DETAILED ACTION
Specification
The title of the invention is not descriptive. A new title is required that is clearly indicative of the invention to which the claims are directed.
The following title is suggested: Steering lock blocks vehicle travel without unlock confirmation.
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) 2-3, 9-13 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Schweiger (U.S. Pat. No. 5,818,330) in view of Endo (U.S. Pat. No. 8,712,647).
Regarding claim 2, 12, 13, Schweiger discloses a vehicle control device mounted on a vehicle having a steering lock mechanism, the vehicle control device comprising a processor configured to function as:
a steering lock control unit (8) that operates the steering lock mechanism to switch between a steering lock state where a steering included in the vehicle is not operable and a steering unlock state where the steering is operable (Abstract);
a travel start operation recognition unit that recognizes an operation to start travel of the vehicle in the vehicle (18); and
a remote operation acceptance unit (4) that accepts remote operation of the vehicle via communication with a communication terminal (1),
a vehicle activation control unit (9, 10, 8) that when the remote operation acceptance unit accepts activation operation of the vehicle with the travel start operation recognition unit recognizes an operation to start travel of the vehicle in a non-travelable mode where the vehicle is not allowed to travel (Abstract), executes remote activation processing of maintaining the non-travelable mode and activating a driving source in the vehicle (the engine is allowed to turn on but the vehicle is left immobile until another signal is generated inside the vehicle),
that executes unlock processing for operating the steering lock mechanism by the steering lock control unit to attain the steering unlock state, transitions the vehicle to a travelable mode where the vehicle is allowed to travel when the steering unlock recognition unit recognizes that the steering unlock state is attained by execution of the unlock processing (Abstract).
Schweiger does not disclose a steering unlock recognition unit that recognizes the steering unlock state, or prohibits transition to the travelable mode and maintains the vehicle in the non-travelable mode when the unlock processing is executed but the steering unlock recognition unit does not recognize that the steering unlock state is attained.
Endo, which deals in remote start, teaches a steering unlock recognition unit that recognizes the steering unlock state (24), or prohibits transition to the travelable mode and maintains the vehicle in the non-travelable mode when the unlock processing is executed but the steering unlock recognition unit does not recognize that the steering unlock state is attained (Fig. 2 only allows drive permission when the unlock sensor shows the lock is disengaged).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made to have modified Schweiger with the lock sensor of Endo because this allows for the steering wheel to move when the vehicle is traveling (col. 2, lines 15-25).
Regarding claim 3 which depends from claim 2, Schweiger discloses wherein the vehicle activation control unit gives a notification to urge an operation to start the travel of the vehicle by a notification unit included in the vehicle when the non-travelable mode is maintained and the driving source is in the operating state by the remote activation processing (any of the signals to and from the controller to the various other controllers in the system after the system is operational but still not traveling can be considered an “urge” to start traveling).
Regarding claim 9 which depends from claim 2, Schweiger discloses comprising a travel end operation recognition unit that recognizes an operation to end the travel of the vehicle in the vehicle, wherein the vehicle activation control unit maintains the vehicle in the travelable mode until the travel end operation recognition unit recognizes the operation to end the travel of the vehicle after the non-travelable mode is transitioned to the travelable mode (travel end is recognized when the ignition switch, 14, is triggered).
Regarding claim 10 which depends from claim 2, Schweiger discloses wherein the vehicle activation control unit gives a notification to urge an operation to unlock the steering by a notification unit included in the vehicle when the unlock processing is executed but the steering unlock recognition unit does not recognize that the steering unlock state is attained (Abstract discloses that the notification has to be from inside the vehicle in order to start the travel mode).
Regarding claim 11 which depends from claim 2, Schweiger discloses comprising a user authentication unit that authenticates whether or not a registered specific user rides in the vehicle, wherein the vehicle activation control unit executes processing to unlock the steering when the unlock processing is executed but the steering unlock recognition unit does not recognize that the steering unlock state is attained, and the user authentication unit authenticates that the specific user rides in the vehicle (Schweiger in view of Endo will allow the authenticated user once inside the vehicle to unlock the steering wheel to allow for drive permission once signals are received including the proper sensor signal showing the steering wheel is unlocked).
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claim(s) 2, 3, 9-13 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
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 GONZALO LAGUARDA whose telephone number is (571)272-5920. The examiner can normally be reached 8-5 M-Th Alt. F.
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GONZALO LAGUARDA
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 3747 email: gonzalo.laguarda@uspto.gov
/GONZALO LAGUARDA/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3747
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