DETAILED ACTION
1. The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA . Claims 1-15 are presented for examination on the merits.
Examiner’s Note
2. It has been found a phrase in different part of the claims that such "configured to" language merely represents a statement of intended use which does not limit the claim. Particularly, an intended use will not limit the scope of the claim because it merely defines a context in which the invention operates. Boehringer Ingelheim Vetmedica, Inc. v. Schering- Plough Corp., 320 F.3d 1339, 1345 (Fed. Cir. 2003).
We give the claim its broadest reasonable interpretation consistent with the Specification. See In re Morris, 127 F.3d 1048, 1054 (Fed. Cir. 1997). At the outset, we note claims 1-3, 7, 9, 10 and 14-15 merely recites; “configured to be towed by a towing vehicle,” “configured to physically tow the tail vehicle,” “configured to provide independent communication,” “configured to control the safety critical,” “configured to operate with the same or different,” “configured to provide independent power supply,” “configured to enable a communication between the towing vehicle the trailer,” and “configured to detect object or parking sensor distance.” We find such "configured to" language merely represents a statement of intended use, which does not limit the claim. Particularly, an intended use will not limit the scope of the claim because it merely defines a context in which the invention operates. Boehringer Ingelheim Vetmedica, Inc. v. Schering- Plough Corp., 320 F.3d 1339, 1345 (Fed. Cir. 2003). Thus, giving claims 1-3, 7, 9, 10 and 14-15 their broadest reasonable interpretation as shown in the office action below.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
3. 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 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.
4. 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 of this title, 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.
5. Claims 1-5 and 8-15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Viele (US 11364885 B2) in view of Request (CN 116279584 A).
As to claim 1, Viele discloses in Smart Trailer Controller having claimed:
a. a communication system for a trailer, the trailer being configured to be towed by a towing vehicle read on Col. 10, Lines 20-40, (a vehicle system 100 according to one example is illustrated in FIG. 1. As shown, the vehicle system 100 includes a tow or head vehicle 105 and a tail vehicle 110. The head vehicle 105 can for example include self-powered vehicles such as a car or truck. The head vehicle 105 can for instance include internal combustion, hybrid, or electric type vehicles. Normally, the head vehicle 105 is driven by a driver, but in other examples, the head vehicle 105 can be an autonomous or semi-autonomous type vehicle. The head vehicle 105 is configured to physically tow the tail vehicle 110. The tail vehicle 110 can include towed vehicles like trailers such as for moving cargo, acting as a mobile dwelling (e.g., mobile home or camper), and the like. The tail vehicle 110 is normally unpowered and unable to move without the assistance of the head vehicle 105, but the tail vehicle 110 in some cases can incorporate portable power sources such as generators, heaters, and the like such as for powering auxiliary equipment. In other cases, the vehicle system 100 can be modified to have self-powered vehicles acting as the tail vehicle 110 such as when in an unpowered state. For example, the vehicle system 100 can be used for towing other disabled and/or spare vehicles);
b. a first controller and a second controller for controlling one or more loads of the trailer read on Col. 10, Lines 42-56, (the control subsystem 115 includes a head unit 116 mounted in the head vehicle 105 and a tail unit 118 mounted on the tail vehicle 110. The control subsystem 115 in most cases is constructed to be installed as aftermarket product in which the head unit 116 is retrofitted to the head vehicle 105 and the head unit 116 is mounted to the tail vehicle 110);
c. a first communication channel for providing a communication line between the first controller and the towing vehicle read on Col. 2, Line 56 – Col. 3, Line 10 and Col. 11, Line 46 – Col. 12, Line 3, (It should be recognized that the powertrain system 145 for instance includes an engine or other motors along with a drive train that is used to supply power that among other things moves the head vehicle 105, and the head braking system 150 includes brakes as well as other equipment that is used to slow down, stop, and/or hold stationary the head vehicle 105. In the depicted example, the powertrain system 145 and head braking system 150 as well as the ECUs 140 in other systems are able to communicate with the head controller 120 of the head unit 116 through the CAN 135);
d. a second communication channel for providing a communication line between the second controller and the towing vehicle read on Col. 27, Lines 1-32, (As mentioned before the security key generator 640 in the tail controller 130 of the trailer generates a key that can uniquely identify the trailer 210. The head controller 120 can maintain a database of the user entered and/or system determined weight (an external database can also be used). In one example, the I/O devices 125, such as via a mobile app, further instruct the driver how to position the steering wheel of the automobile 205. In other variations, the control subsystem 115 communicates over the head connector 155 with the ECU 140 for the Electric Power-Assisted Steering (EPAS) or Electric Hydraulic Power Steering (EHPS) system of the automobile 205 so that the head controller 120 is able to assist or control steering in such situations. In a single trailer mode, the control subsystem 115 can be used to break the brakes 255 differentially so that the trailer 210 turns differently than the trailer 210. This multi-trailer stability feature is able to function when moving in forward and reverse directions).
