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 Interpretation
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(f):
(f) Element in Claim for a Combination. – An element in a claim for a combination may be expressed as a means or step for performing a specified function without the recital of structure, material, or acts in support thereof, and such claim shall be construed to cover the corresponding structure, material, or acts described in the specification and equivalents thereof.
The following is a quotation of pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph:
An element in a claim for a combination may be expressed as a means or step for performing a specified function without the recital of structure, material, or acts in support thereof, and such claim shall be construed to cover the corresponding structure, material, or acts described in the specification and equivalents thereof.
This application includes one or more claim limitations that do not use the word “means,” but are nonetheless being interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph, because the claim limitation(s) uses a generic placeholder that is coupled with functional language without reciting sufficient structure to perform the recited function and the generic placeholder is not preceded by a structural modifier. Such claim limitations are: “an audio module”, “a light source module”, and “a control module” in claims 1-16.
Because this/these claim limitation(s) is/are being interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph, it/they is/are being interpreted to cover the corresponding structure described in the specification as performing the claimed function, and equivalents thereof.
If applicant does not intend to have this/these limitation(s) interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph, applicant may: (1) amend the claim limitation(s) to avoid it/them being interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph (e.g., by reciting sufficient structure to perform the claimed function); or (2) present a sufficient showing that the claim limitation(s) recite(s) sufficient structure to perform the claimed function so as to avoid it/them being interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph.
Claim Objections
Claim 16 is objected to because of the following informalities:
Claim 16 recites “The lamp system of any one of claims 13” and should be changed to --The lamp system of claim 13--.
Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 103 which forms the basis for all obviousness rejections set forth in this Office action:
A patent for a claimed invention may not be obtained, notwithstanding that the claimed invention is not identically disclosed as set forth in section 102, if the differences between the claimed invention and the prior art are such that the claimed invention as a whole would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to which the claimed invention pertains. Patentability shall not be negated by the manner in which the invention was made.
Claims 1-3 and 5-9 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Buehler et al. (U.S. 9,499,095 B1).
Claim 1, Buehler teaches:
A lamp system disposed in a moving object (Buehler, Fig. 1, The emergency vehicle 10 includes the bumper accessory 12 (see Buehler, Fig. 2) and a plurality of additional devices connected via Local Interconnect Network (LIN) 124 (see Buehler, Fig. 4).), comprising:
an audio module configured to output a sound (Buehler, Col. 3, Lines 25-32 and Lines 43-52, Audio modules include a siren, a horn, and speakers 11.);
a light source module including a light source and configured to output an image (Buehler, Col. 3, Lines 27-35 and Lines 43-51, Light source modules includes lights 14, lightbar, strobes, directional lighting, and spotlights which are equipped to generate patterns or images (see Buehler, Col. 4, Lines 56-67 through Col. 5, Lines 1-5).); and
a control module (Buehler, Fig. 4: 120 and Fig. 5: 250) configured to control, based on a control signal of the lamp system, an output of the light source module and the audio module, the output including the sound and image respectively output from the audio module and the light source module (Buehler, Col. 9, Lines 48-61 and Col. 10, Lines 62-67 through Col. 11, Lines 1-15, The Buehler transmits data messages, i.e. a control signal of the lamp system, to remote controllers and the accessory control unit to control the respective audio and visual devices.),
wherein, for controlling the output of the light source module and the audio module, the control module is configured to transmit a data message, based on the control signal (Buehler, Col. 9, Lines 48-61 and Col. 10, Lines 62-67 through Col. 11, Lines 1-15, Each data message may have a plurality of bits that define the desired state of the emergency vehicle functional warning units, wherein the bits are bitmapped to each unit in order to determine how to operate the unit (see Buehler, Col. 11, Lines 34-55).).
Buehler does not explicitly teach:
The control module is configured to transmit an image signal and an audio signal, which are synchronized with each other.
