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 .
This final action is in response to Applicant’s filing dated June 20, 2025. Claims 1-5 are currently pending and have been considered, as provided in more detail below. Claims 1 and 3-5 have been amended.
*Examiner Note: Claim language is bolded. Cited References and Applicant’s arguments are italicized. Examiner interpretations are preceded with an asterisk *.
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 6/20/2025 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive and considered moot because the arguments are directed to the previously presented claims before the amendment.
Applicant’s amendment of the independent claims to include new matter, has necessitated new grounds of rejection. However, it should be noted that even with the addition of portions of claim 3 into claims 1, 4 and 5, the rejections of the claims remain proper. The base reference of Noguchi is being relied upon to show the predetermined condition (see at least para. [0007] of Noguchi which discloses “identification of a vehicle scheduled to park in a parking lot is associated with a parking start time at which the vehicle scheduled to park will start parking, and an information processor configured to refer to permission information in which identification information of a parking vehicle parking in the parking lot is associated with a time for which the parking vehicle is permitted to park in the parking lot”, *Examiner interprets this identification of a vehicle scheduled to park in a parking lot as identifying based on a predetermined condition of being scheduled to park) among reservation holding vehicles whose purpose for parking includes charging (see at least para. [0095] of Noguchi which discloses “the reservation management device 500 receives a reservation of a first parking space that is equipped with the charging facility on the basis of a request of a user”) and whose desired parking time slot overlaps with the first vehicle, as discussed in detail below. Regarding Applicant’s position on page 18 of the remarks that “the Examiner's reasoning for combining Noguchi and Baba for this feature is conclusory and lacks a rational underpinning, as required by KSR Int'l Co. v. Teleflex Inc., 550 U.S. 398, 417-18 (2007)”, the Examiner respectfully disagrees because: It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate at least one vehicle for which a first value yielded by subtracting the expected power consumption from the expected remaining charge is larger than the first value of the first vehicle is identified as the second vehicle, as taught in Baba with a reasonable expectation of success in order to more accurately identify a predetermined condition in Noguchi’s reservation system to improve the allocation of charging spaces, consistent with KSR. Meroux further supports the desirability of considering vehicle-specific energy factors in reallocation. Applicant’s characterization of Baba as limited to CO₂ balancing is not persuasive, as the underlying disclosure directly concerns the relationship between consumption and remaining charge, which is the same as the claimed calculation. Accordingly, the rejection of original claim 3 under §103 is maintained. However, it should be noted that Applicant’s additional amendments have necessitated further and additional new grounds of rejection.
Applicant’s arguments and amendments are not persuasive and they are moot. Regarding Applicant’s arguments, Applicant’s amendment outside of adding portions of claim 3 into the independent claims, necessitated the new grounds of rejection discussed and outlined below. While the new ground of rejection may rely on some of the previous references applied in the prior rejection of record, a new additional reference has been added to the combination and introduced for Applicant’s consideration given the amended independent claims as discussed in detail below.
Response to Amendment
Regarding the rejections under 35 USC §101, amendments made to the claims fail to overcome the rejections. The rejections under 35 USC §101 are maintained as outlined below.
Regarding the rejections under 35 USC §102 and 103, the amendments made to the claims have necessitated new grounds of rejections as outlined below.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 101
35 U.S.C. 101 reads as follows:
Whoever invents or discovers any new and useful process, machine, manufacture, or composition of matter, or any new and useful improvement thereof, may obtain a patent therefor, subject to the conditions and requirements of this title.
Claims 1-5 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 101 because the claimed invention is directed to an abstract idea without significantly more.
101 Analysis – Step 1
Regarding Step 1 of the Revised Guidance, it must be considered whether the claims are directed to one of the four statutory classes of invention. In the instant case, claims 1-3 are directed to an information processing apparatus (i.e., a machine); claim 4 is directed to an information processing method (i.e., a process); and claim 5 is directed to a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium (i.e., a storage device).
Therefore, claims 1-5 are within at least one of the four statutory categories (processes, machines, manufactures and compositions of matter.
101 Analysis – Step 2A, Prong 1
Regarding Prong 1 of the Step 2A analysis in the 2019 PEG, the claims are to be analyzed to determine whether they recite a judicial exception (subject matter that falls within one of the follow groups of abstract ideas: a) mathematical concepts, b) mental processes, and/or c) certain methods of organizing human activity).
