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 Amendment
Claims 1 and 7 are amended. Claims 8-12 are withdrawn. Claims 1-7 are pending in the instant application.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments, see Remarks, filed on 12/1/2025 have been fully considered.
Claim Objections
Claim 7 is objected due to some informalities. The claim is amended, therefore the objection is withdrawn.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 101
Claims 1-7 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 101 because the claimed invention is directed to non-statutory subject matter. The claim is amended, thus the rejection is withdrawn.
Claim Rejections under 35 U.S.C. 102
Claims 1-7 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Khan et al. (Novel Fuzzy Logic Scheme for Push-Based Critical Data Broadcast Mitigation in VNDN; Sensors Journal; pages 1-16; 10/21/2022), hereinafter Khan.
Claim 1 has been amended as follows
“A method, by a fuzzy logic-based forwarding management system remote from a plurality of vehicles and comprising a communication interface and a processor, for clustering and cluster head selection for data forwarding, comprising:
(a0) receiving, from each of the plurality of vehicles, driving information including a location, a speed, and a direction via the communication interface;
(a1) determining, by the processor, the location of each vehicle on a road based on the received driving information;
(b) grouping, by the processor, vehicles into clusters by a clustering process;
(c) sending to each vehicle via the communication interface, information of a cluster it belongs to;
(d) selecting, by the processor, a vehicle as a cluster head (CH) in each cluster to be responsible for data broadcasting using fuzzy logic; and,
(e) sending, in each cluster via the communication interface, a notification to the vehicle selected as the cluster head that the vehicle has been selected as the cluster head, wherein the notification is configured to cause the selected vehicle to broadcast a message indicating that it is the cluster head vehicle to other vehicles in the cluster.” (Emphasis added)
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of the first paragraph of 35 U.S.C. 112(a):
(a) IN GENERAL.—The specification shall contain a written description of the invention, and of the manner and process of making and using it, in such full, clear, concise, and exact terms as to enable any person skilled in the art to which it pertains, or with which it is most nearly connected, to make and use the same, and shall set forth the best mode contemplated by the inventor or joint inventor of carrying out the invention.
The following is a quotation of the first paragraph of pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112:
The specification shall contain a written description of the invention, and of the manner and process of making and using it, in such full, clear, concise, and exact terms as to enable any person skilled in the art to which it pertains, or with which it is most nearly connected, to make and use the same, and shall set forth the best mode contemplated by the inventor of carrying out his invention.
Claims 1-7 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(a) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), first paragraph, as failing to comply with the written description requirement. The claim(s) contains subject matter which was not described in the specification in such a way as to reasonably convey to one skilled in the relevant art that the inventor or a joint inventor, or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the inventor(s), at the time the application was filed, had possession of the claimed invention.
As for claim 1, the claim is amended with features including a “processor” and a “communication interface”, while it is acceptable with an amendment that indicates a processor, in the instant application the written description discloses “a method, by a fuzzy logic-based forwarding management system” (Summary). Figures 1-11 illustrate a networking (VNDN) and its techniques, fuzzy logic and charts that are associated with the fuzzy logic. None of the picture illustrates an apparatus/device that is used to perform the fuzzy logic. Similarly, the description is silent on a physical component that performs the logic and steps as claimed, there is no description of a “fuzzy logic-based forwarding management system remote from a plurality of vehicles” and “a communication interface and a processor”. The written description fails to disclose an apparatus/device that can be integrated with a processor to perform the claimed fuzzy logic, therefore, the claim fails to comply with written description.
Claims 2-6 inherit the deficiencies of claim 1.
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 1-7 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over
Khan et al. (Novel Fuzzy Logic Scheme for Push-Based Critical Data Broadcast Mitigation in VNDN; Sensors Journal; pages 1-16; 10/21/2022), hereinafter Khan in view of Pattan et al. (US 2019/0349719), hereinafter Pattan.
