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 .
Priority
Acknowledgment is made of applicant’s claim for foreign priority under 35 U.S.C. 119 (a)-(d). The certified copy has been filed in parent Application No. JP-2023-053990, filed on 05/07/2024.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 06/25/2024 is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
Claim Status
Claim(s) 1-8 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Li et al (U.S. 20170330463 A1; Li).
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.
(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.
Claim(s) 1-8 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Li et al (U.S. 20170330463 A1; Li).
Regarding claim 1, Li discloses a threshold-value setting device (Paragraph 1: “a driving support apparatus and driving support method for informing a driver of the approach of a moving object to a user's vehicle”) for setting a threshold value that corresponds to a predetermined distance from a vehicle in order to give a user a warning about a warning object approaching within a distance less than the predetermined distance, (Figs. 3-4 and 10-12 and Paragraph 161: “When the target vehicle moves into one or more ranges of the ranges of distance, the informing processor 15 changes the display colors of the one or more ranges of distance or the display colors of both the image of the target vehicle and the one or more ranges of distance, in a manner that the display color of the alert zone which is a close range of distance from the user's vehicle is different from the display color of the attention zone which is a far range of distance from the user's vehicle. … the informing processor 15 causes an alert display item to appear near the icon 17 indicating the user's vehicle in the image 16A of the nearby surroundings of the user's vehicle. The alert display item can be freely selected under the condition that the alert display item can alert the driver that the driving maneuver to avoid the approach of the target vehicle to the user's vehicle is required. For example, alert display items are the attention mark 27 and letters 29 of “Hit the Brakes”. With such a display, the driver can intuitively recognize that the target vehicle approaches the user's vehicle by a positon where the target vehicle is likely to come in contact with the user's vehicle.”) the threshold-value setting device comprising: a circuit; and memory connected to the circuit, wherein, using the memory, (Fig. 1A-1B; Paragraph 44: “the processor 100 executes a program that is stored in a memory 101 shown in FIG. 1B.”) the circuit:
acquires a designated position in accordance with an operation by a user, (Figs. 3-4 and Paragraph 58: “as setting information for the distance state calculator 13, distance thresholds, which define the range of distance from the user's vehicle in which a notification of approach of the moving object is to be provided, are set in advance for both sides of, in front of and at the back of the user's vehicle”; Paragraph 107: “The distance thresholds H, L1, L2 are predetermined by the distance state calculator 13 using the lane width A, and may be set to any values by the driver”) the designated position being a vertical position in a camera image obtained by image capturing of surroundings of the vehicle with a camera provided to the vehicle; (Figs. 3-4; Paragraphs 45-59: “the information collector 10 can be implemented, for example, using any of devices: imaging devices such as a camera and an infrared camera, … Each of the camera and the infrared camera has an area for imaging that includes part of the surroundings of the user's vehicle and nearby areas at both sides of the user's vehicle, and obtains image information indicating the nearby surroundings of a user's vehicle. … the vehicle detector 11 performs image analysis on a captured image of the nearby surroundings of a user's vehicle thereby to identify or detect an object as a moving object such as another vehicle traveling in front of, at the back of the user's vehicle is traveling, … The distance state calculator 13 calculates the positional relationship indicating whether the moving object around the user's vehicle moves into the range of distance, on the basis of the distance between the user's vehicle and the moving object, which is measured by the distance determiner 12”; Paragraph 100: “A distance threshold H is a predetermined threshold value of the distance set at the left side of the user's vehicle. The distance threshold H defines the alert zone arranged at the left side of the user's vehicle. The range of distance L1 and the range of distance L2 correspond predetermined threshold values of the distances set at the back of the user's vehicle. L1 defines the alert zone arranged at the back of the user's vehicle. L1+L2 defines the attention zone arranged at the back of the user's vehicle”)
generates an icon having a size appropriate to the designated position and a shape imitating a shape of the warning object; (Figs.6-12 ; Paragraph 120-121: “FIG. 6 illustrates the image of the nearby surroundings of a user's vehicle including the images of the user's vehicle and threshold lines arranged at the sides of the user's vehicle … In the image 16A of the nearby surroundings of the user's vehicle as shown in FIG. 6, an icon 17 indicating the user's vehicle is located at the center of the image. At both sides of the icon 17 indicating the user's vehicle, a plurality of the threshold lines 18a, 19a, 18b, 19b is displayed … Moreover, in the image 16A of the nearby surroundings of the user's vehicle, icons 20, 21 indicating target vehicles as moving objects around the user's vehicle are displayed”; Paragraphs 164-167: “The alert display item can be freely selected under the condition that the alert display item can alert the driver that the driving maneuver to avoid the approach of the target vehicle to the user's vehicle is required. For example, alert display items are the attention mark 27 and letters 29 of “Hit the Brakes” … With such a display, the driver can intuitively recognize how close the target vehicle is to the user's vehicle, on the basis of the contents of the mark and the displayed letters.)