e. an internal communication link connecting the first controller and the second controller to exchange information with each other, wherein the first communication channel and the second communication channel are configured to provide independent communication to the first controller and to the second controller from the towing vehicle read on Col. 12, Lines 15-34, (the tail controller 130 of the tail unit 118 in the tail vehicle 110 is operatively connected to the head controller 120 of the head unit 116 via the head connector 155 and CAN 135. The tail controller 130 in the tail unit 118 is further operatively coupled to a tail braking system 160, one or more sensors 165, and one or more lights 170 of the tail vehicle 110). Viele discloses the first and second controllers. While Viele’s controllers manage trailer function, they do not explicitly detail internal multi-domain hosting architecture. Viele explicitly discloses the use of domain controllers hosting multiple functional domains to handle distinct vehicle subsystem.
However, Request in traffic field, using large data, vehicle-ground interconnection and precise map technology cures the deficiency by teaching that it may be beneficial:
f. vehicle, wherein the first controller and the second controller are domain controllers hosting multiple functional domains read on Page 10, Para 7, (vehicle-ground interconnection and precise map technology, at the same time using AI technology (such as computer identification, machine learning and expert system technology and so on) virtual continuous track, realizing the vehicle real-time following virtual track self-guiding and tracking operation by precise positioning technology and AI technology, using multi-axis or full-wheel active steering technology to realize rear wheel tracking, reducing turning radius, avoiding vehicle tail and deviation lane, at the same time, using the centralized + domain control of electric architecture and cloud technology to realize the flexible grouping of the vehicle, function expansion and operation control, it is easy to configure two ends or single-end driving according to the field condition, reducing the long marshalling vehicle comprises rubber wheel train operation and turning difficulty, it is suitable for city BRT bus, airport ferry vehicle, rubber wheel train, automobile train, improving the traffic, relieving the traffic pressure, suitable for independent road, semi-independent road or hybrid road of road, relative to the rail traffic system construction and operation cost is low).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention was filed to incorporate the a long marshalling rubber wheel vehicle self-guiding, track following, electric concentrated + domain + cloud control method of Request into Viele in order to configure the controllers of Viele to achieve improved computational efficiency and modularity.
As to claim 2, Viele further discloses:
a. wherein the one or more loads include a safety critical load to perform safety critical functions and non-safety critical loads to perform non-safety critical functions, and the first controller and the second controller are configured to control the safety critical load and different loads from the non-safety critical loads read on Col. 2, Line 56 – Col. 3, Line 10 and Col. 13, Line 46 - 64, (the stage 1 type system may include smart trailer brakes, electric trailer axles, mechanically coupled tow vehicles, and semi-autonomous tow vehicles may be provided. It should be appreciated that dual, solid, axle leaf springs may be utilized in embodiments of the present disclosure. Smart trailer brakes may replace a standard brake controller and may operate with a smart box on the trailer to perform smart functions including, but not limited to, differential braking including stability control, backup control, multi-trailer backup, tire pressure monitoring, door closure detection, load movement detection, proximity detection, orientation display, and jackknife warning. It should be appreciated that load movement detection may provide a string and magnet where once the magnet is removed from the device, alerts of load movement may be provided to users. It should be recognized that the powertrain system 145 for instance includes an engine or other motors along with a drive train that is used to supply power that among other things moves the head vehicle 105, and the head braking system 150 includes brakes as well as other equipment that is used to slow down, stop, and/or hold stationary the head vehicle 105. In the depicted example, the powertrain system 145 and head braking system 150 as well as the ECUs 140 in other systems are able to communicate with the head controller 120 of the head unit 116 through the CAN 135. The sensors 165 in the trailer 210 include one or more wheel speed sensors 265 and a Tire-Pressure Monitoring System (“TPMS”) 270 with one or more TPMS sensors 275. As will be explained in further detail below, the wheel speed sensors 265 and/or TPMS sensors 275 can be used together or separately to monitor the speed of the trailer wheels 250 which can be used for stability or anti-sway control with the brakes 255 such as during braking. The lights 170 on the trailer 210 in FIG. 2 include one or more taillights 280 and one or more side marker lights 285. The taillights 280 and/or side marker lights 285 can be activated by the control subsystem 115 to emit special light or blinking patterns (e.g., Morse code signals) on a number of occasions such as when theft or unauthorized use of the automobile 205 and/or trailer 210 occurs. The brakes 255 of the tail braking system 160 can also be locked by the control subsystem 115 on some occasions to prevent or minimize the risk of theft or unauthorized use of the automobile 205 and/or trailer 210).
