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 .
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
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)(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 1-3, and 5-6 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by KOBAYASHI et al. (Patent No: US 2025/0203331 A1), hereinafter, KOBAYASHI.
Regarding Claim 1, KOBAYASHI teaches,
A vehicle on-board network system, comprising: networks each including electronic control units and a communication bus connecting the electronic control units to each other; -Paragraph [0048-0049] ([0048-0049] recites, “The vehicle 1 is equipped with a plurality of ECUs that control the vehicle 1. The term “ECU” is an abbreviation of an electronic control unit. In the present embodiment, as an example, each of the first to third nodes 10 to 30 corresponds to one of the plurality of ECUs. The first node 10 is, for example, a gateway ECU. The first node 10 is connected to another communication system (not illustrated). The first node 10 controls transmission and reception of data between the other communication system and the in-vehicle communication system 2…In the communication between the other communication system and the gateway ECU, for example, CAN or CAN-FD may be used. The term “CAN” is an abbreviation for “Controller Area Network” and is a registered trademark.” CAN is a serial bus.)
and a gateway device connected to the networks and configured to allow the electronic control units to communicate with each other in compliance with a CAN protocol, -Fig. 1; Paragraph [0049] (Fig. 1 shows gateway ECU communicating with the other ECU using serial bus (CAN protocol) [0049] recites, “The first node 10 is, for example, a gateway ECU. The first node 10 is connected to another communication system (not illustrated). The first node 10 controls transmission and reception of data between the other communication system and the in-vehicle communication system 2. A communication protocol used for communication between the other communication system and the gateway ECU differs from a communication protocol used in the in-vehicle communication system 2. In the communication between the other communication system and the gateway ECU, for example, CAN or CAN-FD may be used. The term “CAN” is an abbreviation for “Controller Area Network” and is a registered trademark. The term “CAN-FD” is an abbreviation for “Controller Area Network with Flexible Data rate” and is a registered trademark.”)
wherein the gateway device includes processing circuitry, when the gateway device receives an activation request message including a frame identifying one or more of the electronic control units that need to be activated, -Fig. 6 (S 110); Paragraph [0046, 0082, 0151] ([0046] recites, “The Ethernet frame includes address information for each of a transmission source and a transmission destination. This address information is generally referred to as a MAC address. In the present embodiment, each of the first to third nodes (ECU) 10 to 30 has unique address information. Each of the first to third nodes 10 to 30 includes its own address information in the Ethernet frame when transmitting data to another node.” [0082] recites, “Specifically, “NM subject-node factor activation in progress in progress” is set when the communication control section 11a is activated upon receiving an activation request from the first node function section due to the occurrence of a subject-node activation factor.” [0151] recites, “Upon starting the communication control process, the communication section 10A determines in S110 whether an activation request has occurred due to a subject-node activation factor. As described above, the subject-node activation factor in the first node 10 includes, for example, an activation request from the first node function section. When the activation request due to the subject-node activation factor has not occurred, the communication section 10A terminates the present process. When the activation request due to the subject-node activation factor has occurred, the communication section 10A activates itself in S120.”)
and the processing circuitry is configured to determine the destination of the activation request message, with reference to the frame included in the activation request message, so that the gateway device does not transmit the activation request message to one or more of the networks that do not include the one or more of the electronic control units that need to be activated, -Paragraph [0047, ]([0047] recites, “The function corresponding to Layer 2 further includes an address identification function. The address identification function is implemented based on the transmission destination address included in the received Ethernet frame. Specifically, the address identification function discards the received Ethernet frame when the transmission destination address indicates a node different from the subject node…”)
whereas the gateway device transmits the activation request message to one or more of the networks that include the one or more of the electronic control units that need to be activated. -Fig. 6 (S130); Paragraph [0037, 0047, 0152] ([0047] recites, “On the other hand, when the transmission destination address indicates the subject node, the address identification function passes the received Ethernet frame to the upper layer…” [0037] recites, “The second node is activated upon receiving the activation request signal from the first communication line while the second node is in the sleep state.” [0152] recites, “In S130, the communication section 10A executes a wakeup signal transmission process. Specifically, first, in S131, the communication control section 11a requests the hardware control section 11b to transmit a wakeup signal. Next, in S132, the hardware control section 11b that has received the request activates both the PHYs 14, 15. Furthermore, in S133, each of the PHYs 14, 15 is requested to transmit the wakeup signal. As a result, the wakeup signal is transmitted from each of the PHYs 14, 15.”)
Regarding Claim 2, KOBAYASHI teaches the limitations of Claim 1.