superimposes the icon generated, on the designated position in the camera image; displays, on a display, the camera image on which the icon has been superimposed as an icon-superimposed image; (Figs. 10-12 and Paragraph 84: “When the informing processor 15 receives the traveling state of the target vehicle acquired by the distance state calculator 13 and the type of the target vehicle identified by the vehicle type identifier 14, the informing processor 15 superimposes the image of the target vehicle on the image of the nearby surroundings of the user's vehicle for display.”; Paragraph 146: “as shown in FIG. 10, even in the case of the safe state, the icons 20, 21 indicating other target vehicles detected around the user's vehicle may be displayed to appear in the image 16A of the nearby surroundings of the user's vehicle.”; Paragraph 150-152: “as shown in FIG. 11, when the target vehicle moves into the attention zone arranged at the right side of the user's vehicle, the informing processor 15 changes both the color of the icon 20 indicating the target vehicle that has moved into the attention zone and the color of the right-hand region including this attention zone, into an attention-drawing color … the display items are an attention mark 27 and letters 28 of “Caution”. In FIG. 11, the display items are arranged in front of and in the traveling direction of the user's vehicle.”; Paragraph 158-164: “As shown in FIG. 12, when the target vehicle passes across the threshold line 19b, the informing processor 15 changes both the color of the alert zone and the color the icon 20 indicating the target vehicle which has moved into the alert zone, from the default color into an alert color which is red. …. alert display items are the attention mark 27 and letters 29 of “Hit the Brakes”. With such a display, the driver can intuitively recognize that the target vehicle approaches the user's vehicle by a positon where the target vehicle is likely to come in contact with the user's vehicle.”; Paragraph 84: “When the informing processor 15 receives the traveling state of the target vehicle acquired by the distance state calculator 13 and the type of the target vehicle identified by the vehicle type identifier 14, the informing processor 15 superimposes the image of the target vehicle on the image of the nearby surroundings of the user's vehicle for display.”) and
sets the designated position as the threshold value in accordance with a determination operation performed by the user based on the icon-superimposed image displayed. (Figs. 3-4 and 10-12; Paragraph 108-110: “the distance state calculator 13 may dynamically change the distance thresholds H, L1, L2 in accordance with a traveling scene or a traveling situation of the user's vehicle. … the distance thresholds L1, L2 set at the back of the user's vehicle can be classified into the following three pairs of values: a pair of values L1n, L2n for close distances from the user's vehicle, a pair of values L1m, L2m for intermediate distances from the user's vehicle, and a pair of values L1f, L2f for far distances from the user's vehicle. the distance thresholds L1, L2 can be changed into one of the pair of L1f and L2f, the pair of L1m and L2m, and the pair of L1f and L2f in accordance with the traveling scene or the traveling situation of the user's vehicle.”; Paragraph 147: “the positional relationship between each zone set for the user's vehicle and the target vehicle is updated in real-time by using consecutively calculated positional relationship acquired by the distance state calculator 13.”; Paragraph 160: “the ranges of distance from the user's vehicle, such as the attention zone and the alert zone, are set at different regions depending upon distances from the user's vehicle.”)
