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and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114.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 12/23/2025 has been entered.
In response to amendment filed 12/23/2025, claims 1, 3, 6, and 7 have been amended. Claim 8 is new. Claim 2 has been canceled.
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.
This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention(s) absent any evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and effective filing dates of each claim that was not commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the later invention in order for the examiner to consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) for any potential 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) prior art against the later invention.
Claims 1 and 3-8 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Haruda et al. (JP2018162030A) in view of Ari et al. (JP2009023565A)
In regards to claim 1, Harada teaches, An information provision device comprising: (See abstract, A display device for a vehicle includes: a display part for displaying an image from an on-vehicle camera for imaging an external world of a vehicle; a sight line detection part for detecting movement of a sight line of the driver)
an information display screen configured to display information to be provided to a driver of a vehicle; and (See fig. 4, paragraph 17, The display of the image of the outside world is displayed on the display unit 10 arranged in the vehicle. The display unit 10 may be disposed on the front panel, but in the present embodiment, the display unit 10 is an electronic room mirror that visually confirms the rear side and the rear side.)
a control device configured to control displayed content of the information display screen, wherein the control device is configured to: (See fig. 1, highlight display processing unit 180 185, paragraph 18, display processing unit 180 are realized by a CPU…paragraph 28, The emphasis display processing unit 180 emphatically displays an object displayed on the image of the display unit 10, and includes an emphasis display determination unit 185 and an image superimposition unit 190…paragraph 40, the image superimposing unit 190 of the emphasis display processing unit 180 highlights and displays an object as an object in the video input via the rear camera 140 and the image processing unit 150.)
detect a positional relationship of the vehicle and an object present in a rear region of the vehicle based on surrounding data showing a situation in the surroundings of the vehicle; (See paragraph 18, The vehicle display device 100 includes…a rear camera 140…paragraph 23, The rear camera 140 picks up an image of the rear of the vehicle, captures an image behind the vehicle, and outputs the video signal indicating the captured image to the video processing unit 150. The rear camera 140 may be provided at the rear portion of the vehicle or may be provided on a room mirror which is the display portion 10…paragraph 24, The image processing unit 150 performs image processing on the image signal representing the image captured by the rearward camera 140. The image processing unit 150 performs predetermined processing on the image signal input from the rearward camera 140 and superimposes the processed image signal on the image Section 190…paragraph 25, The distance measuring unit 170 is connected to the distance measuring unit 160, measures the distance to an object in an image taken by the rear camera 140 (another vehicle, person, etc. located behind the own vehicle) and measures the distance. Also see paragraphs 26-27)
detect a line-of-sight direction of the driver based on driver data showing a state of the driver; and (See paragraph 19, The line-of-sight detection camera 110 captures an image of the head of the driver in the vehicle and outputs image data of the captured image used for detecting information on the driver's line-of-sight movement direction to the line-of-sight detection unit 120…paragraph 21, The line of vision detection unit 120 detects the movement of the driver's eyes. Also see paragraph 22)
display rear region information including the positional relationship at the information display screen in response to detecting that the driver is viewing a rear check device for checking the rear of the vehicle based on the line-of-sight direction of the driver. (See fig. 4, paragraph 34, the image superimposing unit 190 superimposes When the line of sight moves to the display unit 10, the object displayed on the display unit 10 is highlighted…see paragraphs 44-45, the emphasis display processing unit 180 highlights and displays the object in the video displayed on the display unit 10. Also see paragraphs 32-33, criteria for highlighting objects)
Harada does not specifically teach, the rear check device being distinct from the information display screen where there is a separate information display screen located at a different location from the rear/side mirrors. Also, Harada does not specifically teach, end display of the rear region information in response to detecting that the driver viewed the information display screen based on the line-of-sight direction of the driver or a predetermined time period elapsing after detecting that the driver viewed the information display screen
Ari further teaches, the rear check device being distinct from the information display screen (See fig. 14, FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating a display example of the monitor when the object viewed by the driver is a room mirror. Also see page 2, the display target determining unit determines the vehicle rear as a display target when it is determined that the driver has seen a side mirror or a room mirror based on the line of sight detected by the line of sight detection unit. May be… since the rear of the vehicle is displayed on the monitor according to the driver's intention, the driver can confirm the rear situation without diverting his line of sight from the front, which can contribute to safe driving…page 5, when the object seen by the driver is a side mirror, an outer frame having the same shape as the mirror surface of the side mirror is displayed on the monitor. If the object seen by the driver is a room mirror, an outer frame having the same panoramic shape as the mirror surface of the room mirror is displayed on the monitor.)
end display of the rear region information in response to detecting that the driver viewed the information display screen based on the line-of-sight direction of the driver or a predetermined time period elapsing after detecting that the driver viewed the information display screen (See page 7, The monitor control unit 24 controls the monitor 14 to display the video acquired from the outside camera 12 on the monitor 14. When the driver's line of sight has not been directed to the monitor 14 for a predetermined time (for example, 5 seconds), the monitor control unit 24 controls the monitor 14 to stop the display. Here, an example is described in which the monitor display is stopped when the driver is not looking at the monitor. However, the monitor control unit 24 performs control so that the monitor display is stopped after a predetermined time has elapsed from the video display.