However, Buehler discloses that the bitmap encoding the desired state of every emergency vehicle functional warning unit allows all of the devices to be synchronized (see Buehler, Col. 13, Lines 33-44), and the data payload of each data message includes the desired state of each emergency vehicle functional warning unit (see Buehler, Col. 12, Lines 51-67). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, at the time of filing, for the plurality of data messages transmitted by the central controller to include at least one data message bitmapped to control at least one image device and at least one data message bitmapped to control at least one audio device, effectively transmitting an image signal and an audio signal, respectively. Such a modification would not change the principal operation of the system, as a whole, and would yield predictable results.
Claim 2, Buehler further teaches:
The lamp system of claim 1, wherein:
the audio module is disposed outside the moving object (Buehler, Figs. 2 and 4, Example audio modules, e.g. speakers 11 of Fig. 2 and a siren 128 and horn 130 of Fig. 4, are shown to be external to vehicle 10, e.g. integrated with bumper accessory 12 in Fig. 2 and outside of the front bumper in Fig. 4, respectively.), and
the lamp system further comprises an external interface (Buehler, Fig. 2: 18 and Fig. 4: 118, Col. 5, Lines 34-42) configured to transmit the audio signal to the audio module (Buehler, Col. 5, Lines 34-42, The accessory control unit is connected to active visual and audible devices and is responsible for receiving, interpreting, and sending data messages within a network of the emergency vehicle 10, and uses the data messages to set the state of the active visual and audible devices.).
Claim 3, Buehler further teaches:
The lamp system of claim 2, wherein the control module is configured to:
transmit a start command to the audio module before outputting the image signal, and
control the light source module and the audio module to respectively output the image and the sound when an approval command is received from the audio module (Buehler, Col. 12, Lines 51-67 and Col. 13, Lines 33-44, The system is capable of continuously updating the statuses of each device in the signaling system, e.g. every 10 ms (see Buehler, Col. 13, Lines 1-5). Each of the data messages includes a payload that sets the status of each vehicle functional warning unit. Thus, it is within the scope of the teachings of Buehler for a first data message to set the status of at least one audio device to on, i.e. a start command, but leaving the visual devices off, and for a subsequent data message to keep the at least one audio device on and set at least one visual device as on. It is noted that one of ordinary skill in the art would recognize that other combinations of data messages are also in the scope of Buehler, including the activating the visual devices before activating the audio devices, have all of the devices turn on simultaneously, and/or have all of the devices turn off simultaneously.).
Claim 5, Buehler further teaches:
The lamp system of claim 1, further comprising a memory module configured to store image data and audio data to be output respectively through the light source module and the audio module (Buehler, Col. 5, Lines 1-5 and Col. 13, Lines 33-44, Different patterns may be encoded into the central controller for generating different patterns for the networked control system. Thus, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, at the time of filing, for the central controller to have a memory module for storing said encoded patterns. Additionally, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, at the time of filing, for the encoding to further include audio patterns because the control system intends to establish a coordinated signaling pattern for the particular emergency vehicle, which includes visual and audible warnings.).
Claim 6, Buehler further teaches:
The lamp system of claim 5, wherein the image data and the audio data have a same size (Buehler, Col. 11, Lines 34-65, It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, at the time of filing, for the bitmaps for each device, audio and visual, to have the same bitmap, i.e. size.).
Claim 7, Buehler further teaches:
The lamp system of claim 5, wherein:
for controlling the output of the light source module and the audio module, the control module is further configured to transmit a plurality of control commands respectively to the light source module and the audio module based on the control signal (Buehler, Col. 10, Lines 62-67 through Col. 11, Lines 1-15, A plurality of data messages each having at least one payload represents a plurality of control commands.), and
the plurality of control commands have a same format size (Buehler, Col. 11, Lines 34-65, It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, at the time of filing, for the bitmaps for each device, audio and visual, to have the same bitmap, i.e. size.).
