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 .
Status of Claims
Claims 1-20 of U.S. Application No. 18/664,698 filed on 05/15/2024 were examined. Examiner filed a non-final office action on 08/22/2025.
Applicant field remarks and amendments on 11/08/2025. Claims 1 and 11 were amened. Claims 1-20 are pending examination.
Response to Arguments
Regarding the claim rejections under 35 USC 102: Applicant's arguments filed 11/08/2025 with respect to Tong Xiao-ming et al. (CN113954600B) have been fully considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on any reference applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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 35 U.S.C. 103 which forms the basis for all obviousness rejections set forth in this Office action:
A patent for a claimed invention may not be obtained, notwithstanding that the claimed invention is not identically disclosed as set forth in section 102, if the differences between the claimed invention and the prior art are such that the claimed invention as a whole would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to which the claimed invention pertains. Patentability shall not be negated by the manner in which the invention was made.
Claims 1-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Tong Xiao-ming et al. (CN113954600B) in view of Wu (CN118201149A), hereinafter referred to as Tong Xiao-ming and Wu respectively.
Regarding claims 1 and 11, Tong Xiao-ming discloses A system comprising: data processing hardware (“As shown in fig. 1, the apparatus may include: a processor 1001, such as a CPU, a communication bus 1002, a user interface 1003, a network interface 1004, and a memory 1005.” [ Pg.5 Par.2]);
and memory hardware in communication with the data processing hardware(“As shown in fig. 1, the apparatus may include: a processor 1001, such as a CPU, a communication bus 1002, a user interface 1003, a network interface 1004, and a memory 1005.” [ Pg.5 Par.2]),
the memory hardware storing instructions that when executed on the data processing hardware cause the data processing hardware to perform operations comprising: detecting that a vehicle is parked in an unenclosed location (“the system can be started to detect vehicle icing in a parking state” [ Pg.7 Par.10]);
receiving sensor data for the vehicle, the sensor data indicating a current environment of the vehicle and a predicted environment of the vehicle (“the current vehicle is powered down in parking, the ambient temperature is the temperature outside the vehicle in the environment where the current vehicle is located, and the ambient temperature can be generally obtained through a vehicle-mounted temperature sensor, and of course, the information of the ambient temperature can also be obtained through other mobile devices and then transmitted back to the current vehicle, the weather forecast is weather forecast information of the area where the current vehicle is located for a period of time in the future, and the icing early warning system can be determined to be turned on or turned off through the ambient temperature and the weather forecast, and is a preset system for pre-estimating the icing condition of the vehicle and real-time early warning when the icing trend exists.” [ Pg.6 Par.13]);
determining, based on the sensor data, whether ice prevention for the vehicle is needed to prevent ice from forming on the vehicle (“and the icing early warning system can be determined to be turned on or turned off through the ambient temperature and the weather forecast, and is a preset system for pre-estimating the icing condition of the vehicle and real-time early warning when the icing trend exists.” [ Pg.6 Par.13]);
and when ice prevention for the vehicle is needed: determining whether a power source of the vehicle exceeds a threshold (“when the current vehicle is powered down in a parking mode, the icing early-warning system is determined to be started or closed according to the ambient temperature and weather forecast[ Pg.6 Par.18]);
executing an ice mitigation model to generate an ice mitigation strategy for the vehicle, (“when the current vehicle is powered down in a parking mode, the icing early-warning system is determined to be started or closed according to the ambient temperature and weather forecast;
after the icing early warning system is started, adjusting the detection strategy of the environmental temperature according to the rainwater condition, detecting the icing condition of the vehicle according to the adjusted detection strategy, and remotely early warning a user after the vehicle is froze[ Pg.10 Par.4-5]);
and initiating the ice mitigation strategy for the vehicle while the vehicle is parked (“when the current vehicle is powered down in a parking mode, the icing early-warning system is determined to be started[ Pg.10 Par.4]).
Tong Xiao-ming does not explicitly teach the ice mitigation strategy comprising automatically initiating, without user intervention, one or more physical actions to prevent ice from forming on the vehicle.
However, Wu does teach the ice mitigation strategy comprising automatically initiating, without user intervention, one or more physical actions to prevent ice from forming on the vehicle (“In the embodiment of the present application, a handlebar heating device and a temperature sensing device are provided in the smart vehicle, and the temperature sensing device can automatically monitor the temperature of the handlebar in the smart vehicle and determine whether the handlebar meets the thawing condition based auto on the size relationship between the temperature and the first temperature threshold. If the temperature meets the condition, the handlebar heating device automatically auto heats the handlebar to quickly thaw the handlebar, ensuring that the handlebar can be easily opened when the user uses the vehicle, making it convenient for the user to travel.” [Pg.5 Par.9]). Both Tong Xiao-ming and Wu teach methods for determining and communicating work machine stability during different modes of operation. However, Wu explicitly teaches the ice mitigation strategy comprising automatically initiating, without user intervention, one or more physical actions to prevent ice from forming on the vehicle.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the stability monitoring method of Tong Xiao-ming to also include the ice mitigation strategy comprising automatically initiating, without user intervention, one or more physical actions to prevent ice from forming on the vehicle, as taught by Wu, with a reasonable expectation of success. Doing so improves methods of preventing ice formation on a vehicle (With regard to this reasoning, see at least [Wu, Pg.5]).