Independent claim 4, as amended, includes limitations that recite an abstract idea (bolded below) and will be used as a representative claim for the remainder of the 101 rejection. Claim 4, as amended, recites:
An information processing method for assigning a parking lot to a vehicle performed by an information processing apparatus comprising a controller and an input interface, the information processing method comprising:
accepting, by the input interface, a parking reservation for a vehicle for which parking is desired, the parking reservation being transmitted from an operation management apparatus that manages vehicle operation;
confirming, by the controller, in a case in which the vehicle for which parking is desired is a first vehicle whose purpose for parking includes charging, whether there is an opening for reservation of a first parking lot having a charging station; when there is an opening for reservation,
completing, by the controller, acceptance of a reservation of the first parking lot for the first vehicle and transmitting, by the controller, to the operation management apparatus,
a notification of completion of reservation indicating that the reservation of the first parking lot has been completed for the first vehicle; and when there is no opening for reservation,
identifying, by the controller, based on a predetermined condition, as a second vehicle at least one vehicle selected based on the predetermined condition from among one or more reservation holding vehicles for which acceptance of the reservation of the first parking lot is completed,
changing, by the controller, the reservation of the first parking lot for the second vehicle to a reservation of a second parking lot,
transmitting, by the controller, to the operation management apparatus, a notification of change in reservation indicating that the reservation of the first parking lot for the vehicle identified as the second vehicle has been changed to the reservation of the second parking lot, completing, by the controller, acceptance of the reservation of the first parking lot for the first vehicle and transmitting, by the controller, to the operation management apparatus, the notification of completion of reservation indicating that the reservation of the first parking lot has been completed for the first vehicle, wherein the predetermined condition includes a first condition that among reservation holding vehicles whose purpose for parking includes charging and whose desired parking time slot overlaps with the first vehicle, at least one vehicle for which a first value yielded by subtracting an expected power consumption from an expected remaining charge is larger than the first value of the first vehicle is identified as the second vehicle, and wherein the expected remaining charge is an expected value of a remaining charge at a scheduled time to start parking, and the expected remaining charge is estimated based on a remaining charge of a battery measured by each vehicle.
The Examiner submits that the foregoing bolded limitations constitute a judicial exception in terms of “certain methods of organizing human activity” and a “mental process” because under its broadest reasonable interpretation, the claim limitations can be “performed in the human mind, or by a human using a pen and paper”. See MPEP 2106.04(a)(2)(II) and MPEP 2106.04(a)(2)(III).
The independent claim 4 recites the limitations of accepting a parking reservation for a vehicle for which parking is desired; confirming, in a case in which the vehicle for which parking is desired is a first vehicle whose purpose for parking includes charging, whether there is an opening for reservation of a first parking lot having a charging station; completing acceptance of a reservation of the first parking lot for the first vehicle when there is an opening for reservation; identifying, based on a predetermined condition, as a second vehicle at least one vehicle selected based on the predetermined condition from among one or more reservation holding vehicles for which acceptance of the reservation of the first parking lot is completed when there is no opening for reservation; changing the reservation of the first parking lot for the second vehicle to a reservation of a second parking lot; and completing acceptance of the reservation of the first parking lot for the first vehicle. The accepting, confirming, completing, identifying, changing and completing limitations, as drafted, are processes that, under their broadest reasonable interpretation, cover certain methods of organizing human activity and performance of the limitation in the mind but for the recitation of “a parking lot having a charging station”. That is, other than reciting “a parking lot having a charging station” nothing in the claim precludes the steps from practically being performed in the mind. For example, but for the “parking lot having a charging station” language, the claim encompasses a user accepting a parking reservation, confirming parking availability, reassigning existing reservations and reallocating parking lots which is all just post solution activity. The charging station that is claimed, is an additional element, that is the applied level and a high level of generality at the applied level. There is no particular machine and the steps are mentioned at a high level of generality. The mere nominal recitation of a charging station does not take the claim limitations out of the certain methods of organizing human activity or the mental process grouping. The newly added limitations of the controller and the battery do not add significantly more. The accepting of a reservation and the changing of the reservation, under the broadest reasonable interpretation, covers a process that is practically performed in the human mind. Thus, the claim recites methods of organizing human activity and a mental process.
