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 Status
Claims 1-20 are pending in the application and have been examined.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claim(s) 1-20 have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on any reference applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument.
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 (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 103 which forms the basis for all obviousness rejections set forth in this Office action:
A patent for a claimed invention may not be obtained, notwithstanding that the claimed invention is not identically disclosed as set forth in section 102, if the differences between the claimed invention and the prior art are such that the claimed invention as a whole would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to which the claimed invention pertains. Patentability shall not be negated by the manner in which the invention was made.
Claim(s) 1-20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Xu (IDS: CN114872702A) hereinafter Xu and Kim (IDS: KR102605968B1) hereinafter Kim.
Claim 1:
Xu discloses an apparatus for driving assistance, the apparatus comprising: a camera mounted on a vehicle to have a field of view around the vehicle and configured to obtain image data; and a controller configured to: determine a control torque for performing a lane following assist function based on processing the image data and behavior data obtained from a behavior sensor provided in the vehicle, identify a speed bump in a driving lane of the vehicle based on the processing of the image data [¶¶1-3, 80-85, 129-130].
Xu doesn’t explicitly disclose maintain the control torque determined before passing the speed bump while the vehicle passes the speed bump.
However, Kim discloses maintain the control torque determined before passing the speed bump while the vehicle passes the speed bump. [¶¶268-272, 373-381, 416-419; Figs. 8-10]
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to combine the camera based vehicle control system of Xu with the torque control of Kim to maintain steering and lane keep in bumpy driving conditions.
Claim 2:
Xu and Kim, as shown in the rejection above, disclose all the limitations of claim 1.
Xu also discloses wherein the behavior data includes data on at least one of a steering angle, a steering speed, a yaw rate, or a wheel speed. [¶¶1-3, 80-85, 129-130]
Claim 3:
Xu and Kim, as shown in the rejection above, disclose all the limitations of claim 1.
Xu also discloses wherein the controller is configured to identify a distance to the speed bump based on the processing of the image data and the behavior data. [¶¶113-115]
Claim 4:
Xu and Kim, as shown in the rejection above, disclose all the limitations of claim 1.
Xu also discloses wherein the controller is configured to identify a time required to pass the speed bump based on the processing of the image data and the behavior data. [¶¶113-115]
Claim 5:
Xu and Kim, as shown in the rejection above, disclose all the limitations of claim 1.
Xu doesn’t explicitly disclose wherein the controller is configured to: identify a width of the speed bump based on the processing of the image data; identify a speed of the vehicle based on the processing of the behavior data; and determine a time required to pass the speed bump based on the identified width of the speed bump and the identified speed of the vehicle.
Kim discloses wherein the controller is configured to: identify a width of the speed bump based on the processing of the image data; identify a speed of the vehicle based on the processing of the behavior data; and determine a time required to pass the speed bump based on the identified width of the speed bump and the identified speed of the vehicle. [¶¶268-272, 373-381, 416-419; Figs. 8-10]
Claim 6:
Xu and Kim, as shown in the rejection above, disclose all the limitations of claim 4.
Xu doesn’t explicitly disclose wherein the controller is configured to maintain the control torque determined before passing the speed bump for the determined time.
Kim discloses wherein the controller is configured to maintain the control torque determined before passing the speed bump for the determined time. [¶¶268-272, 373-381; claims 1-2; Figs. 8-10]
Claim 7:
Xu and Kim, as shown in the rejection above, disclose all the limitations of claim 1.
Xu doesn’t explicitly disclose wherein the controller is configured to transmit the control torque determined before passing the speed bump to a steering apparatus of the vehicle so that steering control according to the control torque determined before passing the speed bump is performed while the vehicle passes the speed bump.
Kim discloses wherein the controller is configured to transmit the control torque determined before passing the speed bump to a steering apparatus of the vehicle so that steering control according to the control torque determined before passing the speed bump is performed while the vehicle passes the speed bump. [¶¶268-272, 373-381; claims 1-2; Figs. 8-10]
Claim 8:
Xu discloses a method for driving assistance, the method comprising: obtaining image data by a camera having a field of view around a vehicle; determining a control torque for performing a lane following assist function based on processing the image data and behavior data obtained from a behavior sensor provided in the vehicle; identifying a speed bump in a driving lane of the vehicle based on the processing of the image data [¶¶1-3, 80-85, 129-130].
Xu doesn’t explicitly disclose maintaining the control torque determined before passing the speed bump while the vehicle passes the speed bump.
However, Kim discloses maintaining the control torque determined before passing the speed bump while the vehicle passes the speed bump. [¶¶268-272, 373-381, 416-419; Figs. 8-10]
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to combine the camera based vehicle control system of Xu with the torque control of Kim to maintain steering and lane keep in bumpy driving conditions.
Claim 9:
Xu and Kim, as shown in the rejection above, disclose all the limitations of claim 8.
Xu also discloses wherein the behavior data includes data on at least one of a steering angle, a steering speed, a yaw rate, or a wheel speed. [¶¶1-3, 80-85, 129-130]
Claim 10:
Xu and Kim, as shown in the rejection above, disclose all the limitations of claim 8.
Xu also discloses further comprising identifying a distance to the speed bump based on the processing of the image data and the behavior data. [¶¶113-115]
Claim 11:
Xu and Kim, as shown in the rejection above, disclose all the limitations of claim 8.