As to claim 3, Viele further discloses:
a. further comprising at least one of the following: one or more hardware accelerators configured to accelerate the processing speed of the first controller and/or the second controller; and a gateway connected to the first controller and/or to the second controller, configured to exchange information between the towing vehicle and the first controller and/or the second controller, wherein the one or more hardware accelerators and/or the gateway is included in the first controller read on Col. 11, Lines 25-67, (with continued reference to FIG. 1, the tail unit 118 in the tail vehicle 110 includes a tail controller 130 and a tail IMU 132. As will be depicted in subsequent drawings, the tail unit 118 can further include other devices such as I/O devices. The tail controller 130 controls the overall function of the tail vehicle 110 such as braking and lighting. The tail controller 130 can also act as a gateway for other tail units 118 in other tail vehicles 110 that are coupled to the tail vehicle 110. Similar to the head IMU 122, the tail IMU 132 measures the orientation and acceleration of the tail vehicle 110 and provides this information to the tail controller 130. The tail IMU 132 can for example include one or more accelerometers and gyroscopes, but the tail IMU 132 can include other features such as a GPS. In one example, the tail IMU 132 is able to measure orientation and acceleration of the tail vehicle 110 along nine (9) axes, but in other examples, the tail IMU 132 can monitor along more or less axes. In the illustrated example, the tail IMU 132 is depicted as being directly connected to the tail controller 130, but the tail IMU 132 can be indirectly connected to the tail controller 130 in other examples. As shown, the head unit 116 is operatively connected to at least one controller area network (“CAN”) 135 of the head vehicle 105. As should be recognized that head vehicle 105 can include more than one controller area network (“CAN”) 135 such as low and high-speed CANs. The head vehicle 105 further includes one or more ECUs 140 that are operatively connected to the CAN 135. As should be appreciated, the ECUs 140 are used to control and monitor the various functions of the head vehicle 105. For instance, as shown in FIG. 1, the ECUs 140 can be incorporated into a powertrain system 145 of the head vehicle 105, such as in an Engine Control Module (ECM) and/or Transmission Control Module (TCM) of the powertrain system 145, and into a head braking system 150 of the head vehicle 105 like in an Electronic Braking System (EBS). It should be recognized that the powertrain system 145 for instance includes an engine or other motors along with a drive train that is used to supply power that among other things moves the head vehicle 105, and the head braking system 150 includes brakes as well as other equipment that is used to slow down, stop, and/or hold stationary the head vehicle 105. In the depicted example, the powertrain system 145 and head braking system 150 as well as the ECUs 140 in other systems are able to communicate with the head controller 120 of the head unit 116 through the CAN 135.