101 Analysis – Step 2A, Prong 2 evaluation: Practical Application - No
In Step 2A, Prong two of the 2019 PEG, a claim is to be evaluated whether, as a whole, it integrates the recited judicial exception into a practical application. As noted in MPEP 2106.04(d), it must be determined whether any additional elements in the claim beyond the abstract idea integrate the exception into a practical application in a manner that imposes a meaningful limit on the judicial exception, such that the claim is more than a drafting effort designed to monopolize the judicial exception. The courts have indicated that additional elements such as: merely using a computer to implement an abstract idea, adding insignificant extra solution activity, or generally linking use of a judicial exception to a particular technological environment or field of use do not integrate a judicial exception into a “practical application.”
The Office submits that the foregoing underlined limitation(s) recite additional elements that do not integrate the recited judicial exception into a practical application. In the instant application, the additional limitations beyond the above-noted abstract ideas are as follows (where the underlined portions are the “additional limitations” while the bolded portions continue to represent the “abstract idea”):
In Claim 4, as amended:
An information processing method for assigning a parking lot to a vehicle performed by an information processing apparatus comprising a controller and an input interface, the information processing method comprising:
accepting, by the input interface, a parking reservation for a vehicle for which parking is desired, the parking reservation being transmitted from an operation management apparatus that manages vehicle operation;
confirming, by the controller, in a case in which the vehicle for which parking is desired is a first vehicle whose purpose for parking includes charging, whether there is an opening for reservation of a first parking lot having a charging station; when there is an opening for reservation,
completing, by the controller, acceptance of a reservation of the first parking lot for the first vehicle and transmitting, by the controller, to the operation management apparatus,
a notification of completion of reservation indicating that the reservation of the first parking lot has been completed for the first vehicle; and when there is no opening for reservation,
identifying, by the controller, based on a predetermined condition, as a second vehicle at least one vehicle selected based on the predetermined condition from among one or more reservation holding vehicles for which acceptance of the reservation of the first parking lot is completed,
changing, by the controller, the reservation of the first parking lot for the second vehicle to a reservation of a second parking lot,
transmitting, by the controller, to the operation management apparatus, a notification of change in reservation indicating that the reservation of the first parking lot for the vehicle identified as the second vehicle has been changed to the reservation of the second parking lot, completing, by the controller, acceptance of the reservation of the first parking lot for the first vehicle and transmitting, by the controller, to the operation management apparatus, the notification of completion of reservation indicating that the reservation of the first parking lot has been completed for the first vehicle, wherein the predetermined condition includes a first condition that among reservation holding vehicles whose purpose for parking includes charging and whose desired parking time slot overlaps with the first vehicle, at least one vehicle for which a first value yielded by subtracting an expected power consumption from an expected remaining charge is larger than the first value of the first vehicle is identified as the second vehicle, and wherein the expected remaining charge is an expected value of a remaining charge at a scheduled time to start parking, and the expected remaining charge is estimated based on a remaining charge of a battery measured by each vehicle.
The claim recites the additional element of “a first parking lot having a charging station”; “a controller” and “a battery”.
The elements of a first parking lot having a charging station amount to mere data reporting and updating, which is a form of insignificant extra-solution activity. The charging station that is claimed, is an additional element, that is the applied level and a high level of generality at the applied level. There is no particular machine and only a generic computer mentioned at a high level of generality. Claim 4 has been amended to add a controller and battery. However, the controller is described at a high level of generality without reciting any improvement to how the controller operates. This controller is a generic component that is used to execute instructions. Regarding the battery, there is no improvement the way in which the charging station operates; to the functioning of the battery, nor to the actual components of the vehicle. In this instance, the controller does not perform a technical improvement and the generic battery is mentioned at a high level of generality. Therefore, the claim is still directed to an abstract idea.
Accordingly, even in combination, these additional elements do not integrate the abstract idea into a practical application because they do not impose any meaningful limits on practicing the abstract idea.
101 Analysis – Step 2B evaluation: Inventive Concept: - No
In Step 2B of the 2019 PEG, the claim(s) is to be evaluated as to whether the claim, as a whole, amounts to significantly more than the recited exception, i.e., whether any additional element, or combination of additional elements, adds an inventive concept to the claim. See MPEP 2106.05.
Thus, claim 4 is ineligible. Independent claims 1 and 5 are also ineligible under the same rationale as provided for in the rejection of independent claim 4.
101 Analysis – Dependent Claims
Dependent claims 2-3 do not recite any further limitations that cause the claims to be patent eligible. Rather, the limitations of the dependent claims are directed toward additional aspects of the judicial exception and/or well-understood, routine and conventional additional elements that do not integrate the judicial exception into a practical application [these dependent claims inherit the abstract idea set forth in claims 4 and 1. No other technology or action has been recited in claims 2-3 to integrate the abstract idea into a practical application nor to amount to significantly more than the abstract idea. Thus, claims 2-3 also do not confer eligibility on the claimed invention and are ineligible for reasons stated above and for similar reasons to claims 4. Therefore, dependent claims 2-3 are not patent eligible under the same rationale as provided for in the rejection of independent claims 1 and 4.
