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 .
Status of the Claims
This action is in response to the Applicant’s filing on June 30, 2026. Claims 1-20 are pending and examined below.
Response to Arguments
The previous rejections of claims 1-20 under 35 U.S.C. 103 are withdrawn in consideration of amended independent claims 1 and 11. However, new rejections of claims 1-20 under 35 U.S.C. 103 are set forth below.
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 1-8 and 10-18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Japanese Patent Application Publication No. JP 2010145324 by Ishikawa (herein after "Ishikawa"), in view of U.S. Patent Application Publication No. US 2019/0361437 by Wilson et al. (herein after “Wilson”) and U.S. Patent Application Publication No. US 2023/0127515 by Brown et al. (herein after “Brown”).
Note: Text written in bold typeface is claim language from the instant application. Text written in normal typeface are comments made by the Examiner and/or passages from the prior art reference(s).
Regarding claim 1, Ishikawa discloses a method for controlling a vehicle, the method comprising:
determining whether a pregnant woman is on board (Ishikawa ¶ [0020]: The passenger information input unit 4 inputs information as to whether the passenger has a child such as a pregnant woman or an infant, and the input method can be configured such that an item matching the passenger's condition is selected from an operation screen displayed on the display unit 7 and stored in the in-vehicle navigation device); and
performing emergency mode control, based on the determination of the pregnant woman being on board and an emergency mode entry command being input (Ishikawa ¶ [0025]: The emergency button 9 is operated at the time of an emergency of a fellow passenger, and is configured to be able to notify the control unit 5 of the navigation device N of an emergency state by being pressed),
wherein the emergency mode control includes: route guidance control to an emergency destination determined based on a predetermined criteria (Ishikawa ¶ [0027]: The control unit 11 is configured to be able to search for an optimal route from a departure point to a destination point, and to be able to search for a route in which an added value of passage costs of each link and each node constituting each route is minimized for an arbitrary route from the departure point to the destination point by using a route search method such as the Dijkstra method. When the emergency button 9 is pressed while a pregnant woman or an infant is set in the passenger input unit 4, the control unit 11 once stops the current guidance if the route guidance is being performed, and when the route guidance is not being performed, the control unit 11 can search for a destination at the time of emergency search such as pediatric or obstetric and gynecological search from the current position, and after searching for a candidate destination, the control unit 11 can display the candidate destination on the display unit 7 by collation with the passenger information and collation with the current time. For example, it is configured to be able to search for a hospital facility suitable for a person on board, such as an obstetric and gynaecological facility when the fellow passenger information is a pregnant woman)
.
It is noted Ishikawa fails to particularly disclose wherein the emergency mode control includes: emergency driving control, performed in response to receiving the emergency mode entry command, to selectively control an acceleration-inhibiting driving assistance function while traveling to the determined emergency destination.
However, Wilson, in the same field of endeavor, teaches a method for controlling a vehicle, the method comprising:
performing emergency mode control, wherein the emergency mode control includes: route guidance control to an emergency destination determined based on a predetermined criteria (Wilson ¶ [0019]: aspects of the present disclosure increase passenger safety in autonomous vehicles by communicating with a medical facility regarding a medical emergency, implementing countermeasures to increase the passenger's safety during the medical emergency, and rerouting the autonomous vehicle to the medical facility; Wilson ¶ [0061]: the autonomous vehicle can calculate respective scores for respective medical facilities in the subset of medical facilities. The respective scores can be based on capabilities, locations, and availabilities associated with the subset of medical facilities. Capabilities, locations, and availabilities can be weighted, combined, and otherwise manipulated in one or more functions to generate a score; Wilson ¶ [0062]: the scores calculated in operation 406 indicate a total estimated time until a passenger receives appropriate medical care for each medical facility in the subset of medical facilities. In such embodiments, the scores account for travel time (e.g., accounting for distance, traffic, speed, etc.) and wait time (e.g., accounting for availabilities of needed personnel associated with each medical facility)); and
emergency driving control, performed in response to receiving the emergency mode entry command (Wilson ¶ [0046]: In operation 202, the autonomous vehicle can detect a medical emergency. The autonomous vehicle can detect a medical emergency using any number of techniques including, but not limited to, matching a profile of sensor data to a medical condition profile, receiving direct input from a passenger indicating a medical emergency (e.g., a passenger saying “help me”), or a different technique), to selectively control an acceleration-inhibiting (Wilson ¶ [0051]: the autonomous vehicle can change a route of the autonomous vehicle according to the received instructions, change driving behavior of the autonomous vehicle according to the received instructions (e.g., exceed a speed limit, drive on a shoulder of the road, etc.)).
It is noted Wilson teaches an autonomous vehicle which can be interpreted as a driving-assistance function but Wilson fails to explicitly teach an acceleration-inhibiting driving assistance function.
