DETAILED ACTION
Responsive to the Request for Continued Examination (RCE) filed February 4, 2026. Claims 21-40 are pending. 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)(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 21-40 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Kentley et al (US 2017/0126810).
As per claim 21, Kentley et al teach a method for controlling an autonomous vehicle within an autonomous vehicle system having a plurality of autonomous vehicles, the method comprising:
at an autonomous vehicle (see at least fig 1):
initiating movement of the autonomous vehicle along a path; and as the autonomous vehicle travels along the path: detecting an event using a sensor array coupled to the autonomous vehicle (see at least paragraph [0058], fig 5), the sensor array comprising a plurality of sensor systems (see at least paragraph [0063]);
in response to detecting the event, adjusting a first movement of the autonomous vehicle in relationship to the event (see at least figs 5, 10, paragraphs [0060, 0077, 0074]; trajectory, speed, path, etc. is adjusted based on detected event/object). ;
interfacing with a server that is configured to monitor the autonomous vehicle and in response to interfacing with the server, adjusting a second movement of the autonomous vehicle (see at least figs 11, 12, paragraphs [0058-0060, 0086-0092]).
As per claim 22, Kentley et al teach wherein: the sensor array is a first sensor array; and the autonomous vehicle system further comprises a second sensor array positioned at a fixed location along the path (see at least paragraph [0057]).
As per claim 23, Kentley et al teach wherein the second sensor array is configured to transmit a signal in response to detecting presence of the autonomous vehicle at a particular location (see at least paragraph [0057]).
As per claim 24, Kentley et al teach wherein at least one of the first sensor array or the second sensor array includes: a LiDAR system; and a camera system (see at least paragraph [0063]).
As per claim 25, Kentley et al teach wherein: adjusting the first movement of the autonomous vehicle comprises changing a first speed of the autonomous vehicle; and adjusting the second movement of the autonomous vehicle comprises changing a second speed of the autonomous vehicle (see at least figs 5, 10, paragraphs [0060, 0077, 0074).
As per claim 26, Kentley et al teach wherein: the autonomous vehicle is a first autonomous vehicle; the event is a first event; and the method further comprises, at the first autonomous vehicle: receiving information associated with a second event from a second autonomous vehicle travelling within the autonomous vehicle system; and in response to the information associated with the second event, adjusting a third movement of the first autonomous vehicle (see at least paragraphs [0104, 0058, 0102]).
As per claim 27, Kentley et al teach wherein: the second autonomous vehicle comprises a third sensor array; and the information associated with the second event is detected by the third sensor array (see at least paragraphs [0056, 0063, 0069]).
Claims 28-40 contain similar limitations as the claims above and therefore are rejected under similar rationale.
Conclusion
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/RAMSEY REFAI/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3664