Therefore, claims 2-3 are also ineligible under 35 USC §101.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of the first paragraph of 35 U.S.C. 112(a):
(a) IN GENERAL.—The specification shall contain a written description of the invention, and of the manner and process of making and using it, in such full, clear, concise, and exact terms as to enable any person skilled in the art to which it pertains, or with which it is most nearly connected, to make and use the same, and shall set forth the best mode contemplated by the inventor or joint inventor of carrying out the invention.
The following is a quotation of the first paragraph of pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112:
The specification shall contain a written description of the invention, and of the manner and process of making and using it, in such full, clear, concise, and exact terms as to enable any person skilled in the art to which it pertains, or with which it is most nearly connected, to make and use the same, and shall set forth the best mode contemplated by the inventor of carrying out his invention.
Claims 1-5, are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(a) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), first paragraph, as failing to comply with the written description requirement. The claims contain subject matter (a remaining charge of a battery measured by each vehicle) which was not described in the specification in such a way as to reasonably convey to one skilled in the relevant art that the inventor or a joint inventor, or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the inventor(s), at the time the application was filed, had possession of the claimed invention. The newly added limitation set forth in claims 1 and 4-5 regarding a remaining charge of a battery measured by each vehicle is new matter because the specification contains no discussion or support for measuring a battery’s remaining charge by each vehicle.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claims 1-5 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
In claims 1 and 4-5, as amended, the recitation of “a remaining charge of a battery measured by each vehicle” is confusing, vague and unclear because Applicant’s specification does not explain how each vehicle measures a battery charge. Applicant fails to identify how the battery charge is measured by each vehicle. This recitation is indefinite.
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.
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.
Claims 1-2 and 4-5 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Noguchi et al. (US 2020/0311622) in view of Baba (US 2014/0312841 A1) and further in view of Kogo (WO 2022/085362 A1).
Regarding amended claim 1, Noguchi discloses An information processing apparatus (see at
least para. [0037] which discloses “The terminal device 600 communicates with the reservation management device 500 and makes an reservation for parking the host vehicle M in a predetermined parking lot”) for assigning a parking lot to a vehicle (Fig. 1, M and see at least para. [0037] which discloses “The terminal device 600 communicates with the reservation management device 500 and makes an reservation for parking the host vehicle M in a predetermined parking lot” and see at least para. [0065] of Noguchi which discloses “the host vehicle M moves from the stop area 310 to the parking lot PA according to a guidance of the parking lot management device 400“, *Examiner interprets this as assigning the vehicle M a specific parking lot in which to park), the information processing apparatus comprising:
an input interface (Fig. 1, 600 and Fig. 2, 30 – see para. [0037] of Noguchi which discloses “The terminal device 600 is, for example, a terminal device that can be carried by a user, such as a smartphone, a tablet terminal, and a personal computer“ and see at least para. [0039] of Noguchi which discloses “a human machine interface (HMI) 30” and see at least para. [0045] of Noguchi which disclose “The HMI 30 presents various types of information to an occupant of the host vehicle M and receives an input operation from the occupant. The HMI 30 includes various display devices, speakers, buzzers, touch panels, switches, keys, and the like”, *Examiner interprets the device 600 and the machine interface 30 to both be an input interface because they can receive input from a user) configured to accept a parking reservation (see at least para. [0037] of Noguchi which discloses a “reservation for parking”) for a vehicle (Fig. 1, M and see at least para. [0037] which discloses “The terminal device 600 communicates with the reservation management device 500 and makes an reservation for parking the host vehicle M in a predetermined parking lot”) for which parking is desired (see at least para. [0037] of Noguchi which discloses “The terminal device 600 communicates with the reservation management device 500 and makes an reservation for parking the host vehicle M in a predetermined parking lot”, *Examiner considers device 600 to accept parking reservations by communicating with the reservation management device 500. Also, see at least para. [0036] which discloses “a parking lot management system 1 including a vehicle system 2. The parking lot management system 1 includes, for example, one or more vehicles (hereinafter, a host vehicle M) equipped with the vehicle system 2, one or more parking lot management devices 400, one or more reservation management devices 500 and one or more terminal devices 600”), the parking reservation being transmitted from an operation management apparatus (Fig. 1, 400 and see at least para. [0064] of