Regarding claims 2 and 12, Tong Xiao-ming discloses The system of Claim 11, wherein the operations further comprise, after determining that ice prevention for the vehicle is needed, generating, for output to a user of the vehicle, a notification indicating that ice prevention for the vehicle is needed (“after the icing early warning system is started, adjusting the detection strategy of the environmental temperature according to the rainwater condition, detecting the icing condition of the vehicle according to the adjusted detection strategy, and remotely early warning a user after the vehicle is froze[ Pg.10 Par.5]).
Regarding claims 3 and 13, Tong Xiao-ming discloses The system of Claim 12, wherein the notification is displayed on a screen of a user device in communication with the data processing hardware (“The user interface 1003 may include a Display, an input unit such as a Keyboard (Keyboard), and the optional user interface 1003 may further include a standard wired interface, a wireless interface.” [ Pg.5 Par.2]).
Regarding claims 4 and 14, Tong Xiao-ming discloses The system of Claim 12, wherein the notification is displayed on a user interface of the vehicle (“As shown in fig. 1, an operating system, a network communication module, a user interface module, and a vehicle parking and icing early warning warm-up program may be included in the memory 1005 as one type of storage medium.” [ Pg.5 Par.4]).
Regarding claims 5 and 15, Tong Xiao-ming discloses The system of Claim 11, wherein the sensor data for the vehicle comprises one or more of: an outside temperature; a cabin temperature of the vehicle; precipitation; cloud coverage; dew point; humidity; location; wind direction; and third party traffic data (“when the lowest temperature in the weather forecast is smaller than a preset lowest temperature threshold value and rain/snow exists” [ Pg.5 Par.13]).
Regarding claims 6 and 16, Tong Xiao-ming discloses The system of Claim 11, wherein the predicted environment of the vehicle comprises weather predictions for a location of the vehicle while the vehicle is parked (“the weather forecast is weather forecast information of the area where the current vehicle is located for a period of time in the future, and the icing early warning system can be determined to be turned on or turned off through the ambient temperature and the weather forecast, and is a preset system for pre-estimating the icing condition of the vehicle and real-time early warning when the icing trend exists.” Pg.6 Par.13]).
Regarding claims 7 and 17, Tong Xiao-ming discloses The system of Claim 11, wherein the ice mitigation strategy comprises cycling one or more of: windows of the vehicle; wiper blades of the vehicle; door handles of the vehicle; and a cover of the vehicle (“The invention mainly aims to provide a vehicle parking and icing early warning preheating method, device, equipment and storage medium, and aims to solve the technical problems that in the prior art, an open-air parked vehicle is easy to freeze in rainy and snowy days, ice and snow on window glass are cleaned through warm air of an air conditioner or a tool or boiled water is used for deicing, time and labor are wasted, and the vehicle is easy to damage.” [Pg.3 Par.4]).
Regarding claims 8 and 18, Tong Xiao-ming discloses The system of Claim 11, wherein executing the ice mitigation model to generate the ice mitigation strategy for the vehicle comprises receiving one or more of: a schedule of a user of the vehicle; a start time of precipitation for a location of the vehicle while the vehicle is parked; and an end time of the precipitation for the location of the vehicle while the vehicle is parked (“and remotely early warning a user after the vehicle is frozen; after a preheating instruction of a user is received, the current vehicle is controlled to start preheating according to the preheating instruction, the ambient temperature can be acquired through the adjusted icing condition of the detected vehicle and combined with weather forecast, the accuracy of judging the icing condition of the vehicle by the system is improved, after the icing of the vehicle is detected, early warning information is remotely sent to the user, the current vehicle is controlled to preheat according to the vehicle preheating instruction, the waiting time before the user uses the vehicle can be reduced,” [Pg.4 Par.16]).
Regarding claims 9 and 19, Tong Xiao-ming discloses The system of Claim 11, wherein executing the ice mitigation model to generate the ice mitigation strategy for the vehicle is based on determining that the power source of the vehicle exceeds the threshold (“after the icing early warning system is started, adjusting the detection strategy of the environmental temperature according to the rainwater condition, detecting the icing condition of the vehicle according to the adjusted detection strategy, and remotely early warning a user after the vehicle is frozen;
and after receiving a preheating instruction of a user, controlling the current vehicle to start preheating according to the preheating instruction” [Pg.4 Par.16]).
Regarding claims 10 and 20, Tong Xiao-ming discloses The system of Claim 11, wherein the operations further comprise, when the power source of the vehicle does not exceed the threshold, deferring execution of the ice mitigation model (“It should be appreciated that when the minimum temperature in the weather forecast is not less than the preset minimum temperature threshold, or there is no rain/snow, or the weather forecast cannot be obtained, that is, the condition for starting the icing early-warning system is not satisfied, the icing early-warning system is turned off.” [Pg.5 Par.8] and “when the ambient temperature is greater than or equal to a preset temperature, the icing early-warning system is closed until the next power-on of the vehicle” [Pg.5 Par.11]).
Conclusion
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
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AHMED ALKIRSHExaminer, Art Unit 3668
/Fadey S. Jabr/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3668
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