Regarding claim 2, Li discloses the circuit further: detects another vehicle running in a vicinity of the vehicle through image recognition processing performed on the camera image; (Figs. 3-12; Paragraph 74: “In Step ST2, the vehicle detector 11 receives the information indicating the situation around the user's vehicle obtained in real-time by the information collector 10, and, among the received information, identifies information on the moving object and information on the stationary object. The moving object is an object such as another vehicle, a human being or an animal around the user's vehicle, which has a probability of colliding with the user's vehicle when moving. The stationary object is an object such as a roadside tree, a guard fence or a road sign, which does not move.”) when the other vehicle is not detected, performs first threshold-value setting processing in which the threshold value is set by displaying the icon-superimposed image; (Figs.6-7 and 10 ; Paragraph 146: “as shown in FIG. 10, even in the case of the safe state, the icons 20, 21 indicating other target vehicles detected around the user's vehicle may be displayed to appear in the image 16A of the nearby surroundings of the user's vehicle.”) and when the other vehicle is detected, performs second threshold-value setting processing in which the threshold value is set without displaying the icon-superimposed image. (Figs. 10-12 and Paragraph 150-152: “as shown in FIG. 11, when the target vehicle moves into the attention zone arranged at the right side of the user's vehicle, the informing processor 15 changes both the color of the icon 20 indicating the target vehicle that has moved into the attention zone and the color of the right-hand region including this attention zone, into an attention-drawing color … the display items are an attention mark 27 and letters 28 of “Caution”. In FIG. 11, the display items are arranged in front of and in the traveling direction of the user's vehicle.”; Paragraph 158-164: “As shown in FIG. 12, when the target vehicle passes across the threshold line 19b, the informing processor 15 changes both the color of the alert zone and the color the icon 20 indicating the target vehicle which has moved into the alert zone, from the default color into an alert color which is red. …. the ranges of distance from the user's vehicle, such as the attention zone and the alert zone, are set at different regions depending upon distances from the user's vehicle … alert display items are the attention mark 27 and letters 29 of “Hit the Brakes”. With such a display, the driver can intuitively recognize that the target vehicle approaches the user's vehicle by a positon where the target vehicle is likely to come in contact with the user's vehicle.”)
Regarding claim 3, Li discloses in the second threshold-value setting processing, the circuit: superimposes, on the camera image, a horizontal line passing through the designated position in the camera image; (Figs. 3-8; Paragraph 84: “the informing processor 15 superimposes the image of the target vehicle on the image of the nearby surroundings of the user's vehicle for display. In this way, the notification information based on the determination results generated by the distance state calculator 13 is provided by the informing device 16.”; Paragraph 100: “The range of distance L1 and the range of distance L2 correspond predetermined threshold values of the distances set at the back of the user's vehicle. L1 defines the alert zone arranged at the back of the user's vehicle. L1+L2 defines the attention zone arranged at the back of the user's vehicle.”)
displays, on the display, the camera image on which the horizontal line has been superimposed as a line-superimposed image; (Figs. 3-8; Paragraph 84: “the informing processor 15 superimposes the image of the target vehicle on the image of the nearby surroundings of the user's vehicle for display. In this way, the notification information based on the determination results generated by the distance state calculator 13 is provided by the informing device 16.”; Paragraph 100: “The range of distance L1 and the range of distance L2 correspond predetermined threshold values of the distances set at the back of the user's vehicle. L1 defines the alert zone arranged at the back of the user's vehicle. L1+L2 defines the attention zone arranged at the back of the user's vehicle.”) and
sets the designated position as the threshold value in accordance with a determination operation performed by the user based on the line-superimposed image displayed. (Figs. 3-8 and Paragraph 93: “FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram illustrating the ranges of distance in each of which a notification of the approach of another vehicle is to be provided.”; Paragraphs 107-110: “The distance thresholds H, L1, L2 are predetermined by the distance state calculator 13 using the lane width A, and may be set to any values by the driver. … the distance state calculator 13 may dynamically change the distance thresholds H, L1, L2 in accordance with a traveling scene or a traveling situation of the user's vehicle. … the distance thresholds L1, L2 set at the back of the user's vehicle can be classified into the following three pairs of values: a pair of values L1n, L2n for close distances from the user's vehicle, a pair of values L1m, L2m for intermediate distances from the user's vehicle, and a pair of values L1f, L2f for far distances from the user's vehicle. the distance thresholds L1, L2 can be changed into one of the pair of L1f and L2f, the pair of L1m and L2m, and the pair of L1f and L2f in accordance with the traveling scene or the traveling situation of the user's vehicle.”)
