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
This action is in response to amendments and remarks filed on 07/08/2025. Claims 1 and 4-10 are pending. Claims 2-3 have been cancelled. Claims 1 and 4 have been amended. The objections to the drawings and the specification, the 35 U.S.C. 112a rejection to claim 3, the 35 U.S.C. 101 rejection to claims 1-4, and the interpretations of claims 1 and 4 under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) have been withdrawn in light of the instant amendments. This action is made final, as necessitated by amendment.
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.
The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
Claim(s) 1 , 4-6, and 8-9 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Otaki (US 20210072743) in view of Shomura (US 9319910) and Maeng (US 20200086891).
Regarding claim 1, Otaki teaches a remote instruction system (par. 5, vehicle remote instruction system) configured to display a surrounding environment image (par. 38, external environment) to a remote commander (par. 38, remote commander R) based on detection data acquired from an external sensor (par. 38 Fig. 1, external sensor 22) of a vehicle (par. 38 Fig. 1, autonomous driving vehicle 2) and sent from the vehicle via a (par. 41 Fig. 1, network N), the vehicle being configured to execute remote support according to a remote instruction from the remote commander (abstract, “a remote commander issues a remote instruction relating to travel of an autonomous driving vehicle”), the remote instruction system comprising:
a processor (par. 127 Fig. 8, processor 10a);
and a memory (par. 127 Fig. 8, storage unit 10b) storing executable instructions that cause the processor to
(par. 129, “user interface 10d includes output devices such as a display”; par. 132, “The display may have a plurality of display screens”) for the remote commander;
Otaki fails to teach a plurality of communication networks, and the memory storing executable instructions that cause the processor to, generate integrated information by integrating communication quality information for each communication network of the plurality of communication networks, wherein the communication quality information includes a bit-rate value of the detection data received from the vehicle through each network of the plurality of communication networks, and the integrated information is generated based on an average value of the bit-rate values for the plurality of networks; and select one target area on a display area of the plurality of display areas in a line of sight of the remote commander in accordance with the content of the remote support; and display a graphical display element that includes a representation of the integrated information in the selected target area.
However, Shomura teaches a plurality of communication networks (column 12 line 5, a plurality of base stations (eNB1 to eNB21)), and the memory storing executable instructions that cause the processor to, generate integrated information by integrating communication quality information for each communication network of the plurality of communication networks (column 10 line 41, “The flow summarizing program 243 is regularly executed to create the communication quality table 600 of FIG. 6 based on the flow matching the measurement target list 400. Using the communication quality table 600, it is possible to provide desired data to a request from a user”), wherein the communication quality information includes a bit-rate value of the detection data received from the vehicle through each network of the plurality of communication networks, and the integrated information is generated based on an average value of the bit-rate values for the plurality of networks (see Fig. 8a; column 12 line 62, “a network operator as an administrator can recognize a network status with high accuracy using communication quality information close to a value actually sensed by a user such as a file transfer time or a throughput”).
It would have been prima facie obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified Otaki to incorporate the teachings of Shomura in order to efficiently check the communication quality for each communication path (column 1 line 30). Shomura states it is beneficial to measure a value that is actually sensed by a user (column 2 line 9).
Both Otaki and Shomura fail to teach select one target area on a display area of the plurality of display areas in a line of sight of the remote commander in accordance with the content of the remote support; and display a graphical display element that includes a representation of the integrated information in the selected target area.
However, Maeng teaches select one target area on a display area of the plurality of display areas in a line of sight of the remote commander in accordance with the content of the remote support; and display a graphical display element that includes a representation of the integrated information in the selected target area (par. 26, “The processor may select at least one display corresponding to the direction of the line of sight of the passenger and display the driving information through the at least one display”).
It would have been prima facie obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the combination of Otaki in view of Shomura to incorporate the teachings of Maeng. Maeng states that displaying information positioned at a line of sight of the passenger provides convenience (par. 29).
