DETAILED ACTION
In response to communications filed 03/15/2024.
Claims 1-20 are pending for examination.
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
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 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)(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 1-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Vassilovski et al. (US 2023/0032903 A1) hereinafter “Vassilovski.”
Regarding Claim 1, Vassilovski teaches A management system (Vassilovski: paragraphs 0043, 0132 & Fig. 11, apparatus including a communication manager) comprising:
at least one memory storing instructions (Vassilovski: paragraphs 0133-0134 & Fig. 11, instructions stored in memory); and
at least one processor configured to execute the instructions to do management processing (Vassilovski: paragraphs 0133-0134 & Fig. 11, processor to execute instructions), the management processing includes:
evaluating a degree of influence (Vassilovski: paragraphs 0070, 0078, 0094, predictive assignment of one or more roadside units (RSUs) based on i.e. trajectory or speed of a UE, traffic conditions, weather conditions and/or the like) of a server switching process of switching a provision source server (Vassilovski: paragraphs 0077-0078 & 0084, assigning or switching UE from a sidelink positioning session with one RSU; see also paragraphs 0091, 0094 & Figs. 6-7, RSU assignments) of a service (Vassilovski: paragraphs 0074 & 0094, reducing congestion and/or collision avoidance) for a mobile object (Vassilovski: paragraphs 0038, 0058 & Figs. 1-3, user equipment (UE) and/or vehicle), which is exerted on the service (Vassilovski: paragraphs 0074 & 0094, said congestion and/or collision);
deciding a timing to switch the provision source server on the basis of an evaluation result of the evaluating (Vassilovski: paragraph 0071, 0078, determine which RSU(s) should be assigned to the UE based on obtained information (i.e. predicted trajectory and/or speed)); and
giving an instruction to switch the provision source server at the timing decided by the deciding (Vassilovski: paragraphs 0077-0078 & 0084, assigning or switching UE from a sidelink positioning session with one RSU to another RSU).
Regarding Claim 2, Vassilovski teaches the respective claim(s) as presented above and further teaches wherein the deciding is deciding a timing at which the evaluation result is lower than a predetermined degree of influence as the timing to switch the provision source server (Vassilovski: paragraph 0077, select a RSU that satisfies a criteria (route information, RSU capacity threshold, distance and/or the link)).
Regarding Claim 3, Vassilovski teaches the respective claim(s) as presented above and further teaches wherein the evaluating performs evaluation on the basis of evaluation target information (Vassilovski: paragraph 0074, traffic patterns including congestion associated with the UE) including at least one of communication packet information for communication between the provision source server and the mobile object and surrounding information indicating a surrounding environment of the mobile object (Vassilovski: paragraph 0074, location topology, location conditions and vehicle characteristics associated with the UE).
Regarding Claim 4, Vassilovski teaches the respective claim(s) as presented above and further teaches wherein the surrounding information includes at least one piece of information or information analyzed on the basis of at least one piece of information among information acquired from the mobile object, information acquired from another mobile object located around the mobile object, information acquired from an information acquisition device installed in a path on which the mobile object moves, and information acquired from an information provision server (Vassilovski: paragraph 0074, said location topology, location conditions and vehicle characteristics associated with the UE, thus acquiring information from the UE).
Regarding Claim 5, Vassilovski teaches the respective claim(s) as presented above and further teaches wherein the evaluation target information includes at least one of current information at a time point at which the evaluation is executed by the evaluating and prediction information obtained by predicting information of a future from the time point at which the evaluation is executed by the evaluating (Vassilovski: paragraph 0074, one or more traffic patterns including current congestion and predicted congestion, and/or one or more traffic signal schedules associated with the UE).
Regarding Claim 6, Vassilovski teaches the respective claim(s) as presented above and further teaches wherein the management processing further includes providing an application program for providing the service or application state information indicating an operation state of the service which is provided to the mobile object by the application program to a server serving as a switching destination in response to the instruction (Vassilovski: paragraph 0042, communication manager (of UE) may receive configuration information indicating at least one other UE assigned to the UE for sidelink positioning).
Regarding Claim 7, Vassilovski teaches the respective claim(s) as presented above and further teaches a management apparatus performs the evaluating, the deciding, and the giving (Vassilovski: paragraphs 0043, 0132 & Fig. 11, communication device including a communication manager),
wherein the management apparatus is included in the provision source server or a server that manages the provision source server (Vassilovski: paragraph 0132, communication manager may be included in an apparatus (i.e. base station, network controller)).
