CTNF 18/557,520 CTNF 81355 DETAILED ACTION Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status 07-03-aia AIA 15-10-aia 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 07-42-04 AIA 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and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114.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 05/11/2026 has been entered. Response to Arguments Applicant’s arguments with respect to claim(s) 1-2, 4-5 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. Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103 07-20-aia AIA 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. 07-21-aia AIA Claim (s) 1 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Su et al. (US2022/0383535) in view of Yang (CN110503009) . To claim 1, Su teach an object tracking device comprising: an input interface (403 of Fig. 4) configured to acquire sensor data (paragraphs 0025, 0074), a processor (401 of Fig. 4) configured to detect a detection target from the sensor data (paragraph 0021), track the detection target using Kalman filters associated with each of the detection target and an observed value (paragraphs 0026, 0028, each object trajectory corresponds to one Kalman filter, wherein the Kalman filter is initialized in accordance with the object detection box where the object occurs for the first time, and after the matching has been completed for each image, the Kalman filter is modified in accordance with the matched object detection box, such that object detection box position would be considered an observed value), and impose a limit on a range of variation in an index of the Kalman filters that influences tracking of the detection target (paragraph 0031, maintain the Mahalanobis distance between the object detection box and the object tracking box obtained through the improved formula within an appropriate range even when a movement state of the object changes dramatically, which obviously shows a limit on a range of variation); and an output interface (404 of Fig. 4) configured to output a detection result regarding the detection target (paragraph 0055, to obtain information such as a position, an identity, a movement state and a historical trajectory of the object), wherein the index includes a Mahalanobis distance used to associate the Kalman filters with the observed value (paragraphs 0029-0031, Mahalanobis distance used to associate the Kalman filters with the observed value) and the processor is configured to directly impose a lower limit on the Mahalanobis distance (paragraphs 0007, 0011, as an the Mahalanobis distance being maintained within an appropriate range; paragraphs 0034, 0068, calculated Mahalanobis distance is compared with a predetermined threshold, wherein the predetermined threshold would obviously be a limit of Mahalanobis distance). But , Su do not expressly disclose directly imposing a lower limit on the Mahalnobis distance. However , Mahalanobis distances can theoretically range from zero to infinity, which makes zero obviously a lower limit by default if no further criterion is applied. Yang teach tracking with Kalman filtering (paragraphs 0175-0191), wherein minimum Mahalnobis distance is determined (paragraphs 0027-0029), and prediction observation vector correspond to the Mahalnobis distance (paragraphs 0233-0234). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate teaching of Yang into the apparatus of Su, in order to improve accuracy of tracking thru adaption probability . 07-21-aia AIA Claim (s) 2, 4-5 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Su et al. (US2022/0383535) in view of Yang (CN110503009) and Palma-Amestoy et al. (US2013/0144568) . To claim 2, Su and Yang teach claim 1. But, Su and Yang do not expressly disclose wherein the index further includes at least one selected from the group consisting of a radius of a grouping area used to associate the Kalman filters with the detection target, and a size of an error ellipse of the Kalman filters. Palma-Amestoy teach Kalman filter using a Mahalanobis distance and a radius of scan/detection circle (paragraphs 0051, 0057), which would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate into the apparatus of Su and Yang, in order to further Kalman filter operation implementation by design preference. To claim 4, Su, Yang and Palma-Amestoy teach claim 2. Su, Yang and Palma-Amestoy teach wherein the index includes the radius of the grouping area, and the processor is configured to impose an upper limit and/or a lower limit on the radius of the grouping area according to observation noise and/or a distance to the detection target (Palma-Amestoy, paragraphs 0012-0013). To claim 5, Su, Yang and Palma-Amestoy teach claim 2. Su, Yang and Palma-Amestoy teach wherein the index includes the size of the error ellipse, and the processor is configured to impose a lower limit on the size of the error ellipse according to an accuracy to be guaranteed for the detection result regarding the detection target (Parent claim 2 makes it clear that only one of two limitations is needed. Since the limitation a radius of a grouping area used to associate the Kalman filters with the detection target in said parent claim 2 is already addressed above, further limiting with another limitation of said parent claim 2 adds nothing to said already addressed limitation. In view of the broadest reasonable interpretation, limitation of instant claim is considered rejected in further defining said parent claim 2). Conclusion Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ZHIYU LU whose telephone number is (571)272-2837. The examiner can normally be reached Weekdays: 8:30AM - 5:00PM. Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice. If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Stephen R Koziol can be reached at (408) 918-7630. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300. Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000. ZHIYU . LU Primary Examiner Art Unit 2669 /ZHIYU LU/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2665 May 30, 2026 Application/Control Number: 18/557,520 Page 2 Art Unit: 2665 Application/Control Number: 18/557,520 Page 3 Art Unit: 2665 Application/Control Number: 18/557,520 Page 4 Art Unit: 2665 Application/Control Number: 18/557,520 Page 5 Art Unit: 2665
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