As for claim 1, Khan teaches a method, by a fuzzy logic-based forwarding management system, for clustering and cluster head selection for data forwarding (page 7, section 4.2 discloses selection of cluster head using fuzzy logic), comprising:
(a0) receiving, from each of the plurality of vehicles, driving information including a location, a speed, and a direction via the communication interface (page 6, section 4.1, second paragraph describes K-means algorithm is used to allocate vehicles’ locations to the nearest cluster, this step is construed that the locations are received from the vehicles ; page 7, section 4.2 and Figure 4 describe the fuzzy logic is a strategy that utilizes more than one parameter to determine and select one vehicle to be a cluster head (CH), Figure 4 illustrates input parameters include speed, direction; page 8, section 4.2.2 describe speed of each vehicle);
(a1) determining a location of each vehicle on a road based on the received driving information (page 6, section 4.1, second paragraph describes K-means algorithm is used to allocate vehicles’ locations to the nearest cluster, this step is construed that the locations are received from the vehicles);
(b) grouping vehicles into clusters by a clustering process (page 6; section 4.1; first paragraph states every vehicle is automatically assigned to a cluster upon receiving its received signal strength indicator);
(c) sending each vehicle information of a cluster it belongs to (page 10, section 4.5; first paragraph states every member vehicle of a cluster contains a MAC table and cluster information such as cluster head and gateways. Upon receiving the critical data packet, the cluster head broadcasts the critical data packet to all the member vehicles in that cluster) (paragraph [0092] describes the leader vehicle of the whole convoy generates a whole convoy ID and transmits the generated whole convoy ID);
(d) selecting a vehicle as a cluster head (CH) in each cluster to be responsible for data broadcasting using fuzzy logic (page 6, section 4 discusses a push-based data forwarding scheme with fuzzy logic; page 7, section 4.2 discloses selection of cluster head using fuzzy logic; page 11, section 5; third paragraph states the proposed scheme allows only the cluster head to broadcast the critical data packet to all the vehicles in the cluster),
sending, in each cluster, a notification to the element selected as the cluster head that the vehicle has been selected as the cluster head (page 10; section 4.6 discusses before any critical condition, all the vehicles are grouped into different clusters by employing the K-means clusters. Subsequently, different roles are assigned to the vehicles in each cluster by using the fuzzy logic method; page 11, first paragraph indicates when a critical situation occurs, the producer generates a critical data packet and transmits it to the cluster head. Once the cluster head receives the data, the critical data packet is broadcasted to all the member vehicles of the clusters. Note: this process is interpreted that the cluster head is informed of its role to broadcast the critical data packet).
Khan fails to teach
a system that is remote from a plurality of vehicles and comprising a communication interface and a processor,
a processor determines a location of each vehicle based on received driving information;
the processor groups vehicles into clusters,
sending, to each vehicle via the communication interface, information of a cluster
the processor selects a vehicle cluster head;
wherein sending a notification is performed via the communication interface, wherein the notification is configured to cause the selected vehicle to broadcast a message indicating that it is the cluster head vehicle to other vehicles in the cluster.
Pattan discloses
a system that is remote from a plurality of vehicles and comprising a communication interface and a processor (Fig. 6, paragraph [0114] describes a processor; paragraph [0081] describes a system for forming V2X dynamic groups by including V2X UEs to the group, the system enables V2X dynamic group formation and communication over an interface; paragraph [0122] describes a server that creates and maintains dynamic platoons);
a processor determines a location of each vehicle based on received driving information (paragraph [0164] describes driving information including location of vehicles is shared to the server);
the processor groups vehicles into clusters (paragraphs [0122]-[0123] describe a server that creates and maintains dynamic platoons),
sending, to each vehicle via the communication interface, information of a cluster (paragraphs [0124] and [0127] describes the server sends platoon leader announce request to the platoon members),
the processor selects a vehicle cluster head (paragraph [0142] describes the determination of platoon leader);
wherein sending a notification is performed via the communication interface (paragraph [0125] describes the server initiates platoon leader announcement with other platoon members), wherein the notification is configured to cause the selected vehicle to broadcast a message indicating that it is the cluster head vehicle to other vehicles in the cluster (paragraphs [0125] and [0130] describe platoon leader is announced to the entire platoon e.g. the server initiates platoon leader announcement with other platoon members).
One of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the invention would have recognized the ability to utilize the teachings of Pattan for implementing a server for handling dynamic group creation in a vehicle to everything system. The teachings of Pattan, when implemented in the Khan system, will allow one of ordinary skill in the art to promote the use of IoT technology in a connected car environment. One of ordinary skill in the art would be motivated to utilize the teachings of Pattan in the Khan system in order to provide an IoT environment that provides intelligent Internet technology services that create a new value to human life by collecting and analyzing data generated among connected IoT devices (Pattan: paragraph [0004]).