Claim does not explicitly require driver viewing the information display screen continuously. That is, once it has been detected that driver has viewed information display screen at t1, the timer is initiated and ceases display of the rear region information once time period elapses (E.g. t3). The condition of ending display does not require driver continuously viewing the information display screen at t2 and t3)
Therefore, it would have been obvious by one of ordinary skilled in the art before the time the invention was effectively filed to modify the device of Harada to further comprise screen separation device further taught by Ari because the display object that the driver wants to see is displayed on the monitor at an appropriate timing, so that the driver can see the object without diverting his gaze from the front. Thus, it is useful as a driving support device (page 12).
In regards to claim 3, Harada-Ari teaches the information provision device according to claim 1, wherein the rear region information includes information relating to the type of the object. (Claim does not necessarily state that rear region information includes displaying “text” indicating the type of object. See fig. 4, highlighted circle indicates both positional relationship between the object and the vehicle as well as type of object that is nearby providing emphasis to the driver)
In regards to claim 4, Harada-Ari teaches the information provision device according to claim 1, wherein the surrounding data is an image of the rear region of the vehicle captured by a camera. (See paragraph 18, The vehicle display device 100 includes…a rear camera 140…paragraph 23, The rear camera 140 picks up an image of the rear of the vehicle, captures an image behind the vehicle, and outputs the video signal indicating the captured image to the video processing unit 150. The rear camera 140 may be provided at the rear portion of the vehicle or may be provided on a room mirror which is the display portion 10…paragraph 24, The image processing unit 150 performs image processing on the image signal representing the image captured by the rearward camera 140. The image processing unit 150 performs predetermined processing on the image signal input from the rearward camera 140 and superimposes the processed image signal on the image Section 190…paragraph 25, The distance measuring unit 170 is connected to the distance measuring unit 160, measures the distance to an object in an image taken by the rear camera 140 (another vehicle, person, etc. located behind the own vehicle) and measures the distance. Also see paragraphs 26-27)
In regards to claim 5, Harada-Ari teaches the information provision device according to claim 1, wherein the driver data is an image of a face of the driver captured by a driver monitor camera. (See paragraph 19, The line-of-sight detection camera 110 captures an image of the head of the driver in the vehicle and outputs image data of the captured image used for detecting information on the driver's line-of-sight movement direction to the line-of-sight detection unit 120…paragraph 21, The line of vision detection unit 120 detects the movement of the driver's eyes. Also see paragraph 22)
Claims 6-7 are similar in scope to claim 1, therefore, they are rejected under similar rationale as set forth above.
In regards to claim 8, Harada-Ari teaches the information provision device according to claim 1, wherein the rear region information further includes the object present in the rear region of the vehicle, and wherein displaying the rear region information comprises displaying the positional relationship and the object present in the rear region of the vehicle at the information display screen. (See Ari page 7. Also see Harada paragraph 46)
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 12/23/2025 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
With regards to claim 1, applicant argues that Harada-Ari fails to disclose or suggest, end display of the rear region information in response to detecting that the driver viewed the information display screen based on the line-of-sight direction of the driver or a predetermined time period elapsing after detecting that the driver viewed the information display screen. Also, applicant mentions,
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Examiner respectfully disagrees.
In response, Ari discloses this feature as noted below:
end display of the rear region information in response to detecting that the driver viewed the information display screen based on the line-of-sight direction of the driver or a predetermined time period elapsing after detecting that the driver viewed the information display screen (See page 7, The monitor control unit 24 controls the monitor 14 to display the video acquired from the outside camera 12 on the monitor 14. When the driver's line of sight has not been directed to the monitor 14 for a predetermined time (for example, 5 seconds), the monitor control unit 24 controls the monitor 14 to stop the display. Here, an example is described in which the monitor display is stopped when the driver is not looking at the monitor. However, the monitor control unit 24 performs control so that the monitor display is stopped after a predetermined time has elapsed from the video display.
Claim does not explicitly require driver viewing the information display screen continuously. That is, once it has been detected that driver has viewed information display screen at t1, the timer is initiated and ceases display of the rear region information once time period elapses (E.g. t3). The condition of ending display does not require driver continuously viewing the information display screen at t2 and t3)
Ari’s disclosure of “When the driver's line of sight has not been directed to the monitor 14 for a predetermined time (for example, 5 seconds)” indicate that driver’s line of sight is consistently monitored, and that encompasses moment when line of sight was lastly focused on the monitor 14 at t0.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JUSTIN S LEE whose telephone number is (571)272-2674. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday 8-5.
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/JUSTIN S LEE/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3668