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 .
DETAILED ACTION
This Office Action is in response to the Applicants’ communication filed on 01/29/2024. In virtue of this communication, claims 1-20 are currently pending in the instant application.
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 of this title, 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.
Claims 1-14 and 17-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Sparks et al. (US 2023/0075349 A1) in view of Maheshwari et al. (US 2021/0112423 A1).
Regarding Claim 1 Sparks teaches the limitations "A system comprising: a memory configured to store a routing plan for a first autonomous vehicle, wherein the routing plan indicates a road to be traveled by the first autonomous vehicle; and a processor operably coupled to the memory, and configured to: (see abstract, fig. 4 and par. 0036 and 0043, also see fig. 2 and par. 0025-0026);
access a first plurality of cellular information that comprises information about cellular communication conditions along at least a portion of the road, (see par. 0052 “At block 530, a cellular network slice coverage map may be accessed. The map may contain similar information to map 100 of FIG. 1. That is, the map may define geographic coverage areas of particular network slices of one or more cellular networks. The particular QoS metrics or QoE level expected to be experienced for a network slice (or average network performance characteristics) may be mapped to a particular geographic region.”);
wherein: the first plurality of cellular information comprises: a first cellular information associated with a first network provider, (see par. 0002 “The wireless network slice coverage map may map a plurality of network performance characteristics for the cellular network across a geographic region.”
a second cellular information associated with a second network provider, (see par. 0003 “The wireless network slice coverage map may map the plurality of network performance characteristics across the geographic region for multiple cellular networks.”)
access a first network information that comprises information about network communication conditions along at least the portion of the road; (see par. 0052 “The particular QoS metrics or QoE level expected to be experienced for a network slice (or average network performance characteristics) may be mapped to a particular geographic region.”);
determine a first network coverage along at least the portion of the road based at least in part upon the first plurality of cellular information and the first network information; and (see fig. 5 and par. 0051);
create a first network coverage map that indicates the determined network coverage along at least the portion of the road" (see par. 0052-0055 “The determined navigational route may be output at block 545, such as to a vehicle navigation system or an output device such as a display screen and/or speaker. In some embodiments, the determined navigational route may be used by an autonomous or semiautonomous driving system to navigate a vehicle directly.”).
However, Sparks does not explicitly disclose the limitation “wherein the first cellular information comprises information about cellular communication conditions determined from a first communication path with a first base station, the first communication path provided by the first network provider” and “wherein the second cellular information comprises information about cellular communication conditions determined from a second communication path with a second base station, the second communication path provided by the second network provider.” In other words, Sparks shows the vehicle receives network information about cellular provider coverage along the route, but does not explicitly disclose this information is transmitted from a first and second paths from first and second base stations, respectfully.
In the same field of endeavor Maheshwari discloses a system for switching networks for a mobile device using location based predictive algorithms, where “a controller obtains a first network coverage map of a first network and a second network coverage map of a second network. The first network and the second network are configured to provide network connectivity to a mobile device. The method further includes the controller tracking the mobile device along a path over which the mobile device travels while the mobile device is connected to the first network, determining that a predicted future location along the path of the mobile device is not serviced by the first network and is serviced by the second network, and causing the mobile device to switch from the first network to the second network based on the mobile device reaching the predicted future location.” (see abstract). The first BS 104-1 and the second BS 106-1. Further “The NW availability service 208 integrates or connects to different service providers (MNOs 102-1 to 102-5) to obtain information about cell coverage areas (including dead zones and QoS parameters in various areas) and integrates or connects to the self-learning service 212 to enhance information about cell coverage areas (including dead zones and QoS parameters). In other words, the NW availability service 208 is an interface which communicates with various MNOs 102-1 to 102-5 and obtains their network topology and network coverage areas.” Also see fig. 3c and par. 0039). Here, cellular information comprises information about cellular communication conditions determined from a first and second base station.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to obtain cellular information from base stations as taught by Maheshwari in the system of Sparks, in order to improve signal strength in weak signal zones (see par. 0002-0003).