Xu also discloses wherein the maintaining of the control torque determined before passing the speed bump while the vehicle passes the speed bump comprises determining a time required to pass the speed bump based on the processing of the image data and the behavior data. [¶¶113-115]
Claim 12:
Xu and Kim, as shown in the rejection above, disclose all the limitations of claim 8.
Xu doesn’t explicitly disclose wherein the maintaining of the control torque determined before passing the speed bump while the vehicle passes the speed bump comprises: identifying a width of the speed bump based on the processing of the image data; identifying a speed of the vehicle based on the processing of the behavior data; and determining a time required to pass the speed bump based on the identified width of the speed bump and the identified speed of the vehicle.
Kim discloses wherein the maintaining of the control torque determined before passing the speed bump while the vehicle passes the speed bump comprises: identifying a width of the speed bump based on the processing of the image data; identifying a speed of the vehicle based on the processing of the behavior data; and determining a time required to pass the speed bump based on the identified width of the speed bump and the identified speed of the vehicle. [¶¶268-272, 373-381, 416-419; Figs. 8-10]
Claim 13:
Xu and Kim, as shown in the rejection above, disclose all the limitations of claim 11.
Xu doesn’t explicitly disclose wherein the maintaining of the control torque determined before passing the speed bump while the vehicle passes the speed bump comprises maintaining the control torque determined before passing the speed bump for the determined time.
Kim discloses wherein the maintaining of the control torque determined before passing the speed bump while the vehicle passes the speed bump comprises maintaining the control torque determined before passing the speed bump for the determined time. [¶¶268-272, 373-381; claims 1-2; Figs. 8-10]
Claim 14:
Xu and Kim, as shown in the rejection above, disclose all the limitations of claim 8.
Xu doesn’t explicitly disclose further comprising transmitting the control torque determined before passing the speed bump to a steering apparatus of the vehicle so that steering control according to the control torque determined before passing the speed bump is performed while the vehicle passes the speed bump.
Kim discloses further comprising transmitting the control torque determined before passing the speed bump to a steering apparatus of the vehicle so that steering control according to the control torque determined before passing the speed bump is performed while the vehicle passes the speed bump.
Claim 15:
Xu doesn’t explicitly disclose a vehicle comprising: a camera having a field of view around the vehicle and configured to obtain image data; a behavior sensor configured to obtain behavior data of the vehicle; and a controller configured to: determine a control torque for performing a lane following assist function based on processing the image data and the behavior data, identify a speed bump in a driving lane of the vehicle based on the processing of the image data [¶¶1-3, 80-85, 129-130].
Xu doesn’t explicitly disclose maintain the control torque determined before passing the speed bump while the vehicle passes the speed bump.
However, Kim does disclose maintain the control torque determined before passing the speed bump while the vehicle passes the speed bump. [¶¶268-272, 373-381, 416-419; Figs. 8-10]
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to combine the camera based vehicle control system of Xu with the torque control of Kim to maintain steering and lane keep in bumpy driving conditions.
Claim 16:
Xu and Kim, as shown in the rejection above, disclose all the limitations of claim 15.
Xu also discloses wherein the controller is configured to determine a distance to the speed bump based on the processing of the image data and the behavior data. [¶¶113-115]
Claim 17:
Xu and Kim, as shown in the rejection above, disclose all the limitations of claim 15.
Xu also discloses wherein the controller is configured to determine a time required to pass the speed bump based on the processing of the image data and the behavior data. [¶¶113-115]
Claim 18:
Xu and Kim, as shown in the rejection above, disclose all the limitations of claim 15.
Xu doesn’t explicitly disclose wherein the controller is configured to: identify a width of the speed bump based on the processing of the image data; identify a speed of the vehicle based on the processing of the behavior data; and determine a time required to pass the speed bump based on the identified width of the speed bump and the identified speed of the vehicle.
Kim discloses wherein the controller is configured to: identify a width of the speed bump based on the processing of the image data; identify a speed of the vehicle based on the processing of the behavior data; and determine a time required to pass the speed bump based on the identified width of the speed bump and the identified speed of the vehicle. [¶¶268-272, 373-381, 416-419; Figs. 8-10]
Claim 19:
Xu and Kim, as shown in the rejection above, disclose all the limitations of claim 17.
Xu doesn’t explicitly disclose wherein the controller is configured to maintain the control torque determined before passing the speed bump for the determined time.
Kim discloses wherein the controller is configured to maintain the control torque determined before passing the speed bump for the determined time. [¶¶268-272, 373-381; claims 1-2; Figs. 8-10]
Claim 20:
Xu and Kim, as shown in the rejection above, disclose all the limitations of claim 15.
Xu doesn’t explicitly disclose wherein the controller is configured to control a steering apparatus of the vehicle so that steering control according to the control torque determined before passing the speed bump is performed while the vehicle passes the speed bump.
Kim discloses wherein the controller is configured to control a steering apparatus of the vehicle so that steering control according to the control torque determined before passing the speed bump is performed while the vehicle passes the speed bump. [¶¶268-272, 373-381; claims 1-2; Figs. 8-10]
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Jeon (US 2022/0306164 A1) discloses a driver assistance system which utilizes cameras to detect surroundings and control autonomous driving.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to KURT P LIETHEN whose telephone number is (313)446-6596. The examiner can normally be reached Mon - Fri, 8 AM - 4 PM.
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KURT P. LIETHEN
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 3747
/KURT PHILIP LIETHEN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3747
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