Noguchi which discloses “The autonomous parking controller 142 causes the host vehicle M to park in a parking space on the basis of, for example, information acquired from the parking lot management device 400 by the communication device 20”, *Examiner interprets the parking lot management device 400 to be the operation management apparatus because 400 allows the vehicle M to park and para. [0003] of Applicant’s specification describes “the operation management apparatus allows the vehicle to park”) that manages vehicle operation (see at least para. [0065] of Noguchi which discloses “the host vehicle M moves from the stop area 310 to the parking lot PA according to a guidance of the parking lot management device 400”, *Examiner interprets this as the management device 400 manages vehicle operation because it provides guidance to the vehicle M); and
a controller (Fig. 5, 420 and see at least para. [0066] of Noguchi which discloses “a controller 420”) configured to:
confirm, in a case in which the vehicle for which parking is desired is a first vehicle (Fig. 1, M and see at least para. [0037] of Noguchi which discloses “the reservation management device 500 and makes an reservation for parking the host vehicle M in a predetermined parking lot”) whose purpose for parking includes charging (see at least para. [0095] of Noguchi which discloses “the reservation management device 500 receives a reservation of a first parking space that is equipped with the charging facility on the basis of a request of a user”), whether there is an opening for reservation (see at least para. [0067] of Noguchi which discloses “The controller 420 guides a vehicle to the parking space PS on the basis of information acquired by the communicator 410 and information stored in the storage 430”, *Examiner interprets that since controller 420 guides vehicle into a desired parking space, then this serves as confirmation that there is an opening for reservation of a parking lot and see at least para. [0068] of Noguchi which discloses “If the communicator 410 receives the parking request from a vehicle, the controller 420 extracts a parking space PS which is in the empty state with reference to the parking space state table 434, acquires a position of the extracted parking space PS from the parking lot map information 432, and transmits a preferred route to the position of the acquired parking space PS to the vehicle using the communicator 410”, *Examiner interprets the communication regarding the empty state of the parking space to be information on whether there is an opening for reservation) of a first parking lot (see at least para. [0065] of Noguchi which discloses “a parking lot PA“) having a charging station (see at least para. [0010] of Noguchi which describes “ a parking space for electric vehicles, which is equipped with a charging facility” and see at least para. [0096] which discloses “a parking space equipped with the charging facility, charging is performed by a clerk connecting a charging cable of the charging facility to the electric vehicle or the charging facility performing wireless power supply on the electric vehicle” and see at least para. [0097[ of Noguchi which discloses “the reservation management device 500 instructs the vehicle scheduled to park to park in a parking space for electric vehicles, which is equipped with a charging facility”);
when there is an opening for reservation see at least para. [0068] of Noguchi which discloses “If the communicator 410 receives the parking request from a vehicle, the controller 420 extracts a parking space PS which is in the empty state with reference to the parking space state table 434, acquires a position of the extracted parking space PS from the parking lot map information 432, and transmits a preferred route to the position of the acquired parking space PS to the vehicle using the communicator 410”, *Examiner interprets the communication regarding the empty state of the parking space to be information on whether there is an opening for reservation and see Fig. 1, M and see at least para. [0037] of Noguchi which discloses “the reservation management device 500 and makes an reservation for parking the host vehicle M in a predetermined parking lot”, *Examiner interprets this as complete acceptance of the reservation of the first parking lot for the first vehicle M), complete acceptance of a reservation of the first parking lot for the first vehicle (see at least para. [0079] of Noguchi which discloses “the reservation management device 500 transmits reservation completion information indicating that reservation has been completed to the terminal device 600 (step S204). Next, the terminal device 600 receives the reservation completion information transmitted by the reservation management device 500 (step S102)” and see Fig. 1, M and see at least para. [0037] of Noguchi which discloses “the reservation management device 500 and makes an reservation for parking the host vehicle M in a predetermined parking lot”, *Examiner interprets this as complete acceptance of the reservation of the first parking lot for the first vehicle M), and transmit (see at least para. [0079] of Noguchi which discloses “transmits reservation completion information indicating that reservation has been completed”), to the operation management apparatus, a notification of completion (Fig. 8, S102 and see at least para. [0079] of Noguchi which discloses “reservation completion information transmitted by the reservation management device 500 (step S102)”) of reservation indicating that the reservation of the first parking lot has been completed for the first vehicle (see at least para. [0079] of Noguchi which discloses “the reservation management device 500 transmits reservation completion information indicating that reservation has been completed to the terminal device 600 (step S204). Next, the terminal device 600 receives the reservation completion information transmitted by the reservation management device 500 (step S102)”); and