Regarding claim 4, Li discloses in the second threshold-value setting processing, the circuit: displays the camera image on the display without superimposing any object on the camera image that shows the other vehicle; (Fig. 15 and Paragraph 182: “FIG. 15 is a diagram illustrating an exemplary display of the ranges of distance set at both sides of, in front of and at the back of the user's vehicle.”) and sets, as the threshold value, a vertical position of the other vehicle shown in a frame selected according to a selection operation by the user from among a plurality of frames included in the camera image that shows the other vehicle. (Figs. 6-8 and 15 ; Paragraph 182: “In FIG. 15, an area A is a region including the attention zone defined by the threshold lines 18a, 19a at the left side of the user's vehicle, and an area B is a region including the attention zone defined by the threshold lines 18b, 19b at the right side of the user's vehicle. A zone C corresponds to the attention zone defined by the threshold lines 22b, 23b in front of the user's vehicle, and a zone D corresponds to the attention zone defined by the threshold lines 22a, 23a at the back of the user's vehicle. A zone E corresponds to the alert zone defined by the threshold lines 19a, 19b, 23a, 23b.”; Paragraph 136-138: “As shown in FIG. 8, the image 16C of the nearby surroundings of the user's vehicle shows a combination of the attention zone and alert zone shown in FIG. 6 and the attention zone and alert zone shown in FIG. 7. … The threshold lines shown in FIGS. 6 to 8 may be displayed at a prescribed small scale corresponding to actual distances of the real world. … The moving object around the user's vehicle is continuously displayed by the icon corresponding to the type of the moving object.”)
Regarding claim 5, Li discloses when the selection operation is performed by the user, the circuit superimposes a confirmation icon on a position targeted for superimposition in a base image that does not show the other vehicle, (Paragraph 47: “Each of the camera and the infrared camera has an area for imaging that includes part of the surroundings of the user's vehicle and nearby areas at both sides of the user's vehicle, and obtains image information indicating the nearby surroundings of a user's vehicle.”; Paragraph 65: “the informing processor 15 may use a pre-provided image without relying on a type of moving object.”) and
displays, on the display, the base image on which the confirmation icon has been superimposed as a confirmation image, the position targeted for superimposition is a same position as the vertical position of the other vehicle shown in the frame selected according to the selection operation, (Paragraph 83: “the informing processor 15 generates the image of the nearby surroundings of the user's vehicle including the images of the user's vehicle and the threshold lines defining at least one of the ranges of distance, and causes the display of the informing device 16 to display the image of the nearby surroundings of the user's vehicle”) the confirmation icon has a size appropriate to the position targeted for superimposition and has a shape imitating a shape of the other vehicle, (Figs 2-12; Paragraphs 60-64: “ the vehicle type identifier 14 matches image information indicating the moving object received from the vehicle detector 11, against pre-provided shape patterns of moving objects, thus identifying the type of the moving object, and transmits an object type identification result to the informing processor 15. As types of moving object, a normal-sized vehicle such as a sedan and a Sport Utility Vehicle (SUV), a large-sized vehicle such as a truck and a bus, a small-sized vehicle such as a motorcycle and a bicycle, a human being, and an animal are exemplified … the informing processor 15 selects, as an image to be displayed, the image of the moving object corresponding to the type of the moving object identified by the vehicle type identifier 14 from among pre-provided images of moving objects for each type”) and the circuit sets the vertical position of the other vehicle as the threshold value in accordance with a determination operation performed by the user based on the confirmation image displayed. (Figs. 2-12 and 15 and Paragraph 182: “FIG. 15 is a diagram illustrating an exemplary display of the ranges of distance set at both sides of, in front of and at the back of the user's vehicle. In FIG. 15, an area A is a region including the attention zone defined by the threshold lines 18a, 19a at the left side of the user's vehicle, and an area B is a region including the attention zone defined by the threshold lines 18b, 19b at the right side of the user's vehicle. A zone C corresponds to the attention zone defined by the threshold lines 22b, 23b in front of the user's vehicle, and a zone D corresponds to the attention zone defined by the threshold lines 22a, 23a at the back of the user's vehicle. A zone E corresponds to the alert zone defined by the threshold lines 19a, 19b, 23a, 23b.”)
