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 .
Claim Status
Claims 1-7 are pending for examination.
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 12/22/2025 have been fully considered.
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claims 1, 6 and 7 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.
A newly applied reference by Nallani (Pat. No.: US 11,718,314 B1) appears to disclose all limitations of claims 1, 6 and 7. Nallani teaches a light bar indication system installed near the vehicle windshield and configured to detect the relative position of a pedestrian in respect to the moving vehicle. The light bar actuates a subset of light bank corresponding to the detected position of the pedestrian. In response to the detection, the vehicle determines whether the pedestrian is at risk of collision with the vehicle and further determines a driving state of the driver in order to output an appropriate visual indicator.
Therefore, the rejection is maintained based on the teachings by Nallini and the reasons set forth above.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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 the appropriate paragraphs of 35 U.S.C. 102 that form the basis for the rejections under this section made in this Office action:
A person shall be entitled to a patent unless –
(a)(1) the claimed invention was patented, described in a printed publication, or in public use, on sale, or otherwise available to the public before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claims 1-7 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Nallani (Pat. No.: US 11,718,314 B1).
Regarding claim 1, Nallani teaches an attention guidance device (Abstract, pedestrian alert system) comprising:
a detector configured to detect an object around a mobile object (Fig. 1, exterior sensors 108, Fig. 3, step 302, and Col. 3 line 13 – 19, “The exterior sensors 108 can provide sensor data regarding the pedestrian 106, including classification of (e.g., cyclist, pedestrian, animal) and tracking data for the pedestrian 106. The tracking data can, for example, indicate a relative position (e.g., range and lateral positioning), heading, or speed of the pedestrian 106 to the vehicle 102.”. The exterior sensor detects pedestrian around the moving vehicle);
a calculator (Fig. 2 processor 204) configured to calculate a level of risk of contact between the mobile object and the detected object using at least one of an action or a state of an operator of the mobile object (Fig. 3, steps 304-306, and steps 316-320, Col. 4 line 49-56, “The processor 204 can then control the operation of the light bar 208 to focus the driver's attention on the pedestrian 106 and avoid potential collisions or unsafe driving. For example, the processor 204 can control, based on data from the exterior sensors 108 and the interior sensors 110, the light bar 208 to flash red to refocus the driver's attention on the roadway 104 and a relative position of the pedestrian 106.”. The processor determines whether the pedestrian will collide with the vehicle or the driver is distracted); and
a display controller (Fig. 2, alert controller 118) configured to control and cause a display (Fig. 4-1, light bar 208-1) to display a representation using parameters determined according to the level of risk of contact in such a manner that a direction of the detected object from the operator's perspective is recognizable (Fig. 3, Fig. 4-1 to Fig. 4-3, the light bar displays the corresponding location and direction of the pedestrian via visual indication 404-1 when the driver is not distracted or flashes the indicator 404-3 when the driver is distracted.),
wherein the display is a light bar, the light bar is located at a lower portion of a windshield and is configured to extend in a width direction of the mobile object (Fig, 4-1, the light bar 208-1 is located below the windshield and extends along the width of the windshield.),
the display controller is configured to repeatedly display light emitting regions and non-light-emitting regions along the width direction (Fig. 4-3, and Col. 7 line 39-48, “Responsive to the driver not being distracted, the pedestrian alert system 112 or the alert controller 118 can cause the light bar 208 to output one or more illuminated banks with second characteristics 322. The illuminated banks with the second characteristics 322 can be a subset of banks of the light bar 208 that indicate a relative position of the pedestrian 106 to the vehicle 102. For example, the alert controller 118 can flash three banks on a left-hand portion of the light bar 208 to indicate that the pedestrian 106 is currently positioned to the left of the vehicle 102.” The light bar flashes a subset of light banks to indicate the location of the pedestrian.), and
the display controller is configured to perform a moving display of the light- emitting regions and the non-light-emitting regions in a direction toward a position indicating the object, or in a direction away from the position indicating the object (Fig. 4-1 – Fig. 4-2, col. 8 line 21-30, “
In the environment 400-2 of FIG. 4-2, the pedestrian 106 is positioned near the left-hand side of the vehicle 102. In response to detecting the pedestrian 106, the pedestrian alert system 112 controls the light bar 208-1 to provide a visible indicator 404-2. The visible indicator 404-2 is positioned on a left-hand side of the light bar 208-1, which corresponds to the relative position of the pedestrian 106. The visible indicator 404-2 can transition laterally along the light bar 208-1 to follow or track the relative position of the pedestrian 106 as the pedestrian 106 and/or the vehicle 102 move.”. The visual indicator moves along with the pedestrian as the pedestrian walks from the right side to the left side.).
