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 .
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.
This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention(s) absent any evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and effective filing dates of each claim that was not commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the later invention in order for the examiner to consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) for any potential 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) prior art against the later invention.
The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or non-obviousness.
Claims 1-3, 9, and 10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over US Pub. 2022/0150089 to Kurachi et al. (hereinafter Kurachi) in view of US Pub. 2021/0192867 to Fang et al. (hereinafter Fang).
In regard claim 1, Kurachi teaches or discloses a relaying apparatus that is installed in a vehicle and relays data transmitted and received between a plurality of vehicle-mounted ECUs (see Fig. 1), the relaying apparatus (see Figs. 1 and 10) comprising:
a plurality of communication units for communicating with each of the vehicle-mounted ECUs (see Fig.1, paragraphs [0028], the communication device is provided with the processor and the communication controller. The communication controller performs transmission and reception of messages according to the processing by the processor as well as performs processing of calculation of a margin time and a message arbitration.
a plurality of control units that respectively correspond to the plurality of communication units (see Fig. 1, paragraphs [0044], [0045], the multiple ECUs 2 are connected to a CAN bus 3 that is wired in the vehicle 1. The eight ECUs 2 can mutually transmit and receive messages via the two CAN buses 3 and the one gateway 4. The ECU 2 includes various ECUs, for example, an ECU for controlling an operation of the engine of the vehicle 1, an ECU for controlling locking or unlocking of a door, an ECU for turning on or off of a light, an ECU for controlling the operation of an air bag, an ECU for controlling an antilock brake system (ABS) and the like. Though the examples of the communication device for making communication over the CAN bus 3 include the ECU 2 and the gateway 4 and the communication device is not limited thereto);
a storage unit that is accessible from each of the plurality of control units (see paragraphs [0027], [0028], [0055], [0056], [0057], [0060], [0076], and [0080], the storage unit 22 is constituted by using, for example, a nonvolatile memory element such as a flash memory, an electrically erasable programmable read only memory (EEPROM) or the like. The storage 22 stores various programs to be executed by the processor 21 and various data required for the processing by the processor 21. In the present embodiment, the storage 22 stores the program 22a to be executed by the processor 21. The program 22a may be written into the storage 22, for example, at the manufacturing stage of the ECU 2. The program 22a may, for example, be acquired by the ECU 2 communicating with a remote server device or the like. For example, the program 22a recorded in a recording medium such as a memory card, an optical disk or the like may be read out and stored in the storage 22 by the ECU 2);
wherein each of the plurality of control units separately performs an initialization process (see paragraphs [0060], and [0065], in the ECU 2, the processor 21 reads and executes the program 22a stored in the storage 22 to allow the processor 21 to implement an initialization processing unit 21a, a transmission request processing unit 21b and the like as software functional blocks. The initialization processing unit 21a performs initialization processing of the CAN controller 23 when the ECU 2 starts up),
when a control unit that has completed the initialization process has acquired relay target data to be relayed via a communication unit corresponding to another control unit that has not completed the initialization process (see paragraphs [0060], and [0065], the initialization processing unit 21a performs initialization processing of the CAN controller 23 when the ECU 2 starts up, for example. The initialization processing may include setting processing of setting a deadline time period for each message, for example. If a message to be transmitted to another ECU 2 occurs in processing such as a travel control of the vehicle 1, for example, the transmission request processing unit 21b performs processing of transmitting this message. The transmission request processing unit 21b generates a message to be transmitted and provides the CAN controller 23 with the message to thereby request for a transmission of this message),
the control unit stores part of the acquired relay target data in the storage unit by writing in a shared area that is shared with the other control unit that has not completed the initialization process (see paragraphs [0046], [0062], and [0076], the CAN controller 23 is provided with a group of registers 31, a control circuit 32, a transmitter-receiver circuit 33 and the like. The group of the registers 31 is a storage area used for transmitting and receiving various data between the CAN controller 23 and the processor 21. The CAN ID is stored in a part of the data field. The device ID is an ID uniquely decided for a device connected to the CAN bus 3 inside the vehicle 1. For example, a register for holding a device ID out of the group of the registers 31 is provided. The processor 21 sets the device ID to this register at the initialization processing. The device ID has been stored in advance in the storage 22, and the processor 21 reads the device ID from the storage 22 at the initialization processing and sets the ID to the group of the registers 31 of the CAN controller 23).
