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 . Claims 1-11 have been examined.
Priority
Acknowledgment is made of applicant’s claim for foreign priority under 35 U.S.C. 119 (a)-(d).
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 07/10/2024 is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
Claim Objections
Claims 1 is objected to because of the following informalities: the claim recites “an at least” which appears to be a grammatical error. Appropriate correction is required.
Claim 10 is objected to because of the following informalities: the claim recites the term “and/or” in connection with claim limitations. The term “and” and “or” dictate exclusive and alternative limitations, respectively, and should only be limited using one or the other. The claim has been examined using only the “or” term in which the alternatives are given proper consideration. Appropriate correction is required.
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 (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 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)(1) the claimed invention was patented, described in a printed publication, or in public use, on sale, or otherwise available to the public before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claims 1-2 and 4-11 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Yoon et al. (US 2019/0204821 A1) (Yoon hereinafter).
Regarding claim 1, Yoon discloses an apparatus, for the stationing of a locomotory device, from outside the locomotory device ([0004], remote parking systems that assist the drivers to park their vehicles by remotely manipulating the vehicles from outside through an apparatus while the drivers are not in the vehicles have been suggested), comprising:
an at least a sensing member, said at least one sensing member: facilitating sensing of an at least a parameter, of a locomotory device (101) to be stationed, in real-time; and including:
an at least a radio detection and ranging sensing member (102), and an at least a sound navigation and ranging sensing member (103), said at least one radio detection and ranging sensing member (102), and said at least one sound navigation and ranging sensing member (103) sensing objects, in real-time, along a stationing path, to be taken, by said locomotory device (101), with sensed data being transmitted, to an at least a control member; and an at least an image capturing member (104), said at least one image capturing member (104) sensing visual signals, in real-time, with an at least a user viewing sensed data, through an at least a visual interfacing member (105) ([0077], the detector 220 detects a vehicle surrounding situation, and may include a camera, an ultrasonic sensor, and a laser radar sensor);
said at least one visual interfacing member (105) that is configured to act as an interface, between said locomotory device (101) to be stationed and said at least one user, with said at least one sensing member being communicatively associated with said at least one visual interfacing member (105) (Fig. 3 is an exemplary view of displaying a control screen of a remote parking control apparatus);
said at least one control member that facilitates controlling of said locomotory device (101), with:
said at least one control member being communicatively associated with a plurality of actuators, including: brakes; accelerator; steering; and gearbox ([0004], in parking assistant systems, functions of braking/driving and gearshift also are automated in addition to conventional systems of controlling only a steering apparatus instead of the drivers);
controlling of said gearbox comprising: a first gear control (1); a neutral gear control (N); and a reverse gear control (R); an accelerator control (A) being configured to be actuated, only when said locomotory device (101) to be stationed is in first gear or in reverse gear; a brake control (B) being configured to be actuated, by default, until said accelerator control (A) is actuated; and said locomotory device (101) to be stationed being operated, by said at least one user, through said at least one control member, based on data received, by said at least one control member, and viewed, through said at least one visual interfacing member (105) ([0024], the parking assistant control apparatus may control the vehicle in a forward direction when the soft button is moved in a first direction, may control the vehicle in a rearward direction when the soft button is moved in a second direction, and may vary the speed of the vehicle according to a movement degree of the soft button); and
an alert generating member that generates an at least an alert, upon said at least one control member’s instructions ([0078], the parking assistant controller 230 determines an available remote control mode by determining an obstacle around the vehicle detected by the detector 220. Further, the parking assistant controller 230 may determine an available remote control mode based on the final control mode).
Regarding claim 2, Yoon discloses the apparatus, for the stationing of a locomotory device, from outside the locomotory device, as stated in claim 1 above, wherein:
Said at least one parameter includes: distance and direction of objects, surrounding said locomotory device (101) to be stationed ([0020], the controller may constitute the control mode screen including at least one of a control progress degree until completion of a control of the vehicle, a vehicle control speed, a vehicle control direction, and vehicle surrounding image data).
