DETAILED ACTION
Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
1. 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
2. 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and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114.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 03/30/2026 has been entered.
3. Claims 1, 3, 5-7, 9, 11-15 are pending in this amended application.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
4. 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.
5. Claims 1, 3, 5-7, 9, 11-15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kim et al. [hereafter Kim], US Pub 2021/0404835 in view of Ko, US Pub 2021/0148722.
As to claim 1[independent], Kim teaches a method for generating a road image by using map data, the method comprising [figs. 6-7; 0012 Kim teaches the generating of the road image as may indicated at least in figs. 6-7, with one or more roads by grouping plurality of lanes on the basis of attributes of the plurality of lanes]:
receiving, by an image processing apparatus, an input of the map data of a specific area [figs. 3-4; 0084-0085 Kim teaches that processor 110 of the apparatus 100 receives map data of specific area of road having road geometry information and road attribute information];
extracting, by the image processing apparatus, road geometry information and road attribute information of a road from the map data [figs. 3-4; 0084-0085, 0110-0111 Kim teaches that the processor 110 of the apparatus 100 receives and identifies map data of specific area of road having road geometry information (i.e. road is divided into a dotted-line shape or a solid-line shape etc.) and road attribute information (i.e. road is comprises of single or multiple lanes etc.), further the processor 110 extracts shape of the road corresponding to the geometry information & a dotted-line shape or a solid-line shape etc. corresponding the road attribute information];
determining, by the image processing apparatus, road object standard information matched with the road attribute information for at least one or more road elements of the road [figs. 3-4; 0084-0085, 0110-0111 Kim teaches that the processor 110 is determining whether the lanes are dotted-line or solid-line with same/similar color or different color (i.e. corresponding to the road object standard information) matched with the received road attribute information of the dotted-line shape or the solid-line shape etc. to conform whether the road is same road or have the same road and another road];
generating, by the image processing device, style information for the at least one or more road elements on a basis of the road attribute information and the road object standard information [figs. 3-4; 0084-0089 Kim teaches that the processor 110 is determining whether the lanes are dotted-line or solid-line corresponding to the road object standard information matched with the received road attribute information of the dotted-line shape or the solid-line shape etc. to conform whether the road is same road or have the same road and another road. The processor 110 generates road network data with the layout of the road as at least may disclosed in figs. 8-9, based on the map data of the specific area of the road including road graphs generated by graphing one or more roads and reflecting the connection information on the graphed one or more roads]; and
applying, by the image processing apparatus, the style information to the road geometry information to generate a basic two-dimensional road image comprising the road and the at least one or more road elements [figs. 3-4; 0084-0089 Kim teaches that the processor 110 is determining whether the lanes are dotted-line or solid-line corresponding to the road object standard information matched with the received road attribute information of the dotted-line shape or the solid-line shape etc. to conform whether the road is same road or have the same road and another road. The processor 110 generates two-dimensional road network data based on the map data of the specific area of the road including road graphs generated by graphing one or more roads indicating multiple lanes on each road (e.g., fig. 15b)]; and
wherein the road geometry information comprises points, lines, or polygons, which are expressed as two-dimensional coordinates for the road and the at least one or more road elements [figs. 3-4; 0084-0085 Kim teaches that the processor 110 of the apparatus 100 receives map data of specific area of road having road geometry information and road attribute information, the processor 110 extracts shape of the road corresponding to the geometry information & a dotted-line shape or a solid-line shape etc. corresponding the road attribute information], and
wherein the road object standard information comprises shapes or colors according to regulations for the road attribute information of the at least one or more road elements [figs. 3-4; 0084-0085, 0110-0111 Kim teaches that the processor 110 is determining whether the lanes are dotted-line or solid-line with same/similar color or different color (i.e. corresponding to the road object standard information) matched with the received road attribute information of the dotted-line shape or the solid-line shape etc. to conform whether the road is same road or have the same road and another road].