However, Brown, in the same field of endeavor, teaches emergency driving control, performed in response to receiving the emergency mode entry command (Brown ¶ [0045]: At step 202, a condition in vehicle 100 is identified. For example, the controller 109 of the ADA control system 108 may be configured to identify that switch 128 has been actuated into its deactivated position or that the emergency sirens 126 have been switched on. In some examples, the condition that is identified will be caused by the user, for example, actuating the switch 128 within the passenger cab 131 or activating the emergency sirens 126), to selectively control an acceleration-inhibiting driving assistance function (Brown ¶ [0044]: FIG. 2 is a flowchart representing an illustrative process 200 for controlling an ADA system of a vehicle, in accordance with some examples of the disclosure. Whilst the example process shown in FIG. 2 refers to the use and control of ADA systems 110 of the example shown in FIG. 1, it will be appreciated that the illustrative process shown in FIG. 2, and any of the other following illustrative processes, may be implemented on the ADA systems 110 of FIG. 1 or on any other appropriately configured ADA systems (see also ¶ [0036]); Brown ¶ [0046]: At step 204, in response to identifying the condition in the vehicle in step 202, a device that is necessary for the function of the ADA system 110, for example, the forward-facing radar 114 of the AEB system 111 or the image processing module 120 of the LKA system 112, is prevented from inputting data into the ADA system 100. For example, the forward-facing radar 114 may be prevented from inputting data into the AEB system 111 and the detection processing module 116 by powering down the forward-facing radar 114, or by interrupting data communications between the forward-facing radar 114 and the detection processing module 116. The forward-facing radar 114 may be powered down, for example, by the controller 109 instructing the power supply 122 to stop or limit the power supplied to the forward-facing radar 114 in response to a condition being identified in the vehicle. In this example, the forward-facing radar 114, once powered down, will be prevented or inhibited from providing data to the detection processing module 116 such that the AEB system 111 will not function as it lacks the necessary inputs to generate detection events and trigger the AEB system 111. In effect, the example of FIG. 2 provides a method of controllably and selectively deactivating the AEB system 111; Brown ¶ [0036]: While the example shown in FIG. 1 exemplifies the use of an AEB system 111 and an LKA system 112 as ADA systems 110 within (or of) a vehicle 100, it is understood that the ADA system 110 may be another appropriate ADA system, for example, an adaptive cruise control system, a collision avoidance system, an electronic stability control, a forward collision warning system, an intersection assistant system, an intelligent speed adaption system, a lane centering system, a lane departure warning system, or a wrong-way driving warning system).
Therefore, given the teachings as a whole, it would have been prima facie obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the navigation system of Ishikawa to include the driving behavior changes including exceeding a speed limit of Wilson and the selective control that deactivates an ADA system of Brown with a reasonable expectation of success. A person of ordinary skill in the art would be motivated to make these modifications in order to increase passenger safety by communicating with a medical facility regarding a medical emergency and reroute an autonomous vehicle to a medical facility (Wilson ¶ [0019]) and to improve control of ADA systems in vehicles by enabling the ADA systems to be selectively deactivated or activated under appropriate conditions (Brown ¶ [0005]).
Regarding claim 2, the combination of Ishikawa, Wilson, and Brown discloses wherein the performing of the emergency mode control includes deactivating the acceleration-inhibiting driving assistance function to the emergency destination (Brown ¶ [0083]: The ADA control system 400 is configured to identify a condition in the vehicle 100 from the means 404 and, in response to the condition being identified, prevent a device 402 from inputting data into the controller 109. In this way, the ADA control system 400 can deactivate and, therefore, control the ADA system 110; Brown ¶ [0036]: While the example shown in FIG. 1 exemplifies the use of an AEB system 111 and an LKA system 112 as ADA systems 110 within (or of) a vehicle 100, it is understood that the ADA system 110 may be another appropriate ADA system, for example, an adaptive cruise control system, a collision avoidance system, an electronic stability control, a forward collision warning system, an intersection assistant system, an intelligent speed adaption system, a lane centering system, a lane departure warning system, or a wrong-way driving warning system).
Therefore, given the teachings as a whole, it would have been prima facie obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the navigation system of Ishikawa modified by the driving behavior changes including exceeding a speed limit of Wilson and the selective control that deactivates an ADA system of Brown to explicitly include the deactivation of an ADA system of Brown with a reasonable expectation of success. A person of ordinary skill in the art would be motivated to make this modification in order to improve control of ADA systems in vehicles by enabling the ADA systems to be selectively deactivated or activated under appropriate conditions (Brown ¶ [0005]).
Regarding claim 3, the combination of Ishikawa, Wilson, and Brown discloses wherein the acceleration-inhibiting driving assistance function includes at least one of navigation-based smart cruise control (NSCC), intelligent speed limit assist (ISLA) for limiting a maximum vehicle speed to a set speed, or manual speed limit assist (MSLA) (Brown ¶ [0083]: The ADA control system 400 is configured to identify a condition in the vehicle 100 from the means 404 and, in response to the condition being identified, prevent a device 402 from inputting data into the controller 109. In this way, the ADA control system 400 can deactivate and, therefore, control the ADA system 110; Brown ¶ [0036]: While the example shown in FIG. 1 exemplifies the use of an AEB system 111 and an LKA system 112 as ADA systems 110 within (or of) a vehicle 100, it is understood that the ADA system 110 may be another appropriate ADA system, for example, an adaptive cruise control system, a collision avoidance system, an electronic stability control, a forward collision warning system, an intersection assistant system, an intelligent speed adaption system, a lane centering system, a lane departure warning system, or a wrong-way driving warning system).
Therefore, given the teachings as a whole, it would have been prima facie obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the navigation system of Ishikawa modified by the driving behavior changes including exceeding a speed limit of Wilson and the selective control that deactivates an ADA system of Brown to explicitly include the deactivation of an adaptive cruise control and/or intelligent speed adaption system of Brown with a reasonable expectation of success. A person of ordinary skill in the art would be motivated to make this modification in order to improve control of ADA systems in vehicles by enabling the ADA systems to be selectively deactivated or activated under appropriate conditions (Brown ¶ [0005]).
Regarding claim 4, Ishikawa discloses wherein the predetermined criteria include route factors emergency destination candidate (Ishikawa ¶ [0027]: The control unit 11 is configured to be able to search for an optimal route from a departure point to a destination point, and to be able to search for a route in which an added value of passage costs of each link and each node constituting each route is minimized for an arbitrary route from the departure point to the destination point by using a route search method such as the Dijkstra method; Ishikawa ¶ [0032]: the hospital is retrieved from the peripheral facilities of the present car position information acquired in the step S5, and the detailed facility information 6 is determined from the map database (FIG. 2) to retrieve the obstetrics and gynecology or the pediatrics; Ishikawa ¶ [0033]: a retrieval facility list is displayed in the order of distances from the current position (step S8); Ishikawa ¶ [0034]: When the user selects a destination hospital facility from the searched facility list displayed in S8 (S9, YES), route guidance to the selected facility is started (S10). If no facility is selected from the facility list displayed in step S9 (S9, NO), a higher-level facility in the facility list is automatically selected as a destination, and route guidance is started (S11)).
