DETAILED ACTION
Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 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)(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.
Claim(s) 1-16 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Williams (US 2023/0016578 A1).
Regarding claims 1 and 9, Williams discloses a method and apparatus for synchronizing neighboring tiles in an electronic map, the apparatus comprising: at least one memory (Fig. 1, element 150; paragraph 0034); and at least one processor (Fig. 1, element 142) coupled to the at least one memory (paragraph 0025, 0033), the at least one processor configured to: overlay (Fig. 6, step 610) a factor graph (Fig. 3B, elements 310 and 312; Fig. 3C, element 310 and 324-328) on neighboring tiles of an electronic map including a first tile group (see group of four square tiles each tile being contained by elements 310 in the lower half of Fig. 3B) and a second tile group (see group of four square tiles each tile being contained by elements 310 in upper half of Fig. 3B) that border one another on at least a first tile in the first tile group and a second tile in the second tile group (paragraph 0020, 0038-0044, 0061); separately optimize (Fig. 6, step 630) the first tile group (see Fig. 5B and 5C, group of lower tiles each contained by elements 510) and the second tile group (see Figs. 5B and 5C, group of upper tiles each contained by elements 510) to align a road feature (Fig. 5B and 5C, element 501a and 501b, lane line) that crosses between the first tile group and the second tile group (paragraph 0043, 0053-0062); and control (Fig. 6, step 640) a trajectory (via Fig. 1, element 176, 182, 184, 186, 188) of an ego vehicle (Fig. 2, element 200) along the road feature (paragraph 0024-0025, 0029, 0061).
Regarding claims 2 and 10, Williams discloses the method of claim 1 and the apparatus of claim 9, in which the at least one processor is further configured to repeat the overlay and the separately optimize for neighboring tile groups of a plurality of tile groups having a feature crossing the neighboring tile groups (paragraph 0021, 0043, 0047).
Regarding claims 3 and 11, Williams discloses the method of claim 1 and the apparatus of claim 9, in which the road feature crosses the first tile to the second tile, between the first tile group and the second tile group (referring to Fig. 3B, lane line 301 crosses first tile on which element 306b is indicated to the second tile which is above the first tile; the first tile is part of the lower tile group and the second tile is part of the upper tile group).
Regarding claims 4 and 12, Williams discloses the method of claim 1 and the apparatus of claim 9, in which the at least one processor is further configured to shift a border of the first tile group and a border of the second tile group to join (Figs. 5A and 5B, element 510a) the first tile and the second tile in the second tile group or the first tile group of the electronic map (see Figs. 5A, 5B and 5C; borders tile groups are shifted in Figs. 5B as compared with Fig. 5A and are also shifted in 5C as compared to Fig. 5B).
Regarding claims 5 and 13, Williams discloses the method of claim 4 and the apparatus of claim 12, in which to shift, the at least one processor is further configured to move the border of the first tile group and the border of the second tile group by one tile (paragraph 0047; tile groups are also shifted forward as the vehicle travels on the road).
Regarding claims 6 and 14, Williams discloses the method of claim 4 and the apparatus of claim 12, in which to shift, the at least one processor is further configured to move the border of the first tile group and the border of the second tile group to move the first tile from the first tile group to the second tile group to join the first tile and the second tile in the second tile group (paragraph 0047; the limitations are met when the first tile group and the second tile group are reversed in the parent claim and the vehicle travels down the road).
Regarding claims 7 and 15, Williams discloses the method of claim 4 and the apparatus of claim 12, in which to shift, the at least one processor is further configured to move the border of the first tile group and the border of the second tile group to move the second tile from the second tile group to the first tile group to join the first tile and the second tile in the first tile group (paragraph 0047; tile groups are also shifted forward as the vehicle travels on the road).
Regarding claims 8 and 16, Williams discloses the method of claim 4 and the apparatus of claim 12, in which to shift, the at least one processor is further configured to move tiles from a third tile group to the first tile group or the second tile group (paragraph 0047; the second tile group of four can instead be seen as a second tile group of two and a third tile group of two).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to DALE MOYER whose telephone number is (571)270-7821. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 8am-5pm PT.
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/Dale Moyer/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3656