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 .
Remarks
This communication is in response to the Applicant’s Amendment filed on 12/18/2025. Claims 1-20 were pending. Claim 4 is amended. Claims 21-22 are added. Claims 1-22 currently pending.
Objection to claim 4 is moot in view of Applicant’s amendment to claim 4.
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.
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 1-22 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over BASSI et al. (US 20170232896 A1, hereinafter “BASSI”) in view of SHIN et al. (US 20230012629 A1, hereinafter “SHIN”).
Regarding claim 1. (Original) BASSI discloses a camera monitor system (CMS), comprising:
a plurality of CMS cameras configured to record images of an environment surrounding a commercial vehicle (0047, 0048 and 0054; Figure 2, 5A-5B and 7);
a plurality of CMS displays (0055-0061; Figures 8-12);
a heads-up display (HUD) (0053-0054; Figure 7); and
processing circuitry configured to:
display image feeds from the plurality of CMS cameras on the plurality of CMS displays; and
detect an object outside of the commercial vehicle that is moving with respect to the commercial vehicle and with respect to the environment surrounding the commercial vehicle (0067).
BASSI failed to disclose the processing circuitry configured to display a notification of the object on the HUD, the notification indicating at least one of a direction the object is moving with respect to the commercial vehicle, and a particular one of the plurality of CMS displays the object is predicted to appear on next.
SHIN, however, in the same field of endeavor, shows the processing circuitry configured to display a notification of the object on the HUD, the notification indicating at least one of a direction the object is moving with respect to the commercial vehicle, and a particular one of the plurality of CMS displays the object is predicted to appear on next (0067, 0097, 0173, 0176 and 0206; Figures 2, 5, 7, 10 and 13; “[0097] ... The processor 1400 may track the location of the surrounding vehicle detected from the surrounding environment image and update location information about the surrounding vehicle in real time. In yet another embodiment, the processor 1400 may predict the expected entry route of the surrounding vehicle using the location information about the surrounding vehicle detected in each of the plurality of frames included in the surrounding environment image.”, “[0176] When the measured distance between own vehicle and the surrounding vehicle exceeds the threshold value (operation S960), the electronic device 1000 may measure a speed of the surrounding vehicle on a lane to be entered. In yet another embodiment, the processor 1400 may measure the speed of the surrounding vehicle, by detecting the surrounding vehicle detected from the plurality of frames of the surrounding environment image and calculating a degree of movement of the surrounding vehicle in each of the plurality of frames. In yet another embodiment, the processor 1400 may measure the speed of the surrounding vehicle, by calculating a distance change between the surrounding vehicle and own vehicle in real time by using at least one of the external radar sensor 1210 or the ultrasonic sensor 1220.”).
It would have been obvious to the person of having ordinary skilled in the art before the effective filing date of invention to combine the information of the moving direction of the other vehicle as shown by SHIN in the vehicle display system of BASSI in order to provide the surrounding and contextual visual data on one of the plurality of in-cab displays and yields predictable result.
Regarding claim 2. (Original) BASSI further discloses the CMS of claim 1, wherein the processing circuitry is configured to detect the object based on one or more of the image feeds (0067).
Regarding claim 3. (Original) SHIN further shows the CMS of claim 1, wherein the CMS includes:
at least one object detection sensor comprising at least one of a radar sensor, a lidar sensor, and an ultrasonic sensor (0078-0080, 0098, 0121 and 0126; Figure 4; “[0078] The external sensor 1200 may include a radar sensor 1210 and an ultrasonic sensor 1220. The radar sensor 1210 and the ultrasonic sensor 1220 may be disposed on the front and rear surfaces of the vehicle, respectively. The arrangement of the radar sensor 1210 and the ultrasonic sensor 1220 will be described in detail with reference to FIG. 4”);
wherein the processing circuitry is configured to detect the object based on output from the at least one object detection sensor (0079 and 0126; Figure 4).
The motivation used on the rejection of claim 1 to combine the SHIN prior art into the BASSI prior art still applies to the rejection of claim 3.
Regarding claim 4. (Currently Amended) SHIN further shows the CMS of claim 1, wherein the processing circuitry is configured to display a first notification on the HUD based on the object being a vulnerable road user (VRU) (0058, 0073, 0079, 0081 and 0122; Figures 2, 4 and 8; “[0073] The external camera 1110 may be configured as a CMS view camera that captures a moving object including at least one of a surrounding vehicle, a two-wheeled vehicle, or a pedestrian located in a surrounding environment on the left and right sides and rear of the vehicle. The external camera 1110 may obtain a surrounding environment image, by capturing a surrounding environment image in real time, and may provide the obtained surrounding environment image to the processor 1400.”), and display a second notification on the HUD based on the object being a non-VRU, the second notification being different than the first notification (0063-0067 and 0073; Figures 4 and 7; “[0063] The electronic device 1000 may display a lane change user interface (UI) 120 indicating information about whether the lane change is possible on the top view image 110. In yet another embodiment, the electronic device 1000 may obtain driving environment information including at least one of a lane, a location of a surrounding vehicle, a relative speed between own vehicle own vehicle and the surrounding vehicle, a distance between own vehicle and the surrounding vehicle, or an expected entry route of the surrounding vehicle from the surrounding environment image 100, and may determine a lane change possibility based on the obtained driving environment information. The electronic device 1000 of FIG. 2 may display the lane change UI 120 determined based on the driving environment information on the CMS side displays 1310L and 1310R. ...”).