As to claim 4, Viele further discloses:
a. wherein the information that is exchanged via the internal communication link includes at least one of the following: status information about the first controller and/or the second controller; status information about the first communication channel and/or the second communication channel; status information about the one or more loads; status information about the one or more hardware accelerators; status information about the gateway; or other information; wherein the information is indicative of an occurring defect in operation of the communication system to the first controller or indicative of correct operation of the communication system to the first controller read on Col. 2, Line 56 – Col. 3, Line 10, (As used herein, stages 1 and 2 may provide a smart trailer controller. The stage 1 type system may include smart trailer brakes, electric trailer axles, mechanically coupled tow vehicles, and semi-autonomous tow vehicles may be provided. It should be appreciated that dual, solid, axle leaf springs may be utilized in embodiments of the present disclosure. Smart trailer brakes may replace a standard brake controller and may operate with a smart box on the trailer to perform smart functions including, but not limited to, differential braking including stability control, backup control, multi-trailer backup, tire pressure monitoring, door closure detection, load movement detection, proximity detection, orientation display, and jackknife warning. It should be appreciated that load movement detection may provide a string and magnet where once the magnet is removed from the device, alerts of load movement may be provided to users. It should also be appreciated that proximity detection may include conventional ultrasonic backup sensors, and top-mounted ultrasonic sensors may be provided on the front and back of brakes that may automatically actuate brakes to prevent hitting overhangs. It should further be appreciated that proximity detection may provide automatic braking and removable ultrasonic sensors that may attach to tall equipment on flatbeds. It should be appreciated that communication may be made over an existing 4-pin or 7-pin trailer plug. It should be appreciated that standard pin connectors may be utilized and may not require new wiring for trucks and trailers. It should also be appreciated that a backwards compatible plug may be compatible with a “dumb” vehicle or trailer. It should be appreciated that a “dumb” vehicle may refer to a traditional vehicle, non-autonomous vehicle, two-vehicles, or a trailer. Network communication for slow data rates may be provided, such as for vehicle dynamics and braking. It should be appreciated that a smart trailer brakes communication system may support fast network communication using the same or additional pins for fast data like cameras and radar).
As to claim 5, Viele further discloses:
a. one or more hardware accelerators configured to accelerate the processing speed of the first controller and/or the second controller, wherein the one or more hardware accelerators include a high-level information processing accelerator and low-level information processing accelerators to accelerate the first controller and/or the second controller at a different level, and the first controller and/or the second controller are configured to operate with the same or different hardware accelerators based on the information that is exchanged via the internal communication link read on Col. 11, Lines 25-45, (with continued reference to FIG. 1, the tail unit 118 in the tail vehicle 110 includes a tail controller 130 and a tail IMU 132. As will be depicted in subsequent drawings, the tail unit 118 can further include other devices such as I/O devices. The tail controller 130 controls the overall function of the tail vehicle 110 such as braking and lighting. The tail controller 130 can also act as a gateway for other tail units 118 in other tail vehicles 110 that are coupled to the tail vehicle 110. Similar to the head IMU 122, the tail IMU 132 measures the orientation and acceleration of the tail vehicle 110 and provides this information to the tail controller 130. The tail IMU 132 can for example include one or more accelerometers and gyroscopes, but the tail IMU 132 can include other features such as a GPS. In one example, the tail IMU 132 is able to measure orientation and acceleration of the tail vehicle 110 along nine (9) axes, but in other examples, the tail IMU 132 can monitor along more or less axes. In the illustrated example, the tail IMU 132 is depicted as being directly connected to the tail controller 130, but the tail IMU 132 can be indirectly connected to the tail controller 130 in other examples).
As to claim 8, Viele further discloses:
a. wherein the one or more loads comprise any of the following devices: an electronic brake control device, a levelling control device, a light control device, a telematics device, or any other type of power consuming device of the trailer read on Col. 26, Lines 7-33, ( Like in the previous example, the head control automobile 1005 and the first standard control trailer 1010 are operatively connected together with the high speed trailer harness 915 and the low speed trailer harness 920. In one example, the high speed trailer harness 915 is operatively connected via the head connector 155 and high speed network interface 365 in the head controller 120 (FIG. 3), and the low speed trailer harness 920 is operatively connected via the head connector 155 and low speed network interface 370 in the head unit 116. In this example, the head controller 120 in the head control automobile 1005 functions as a standard brake controller. The head unit 116 in other words actuates the brakes and performs the other functions of the tail vehicle 110 in accordance with the braking system of the manufacturer. In this case, the I/O devices 125, such as the remote actuation control 320 and remote display 330, still function, however).