Claims 9 and 17 are rejected for the same reasons set forth above because the claims have similar limitations or have been addressed.
Regarding Claim 2 Sparks and Maheshwari teach the limitations "The system of claim 1, wherein the first network coverage map is represented by an image showing the determined network coverage along at least the portion of the road" (see par. 0026 and fig. 2).
Claim 20 is rejected for the same reasons set forth above because the claims have similar limitations or have been addressed.
Regarding Claim 3 Sparks and Maheshwari teach the limitations "The system of claim 1, wherein the first cellular information comprises at least one of a first cellular bandwidth; a first cellular signal strength; a first cellular signal to noise ratio; a first cellular data package loss rate; a first cellular latency; a first cellular round-trip time; or a first cellular signal bit rate" (see par. 0004 “the plurality of network performance characteristics may comprise: a packet loss rate; latency; and bandwidth.”
Regarding Claim 4 Sparks and Maheshwari teach the limitations "The system of claim 1, wherein the second cellular information comprises at least one of a second cellular bandwidth; a second cellular signal strength; a second cellular signal to noise ratio; a second cellular data package loss rate; a second cellular latency; a second cellular round-trip time; or a second cellular signal bit rate" (see par. 0004 “the plurality of network performance characteristics may comprise: a packet loss rate; latency; and bandwidth.”).
Regarding Claim 5 Sparks and Maheshwari teach the limitations "The system of claim 1, wherein the first network information comprises at least one of a network communication bandwidth; a network communication signal strength; a network communication signal to noise ratio; a network communication data package loss rate; a network communication latency; a network communication round-trip time; or a network communication signal bit rate" (see par. 0004 “the plurality of network performance characteristics may comprise: a packet loss rate; latency; and bandwidth.” Also see par. 0018).
Regarding Claim 6 Sparks and Maheshwari teach the limitations "The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to: access network communication requirements for data communications of the first autonomous vehicle; compare the network communication requirements with a first cellular communication condition indicated by the first cellular information; determine that the first cellular communication condition does not satisfy the network communication requirements; and in response to determining that the first cellular communication condition does not satisfy the network communication requirements, determine that the first network provider does not satisfy the network communication requirements" (see par. 0019 “…while a user may have permission to use a particular network slice of a cellular network, the necessary network hardware or core-network network bandwidth to realize the performance of the network slice may not be installed in a given geographic region and thus, the UE may not be able to access the network slice, may experience a degraded QoE, or may be required to utilize a different cellular network slice.”).
Claim 10 is rejected for the same reasons set forth above because the claims have similar limitations or have been addressed.
Regarding Claim 7 Sparks and Maheshwari teach the limitations "The system of claim 6, wherein the network communication requirements comprise at least one of a threshold network communication bandwidth; a threshold signal strength; a threshold signal to noise ratio; a threshold data package loss rate; a threshold latency; a threshold round-trip time; or a threshold signal bit rate" (see par. 0019).
Regarding Claim 8 Sparks and Maheshwari teach the limitations "The system of claim 6, wherein the processor is further configured to: compare the network communication requirements with a second cellular communication condition indicated by the second cellular information; determine that the second cellular communication condition satisfies the network communication requirements; in response to determining that the second cellular communication condition satisfies the network communication requirements: determine that the second network provider satisfies the network communication requirements; and route data communications for the first autonomous vehicle via the second network provider" (see par. 0019 “…while a user may have permission to use a particular network slice of a cellular network, the necessary network hardware or core-network network bandwidth to realize the performance of the network slice may not be installed in a given geographic region and thus, the UE may not be able to access the network slice, may experience a degraded QoE, or may be required to utilize a different cellular network slice.”).
Regarding Claim 11 Sparks and Maheshwari teach the limitations "The method of claim 10, but do not explicitly disclose “wherein the command comprises at least one of: an instruction to take a detour; an instruction to pull over; or an instruction to stop.” Sparks does disclose “For instance, if a doctor was providing life-saving advice on how to treat a patient, it could be catastrophic if the video conference session cuts out even briefly. In such a scenario, a longer travel time to the hospital may be tolerated in exchange for the route being optimized to allow for greater QoE of the ambulance's networked devices.” (see par. 0016). Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to reroute the vehicle as suggested by the system of Sparks and Maheshwari, in order to maintain QOE parameters during important communication (see par. 0016 of Sparks).