It is noted Ishikawa fails to particularly disclose wherein the predetermined criteria include facility factors scored for each of at least one emergency destination candidate.
However, Wilson, in the same field of endeavor, teaches wherein the predetermined criteria include route factors and facility factors scored for each of at least one emergency destination candidate (Wilson ¶ [0019]: aspects of the present disclosure increase passenger safety in autonomous vehicles by communicating with a medical facility regarding a medical emergency, implementing countermeasures to increase the passenger's safety during the medical emergency, and rerouting the autonomous vehicle to the medical facility; Wilson ¶ [0061]: the autonomous vehicle can calculate respective scores for respective medical facilities in the subset of medical facilities. The respective scores can be based on capabilities, locations, and availabilities associated with the subset of medical facilities. Capabilities, locations, and availabilities can be weighted, combined, and otherwise manipulated in one or more functions to generate a score; Wilson ¶ [0062]: the scores calculated in operation 406 indicate a total estimated time until a passenger receives appropriate medical care for each medical facility in the subset of medical facilities. In such embodiments, the scores account for travel time (e.g., accounting for distance, traffic, speed, etc.) and wait time (e.g., accounting for availabilities of needed personnel associated with each medical facility)).
Therefore, given the teachings as a whole, it would have been prima facie obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the navigation system of Ishikawa modified by the driving behavior changes including exceeding a speed limit of Wilson and the selective control that deactivates an ADA system of Brown to further include the scored facility factors of Wilson with a reasonable expectation of success. A person of ordinary skill in the art would be motivated to make this modification in order to increase passenger safety by communicating with a medical facility regarding a medical emergency and reroute an autonomous vehicle to a medical facility (Wilson ¶ [0019]).
Regarding claim 5, Ishikawa discloses wherein the route factors include location and road information along a route of the vehicle for each emergency destination candidate (Ishikawa ¶ [0027]: The control unit 11 is configured to be able to search for an optimal route from a departure point to a destination point, and to be able to search for a route in which an added value of passage costs of each link and each node constituting each route is minimized for an arbitrary route from the departure point to the destination point by using a route search method such as the Dijkstra method; Ishikawa ¶ [0032]: the hospital is retrieved from the peripheral facilities of the present car position information acquired in the step S5, and the detailed facility information 6 is determined from the map database (FIG. 2) to retrieve the obstetrics and gynecology or the pediatrics; Ishikawa ¶ [0033]: a retrieval facility list is displayed in the order of distances from the current position (step S8); Ishikawa ¶ [0034]: When the user selects a destination hospital facility from the searched facility list displayed in S8 (S9, YES), route guidance to the selected facility is started (S10). If no facility is selected from the facility list displayed in step S9 (S9, NO), a higher-level facility in the facility list is automatically selected as a destination, and route guidance is started (S11)), and
.
It is noted Ishikawa fails to particularly disclose wherein the facility factors include at least one of size, number of beds, availability of emergency rooms, and medical departments for each emergency destination candidate.
However, Wilson, in the same field of endeavor, teaches wherein the facility factors include at least one of size, number of beds, availability of emergency rooms, and medical departments for each emergency destination candidate (Wilson ¶ [0019]: aspects of the present disclosure increase passenger safety in autonomous vehicles by communicating with a medical facility regarding a medical emergency, implementing countermeasures to increase the passenger's safety during the medical emergency, and rerouting the autonomous vehicle to the medical facility; Wilson ¶ [0020]: aspects of the present disclosure can improve medical facility selection based on capabilities, location, and availability rather than exclusively based on medical facility location; Wilson ¶ [0034]: Availabilities of the medical facilities can be associated with wait times, bed availability, nurse availability, doctor availability, surgeon availability, blood type availability, medication availability, and/or other availabilities).
Therefore, given the teachings as a whole, it would have been prima facie obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the navigation system of Ishikawa modified by the driving behavior changes including exceeding a speed limit and the scored facility factors of Wilson and the selective control that deactivates an ADA system of Brown to further include the availability factors used for selecting a medical facility of Wilson with a reasonable expectation of success. A person of ordinary skill in the art would be motivated to make this modification in order to increase passenger safety by communicating with a medical facility regarding a medical emergency and reroute an autonomous vehicle to a medical facility (Wilson ¶ [0019]).
Regarding claim 6, Ishikawa discloses wherein the determining of whether the pregnant woman is on board includes determining whether a profile with the pregnant woman setting applied is selected (Ishikawa ¶ [0020]: The passenger information input unit 4 inputs information as to whether the passenger has a child such as a pregnant woman or an infant, and the input method can be configured such that an item matching the passenger's condition is selected from an operation screen displayed on the display unit 7 and stored in the in-vehicle navigation device).
Regarding claim 7, Ishikawa discloses further including performing, based on the determination of the pregnant woman being on board, emergency mode preparation control inclusive of changing navigation settings (Ishikawa ¶ [0035]: In the in-vehicle navigation device N of the present invention as described above, when a child such as a pregnant woman or an infant gets on the vehicle, by setting that the pregnant woman or the infant gets on the vehicle, it is possible to preferentially display the facility search specialized for the fellow passenger, and even when a sudden poor physical condition occurs while the user is out, it is possible to search for the obstetrics and gynecology or pediatrics under business with the minimum number of operations).
Regarding claim 8, Ishikawa discloses wherein the performing of the emergency mode preparation control includes displaying a menu for entering the emergency mode on a display of a navigation device (Ishikawa ¶ [0030]: when the pregnant woman or the baby becomes ill while the vehicle is running, the user presses the urgent button 9 in the navigation device (S3, YES). When it is determined that the urgent button 9 is pressed, the navigation device interrupts all the functions being processed and shifts to the urgent mode (S4)).
