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 .
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and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114.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 14 January 2026 has been entered.
Status of Claims
This action is in reply to the amendment filed on 14 January 2026.
Claim(s) 3, 6-7, 9, 13-14, 17-18, 22 and 28 are cancelled.
Claims 1-2, 4-5, 8, 10-12, 15-16, 19-21, 23-27 and 29-30 are currently pending and have been examined.
This action is made Non-FINAL.
Response to Arguments/Amendments
Applicant's arguments with respect to the rejection of claim(s) 1-30 under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) have been fully considered and are persuasive. The rejection of claim(s) 1-30 under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) has been withdrawn.
Applicant's arguments, see remarks at page(s) 9-10, filed 14 January 2026, with respect to the rejection of claim(s) 1-2, 4-5, 8, 10-12 and 15 under 35 U.S.C. 103 over Quint et al. have been fully considered and are persuasive. Therefore, the rejection has been withdrawn. However, upon further consideration, a new ground(s) of rejection is made over Quint et al. (US 20230194270 A1) in view of Couckuyt et al. (US 8060297 B2) in further view of Langlois et al. (US 20140277843 A1).
Applicant's arguments, see remarks at page(s) 11-12, filed 14 January 2026, with respect to the rejection of claim(s) 16, 19-21, 23-27 and 29-30 under 35 U.S.C. 103 over Quint et al. have been fully considered and are persuasive. Therefore, the rejection has been withdrawn. However, upon further consideration, a new ground(s) of rejection is made over Quint et al. (US 20230194270 A1) in further view of Hochberg et al. (US 20230140268 A1).
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 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.
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) 1-2, 4-5, 10 and 12 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Quint et al. (US 20230194270 A1) in view of Couckuyt et al. (US 8060297 B2) in further view of Langlois et al. (US 20140277843 A1).
Regarding claims 1 and 12, Quint teaches an apparatus for wireless communication at a user equipment (UE), comprising: at least one memory (see at least ¶[0005], [0061]-[0064], [0066], [0068]-[0071] regarding a memory); and at least one processor coupled to the at least one memory (see at least ¶[0005], [0061]-[0062], [0064]-[0066], [0068]-[0069] and [0071] regarding a processor), the at least one processor is configured to: start a navigation session on the UE (see at least ¶[0050] regarding determining/generating a pedestrian route from a current location of a mobile device to the location of the associated vehicle); obtain an indication that the UE is within a communication range of an on-board unit (OBU) (see at least ¶[0038]-[0039] regarding a determination is made whether the mobile device 150 is within the predetermined range of the vehicle 140); advertise a presence of the UE based on the indication (see at least ¶[0034] and [0038]-[0039] regarding an on-screen button 128 can be an icon of a mobile device as well as sending of the data for the driving route 133 to the vehicle 140 is triggered by the mobile device 150 being within a predetermined range of the vehicle 140. The predetermined range can be determined based on the mobile device 150 being within a geofenced area relative to a location of the vehicle 140 or whether the mobile device 150 currently has a short-range radio communication connection currently established with the vehicle 140/the in-vehicle navigation system (i.e., automatically sending data when within range which indicates presence)); establish a communication with the OBU based on advertisement of the presence of the UE (see at least ¶[0030], [0035], [0038]-[0039], [0043]-[0045] and [0052] regarding a mobile device 130 communication connection being established with the vehicle 140/the in-vehicle navigation system 145), wherein the communication is based on a data sharing protocol (see at least ¶[0030], [0035], [0038]-[0039], [0043]-[0045] and [0052] regarding a mobile device 130 communication connection being established with the vehicle 140/the in-vehicle navigation system 145 as well as the data being sent directly, such as via short-range radio communication (e.g., Bluetooth) or other wireless communication protocols); transmit, to the OBU, route information associated with the navigation session via the established communication (see at least ¶[0027], [0038] and [0040]-[0041] regarding data for the driving route 133 is sent to the vehicle 140. The data for the driving route 133 includes any of the driving destination 131, the current location 172 of the vehicle 140, the turn-by-turn navigation of the driving route 133, and the like. In some embodiments, the sending of the data for the driving route 133 to the vehicle 140 is triggered by the mobile device 150 being within a predetermined range of the vehicle), wherein the route information includes at least one destination (see at least ¶[0027], [0038] and [0040]-[0041] regarding the data for the driving route 133 includes any of the driving destination 131, the current location 172 of the vehicle 140, the turn-by-turn navigation of the driving route 133, and the like).
