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 .
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to the rejection of claims 1-11 under 35 U.S.C. §101 have been fully considered and are persuasive. The rejections are hereby withdrawn.
Applicant’s arguments with respect to the rejections of claims 1-2, 4-7, and 9-11 under 35 U.S.C. §102 and §103 have been fully considered but are not persuasive. As discussed in further detail below, Iida teaches adapting the travel trajectory based on a marking 51 (see at least [0084] and [0176]) attached to the contactless power supply and recognized using image processing. Examiner disagrees with Applicant’s assertion that Iida’s principle of operation is the contactless power supply device. Paragraphs [0175]-[0176] of Iida disclose an embodiment where the absolute position of the contactless power supply is unknown, and the vehicle relies on image processing acquired sensor data to recognize the marking 51 to correct the travel trajectory. In Iida, the vehicle’s end parking position is still within the lines delimiting the parking space, and the contactless power supply’s position is defined by a position relative to the delimiting lines (see at least [0079]-[0083], [0086], [0108], and [0177]). Therefore, modifying Iida to recognize marking lines delimiting a parking space instead of markings delimiting a contactless power supply (as taught by Prinzhausen) would not render Iida unsatisfactory for its intended purpose, since Iida recognizes that the position of the contactless power supply is fixed relative to the parking space.
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.
Claims 1-2, 4-5, 7 and 9-11 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over US 20240262229 A1, with an earliest priority date of 12/17/2021, hereinafter “Iida”, further in view of US 20220063599 A1, with an earliest priority date of 06/16/2019, hereinafter “Prinzhausen”.
Regarding claim 1, Iida teaches An apparatus comprising: a device. See at least [0018], [0033], figure 1, and figure 4, wherein vehicle 1 is equipped with parking assistance device 100.
configured to: determine a travel trajectory associated with repeated performance of a parking maneuver of a vehicle. See at least [0119]-[0121] and figure 8, step S104, wherein a driver of a vehicle initiates a learning mode where travel trajectory data is recorded.
detect that a travel trajectory recorded associated with the parking maneuver includes an end position within a parking space which deviates from a target position. See at least [0122] and figure 8, step S107, wherein the distance between a power receiving device 30 of the vehicle and a power supply device 50 of the parking spot at the trajectory’s parking position is checked against a threshold. See at least [0079]-[0087] and figures 5-6, wherein the target parking position for the vehicle is a position where the power receiving device 30 of the vehicle and the power supplying device 50 of the parking spot are aligned.
determine a travel trajectory adapted with regard to the recorded travel trajectory associated with the parking maneuver so that the adapted travel trajectory includes an adapted target position which does not deviate from the target position. See at least [0123] and figure 8, step S108, wherein, if the distance between the vehicle’s device 30 and the parking spot’s device 50 exceeds the threshold (i.e., deviates from the target parking position), a corrected travel trajectory 81 is determined. See at least [0087] and figure 6, wherein the corrected travel trajectory 81 ensures that the vehicle device 30 is within the threshold distance of the parking spot device 50.
and use the adapted travel trajectory for repeated performance of the parking maneuver. See at least [0126] and figure 8, step S112, wherein the corrected travel trajectory 81 is registered as the parking path. See at least [0108], wherein the registered parking path comprising corrected travel trajectory 81 is executed during subsequent parking assistance.
start the repeated performance of the parking maneuver on the basis of the recorded travel trajectory. See at least [0153] and figure 10, step S201, wherein parking assistance has been started. See at least [0108], [0140], and [0167]-[0168], wherein, before the start of parking assistance, the recorded travel trajectory 80 from the learning mode is stored, either corrected or uncorrected.
during the repeated performance of the parking maneuver, use one or more environmental sensors of the vehicle to record environmental data relating to markings. See at least [0074]-[0075], wherein the corrected travel trajectory is determined based on data from acquisition module 102 regarding the position of the power supply device 50. See at least [0176], wherein the acquisition module 102 acquires the position data by using camera data to capture images of a marking 51, which represents the position of the power supply device 50 in the parking spot. See at least [0083]-[0084], wherein the marking 51 is attached to the surface of the device 50, installed in the ground of the parking spot.
and adapt the recorded travel trajectory based on the recorded environmental data relating to the marking lines during repeated performance of the parking maneuver in order to determine the adapted travel trajectory. See at least [0160]-[0163] and figure 10, steps S207-S208, wherein the recorded travel trajectory 80 is corrected based on the determined position of the power supply device 50. The corrected travel trajectory 81 is then executed to finish parking assistance.
wherein the target position corresponds to a central, parallel and/or perpendicular position of the vehicle between two marking lines locally delimiting the parking space. See at least [0079]-[0081], [0086], and figure 6, wherein the ideal parking position within parking region 92 represents a position where the vehicle 90 is located parallel to two lines defined by parking frame 91.