Regarding claim 10, the combination of Ishikawa, Wilson, and Brown discloses a non-transitory computer-readable recording medium storing a program (Wilson ¶ [0110]: a system, a method, and/or a computer program product at any possible technical detail level of integration. The computer program product may include a computer readable storage medium (or media) having computer readable program instructions thereon) for executing the method of claim 1 (see claim 1 above).
Therefore, given the teachings as a whole, it would have been prima facie obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the navigation system of Ishikawa modified by the driving behavior changes including exceeding a speed limit of Wilson and the selective control that deactivates an ADA system of Brown to further include the computer readable medium storing program instructions of Wilson with a reasonable expectation of success. A person of ordinary skill in the art would be motivated to make this modification in order to increase passenger safety by communicating with a medical facility regarding a medical emergency and reroute an autonomous vehicle to a medical facility (Wilson ¶ [0019]).
Regarding claim 11, Ishikawa discloses
an audio/video/navigation/telematics (AVNT) terminal (Ishikawa: position detection unit 1, map data 2, operation switch 3, passenger input unit 4, determination unit 5, external memory 6, display unit 7, voice output unit 8, emergency button 9 in Fig. 1); and
an emergency mode controller operatively connected to (Ishikawa: control unit 11 in Fig. 1) and configured to perform, based on determination of a pregnant woman being on board (Ishikawa ¶ [0020]: The passenger information input unit 4 inputs information as to whether the passenger has a child such as a pregnant woman or an infant, and the input method can be configured such that an item matching the passenger's condition is selected from an operation screen displayed on the display unit 7 and stored in the in-vehicle navigation device) and an emergency mode entry command being input to the emergency mode controller (Ishikawa ¶ [0025]: The emergency button 9 is operated at the time of an emergency of a fellow passenger, and is configured to be able to notify the control unit 5 of the navigation device N of an emergency state by being pressed), emergency mode control including route guidance control and emergency driving control,
wherein the route guidance control includes guiding a route of the vehicle to a determined emergency destination via the AVNT terminal based on a predetermined criteria (Ishikawa ¶ [0027]: The control unit 11 is configured to be able to search for an optimal route from a departure point to a destination point, and to be able to search for a route in which an added value of passage costs of each link and each node constituting each route is minimized for an arbitrary route from the departure point to the destination point by using a route search method such as the Dijkstra method. When the emergency button 9 is pressed while a pregnant woman or an infant is set in the passenger input unit 4, the control unit 11 once stops the current guidance if the route guidance is being performed, and when the route guidance is not being performed, the control unit 11 can search for a destination at the time of emergency search such as pediatric or obstetric and gynecological search from the current position, and after searching for a candidate destination, the control unit 11 can display the candidate destination on the display unit 7 by collation with the passenger information and collation with the current time. For example, it is configured to be able to search for a hospital facility suitable for a person on board, such as an obstetric and gynaecological facility when the fellow passenger information is a pregnant woman),
.
It is noted Ishikawa fails to particularly disclose a vehicle comprising: an advanced driver assistance system (ADAS) controller; and an emergency mode controller operatively connected to the ADAS controller, wherein the emergency driving control includes selectively controlling, while traveling to the predetermined emergency destination, and in response to receiving the emergency mode entry command, an acceleration-inhibiting driving assistance function provided through the ADAS controller to the determined emergency destination.
However, Wilson, in the same field of endeavor, teaches a vehicle (Wilson: autonomous vehicle 102 in Fig. 1) comprising:
an emergency mode controller (Wilson ¶ [0045]: a processor reading and executing instructions, or a different hardware configuration), emergency mode control including route guidance control and emergency mode control,
wherein the route guidance control includes guiding a route of the vehicle to a determined emergency destination via the AVNT terminal based on a predetermined criteria (Wilson ¶ [0019]: aspects of the present disclosure increase passenger safety in autonomous vehicles by communicating with a medical facility regarding a medical emergency, implementing countermeasures to increase the passenger's safety during the medical emergency, and rerouting the autonomous vehicle to the medical facility; Wilson ¶ [0061]: the autonomous vehicle can calculate respective scores for respective medical facilities in the subset of medical facilities. The respective scores can be based on capabilities, locations, and availabilities associated with the subset of medical facilities. Capabilities, locations, and availabilities can be weighted, combined, and otherwise manipulated in one or more functions to generate a score; Wilson ¶ [0062]: the scores calculated in operation 406 indicate a total estimated time until a passenger receives appropriate medical care for each medical facility in the subset of medical facilities. In such embodiments, the scores account for travel time (e.g., accounting for distance, traffic, speed, etc.) and wait time (e.g., accounting for availabilities of needed personnel associated with each medical facility)), and
wherein the emergency driving control includes selectively controlling, while traveling to the predetermined emergency destination, and in response to receiving the emergency mode entry command (Wilson ¶ [0046]: In operation 202, the autonomous vehicle can detect a medical emergency. The autonomous vehicle can detect a medical emergency using any number of techniques including, but not limited to, matching a profile of sensor data to a medical condition profile, receiving direct input from a passenger indicating a medical emergency (e.g., a passenger saying “help me”), or a different technique), an acceleration-inhibiting (Wilson ¶ [0051]: the autonomous vehicle can change a route of the autonomous vehicle according to the received instructions, change driving behavior of the autonomous vehicle according to the received instructions (e.g., exceed a speed limit, drive on a shoulder of the road, etc.)).
It is noted Wilson teaches an autonomous vehicle which can be interpreted as an advanced driving assistance system but Wilson fails to explicitly teach an advanced driver assistance system (ADAS) controller; and an emergency mode controller operatively connected to the ADAS controller; and an acceleration-inhibiting driving assistance function provided through the ADAS controller.