when there is no opening for reservation (see at least para. [0067] of Noguchi which discloses “The parking space state table 434 includes, for example, a state indicating that a parking space is in an empty state or in a full (parking) state, and a vehicle ID that is identification information of a parking vehicle when a parking space is in the full state in association with a parking space ID that is identification information of the parking space PS”, *Examiner interprets this to be the identification of the vehicle selected based on the predetermined condition from the one or more reservation holding vehicles for which acceptance of the reservation of the first parking lot is completed when there is no opening for reservation), identify, based on a predetermined condition (see at least para. [0007] of Noguchi which discloses “identification of a vehicle scheduled to park in a parking lot is associated with a parking start time at which the vehicle scheduled to park will start parking, and an information processor configured to refer to permission information in which identification information of a parking vehicle parking in the parking lot is associated with a time for which the parking vehicle is permitted to park in the parking lot”, *Examiner interprets this identification of a vehicle scheduled to park in a parking lot as identifying based on a predetermined condition), as a second vehicle (Fig. 4 of Noguchi illustrates multiple vehicles, i.e., a second vehicle and see at least para. [0036] of Noguchi which discloses “one or more vehicles”, *Examiner interprets this as evidence of a second vehicle ) at least one vehicle selected based on the predetermined condition from among one or more reservation holding vehicles for which acceptance of the reservation of the first parking lot is completed (see at least para. [0067] of Noguchi which discloses “The parking space state table 434 includes, for example, a state indicating that a parking space is in an empty state or in a full (parking) state, and a vehicle ID that is identification information of a parking vehicle when a parking space is in the full state in association with a parking space ID that is identification information of the parking space PS”, *Examiner interprets this to be the identification of the vehicle selected based on the predetermined condition from the one or more reservation holding vehicles for which acceptance of the reservation of the first parking lot is completed when there is no opening for reservation), change the reservation of the first parking lot for the second vehicle (see at least para [0099] of Noguchi which discloses “the reservation management device 500 acquires availabilities of parking lots adjacent to the parking lot in which the vehicle scheduled to park parks from an information providing server (not shown). Then, when there is an empty space in an adjacent parking lot, the reservation management device 500 guides the vehicle scheduled to park to a parking lot with an empty space. In this case, a charge for using the adjacent parking lot of the vehicle scheduled to park may be charged upon an administrator of the reservation management device 500”, *Examiner interprets this as a change in the reservation of the first parking lot to a reservation of a second parking lot) to a reservation of a second parking lot (see at least para. [0099] of Noguchi which discloses “parking lots adjacent to the parking lot in which the vehicle scheduled to park parks”, *Examiner interprets one of these parking lots adjacent to the scheduled parking lot to be a second parking lot and para. [0099] of Noguchi discloses “Then, when there is an empty space in an adjacent parking lot, the reservation management device 500 guides the vehicle scheduled to park to a parking lot with an empty space”), transmit (Fig. 10, S310 and see at least para. [0081] of Noguchi which discloses “FIG. 10 is a flowchart which shows an example of a flow of processing executed by the reservation management device 500”, *Examiner interprets this step S310 as one of the steps in transmitting), to the operation management apparatus, a notification of change in reservation indicating that the reservation of the first parking lot and see at least para. [0099] of Noguchi which discloses “the reservation management device 500 acquires availabilities of parking lots adjacent to the parking lot in which the vehicle scheduled to park parks from an information providing server (not shown). Then, when there is an empty space in an adjacent parking lot, the reservation management device 500 guides the vehicle scheduled to park to a parking lot with an empty space. In this case, a charge for using the adjacent parking lot of the vehicle scheduled to park may be charged upon an administrator of the reservation management device 500”) for the vehicle identified as the second vehicle has been changed to the reservation of the second parking lot (see at least para. [0088] of Noguchi which discloses “the reservation management device 500 may proceed to the processing of step S310 when it is determined that the vehicle scheduled to park cannot park in the parking lot due to a reason not caused by the parking vehicle”), complete acceptance of the reservation of the first parking lot for the first vehicle (see at least para. [0071] of Noguchi which discloses “The autonomous parking controller 142 is not limited to the description above, and may find a parking space in the empty state by itself on the basis of a result of detection performed by the camera 10, the radar device 12, the finder 14, or the object recognition device 16 independently of communication, and cause the host vehicle M to park in the found parking space”, *Examiner interprets this to complete acceptance of the reservation of the first parking lot for the first vehicle M, since M is directed to park in the designated parking space), and transmit, to the operation management apparatus, the notification of completion (Fig. 8, S102 and see at least para. [0079] of Noguchi which discloses “reservation completion information transmitted by the reservation management device 500 (step S102)”) of reservation indicating that the reservation of the first parking lot has been completed for the first vehicle (see at least para. [0079] of Noguchi which discloses “the reservation management device 500 transmits reservation completion information indicating that reservation has been completed to the terminal device 600 (step S204). Next, the terminal device 600 receives the reservation completion information transmitted by the reservation management device 500 (step S102)”),
wherein the predetermined condition includes a first condition that among reservation holding vehicles whose purpose for parking includes charging (see at least para. [0095] of Noguchi which discloses “the reservation management device 500 receives a reservation of a first parking space that is equipped with the charging facility on the basis of a request of a user”) and whose desired parking time slot overlaps with the first vehicle (see at least para. [0100] of Noguchi which disclose “if there is no empty space in a parking space, the vehicle scheduled to park can park in an adjacent parking lot. As a result, the sense of agreement of the user is improved”, *Examiner interprets the lack of empty spaces in the parking lot to be evidence of the parking time slot overlapping with the first vehicle), and
wherein the expected remaining charge is an expected value of a remaining charge at a scheduled time to start parking (see at least para. [0007] of Noguchi which discloses “identification of a vehicle scheduled to park in a parking lot is associated with a parking start time at which the vehicle scheduled to park will start parking, and an information processor configured to refer to permission information in which identification information of a parking vehicle parking in the parking lot is associated with a time for which the parking vehicle is permitted to park in the parking lot”, *Examiner interprets this identification of a vehicle scheduled to park in a parking lot as identifying based on a predetermined condition of being scheduled to park).
Noguchi may not explicitly disclose at least one vehicle for which a first value yielded by
subtracting an expected power consumption from an expected remaining charge is larger than the first value of the first vehicle is identified as the second vehicle, and the expected remaining charge is estimated based on a remaining charge of a battery measured by each vehicle.
However, in the same field of endeavor, Baba discloses at least one vehicle for which a first
value yielded by subtracting an expected power consumption from an expected remaining charge is larger than the first value of the first vehicle is identified as the second vehicle (see at least para. [0041] of Baba which describes “The electricity management device 14, in particular, adds the amount of grid power supplied from the electrical grid 20 to the electric vehicle EV and subtracts the amount of electricity discharged from the electric vehicle EV to adjust a counter value (a CO2 emission counter value) of the electric vehicle EV to 0”).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of
the claimed invention to modify the information processing apparatus of Noguchi to include at least one vehicle for which a first value yielded by subtracting the expected power consumption from the expected remaining charge is larger than the first value of the first vehicle is identified as the second vehicle, as taught in Baba with a reasonable expectation of success in order to more accurately identify a predetermined condition. See para. [0041] and [0044] of Baba for motivation.
The combination of Noguchi and Baba may not explicitly disclose and the expected remaining
charge is estimated based on a remaining charge of a battery measured by each vehicle.
However, in the same field of endeavor, Kogo discloses the expected remaining charge is
estimated based on a remaining charge of a battery measured by each vehicle (see at least pg. 4, 3rd full paragraph of Kogo which discloses “The battery remaining amount information is information input from the battery remaining amount meter 11 that measures the remaining battery amount of the electric vehicle 7”, *Examiner interprets the battery remaining amount meter will measure the remaining charge of the battery).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of
the claimed invention to further modify the information processing apparatus of Noguchi, as modified by Baba, to include the expected remaining charge is estimated based on a remaining charge of a battery measured by each vehicle, as taught in Kogo with a reasonable expectation of success in order to effectively determine the appropriate drop off location to be assigned when the reservation is made. See pg. 4, 5th-6th full paragraphs of Kogo for motivation.