Quint does not explicitly teach receive, from the OBU, a confirmation that the navigation session is resumed or continued by the OBU; and terminate or hold the navigation session on the UE based on the confirmation. However, Couckuyt discloses route transfer between devices and teaches receive, from the OBU, a confirmation that the navigation session is resumed or continued by the OBU (see at least Col. 4, lines 39-61, and Col. 12, lines 31-37, regarding route transfer between user devices and messages can be sent between a device and a system (e.g., vehicle navigation system), such as if a route was successfully received, if the route can be displayed).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the multi-modal navigation system of Quint to provide, with a reasonable expectation of success, receive, from the OBU, a confirmation that the navigation session is resumed or continued by the OBU, as taught by Couckuyt, to provide producing a detailed route that can transition a user between walking and driving. (Couckuyt at Col. 4, lines 33-38)
The combination of Quint and Couckuyt does not explicitly teach terminate or hold the navigation session on the UE based on the confirmation. However, Langlois discloses integration of a vehicle information system user interface with mobile device operations and teaches terminate or hold the navigation session on the UE based on the confirmation (see at least ¶[0073]-[0074] regarding upon establishment of the link, the in-vehicle information system 200 continues to display the same information; additionally, see ¶[0054] “once the session is established, however, the applications may no longer be accessible to the user on the mobile device 100 for the duration of the session”).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the multi-modal navigation system of Quint as modified by Couckuyt to provide, with a reasonable expectation of success, terminate or hold the navigation session on the UE based on the confirmation, as taught by Langlois, to provide entering a locked state to prevent the user from accessing the applications directly on the device. (Langlois at ¶[0054])
Regarding claim 2, Quint teaches the apparatus of claim 1, wherein the OBU is associated with an infotainment system (see at least ¶[0028] and [0067] regarding the in-vehicle navigation system 145 is or is part of any control system, infotainment system, and the like of the vehicle 140).
Regarding claim 4, Quint teaches the apparatus of claim 1, wherein the data sharing protocol is a distributed context sharing platform (see at least ¶[0004]-[0007], [0026]-[0029], [0034] and [0041]-[0043] regarding a mobile device and vehicle navigation system communication via a short-range radio communication or other wireless communication protocols, the mobile device and vehicle navigation system both can plan a multi-modal trip that includes both a driving route and a pedestrian route with each leg of the multi-modal trip being provided on the relevant device (i.e., different devices receiving or providing the information for route planning)), and wherein to transmit the route information, the at least one processor is configured to transmit the route information via at least one message associated with the distributed context sharing platform (see at least ¶[0027], [0038] and [0040]-[0041] regarding data for the driving route 133 is sent to the vehicle 140. The data for the driving route 133 includes any of the driving destination 131, the current location 172 of the vehicle 140, the turn-by-turn navigation of the driving route 133, and the like. In some embodiments, the sending of the data for the driving route 133 to the vehicle 140 is triggered by the mobile device).
Regarding claim 5, Quint teaches the apparatus of claim 4, wherein the at least one message associated with the distributed context sharing platform is one of: at least one broadcast message; or at least one unicast message (see at least ¶[0027], [0038] and [0040]-[0041] regarding data for the driving route 133 is sent to the vehicle 140. The data for the driving route 133 includes any of the driving destination 131, the current location 172 of the vehicle 140, the turn-by-turn navigation of the driving route 133, and the like. In some embodiments, the sending of the data for the driving route 133 to the vehicle 140 is triggered by the mobile device (i.e., unicast message sent from just one mobile device to the one recipient vehicle system)).
Regarding claim 10, Quint teaches the apparatus of claim 1, wherein the data sharing protocol is not associated with a central server (see at least ¶[0030], [0035], [0038] and [0044] regarding communication between the in-vehicle navigation system 145 and the mobile device 150 can occur directly, such as via short-range radio communication (e.g. Bluetooth™) or other wireless network protocols (e.g. Wi-Fi), and indirectly, such as via the cloud system 100 over the internet 20 (i.e., through a server)).