Iida remains silent on repeated performance of the parking maneuver, and the detected markings being lines locally delimiting the parking space.
Prinzhausen teaches repeated performance of the parking maneuver. See at least [0018]-[0019], [0023]-[0024], [0042], and figure 1, wherein the travel trajectory is recorded during repeated drives, or maneuvers, into a parking spot.
lines locally delimiting the parking space. See at least [0042] and figure 1, wherein capture devices of the vehicle recognize lines delimiting the parking space P.
One having ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, would have found it obvious to modify Iida with Prinzhausen’s technique of performing repeated parking trajectories while recording training data. It would have been obvious to modify because doing so enables vehicles to identify an optimal parking trajectory more accurately, as recognized by Prinzhausen (see at least [0006]-[0007]).
Regarding claim 2, Iida and Prinzhausen in combination teach all of the limitations of claim 1 as discussed above, and Iida additionally teaches wherein the device is further configured to determine the adapted travel trajectory based on environmental data from one or more environmental sensors of the vehicle and the environmental data relate to one or more road surface markings. See at least [0074]-[0075], wherein the corrected travel trajectory is determined based on data from acquisition module 102 regarding the position of the power supply device 50. See at least [0176], wherein the acquisition module 102 acquires the position data by using camera data to capture images of a marking 51, which represents the position of the power supply device 50 in the parking spot. See at least [0083]-[0084], wherein the marking 51 is attached to the surface of the device 50, installed in the ground of the parking spot.
Iida remains silent on locally delimiting the parking space.
Prinzhausen teaches locally delimiting the parking space. See at least [0042] and figure 1, wherein capture devices of the vehicle recognize lines delimiting the parking space P.
One having ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, would have found it obvious to modify Iida with Prinzhausen’s technique of recognizing lines locally delimiting the parking space. It would have been obvious to modify because doing so enables vehicles to identify an optimal parking trajectory more accurately, as recognized by Prinzhausen (see at least [0006]-[0007]).
Regarding claim 4, Iida and Prinzhausen in combination teach all of the limitations of claim 1 as discussed above, and Iida additionally teaches wherein the device is further configured to, following repeated performance of the parking maneuver, cause the adapted travel trajectory, instead of the recorded travel trajectory, to be stored in a memory unit of the vehicle, so that a subsequent performance of the parking maneuver is started directly with the adapted travel trajectory. See at least [0142]-[0143] and [0167], wherein, upon selection of the corrected travel trajectory 81, the original travel trajectory 80 stored in the memory 150 is replaced with the corrected travel trajectory 81. See at least [0095] and [0108], wherein the corrected path 81 is stored in the storage unit 150 as the registered path, and the corrected path 81 is then used for subsequent parking assistance.
Regarding claim 5, Iida and Prinzhausen in combination teach all of the limitations of claim 1 as discussed above, and Iida additionally teaches use the recorded travel trajectory for repeated performance of the parking maneuver in order to park the vehicle in the parking space at the end position of the recorded travel trajectory when it is determined that the end position of the recorded travel trajectory is not adapted. See at least [0108], [0129]-[0130]. and figure 8, steps S113-S115, wherein, if the recorded travel trajectory 80 is not corrected, the recorded travel trajectory is registered and used for subsequent parking assistance.
Iida remains silent on wherein the device is also configured to: determine whether or not the end position of the recorded travel trajectory is adapted; and determine the adapted travel trajectory for the parking maneuver and use it for repeated performance of the parking maneuver if, and only if, it is determined that the end position of the recorded travel trajectory is adapted.
Prinzhausen teaches wherein the device is also configured to: determine whether or not the end position of the recorded travel trajectory is adapted; and determine the adapted travel trajectory for the parking maneuver and use it for repeated performance of the parking maneuver if, and only if, it is determined that the end position of the recorded travel trajectory is adapted. See at least [0024] and [0042]-[0043], wherein the recorded trajectory 12 is only updated with the subsequent trajectory 13 if the end position of the subsequent trajectory 13 deviates from the end position of the trajectory 12 by more than a threshold value.
One having ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, would have found it obvious to modify Iida with Prinzhausen’s technique of only updating the travel trajectory if the adapted travel trajectory’s end position deviates from the travel trajectory’s end position by more than a threshold. It would have been obvious to modify because doing so enables vehicles to identify an optimal parking trajectory more accurately, as recognized by Prinzhausen (see at least [0006]-[0007]).