Regarding claim 2, Noguchi, as modified by Baba and Kogo, discloses wherein the input
interface (Fig. 1, 600 and Fig. 2, 30 – see para. [0037] of Noguchi, as discussed above) is configured to acquire an operation plan for the vehicle for which parking is desired when accepting the parking reservation (see at least para. [0057] which discloses “the action plan generator 140 travels on a recommended lane determined by the recommended lane determiner 61, and furthermore, generates a target trajectory in which the host vehicle M will automatically (without depending on an operation of the driver) travel to be able to cope with the vicinity situation of the host vehicle M”, *Examiner interprets the action plan generator 140 to develop the operation plan), and the operation plan includes at least one piece of information from among a vehicle size of the vehicle (see at least para. [0078] of Noguchi which discloses “The vehicle type is a type of a vehicle that the user parks. The vehicle type is, for example, an electric vehicle that can be charged using a charging facility or a vehicle other than the electric vehicle. The vehicle type may be a vehicle type (bus or ordinary car), a vehicle size, or the like”) for which parking is desired, a desired parking time slot (see at least para. [0078] of Noguchi which discloses “The reservation management information 526 is information in which a user ID, a vehicle ID, reserved time”), a purpose for parking, an operation route, an expected number of passengers, a vehicle weight, an expected remaining charge at a scheduled time for start of parking, and an expected power consumption indicating an electrical energy expected to be consumed within a predetermined period after a scheduled time for end of parking (*Examiner interprets that since these limitations are cited in the alternative only 1 limitation is required, i.e., among a vehicle size of the vehicle or desired parking time slot).
Regarding amended claim 4, Noguchi discloses An information processing method for assigning
a parking lot to a vehicle performed by an information processing apparatus (see at least para. [0037] which discloses “The terminal device 600 communicates with the reservation management device 500 and makes an reservation for parking the host vehicle M in a predetermined parking lot”) comprising a controller (Fig. 5, 420 and see at least para. [0066] of Noguchi which discloses “a controller 420”) and an input interface (Fig. 1, 600 and Fig. 2, 30 – see para. [0037] of Noguchi which discloses “The terminal device 600 is, for example, a terminal device that can be carried by a user, such as a smartphone, a tablet terminal, and a personal computer“ and see at least para. [0039] of Noguchi which discloses “a human machine interface (HMI) 30” and see at least para. [0045] of Noguchi which disclose “The HMI 30 presents various types of information to an occupant of the host vehicle M and receives an input operation from the occupant. The HMI 30 includes various display devices, speakers, buzzers, touch panels, switches, keys, and the like”, *Examiner interprets the device 600 and the machine interface 30 to both be an input interface because they can receive input from a user), the information processing method comprising:
accepting, by the input interface, a parking reservation for a vehicle for which parking is desired (see at least para. [0037] of Noguchi which discloses “The terminal device 600 communicates with the reservation management device 500 and makes an reservation for parking the host vehicle M in a predetermined parking lot”, *Examiner considers device 600 to accept parking reservations by communicating with the reservation management device 500. Also, see at least para. [0036] which discloses “a parking lot management system 1 including a vehicle system 2. The parking lot management system 1 includes, for example, one or more vehicles (hereinafter, a host vehicle M) equipped with the vehicle system 2, one or more parking lot management devices 400, one or more reservation management devices 500 and one or more terminal devices 600”), the parking reservation being transmitted from an operation management apparatus (Fig. 1, 400 and see at least para. [0064] of Noguchi which discloses “The autonomous parking controller 142 causes the host vehicle M to park in a parking space on the basis of, for example, information acquired from the parking lot management device 400 by the communication device 20”, *Examiner interprets the parking lot management device 400 to be the operation management apparatus because 400 allows the vehicle M to park and para. [0003] of Applicant’s specification describes “the operation management apparatus allows the vehicle to park”) that manages vehicle operation (see at least para. [0065] of Noguchi which discloses “the host vehicle M moves from the stop area 310 to the parking lot PA according to a guidance of the parking lot management device 400”, *Examiner interprets this as the management device 400 manages vehicle operation because it provides guidance to the vehicle M);
confirming, by the controller (Fig. 5, 420 and see at least para. [0066] of Noguchi which discloses “a controller 420”), in a case in which the vehicle for which parking is desired is a first vehicle (Fig. 1, M and see at least para. [0037] of Noguchi which discloses “the reservation management device 500 and makes an reservation for parking the host vehicle M in a predetermined parking lot”) whose purpose for parking includes charging (see at least para. [0095] of Noguchi which discloses “the reservation management device 500 receives a reservation of a first parking space that is equipped with the charging facility on the basis of a request of a user”), whether there is an opening for reservation of a first parking lot (see at least para. [0067] of Noguchi which discloses “The controller 420 guides a vehicle to the parking space PS on the basis of information acquired by the communicator 410 and information stored in the storage 430”, *Examiner interpr