DETAILED ACTION
Introduction
Claims 1, 2, 6-12, 14, and 17-20 have been examined in this application. Claims 1, 7, 11, 17, and 18 are amended. Claims 2, 6, 12, 14, 19, and 20 are original. Claims 8-10 are as previously presented. Claims 3-5, 13, 15, and 16 are cancelled.
This is a non-final office action in response to the Request for Continued Examination filed 5/4/2026. The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
Office Action Formatting
The following is an explanation of the formatting used in the instant Office Action:
• [0001] – Indicates a paragraph number in the most recent, previously cited source;
• [0001, 0010] – Indicates multiple paragraphs (in example: paragraphs 1 and 10) in the most recent, previously cited source;
• [0001-0010] – Indicates a range of paragraphs (in example: paragraphs 1 through 10) in the most recent, previously cited source;
• 1:1 – Indicates a column number and a line number (in example: column 1, line 1) in the most recent, previously cited source;
• 1:1, 2:1 – Indicates multiple column and line numbers (in example, column 1, line 1 and column 2, line 2) in the most recent, previously cited source;
• 1:1-10 – Indicates a range of lines within one column (in example: all lines spanning, and including, lines 1 and 10 in column 1) in the most recent, previously cited source;
• 1:1-2:1 – Indicates a range of lines spanning several columns (in example: column 1, line 1 to column 2, line 1 and including all intervening lines) in the most recent, previously cited source;
• p. 1, ln. 1 – Indicates a page and line number in the most recent, previously cited source;
• ¶1 – The paragraph symbol is used solely to refer to Applicant's own specification (further example: p. 1, ¶1 indicates first paragraph of page 1); and
• BRI – the broadest reasonable interpretation.
Priority
Acknowledgment is made of applicant's claim for foreign priority based on application DE102022210634.2 filed in Germany on 10/07/2022. Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
Continued Examination Under 37 CFR 1.114
A request for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, including the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e), was filed in this application after final rejection. Since this application is eligible for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114. Applicant's submission filed on 5/4/2026 has been entered.
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments, filed 5/4/2026, have been fully considered.
Regarding the remarks pertaining to the claim objections (presented on p. 7), the amendment is acceptable. Therefore, the objection has been withdrawn.
Regarding the arguments pertaining to the claim rejections under 112 (presented on p. 7), the arguments and amendments are persuasive. Therefore, the rejections have been withdrawn.
Regarding the arguments pertaining to the claim rejections under 102 (presented on p. 7-9), the arguments and amendments are persuasive. Therefore, the rejections have been withdrawn. However, upon further consideration, a new grounds of rejection is made in view of the additional prior art of Publication US2019/0250641A1 (Beer et al.).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
The following is a quotation of the appropriate paragraphs of 35 U.S.C. 102 that form the basis for the rejections under this section made in this Office action:
A person shall be entitled to a patent unless –
(a)(1) the claimed invention was patented, described in a printed publication, or in public use, on sale, or otherwise available to the public before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
(a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claims 1, 2, 6-12, 14, and 17-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Publication US2019/0250641A1 (Beer et al.).
Regarding Claim 1, Beer et al. discloses a navigation method including:
determining a first position (see [0019] or [0059] current location) of an object to be navigated (see [0019, 0059] of UAV which travels) as a combination of three coordinates in a three dimensional coordinate system (see [0019] UAV at 0,0,0 element in sub-volume coordinate system or [0029] UAV coordinate system with three dimensions), wherein the first position is included in a plurality of positions defining a route of the object (see [0019, 0059] path / travel direction from current location);
representing the first position on a digital map (see [0019] current location based on transit volume, [0027] implemented by processor), wherein the digital map represents in three dimensions a region within which the object is to travel along the route (see [0018-0021] transit volume as rectangular cuboid, made of sub-volumes, that the path/travel direction goes through);
wherein the digital map consists of a plurality of predefined three- dimensional spatial segments (see [0019] sub-volumes),
wherein each of the plurality of predefined three-dimensional spatial segments is determined by a volume and a distinct combination of three coordinates in the three dimensional coordinate system (see [0019] e.g. one-meter cubes, indexed in i,j,k coordinates),
wherein each of the three-dimensional spatial segments has an identical volume (see [0019] all one-meter cube size), and
wherein each of the plurality of positions along the route is a position within a respective one of the spatial segments (see Figure 6, [0052], at every interval, selection of sub-volumes for establishing travel direction);
for each of a plurality of positions along the route of travel of the object, identifying the respective one of the three-dimensional spatial segments corresponding to the position (see Figure 6, [0052], at each interval, identify sub-volume that corresponds to travel direction of path), and
navigating the object from a first position of the plurality of positions along the route to a second position of the plurality of positions along the route based on the three-dimensional spatial segments identified as corresponding to the plurality of positions along the route (see [0060] controller system instruct AV to proceed in travel direction).