However, Brown, in the same field of endeavor, teaches an advanced driver assistance system (ADAS) controller (Brown ¶ [0035]: In the example shown in FIG. 1, the ADA control system 108 comprises a controller 109 which is configured to control the two ADA systems 110 present in this example; Examiner interprets the ADA systems 110 to include controllers); and
an emergency mode controller (Brown ¶ [0035]: In the example shown in FIG. 1, the ADA control system 108 comprises a controller 109 which is configured to control the two ADA systems 110 present in this example; Examiner interprets the ADA control system controller 109 to be an emergency mode controller that identifies a condition for deactivating an ADA system (¶ [0045]-[0046])) operatively connected to the ADAS controller (Brown ¶ [0035]: The controller 109 is communicatively coupled to the AEB system 111 and the LKA system 112 by data communication channels 113),
wherein driving control includes selectively controlling, while traveling to the predetermined emergency destination, and in response to receiving the emergency mode entry command (Brown ¶ [0045]: At step 202, a condition in vehicle 100 is identified. For example, the controller 109 of the ADA control system 108 may be configured to identify that switch 128 has been actuated into its deactivated position or that the emergency sirens 126 have been switched on. In some examples, the condition that is identified will be caused by the user, for example, actuating the switch 128 within the passenger cab 131 or activating the emergency sirens 126), an acceleration-inhibiting driving assistance function provided through the ADAS controller (Brown ¶ [0044]: FIG. 2 is a flowchart representing an illustrative process 200 for controlling an ADA system of a vehicle, in accordance with some examples of the disclosure. Whilst the example process shown in FIG. 2 refers to the use and control of ADA systems 110 of the example shown in FIG. 1, it will be appreciated that the illustrative process shown in FIG. 2, and any of the other following illustrative processes, may be implemented on the ADA systems 110 of FIG. 1 or on any other appropriately configured ADA systems (see also ¶ [0036]); Brown ¶ [0046]: At step 204, in response to identifying the condition in the vehicle in step 202, a device that is necessary for the function of the ADA system 110, for example, the forward-facing radar 114 of the AEB system 111 or the image processing module 120 of the LKA system 112, is prevented from inputting data into the ADA system 100. For example, the forward-facing radar 114 may be prevented from inputting data into the AEB system 111 and the detection processing module 116 by powering down the forward-facing radar 114, or by interrupting data communications between the forward-facing radar 114 and the detection processing module 116. The forward-facing radar 114 may be powered down, for example, by the controller 109 instructing the power supply 122 to stop or limit the power supplied to the forward-facing radar 114 in response to a condition being identified in the vehicle. In this example, the forward-facing radar 114, once powered down, will be prevented or inhibited from providing data to the detection processing module 116 such that the AEB system 111 will not function as it lacks the necessary inputs to generate detection events and trigger the AEB system 111. In effect, the example of FIG. 2 provides a method of controllably and selectively deactivating the AEB system 111; Brown ¶ [0036]: While the example shown in FIG. 1 exemplifies the use of an AEB system 111 and an LKA system 112 as ADA systems 110 within (or of) a vehicle 100, it is understood that the ADA system 110 may be another appropriate ADA system, for example, an adaptive cruise control system, a collision avoidance system, an electronic stability control, a forward collision warning system, an intersection assistant system, an intelligent speed adaption system, a lane centering system, a lane departure warning system, or a wrong-way driving warning system).
Therefore, given the teachings as a whole, it would have been prima facie obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the navigation system of Ishikawa to include the vehicle that incorporates driving behavior changes including exceeding a speed limit in an emergency of Wilson and the controller that selectively controls ADA systems of Brown with a reasonable expectation of success. A person of ordinary skill in the art would be motivated to make these modifications in order to increase passenger safety by communicating with a medical facility regarding a medical emergency and reroute an autonomous vehicle to a medical facility (Wilson ¶ [0019]) and to improve control of ADA systems in vehicles by enabling the ADA systems to be selectively deactivated or activated under appropriate conditions (Brown ¶ [0005]).
Regarding claim 12, the combination of Ishikawa, Wilson, and Brown discloses wherein the emergency mode controller is further configured to deactivate the acceleration-inhibiting driving assistance function to the emergency destination (Brown ¶ [0083]: The ADA control system 400 is configured to identify a condition in the vehicle 100 from the means 404 and, in response to the condition being identified, prevent a device 402 from inputting data into the controller 109. In this way, the ADA control system 400 can deactivate and, therefore, control the ADA system 110; Brown ¶ [0036]: While the example shown in FIG. 1 exemplifies the use of an AEB system 111 and an LKA system 112 as ADA systems 110 within (or of) a vehicle 100, it is understood that the ADA system 110 may be another appropriate ADA system, for example, an adaptive cruise control system, a collision avoidance system, an electronic stability control, a forward collision warning system, an intersection assistant system, an intelligent speed adaption system, a lane centering system, a lane departure warning system, or a wrong-way driving warning system).
Therefore, given the teachings as a whole, it would have been prima facie obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the navigation system of Ishikawa modified by the vehicle that incorporates driving behavior changes including exceeding a speed limit in an emergency of Wilson and the controller that selectively controls ADA systems of Brown to explicitly include the deactivation of an ADA system of Brown with a reasonable expectation of success. A person of ordinary skill in the art would be motivated to make this modification in order to improve control of ADA systems in vehicles by enabling the ADA systems to be selectively deactivated or activated under appropriate conditions (Brown ¶ [0005]).