Claim(s) 8 and 15 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Quint et al. (US 20230194270 A1) in view of Couckuyt et al. (US 8060297 B2) in further view of Langlois et al. (US 20140277843 A1), as applied to claim 1 above, and in further view of Hochberg et al. (US 20230140268 A1).
Regarding claims 8 and 15, the combination of Quint, Couckuyt and Langlois does not explicitly teach the apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to: receive, from the OBU, second route information based on the route information and a destination of a second UE. However, Hochberg discloses systems and methods for improving ridesharing and teaches the apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to: receive, from the OBU, second route information based on the route information and a destination of a second UE (see at least ¶[0010] regarding a second request for a ride from a second user as well as a pick-up location and a second desired destination).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the multi-modal navigation system of Quint as modified by Couckuyt as modified by Langlois to provide, with a reasonable expectation of success, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to: receive, from the OBU, second route information based on the route information and a destination of a second UE, as taught by Hochberg, to provide determining priority when scheduling a ride. (Hochberg at ¶[0149])
Claim(s) 11 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Quint et al. (US 20230194270 A1) in view of Couckuyt et al. (US 8060297 B2) in further view of Langlois et al. (US 20140277843 A1), as applied to claim 1 above, and in further view of Harding et al. (US 20170215031 A1).
Regarding claim 11, while Quint implicitly discloses an antenna and/or transceiver due to communication between the in-vehicle navigation system and the mobile device occurring directly, such as via short-range radio communication (e.g. Bluetooth™) or other wireless network protocols (e.g. Wi-Fi) (see at least ¶[0030] of Quint), the combination of Quint, Couckuyt and Langlois does not explicitly teach the apparatus of claim 1, further comprising at least one of a transceiver or an antenna coupled to the at least one processor, wherein to transmit the route information, the at least one processor is configured to transmit the route information via at least one of the transceiver or the antenna. However, Harding discloses sharing navigation data among co-located computing devices and teaches the apparatus of claim 1, further comprising at least one of a transceiver or an antenna coupled to the at least one processor, wherein to transmit the route information, the at least one processor is configured to transmit the route information via at least one of the transceiver or the antenna (see at least ¶[0086] and [0090]-[0091] regarding a transceiver and the mobile computing device communicating wirelessly).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the multi-modal navigation system of Quint as modified by Couckuyt as modified by Langlois to provide, with a reasonable expectation of success, further comprising at least one of a transceiver or an antenna coupled to the at least one processor, wherein to transmit the route information, the at least one processor is configured to transmit the route information via at least one of the transceiver or the antenna, as taught by Harding, to provide short-range communication through a transceiver. (Harding at ¶[0091])
Claim(s) 16, 20-21, 23-25, 27 and 30 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Quint et al. (US 20230194270 A1) in view of Hochberg et al. (US 20230140268 A1).
Regarding claims 16 and 27, Quint teaches an apparatus for wireless communication at a user equipment (UE), comprising: at least one memory (see at least ¶[0005], [0061]-[0064], [0066], [0068]-[0071] regarding a memory); and at least one processor coupled to the at least one memory (see at least ¶[0005], [0061]-[0062], [0064]-[0066], [0068]-[0069] and [0071] regarding a processor), the at least one processor is configured to: receive an indication that a first user equipment (UE) is within a communication range of the OBU (see at least ¶[0038]-[0039] regarding a determination is made whether the mobile device 150 is within the predetermined range of the vehicle 140); exchange information with the first UE based on the indication (see at least ¶[0038]-[0039] regarding a determination is made whether the mobile device 150 is within the predetermined range of the vehicle 140 as well as sending of the data for the driving route 133 to the vehicle 140 is triggered by the mobile device 150 being within a predetermined range); establish a communication with the first UE based on exchange of information (see at least ¶[0030], [0035], [0038]-[0039], [0043]-[0045] and [0052] regarding a mobile device 130 communication connection being established with the vehicle 140/the in-vehicle navigation system 145), wherein the communication is based on a data sharing protocol (see at least ¶[0030], [0035], [0038]-[0039], [0043]-[0045] and [0052] regarding a mobile device 130 communication connection being established with the vehicle 140/the in-vehicle navigation system 145 as well as the data being sent directly, such as via short-range radio communication (e.g., Bluetooth) or other wireless communication protocols); receive, from the first UE, first route information via the established first communication (see at least ¶[0038] regarding sending of the data for the driving route 133 to the vehicle 140 is triggered