Regarding Claim 2, Beer et al. discloses the navigation method according to Claim 1, wherein the volume of each of the plurality of spatial segments is in a form of a cuboid (see [0019] one-meter cube).
Regarding Claim 6, Beer et al. discloses the navigation method according to claim 1, wherein the volumes and the coordinates of each of the plurality of spatial segments are arranged such that the plurality of spatial segments fills an entire space (see [0019] transit volume of 32000 cubic meters divided into 32000 one-meter cubes, indexed by i,j,k).
Regarding Claim 7, Beer et al. discloses the navigation method according to claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of spatial segments is assigned further information concerning a presence of another object in at least one of the spatial segments (see [0019, 0033] flag in the object data structure corresponding to the sub-volume that contains the object), wherein the at least one of the spatial elements with the another object includes information regarding a passability of the spatial segment (see [0033] structure contains a “1” for object and [0017, 0059] path planning / travel direction avoids objects, i.e. the 1 being information of non-passability).
Regarding Claim 8, Beer et al. discloses the navigation method according to claim 7, further including representing information important to navigation in the corresponding spatial segments of the map, wherein the information represents for each of the plurality of positions a height at which the object to be navigated is to be located in each of the respective spatial segments (see [0019] index information of sub-volume specifies z-direction of sub-volume [0021] UAV navigates in travel direction to sub-volume [0035] z being vertical).
Regarding Claim 9, Beer et al. discloses the navigation method according to claim 1, further including determining a destination along the route for the object to be navigated and a representation of the destination and the route on the map (see [0019] path planner identifies direction from current location to target, based on transit volume (map)).
Regarding Claim 10, Beer et al. discloses a computer-readable non-transitory, tangible storage medium containing commands which, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to carry out the method of claim 1 (see [0058]).
Regarding Claim 11, Beer et al. discloses a navigation method using a digital map (see [0019, 0027] volume data, implemented by processor) representing a real space region within which an object is to travel (see [0019, 0059] of UAV which travels), wherein the digital map consists of predefined three-dimensional spatial segments each having a volume identical to the volume of each of the other predefined spatial segments and collectively representing the real space region route (see [0019] the 32000 one-meter cube sub-volumes), and each of the three- dimensional spatial segments has a location corresponding to a unique position on the digital map (see [0019] one-meter cubes, indexed in i,j,k coordinates),
the navigation method comprising:
determining a position in real space of an object to be navigated (see [0019] or [0059] current location),
identifying one of the spatial segments on the digital map corresponding to the position of the object (see [0019] the 0,0,0 sub-volume as UAV position),
using the identified spatial segment to represent the position of the object on the digital map (see [0019] the 0,0,0 sub-volume as UAV position), and
navigating the object using the identified spatial segment along a path extending through the identified spatial segment (see [0019, 0059, 0060], path planning from current location through other sub-volumes and controlling to travel path).
Regarding Claim 12, Beer et al. discloses the navigation method of claim 11, wherein the object is a vehicle (see [0017-0019] UAV).
Regarding Claim 14, Beer et al. discloses the navigation method according to claim 11, wherein each of the spatial segments has a cuboid shape (see [0019] one-meter cube).
Regarding Claim 17, Beer et al. discloses the navigation method according to claim 11, wherein a group is defined by the spatial segments adjacent to at least one other of the spatial segments in the group (see [0019] group of one-meter sub-volumes for total transit volume, i.e. the group of entire sub-volumes has volumes each adjacent to another).
Regarding Claim 18, Beer et al. discloses the navigation method according to claim 11, wherein the volumes and the coordinates of each of the spatial segments are arranged such that the plurality of spatial segments fills of the digital map representing the region (see [0019] transit volume of 32000 cubic meters divided into 32000 one-meter cubes, indexed by i,j,k).
Regarding Claim 19, Beer et al. discloses the navigation method according to claim 11, further comprising assigning to a plurality of the spatial segments an indicator of a presence other objects (see [0019, 0033] flag in the object data structure corresponding to the sub-volume that contains the object),
Regarding Claim 20, Beer et al. discloses the navigation method according to claim 11, further comprising:
determining a destination and a route to the determined destination for the object to be navigated (see [0019] path planner identifies direction from current location to target, based on transit volume (map)) and identifying the spatial segments on the digital map corresponding to the destination and route (see [0060] repeated selection of sub-volume for next travel direction identifies series of segments for route).
Conclusion
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/P.A./Examiner, Art Unit 3669
/Erin M Piateski/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3669
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