Regarding claim 13, the combination of Ishikawa, Wilson, and Brown discloses wherein the acceleration-inhibiting driving assistance function includes at least one of navigation-based smart cruise control (NSCC), intelligent speed limit assist (ISLA) for limiting a maximum vehicle speed to a set speed, or manual speed limit assist (MSLA) (Brown ¶ [0083]: The ADA control system 400 is configured to identify a condition in the vehicle 100 from the means 404 and, in response to the condition being identified, prevent a device 402 from inputting data into the controller 109. In this way, the ADA control system 400 can deactivate and, therefore, control the ADA system 110; Brown ¶ [0036]: While the example shown in FIG. 1 exemplifies the use of an AEB system 111 and an LKA system 112 as ADA systems 110 within (or of) a vehicle 100, it is understood that the ADA system 110 may be another appropriate ADA system, for example, an adaptive cruise control system, a collision avoidance system, an electronic stability control, a forward collision warning system, an intersection assistant system, an intelligent speed adaption system, a lane centering system, a lane departure warning system, or a wrong-way driving warning system).
Therefore, given the teachings as a whole, it would have been prima facie obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the navigation system of Ishikawa modified by the vehicle that incorporates driving behavior changes including exceeding a speed limit in an emergency of Wilson and the controller that selectively controls ADA systems including deactivating the ADA systems of Brown to explicitly include the deactivation of an adaptive cruise control and/or intelligent speed adaption system of Brown with a reasonable expectation of success. A person of ordinary skill in the art would be motivated to make this modification in order to improve control of ADA systems in vehicles by enabling the ADA systems to be selectively deactivated or activated under appropriate conditions (Brown ¶ [0005]).
Regarding claim 14, Ishikawa discloses wherein the predetermined criteria include route factors (Ishikawa ¶ [0027]: The control unit 11 is configured to be able to search for an optimal route from a departure point to a destination point, and to be able to search for a route in which an added value of passage costs of each link and each node constituting each route is minimized for an arbitrary route from the departure point to the destination point by using a route search method such as the Dijkstra method; Ishikawa ¶ [0032]: the hospital is retrieved from the peripheral facilities of the present car position information acquired in the step S5, and the detailed facility information 6 is determined from the map database (FIG. 2) to retrieve the obstetrics and gynecology or the pediatrics; Ishikawa ¶ [0033]: a retrieval facility list is displayed in the order of distances from the current position (step S8); Ishikawa ¶ [0034]: When the user selects a destination hospital facility from the searched facility list displayed in S8 (S9, YES), route guidance to the selected facility is started (S10). If no facility is selected from the facility list displayed in step S9 (S9, NO), a higher-level facility in the facility list is automatically selected as a destination, and route guidance is started (S11)).
It is noted Ishikawa fails to particularly disclose wherein the predetermined criteria include facility factors scored for each of at least one emergency destination candidate.
However, Wilson, in the same field of endeavor, teaches wherein the predetermined criteria include route factors and facility factors scored for each of at least one emergency destination candidate (Wilson ¶ [0019]: aspects of the present disclosure increase passenger safety in autonomous vehicles by communicating with a medical facility regarding a medical emergency, implementing countermeasures to increase the passenger's safety during the medical emergency, and rerouting the autonomous vehicle to the medical facility; Wilson ¶ [0061]: the autonomous vehicle can calculate respective scores for respective medical facilities in the subset of medical facilities. The respective scores can be based on capabilities, locations, and availabilities associated with the subset of medical facilities. Capabilities, locations, and availabilities can be weighted, combined, and otherwise manipulated in one or more functions to generate a score; Wilson ¶ [0062]: the scores calculated in operation 406 indicate a total estimated time until a passenger receives appropriate medical care for each medical facility in the subset of medical facilities. In such embodiments, the scores account for travel time (e.g., accounting for distance, traffic, speed, etc.) and wait time (e.g., accounting for availabilities of needed personnel associated with each medical facility)).
Therefore, given the teachings as a whole, it would have been prima facie obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the navigation system of Ishikawa modified by the vehicle that incorporates driving behavior changes including exceeding a speed limit in an emergency of Wilson and the controller that selectively controls ADA systems of Brown to further include the scored facility factors of Wilson with a reasonable expectation of success. A person of ordinary skill in the art would be motivated to make this modification in order to increase passenger safety by communicating with a medical facility regarding a medical emergency and reroute an autonomous vehicle to a medical facility (Wilson ¶ [0019]).
Regarding claim 15, Ishikawa discloses wherein the route factors include location and road information along the route of the vehicle for each emergency destination candidate (Ishikawa ¶ [0027]: The control unit 11 is configured to be able to search for an optimal route from a departure point to a destination point, and to be able to search for a route in which an added value of passage costs of each link and each node constituting each route is minimized for an arbitrary route from the departure point to the destination point by using a route search method such as the Dijkstra method; Ishikawa ¶ [0032]: the hospital is retrieved from the peripheral facilities of the present car position information acquired in the step S5, and the detailed facility information 6 is determined from the map database (FIG. 2) to retrieve the obstetrics and gynecology or the pediatrics; Ishikawa ¶ [0033]: a retrieval facility list is displayed in the order of distances from the current position (step S8); Ishikawa ¶ [0034]: When the user selects a destination hospital facility from the searched facility list displayed in S8 (S9, YES), route guidance to the selected facility is started (S10). If no facility is selected from the facility list displayed in step S9 (S9, NO), a higher-level facility in the facility list is automatically selected as a destination, and route guidance is started (S11)), and
.
It is noted Ishikawa fails to particularly disclose wherein the facility factors include at least one of size, number of beds, availability of emergency rooms, and medical departments for each emergency destination candidate.
However, Wilson, in the same field of endeavor, teaches wherein the facility factors include at least one of size, number of beds, availability of emergency rooms, and medical departments for each emergency destination candidate (Wilson ¶ [0019]: aspects of the present disclosure increase passenger safety in autonomous vehicles by communicating with a medical facility regarding a medical emergency, implementing countermeasures to increase the passenger's safety during the medical emergency, and rerouting the autonomous vehicle to the medical facility; Wilson ¶ [0020]: aspects of the present disclosure can improve medical facility selection based on capabilities, location, and availability rather than exclusively based on medical facility location; Wilson ¶ [0034]: Availabilities of the medical facilities can be associated with wait times, bed availability, nurse availability, doctor availability, surgeon availability, blood type availability, medication availability, and/or other availabilities).