Kurachi may not explicitly teach or disclose the control unit stores part of the acquired relay target data in the storage unit by writing in a shared area that is shared with the other control unit that has not completed the initialization process.
However, Fang teaches or discloses the control unit stores part of the acquired relay target data in the storage unit by writing in a shared area that is shared with the other control unit that has not completed the initialization process (see paragraphs [0414], [0416], [0417], [0418], and [0419], shared storage controller is depicted, which is depicted as interfacing with an ECU (although a given embodiment may include a number of ECUs and/or the shared storage controller may be positioned, in whole or part, on one or more ECUs). An example shared storage controller includes an in-vehicle storage server that enables multiple applications from different ECUs to store or retrieve data to/from the shared storage. An example shared storage includes a centralized storage, such as a centralized flash drive. In certain embodiments, the shared storage may be distributed among a number of devices, where the centralization of the storage is a logical organization rather than a physical organization. Nevertheless, in certain embodiments the shared storage is a physical organization, whether in a single device or a small number of centralized devices. The storage server provides one or more dedicated partitions of the shared storage, which may be virtual partitions or physical partitions (or a combination, for example providing a physical partition for ECUs having a large stable demand for storage resources, and virtual partitions for transient demands, uncertain demands, and/or during transient operating conditions to allow easier movement of storage capacity between ECUs). In certain embodiments, the storage server adjusts a size of a partition, allowing for reduced waste of utilized shared storage. The storage server provides for shared partitions, which may be shared between all ECUs and/or a subset of ECUs (e.g., grouping ECUs by function, data formats, data storage duty cycle matching and/or de-synchronization, etc.)).
Before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art to modify communication device arbitration of Kurachi by including the control unit stores part of the acquired relay target data in the storage unit by writing in a shared area that is shared with the other control unit that has not completed the initialization process suggested by Fang. This modification would provide to determine the reserved memory amount in response to a priority value associated with the at least a portion of the vehicle parameter values read in paragraph [0021].
In regard claim 2, Kurachi may not explicitly teach or disclose the relaying apparatus according to claim 1, wherein out of the acquired relay target data, the control unit that has completed the initialization process writes relay target data with a predetermined priority or higher into the shared area.
However, Fang teaches or discloses wherein out of the acquired relay target data, the control unit that has completed the initialization process writes relay target data with a predetermined priority or higher into the shared area (see paragraph [0579], data having a lower priority value and/or having a low value loss indication in response to memory management operations (e.g., the data as compressed, summarized, down-sampled, aged, or the like maintains a relatively high fraction of the original value of the data as collected) may be stored on a shared memory resource having a relatively higher transmission cost, since such data is more likely to be reduced through memory management operations before transmission than other data having a higher priority and/or higher value loss due to memory management operations).
Before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art to modify communication device arbitration of Kurachi by including wherein out of the acquired relay target data, the control unit that has completed the initialization process writes relay target data with a predetermined priority or higher into the shared area suggested by Fang. This modification would provide to determine the reserved memory amount in response to a priority value associated with the at least a portion of the vehicle parameter values read in paragraph [0021].
In regard claim 3, Kurachi teaches or discloses the relaying apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the relay target data is CAN messages (see paragraphs [0029], [0030], [0036], [0038], [0044], and [0046], the message is a message in compliance with a communication standard of the Controller Area Network (CAN), and the transmission unit transmits a CAN message with the information related to the margin time stored in an arbitration field of the CAN message), and
the control unit that has completed the initialization process specifies the priority of the relay target data in keeping with a CAN-ID included in the relay target data (see paragraph [0046], in the message in compliance with the CAN communication standard, identification information called a CAN ID is stored in the top region of a message called an arbitration field. The CAN ID is information indicating the type and so on of data included in the message and indicating the priority of the message. The CAN ID indicates a message with a lower numerical value having a higher priority. If the multiple ECUs 2 simultaneously attempt to transmit messages to the CAN bus 3, arbitration processing based on the value of the CAN ID stored in the arbitration field of each message is performed by each of the ECUs 2 in the CAN communication system).