Claim 8, Buehler further teaches:
The lamp system of claim 6, wherein the control module is configured to:
control the output of the light source module and the audio module when the image data and the audio data have different sizes (Buehler, Col. 12, Lines 52-67, It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, at the time of filing, for the payloads, which can be variable, of respective visual and audible devices to be different sizes.), and
control a file including the audio data that is required to be executed simultaneously when executing a file including the image data to be executed sequentially (Buehler, Col. 12, Lines 52-67 and Col. 13, Lines 33-44, It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, at the time of filing, for the system to be capable of generating a plurality of audio outputs that are simultaneous while generating a plurality of visual outputs that are sequential, based on the bitmaps of the received data messages. The sequencing and types of outputs would be based on the type of vehicles, user preferences, etc. (see Buehler, Col. 4, Lines 56-67).).
Buehler does not explicitly teach:
A mapping table.
However, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, at the time of filing, to modify the devices’ abilities to identify respective payloads (see Buehler, Col. 11, Lines 34-65) in table form, e.g. TABLES 1-3, to be functionally equivalent to a mapping table. Such a modification would not change the principal operation of the system, as a whole, and would yield predictable results.
Claim 9, Buehler further teaches:
The lamp system of claim 5, wherein the audio data includes a synchronization signal (Buehler, Col. 13, Lines 33-44, It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, at the time of filing, for the audio and visual bitmaps to include data that synchronizes all of the devices together.).
Claims 4 and 14 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Buehler et al. (U.S. 9,499,095 B1) in view of Jackl et al. (U.S. 2023/0124469 A1).
Claim 4, Buehler further teaches:
The lamp system of claim 1.
Buehler does not specifically teach:
Wherein the light source module further includes:
a lens, and
a piezoelectric element disposed on a surface of the lens and configured to generate vibration based on the audio signal.
Jackl teaches:
A lens (Jackl, Fig. 5: 2, Paragraph [0016], The cover glass is made from transparent polycarbonate or polymethyl methacrylate to protect against abrasion, chemical damage, erosion or yellowing, and is functionally equivalent to a lens.), and
a piezoelectric element (Jackl, Fig. 5: 12) disposed on a surface of the lens (Jackl, Fig. 5: 2, 12) and configured to generate vibration based on a signal (Jackl, Paragraphs [0047-0049], The cleaning device is activated based on a signal generated by a sensor.).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, at the time of filing, to modify the vehicle in Buehler by integrating the teaching of a headlight cleaner, as taught by Jackl.
The motivation would be to reduce the likelihood of a vehicle collision by ensuring proper headlight cleaning (see Jackl, Paragraphs [0003-0004]).
Claim 14, Buehler in view of Jackl further teaches:
The lamp system of claim 4, wherein:
the light source module includes a plurality of light sources (Buehler, Col. 3, Lines 27-35 and Lines 43-51, Light source modules includes lights 14, lightbar, strobes, directional lighting.), and
the control module is configured to increase the output of the audio module based on a number of the light sources that are activated when a number of the light sources that are activated is less than a reference number (Buehler, Col. 13, Lines 33-44, It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, at the time of filing, for the output of the audio devices to be increased or decreased based on the synchronization of the visual and audible warning devices desired by the user. Thus, the increasing of the audible warning devices would be based on the number of light sources being less than a reference number, e.g. 25, 50, 100.).
Claims 10-12 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Buehler et al. (U.S. 9,499,095 B1) in view of Anderson (U.S. 5,714,997).
Claim 10, Buehler further teaches:
The lamp system of claim 1.
Buehler does not specifically teach:
Wherein the audio module further includes a plurality of buffers through which a plurality of sounds is output simultaneously.
Anderson teaches:
Wherein the audio module further includes a plurality of buffers (Anderson, Fig. 38: 3300) through which a plurality of sounds is output simultaneously (Anderson, Col. 44, Lines 37-48, Each of the source buffers 3300 represents each of the maximum number of concurrent sound sources, both spatial and ambient.).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, at the time of filing, to modify the system in Buehler by integrating the teaching of the audio rendering subsystem, as taught by Anderson.