KOBAYASHI further teaches,
The vehicle on-board network system according to claim 1, wherein each of the electronic control units includes at least one of applications, two or more of the applications are combined and simultaneously executed to implement each of functions, -Paragraph [0050-0051] ([0050-0051] recites, “The second node 20 is, for example, a meter ECU. The meter ECU is responsible for controlling, for example, an instrument panel (not illustrated) provided in the vehicle 1. The third node 30 is, for example, a body ECU. The body ECU is responsible for body system control in the vehicle 1. The body system control includes, for example, controlling (i) turning on/off of a light (not illustrated), (ii) locking/unlocking of a door (not illustrated), and/or (iii) vehicle theft prevention (unauthorized intrusion detection).” As explained above each ECU includes at least one application (e.g., instrument panel control, turning on/off, locking/unlocking door etc.) and two or more applications e.g., turning on/off, locking/unlocking of the door etc. are combined in body ECU.)
the gateway device includes a storage device, the storage device stores a first database and a second database, -Paragraph [0065-0067] ([0065-0067] recites, “The control unit 21 includes a CPU 22 and a storage section 23…. The software that implements the communication section 20A includes programs for the communication control process (FIG. 6), the retransmission control process (FIG. 7), and the another-node factor activation process (FIG. 11). These programs for implementing the communication section 20A are stored in the storage section 23... The control unit 21 further includes a second node function section (not illustrated). The second node function section is responsible for an essential function as the second node 20, that is, a function as a meter ECU in the present example. The second node function section is implemented by software. That is, the second node function section corresponds to a function implemented by the CPU 22 executing a program. The storage section 23 stores various programs for implementing the second node function section.” As explained above, the storage device stores various programs for implementing node functions in the form of first and second database. Node 1 is the gateway ECU as shown in Fig. 1)
the first database shows a correspondence relationship of groups, each of the groups being a combination of two or more of the applications simultaneously executed, and one or more of the applications belonging to each of the groups, the second database shows a correspondence relationship of the networks and the applications executed by the electronic control units belonging to each of the networks, -Paragraph [0182] ([0182] recites,” The first node 50 belongs to each of a first partial network cluster (hereinafter, “first PNC”) and a second partial network cluster (hereinafter, “second PNC”). The first PNC means a group of nodes belonging to the first partial network, and the second PNC means a group of nodes belonging to the second partial network.”)
the frame included in the activation request message indicates a group of two or more of the applications that need to be executed, -Paragraph [0050-0051][0057] ([[0057] recites, “The first node function section issues an activation request to the communication section 10A when a subject-node activation factor occurs in the first node 10.” [0050-0051] recites, “The second node 20 is, for example, a meter ECU. The meter ECU is responsible for controlling, for example, an instrument panel (not illustrated) provided in the vehicle 1. The third node 30 is, for example, a body ECU. The body ECU is responsible for body system control in the vehicle 1. The body system control includes, for example, controlling (i) turning on/off of a light (not illustrated), (ii) locking/unlocking of a door (not illustrated), and/or (iii) vehicle theft prevention (unauthorized intrusion detection).” As explained above each ECU includes at least one application (e.g., instrument panel control, turning on/off, locking/unlocking door etc.) and two or more applications e.g., turning on/off, locking/unlocking of the door etc. are combined in body ECU)
and to determine the destination of the activation request message, the processing circuitry is configured to identify one or more of the networks that do not include the one or more of the electronic control units that need to be activated with reference to the frame included in the activation request message, the first database, and the second database. -Fig. 6 (S130); Paragraph [0037, 0047, 0152] ([0047] recites, “On the other hand, when the transmission destination address indicates the subject node, the address identification function passes the received Ethernet frame to the upper layer…” [0037] recites, “The second node is activated upon receiving the activation request signal from the first communication line while the second node is in the sleep state.” [0152] recites, “In S130, the communication section 10A executes a wakeup signal transmission process. Specifically, first, in S131, the communication control section 11a requests the hardware control section 11b to transmit a wakeup signal. Next, in S132, the hardware control section 11b that has received the request activates both the PHYs 14, 15. Furthermore, in S133, each of the PHYs 14, 15 is requested to transmit the wakeup signal. As a result, the wakeup signal is transmitted from each of the PHYs 14, 15.”)
Claim 3 is essentially same as claim 2 and only the limitation of applications within the ECU is omitted. The Applicant is directed to Claim 2 above which is rejected. Claim 3 is rejected under the same rational as Claim 2.
