (not illustrated).
Regarding claim 14: This claim is rejected using the same rationale as claims 2 and 3.
Regarding claim 15: This claim is rejected using the same rationale as claim 4
Regarding claim 16: This claim is rejected using the same rationale as claim 5.
Regarding claim 17: This claim is rejected using the same rationale as claim 1.
Regarding claim 18: This claim is rejected using the same rationale as claims 2 and 3, and 14.
Regarding claim 19: This claim is rejected using the same rationale as claims 4 and 15
Regarding claim 20: This claim is rejected using the same rationale as claim 16.
Claim 9 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kim (US11669094, referred to as Kim), in view of Xu (CN115520267A), and further in view of Nakagawa (US11604440B2, referred to as Nakagawa)
Regarding claim 9: The combination of Kim and Xu teaches: The method of claim 5
Kim does not explicitly disclose: [further comprising determining the plurality of control gains by machine learning based on artificial intelligence]
Kim does not disclose the following limitations, however Nakagawa, in an analogous field of endeavor, teaches: further comprising determining the plurality of control gains by machine learning based on artificial intelligence ([col. 3, lines 45-52] a control means using proportional 45 integral derivative (PID) control different from the artificial intelligence; and a control switching means that, when an abnormality occurs in the control means using artificial intelligence (machine learning) in at least one of the plurality of terminals, switches the control in the terminal without 50 an abnormality from the control means using artificial intelligence (machine learning) to the PID control.)
Kim, Xu, and Nakagawa are analogous art to the claimed invention since they are from the similar field of autonomous vehicle data processing and control. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention, with a reasonable expectation for success, to modify the autonomous processing system of Kim to enable the machine learning artificial intelligence training taught in Nakagawa.
The motivation for modification would have been to provide the machine learning method taught in Nakagawa with the method applied to the processing of Kim for the known machine learning benefit of increased model accuracy over time.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record, and not relied upon, considered pertinent to applicant' s disclosure or directed to the state of art is listed on the enclosed PTO-892.
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/ATTICUS A CAMERON/ /JASON HOLLOWAY/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3658 Examiner, Art Unit 3658A