In regard claim 9, Kurachi teaches or discloses a program for causing a computer, which is installed in a vehicle (see paragraphs [0008], [0055], [0056], [0057], [0060], [0103], and [0104], a communication device having such a characteristic processing unit but also embodied as a message arbitration method executing such characteristic processing in steps and as a computer program causing the computer to execute such steps. The initialization processing unit 21a performs initialization processing of the CAN controller 23 when the ECU 2 starts up, for example. The initialization processing may include setting processing of setting a deadline time period for each message, for example. The program 42a may be written into the storage 42, for example, at the manufacturing stage of the gateway 4. For example, the program 42a may be acquired by the gateway 4 communicating with a remote server device or the like. For example, the program 42a recorded in a recording medium such as a memory card, an optical disk or the like may be read out and stored in the storage 42 by the gateway 4), relays data transmitted and received between a plurality of vehicle-mounted ECUs, and is equipped with a plurality of communication units for communicating with each of the vehicle-mounted ECUs (see paragraphs [0064], [0065], and [0093], the message holding register 31b is a register for storing a message to be transmitted to another ECU 2. In the case where the need for performing a message transmission to another ECU 2 arises, the processor 21 generates a message to be transmitted and stores the message in the message holding register 31b),
a plurality of control units that one-to-one correspond to the plurality of communication units, and a storage unit that is accessible from each of the plurality of control units (see Figs. 1, 3, and 4, paragraphs [0055], [0056], and [0069], the ECU 2 is composed of a processor 21, a storage 22, a CAN controller 23 and the like. The processor 21 performs various processing such as control processing of the vehicle 1 or the like by reading out and executing a program 22a stored in the storage 22. The storage unit 22 is constituted by using, for example, a nonvolatile memory element such as a flash memory, an electrically erasable programmable read only memory (EEPROM) or the like. The storage 22 stores various programs to be executed by the processor 21 and various data required for the processing by the processor 21. If multiple ECUs 2 simultaneously perform message transmissions to the CAN bus 3, the arbitration unit 33c performs arbitration processing for deciding which message transmission is to be conducted. In the arbitration processing, the message with the lowest numerical value stored in the arbitration field is provided with a right to be transmitted while the other messages are not allowed to be transmitted), to execute processing comprising:
each of the plurality of control units separately performing an initialization process (see paragraphs [0060], and [0065], in the ECU 2 according to the present embodiment, the processor 21 reads and executes the program 22a stored in the storage 22 to allow the processor 21 to implement an initialization processing unit 21a, a transmission request processing unit 21b and the like as software functional blocks. The initialization processing unit 21a performs initialization processing of the CAN controller 23 when the ECU 2 starts up, for example); and
when a control unit that has completed the initialization process has acquired relay target data to be relayed via a communication unit corresponding to another control unit that has not completed the initialization process (see paragraphs [0060], and [0065], the initialization processing unit 21a performs initialization processing of the CAN controller 23 when the ECU 2 starts up, for example. The initialization processing may include setting processing of setting a deadline time period for each message, for example. If a message to be transmitted to another ECU 2 occurs in processing such as a travel control of the vehicle 1, for example, the transmission request processing unit 21b performs processing of transmitting this message. The transmission request processing unit 21b generates a message to be transmitted and provides the CAN controller 23 with the message to thereby request for a transmission of this message);
the control unit storing part of the acquired relay target data in the storage unit by writing in a shared area that is shared with the other control unit that has not completed the initialization process (see paragraphs [0046], [0062], and [0076], the CAN controller 23 is provided with a group of registers 31, a control circuit 32, a transmitter-receiver circuit 33 and the like. The group of the registers 31 is a storage area used for transmitting and receiving various data between the CAN controller 23 and the processor 21. The CAN ID is stored in a part of the data field. The device ID is an ID uniquely decided for a device connected to the CAN bus inside the vehicle 1. For example, a register for holding a device ID out of the group of the registers 31 is provided. The processor 21 sets the device ID to this register at the initialization processing. The device ID has been stored in advance in the storage 22, and the processor 21 reads the device ID from the storage 22 at the initialization processing and sets the ID to the group of the registers 31 of the CAN controller 23).
