DETAILED ACTION
Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
Y The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
Status of Claims
This office action is made in response to Applicant’s remarks filed on 9/29/2025. Claims 1-2 and 3-5 have been amended. Claims 1-5 are pending.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s amendments regarding Examiner's rejections under 35 USC 112 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph have been considered, however, Applicant's amended claims are newly rejected under 35 USC 112(b) as discussed in the corresponding section below.
Applicant’s arguments with respect to Examiner's rejections under 35 USC 103 have been considered but are moot in view of new grounds of rejection.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
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.
Claim 1 recites: "A vehicle display control device comprising:
a memory storing a table in which a road curvature at a vehicle front side and an inclination angle with respect to a progression direction of a vehicle are associated with each other; and
at least one processor, the at least one processor being configured to:
generate a linear superimposed image indicating a travel path of a vehicle by being drawn so as to be superimposed on a landscape at a vehicle front side and extend toward the vehicle front side;
obtain road information of a road at the vehicle front side;
obtain a road curvature of the road at the vehicle front side based on the road information;
obtain an inclination angle θ1 corresponding to the obtained road curvature from the table stored in the memory; and
carry out control so as to incline a direction of a leading end side of the superimposed image faces by the obtained inclination angle θ1."
This language is vague and indefinite for at least the following reasons:
Antecedent Basis: It is unclear whether the term “an inclination angle” in line 3, “an inclination angle θ1” in line 12, and “the obtained inclination angle θ1” in line 15 are intended to refer to a singular claim element or whether these are intended to refer to distinct claim elements.
Claims 2-3 are further rejected as depending on this claim.
Claims 4 and 5 recite substantially similar language as claim 1, and are similarly rejected for the same reason articulated in the paragraphs above.
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.
Claims 1 and 3-5 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Tanaka (US 2020/0312146 A1) in view of Shin (US 2022/0198990 A1).
Regarding claim 1, Tanaka discloses a vehicle display control device (see e.g. at least Abstract, Fig. 4, and related text) comprising:
at least one processor (e.g. image former 110, AR route former 111, display controller 120, see e.g. at least ¶ 49, Fig. 4, and related text), the at least one processor being configured to:
generate a linear superimposed image indicating a travel path of a vehicle by being drawn so as to be superimposed on a landscape at a vehicle front side and extend toward the vehicle front side (see e.g. at least Fig. 3, 7, 10, 12B, 13B, 14A, and related text); and
carry out control so as to incline a direction of a leading end side of the superimposed image faces, according to a road curvature, based on road information (id., see also e.g. at least Fig. 11, 14B, and related text).
Additionally, Shin teaches limitations not expressly disclosed by Tanaka including namely: a memory storing a table (e.g. at least memory 213, see e.g. at least ¶ 44, Fig. 2, and related text) in which a road curvature at a vehicle front side and an inclination angle with respect to a progression direction of a vehicle are associated with each other (see e.g. at least ¶ 64-70, 81-90, cl. 4, Fig. 6, 11, and related text); and
obtain road information of a road at the vehicle front side (see e.g. at least ¶ 46-49, Fig. 2, and related text);
obtain a road curvature of the road at the vehicle front side based on the road information (id.);
obtain an inclination angle θ1 corresponding to the obtained road curvature from the table stored in the memory (e.g. at least skew transform angle, see at least ¶ 89-90, Fig. 11-12D, and related text); and
[carry out control so as to incline a direction of a leading end side of the superimposed image] by the obtained inclination angle θ1 (id.).
Accordingly, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to modify the teaching of Tanaka by configuring a memory storing a table in which a road curvature at a vehicle front side and an inclination angle with respect to a progression direction of a vehicle are associated with each other; and obtain road information of a road at the vehicle front side; obtain a road curvature of the road at the vehicle front side based on the road information; obtain an inclination angle θ1 corresponding to the obtained road curvature from the table stored in the memory; and [carry out control so as to incline a direction of a leading end side of the superimposed image] by the obtained inclination angle θ1 as taught by Shin in order to provide a driving environment display device for vehicles capable of more efficiently displaying driving environment information and a method of controlling the same (Shin: ¶ 12).
Regarding claim 3, Modified Tanaka discloses that:
the superimposed image has a linear shape connecting a coordinate point of a current position of the vehicle and a coordinate point of an estimated arrival position on the travel path, by curve interpolation (Tanaka: see e.g. at least Fig. 5A-11, 14A-14B, and related text); and
the processor is configured to change a shape of a leading end side of a curved line obtained by the curve interpolation, according to the road curvature (Tanaka: id.).
Regarding claim 4, Tanaka discloses a vehicle display control method (see e.g. at least Abstract, Fig. 8, and related text) comprising:
generating a linear superimposed image indicating a travel path of a vehicle by being drawn so as to be superimposed on a landscape at a vehicle front side and extend toward the vehicle front side (see e.g. at least Fig. 3, 7, 10, 12B, 13B, 14A, and related text); and
inclining a direction of a leading end side of the superimposed image faces, according to a road curvature, based on road information (id., see also e.g. at least Fig. 11, 14B, and related text).