Regarding Claim 12 Sparks and Maheshwari teach the limitations "The method of claim 9, wherein the first network information is associated with communications according to one or more radio access technologies (RATs) comprising Fifth- Generation New Radio (5G NR) and Long Term Evolution (LTE)" (see fig. 1 and par. 0019 showing 5G).
Regarding Claim 13 Sparks and Maheshwari teach the limitations "The method of claim 9, wherein the first plurality of cellular information and the first network information are associated with a first trip of the first autonomous vehicle" (see par. 0003 “The wireless network slice coverage map may map a plurality of network performance characteristics for the cellular network across a geographic region. The method may comprise determining, by the on-board management system, a route from the current location to the destination based on the wireless network slice coverage map, the determined QoE, and the wireless network route priority. The method may comprise outputting, by the on-board management system, the determined route to a navigation system.”).
Regarding Claim 14 Sparks and Maheshwari teach the limitations "The method of claim 13, further comprising: accessing a second plurality of cellular information that comprises information about cellular communication conditions along at least the portion of the road, wherein: the second plurality of cellular information is associated with a second trip of a second autonomous vehicle; the second plurality of cellular information comprises: a third cellular information associated with the first network provider, wherein the third cellular information comprises information about cellular communication conditions determined from communications with the first network provider, and a fourth cellular information associated with the second network provider, wherein the fourth cellular information comprises information about cellular communication conditions determined from communications with the second network provider; access a second network information that comprises information about network communication conditions along at least the portion of the road, wherein: the second network information is associated with the second trip of the second autonomous vehicle; the second network information is separate from the second plurality of cellular information; and the second network information is detected from communications with a remote server; and determining a second network coverage along at least the portion of the road based at least in part upon the second plurality of cellular information and the second network information" (see par. 0053 “At block 530, a cellular network slice coverage map may be accessed. The map may contain similar information to map 100 of FIG. 1. That is, the map may define geographic coverage areas of particular network slices of one or more cellular networks. The particular QoS metrics or QoE level expected to be experienced for a network slice (or average network performance characteristics) may be mapped to a particular geographic region. Since a network slice involves particular network resources being reserved for a particular end user or entity, the QoE experienced by the on-board system can be expected to match the QoE level set in an agreement for access to the network slice. The particular geographic region may have previously been determined based on measurements made by other pieces of UE.” Here, the previous measurements of the network from a UE traveling the geographic area is equated to the second trip and third and fourth cellular information was then received in the past from network providers).
Regarding Claim 18 Sparks and Maheshwari teach the limitations "The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 17, wherein the first autonomous vehicle comprises at least one of a camera, a light detection and ranging (LiDAR) sensor, a motion sensor, a Radar sensor, or an infrared sensor" (see par. 0037 “GNSS component 415 may determine an absolute location of system 410. GNSS component 415 may include a Global Positioning System (GPS) sensor, Galileo, GLObal Navigation Satellite System (GLONASS) sensor, and/or some other form of location determining sensor.”).
Regarding Claim 19 Sparks and Maheshwari teach the limitations "The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 17, wherein: the first network information is separate from the first plurality of cellular information; and 78 the first network information is detected from a third communication path with a remote server" (see par. 0040 “Navigation map database 416 may be updated periodically, such as by cloud based server system 430. Cellular network slice map database 417 may store indications of QoE levels provided by various network slices and the geographic regions covered by such network slices. In some embodiments, databases 416 and 417 are combined into a single database.”).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 15-16 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.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to DAVID BILODEAU whose telephone number is (571)270-3192. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Thursday 6:00am-4:00pm Eastern Standard Time. 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, Wesley Kim can be reached at (571) 272-7867. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/David Bilodeau/
Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2648