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 .
Status of Claims
Pending
1-2, 4, 7-13, and 18-24
103
1-2, 4, 7-13, and 18-21, and 23
Objected
22 and 24
Response to Amendment
This office action is responsive to the amendment filed on 07November2025. As directed by the amendment: claims 1, 4, 11, 13, and 20 has (have) been amended, claims 3, 5-6, and 14-17 has/have been cancelled, and new claims 21-24 has/have been added. Thus, claims 1-2, 4, 7-13, and 18-24 are presently pending in this application.
Response to Arguments
The amendments to the claims affected the prior scope thereby necessitating further search and consideration. The instant office action has been made FINAL.
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claim(s) 1-2, 4, 7-13, and 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.
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) 1, 2, 4, 6-8, 10-13, 18-19, 21, and 23 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kim US 20200108826 in view of Tamura US 20210065538.
Kim discloses,
Claims 1 and 11;
Claim 2; Wherein the main controller is further configured to identify, based on the at least one image, the crosswalk and a signal of the pedestrian traffic light([0104] a camera 110 configured to capture the front image of the host vehicle, the radar 120 configured to capture the object around the host vehicle, the communicator 130 which is part of 10).
Claim 4; Wherein the main controller is configured to control, based on a determination that at least one pedestrian is present at the crosswalk, the brake controller to control the vehicle to remain in the stopped state([0085] The controller 140 may pause and control to maintain or stop a stop mode according to whether the pedestrian p is detected).
Claim 7 and 18; Wherein the main controller is further configured to determine, based on a right turn signal([0130] The controller 140 may identify whether the right indicator is turned on when the host vehicle approaches the intersection within the predetermined distance along the right turn lane) of the vehicle being turned on, that the vehicle is making a right turn([0130] When the right indicator is turned on, the controller 140 may determine that the right turn operation is detected).
Claim 8, 10, and 19; Wherein the identifying of the crosswalk comprises: identifying, by the main controller and based on the at least one image and map information, the crosswalk, wherein the map information comprises map information about a location of the vehicle([0078] The controller uses the image sensor 110 in conjunction with the stored map to determine distance and the controller 140 may determine whether the host vehicle 1 approaches the intersection c within the predetermined distance based on map information stored in a separate memory or navigation information received through the communicator 130).
Claim 12; Further comprising determining, by the main controller and based on the at least one image, the moving direction of the vehicle([0053] The controller 140 may detect whether a driving lane of the host vehicle is a right turn lane from the image obtained by the image sensor 110 which indicates the image can determine the moving direction of the vehicle).
Claim 13; Further comprising: controlling, by the main controller and based on a determination that a pedestrian is present at the crosswalk, the brake controller to control the vehicle to remain in a stopped state([0085] The controller 140 may pause and control to maintain or stop a stop mode according to whether the pedestrian p is detected).
Claims 21 and 23; Wherein the controlling of the brake controller to control the vehicle to make the temporary stop comprises: controlling the brake controller to control the vehicle to automatically initiate the temporary stop, at a predetermined distance from the crosswalk([0078] The operation of determining whether it is the right turn lane may be started when the intersection c is approached within the predetermined distance); and outputting, to the driver, a notification indicating that a stop control has started([0099] An alert through different methods such as a display, speaker, or haptic module can warn the driver).
However, Kim fails to disclose:
Claims 1 and 11; irrespective of manipulation by a driver of the vehicle.
Claims 21 and 23; By overriding an acceleration associated with the manipulation by the driver.
Tamura teaches a similar device in the same field of driver assistance systems.
Tamura teaches,
Claims 1 and 11; irrespective of manipulation by a driver of the vehicle([0042] Controller 101 instructs vehicle control ECU 7 not to start vehicle 1 even when the driver presses the accelerator during the projection period of the crosswalk pattern).
Claims 21 and 23; By overriding an acceleration associated with the manipulation by the driver([0042] Controller 101 instructs vehicle control ECU 7 not to start vehicle 1 even when the driver presses the accelerator during the projection period of the crosswalk pattern).
It would have been obvious to someone of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to include overriding an acceleration associated with the manipulation by the driver and irrespective of manipulation by a driver of the vehicle as taught by Tamura, for the purpose of avoiding an accident in case the driver isn't paying attention.
Claim(s) 9 and 20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kim US 20200108826 in view of Tamura US 20210065538 further in view of Zhang US 20160154643.
Regarding claim(s) 9 and 20, Kim and Tamura discloses the claimed invention substantially as claimed, as set forth above for claim(s) 1, 8, 11, and 19.
However, Kim fails to disclose:
Claim 9 and 20; Wherein the main controller or at least one controller of the vehicle is configured to determine whether version information on the map information is up-to-date and to update the map information.
Zhang teaches a similar device in the same field of vehicle navigation.
Zhang teaches,
Claim 9 and 20; Wherein the main controller or at least one controller of the vehicle is configured to determine whether version information on the map information is up-to-date and to update the map information([0036] latest map data sent by the mobile terminal is received, and the map data of regions corresponding to the latest map data is updated, in which the latest map data is obtained by the mobile terminal according to the configuration file).
It would have been obvious to someone of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to include the main controller or at least one controller of the vehicle is configured to determine whether version information on the map information is up-to-date and to update the map information, and the main controller or at last one controller of the vehicle, whether version information on the map information is up-to-date as taught by Zhang, for the purpose of ensuring the vehicle accounts for changes in road traffic or construction while in motion.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim(s) 22 and 24 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.
Conclusion
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to John Merino whose telephone number is (703)756-4721. The examiner can normally be reached Mon - Fri 11am-7pm.
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/John C Merino/Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3669
/Erin M Piateski/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3669