The motivation would be to process and play a plurality of sounds simultaneously that is perceivable by an individual (see Anderson, Col. 45, Lines 11-29).
Claim 11, Buehler in view of Anderson further teaches:
The lamp system of claim 10, wherein the audio module further includes an amplifier connected to each of the plurality of buffers (Anderson, Fig. 37: 3088, The amplifiers 3088 are connected to buffer area 3083, which contain the plurality of source buffers.) and configured to change a sound volume of each of the plurality of sounds (Anderson, Col. 45, Lines 11-29, It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, at the time of filing, for the amplifiers 3088 to be capable of increasing the volume of the outputted sounds.).
Claim 12, Buehler in view of Anderson further teaches:
The lamp system of claim 10, wherein the audio module is configured to modulate a plurality of sound frequencies for the plurality of sounds to have a plurality of different frequency bands (Anderson, Col. 29, Lines 53-64, The sounds emanating from different sources at different locations may be generated over a plurality of frequencies and then reproduced by the audio rendering subsystem. The audio rendering system 308 can also simulate frequency shifts due to relative motion between the sound source location and the viewpoint of the user (see Col. 44, Lines 8-21).).
Claims 13 and 15-16 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Buehler et al. (U.S. 9,499,095 B1) in view of Jackl et al. (U.S. 2023/0124469 A1), in view of Tsuzuki et al. (U.S. 2016/0068102 A1).
Claim 13, Buehler in view of Jackl further teaches:
The lamp system of claim 4.
Buehler in view of Jackl does not specifically teach:
Wherein the control module is configured to:
receive temperature data from one of an internal temperature sensor included in the light source module and the moving object; and
control the output of the audio module based on the received temperature data.
Tsuzuki teaches:
Receive temperature data from one of an internal temperature sensor (Tsuzuki, Fig. 1: 1b) included in moving object (Tsuzuki, Paragraph [0017], The various sensors are located in a vehicle.); and
control the output of the audio module based on the received temperature data (Tsuzuki, Paragraph [0017], Based on the vehicle speed and the speaker temperature, the device 2 controls to output the sound.).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, at the time of filing, to modify the vehicle in Buehler in view of Jackl by integrating the teaching of a temperature sensor, as taught by Tsuzuki.
The motivation would be to improve approach warning efficiency on a moving vehicle (see Tsuzuki, Paragraphs [0008-0009]).
As per the limitation of the internal temperature sensor included in the light source module, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, at the time of filing, to modify the location of the temperature sensor 1b (see Tsuzuki, Fig. 1: 1b) to be located with or within a light source, as a matter of engineering choice. It is noted that Tsuzuki discloses the temperature sensor does not need to be integrated with the speaker, but instead only requires the temperature sensor to be within a short distance from the speaker (see Tsuzuki, Paragraph [0034]). Therefore, such a modification would not render the invention inoperable for its intended purpose, and would yield predictable results. See MPEP 2144.04.
Claim 15, Buehler in view of Jackl, in view of Tsuzuki further teaches:
The lamp system of claim 13, wherein the control module is configured to increase the output of the audio module when the received temperature data is lower than a reference temperature (Tsuzuki, Paragraph [0024], The output of the speaker 3 is increased when the temperature is above 150°C. Therefore, when the temperature is below, for example, 200°C, i.e. a reference temperature, the output of the speaker 3 is increased.).
Claim 16, Buehler in view of Jackl, in view of Tsuzuki further teaches:
The lamp system of any one of claims 13, wherein the audio module further includes a filter (Tsuzuki, Fig. 1: 22) configured to correct a frequency of an audio signal input to the audio module (Tsuzuki, Paragraph [0028], The LPF corrects high frequency noise components.).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JAMES J YANG whose telephone number is (571)270-5170. The examiner can normally be reached 9:30am-6:00p M-F.
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/JAMES J YANG/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2686
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