Regarding claim 6, Li discloses when the other vehicle is not detected, the circuit further records the camera image as a recorded image, the icon-superimposed image is an image obtained by superimposing the icon generated on the camera image obtained by current image capturing with the camera, (Figs. 2-12; Paragraph 83-84: “Step ST4, the informing processor 15 generates the image of the nearby surroundings of the user's vehicle including the images of the user's vehicle and the threshold lines defining at least one of the ranges of distance, and causes the display of the informing device 16 to display the image of the nearby surroundings of the user's vehicle. … When the informing processor 15 receives the traveling state of the target vehicle acquired by the distance state calculator 13 and the type of the target vehicle identified by the vehicle type identifier 14, the informing processor 15 superimposes the image of the target vehicle on the image of the nearby surroundings of the user's vehicle for display.”) and
in the second threshold-value setting processing, the circuit: superimposes the icon generated, on the designated position in the recorded image recorded in the past; (Paragraph 84: “the informing processor 15 superimposes the image of the target vehicle on the image of the nearby surroundings of the user's vehicle for display”; Paragraph 140-141: “Correspondences between the types of moving objects and the icons may be set by a user. since the moving object is displayed by the icon set by the user himself/herself, he/she can more easily recognize the type of the moving object that is approaching to the user's vehicle.”)
displays, on the display, the recorded image on which the icon has been superimposed as an icon-superimposed recorded image; (Paragraph 84-88: “When the informing processor 15 receives the traveling state of the target vehicle acquired by the distance state calculator 13 and the type of the target vehicle identified by the vehicle type identifier 14, the informing processor 15 superimposes the image of the target vehicle on the image of the nearby surroundings of the user's vehicle for display. … Further, when the display displays, as the image of the target vehicle, an icon corresponding to the type of the target vehicle identified by the vehicle type identifier 14, the driver can intuitively recognize the target vehicle. The processes in Steps ST1 to ST4 are consecutively and repeatedly executed.”) and
sets the designated position as the threshold value in accordance with a determination operation performed by the user based on the icon-superimposed recorded image displayed. (Figs. 2-12 and Paragraph 158-164: “As shown in FIG. 12, when the target vehicle passes across the threshold line 19b, the informing processor 15 changes both the color of the alert zone and the color the icon 20 indicating the target vehicle which has moved into the alert zone, from the default color into an alert color which is red. …. the ranges of distance from the user's vehicle, such as the attention zone and the alert zone, are set at different regions depending upon distances from the user's vehicle … alert display items are the attention mark 27 and letters 29 of “Hit the Brakes”. With such a display, the driver can intuitively recognize that the target vehicle approaches the user's vehicle by a positon where the target vehicle is likely to come in contact with the user's vehicle.”; Paragraph 93: “FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram illustrating the ranges of distance in each of which a notification of the approach of another vehicle is to be provided.”; Paragraphs 107-110; Paragraph 147)