Regarding claim 2, Nallani teaches the attention guidance device according to claim 1, wherein the display controller controls and causes the display to display a representation in such a manner that predetermined areas of the representation each move from a position farther from a position corresponding to the direction of the detected object from the operator's perspective toward a position closer to the position corresponding to the direction of the detected object or from a position closer to the position corresponding to the direction of the detected object toward a position farther from the position corresponding to the direction of the detected object, to make the direction of the detected object from the operator's perspective recognizable (Fig. 4-4, Col.8 line 46-59, “In the environment 400-4 of FIG. 4-4, the pedestrian 106 is positioned near the center of the vehicle 102 but is at a farther distance (e.g., range) from the vehcile3 102 than in the environment 400-3 of FIG. 4-3. In response to detecting the pedestrian 106, the pedestrian alert system 112 controls the light bar 208-1 to provide a visible indicator 404-4. The visible indicator 404-4 is positioned near a center of the light bar 208-1, which corresponds to the relative position of the pedestrian 106 to the vehicle 102. The visible indicator 404-4, however, has a smaller width than the visible indicator 404-3 to indicate that the pedestrian 106 is farther away from the vehicle 102. The lateral width of the visible indicator 404-4 can increase or decrease to track the relative range of the pedestrian 106.”. The visual indicator changes the size of the indication area based on the distance of the pedestrian relative to the vehicle).
Regarding claim 3, Nallani teaches the attention guidance device according to claim 1, wherein the display is disposed to surround the operator (Fig. 4-1, the light bar partially surrounds the vehicle driver.).
Regarding claim 4, Nallani teaches the attention guidance device according to claim 1, wherein the mobile object has an instrument panel, and the display is a light-emitting device disposed on the instrument panel and including a light source (Fig. 4-5 – Fig. 4-6, Col. 8 line 60 - Col. 9 line 4, “In the environment 400-5 of FIG. 4-1, the pedestrian 106 is positioned near the right-hand side of the vehicle 102. In response to detecting the pedestrian 106, the pedestrian alert system 112 controls a light bar 208-2 to provide a visible indicator 404-5. The light bar 208-2 is positioned in a top portion of an instrument cluster 408 of the vehicle 102. In other implementations, the light bar 208-2 can be integrated into a different portion of the instrument cluster 408 or into another display in or near the dashboard 406. The visible indicator 404-1 is positioned on a right-hand side of the light bar 208-1, which corresponds to the relative position of the pedestrian 106.”. The light bar 208-2 is integrated into the instrument cluster 408).
Regarding claim 5, Nallani recites the attention guidance device according to claim 1, wherein the mobile object has a windshield, and the display includes a projector that projects display content onto the windshield (Col. 8 line 7-8, “The light bar 208-1 can also be installed to reflect off of the windshield.”. The light bar projects the visual indicator onto the windshield to be reflected off from the windshield.).
Regarding claim 6, recites a system that is similar to the device of claim 1. Therefore, it is rejected for the same reasons.
Regarding claim 7, recites a computer readable medium for the device of claim 1. Therefore, it is rejected for the same reasons.
Conclusion
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). 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 nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) 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 ZHEN Y WU whose telephone number is (571)272-5711. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday, 10AM-6PM, EST.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Quan-Zhen Wang can be reached at 571-272-3114. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/ZHEN Y WU/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2685