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 .
1. This action is responsive to RCE received Jan. 27, 2026.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
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.
2. Claims 1, 3-13 and 17-21 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kasahara, U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2005/0049895 in view of Jones, U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2018/0130267.
As to claims 1 and 13, Kasahara teaches a notification method and device for issuing a notification of arrival of maintenance time of a vehicle, the notification method comprising:
acquiring, by a device, driving information from the vehicle through communication (see para. 65-66), the driving information indicating a driving state of the vehicle, the driving information including a driving integrated value that increases with driving of the vehicle (see para. 62, 68-69); and
outputting notification information regarding the maintenance of the vehicle to a notification device included in the portable device in case that the driving information satisfies a predefined notification condition (see para. 73) including a count amount reaching a preset maintenance setting value, the count amount being obtained by counting the driving integrated value from a predetermined time, the count amount indicating a driving time or a driving distance of the vehicle accumulated from the predetermined time (see para. 69).
Kasahara does not teach acquiring by a portable device which is a communication terminal that is carried by a user driving information from the vehicle through communication. However, Jones teaches a system and method comprising a portable device which is a communication terminal that is carried by a user driving information from the vehicle through communication (see para. 22-23 and fig. 1).
It would have been obvious for one of the ordinary skill in the at the effective filling data of the application to use the user portable device of Jones to obtain driving information in Kasahara. Motivation to do so comes from the teachings of Jones that doing so would improve the rust protection and tracking of a vehicle as well as various mechanical maintenance tasks.
As to claim 3, Kasahara in view of Jones teach the wheeled vehicle notification method according to claim 1. Kasahara further teaches the notification condition is defined on a basis of a condition inputted to an input device provided to the portable device (see para. 69).
As to claim 4, Kasahara in view of Jones teach the wheeled vehicle notification method according to claim 1. Kasahara further teaches the notification condition includes a count amount reaching a preset maintenance setting value, the count amount being obtained by counting the driving integrated value from a predetermined time, and the count amount reaching a preset advance setting value shorter smaller than the maintenance setting value (see para. 69 and 73).
As to claim 5 Kasahara teaches the wheeled vehicle notification method according to claim 1 wherein, in case that an input device provided to the portable device receives an instruction to stop outputting the notification information, the notification condition is reset (para. 80-81).
As to claim 6, Kasahara in view of Jones teach the wheeled vehicle notification method according to claim 1. Kasahara further teaches in case that an input device provided to the portable device receives an instruction to change the notification condition, the notification condition is changed in accordance with the instruction (para. 80-81).
As to claim 7, Kasahara in view of Jones teach the wheeled vehicle notification method according to claim 1. Kasahara further teaches in case that an input device provided to the portable device receives an instruction to stop outputting the notification information, information that prompts the notification condition to be reset is outputted to the notification device (para. 80-81).
As to claim 8, Kasahara in view of Jones teach the wheeled vehicle notification method according to claim 1. Kasahara further teaches the notification condition includes an advance notification condition and a maintenance notification condition, the advance notification condition including the count amount reaching the advance setting value, the maintenance notification condition including the count amount reaching the maintenance setting value, and the notification information includes advance notification information and maintenance notification information different from the advance notification information, the advance notification information being outputted to the notification device in a period of time from satisfaction of the advance notification condition to satisfaction of the maintenance notification condition, the maintenance notification information being outputted to the notification device in a period of time after the satisfaction of the maintenance notification condition (para. 73 and fig. 12B-C).
As to claim 9, Kasahara in view of Jones teach the wheeled vehicle notification method according to claim 1. Kasahara further teaches the notification condition includes a count amount reaching a maintenance setting value, the count amount being obtained by counting the driving integrated value from a predetermined time, and the maintenance setting value is defined on a basis of a condition inputted to an input device provided to the portable device (para. 62 and 68-69).
As to claim 10, Kasahara in view of Jones teach the wheeled vehicle notification method according to claim 1. Kasahara further teaches a driving log including the driving information about the vehicle for each predetermined time is generated and the generated driving log is outputted to the notification device (see para. 51 and 69).