Regarding claim 7, Li discloses the circuit further: performs distance conversion processing for converting a vertical position of the other vehicle shown in the camera image into a vehicle-to-vehicle distance from the vehicle to the other vehicle; (Paragraph 81: “In Step ST3, the distance state calculator 13 performs a calculation on the basis of the measurement information obtained by the distance determiner 12 to thereby acquire the positional relationship between the moving object and the one or more ranges of distance from the user's vehicle in each of which a notification of the approach of the moving object to the user's vehicle is to be provided.”) and records a plurality of frames included in the camera image, when recording the plurality of frames, the circuit records, for each of a plurality of set distances defined in advance, a frame that corresponds to the vehicle-to-vehicle distance equal to the set distance, (Paragraphs 82-83: “When the moving object is another target vehicle other than the user's vehicle, the distance state calculator 13 determines, as a traveling state of the target vehicle, a positional relationship as to whether the target vehicle moves into the range of distance. This determination process will be explained later in detail with reference to FIGS. 3 to 8 … In Step ST4, the informing processor 15 generates the image of the nearby surroundings of the user's vehicle including the images of the user's vehicle and the threshold lines defining at least one of the ranges of distance, and causes the display of the informing device 16 to display the image of the nearby surroundings of the user's vehicle.”) and in the second threshold-value setting processing, the circuit: displays the plurality of frames recorded on the display in association with the plurality of set distances, respectively; and sets, as the threshold value, the vertical position of the other vehicle shown in a frame selected by a selection operation by a user from among the plurality of frames displayed. (Paragraphs 99-110 : “In FIG. 3, a lane width A is a width of the lane on which the user's vehicle is traveling. An inter-vehicle distance B is a distance between the user's vehicle and another vehicle behind the user's vehicle. … The range of distance L1 and the range of distance L2 correspond predetermined threshold values of the distances set at the back of the user's vehicle. L1 defines the alert zone arranged at the back of the user's vehicle. L1+L2 defines the attention zone arranged at the back of the user's vehicle. … the distance state calculator 13 may dynamically change the distance thresholds H, L1, L2 in accordance with a traveling scene or a traveling situation of the user's vehicle. … the distance thresholds L1, L2 set at the back of the user's vehicle can be classified into the following three pairs of values: a pair of values L1n, L2n for close distances from the user's vehicle, a pair of values L1m, L2m for intermediate distances from the user's vehicle, and a pair of values L1f, L2f for far distances from the user's vehicle. The distance thresholds L1, L2 can be changed into one of the pair of L1f and L2f, the pair of L1m and L2m, and the pair of L1f and L2f in accordance with the traveling scene or the traveling situation of the user's vehicle.”; Paragraphs 130-133)
Regarding claim 8, Li discloses a threshold-value setting method (Paragraph 1: “a driving support apparatus and driving support method for informing a driver of the approach of a moving object to a user's vehicle”) for setting a threshold value that corresponds to a predetermined distance from a vehicle in order to give the vehicle a warning about a warning object approaching within a distance less than the predetermined distance, Figs. 3-4 and 10-12 and Paragraph 161: “When the target vehicle moves into one or more ranges of the ranges of distance, the informing processor 15 changes the display colors of the one or more ranges of distance or the display colors of both the image of the target vehicle and the one or more ranges of distance, in a manner that the display color of the alert zone which is a close range of distance from the user's vehicle is different from the display color of the attention zone which is a far range of distance from the user's vehicle. … the informing processor 15 causes an alert display item to appear near the icon 17 indicating the user's vehicle in the image 16A of the nearby surroundings of the user's vehicle. The alert display item can be freely selected under the condition that the alert display item can alert the driver that the driving maneuver to avoid the approach of the target vehicle to the user's vehicle is required. For example, alert display items are the attention mark 27 and letters 29 of “Hit the Brakes”. With such a display, the driver can intuitively recognize that the target vehicle approaches the user's vehicle by a positon where the target vehicle is likely to come in contact with the user's vehicle.”) the threshold-value setting method comprising:
acquiring a designated position in accordance with an operation by a user, (Figs. 3-4 and Paragraph 58: “as setting information for the distance state calculator 13, distance thresholds, which define the range of distance from the user's vehicle in which a notification of approach of the moving object is to be provided, are set in advance for both sides of, in front of and at the back of the user's vehicle”; Paragraph 107: “The distance thresholds H, L1, L2 are predetermined by the distance state calculator 13 using the lane width A, and may be set to any values by the driver”) the designated position being a vertical position in a camera image obtained by image capturing of surroundings of the vehicle with a camera provided to the vehicle; (Figs. 3-4; Paragraphs 45-59: “the information collector 10 can be implemented, for example, using any of devices: imaging devices such as a camera and an infrared camera, … Each of the camera and the infrared camera has an area for imaging that includes part of the surroundings of the user's vehicle and nearby areas at both sides of the user's vehicle, and obtains image information indicating the nearby surroundings of a user's vehicle. … the vehicle detector 11 performs image analysis on a captured image of the nearby surroundings of a user's vehicle thereby to identify or detect an object as a moving object such as another vehicle traveling in front of, at the back of the user's vehicle is traveling, … The distance state calculator 13 calculates the positional relationship indicating whether the moving object around the user's vehicle moves into the range of distance, on the basis of the distance between the user's vehicle and the moving object, which is measured by the distance determiner 12”; Paragraph 100: “A distance threshold H is a predetermined threshold value of the distance set at the left side of the user's vehicle. The distance threshold H defines the alert zone arranged at the left side of the user's vehicle. The range of distance L1 and the range of distance L2 correspond predetermined threshold values of the distances set at the back of the user's vehicle. L1 defines the alert zone arranged at the back of the user's vehicle. L1+L2 defines the attention zone arranged at the back of the user's vehicle”)
generating an icon having a size appropriate to the designated position and having a shape imitating a shape of the warning object; (Figs.6-12 ; Paragraph 120-121: “FIG. 6 illustrates the image of the nearby surroundings of a user's vehicle including the images of the user's vehicle and threshold lines arranged at the sides of the user's vehicle … In the image 16A of the nearby surroundings of the user's vehicle as shown in FIG. 6, an icon 17 indicating the user's vehicle is located at the center of the image. At both sides of the icon 17 indicating the user's vehicle, a plurality of the threshold lines 18a, 19a, 18b, 19b is displayed … Moreover, in the image 16A of the nearby surroundings of the user's vehicle, icons 20, 21 indicating target vehicles as moving objects around the user's vehicle are displayed”; Paragraphs 164-167: “The alert display item can be freely selected under the condition that the alert display item can alert the driver that the driving maneuver to avoid the approach of the target vehicle to the user's vehicle is required. For example, alert display items are the attention mark 27 and letters 29 of “Hit the Brakes” … With such a display, the driver can intuitively recognize how close the target vehicle is to the user's vehicle, on the basis of the contents of the mark and the displayed letters.)