Regarding claim 4, Yoon discloses the apparatus, for the stationing of a locomotory device, from outside the locomotory device, as stated in claim 1 above, wherein:
Said at least one control member is a microcontroller ([0064], the communication device 100 is a hardware device implemented with various electronic circuits to transmit and receive signals via wireless connections. The communication device 110 performs wireless communication with the parking assistant system 200 of the vehicle).
Regarding claim 5, Yoon discloses the apparatus, for the stationing of a locomotory device, from outside the locomotory device, as stated in claim 1 above, wherein:
Said at least one control member is a Single Board Computer ([0107], the computing system 1000 may include at least one processor 1100 connected through a bus 1200, a memory 1300, a user interface input device 1400, a user interface output device 1500, a storage 1600, and a network interface 1700).
Regarding claim 6, Yoon discloses the apparatus, for the stationing of a locomotory device, from outside the locomotory device, as stated in claim 1 above, wherein:
Said at least one control member is a System on Chip ([0110]).
Regarding claim 7, Yoon discloses the apparatus, for the stationing of a locomotory device, from outside the locomotory device, as stated in claim 1 above, wherein:
Said apparatus is configured, monitored, and controlled remotely, through an application on a computing device ([0062]).
Regarding claim 8, Yoon discloses the apparatus, for the stationing of a locomotory device, from outside the locomotory device, as stated in claim 1 above, wherein:
Controlling of said brakes comprises controlling of intensity and duration, for which, said brakes are applied ([0069] and [0073]).
Regarding claim 9, Yoon discloses the apparatus, for the stationing of a locomotory device, from outside the locomotory device, as stated in claim 1 above, wherein:
Controlling of said accelerator comprises controlling of intensity and duration, for which, an accelerator pedal is applied ([0093]).
Regarding claim 10, Yoon discloses the apparatus, for the stationing of a locomotory device, from outside the locomotory device, as stated in claim 1 above, wherein:
Controlling of said steering comprises controlling of a steering’s angle of rotation and/or direction of rotation ([0087]).
Regarding claim 11, Yoon discloses the apparatus, for the stationing of a locomotory device, from outside the locomotory device, as stated in claim 1 above, wherein: said apparatus is configured to be retrofitted, onto existing locomotory devices ([0003] – [0004]).
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.
Claim 3 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yoon in view of Alexander et al. (US 10,773,732 B1) (Alexander hereinafter).
Regarding claim 3, Yoon discloses the apparatus, for the stationing of a locomotory device, from outside the locomotory device, as stated in claim 1 above, except for “wherein said at least one visual interfacing member (105) is a joystick with display”.
Alexander teaches such claimed subject matter. Alexander teaches that “the input devices may be another type of user input device including, but not limited to: direction and selection control devices, such as a mouse, a trackball, cursor direction keys, a joystick, and/or a wheel; one or more sensors, such as a camera, a microphone, a positional sensor, an orientation sensor, a gravitational sensor, an inertial sensor, and/or an accelerometer; and/or a touch-sensitive display screen (“touchscreen”). The output devices may include, without limitation, a display, a touchscreen, a speaker, a tactile and/or haptic output device, and/or the like. In some implementations, the input device and the output device may be the same device, for example, in the case of a touchscreen” (Col. 19, lines 42 – 54).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective filing date of the claimed invention to include the joystick with display taught by Alexander into the invention of Yoon so that it can offer enhanced precision, immediate visual and tactile feedback, and improved ergonomics for more immersive and efficient control.
Prior Art
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant’s disclosure. See attached form PTO-892.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Luke Huynh whose telephone number is 571-270-5746. The examiner can normally be reached Mon 8-5, Tues 8-12, Thurs & Fri 8-2.
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/LUKE HUYNH/Examiner, Art Unit 3667
11/13/2025