Regarding Claim 5, KOBAYASHI teaches,
A gateway device used in a vehicle on-board network system, wherein the vehicle on-board network system includes networks connected to the gateway device, each network includes electronic control units and a communication bus connecting the electronic control units to each other, and the gateway device is configured to relay communication between the electronic control units so that the electronic control units communicate with each other in compliance with a CAN protocol, -Fig. 1, 12-13; Paragraph [0018, 0049, 0174]([0018] recites, “FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram illustrating an outline of an in-vehicle communication system” Fig. 13 shows gateway ECU (1st Node) communicating with other nodes (ECU) as a relay communication process illustrated in Fig. 12. [0049] recites, “In the communication between the other communication system and the gateway ECU, for example, CAN or CAN-FD may be used….” [0174] recites, “Next, the relay control process will be described with reference to FIG. 12. The relay control process is executed when the communication section 10A of the first node 10 is activated by the another-node factor activation process of FIG. 11. Upon starting the communication process of S560 in an another-node factor activation process of FIG. 11, the communication section 10A executes the relay control process in FIG. 12 in parallel.)
the gateway device comprising: processing circuitry, wherein when the gateway device receives an activation request message including a frame identifying one or more of the electronic control units that need to be activated, -Fig. 6 (S 110); Paragraph [0046, 0082, 0151] ([0046] recites, “The Ethernet frame includes address information for each of a transmission source and a transmission destination. This address information is generally referred to as a MAC address. In the present embodiment, each of the first to third nodes (ECU) 10 to 30 has unique address information. Each of the first to third nodes 10 to 30 includes its own address information in the Ethernet frame when transmitting data to another node.” [0082] recites, “Specifically, “NM subject-node factor activation in progress in progress” is set when the communication control section 11a is activated upon receiving an activation request from the first node function section due to the occurrence of a subject-node activation factor.” [0151] recites, “Upon starting the communication control process, the communication section 10A determines in S110 whether an activation request has occurred due to a subject-node activation factor. As described above, the subject-node activation factor in the first node 10 includes, for example, an activation request from the first node function section. When the activation request due to the subject-node activation factor has not occurred, the communication section 10A terminates the present process. When the activation request due to the subject-node activation factor has occurred, the communication section 10A activates itself in S120.”)
the processing circuitry is configured to determine a destination of the activation request message, and the processing circuitry is configured to determine the destination of the activation request message, with reference to the frame included in the activation request message, so that the gateway device does not transmit the activation request message to one or more of the networks that do not include the one or more of the electronic control units that need to be activated, -Paragraph [0047, ]([0047] recites, “The function corresponding to Layer 2 further includes an address identification function. The address identification function is implemented based on the transmission destination address included in the received Ethernet frame. Specifically, the address identification function discards the received Ethernet frame when the transmission destination address indicates a node different from the subject node…”)
whereas the gateway device transmits the activation request message to one or more of the networks that include the one or more of the electronic control units that need to be activated. -Fig. 6 (S130); Paragraph [0037, 0047, 0152] ([0047] recites, “On the other hand, when the transmission destination address indicates the subject node, the address identification function passes the received Ethernet frame to the upper layer…” [0037] recites, “The second node is activated upon receiving the activation request signal from the first communication line while the second node is in the sleep state.” [0152] recites, “In S130, the communication section 10A executes a wakeup signal transmission process. Specifically, first, in S131, the communication control section 11a requests the hardware control section 11b to transmit a wakeup signal. Next, in S132, the hardware control section 11b that has received the request activates both the PHYs 14, 15. Furthermore, in S133, each of the PHYs 14, 15 is requested to transmit the wakeup signal. As a result, the wakeup signal is transmitted from each of the PHYs 14, 15.”)
Regarding Claim 6, KOBAYASHI teaches,
A communication method in a vehicle on-board network system, wherein the vehicle on-board network system includes networks each including electronic control units and a communication bus connecting the electronic control units to each other and a gateway device connected to the networks and configured to relay communication between the electronic control units so that the electronic control units communicate with each other in compliance with a CAN protocol, -Fig. 1, 12-13; Paragraph [0018, 0049, 0174]([0018] recites, “FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram illustrating an outline of an in-vehicle communication system” Fig. 13 shows gateway ECU (1st Node) communicating with other nodes (ECU) as a relay communication process illustrated in Fig. 12. [0049] recites, “In the communication between the other communication system and the gateway ECU, for example, CAN or CAN-FD may be used….” [0174] recites, “Next, the relay control process will be described with reference to FIG. 12. The relay control process is executed when the communication section 10A of the first node 10 is activated by the another-node factor activation process of FIG. 11. Upon starting the communication process of S560 in an another-node factor activation process of FIG. 11, the communication section 10A executes the relay control process in FIG. 12 in parallel.)