Additionally, Shin teaches limitations not expressly disclosed by Tanaka including namely: storing a table in which a road curvature at a vehicle front side and an inclination angle with respect to a progression direction of a vehicle are associated with each other (see e.g. at least ¶ 64-70, 81-90, cl. 4, Fig. 6, 11, and related text); and
obtaining road information of a road at the vehicle front side (see e.g. at least ¶ 46-49, Fig. 2, and related text);
obtaining a road curvature of the road at the vehicle front side based on the road information (id.);
obtaining an inclination angle θ1 corresponding to the obtained road curvature from the table stored in the memory (e.g. at least skew transform angle, see at least ¶ 89-90, Fig. 11-12D, and related text); and
[inclining a direction of a leading end side of the superimposed image] by the obtained inclination angle θ1 (id.).
Accordingly, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to modify the teaching of Tanaka by storing a table in which a road curvature at a vehicle front side and an inclination angle with respect to a progression direction of a vehicle are associated with each other; and obtaining road information of a road at the vehicle front side; obtaining a road curvature of the road at the vehicle front side based on the road information; obtaining an inclination angle θ1 corresponding to the obtained road curvature from the table stored in the memory; and [inclining a direction of a leading end side of the superimposed image] by the obtained inclination angle θ1 as taught by Shin in order to provide a driving environment display device for vehicles capable of more efficiently displaying driving environment information and a method of controlling the same (Shin: ¶ 12).
Regarding claim 5, Modified Tanaka discloses a computer-readable recording medium for a vehicle, storing a program that causes a processor [intended to execute processing (Tanaka: see e.g. at least Abstract, Fig. 4, and related text), the processing comprising:
generating a linear superimposed image indicating a travel path of a vehicle by being drawn so as to be superimposed on a landscape at a vehicle front side and extend toward the vehicle front side (Tanaka: see e.g. at least Fig. 3, 7, 10, 12B, 13B, 14A, and related text); and
inclining a direction of a leading end side of the superimposed image faces, according to a road curvature, based on road information (Tanaka: id., see also e.g. at least Fig. 11, 14B, and related text).
Additionally, Shin teaches limitations not expressly disclosed by Tanaka including namely: storing a table in which a road curvature at a vehicle front side and an inclination angle with respect to a progression direction of a vehicle are associated with each other (see e.g. at least ¶ 64-70, 81-90, cl. 4, Fig. 6, 11, and related text); and
obtaining road information of a road at the vehicle front side (see e.g. at least ¶ 46-49, Fig. 2, and related text);
obtaining a road curvature of the road at the vehicle front side based on the road information (id.);
obtaining an inclination angle θ1 corresponding to the obtained road curvature from the table stored in the memory (e.g. at least skew transform angle, see at least ¶ 89-90, Fig. 11-12D, and related text); and
[inclining a direction of a leading end side of the superimposed image] by the obtained inclination angle θ1 (id.).
Accordingly, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to modify the teaching of Tanaka by storing a table in which a road curvature at a vehicle front side and an inclination angle with respect to a progression direction of a vehicle are associated with each other; and obtaining road information of a road at the vehicle front side; obtaining a road curvature of the road at the vehicle front side based on the road information; obtaining an inclination angle θ1 corresponding to the obtained road curvature from the table stored in the memory; and [inclining a direction of a leading end side of the superimposed image] by the obtained inclination angle θ1 as taught by Shin in order to provide a driving environment display device for vehicles capable of more efficiently displaying driving environment information and a method of controlling the same (Shin: ¶ 12).
Claim 2 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Tanaka (US 2020/0312146 A1) in view of Shin (US 2022/0198990 A1) as applied to claim 1, and further in view of Fields (US 2024/0054733 A1).
Regarding claim 2, Modified Tanaka discloses that superimposed image indicates a travel path (Tanaka: see e.g. at least Fig. 3, 6-7, 10-14B, and related text); and
that the processor is configured to change the direction in which the leading end side of the superimposed image, which indicates the travel path after the lane change, faces, according to the road curvature (Tanaka: see e.g. at least Fig. 3, 12B, 13B, and related text).
Additionally, Fields teaches limitations not expressly disclosed by Tanaka including namely: [that a superimposed image indicates a travel path] that accompanies a lane change (see e.g. at least ¶ 69, Fig. 6, and related text).
Accordingly, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to modify the teaching of Tanaka by configuring that the superimposed image indicates a travel path that accompanies a lane change as taught by Fields in order to provide assistance to avoid obstacles by detecting opportunities to safely change lanes and displaying a route to change lanes (Fields: ¶ 68-69).
Conclusion
THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any extension fee pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to CHARLES J HAN whose telephone number is (571) 270-3980. The examiner can normally be reached on M-Th and every other F (7:30 AM - 5 PM).
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Christian Chace can be reached on 571-272-4190. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/CHARLES J HAN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3662