superimposing the icon generated, on the designated position in the camera image; displaying, on a display, the camera image on which the icon has been superimposed as an icon-superimposed image; (Figs. 10-12 and Paragraph 84: “When the informing processor 15 receives the traveling state of the target vehicle acquired by the distance state calculator 13 and the type of the target vehicle identified by the vehicle type identifier 14, the informing processor 15 superimposes the image of the target vehicle on the image of the nearby surroundings of the user's vehicle for display.”; Paragraph 146: “as shown in FIG. 10, even in the case of the safe state, the icons 20, 21 indicating other target vehicles detected around the user's vehicle may be displayed to appear in the image 16A of the nearby surroundings of the user's vehicle.”; Paragraph 150-152: “as shown in FIG. 11, when the target vehicle moves into the attention zone arranged at the right side of the user's vehicle, the informing processor 15 changes both the color of the icon 20 indicating the target vehicle that has moved into the attention zone and the color of the right-hand region including this attention zone, into an attention-drawing color … the display items are an attention mark 27 and letters 28 of “Caution”. In FIG. 11, the display items are arranged in front of and in the traveling direction of the user's vehicle.”; Paragraph 158-164: “As shown in FIG. 12, when the target vehicle passes across the threshold line 19b, the informing processor 15 changes both the color of the alert zone and the color the icon 20 indicating the target vehicle which has moved into the alert zone, from the default color into an alert color which is red. …. alert display items are the attention mark 27 and letters 29 of “Hit the Brakes”. With such a display, the driver can intuitively recognize that the target vehicle approaches the user's vehicle by a positon where the target vehicle is likely to come in contact with the user's vehicle.”; Paragraph 84: “When the informing processor 15 receives the traveling state of the target vehicle acquired by the distance state calculator 13 and the type of the target vehicle identified by the vehicle type identifier 14, the informing processor 15 superimposes the image of the target vehicle on the image of the nearby surroundings of the user's vehicle for display.”) and
setting the designated position as the threshold value in accordance with a determination operation performed by the user based on the icon-superimposed image displayed. (Figs. 3-4 and 10-12; Paragraph 108-110: “the distance state calculator 13 may dynamically change the distance thresholds H, L1, L2 in accordance with a traveling scene or a traveling situation of the user's vehicle. … the distance thresholds L1, L2 set at the back of the user's vehicle can be classified into the following three pairs of values: a pair of values L1n, L2n for close distances from the user's vehicle, a pair of values L1m, L2m for intermediate distances from the user's vehicle, and a pair of values L1f, L2f for far distances from the user's vehicle. the distance thresholds L1, L2 can be changed into one of the pair of L1f and L2f, the pair of L1m and L2m, and the pair of L1f and L2f in accordance with the traveling scene or the traveling situation of the user's vehicle.”; Paragraph 147: “the positional relationship between each zone set for the user's vehicle and the target vehicle is updated in real-time by using consecutively calculated positional relationship acquired by the distance state calculator 13.”; Paragraph 160: “the ranges of distance from the user's vehicle, such as the attention zone and the alert zone, are set at different regions depending upon distances from the user's vehicle.”)
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Kiyohara et al (U.S. 20120327236 A1), “Vehicle Periphery Monitoring System”, teaches about A vehicle periphery monitoring system determines whether an observation object is a pedestrian relatively approaching the vehicle to which the monitoring system is installed based on a change rate of a size of an observation object image between a plurality of captured images captured at different time points by the onboard camera, and presence or absence of deformation of the image of the observation object between the captured images.
Takatsudo et al (U.S. 20140226015 A1), “Apparatus for Monitoring Surrounding of Vehicle”, teaches about an apparatus for monitoring the surroundings of a vehicle is provided with a second display unit that visually represents information on the presence of monitored objects by the display or lack of display of marks. When at least one monitored object is detected in a picked-up image, the marks are displayed in different forms in accordance with the hazard the monitored object poses to the vehicle.
Hayasaka et al (U.S. 20160321920 A1), Vehicle Surrounding Monitoring Device”, teaches about a vehicle surroundings monitoring device includes an image data acquisition unit that acquires image data of the exterior of the host vehicle; an object detection unit that detects an object outside the host vehicle; a vehicle speed detection unit that detects a vehicle speed of the host vehicle; an overhead view display image generation unit that generates an overhead view display image of the surroundings of the host vehicle based on the first overhead view display image data and the second overhead view display image data; and a display unit that displays the overhead view display image. When the vehicle speed is equal to or lower than a threshold value, the overhead view display image generation unit generates an imaged image in which the icon is displayed at the position corresponding to the object as the overhead view display image, When the vehicle speed exceeds the threshold value, the overhead view display image generation unit generates an icon display image in which the icon is displayed at the position corresponding to the object as the overhead view display image. Though the overhead view display image displayed on the display is switched between the imaged image and the icon display image according to the change of the vehicle speed, the icon representing the object can continuously be displayed.
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/DUY TRAN/ Examiner, Art Unit 2674
/ONEAL R MISTRY/ Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2674
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