the communication method, comprising: with the gateway device, receiving, from at least one of the electronic control units, an activation request message including a frame identifying one or more of the electronic control units that need to be activated; -Fig. 6 (S 110); Paragraph [0046, 0082, 0151] ([0046] recites, “The Ethernet frame includes address information for each of a transmission source and a transmission destination. This address information is generally referred to as a MAC address. In the present embodiment, each of the first to third nodes (ECU) 10 to 30 has unique address information. Each of the first to third nodes 10 to 30 includes its own address information in the Ethernet frame when transmitting data to another node.” [0082] recites, “Specifically, “NM subject-node factor activation in progress in progress” is set when the communication control section 11a is activated upon receiving an activation request from the first node function section due to the occurrence of a subject-node activation factor.” [0151] recites, “Upon starting the communication control process, the communication section 10A determines in S110 whether an activation request has occurred due to a subject-node activation factor. As described above, the subject-node activation factor in the first node 10 includes, for example, an activation request from the first node function section.”)
with the gateway device, determining a destination of the activation request message, with reference to the frame included in the activation request message, so that the activation request message is not transmitted to one or more of the networks that do not include the one or more of the electronic control units that need to be activated, -Paragraph [0047, ]([0047] recites, “The function corresponding to Layer 2 further includes an address identification function. The address identification function is implemented based on the transmission destination address included in the received Ethernet frame. Specifically, the address identification function discards the received Ethernet frame when the transmission destination address indicates a node different from the subject node…”)
whereas the activation request message is transmitted to one or more of the networks that include the one or more of the electronic control units that need to be activated; -Fig. 6 (S130); Paragraph [0037, 0047, 0152] ([0047] recites, “On the other hand, when the transmission destination address indicates the subject node, the address identification function passes the received Ethernet frame to the upper layer…” [0037] recites, “The second node is activated upon receiving the activation request signal from the first communication line while the second node is in the sleep state.” [0152] recites, “In S130, the communication section 10A executes a wakeup signal transmission process. Specifically, first, in S131, the communication control section 11a requests the hardware control section 11b to transmit a wakeup signal. Next, in S132, the hardware control section 11b that has received the request activates both the PHYs 14, 15. Furthermore, in S133, each of the PHYs 14, 15 is requested to transmit the wakeup signal. As a result, the wakeup signal is transmitted from each of the PHYs 14, 15.”)
and with the gateway device, transmitting the activation request message to only the one or more of the networks determined to be the destination. -Paragraph [, 0047] ([0057] recites, “The first node function section issues an activation request to the communication section 10A when a subject-node activation factor occurs in the first node 10. The subject-node activation factor is an activation factor for executing communication with another node. “ [0047] recites, “When (i) a data relay function to be described later is provided, and (ii) the transmission destination address indicates another node connected to the subject node, the received Ethernet frame is transferred to that other node.”)
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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 4 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over KOBAYASHI
in view of Jiang et al. (Patent No: US 2013/0201817 A1), hereinafter, Jiang.
Regarding Claim 4, KOBAYASHI teaches the limitations of Claim 1.
Although implicit, KOBAYASHI does not explicitly teach,
The vehicle on-board network system according to claim 1, wherein each electronic control unit includes a timer configured to increment a count value when the electronic control unit is in an active state, and to reset the count value when the electronic control unit accepts the activation request message, and the electronic control unit is configured to shift to a sleep state when the count value reaches a predetermined value.
However, in an analogous invention Jiang teaches,
The vehicle on-board network system according to claim 1, wherein each electronic control unit includes a timer configured to increment a count value when the electronic control unit is in an active state, -Paragraph [0049, 0052, 0064] ([0049] recites, “the VN active counter is initialized. The counter is used as a timer to determine how long the VN remains active.”[0052] recites, “...in response to the determination that the VN was made active at the request of a local ECU, an activation indicator is set identifying that there is a VN is properly active.…” [0064] recites, “…the network active timer counter is incremented by one (nw_ActiveCnt(i)=nw_ActiveCnt(i)+1).”)
and to reset the count value when the electronic control unit accepts the activation request message, and the electronic control unit is configured to shift to a sleep state when the count value reaches a predetermined value. -Paragraph [0063] ([0063] recites, “ In step 69, in response to either the VN being active or the network sleep mode being entered, the network active timer counter is set to zero (vn_Active_Cnt(i)=0). To avoid a false reporting of the network sleep mode being entered due to an erroneous fault such as a bit flip, three bits are used for the indication of the network sleep mode being entered. The network is reported as being sleeping only if two or three bits are set…”)
It would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the “IN-VEHICLE COMMUNICATION SYSTEM AND COMMUNICATION NODE” proposed by KOBAYASHI to include the concept of “each electronic control unit includes a timer configured to increment a count value when the electronic control unit is in an active state, and to reset the count value when the electronic control unit accepts the activation request message, and the electronic control unit is configured to shift to a sleep state when the count value reaches a predetermined value.” of Jiang. One of ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated to make this modification in order to prevent undesirable battery drain [0004].
Conclusion
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/AHMED SAIFUDDIN/Examiner, Art Unit 2475
/ABDULLAHI AHMED/Examiner, Art Unit 2475
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