Kurachi may not explicitly teach or disclose the control unit storing part of the acquired relay target data in the storage unit by writing in a shared area that is shared with the other control unit that has not completed the initialization process.
However, Fang teaches or discloses the control unit storing part of the acquired relay target data in the storage unit by writing in a shared area that is shared with the other control unit that has not completed the initialization process (see paragraphs [0414], [0416], [0417], [0418], and [0419], shared storage controller is depicted, which is depicted as interfacing with an ECU (although a given embodiment may include a number of ECUs and/or the shared storage controller may be positioned, in whole or part, on one or more ECUs). An example shared storage controller includes an in-vehicle storage server that enables multiple applications from different ECUs to store or retrieve data to/from the shared storage. An example shared storage includes a centralized storage, such as a centralized flash drive. The shared storage may be distributed among a number of devices, where the centralization of the storage is a logical organization rather than a physical organization. Nevertheless, in certain embodiments the shared storage is a physical organization, whether in a single device or a small number of centralized devices. The storage server provides one or more dedicated partitions of the shared storage, which may be virtual partitions or physical partitions (or a combination, for example providing a physical partition for ECUs having a large stable demand for storage resources, and virtual partitions for transient demands, uncertain demands, and/or during transient operating conditions to allow easier movement of storage capacity between ECUs). In certain embodiments, the storage server adjusts a size of a partition, allowing for reduced waste of utilized shared storage. The storage server provides for shared partitions, which may be shared between all ECUs and/or a subset of ECUs (e.g., grouping ECUs by function, data formats, data storage duty cycle matching and/or de-synchronization, etc.)).
Before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art to modify communication device arbitration of Kurachi by including the control unit stores part of the acquired relay target data in the storage unit by writing in a shared area that is shared with the other control unit that has not completed the initialization process suggested by Fang. This modification would provide to determine the reserved memory amount in response to a priority value associated with the at least a portion of the vehicle parameter values read in paragraph [0021].
In regard claim 10, Kurachi teaches or discloses a relaying method for causing a computer, which is installed in a vehicle, relays data transmitted and received between a plurality of vehicle-mounted ECUs (see paragraphs [0044], [0046], [0047], and [0050], a system in which multiple ECUs 2 mounted on a vehicle 1 transmit and receive messages in compliance with the CAN communication standard. The multiple ECUs 2 are connected to a CAN bus 3 that is wired in the vehicle 1. About several to several tens of ECUs 2 can be connected to a single CAN bus 3. The vehicle 1 may be equipped with multiple CAN buses 3. The eight ECUs 2 can mutually transmit and receive messages via the two CAN buses 3 and the one gateway 4), and is equipped with a plurality of communication units for communicating with each of the vehicle-mounted ECUs (see Fig. 1, paragraph [0044], the multiple ECUs 2 are connected to a CAN bus 3 that is wired in the vehicle 1. About several to several tens of ECUs 2 can be connected to a single CAN bus 3. The vehicle 1 may be equipped with multiple CAN buses 3), a plurality of control units that one-to-one correspond to the plurality of communication units, and a storage unit that is accessible from each of the plurality of control units, to execute processing comprising:
each of the plurality of control units separately performing an initialization process (see paragraph [0060], the processor 21 reads and executes the program 22a stored in the storage 22 to allow the processor 21 to implement an initialization processing unit 21a, a transmission request processing unit 21b and the like as software functional blocks. The initialization processing unit 21a performs initialization processing of the CAN controller 23 when the ECU 2 starts up, for example. The initialization processing may include setting processing of setting a deadline time period for each message, for example. If a message to be transmitted to another ECU 2 occurs in processing such as a travel control of the vehicle 1, for example, the transmission request processing unit 21b performs processing of transmitting this message. The transmission request processing unit 21b generates a message to be transmitted and provides the CAN controller 23 with the message to thereby request for a transmission of this message); and