Regarding claim 4, Otaki teaches a non-transitory storage medium (par. 127 Fig. 8, storage unit 10b) storing a remote instruction program (par. 5, vehicle remote instruction system) configured to cause a processor to operate to display a surrounding environment image (par. 38, external environment) to a remote commander (par. 38, remote commander R) based on detection data from an external sensor (par. 38 Fig. 1, external sensor 22) of a vehicle (par. 38 Fig. 1, autonomous driving vehicle 2) sent from the vehicle via (par. 41 Fig. 1, network N), the vehicle being configured to execute remote support according to a remote instruction from the remote commander (abstract, “a remote commander issues a remote instruction relating to travel of an autonomous driving vehicle”),
wherein execution of the remote instruction program causes the processor to
display data of the surrounding environment image based on the detection data received from the vehicle and display the surrounding environment image over a plurality of display areas (par. 129, “user interface 10d includes output devices such as a display”; par. 132, “The display may have a plurality of display screens”) for the remote commander,
Otaki fails to teach a plurality of communication networks, and execution of the remote instruction program causes the processor to generate integrated information by integrating communication quality information for each communication network of the plurality of communication networks, and wherein the communication quality information includes a bit-rate value of the detection data received from the vehicle through each network of the plurality of communication networks, and the integrated information is generated based on an average value of the bit-rate values for the plurality of networks; and select one target area on a display area of the plurality of display areas in a line of sight of the remote commander in accordance with the content of the remote support; and display a graphical display element that includes a representation of the integrated information in the selected target area.
However, Shomura teaches a plurality of communication networks (column 12 line 5, a plurality of base stations (eNB1 to eNB21)), execution of the remote instruction program causes the processor to generate integrated information by integrating communication quality information for each communication network of the plurality of communication networks (column 10 line 41, “The flow summarizing program 243 is regularly executed to create the communication quality table 600 of FIG. 6 based on the flow matching the measurement target list 400. Using the communication quality table 600, it is possible to provide desired data to a request from a user”), wherein the communication quality information includes a bit-rate value of the detection data received from the vehicle through each network of the plurality of communication networks, and the integrated information is generated based on an average value of the bit-rate values for the plurality of networks (see Fig. 8a; column 12 line 62, “a network operator as an administrator can recognize a network status with high accuracy using communication quality information close to a value actually sensed by a user such as a file transfer time or a throughput”).
It would have been prima facie obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified Otaki to incorporate the teachings of Shomura in order to efficiently check the communication quality for each communication path (column 1 line 30). Shomura states it is beneficial to measure a value that is actually sensed by a user (column 2 line 9).
Both Otaki and Shomura fail to teach select one target area on a display area of the plurality of display areas in a line of sight of the remote commander in accordance with the content of the remote support; and display a graphical display element that includes a representation of the integrated information in the selected target area.
However, Maeng teaches select one target area on a display area of the plurality of display areas in a line of sight of the remote commander in accordance with the content of the remote support; and display a graphical display element that includes a representation of the integrated information in the selected target area (par. 26, “The processor may select at least one display corresponding to the direction of the line of sight of the passenger and display the driving information through the at least one display”).
It would have been prima facie obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the combination of Otaki in view of Shomura to incorporate the teachings of Maeng. Maeng states that displaying information positioned at a line of sight of the passenger provides convenience (par. 29).
Regarding claim 5, the combination of Otaki in view of Shomura and Maeng teaches the remote instruction system according to claim 1. Both Otaki and Maeng fail to teach the integrated information represented in the graphical display element includes a communication quality value-indicator that indicates the average value of the bit- rate values for the plurality of networks, and a communication quality threshold value that indicates a threshold bit-rate value necessary to allow execution of the remote support by the remote commander.
However, Shomura teaches the integrated information represented in the graphical display element includes a communication quality value-indicator that indicates the average value of the bit- rate values for the plurality of networks (column 10 line 23, “FIG. 7 is a diagram obtained by plotting an average/variance of the flow statistic value organized on a service basis and computed in step 505. FIG. 7 is a diagram obtained by performing evaluation using the file transfer time”; column 12 line 62, “a network operator as an administrator can recognize a network status with high accuracy using communication quality information close to a value actually sensed by a user such as a file transfer time or a throughput”; claim 4, “one of the items of communication quality is network throughput”), and a communication quality threshold value that indicates a threshold bit-rate value necessary to allow execution of the remote support by the remote commander (claim 3, “one of the items of communication quality is time necessary to receive a predetermined number of packets or a predetermined number of bytes”).
It would have been prima facie obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the combination of Otaki in view of Shomura and Maeng to further incorporate the teachings of Shomura in order to efficiently check the communication quality for each communication path (column 1 line 30). Shomura states it is beneficial to measure a value that is actually sensed by a user (column 2 line 9).
