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 .
Terminal Disclaimer
The terminal disclaimer filed on June 22, 2026 disclaiming the terminal portion of any patent granted on this application which would extend beyond the expiration date of Patent Number 12,554,483 has been reviewed and is accepted. The terminal disclaimer has been recorded.
Response to Amendment
In the amendment filed on June 22, 2026, claims 1-6 and 9 are cancelled, claims 7, 10-13 and 15 are amended and claims 7-8 and 10-16 are pending.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s Terminal Disclaimer and amendments, filed on June 22, 2026, with respect to the rejection(s) of claim 1 and 9 under Double Patenting and claims 1, 8 and 10 under non-statutory Double Patenting have been fully considered and are persuasive. Therefore, the rejections have been withdrawn. However, upon further consideration, a new ground(s) of rejection is made in view of 35 U.S.C. 101.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 101
35 U.S.C. 101 reads as follows:
Whoever invents or discovers any new and useful process, machine, manufacture, or composition of matter, or any new and useful improvement thereof, may obtain a patent therefor, subject to the conditions and requirements of this title.
Claims 8, 14 and 16 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 101 because the claimed invention is directed to an abstract idea without significantly more.
Claim 8 is a method which recite(s) invoking, by the requester, a calibration signal from a server to read a calibration signal value.
In the context of the claim, the limitation of invoking a calibration signal encompasses a user thinking about and determining when to initiate or activate a calibration signal. Under its broadest reasonable interpretation when read in light of the specification, the “invoking” encompasses mental processes practically performed in the human mind, including observation, evaluation, judgment, and opinion. See MPEP 2106.04(a)(2), subsection III. The claim recites an abstract idea.
This judicial exception is not integrated into a practical application. The additional claim limitation recites sending, by the requester, to the server a calibration signal write command and sending to the server a command for reading a written calibration signal. The limitations of sending a calibration signal write command and sending a command for reading a written calibration signal is recited at a high level of generality such that it amounts to no more than mere data gathering and outputting. As such, they are insignificant extra-solution activity. See MPEP 2106.05(g). Further, the recited requester, given the broadest reasonable interpretation is a general purpose computer (e.g. [0013], [0102]-[0103], Fig. 3), and is recited at a high level of generality such that it amounts to no more than a computer used as a tool to perform generic functions of signal input and signal transmitting. See MPEP 2106.05(f). The claim is direct to an abstract idea.
The claim(s) does/do not include additional elements that are sufficient to amount to significantly more than the judicial exception. As disclosed above, the additional claim limitation amount to no more than a computer performing generic computer functions and extra-solution activity. Further, the limitations of sending amount to no more than receiving or transmitting data over a network, and consequently, is well-understood, routine and conventional activity. See MPEP 2106.05(d). The claim is not patent eligible.
Claims 14 and 16 depend from claim 8 and recite the same abstract idea as claim 8. The additional claim limitations recited in claims 14 and 16 further describe the generic computer recited in claim 8. As disclosed above, requester and its components are recited at a high level of generality such that it amounts to no more than a computer used as a tool to perform generic functions of signal input and signal transmitting. See MPEP 2106.05(f). The additional claim limitations neither integrate the abstract idea into a practical application nor amount to significantly more. The claims are not patent eligible.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 10-13 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
Claims 7 and 15 are allowed.
The following is an examiner’s statement of reasons for allowance:
Regarding claim 7, the prior art fails to anticipate or render obvious the responder completes vehicular online calibration and the requester reads a written calibration signal by applying to the server; the requester creates a corresponding mapping system variable for each calibration signal of the server; an initial value is assigned to the mapping system variables, wherein, a method of invoking, by the requester, the calibration signal from the server to read the calibration signal value comprises: for a calibration signal defined as an observation variable, obtaining, by a calibration module in the requester, the calibration signal value stored in the server and storing the calibration signal value into the corresponding mapping system variable; when reading the corresponding mapping system variable, reading a last-stored value of the corresponding mapping system variable; and, sending, by the requester, the calibration signal write command to the server, and sending to the server a command for reading the written calibration signal comprise: for a calibration signal defined as a calibration variable, associating, by the requester, an assignment function to an asynchronous function, wherein the assignment function is a mapping system variable write function of a to-be-written target value; when the calibration variable is written, sending, by the asynchronous function, to the server a write command and a read command and then returning immediately, wherein a call of the asynchronous function is completed, in combination with all limitations as claimed by Applicant.
Regarding claim 15, the prior art fails to anticipate or render obvious the responder completes the corresponding vehicular online calibration and the requester reads a written calibration signal by applying to the server; the requester creates a corresponding mapping system variable for each calibration signal of the server; an initial value is assigned to the mapping system variables, wherein, a method of invoking, by the requester, the calibration signal from the server to read the calibration signal value comprises: for a calibration signal defined as an observation variable, obtaining, by a calibration module in the requester, the calibration signal value stored in the server and storing the calibration signal value into the corresponding mapping system variable; when reading the corresponding mapping system variable, reading a last-stored value of the corresponding mapping system variable; and, sending, by the requester, the calibration signal write command to the server, and sending to the server a command for reading the written calibration signal comprise: for a calibration signal defined as a calibration variable, associating, by the requester, an assignment function to an asynchronous function, wherein the assignment function is a mapping system variable write function of a to-be-written target value; when the calibration variable is written, sending, by the asynchronous function, to the server a write command and a read command and then returning immediately, wherein a call of the asynchronous function is completed, in combination with all limitations as claimed by Applicant.
Any comments considered necessary by applicant must be submitted no later than the payment of the issue fee and, to avoid processing delays, should preferably accompany the issue fee. Such submissions should be clearly labeled “Comments on Statement of Reasons for Allowance.”
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure:
Lewis-Evans in Foreign Patent Document GB 2519008 A teaches “A method is provided for locating an asset equipped with a transponder which issues coded signals when activated by a control communication received from a communication source or by a local event. The coded signals enable a tracking unit to direction find said asset. The method comprises the steps of: providing said tracking unit with map data compatible with a navigation system on-board the tracking unit; and displaying a location indicated by said map data on a map display of said navigation device, wherein said map data is indicative of a search location for the asset and the likely best route for recovery of the asset.” (Abstract).
Cheng et al. in U.S. Patent Publication 20090259573 teaches “A method provides for real-time asset location tracking. An asset in a wide area network, be it a utilities network or a communication network, registers itself with a network management center. The registration process includes identification of a physical location of the asset usable for mapping and tracking the asset.” (Abstract).
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MISCHITA HENSON whose telephone number is (571)270-3944. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Thursday 9am-6pm EST.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Arleen Vazquez can be reached at 571-272-2619. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
/MI'SCHITA' HENSON/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2857
Prosecution Insights