when a control unit that has completed the initialization process has acquired relay target data to be relayed via a communication unit corresponding to another control unit that has not completed the initialization process (see paragraphs [0060], [0065], the initialization processing unit 21a performs initialization processing of the CAN controller 23 when the ECU 2 starts up, for example. The initialization processing may include setting processing of setting a deadline time period for each message, for example. If a message to be transmitted to another ECU 2 occurs in processing such as a travel control of the vehicle 1, for example, the transmission request processing unit 21b performs processing of transmitting this message. The transmission request processing unit 21b generates a message to be transmitted and provides the CAN controller 23 with the message to thereby request for a transmission of this message), the control unit storing part of the acquired relay target data in the storage unit by writing in a shared area that is shared with the other control unit that has not completed the initialization process (see paragraphs [0046], [0062], and [0076], the CAN controller 23 is provided with a group of registers 31, a control circuit 32, a transmitter-receiver circuit 33 and the like. The group of the registers 31 is a storage area used for transmitting and receiving various data between the CAN controller 23 and the processor 21. The CAN ID is stored in a part of the data field. The device ID is an ID uniquely decided for a device connected to the CAN bus 3 inside the vehicle 1. For example, a register for holding a device ID out of the group of the registers 31 is provided. The processor 21 sets the device ID to this register at the initialization processing. The device ID has been stored in advance in the storage 22, and the processor 21 reads the device ID from the storage 22 at the initialization processing and sets the ID to the group of the registers 31 of the CAN controller 23).
Kurachi may not explicitly teach or disclose the control unit stores part of the acquired relay target data in the storage unit by writing in a shared area that is shared with the other control unit that has not completed the initialization process.
However, Fang teaches or discloses the control unit stores part of the acquired relay target data in the storage unit by writing in a shared area that is shared with the other control unit that has not completed the initialization process (see paragraphs [0414], [0416], [0417], [0418], and [0419], shared storage controller is depicted, which is depicted as interfacing with an ECU (although a given embodiment may include a number of ECUs and/or the shared storage controller may be positioned, in whole or part, on one or more ECUs). An example shared storage controller includes an in-vehicle storage server that enables multiple applications from different ECUs to store or retrieve data to/from the shared storage. An example shared storage includes a centralized storage, such as a centralized flash drive. In certain embodiments, the shared storage may be distributed among a number of devices, where the centralization of the storage is a logical organization rather than a physical organization. Nevertheless, in certain embodiments the shared storage is a physical organization, whether in a single device or a small number of centralized devices. The storage server provides one or more dedicated partitions of the shared storage, which may be virtual partitions or physical partitions (or a combination, for example providing a physical partition for ECUs having a large stable demand for storage resources, and virtual partitions for transient demands, uncertain demands, and/or during transient operating conditions to allow easier movement of storage capacity between ECUs). In certain embodiments, the storage server adjusts a size of a partition, allowing for reduced waste of utilized shared storage. The storage server provides for shared partitions, which may be shared between all ECUs and/or a subset of ECUs (e.g., grouping ECUs by function, data formats, data storage duty cycle matching and/or de-synchronization, etc.)).
Before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art to modify communication device arbitration of Kurachi by including the control unit stores part of the acquired relay target data in the storage unit by writing in a shared area that is shared with the other control unit that has not completed the initialization process suggested by Fang. This modification would provide to determine the reserved memory amount in response to a priority value associated with the at least a portion of the vehicle parameter values read in paragraph [0021].
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 4-8 and 11-16 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to PHIRIN SAM whose telephone number is (571)272-3082. The examiner can normally be reached Mon - Fri, 10:30am - 5pm.
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Date: 07/11/2026
/PHIRIN SAM/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2476
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