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 .
1. This application has been examined. The preliminary amendment filed 3/25/24 has been entered. Claims 1-20 are pending.
2. Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
3. The IDS filed 3/25/24 and 12/18/24 have been considered.
4. The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claims 1-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
A. As per claim 1, at lines 9-10 and 15 the claim recites “the deviation in the lateral direction with respect to the magnetic marker”; however, the claim only specifies one element (magnetic marker) but not the other element for which the lateral deviation is determined. As can best be discerned, the deviation may be between the vehicle and the magnetic marker or possibly between the control point and the magnetic marker. Clarification is required.
B. As per claim 9, at line 10 the claim recites “the deviation in the lateral direction with respect to the magnetic marker”; however, the claim only specifies one element (magnetic marker) but not the other element for which the lateral deviation is determined. As can best be discerned, the deviation may be between the vehicle and the magnetic marker or possibly between the control point and the magnetic marker. Clarification is required.
C. All claims dependent from a rejected claim are also rejected for the same reasons.
5. Claims 1-20, as best interpreted given the deficiency noted above, are distinguishable over the prior art. The closest prior art appears to be Nunes et al. (publ.- IDS) which discloses a process of measuring the deviation in the lateral direction with respect to the magnetic marker (Fig. 10; 4.3: “where dm is the magnetic ruler measure which corresponds to the distance between the marker with known position (xm, ym) and the magnetic-sensing ruler central point”); a process of obtaining the vehicle azimuth (4.3: “The fusion of odometry data with absolute positioning data is made by means of EKFs. The vehicle’s pose is defined by the Cartesian coordinates (x, y) and heading (ө) (i.e., azimuth), which are the state variables of the EKP”); a process of calculating a designated steered angle as a control target of the steered angle for bringing the deviation of the control point in the lateral direction closer to zero (see Fig. 8; 3.2- steering control modules); and a process of controlling the steered angle of the steered wheel by taking the designated steered angle as the control target (see Fig. 8; 3.2- steering control modules). Nunes does not appear to disclose or reasonably suggest, as can best be determined given the lack of clarity noted above, a process of calculating, for the control point set at a position different from a position of the magnetic unit in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle, the deviation of the control point in the lateral direction with respect to the target path, based on the deviation in the lateral direction with respect to the magnetic marker and the vehicle azimuth.
6. The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. In particular,
• Yamamoto et al. (WO 2020/138471)- discloses determining orientation of vehicle traveling on road having magnetic markers and controls steering to reduce lateral deviation; includes means for measuring vehicle azimuth (IMU); performs lane keeping.
• Yamamoto et al. (US 2019/0196496)- magnetic sensors sense magnetism of magnetic markers arranged along a travel route (Fig. 1); measures lateral deviation relative to magnetic marker; difference between lateral shift amounts with respect to two adjacent markers to estimate deviation of a vehicle in a traveling direction with respect to route direction.
• JP 3727429- detects deviation in horizontal direction of a vehicle traveling a route for automatic steering; detects magnetic markers (nails) embedded in the road; calculates azimuth deviation and deviation in horizontal direction of vehicle and provides input to steering control system.
7. Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MICHAEL J. ZANELLI whose telephone number is (571)272-6969. The examiner can normally be reached M-W 9-4; Th 9-2.
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/MICHAEL J ZANELLI/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3661