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 .
This Office Action is in response to the Applicant’s communication filed on July 19, 2024. In virtue of this communication, claims 1-20 are currently presented in the instant application.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 03/19/2025 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, 11, 15 and 17-18 are objected to because of the following informalities:
Claim 1, in line 7, “a vehicle” should be changed to --the vehicle--
Claim 11, in line 7, “an adjacent lane” should be changed to --the adjacent lane--
Claim 15, in line 3, “an adjacent lane” should be changed to --the adjacent lane--
Claim 17, in line 3, “an adjacent lane” should be changed to --the adjacent lane--
Claim 18, in line 5, “a vehicle occupant” should be changed to --the vehicle occupant--
Claim 18, in line 7, “a vehicle” should be changed to --the vehicle--
Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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 1-3, 8-13 and 18-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Kashchenko (US 2019/0077308).
PNG
media_image1.png
391
724
media_image1.png
Greyscale
With respect to claim 1, Kashchenko discloses in figure 1A a method for automatically activating a turn signal (paragraph 0008, e.g., “a methods for automatically activating turn signals of a motor vehicle”), comprising: monitoring a vehicle occupant (101, e.g., a driver) of a vehicle (100, e.g., a vehicle) with a driver monitoring system (106, 108, 110, e.g., formed as a monitoring system), wherein the driver monitoring system includes at least one camera (108, e.g., an image sensor or camera) and is configured to determine a position of at least one eye of the vehicle occupant (paragraph 0035, e.g., the sensor or camera 108 for sensing the eye gaze direction of the driver), a head direction of the vehicle occupant, and a shoulder movement (paragraph 0048, e.g., “turning of the driver’s head and movement of the driver’s eyes”); detecting that an eye gaze of the vehicle occupant is directed toward a side view mirror of a vehicle (paragraph 0063, e.g., detecting the driver to look in the side mirror thereof); and in response to determining that the eye gaze of the vehicle occupant is directed toward the side view mirror of the vehicle, automatically activating the turn signal of the vehicle (paragraph 0063, e.g., “a look the left mirror allows the described system to determine the new direction of the car’s movement to the left … the activation module 140 activates the left turn signals of the vehicle”).
With respect to claim 2, Kashchenko discloses that further comprising monitoring a movement of a steering wheel of the vehicle (paragraph 0034, e.g., “the internal sensors 106 may detect when the steering wheel has been rotated, e.g., a threshold number of degrees or angle”).
With respect to claim 3, Kashchenko discloses that further comprising monitoring a steering wheel angle of the steering wheel of the vehicle (paragraph 0034, e.g., “the internal sensors 106 may detect when the steering wheel has been rotated, e.g., a threshold number of degrees or angle”).
With respect to claim 8, Kashchenko discloses that further comprising monitoring a head pose of the vehicle occupant (paragraph 0048, e.g., “turning of the driver’s head and movement of the driver’s eyes”).
With respect to claim 9, Kashchenko discloses that further comprising determining that the head pose of the vehicle occupant indicates that the vehicle occupant is gazing toward the side view mirror (paragraph 0063, e.g., detecting the driver to look in the side mirror thereof).
With respect to claim 10, Kashchenko discloses that wherein the turn signal of the vehicle is automatically turned on in response to: (a) detecting that the eye gaze of the vehicle occupant is directed toward the side view mirror of the vehicle (see paragraph 0063), and (b) determining that the head pose of the vehicle occupant indicates that the vehicle occupant is gazing toward the side view mirror (see paragraphs 0048 and 0063).
With respect to claim 11, Kashchenko discloses in figure 1A a method for automatically activating a turn signal (paragraph 0008, e.g., “a methods for automatically activating turn signals of a motor vehicle”), comprising: monitoring a vehicle occupant (101, e.g., a driver) of a vehicle (100, e.g., a vehicle) with a camera (108, e.g., a camera); detecting a shoulder movement of the vehicle occupant (paragraph 0048, e.g., “turning of the driver’s head and movement of the driver’s eyes”); determining that the shoulder movement is indicative that the vehicle occupant is looking toward an adjacent lane (paragraph 0038, e.g., having a lane change to left and right thereof); and in response to determining that the shoulder movement is indicative that the vehicle occupant is looking toward an adjacent lane, automatically activating the turn signal of the vehicle (paragraph 0063, e.g., “a look the left mirror allows the described system to determine the new direction of the car’s movement to the left … the activation module 140 activates the left turn signals of the vehicle”).