Therefore, given the teachings as a whole, it would have been prima facie obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the navigation system of Ishikawa modified by the vehicle that incorporates driving behavior changes including exceeding a speed limit in an emergency and the scored facility factors of Wilson and the controller that selectively controls ADA systems of Brown to further include the availability factors used for selecting a medical facility of Wilson with a reasonable expectation of success. A person of ordinary skill in the art would be motivated to make this modification in order to increase passenger safety by communicating with a medical facility regarding a medical emergency and reroute an autonomous vehicle to a medical facility (Wilson ¶ [0019]).
Regarding claim 16, Ishikawa discloses wherein the emergency mode controller is further configured to determine whether a profile with the pregnant woman setting applied is selected (Ishikawa ¶ [0020]: The passenger information input unit 4 inputs information as to whether the passenger has a child such as a pregnant woman or an infant, and the input method can be configured such that an item matching the passenger's condition is selected from an operation screen displayed on the display unit 7 and stored in the in-vehicle navigation device).
Regarding claim 17, Ishikawa discloses wherein the emergency mode controller is configured to perform, based on the determination of the pregnant woman being on board, emergency mode preparation control inclusive of changing navigation settings (Ishikawa ¶ [0035]: In the in-vehicle navigation device N of the present invention as described above, when a child such as a pregnant woman or an infant gets on the vehicle, by setting that the pregnant woman or the infant gets on the vehicle, it is possible to preferentially display the facility search specialized for the fellow passenger, and even when a sudden poor physical condition occurs while the user is out, it is possible to search for the obstetrics and gynecology or pediatrics under business with the minimum number of operations).
Regarding claim 18, Ishikawa discloses wherein the changing of the navigation settings includes displaying a menu for entering the emergency mode on a display of the AVNT terminal (Ishikawa ¶ [0030]: when the pregnant woman or the baby becomes ill while the vehicle is running, the user presses the urgent button 9 in the navigation device (S3, YES). When it is determined that the urgent button 9 is pressed, the navigation device interrupts all the functions being processed and shifts to the urgent mode (S4)).
Claims 9 and 19-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Japanese Patent Application Publication No. JP 2010145324 by Ishikawa (herein after "Ishikawa"), in view of U.S. Patent Application Publication No. US 2019/0361437 by Wilson et al. (herein after “Wilson”) and U.S. Patent Application Publication No. US 2023/0127515 by Brown et al. (herein after “Brown”), further in view of U.S. Patent Application Publication No. US 2025/0185995 by Ek Blohm et al. (herein after “Ek Blohm”).
Regarding claim 9, Ishikawa fails to particularly disclose wherein the emergency mode control further includes: a sound control including at least one of outputting predetermined audio and activating active noise cancellation; and an emergency contact control to initiate contact to the determined emergency destination and a predetermined contact.
However, Wilson, in the same field of endeavor, teaches wherein the emergency mode control further includes:
a sound control including at least one of outputting predetermined audio and activating active noise cancellation (Wilson ¶ [0018]: a communication channel is established between the medical facility and the passenger (e.g., an audio or audio/video interaction between a healthcare practitioner associated with the medical facility and the passenger associated with the medical condition); Wilson ¶ [0051]: the autonomous vehicle can implement the received instructions. In various embodiments, the autonomous vehicle can change a route of the autonomous vehicle according to the received instructions, change driving behavior of the autonomous vehicle according to the received instructions (e.g., exceed a speed limit, drive on a shoulder of the road, etc.), provide notifications to the passenger according to the received instructions (e.g., an estimated time of arrival, self-care instructions, etc.), modify the environmental controls of the autonomous vehicle according to the received instructions (e.g., temperature, humidity, lights, window position, noise level, etc.), and/or modify the exterior of the autonomous vehicle according to the received instructions (e.g., sirens, lights, etc.)); and
an emergency contact control to initiate contact to the determined emergency destination (Wilson ¶ [0048]: the autonomous vehicle can send a first data package to the first medical facility comprising information related to the detected medical emergency. The first data package can include at least a location of the autonomous vehicle (e.g., based on GPS, INS, or a different system), information regarding the detected medical condition (e.g., sensor data, a medical condition profile), a list of actions executable by the autonomous vehicle (e.g., driving controls, audio controls, display controls, temperature controls, window controls, light controls, etc.), and/or passenger information (e.g., a passenger medical record, a passenger name, a passenger age, a passenger emergency contact, etc.)).
It is noted Wilson fails to particularly teach an emergency contact control to initiate contact to a predetermined contact.
However, Ek Blohm, in the same field of endeavor, teaches an emergency contact control to initiate contact to a predetermined contact (Ek Blohm ¶ [0043]: the communication component 210 can transmit an alert, associated with the activation (e.g., via the activation component 204) of the autonomous driving mode or the one or more health metrics, to a registered recipient (e.g., comprising or associated with a mobile device 506 registered with the occupant of the vehicle 102) associated with the occupant of the vehicle 102. In this regard, a user/occupant of the vehicle 102 can register emergency contacts to be automatically contacted (e.g., via the communication component 210)).
Therefore, given the teachings as a whole, it would have been prima facie obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the navigation system of Ishikawa modified by the driving behavior changes including exceeding a speed limit of Wilson and the selective control that deactivates an ADA system of Brown to further include the communication channel between the passenger and medical facility with audio and noise control of Wilson and the alert transmitted to an emergency contact of Ek Blohm with a reasonable expectation of success. A person of ordinary skill in the art would be motivated to make these modifications in order to increase passenger safety by communicating with a medical facility regarding a medical emergency and reroute an autonomous vehicle to a medical facility (Wilson ¶ [0019]) and to improve vehicular safety in instances where a driver may lose control of a vehicle due to a medical emergency (Ek Blohm ¶ [0002]-[0005]).