by the mobile device 150 being within a predetermined range of the vehicle 140), wherein the first route information is associated with a navigation session started on the first UE (see at least ¶[0038]-[0039] regarding sending of the data for the driving route 133 to the vehicle 140 is triggered by the mobile device 150 being within a predetermined range of the vehicle 140 and in response to the mobile device 150 not being within the predetermined range of the vehicle 140, pedestrian directions 171 to the current location 172 of the vehicle 140 are provided, i.e., the navigation is started with directions to the vehicle and then continued on the vehicle to a destination when in range), wherein the first route information includes at least one first destination (see at least ¶[0038] regarding a driving route 133 from a current location 172 of the vehicle 140 and the driving destination 131 are provided and data for the driving route 133 is sent to the vehicle 140);
Quint does not explicitly teach establish a second communication with at least a second UE; receive, from the second UE, second route information based on the established second communication, wherein the second route information is associated with at least one second destination; prioritize one of the at least one first destination or the least one second destination; and resume or continue the navigation session based on outputting a navigation route for the at least one first destination or the at least one second destination based on the prioritization. However, Hochberg discloses systems and methods for improving ridesharing and teaches establish a second communication with at least a second UE (see at least ¶[0010] regarding a second request for a ride from a second user); receive, from the second UE, second route information based on the established second communication (see at least ¶[0010] regarding a second request for a ride from a second user as well as a pick-up location and a second desired destination), wherein the second route information is associated with at least one second destination (see at least ¶[0010] regarding a second request for a ride from a second user as well as a second desired destination); prioritize one of the at least one first destination or the least one second destination (see at least ¶[0171] regarding priority of a second user becoming higher than that of the first user); and resume or continue the navigation session based on outputting a navigation route for the at least one first destination or the at least one second destination based on the prioritization (see at least ¶[0170]-[0171] regarding setting a route for the rideshare vehicle based on the drop off order and priority of the second user; also, see at least ¶[0070] and displaying a map or displaying a list of directions).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the multi-modal navigation system of Quint to provide, with a reasonable expectation of success, establish a second communication with at least a second UE; receive, from the second UE, second route information based on the established second communication, wherein the second route information is associated with at least one second destination; prioritize one of the at least one first destination or the least one second destination; and resume or continue the navigation session based on outputting a navigation route for the at least one first destination or the at least one second destination based on the prioritization, as taught by Hochberg, to provide determining priority when scheduling a ride. (Hochberg at ¶[0149])
Regarding claims 20 and 30, Quint teaches the apparatus of claim 16, wherein outputting the navigation route for the at least one first destination includes displaying, on a display device, the navigation route for the at least one first destination (see at least ¶[0027], [0031], [0038] and [0040]-[0041] regarding the UI 170 is configured to receive an input for a driving destination 131 and to provide a driving route 133 thereto).
Regarding claim 21, Quint teaches the apparatus of claim 16, wherein the OBU is associated with an infotainment system (see at least ¶[0028] and [0067] regarding the in-vehicle navigation system 145 is or is part of any control system, infotainment system, and the like of the vehicle 140).
Regarding claim 23, Quint teaches the apparatus of claim 1, wherein the data sharing protocol is a distributed context sharing platform (see at least ¶[0004]-[0007], [0026]-[0029], [0034] and [0041]-[0043] regarding a mobile device and vehicle navigation system communication via a short-range radio communication or other wireless communication protocols, the mobile device and vehicle navigation system both can plan a multi-modal trip that includes both a driving route and a pedestrian route with each leg of the multi-modal trip being provided on the relevant device (i.e., different devices receiving or providing the information for route planning)), and wherein receiving the first route information comprises receiving the first route information via at least one message associated with the distributed context sharing platform (see at least ¶[0027], [0038] and [0040]-[0041] regarding data for the driving route 133 is sent to the vehicle 140. The data for the driving route 133 includes any of the driving destination 131, the current location 172 of the vehicle 140, the turn-by-turn navigation of the driving route 133, and the like. In some embodiments, the sending of the data for the driving route 133 to the vehicle 140 is triggered by the mobile device).