Regarding claim 7, Iida and Prinzhausen in combination teach all of the limitations of claim 1 as discussed above, and Iida additionally teaches wherein the recorded travel trajectory extends from a start position to the end position; and the device is further configured to determine the adapted travel trajectory so that the start positions of the adapted travel trajectory and the recorded travel trajectory coincide. See at least [0089]-[0090] and figures 5-6, wherein the travel trajectory 80 and the corrected travel trajectory 81 both start at the same start position 90. See at least [0157]-[0158] and figure 10, step S205, wherein the calculation of the corrected travel trajectory 81 in step S208 only occurs when the vehicle reaches the start position 90 of the recorded travel trajectory.
Regarding claim 9, Iida and Prinzhausen in combination teach all of the limitations of claim 1 as discussed above, and Iida additionally teaches wherein the device is further configured to: detect, based on environmental data from one or more environmental sensors of the vehicle, that the recorded travel trajectory recorded for the parking maneuver includes an end position within the parking space which deviates from the target position. See at least [0157]-[0159] and figure 10, steps S206-S207, wherein, after starting parking assistance, the position information of the power supply device 50 is obtained. In step S207, the position information is compared to the recorded travel trajectory 80 to check is the distance between the power receiving device 30 and the power supply device 50 is less than a threshold. See at least [0176], wherein the acquisition module 102 acquires the position data of power supply device 50 by using camera data to capture images of a marking 51, which represents the position of the power supply device 50 in the parking spot. See at least [0083]-[0084], wherein the marking 51 is attached to the surface of the device 50, installed in the ground of the parking spot.
and/or at the end of a trip used to record the recorded travel trajectory, detect that the recorded travel trajectory recorded for the parking maneuver includes an end position within the parking space which deviates from the target position. See at least [0120]-[0123] and figure 8, steps S106-S107, wherein, immediately after the trip recorded in S104 is completed, the position information of the power supply device 50 is compared to the recorded travel trajectory 80 to check is the distance between the power receiving device 30 and the power supply device 50 is less than a threshold.
Regarding claim 10, Iida and Prinzhausen in combination teach all of the limitations of claim 1 as discussed above, and Iida additionally teaches wherein the device is further configured to: determine, in response to a user input, that the recorded travel trajectory is stored in a memory unit of the vehicle following a trip to record the recorded trajectory; and in response thereto, to cause the recorded travel trajectory to be stored in the storage unit together with a note indicating that the end position of the recorded travel trajectory differs from the target position. See at least [0098], [0102], [0127], [0136], and figure 7, wherein a user input 121 is determined to select and store the recorded travel trajectory 80 without correcting the recorded trajectory, even though the recorded travel trajectory 80 results in the vehicle’s parking position being deviated from the ideal parking position. Additionally, see at least [0140], [0145], [0168], and figure 9, wherein when the stored travel trajectory 80 deviating from the parking position is subsequently repeated, the system remembers the deviation and reconfirms whether the user intends to store the travel trajectory without correction.
Regarding claim 11, Iida teaches A method for determining a travel trajectory for repeated performance of a parking maneuver of a vehicle. See at least [0018], [0033], figure 1, and figure 4, wherein vehicle 1 is equipped with parking assistance device 100. See at least figure 8 and 10.
configured to: determine a travel trajectory associated with repeated performance of a parking maneuver of a vehicle. See at least [0119]-[0121] and figure 8, step S104, wherein a driver of a vehicle initiates a learning mode where travel trajectory data is recorded.
the method comprising: detecting that a travel trajectory recorded for the parking maneuver includes an end position within a parking space which deviates from a target position. See at least [0122] and figure 8, step S107, wherein the distance between a power receiving device 30 of the vehicle and a power supply device 50 of the parking spot at the trajectory’s parking position is checked against a threshold. See at least [0079]-[0087] and figures 5-6, wherein the target parking position for the vehicle is a position where the power receiving device 30 of the vehicle and the power supplying device 50 of the parking spot are aligned.
determining a travel trajectory adapted with regard to the recorded travel trajectory for the parking maneuver so that the adapted travel trajectory includes an adapted target position which does not deviate from the target position. See at least [0123] and figure 8, step S108, wherein, if the distance between the vehicle’s device 30 and the parking spot’s device 50 exceeds the threshold (i.e., deviates from the target parking position), a corrected travel trajectory 81 is determined. See at least [0087] and figure 6, wherein the corrected travel trajectory 81 ensures that the vehicle device 30 is within the threshold distance of the parking spot device 50.
using the adapted travel trajectory for repeated performance of the parking maneuver. See at least [0126] and figure 8, step S112, wherein the corrected travel trajectory 81 is registered as the parking path. See at least [0108], wherein the registered parking path comprising corrected travel trajectory 81 is executed during subsequent parking assistance.