Kim doesn’t teach generating, by the image processing apparatus, a three-dimensional terrain model with a road image texture, by mapping the two-dimensional road image onto a three-dimensional terrain based on geographic coordinates,
Ko teaches applying, by the image processing apparatus, the style information to the road geometry information to generate a basic two-dimensional road image comprising the road and the at least one or more road elements [figs. 2, 5-7; 0030, 0067-0090 Ko teaches that the processor is determining whether the object of the road area may include at least one of a lane marking, a road surface marking, and a polygon. For example, the road object detecting unit 112 may detect a lane marking through linear line segment extraction and may detect a road surface marking and a polygon through pattern recognition. The processor generates two-dimensional road network data based on the map data of the specific area of the road including road graphs generated by graphing one or more roads indicating multiple lanes on each road (e.g., at least fig. 2)]; and
generating, by the image processing apparatus, a three-dimensional terrain model with a road image texture, by mapping the two-dimensional road image onto a three-dimensional terrain based on geographic coordinates [fig. 10; 0133-0140 Ko teaches that the three-dimensional map with a road image texture, by mapping the two-dimensional road image onto a three-dimensional terrain based on geographic coordinates],
Thus, it would have been obvious to one of the ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate Ko teaching to generate a three-dimensional model with a road image texture, by mapping the two-dimensional road to modify Kim’s teaching to detect an object of a road area from the aerial image with two-dimensional (2D) coordinate value of the detected object is extracted. A 3D coordinate value corresponding to the 2D coordinate value by projecting the extracted 2D coordinate value onto point cloud data that configures the MMS data is calculated. The suggestion/motivation for doing so would have been benefitted to the user to provide HD map that satisfies requirements using aerial images and MMS data and the relative height value based on the reference lane, the size of the final service data is significantly reduced.
As to claim 3 [dependent from claim 1], Kim teaches wherein the road attribute information comprises at least one of road materials, the number of lanes on the road, lane types, crosswalk types, traffic light types, and road marking types [figs. 3-4; 0084-0085 Kim teaches that the processor 110 of the apparatus 100 receives map data of specific area of road having road geometry information and road attribute information, the processor 110 receives the road information indicating number of the dotted-line or the solid-line lane].
As to claim 5 [dependent from claim 1], Kim teaches wherein the image processing apparatus further receives a scale level and generates the style information having at least one of the shapes and colors differently for the at least one or more road elements according to the scale level [figs. 3-4, 6; 0084-0085, 0111].
As to claim 6 [dependent from claim 1], Kim teaches generating, by the image processing apparatus, a overlaid road image by overlaying the two-dimensional road image and an image for an area located in the specific area [figs. 6-7; 0012 Kim teaches the generating of the road image as may indicated at least in figs. 6-7, with one or more roads by grouping plurality of lanes on the basis of attributes of the plurality of lanes].
As to claim 7 [independent], However, the independent claim 7 essentially claimed same subject matter as claimed in the independent claim 1 for/and/with other claim limitations, and are therefore the independent claim 7 would be rejected based on same rationale as applied to the independent claim 1.
As to claim 9 [dependent from claim 7], However, the dependent claim 9 essentially claimed same subject matter as claimed in the dependent claim 3 for/and/with other claim limitations, and are therefore the dependent claim 9 would be rejected based on same rationale as applied to the independent claim 3.
As to claim 11 [dependent from claim 7], However, the dependent claim 11 essentially claimed same subject matter as claimed in the dependent claim 5 for/and/with other claim limitations, and are therefore the dependent claim 11 would be rejected based on same rationale as applied to the independent claim 5.
As to claim 12 [dependent from claim 7], However, the dependent claim 12 essentially claimed same subject matter as claimed in the dependent claim 6 for/and/with other claim limitations, and are therefore the dependent claim 12 would be rejected based on same rationale as applied to the independent claim 6.
As to claim 13 [independent], However, the independent claim 13 essentially claimed same subject matter as claimed in the independent claim 1 for/and/with other claim limitations, and are therefore the independent claim 13 would be rejected based on same rationale as applied to the independent claim 1.
As to claim 14 [dependent from claim 13], However, the dependent claim 14 essentially claimed same subject matter as claimed in the dependent claim 5 for/and/with other claim limitations, and are therefore the dependent claim 14 would be rejected based on same rationale as applied to the independent claim 5.
As to claim 15 [dependent from claim 13], However, the dependent claim 15 essentially claimed same subject matter as claimed in the dependent claim 6 for/and/with other claim limitations, and are therefore the dependent claim 15 would be rejected based on same rationale as applied to the independent claim 6.
Response to Arguments
6. Applicant’s arguments with respect to claims 1, 3, 5-7, 9, 11-15 have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on any reference applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument.
Conclusion
7. Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to HARIS SABAH whose telephone number is (571)270-3917. The examiner can normally be reached on Monday/Friday from 9:00AM to 5:30PM EST.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner's supervisor, Benny Tieu, can be reached on (571)272-7490. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300. The Examiner’s personal fax number is (571)270-4917.
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/HARIS SABAH/Examiner, Art Unit 2682