Regarding Claim 8, Vassilovski teaches A management apparatus (Vassilovski: paragraphs 0043, 0132 & Fig. 11, communication device including a communication manager) comprising:
at least one memory storing instructions (Vassilovski: paragraphs 0133-0134 & Fig. 11, instructions stored in memory); and
at least one processor configured to execute the instructions to do management processing (Vassilovski: paragraphs 0133-0134 & Fig. 11, processor to execute instructions), the management processing includes:
evaluating a degree of influence (Vassilovski: paragraphs 0070, 0078, 0094, predictive assignment of one or more roadside units (RSUs) based on i.e. trajectory or speed of a UE, traffic conditions, weather conditions and/or the like) of a server switching process of switching a provision source server (Vassilovski: paragraphs 0077-0078 & 0084, assigning or switching UE from a sidelink positioning session with one RSU; see also paragraphs 0091, 0094 & Figs. 6-7, RSU assignments) of a service (Vassilovski: paragraphs 0074 & 0094, reducing congestion and/or collision avoidance) for a mobile object (Vassilovski: paragraphs 0038, 0058 & Figs. 1-3, user equipment (UE) and/or vehicle), which is exerted on the service (Vassilovski: paragraphs 0074 & 0094, said congestion and/or collision);
deciding a timing to switch the provision source server on the basis of an evaluation result of the evaluating (Vassilovski: paragraph 0071, 0078, determine which RSU(s) should be assigned to the UE based on obtained information (i.e. predicted trajectory and/or speed)); and
giving an instruction to switch the provision source server at the timing decided by the deciding (Vassilovski: paragraphs 0077-0078 & 0084, assigning or switching UE from a sidelink positioning session with one RSU to another RSU).
Regarding Claim 9, Vassilovski teaches the respective claim(s) as presented above and further teaches wherein the deciding is deciding a timing at which the evaluation result is lower than a predetermined degree of influence as the timing to switch the provision source server (Vassilovski: paragraph 0077, select a RSU that satisfies a criteria (route information, RSU capacity threshold, distance and/or the link)).
Regarding Claim 10, Vassilovski teaches the respective claim(s) as presented above and further teaches wherein the evaluating performs evaluation on the basis of evaluation target information (Vassilovski: paragraph 0074, traffic patterns including congestion associated with the UE) including at least one of communication packet information for communication between the provision source server and the mobile object and surrounding information indicating a surrounding environment of the mobile object (Vassilovski: paragraph 0074, location topology, location conditions and vehicle characteristics associated with the UE).
Regarding Claim 11, Vassilovski teaches the respective claim(s) as presented above and further teaches wherein the surrounding information includes at least one piece of information or information analyzed on the basis of at least one piece of information among information acquired from the mobile object, information acquired from another mobile object located around the mobile object, information acquired from an information acquisition device installed in a path on which the mobile object moves, and information acquired from an information provision server (Vassilovski: paragraph 0074, said location topology, location conditions and vehicle characteristics associated with the UE, thus acquiring information from the UE).
Regarding Claim 12, Vassilovski teaches the respective claim(s) as presented above and further teaches wherein the evaluation target information includes at least one of current information at a time point at which the evaluation is executed by the evaluating and prediction information obtained by predicting information of a future from the time point at which the evaluation is executed by the evaluating (Vassilovski: paragraph 0074, one or more traffic patterns including current congestion and predicted congestion, and/or one or more traffic signal schedules associated with the UE).
Regarding Claim 13, Vassilovski teaches the respective claim(s) as presented above and further teaches wherein the management processing further includes providing an application program for providing the service or application state information indicating an operation state of the service which is provided to the mobile object by the application program to a server serving as a switching destination in response to the instruction (Vassilovski: paragraph 0042, communication manager (of UE) may receive configuration information indicating at least one other UE assigned to the UE for sidelink positioning).
Regarding Claim 14, Vassilovski teaches the respective claim(s) as presented above and further teaches wherein the management apparatus is included in the provision source server or a server that manages the provision source server (Vassilovski: paragraph 0132, communication manager may be included in an apparatus (i.e. base station, network controller)).