The motivation used on the rejection of claim 1 to combine the SHIN prior art into the BASSI prior art still applies to the rejection of claim 4.
Regarding claim 5. (Original) Claim 5 has similar limitations as to those treated in the above rejections, and are met by the references as discussed above, and has been rejected for the same reasons of obviousness as used in the rejection to claims 1-4 above.
Regarding claims 6-7. (Original) Claims 6-7 have similar limitations as to those treated in the above rejections, but further recites wherein the commercial vehicle is a mining vehicle or a construction vehicle; and
wherein the object is a forklift, or a vehicle that is not a mining vehicle or a construction vehicle.
It would have been within one ordinary skilled in the art before the effective filing date of the invention that the own vehicle could be mining vehicle or a construction vehicle as well as the detected object (vehicle) could be a forklift or another vehicle that is not a mining vehicle or a construction vehicle. Therefore, claims 6 and 7 are obvious to the person of having ordinary skilled in the art, and have been rejected for the same reasons of obviousness as used in the rejection to claims discussed above.
Regarding claim 8. (Original) BASSI further discloses the CMS of claim 1, wherein the processing circuitry is configured to:
determine that the object is outside of, but is moving towards, a field of view of a particular one of the plurality of CMS cameras (0037 and 0043; Figures 1 and 4; “FOV-envelop”);
wherein the notification indicates said particular one of the plurality of CMS displays the object is predicted to appear on next (0037 and 0043; Figures 1-4); and
wherein said particular one of the plurality of CMS displays is configured to display the image feed from said particular one of the CMS cameras (0037 and 0043; Figures 1 and 4).
Regarding claim 9. (Original) BASSI further discloses the CMS of claim 1, wherein the notification includes:
an indication of how close the detected object is to the commercial vehicle (0039 and 0067; Figure 2); or
an indication of how likely a collision is between the commercial vehicle and the detected object (0039 and 0067; Figure 2).
Regarding claim 10. (Original) SHIN further shows the CMS of claim 1, wherein the notification comprises:
a plurality of display elements that are activated in a sequence to indicate the direction (0128-0134 and 0140-0141; Figures 2 and 5-6; “[0129] Referring to FIG. 5A, the CMS side displays 1310a may be disposed on the left and right sides of a steering wheel inside a vehicle, respectively. The left CMS side display 1310a may be disposed adjacent to a driver seat. Referring to FIG. 1 together, the right CMS side display 1310R may be disposed adjacent to a passenger seat. In an embodiment, the CMS side display 1310a may be mounted on or included in a dashboard, but is not limited thereto. … the CMS side displays 1310a may be mounted on a door trim of the driver seat and a door trim of the passenger seat, respectively”, “[0133] The CMS side display 1310b may be included in a partial region within the cluster display 1330. In an embodiment, the CMS side display 1310b may replace a speedometer that displays the driving speed information of the cluster display 1330 to display at least one of a surrounding environment image or a top view image. In another embodiment, the CMS side display 1310b may replace the tachometer that displays the RPM information of the engine of the cluster display 1330 to display at least one of the surrounding environment image or the top view image.”, “[0135] Referring to FIG. 5C, the CMS side display 1310c may be included on a partial region of the cluster display 1330. In an embodiment, the CMS side display 1310c may display at least one of the surrounding environment image or the top view image between the regions of the of the cluster display 1330 that display the driving speedometer and the tachometer. The description of the cluster display 1330 is the same as that of the cluster display 1330 illustrated in FIG. 5B, and thus a redundant description thereof is omitted.”, “[0136] Referring to FIG. 5D, the CMS side display 1310d may be included in a partial region within the CID 1320. The CID 1320 may be disposed between the driver seat and the passenger seat on the dashboard of the vehicle. The CID 1320 may display a direction navigation to a destination or display a top view image of a surrounding vehicle.”); or
a shape that indicates the direction.
The motivation used on the rejection of claim 1 to combine the SHIN prior art into the BASSI prior art still applies to the rejection of claim 10.
Regarding claims 11-20. (Original) Method claims 11-20 are drawn to the method of using the corresponding apparatus/system claimed in claims 1-10. Therefore method claims 11-20 correspond to system claims 1-10 are rejected for same reasons of obviousness as used above.
Regarding claim 21. (New) SHIN further shows the method of claim 11, wherein the object that is detected is not in front of the commercial vehicle during said detecting and said displaying (Figure 5C, 6A-6B, 7A-7B and 10).
The motivation used on the rejection of claim 1 to combine the SHIN prior art into the BASSI prior art still applies to the rejection of claim 21.
Regarding claim 22. (New) SHIN further shows the CMS of claim 1, wherein the object that is detected is not in front of the commercial vehicle when detected and when the notification is displayed (Figure 5C, 6A-6B, 7A-7B and 10).
The motivation used on the rejection of claim 1 to combine the SHIN prior art into the BASSI prior art still applies to the rejection of claim 22.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments, see pages 6-7, filed 12/18/2025, with respect to the rejection(s) of claims 1-20 under 35 USC § 103 have been fully considered and are persuasive. Therefore, the rejection has been withdrawn. However, upon further consideration, a new ground(s) of rejection is made in view of SHIN et al. (US 20230012629 A1) as described in the detailed rejection discussed above.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ASMAMAW TARKO whose telephone number is (571)272-9205. The examiner can normally be reached Monday -Friday 9:00AM-5:00PM EST.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Chris Kelley can be reached at (571) 272-7331. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/ASMAMAW G TARKO/ Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2482