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 1-4, 6-7, 10-12 and 14-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Wan et al. (2025/0121844).
Regarding claim 1, Wan discloses a heading determination system for determining heading of a vehicle (see abstract, fig.1, element 102 and its description), the heading determination system comprising: a connection module configured to receive device heading information from a user device, wherein the device heading information indicates a direction of movement of the user device (see abstractfig.1, elements 114, 102, fig.2, elements 202, 208/102, paragraphs [0011], [0030] and its description); a movement determination module configured to, based on location information of the user device measured by the vehicle, determine a relative device movement, wherein the relative device movement indicates a direction of movement of the user device relative to the vehicle (see abstract, fig.1, elements 114, 102, fig.2, element 210/102, paragraphs [0023], [0030-0031] and its description); and a localization module configured to: determine the heading of the vehicle based on the device heading information and the relative device movement, and transmit the heading of the vehicle to a control module of the vehicle to perform an action (see abstract, fig.1, elements 114, 102, fig.2, elements 212/102, 216/102, paragraphs [0023], [0030-0032], [0044] and its description).
Regarding claim 2, Wan further discloses wherein: the device heading information is defined with respect to at least one of magnetic north and true north (see fig.1, element 114, paragraphs [0021-0022] and its description); and the heading of the vehicle is defined with respect to at least one of the magnetic north and the true north (see fig.1, element 102, paragraphs [0021-0023] and its description).
Regarding claim 3, Wan further discloses wherein: the relative device movement of the user device includes a current zone of a plurality of zones around the vehicle; and the current zone indicates an area outside of the vehicle that the user device is located within (see fig.1, element 104, paragraph [0018] and its description).
Regarding claim 4, Wan further discloses wherein zones of the plurality of zones are at least one of: non-overlapping; or sectors of a circle having a center at a point of the vehicle (see paragraph [0019]).
Regarding claim 6, Wan further discloses the location information includes a plurality of user device locations at a corresponding plurality of times (see paragraph [0011]); and the device heading information includes a plurality of user device headings at the corresponding plurality of times (see fig.1, element 114, paragraphs [0011], [0021-0022] and its description).
Regarding claim 7, Wan further discloses wherein the relative device movement is an angle of movement of the user device relative to a specified axis of the vehicle (see fig.1, element 114, paragraphs [0021-0022] and its description).
Regarding claim 10, Wan further discloses wherein the connection module includes a Bluetooth transceiver configured to receive the device heading information from the user device (see fig.2, element 208, paragraphs [0029-0030] and its description).
Regarding claim 11, Wan further discloses wherein the location information of the user device is measured by radio frequency communication between the user device and a transceiver of the vehicle (see fig.2, elements 202. 208, paragraphs [0021], [0029-0030] and its description).
Regarding claim 12, Wan further discloses wherein the transceiver includes an ultra-wideband transceiver (see fig.2, element 208, paragraphs [0029-0030] and its description).
Regarding claim 14, Wan further discloses wherein the movement determination module is configured to determine the relative device movement based on radio frequency communications between the user device and a corresponding plurality of transceivers of the vehicle (see fig.2, elements 202, 208, paragraphs [0029-0030] and its description).
Regarding claim 15, The navigation module is well-known in vehicle wherein the control module includes at least one of: a navigation module configured to determine a navigation path for the vehicle based on the heading of the vehicle; or an autonomous driving module configured to plan a driving path for the vehicle based on the heading of the vehicle.
Regarding claim 16, Wan further discloses wherein the localization module is configured to determine the heading of the vehicle based on (i) an orientation of the vehicle relative to a fixed beacon and (ii) a known position of the fixed beacon (see abstract, fig.1, elements 114, 102, fig.2, elements 212/102, 216/102, paragraphs [0023], [0030-0032], [0044] and its description)
Regarding claims 17 and 19 recite limitations substantially similar to claim 1. Therefore, these claims were rejected for similar reasons as stated above.
Regarding claim 18, Wan further discloses wherein the relative device movement includes at least one of: a current zone of a plurality of zones around the vehicle; or an angle of movement of the user device relative to an axis of the vehicle (see fig.1, element 104, paragraph [0018] and its description).
Regarding claim 20, Wan further discloses wherein the instructions include trilateration at least two locations of the user device at two times relative to the vehicle to determine the direction of movement of the user device (see fig.1, element 114, paragraphs [0021-0023] and its description).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 5, 8-9 and 13 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
Prosecution Insights