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 .
In the response to this Office Action, the Examiner respectfully requests that support be shown for language added to any original claims on amendment and any new claims. That is, indicate support for newly added claim language by specifically pointing to page(s) and line numbers in the specification and/or drawing figure(s). This will assist the Examiner in prosecuting this application.
Election/Restrictions
Applicant's election with traverse of Species I and II in the reply filed on 04/17/2026 is acknowledged, and is found persuasive. Therefore, the restriction requirement of 02/19/2026 is withdrawn.
Applicant timely traversed the restriction (election) requirement in the reply filed on 04/17/2026.
Double Patenting
The nonstatutory double patenting rejection is based on a judicially created doctrine grounded in public policy (a policy reflected in the statute) so as to prevent the unjustified or improper timewise extension of the “right to exclude” granted by a patent and to prevent possible harassment by multiple assignees. A nonstatutory double patenting rejection is appropriate where the claims at issue are not identical, but at least one examined application claim is not patentably distinct from the reference claim(s) because the examined application claim is either anticipated by, or would have been obvious over, the reference claim(s). See, e.g., In re Berg, 140 F.3d 1428, 46 USPQ2d 1226 (Fed. Cir. 1998); In re Goodman, 11 F.3d 1046, 29 USPQ2d 2010 (Fed. Cir. 1993); In re Longi, 759 F.2d 887, 225 USPQ 645 (Fed. Cir. 1985); In re Van Ornum, 686 F.2d 937, 214 USPQ 761 (CCPA 1982); In re Vogel, 422 F.2d 438, 164 USPQ 619 (CCPA 1970); and In re Thorington, 418 F.2d 528, 163 USPQ 644 (CCPA 1969).
A timely filed terminal disclaimer in compliance with 37 CFR 1.321(c) or 1.321(d) may be used to overcome an actual or provisional rejection based on a nonstatutory double patenting ground provided the reference application or patent either is shown to be commonly owned with this application, or claims an invention made as a result of activities undertaken within the scope of a joint research agreement. A terminal disclaimer must be signed in compliance with 37 CFR 1.321(b).
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Claims 27-49 are rejected on the ground of nonstatutory double patenting as being unpatentable over claims 1-26 of U.S. Patent 11,858,504 B2. Although the claims at issue are not identical, they are not patentably distinct from each other.
The following is an example for comparing claim 27 of this application and claim 1 of U.S. Patent 11,858,504 B2:
Claim 27 of this application
Claim 1 of U.S. Patent 11,858,504 B2
27. A navigation system for a host vehicle, the navigation system comprising:
at least one processor comprising circuitry and having access to at least one memory, wherein the at least one memory includes instructions that when executed by the circuitry cause the at least one processor to:
receive a first signature encoding generated by a first trained model, the first trained model being implemented by at least one first processor associated with a first camera onboard the host vehicle, the first signature encoding being representative of a first image captured by the first camera;
receive a second signature encoding generated by a second trained model, the second trained model being implemented by at least one second processor associated with a second camera onboard the host vehicle, the second signature encoding being representative of a second image captured by the second camera;
input the first signature encoding and the second signature encoding into a third trained model,
wherein the third trained model is configured to determine a location of an object represented in the first image and the second image based on at least the first signature encoding and the second signature encoding; and
receive an indicator of the location of the object determined by the third trained model.
1. A navigation system for a host vehicle, the navigation system comprising:
at least one processor comprising circuitry and having access to at least one memory, wherein the at least one memory includes instructions that when executed by the circuitry cause the at least one processor to:
receive a first image acquired by a first camera onboard the host vehicle, the first image having been acquired from an environment of the host vehicle;
receive a second image acquired by a second camera onboard the host vehicle, the second image having been acquired from the environment of the host vehicle;
identify a first representation of an object in the first image and a second representation of the object in the second image; input to a first trained model at least a portion of the first image, where the at least a portion of the first image includes at least a portion of the first representation of the object, and wherein the first trained model is configured to determine a first signature encoding using at least the first representation of the object; input to a second trained model at least a portion of the second image, wherein the at least a portion of the second image includes at least a portion of the second representation of the object, and wherein the second trained model is configured to determine a second signature encoding using at least the second representation of the object;
receive the first signature encoding determined by the first trained model;
receive the second signature encoding determined by the second trained model;
input to a third trained model the first signature encoding and the second signature encoding, wherein the third trained model is configured to determine a location of the object within the environment of the host vehicle based on at least the first signature encoding and the second signature encoding; and
receive an indicator of the location of the object determined by the third trained model.
The limitations of claim 27 of current application are broader and are therefore anticipated by those found in claim 1 of U.S. Patent 11,858,504 B2.
Claims 28-49 are similarly rejected on the ground of nonstatutory double patenting as being unpatentable over claims 1-26 of U.S. Patent 11,858,504 B2. Although the claims at issue are not identical, they are not patentably distinct from each other.
EXAMINER’S NOTE
The claims are allowable over prior art, and will be allowed once double patenting rejection is resolved.
U.S. Patent Application Publication 2017/0010616 A1 to Shashua et al. discloses an autonomous vehicle, comprising: a body; and a non-transitory computer-readable medium including a sparse map for autonomous vehicle navigation along a road segment, the sparse map comprising: a polynomial representation of a target trajectory for the autonomous vehicle along the road segment; and a plurality of predetermined landmarks associated with the road segment, wherein the plurality of predetermined landmarks are spaced apart by at least 50 meters, and wherein the sparse map has a data density of no more than 1 megabyte per kilometer; and a processor configured to execute data included in the sparse map for providing autonomous vehicle navigation along the road segment.
U.S. Patent Application Publication 2021/0101616 A1 to Hayat et al. discloses a system for identifying objects in an environment of a host vehicle that comprises at least one processor. The processor may be programmed to receive, from an image capture device, an image representative of the environment of the host vehicle and analyze the image to detect objects represented in the image. The processor may compare position information for the objects to location information for mapped objects represented a navigational map segment to determine a first estimated position of the host vehicle. The processor may further provide the image and an identifier associated with the map segment to a trained system and receive a second estimated position of the host vehicle. The processor may determine a navigational action based on a combination of the first and second estimated positions and cause the host vehicle to implement the determined navigational action.
However, none of the above teach or fairly suggest the navigation system and associated with it the method as claimed.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ABHISHEK SARMA whose telephone number is (571)272-9887. The examiner can normally be reached on Mon - Fri 8:00-5:00.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Amr Awad can be reached on 571-272-7764. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/ABHISHEK SARMA/
Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2621
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