Regarding claim 6, the combination of Otaki in view of Shomura and Maeng teaches the remote instruction system according to claim 1. Both Otaki and Maeng fail to teach the graphical display element representing the integrated information further includes individual representations of the communication quality information for each communication network of the plurality of communication networks.
However, Shomura teaches the graphical display element representing the integrated information further includes individual representations of the communication quality information for each communication network of the plurality of communication networks (see Fig. 8a).
It would have been prima facie obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the combination of Otaki in view of Shomura and Maeng to further incorporate the teachings of Shomura in order to efficiently check the communication quality for each communication path (column 1 line 30). Shomura states it is beneficial to measure a value that is actually sensed by a user (column 2 line 9).
Regarding claim 8, the combination of Otaki in view of Shomura and Maeng teaches the non-transitory storage medium according to claim 4. Both Otaki and Maeng fail to teach the integrated information represented in the graphical display element includes a communication quality value-indicator that indicates the average value of the bit- rate values for the plurality of networks, and a communication quality threshold value that indicates a threshold bit-rate value necessary to allow execution of the remote support by the remote commander.
However, Shomura teaches the integrated information represented in the graphical display element includes a communication quality value-indicator that indicates the average value of the bit- rate values for the plurality of networks (column 10 line 23, “FIG. 7 is a diagram obtained by plotting an average/variance of the flow statistic value organized on a service basis and computed in step 505. FIG. 7 is a diagram obtained by performing evaluation using the file transfer time”; column 12 line 62, “a network operator as an administrator can recognize a network status with high accuracy using communication quality information close to a value actually sensed by a user such as a file transfer time or a throughput”; claim 4, “one of the items of communication quality is network throughput”), and a communication quality threshold value that indicates a threshold bit-rate value necessary to allow execution of the remote support by the remote commander (claim 3, “one of the items of communication quality is time necessary to receive a predetermined number of packets or a predetermined number of bytes”).
It would have been prima facie obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the combination of Otaki in view of Shomura and Maeng to further incorporate the teachings of Shomura in order to efficiently check the communication quality for each communication path (column 1 line 30). Shomura states it is beneficial to measure a value that is actually sensed by a user (column 2 line 9).
Regarding claim 9, the combination of Otaki in view of Shomura and Maeng teaches the non-transitory storage medium according to claim 4. Both Otaki and Maeng fail to teach the graphical display element representing the integrated information further includes individual representations of the communication quality information for each communication network of the plurality of communication networks.
However, Shomura teaches the graphical display element representing the integrated information further includes individual representations of the communication quality information for each communication network of the plurality of communication networks (see Fig. 8a).
It would have been prima facie obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the combination of Otaki in view of Shomura and Maeng to further incorporate the teachings of Shomura in order to efficiently check the communication quality for each communication path (column 1 line 30). Shomura states it is beneficial to measure a value that is actually sensed by a user (column 2 line 9).
Claim(s) 7 and 10 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Otaki in view of Shomura and Maeng as applied above, and further in view of Young (US 20150174501).
Regarding claim 7, the combination of Otaki in view of Shomura and Maeng teaches the remote instruction system according to claim 1. Otaki, Shomura, and Maeng all fail to teach the graphical display element further includes an indication of the relative signal strengths of each communication network at a position of the vehicle.
However, Young teaches the graphical display element further includes an indication of the relative signal strengths of each communication network at a position of the vehicle (see signal strength indicator in Fig. 4).
It would have been prima facie obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the combination of Otaki in view of Shomura and Maeng to incorporate the teachings of Young in order to communicate real time status information concerning the vehicle (par. 30).
Regarding claim 10, the combination of Otaki in view of Shomura and Maeng teaches the non-transitory storage medium according to claim 4 Otaki, Shomura, and Maeng all fail to teach the graphical display element further includes an indication of the relative signal strengths of each communication network at a position of the vehicle.
However, Young teaches the graphical display element further includes an indication of the relative signal strengths of each communication network at a position of the vehicle (see signal strength indicator in Fig. 4).
It would have been prima facie obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the combination of Otaki in view of Shomura and Maeng to incorporate the teachings of Young in order to communicate real time status information concerning the vehicle (par. 30).
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 MINATO LEE HORNER whose telephone number is (571)272-5425. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 8-5.
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/M.L.H./Examiner, Art Unit 3665 /CHRISTIAN CHACE/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3665