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 .
Priority
Acknowledgment is made of applicant’s claim for priority based on provisional application filed in United States on 09/16/2022.
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) 1-2,4-9,11-16,18-24 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Bardapurkar et al (USPGPUB 2014/278031) and further in view of Suissa (U.S. 20220119008).
1. As per claims 1,8,15 Bardapurkar disclosed a method, comprising:
during travel of a vehicle from the current location toward the destination location in an automated control mode of a control system of the vehicle, obtaining sensor information from a sensor system of the vehicle, wherein the sensor information describes an observation of an observation of an environment around of the vehicle [The method can include receiving data indicating a motion plan, of an autonomous vehicle through an environment, based at least in part on a plurality of different constraints of the environment. The method can include determining, for each constraint of the plurality of different constraints, a measure of an influence of the constraint on the motion plan] (Paragraph. 0005),
determining a first motion plan and a second motion plan for the vehicle based on inputs; wherein the inputs include the sensor information that is obtained from the sensor system of the vehicle [ In some embodiments, motion plan 310 can include a trajectory of autonomous vehicle 10 through the environment. In some of such embodiments, interface 400 can include element 406 depicting the trajectory (e.g., within the scene, and/or the like). The trajectory can include multiple different points along a path of autonomous vehicle 10 indicated by motion plan 310. User input (e.g., generated via manipulation of one or more elements included in portion 412 of interface 400, and/or the like) can select a point along the path, and responsive to the user input, interface 400 can be generated, modified, and/or the like to indicate the constraints' respective measures of influence on motion plan 310 at the selected point (e.g., portions 408 and/or 410 can be refreshed, and/or the like)] (Paragraph. 0049).
determining, by the control system of the vehicle a preference for the first motion plan relative to the second motion plan [he computing system can determine, for each of the multiple different constraints, a measure of an influence of the constraint on the motion plan. For example, the computing system can determine, for each of multiple different constraints upon which motion plan 310 is at least in part based, a measure of an influence of the constraint on motion plan 310. At (506), the computing system can generate an interface indicating, for each constraint of the multiple different constraints, the measure of the influence of the constraint on the motion plan] (Paragraph. 0050); analyzing the inputs to identify one of the inputs as a sensitive input that causes the preference for the first motion plan over the second motion plan; presenting, using a display, information that describes the first motion plan, wherein the information includes an explanation indicating the sensitive input as a reason why the first motion plan is preferred over the second motion plan [Computing system 102 can include positioning system 110, which can include one or more devices, circuitry, and/or the like for analyzing, approximating, determining, and/or the like one or more geographic positions of autonomous vehicle 10. For example, positioning system 110 can analyze, approximate, determine, and/or the like such position(s) using one or more inertial sensors, triangulations and/or proximities to network components (e.g., cellular towers, WiFi access points, and/or the like), satellite positioning systems, network addresses, and/or the like. Computing system 102 can include perception system 128, prediction system 130, and motion planning system 132, which can cooperate to perceive a dynamic environment surrounding autonomous vehicle 10, generate, determine, select, and/or the like a motion plan for autonomous vehicle 10, and/or the like.] (Paragraph. 0032); and
However, Bardapurkar did not disclose in detail controlling by the control system of the vehicle in the automated control mode while moving along the route, motion of the vehicle using one of the first motion plan or the second motion plan by determining actuator commands for an actuator system of the vehicle and causing the motion of the vehicle by operating the actuator system according to the actuator commands.
In the same field of endeavor Suissa disclosed, “Actuator commands data is determined based on a vehicle stability and motion control function. The vehicle stability and motion control function has the planned trajectory data, the current vehicle position data and the current vehicle heading data as inputs, has the actuator commands data as an output and utilizes a model predicting vehicle motion including predicting vehicle heading data and predicting vehicle position data. The actuator commands data includes steering and propulsion commands and differential braking commands for each brake of the vehicle to correct for any differential between the planned vehicle heading and the current vehicle heading data and/or the predicted vehicle heading data. The actuator commands data is output to the actuator system” (Paragraph. 0006).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date was made to have incorporated actuator commands data is determined based on a vehicle stability and motion control function. The vehicle stability and motion control function has the planned trajectory data, the current vehicle position data and the current vehicle heading data as inputs, has the actuator commands data as an output and utilizes a model predicting vehicle motion including predicting vehicle heading data and predicting vehicle position data. The actuator commands data includes steering and propulsion commands and differential braking commands for each brake of the vehicle to correct for any differential between the planned vehicle heading and the current vehicle heading data and/or the predicted vehicle heading data. The actuator commands data is output to the actuator system as taught by Suissa in the method and system of Bardapurkar to increase lateral vehicle stabilization in the autonomous environment.
2. As per claims 2,9,16 Bardapurkar -Suissa disclosed wherein the explanation includes at least one of text determined based on the sensitive input or an input or an icon that represents the sensitive input (Bardapurkar , Paragraph. 0044).
3. As per claims 4,11,18 Bardapurkar -Suissa disclosed wherein the sensitive input relates to occupant comfort (Suissa, Paragraph. 0036). Claims 4,1,18 has the same motivations as to claim 1.
4. As per claims 5,12,19 Bardapurkar -Suissa disclosed wherein the sensitive input relates to travel time (Bardapurkar , Paragraph. 0033).
5. As per claims 6,13,20 Bardapurkar -Suissa disclosed wherein the first motion plan comprises a first intended travel path around an environment feature identified using the sensor information, and the second motion plan comprises a second intended travel path different from the first intended travel path (Bardapurkar, Paragraph. 0037).
6. As per claims 7,14,21 Bardapurkar -Suissa disclosed wherein presenting the information that describes the first motion plan includes display of a first motion plan representation of the first motion plan and a second motion plan representation of the second motion plan (Bardapurkar, Paragraph. 0040).
7. As per claims 22,23,24 Bardapurkar -Suissa disclosed wherein the first motion plan and the second motion plan represent movement of the vehicle within twenty seconds after a current time (Suissa, Paragraph. 0046). The claims 22,23 and 24 has the same motivation as to claim 1.
Response to Arguments
8. Applicant’s arguments with respect to claim(s) 1-2,4-9,11-16,18-24 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.
Conclusion
9. Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communication from the
examiner should be directed to Adnan Mirza whose telephone number is (571)-272-3885.
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examiner’s supervisor, Faris Almatrahi can be reached on (313)-446-4821.
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/ADNAN M MIRZA/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3667