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 Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claims 16, 11-15 and 20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Fu et al. (2022/0417883).
Regarding claim 11, Fu discloses a clock synchronization apparatus for a vehicle, wherein the apparatus comprises at least one processor and a memory, the memory is coupled to the at least one processor and stores program instructions for execution by the at least one processor to perform operations (see abstract, (see abstract, fig.4, element Terminal Device fig.18, elements 22, 23, paragraphs [0020] [0033], [0230-0233] and its description), comprising: obtaining a first signal, wherein the first signal comprises clock information of an external clock source (see abstract, figs.3-5, elements First Network Device, Terminal Device, paragraphs [0018-0020], [0052-0053], [0086-0087] and its description); determining signal quality of the first signal (see paragraphs [0054-0055], [0091]); determining a clock mode based on the signal quality of the first signal, wherein the clock mode comprises a first clock mode or a second clock mode, wherein the vehicle obtains first clock information from the external clock source when the vehicle works in the first clock mode, and the vehicle obtains the first clock information and second clock information respectively from the external clock source and an internal clock source when the vehicle works in the second clock mode, and wherein the internal clock source is located in the vehicle (see fig.4, elements First Network Device, Terminal Device paragraphs [0018-0020], [0052-0053], [0086-0087], [0091-0093] and its description); and in response to determining that the clock mode is the second clock mode, synchronizing a management plane clock based on the first clock information and synchronizing a data plane clock based on the second clock information (see paragraphs [0091-0094]).
Regarding claim 12, Fu further discloses wherein the operations further comprise: synchronizing the data plane clock based on the management plane clock (see paragraphs [0054-0055]).
Regarding claim 13, Fu further discloses wherein the operations further comprises: before synchronizing the data plane clock, determining to enable the vehicle to communicate with an external device (see fig.3, paragraph [0053] and its description).
Regarding claim 14, Fu further discloses wherein the operations further comprise: before synchronizing the data plane clock, determining that a time difference between the data plane clock and the management plane clock is greater than or equal to a predetermined threshold (see paragraphs [0050-0052]).
Regarding claim 15, Fu further discloses wherein the operations further comprise: determining the external clock source based on an environment in which the vehicle is located (see paragraph [0053]).
Regarding claims 1-6 and 20 recite limitations substantially similar to claims 11-15. Therefore, these claims were rejected for similar reasons as stated above.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 7-10 and 16-19 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
Examiner's Note: Examiner has cited particular columns and line numbers in the references applied to the claims above for the convenience of the applicant. Although the specified citations are representative of the teachings of the art and are applied to specific limitations within the individual claim, other passages and figures may apply as well. It is respectfully requested from the applicant in preparing responses, to fully consider the references in entirety as potentially teaching all or part of the claimed invention, as well as the context of the passage as taught by the prior art or disclosed by the Examiner.
When responding to this Office Action, Applicant is advised to clearly point out the patentable novelty which he or she thinks the claims present, in view of the state of the art disclosed by the references cited or the objections made. He or she must also show how the amendments avoid such references or objections See 37 CFR 1.111(c).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to CongVan Tran whose telephone number is (571) 272-7871. The examiner can normally be reached Mon-Th.
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UNITED STATES PATENT AND TRADEMARK OFFICE
/CONGVAN TRAN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2647
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