As to claim 11, Kasahara in view of Jones teach the wheeled vehicle notification method according to claim 1. Kasahara further teaches in case that an input device provided to the portable device receives execution information regarding execution of the maintenance of the vehicle, a maintenance history of the vehicle is generated by using the execution information (para. 50-51 and 69).
As to claim 12, Kasahara in view of Jones teach the wheeled vehicle notification method according to claim 1. Kasahara further teaches the portable device determines whether or not the driving information satisfies the notification condition, and outputs the notification information to the notification device (para. 73). Jones teaches outputting notifications after driving operation Is terminated (see para. 8-9 and fig. 1).
As to claim 17, Kasahara in view of Jones teach the notification system according to claim 13. Kasahara further teaches the maintenance setting value is selectable or changeable by a user operating the portable device (see para. 62).
As to claim 18, Kasahara in view of Jones teach the notification system according to claim 13. Kasahara further teaches the predetermined time is a time at which a reset operation is performed by a user operating the portable device (see para. 69-70).
As to claim 19, Kasahara in view of Jones teach the notification system according to claim 13. Kasahara further teaches a plurality of notification conditions are set, and a maintenance notification condition is determined to be satisfied when any one of the plurality of conditions is fulfilled (see para. 66-67).
As to claim 20, Kasahara in view of Jones teach the notification system according to claim 13. Kasahara further teaches the portable device acquires identification information transmitted from the vehicle, and executes a maintenance notification when the acquired identification information corresponds to pre-associated identification information (see para. 66-67).
As to claim 21, Kasahara in view of Jones teach the wheeled vehicle notification method according to claim 1. Jones further teaches outputting of the notification information is performed by communication circuitry of the vehicle configured to communicate with the portable device which is carried by a user and is in a riding space of the vehicle (see para. 8-9, 22-23 and fig. 1).
3. Claims 14-15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kasahara in view of Jones, further in view of Chacon et al., U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2015/0127212 (referred to hereafter as Chacon).
As to claim 14, Kasahara teaches the notification system according to claim 13. Kasahara does not explicitly teach that the vehicle is an off-roading wheeled vehicle. However, Chacon teaches a system and method for monitoring vehicle performance wherein the vehicle is an off-roading wheeled vehicle (see para. 63, 74 and 79). It would have been obvious for one of the ordinary skill in the at the effective filling data of the application to implement the notification system of Kasahara for an off-roading wheeled vehicle as taught by Chacon. Motivation to do so comes from the knowledge well known in the art that notifying a user of service needed for a vehicle regardless of the type of vehicle, i.e. off-roading wheeled vehicle or any other type of vehicle, would be beneficial in maintaining the vehicle and preventing component failures.
As to claim 15, Kasahara in view of Chacon teach the notification system according to claim 13. Chacon further teaches the vehicle includes pressure tires and a ROPS (rollover protective structure) (see para. 180-187).
4. Claim 16 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kasahara in view of Jones, further in view of McGinnis et al., U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2015/0057875 (referred to hereafter as McGinnis).
As to claim 16, Kasahara teaches the notification system according to claim 13. Kasahara does not explicitly teach the vehicle includes at least one of a switching mechanism or a four-wheel drive mechanism, the switching mechanism switching a start of a differential function and a stop of the differential function. However, McGinnis teaches a vehicle includes at least one of a switching mechanism or a four-wheel drive mechanism, the switching mechanism switching a start of a differential function and a stop of the differential function (see para. 40 and 208). It would have been obvious for one of the ordinary skill in the at the effective filling data of the application implement the notification system of Kasahara as taught by McGinnis. Motivation to do so comes from the teachings of McGinnis that doing so would result in the time and expense of providing up-to-date authored assets 122 in the form of owner's guides and maintenance manuals is significantly reduced and the reliability and accuracy of information contained therein improved.
5. Applicant’s arguments have been fully considered but are moot in view of the new grounds of rejection.
6. Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to HUSSEIN A EL CHANTI whose telephone number is (571)272-3999. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 9-5.
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/HUSSEIN ELCHANTI/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3669