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 .
The current application is CON. of application No. 16/504230, now Pat. No. 11669108, relates provisional application No. 62/695014 filed on Jul. 7, 2018.
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 01/02/2014 have been fully considered but are not persuasive to overcome the rejection. Examiner responds to the Applicant’s argument as the following reasons:
Regarding the Claim Rejections under 35 USC 103: Applicant argues that the cited references (e.g., Amla) fails to discloses transmitting “engine torque”. Examiner disagrees to the Applicant’s argument.
Examiner Response: Applicant pointed out the Amla at [0038] discloses that the lead vehicle wirelessly provides information including steering wheel position, steering input, throttle position, brake position and deceleration rates that are conceptually and physically linked to engine torque because they all represent forces controlling the vehicle’s motion and trajectory. Therefore, the Office Action still remains.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 103 which forms the basis for all obviousness rejections set forth in this Office action:
A patent for a claimed invention may not be obtained, notwithstanding that the claimed invention is not identically disclosed as set forth in section 102, if the differences between the claimed invention and the prior art are such that the claimed invention as a whole would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to which the claimed invention pertains. Patentability shall not be negated by the manner in which the invention was made.
Claim(s) 21-30 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Amla (20210216082) in view of Plishner (20070233337).
With regard to claim 21, Amla discloses a method for controlling a following vehicle, comprising:
receiving information related to a lead vehicle path through a vehicle to vehicle (V2V) communication system (a Lead vehicle 201 transmit its path to the following vehicle 221, see Fig.1-2, [0042]+ & [0047]-[0048]+);
enable storing the received lead vehicle path information in a memory (computing unit 124 comprises processor and memory for receiving information from the lead vehicle, its sensors, and etc. and enables to store the information into the memory, see [0037]-[0038]+);
comparing following vehicle coordinates from a GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) receiver on the following vehicle with stored path information about the lead vehicle and generating a position error (the following vehicle’s computing unit analyzes the information, see [0052] to generate deviations, see [0064], [0069]+) ;
generating following vehicle commands to reduce the position error, wherein the vehicle commands include information about the lead vehicle's steering angle, engine torque, and braking system wherein the following vehicle commands are generated based on information about the lead vehicle's steering angle, engine torque, and braking system (the lead vehicle’s computing unit 104 sends commands to the following vehicle, [0042]-[0043] & [0072]+); and
transmitting, from the lead vehicle to the following vehicle, the information about the lead vehicle's steering angle, engine torque, and braking system (The follow vehicle wirelessly receive information from the lead vehicle regarding position, movement, acceleration, deceleration, steering, and etc., see the abstract, [0037]-[0038]+) .
Amla’s disclosure has shown the lead vehicle and the following vehicle’s computing unit have processor and memory which enables to store the lead vehicle’s planning path but it is silent about storing the received lead vehicle path information in a database.
Plishner discloses a system including a lead vehicle and following vehicles (see the abstract). The following vehicle includes a track maker 12e stores the information (the distance and direction) transmitted from the lead (see [0018]+).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to modify Ama by including storing the received lead vehicle path information in a database as taught by Plishner. The combination of Ama and Plishner is an adapted system for improving safety the driving of the following vehicle.
With regard to claim 22, Plishner teaches that the method of Claim 21, additionally comprising: positioning the following vehicle near the lead vehicle; establishing V2V communication between the lead and the following vehicle; confirming an authorization for the following vehicle to follow the lead vehicle; and once the lead vehicle begins moving to define the lead vehicle path, maintaining a gap between the rear of the lead vehicle and the front of the following vehicle (the lead vehicle includes a transmitter provided an encrypted communication in a form allowing authentication, see [0018]+).
With regard to claim 23, Amla teaches that the method of Claim 22, wherein the step of maintaining a gap comprises: analyzing radar sensor data from a second vehicle the following vehicle's radar system; analyzing information received over the V2V communication system; using the analyzed radar sensor data and the analyzed V2V communication information to determine a gap distance from the following vehicle to the rear of the lead vehicle; and generating following vehicle commands (see [0041]-[0045]+).
With regard to claim 24, Amla teaches that the method of Claim 21, wherein the steps of generating following vehicle commands include: comparing coordinates with stored path information and generating a position error, and repeating generating following vehicle commands to reduce the position error a multiplicity of times (each of the vehicles continuously transmits its current position information , so that the follow vehicles following the leading vehicle without crossing a boundary or obstacles, see [0062]-[0069]+).
With regard to claim 25, Plishner teaches that the method of Claim 24, wherein the multiplicity of times occurs periodically (see [0018]-[0020]+.
With regard to claim 26, Plishner teaches that the method of Claim 25, wherein the frequency of the multiplicity of times is 10 Hz (low-power RF signal can be of any frequency ranges in the RF spectrum, see [0018]+).
With regard to claim 27, Amla teaches that the method of Claim 21, wherein the V2V communication system includes a wireless communication link (see [0046]+).
With regard to claim 28, Amla teaches that the method of Claim 21, wherein the following vehicle and the lead vehicle can switch positions (the lead vehicle 201 can be a follow vehicle based on a situation, see [0048]+)
With regard to claims 29-30, Amla teaches that the method of Claim 21, further comprising: ending the following session of the following vehicle and pull of a road (allowing the driver of following vehicles commuting with stop-or go traffic, see [0010]+).
Conclusion
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NGA X. NGUYEN
Examiner
Art Unit 3662
/NGA X NGUYEN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3662