As for claim 2, the combined system of Khan and Pattan teaches wherein step (b) includes: (b1) setting a number of clusters (Khan: page 6, section 4.1; first paragraph states K-means clustering approach is applied to divide vehicles into clusters); (b2) selecting center points to represent the centroids and grouping vehicles along closest centroids (Khan: page 6, section 4.1; first paragraph states the center point of a cluster is a centroid, the algorithm takes the number of clusters “K”, then “K” points are randomly selected as centroids); (b3) selecting new center points as centroids and grouping vehicles along new closest centroids (Khan: page 6, section 4.1; second paragraph states central points are selected to indicate the new centroids. The vehicles then group themselves according to the new centroids); and, (b4) repeating the above step (b3) and setting each group as a cluster when there are no changes in the groups (Khan: page 6, section 4.1; second paragraph states the process continues until no change in the group occurs).
As for claim 3, the combined system of Khan and Pattan teaches wherein step (d) includes: (d1) converting input values to fuzzy values (Khan: page 7; section 4.2; first paragraph states during the fuzzification process, the fuzzy system converts the input values into fuzzy values); (d2) generating fuzzy output from an inference engine according to a fuzzy rule (Khan: page 7, section 4.2; first paragraph and Figure 4 states/illustrates an inference engine generates a fuzzy output according to the rules by entering the input parameters); (d3) converting the fuzzy output to a real value (Khan: page 7; section 4.2; first paragraph states during defuzzification, the calculated output value is converted into an actual value); and, (d4) selecting cluster heads based on the real value in step (d3) (Khan: page 7; section 4.2; first paragraph states the cluster head is selected based on the output value).
As for claim 4, the combined system of Khan and Pattan teaches wherein the input value includes: weight for a distance of each vehicle from the center point (hereafter referred to as "link weight") (Khan: page 8; section 4.2.1 discusses link weight i.e. the distances of all vehicles from the center point); speed of each vehicle (Khan: page 8; section 4.2.2 discusses speed of a vehicle); and, direction of travel for each vehicle (Khan: page 8; section 4.2.3 discusses direction of the vehicle).
As for claim 5, the combined system of Khan and Pattan teaches wherein the link weight is a normalized distance of each vehicle from the center point (Khan: page 8, section 4.2.1 discusses the distances is calculated by employing the normalized distance equation).
As for claim 6, the combined system of Khan and Pattan teaches wherein the speed is the speed of that vehicle (Khan: page 8; section 4.2.2 states the speed of a vehicle), normalized by a maximum speed of a vehicle in that cluster (page 8; section 4.2.2, second paragraph states each vehicle’s speed is normalized by dividing it by the maximum speed).
As for claim 7, the combined system of Khan and Pattan teaches wherein, if a vehicle is traveling in the opposite direction from data producer of a critical data packet, the vehicle is not eligible for cluster head selection (Khan: page 8, section 4.2.3 states if the vehicle is moving in opposite direction, the vehicle will not be selected as a cluster head), and wherein a vehicle with a minimum sum of the link weight and speed is selected as the cluster head (Khan: page 8, section 4.2.4 including equations (8) and (9) state any vehicle carrying the minimum value will be selected as the cluster head of that cluster).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Ali Calhan, A fuzzy logic based clustering strategy for improving vehicular ad-hoc network performance, Sahana Vol. 40, Part 2, Indian Academy of Sciences, 22 May 2014, pages 351-367
Sethu et al. (US 2023/0049762) teach method for software architecture for leader vehicle capabilities for an on-demand autonomy (ODA) system
Kilaru et al. (US 2024/0194068) teach vehicle determination for media collaboration
Bai et al. (US 2012/0148820) teach information gathering system using multi-radio telematics devices
Stenneth et al. (US 10,353,387) teach method for grouping vehicles into a platoon
Gong et al. (US 11,557,155) teach method performed in internet of vehicles data transmission system
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.
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/L. T. N/
Examiner, Art Unit 2459
/TONIA L DOLLINGER/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2459