starting the repeated performance of the parking maneuver on the basis of the recorded travel trajectory. See at least [0153] and figure 10, step S201, wherein parking assistance has been started. See at least [0108], [0140], and [0167]-[0168], wherein, before the start of parking assistance, the recorded travel trajectory 80 from the learning mode is stored, either corrected or uncorrected.
during the repeated performance of the parking maneuver, using one or more environmental sensors of the vehicle to record environmental data relating to markings. See at least [0074]-[0075], wherein the corrected travel trajectory is determined based on data from acquisition module 102 regarding the position of the power supply device 50. See at least [0176], wherein the acquisition module 102 acquires the position data by using camera data to capture images of a marking 51, which represents the position of the power supply device 50 in the parking spot. See at least [0083]-[0084], wherein the marking 51 is attached to the surface of the device 50, installed in the ground of the parking spot.
and adapting the recorded travel trajectory based on the recorded environmental data relating to the marking lines during repeated performance of the parking maneuver in order to determine the adapted travel trajectory. See at least [0160]-[0163] and figure 10, steps S207-S208, wherein the recorded travel trajectory 80 is corrected based on the determined position of the power supply device 50. The corrected travel trajectory 81 is then executed to finish parking assistance.
wherein the target position corresponds to a central, parallel and/or perpendicular position of the vehicle between two marking lines locally delimiting the parking space. See at least [0079]-[0081], [0086], and figure 6, wherein the ideal parking position within parking region 92 represents a position where the vehicle 90 is located parallel to two lines defined by parking frame 91.
Iida remains silent on repeated performance of the parking maneuver, and the detected markings being lines locally delimiting the parking space.
Prinzhausen teaches repeated performance of the parking maneuver. See at least [0018]-[0019], [0023]-[0024], [0042], and figure 1, wherein the travel trajectory is recorded during repeated drives, or maneuvers, into a parking spot.
lines locally delimiting the parking space. See at least [0042] and figure 1, wherein capture devices of the vehicle recognize lines delimiting the parking space P.
One having ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, would have found it obvious to modify Iida with Prinzhausen’s technique of performing repeated parking trajectories while recording training data. It would have been obvious to modify because doing so enables vehicles to identify an optimal parking trajectory more accurately, as recognized by Prinzhausen (see at least [0006]-[0007]).
Claim 6 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Iida and Prinzhausen as applied to claim 5 above, further in view of US 20200346639 A1, with an earliest priority date of 06/23/2018, hereinafter “Tashiro”.
Regarding claim 6, Iida and Prinzhausen in combination teach all of the limitations of claim 5 as discussed above, and Iida additionally teaches wherein the device is further configured to: determine based on a user input on a user interface of the vehicle whether or not the end position of the recorded travel trajectory should be adapted, the user input being made in response to a request which was issued directly following a trip in which the recorded travel trajectory was recorded. See at least [0100]-[0101], [0145]-[0146], [0168], and figure 7, wherein a user input 70 is received to determine whether or not the recorded travel trajectory 80 should be kept, or replaced by the adapted travel trajectory 81. See at least [0125] and figure 8, step S110, wherein the user is prompted to provide this input after the travel trajectory 80 is recorded in step S104.
or which was issued immediately before the repeated performance of the parking maneuver. See at least [0167]-[0168], wherein the prompt for user input confirming whether or not to correct the travel path 80 is provided to the user either after the learning mode recording, or before the start of subsequent parking assistance.
Iida remains silent on and/or determine, based on a preference setting of a driver assistance system for repeated performance of parking maneuvers, whether or not the end position of the recorded travel trajectory should be adapted. Under broadest reasonable interpretation, Iida alone reads on the limitations of claim 6 due to the including of the term “and/or”, indicating that the second limitation in claim 6 is an optional alternative. However, in favor of compact prosecution, the remainder of claim 6 is rejected below.
Tashiro teaches determine, based on a preference setting of a driver assistance system for repeated performance of parking maneuvers, whether or not the end position of the recorded travel trajectory should be adapted. See at least [0093], wherein, based on a stored user preference, a parking trajectory is automatically selected and stored in the memory. In combination with Iida’s teaching, discussed above, of adapting a recorded travel trajectory based on a user input, this limitation is taught in its entirety.
One having ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, would have found it obvious to further modify Iida with Tashiro’s technique of determining a parking maneuver based on a preference setting of a driver assistance system. It would have been obvious to modify because doing so enables automated parking systems to select parking routes in view of driver preference, as recognized by Tashiro (see at least [0006]-[0007] and [0106]).
Conclusion
THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. 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.
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/S.M.J./ Examiner, Art Unit 3667
/FARIS S ALMATRAHI/ Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3667
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