With respect to claim 12, Kashchenko discloses that further comprising monitoring a movement of a steering wheel of the vehicle (paragraph 0034, e.g., “the internal sensors 106 may detect when the steering wheel has been rotated, e.g., a threshold number of degrees or angle”).
With respect to claim 13, Kashchenko discloses that further comprising monitoring a steering wheel angle of the steering wheel of the vehicle (paragraph 0034, e.g., “the internal sensors 106 may detect when the steering wheel has been rotated, e.g., a threshold number of degrees or angle”).
With respect to claim 18, Kashchenko discloses in figure 1A a system automatically activating a turn signal (paragraph 0008, e.g., “a methods for automatically activating turn signals of a motor vehicle”), comprising: a camera (108, e.g., a camera) positioned to monitor a vehicle occupant (101, e.g., a driver); a controller (110, e.g., a control module) in communication with the camera (see figure 1A), wherein the controller is programmed to: monitor a vehicle occupant (101) of a vehicle (100, e.g., a vehicle) with the camera; detect that a gaze of the vehicle occupant is directed toward a side view mirror of a vehicle (paragraph 0063, e.g., detecting the driver to look in the side mirror thereof); and in response to determining that the gaze of the vehicle occupant is directed toward the side view mirror of the vehicle, automatically activating the turn signal of the vehicle (paragraph 0063, e.g., “a look the left mirror allows the described system to determine the new direction of the car’s movement to the left … the activation module 140 activates the left turn signals of the vehicle”).
With respect to claim 19, Kashchenko discloses that further comprising monitoring a movement of a steering wheel of the vehicle (paragraph 0034, e.g., “the internal sensors 106 may detect when the steering wheel has been rotated, e.g., a threshold number of degrees or angle”).
With respect to claim 20, Kashchenko discloses that further comprising monitoring a steering wheel angle of the steering wheel of the vehicle (paragraph 0034, e.g., “the internal sensors 106 may detect when the steering wheel has been rotated, e.g., a threshold number of degrees or angle”).
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.
Claims 4-7 and 14-17 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kashchenko (US 2019/0077308) in view of Yoshizaki (US 2025/0319772).
With respect to claims 4, 6, 14 and 16, Kashchenko discloses all claimed limitations as expressly recited in claims 1-3, except for specifying that further comprising determining that the steering wheel angle is greater than a predetermined angle threshold.
Yoshizaki discloses in figure 1 a vehicle (102) comprising a steering wheel sensor (118d) and a controller (106), wherein determining that the steering wheel angle is greater than a predetermined angle threshold (paragraph 0076, e.g., “the ECU 106 may determine whether the current steering wheel angle is greater than the steering wheel angle threshold”).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was make to modify the system of Kashchenko having a steering wheel angle greater than an angle threshold as taught by Yoshizaki for the purpose of making a lane change safety of the vehicle since this configuration for the stated purpose would have been obvious as evidenced by the teaching Yoshizaki (see paragraph 0076).
With respect to claims 5 and 7, the combination of Kashchenko and Yoshizaki disclose that wherein the turn signal of the vehicle is automatically turned on in response to: (a) detecting that the eye gaze of the vehicle occupant is directed toward the side view mirror of the vehicle (paragraph 0063, e.g., detecting the driver to look in the side mirror thereof), and (b) determining that the steering wheel angle is greater than the predetermined angle threshold (see paragraph 0076 of Yoshizaki).
With respect to claims 15 and 17, the combination of Kashchenko and Yoshizaki disclose that wherein the turn signal of the vehicle is automatically turned on in response to: (a) determining that the shoulder movement is indicative that the vehicle occupant is looking toward an adjacent lane (paragraph 0063, e.g., detecting the driver to look in the side mirror thereof), and (b) determining that the steering wheel angle is greater than the predetermined angle threshold (see paragraph 0076 of Yoshizaki).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Prior art Katz et al. – US 2019/0318181 (see figure 1 and paragraph 0058)
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to TUNG X LE whose telephone number is (571)272-6010. The examiner can normally be reached Monday to Friday from 10am to 6pm.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Regis Betsch can be reached at 571-270-7101. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
/TUNG X LE/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2844 January 29, 2026