Regarding claim 24, Quint teaches the apparatus of claim 23, wherein the at least one message associated with the distributed context sharing platform is one of: at least one broadcast message; or at least one unicast message (see at least ¶[0027], [0038] and [0040]-[0041] regarding data for the driving route 133 is sent to the vehicle 140. The data for the driving route 133 includes any of the driving destination 131, the current location 172 of the vehicle 140, the turn-by-turn navigation of the driving route 133, and the like. In some embodiments, the sending of the data for the driving route 133 to the vehicle 140 is triggered by the mobile device (i.e., unicast message sent from just one mobile device to the one recipient vehicle system)).
Regarding claim 25, Quint teaches the apparatus of claim 16, wherein the data sharing protocol is not associated with a central server (see at least ¶[0030], [0035], [0038] and [0044] regarding communication between the in-vehicle navigation system 145 and the mobile device 150 can occur directly, such as via short-range radio communication (e.g. Bluetooth™) or other wireless network protocols (e.g. Wi-Fi), and indirectly, such as via the cloud system 100 over the internet 20 (i.e., through a server)).
Claim(s) 19 and 29 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Quint et al. (US 20230194270 A1) in view of Hochberg et al. (US 20230140268 A1), as applied to claim 16 above, and in further view of Couckuyt et al. (US 8060297 B2).
Regarding claims 19 and 29, the combination of Quint and Hochberg does not explicitly teach the apparatus of claim 16, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to: transmit, to the first UE, a first confirmation that the navigation session is resumed or continued by the OBU. However, Couckuyt discloses route transfer between devices and teaches the apparatus of claim 16, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to: transmit, to the first UE, a first confirmation that the navigation session is resumed or continued by the OBU (see at least Col. 4, lines 39-61, and Col. 12, lines 31-37, regarding route transfer between user devices and messages can be sent between a device and a system (e.g., vehicle navigation system), such as if a route was successfully received, if the route can be displayed).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the multi-modal navigation system of Quint as modified by Hochberg to provide, with a reasonable expectation of success, transmit, to the first UE, a first confirmation that the navigation session is resumed or continued by the OBU, as taught by Couckuyt, to provide producing a detailed route that can transition a user between walking and driving. (Couckuyt at Col. 4, lines 33-38)
Claim(s) 26 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Quint et al. (US 20230194270 A1) in view of Hochberg et al. (US 20230140268 A1), as applied to claim 16 above, and in further view of Harding et al. (US 20170215031 A1).
Regarding claim 26, while Quint implicitly discloses an antenna and/or transceiver due to communication between the in-vehicle navigation system and the mobile device occurring directly, such as via short-range radio communication (e.g. Bluetooth™) or other wireless network protocols (e.g. Wi-Fi) (see at least ¶[0030] of Quint), the combination of Quint and Hochberg does not explicitly teach the apparatus of claim 16, further comprising at least one of a transceiver or an antenna coupled to the at least one processor, wherein to transmit the route information, the at least one processor is configured to transmit the route information via at least one of the transceiver or the antenna. However, Harding discloses sharing navigation data among co-located computing devices and teaches the apparatus of claim 1, further comprising at least one of a transceiver or an antenna coupled to the at least one processor, wherein to transmit the route information, the at least one processor is configured to transmit the route information via at least one of the transceiver or the antenna (see at least ¶[0086] and [0090]-[0091] regarding a transceiver and the mobile computing device communicating wirelessly).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the multi-modal navigation system of Quint as modified by Hochberg to provide, with a reasonable expectation of success, further comprising at least one of a transceiver or an antenna coupled to the at least one processor, wherein to transmit the route information, the at least one processor is configured to transmit the route information via at least one of the transceiver or the antenna, as taught by Harding, to provide short-range communication through a transceiver. (Harding at ¶[0091])
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure:
Vulcano et al. (US 20140365126 A1) is pertinent because it includes transitioning automatically from a driving navigation mode to a walking navigation mode.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Connor L Knight whose telephone number is (571)272-5817. The examiner can normally be reached Mon-Fri 8:30AM-4:30PM EST.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Anne Antonucci can be reached at (313)446-6519. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
/C.L.K/Examiner, Art Unit 3666
/ANNE MARIE ANTONUCCI/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3666
Prosecution Insights