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 .
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 1-11, 13, 21-24, 26, 28-30, and 32 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Ahmed et. al. (US Patent Publication 2021/0070471) in view of 2015 Wang (US Patent Publication 2015/0353206).
Regarding claims 8, and 21, Ahmed discloses a wireless communication system for a motor vehicle, the system comprising: a wireless communication module configured to wirelessly communicate with wireless communication infrastructure; (¶18; “The communication system module 124 may cooperate with the wireless communication system 122 to allow the autonomous vehicle 105 to communicate with various entities such as the unmanned aerial vehicle 150”)
a drone configured to: be The autonomous vehicle 105 may include a platform 106 that can be used for various purposes such as for anchoring the unmanned aerial vehicle 150 to the autonomous vehicle 105, for launching the unmanned aerial vehicle 150 from the autonomous vehicle 105, and/or for landing the unmanned aerial vehicle 150 on the autonomous vehicle 105.”)
fly away from the vehicle and relay wireless communication signals between the wireless communication module and the wireless communication infrastructure. (¶49-53, “the unmanned aerial vehicle 150 is equipped with a communication relay system 705 that is used to relay data between a cellular base station 720 ( or any such wireless apparatus) and the wireless col1llllunication system 122 in the computer 120 of the automobile 105.” “the unmanned aerial vehicle 150 may be configured to fly to a spot where Internet signals can be received and the communication relay system 705 used to provide information”)
Ahmed discloses a rooftop mounted landing platform but does not appear to disclose a housing.
2015 Wang however teaches a wireless communication system for a motor vehicle, the system comprising: a wireless communication module configured to wirelessly communicate with wireless communication infrastructure; a drone configured to: be housed and carried by the vehicle; and (¶18; “aspects of the invention may provide an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) housing apparatus comprising: a mounting component configured to attach to a vehicle; a landing connection component configured to form a connection with the UAV that prevents detachment of the UAV and the UAV housing apparatus; and a cover configured to at least partially enclose the UAV when the UAV is connected to the landing connection component.”)
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of filing to provide the invention of Ahmed with housing as taught by 2015 Wang with a reasonable expectation of success so as to protect the UAV electronics and sensors from weather and debris (e.g. bugs) strikes and further because the technique for improving a particular class of devices was part of the ordinary capabilities of a person of ordinary skill in the art, in view of the teaching of the technique for improvement in other situations, would have yielded predictable results to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the invention.
Regarding claims 9, 22, and 28, Ahmed further discloses wherein the drone is configured to fly above the vehicle to a location where the drone can communicate with both the wireless communication module and the wireless communication infrastructure. (Fig 6-7; ¶49; “the unmanned aerial vehicle 150 is equipped with a communication relay system 705 that is used to relay data between a cellular base station 720 ( or any such wireless apparatus) and the wireless col1llllunication system 122 in the computer 120 of the automobile 105.”)
Regarding claims 10, 23, and 29, Ahmed further discloses wherein the drone is configured to shine light on the vehicle during its flight. (¶37; “the unmanned aerial vehicle 150 may be configured to fly ahead of the headlights of the automobile 105 and operate a lighting system 305 for illuminating the area that is desired to be illuminated.”)
Regarding claims 11, 24, and 30, Ahmed further discloses wherein the drone is configured to fly away from the vehicle in response to the wireless communication module becoming unable to directly communicate with the wireless communication infrastructure. (¶49; “the unmanned aerial vehicle 150 is equipped with a communication relay system 705 that is used to relay data between a cellular base station 720 ( or any such wireless apparatus) and the wireless col1llllunication system 122 in the computer 120 of the automobile 105.”)
Regarding claim 13, 26, and 32, 2015 Wang teaches an enclosure on a body of the vehicle, the enclosure being configured to house the drone. (¶18; “aspects of the invention may provide an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) housing apparatus comprising: a mounting component configured to attach to a vehicle; a landing connection component configured to form a connection with the UAV that prevents detachment of the UAV and the UAV housing apparatus; and a cover configured to at least partially enclose the UAV when the UAV is connected to the landing connection component.”)
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of filing to provide the invention of Ahmed with an enclosure on a body of the vehicle, the enclosure being configured to house the drone as taught by 2015 Wang with a reasonable expectation of success so as to protect the UAV electronics and sensors from weather and debris (e.g. bugs) strikes and further because the technique for improving a particular class of devices was part of the ordinary capabilities of a person of ordinary skill in the art, in view of the teaching of the technique for improvement in other situations, would have yielded predictable results to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the invention.
Claims 12, 25, and 31 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Ahmed in view of 2015 Wang as applied to claims 8, 21, and 28 above, and further in view of Lockwood et. al. (US Patent Publication 2017/0139421).
Regarding claims 12, 25, and 31, Lockwood teaches a collision detection system, wherein the drone is configured to fly away from the vehicle in response to the collision detection system detecting that the vehicle has been in an accident. (¶7, “configured to store drone deployment conditions; an interface configured to transmit information to a drone device; and a processor in communication with the memory and interface. The processor may be configured to: receive vehicle state information; compare the vehicle state information to the drone deployment conditions, and cause a deployment command to be transmitted through the interface to the drone device based on the comparison.”; ¶38 “Therefore, the drone device 200 may be deployed from the vehicle 100 in order to travel ahead of the vehicle 100 and gather information related to upcoming road conditions to may be impeding travel, as well as traffic information that predicts travel time. For example, the drone device 200 may travel ahead and identify the cause of a traffic issue ( e.g., a traffic accident or object left on the road), and report this information back to the vehicle 100. The drone device 200 may also detect a flow of traffic in front of the vehicle 100 and along a predicted path of the vehicle, and report back the traffic flow information back to the vehicle 100. The information transmitted back to the vehicle 100 may, for example, be digital images, live-streaming video, digital video clips, or sensed object information from one or more of the onboard sensors to the drone device 200”)
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of filing to provide the invention of Ahmed with teaches a collision detection system, wherein the drone is configured to fly away from the vehicle in response to the collision detection system detecting that the vehicle has been in an accident as taught by Lockwood with a reasonable expectation of success because the technique for improving a particular class of devices was part of the ordinary capabilities of a person of ordinary skill in the art, in view of the teaching of the technique for improvement in other situations, would have yielded predictable results to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the invention.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 14, 27, and 33 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter: The prior art fails to disclose a drone housed by a vehicle and configured to fly away from the vehicle and relay communication signals wherein the enclosure includes a wide-angle lens, and the drone includes an image capturing device configured to capture images through the wide-angle lens while the drone is in the enclosure.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ALAN D HUTCHINSON whose telephone number is (571)272-8413. The examiner can normally be reached 7-5 Mon-Thur.
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/ALAN D HUTCHINSON/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3669
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