Regarding Claim 15, Vassilovski teaches A management method (Vassilovski: paragraphs 0043, 0132 & Fig. 11, communication device including a communication manager) comprising:
performing an evaluation process of evaluating a degree of influence (Vassilovski: paragraphs 0070, 0078, 0094, predictive assignment of one or more roadside units (RSUs) based on i.e. trajectory or speed of a UE, traffic conditions, weather conditions and/or the like) of a server switching process of switching a provision source server (Vassilovski: paragraphs 0077-0078 & 0084, assigning or switching UE from a sidelink positioning session with one RSU; see also paragraphs 0091, 0094 & Figs. 6-7, RSU assignments) of a service (Vassilovski: paragraphs 0074 & 0094, reducing congestion and/or collision avoidance) for a mobile object (Vassilovski: paragraphs 0038, 0058 & Figs. 1-3, user equipment (UE) and/or vehicle), which is exerted on the service (Vassilovski: paragraphs 0074 & 0094, said congestion and/or collision);
performing a decision process of deciding a timing to switch the provision source server on the basis of an evaluation result of the evaluation process(Vassilovski: paragraph 0071, 0078, determine which RSU(s) should be assigned to the UE based on obtained information (i.e. predicted trajectory and/or speed)); and
giving an instruction to switch the provision source server at the timing decided by the decision process (Vassilovski: paragraphs 0077-0078 & 0084, assigning or switching UE from a sidelink positioning session with one RSU to another RSU).
Regarding Claim 16, Vassilovski teaches the respective claim(s) as presented above and further teaches wherein the decision process includes deciding a timing at which the evaluation result is lower than a predetermined degree of influence as the timing to switch the provision source server (Vassilovski: paragraph 0077, select a RSU that satisfies a criteria (route information, RSU capacity threshold, distance and/or the link)).
Regarding Claim 17, Vassilovski teaches the respective claim(s) as presented above and further teaches wherein the evaluation process includes performing evaluation on the basis of evaluation target information (Vassilovski: paragraph 0074, traffic patterns including congestion associated with the UE) including at least one of communication packet information for communication between the provision source server and the mobile object and surrounding information indicating a surrounding environment of the mobile object (Vassilovski: paragraph 0074, location topology, location conditions and vehicle characteristics associated with the UE).
Regarding Claim 18, Vassilovski teaches the respective claim(s) as presented above and further teaches wherein the surrounding information includes at least one piece of information or information analyzed on the basis of at least one piece of information among information acquired from the mobile object, information acquired from another mobile object located around the mobile object, information acquired from an information acquisition device installed in a path on which the mobile object moves, and information acquired from an information provision server (Vassilovski: paragraph 0074, said location topology, location conditions and vehicle characteristics associated with the UE, thus acquiring information from the UE).
Regarding Claim 19, Vassilovski teaches the respective claim(s) as presented above and further teaches wherein the evaluation target information includes at least one of current information at a time point at which the evaluation is executed by the evaluation process and prediction information obtained by predicting information of a future from the time point at which the evaluation is executed by the evaluation process (Vassilovski: paragraph 0074, one or more traffic patterns including current congestion and predicted congestion, and/or one or more traffic signal schedules associated with the UE).
Regarding Claim 20, Vassilovski teaches the respective claim(s) as presented above and further teaches further comprising, providing an application program for providing the service or application state information indicating an operation state of the service which is provided to the mobile object by the application program to a server serving as a switching destination in response to the instruction (Vassilovski: paragraph 0042, communication manager (of UE) may receive configuration information indicating at least one other UE assigned to the UE for sidelink positioning).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Fei et al. (US 2024/0169826 A1) teaches an in-vehicle device may detect a surrounding environment from a vehicle perspective, to obtain vehicle sensing data including a location, a speed, and a size and a color of a surrounding traffic participant through the camera paragraph 0095).
Lei et al. (US 2019/0014523 A1) teaches a UE reports current location information between RSUs and then switches between a road area covered by the first RSU and a road area covered by the second RSU (paragraph 0070).
Song et al. (US 2018/0279183 A1) teaches a first RSU sends a switching notification message to an OBU, where the switching notification message is used to instruct the OBU to prepare to switch a home RSU of the OBU from the first RSU to the second RSU (paragraphs 0129-0130 & Fig. 2).
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/NAJEEB ANSARI/Examiner, Art Unit 2463
/ASAD M NAWAZ/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2463