Regarding claim 19, Ishikawa fails to particularly disclose wherein the emergency mode control further includes: a sound control including at least one of outputting predetermined audio and activating active noise cancellation; and an emergency contact control to initiate contact to the determined emergency destination and a predetermined contact.
However, Wilson, in the same field of endeavor, teaches wherein the emergency mode control further includes:
a sound control including at least one of outputting predetermined audio and activating active noise cancellation (Wilson ¶ [0018]: a communication channel is established between the medical facility and the passenger (e.g., an audio or audio/video interaction between a healthcare practitioner associated with the medical facility and the passenger associated with the medical condition); Wilson ¶ [0051]: the autonomous vehicle can implement the received instructions. In various embodiments, the autonomous vehicle can change a route of the autonomous vehicle according to the received instructions, change driving behavior of the autonomous vehicle according to the received instructions (e.g., exceed a speed limit, drive on a shoulder of the road, etc.), provide notifications to the passenger according to the received instructions (e.g., an estimated time of arrival, self-care instructions, etc.), modify the environmental controls of the autonomous vehicle according to the received instructions (e.g., temperature, humidity, lights, window position, noise level, etc.), and/or modify the exterior of the autonomous vehicle according to the received instructions (e.g., sirens, lights, etc.)); and
an emergency contact control to initiate contact to the determined emergency destination (Wilson ¶ [0048]: the autonomous vehicle can send a first data package to the first medical facility comprising information related to the detected medical emergency. The first data package can include at least a location of the autonomous vehicle (e.g., based on GPS, INS, or a different system), information regarding the detected medical condition (e.g., sensor data, a medical condition profile), a list of actions executable by the autonomous vehicle (e.g., driving controls, audio controls, display controls, temperature controls, window controls, light controls, etc.), and/or passenger information (e.g., a passenger medical record, a passenger name, a passenger age, a passenger emergency contact, etc.)).
It is noted Wilson fails to particularly teach an emergency contact control to initiate contact to a predetermined contact.
However, Ek Blohm, in the same field of endeavor, teaches an emergency contact control to the determined emergency destination and a predetermined contact (Ek Blohm ¶ [0043]: the communication component 210 can transmit an alert, associated with the activation (e.g., via the activation component 204) of the autonomous driving mode or the one or more health metrics, to a registered recipient (e.g., comprising or associated with a mobile device 506 registered with the occupant of the vehicle 102) associated with the occupant of the vehicle 102. In this regard, a user/occupant of the vehicle 102 can register emergency contacts to be automatically contacted (e.g., via the communication component 210)).
Therefore, given the teachings as a whole, it would have been prima facie obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the navigation system of Ishikawa modified by the vehicle that incorporates driving behavior changes including exceeding a speed limit in an emergency of Wilson and the controller that selectively controls ADA systems of Brown to further include the communication channel between the passenger and medical facility with audio and noise control of Wilson and the alert transmitted to an emergency contact of Ek Blohm with a reasonable expectation of success. A person of ordinary skill in the art would be motivated to make these modifications in order to increase passenger safety by communicating with a medical facility regarding a medical emergency and reroute an autonomous vehicle to a medical facility (Wilson ¶ [0019]) and to improve vehicular safety in instances where a driver may lose control of a vehicle due to a medical emergency (Ek Blohm ¶ [0002]-[0005]).
Regarding claim 20, Ishikawa fails to particularly disclose wherein the vehicle includes a hybrid vehicle or an electric vehicle, and wherein the emergency mode controller includes a hybrid control unit (HCU) for the hybrid vehicle or a vehicle control unit (VCU) for the electric vehicle.
However, Ek Blohm, in the same field of endeavor, teaches wherein the vehicle includes a hybrid vehicle or an electric vehicle (Ek Blohm ¶ [0023]: It is additionally noted that the system 100 can be implemented in a variety of types of automobiles, such as battery electric vehicles, hybrid vehicles, plug-in hybrid vehicles, or other suitable types of vehicles), and wherein the emergency mode controller includes a hybrid control unit (HCU) for the hybrid vehicle or a vehicle control unit (VCU) for the electric vehicle (Ek Blohm ¶ [0030]: The one or more computing devices 110 can facilitate executing and controlling one or more operations of the vehicle 102, including one or more operations of the one or more input devices 106, and the one or more other vehicle electronic systems/devices 108 using machine-executable instructions; Examiner interprets the computing devices of Ek Blohm to include a hybrid control unit when the vehicle is a hybrid vehicle or a vehicle control unit if the vehicle is an electric vehicle).
Therefore, given the teachings as a whole, it would have been prima facie obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the navigation system of Ishikawa modified by the vehicle that incorporates driving behavior changes including exceeding a speed limit in an emergency of Wilson and the controller that selectively controls ADA systems of Brown to further include the hybrid or electric vehicle with computed devices of Ek Blohm with a reasonable expectation of success. A person of ordinary skill in the art would be motivated to make these modifications in order to improve vehicular safety in instances where a driver may lose control of a vehicle due to a medical emergency (Ek Blohm ¶ [0002]-[0005]).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to the applicant’s disclosure:
US 2023/0341233 discloses an in-vehicle infotainment system with emergency navigation and hospital data. The system includes GUI elements for selecting a type of medical emergency (¶ [0075]) and routing to a medical location based on various criteria (¶ [0061]).
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to NICHOLAS P LANGHORNE whose telephone number is (571)272-5670. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 8:30-5:30.
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/N.P.L./Examiner, Art Unit 3666
/ANNE MARIE ANTONUCCI/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3666
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