As to claim 9, Viele further discloses:
a. at least one of the following: a first power supply channel for supplying power to the first controller from the towing vehicle via a first power supply terminal; or a second power supply channel for supplying power to the second controller from the towing vehicle via a second power supply terminal; wherein the first power supply channel and the second power supply channel are configured to provide independent power supply to the first controller and to the second controller from the towing vehicle read on Col. 11, Line 46 – Col. 12, Line 3, ( As shown, the head unit 116 is operatively connected to at least one controller area network (“CAN”) 135 of the head vehicle 105. As should be recognized that head vehicle 105 can include more than one controller area network (“CAN”) 135 such as low and high-speed CANs. The head vehicle 105 further includes one or more ECUs 140 that are operatively connected to the CAN 135. As should be appreciated, the ECUs 140 are used to control and monitor the various functions of the head vehicle 105. For instance, as shown in FIG. 1, the ECUs 140 can be incorporated into a powertrain system 145 of the head vehicle 105, such as in an Engine Control Module (ECM) and/or Transmission Control Module (TCM) of the powertrain system 145, and into a head braking system 150 of the head vehicle 105 like in an Electronic Braking System (EBS). It should be recognized that the powertrain system 145 for instance includes an engine or other motors along with a drive train that is used to supply power that among other things moves the head vehicle 105, and the head braking system 150 includes brakes as well as other equipment that is used to slow down, stop, and/or hold stationary the head vehicle 105. In the depicted example, the powertrain system 145 and head braking system 150 as well as the ECUs 140 in other systems are able to communicate with the head controller 120 of the head unit 116 through the CAN 135).
As to claim 10, Viele further discloses:
a. a network of communication channels configured to enable a communication between the towing vehicle the trailer; a network of internal communication links having one or more internal communication links between the controllers; and a network of controllers being interconnected by the network of internal communication links, wherein the first communication channel and the second communication channel being any two communication channels within the network of communication channels, wherein the first controller and the second controller being any two controllers within the network of controllers, and wherein the internal communication link between the controllers is part of the network of internal communication links read on Col. 12, Lines 15-34, (he tail controller 130 of the tail unit 118 in the tail vehicle 110 is operatively connected to the head controller 120 of the head unit 116 via the head connector 155 and CAN 135. The tail controller 130 in the tail unit 118 is further operatively coupled to a tail braking system 160, one or more sensors 165, and one or more lights 170 of the tail vehicle 110. The tail braking system 160 includes brakes as well as other equipment that is used to slow down, stop, and/or hold stationary the tail vehicle 110. As will be expanded upon below, the sensors 165 are used to sense various conditions of the tail vehicle 110 like wheel speed and parking conditions. Through the sensors 165 the tail controller 130 among other things is able to determine whether the tail vehicle 110 is properly braking and/or whether there is a potential collision issue during parking. The lights 170 include lights that are used to light the tail vehicle 110 like taillights and sidelights. The tail unit 118 in some examples through the sensors 165 and lights 170 are able to provide an alert when a theft or unauthorized use of the tail vehicle 110 has occurred).
As to claim 11, Viele further discloses:
a. wherein the network of controllers is configured to identify a defect in any of the controllers based on the information that is exchanged via the network of internal communication links and/or the network of communication channels, and to disable the controller with the defect read on Col. 30, Lines 1-20, (the park sensors 1620 are hardwired type sensors that include a CAN interface and draw power from the wires. The park sensors 1620 in the enclosed trailer 1610 are configured to detect object or parking sensor distance, and the enclosed trailer 1610 via the wired or wireless reports directly or indirectly reports the distance information to the head controller 120 and/or tail controller 130. The park sensors 1620 further provide the state of charge for the battery when using a wireless configuration and a watchdog pulse to make sure the particular park sensor 1620 is still working. Moreover, the park sensors 1620 are also able to provide any fault or failure information to the control subsystem 115).
As to claim 12, Viele further discloses:
a. centralized trailer architecture comprising a communication system according to claim 1 read on Col. 11, Line 46 – Col. 12, Line 3, ( As shown, the head unit 116 is operatively connected to at least one controller area network (“CAN”) 135 of the head vehicle 105. As should be recognized that head vehicle 105 can include more than one controller area network (“CAN”) 135 such as low and high-speed CANs. The head vehicle 105 further includes one or more ECUs 140 that are operatively connected to the CAN 135. As should be appreciated, the ECUs 140 are used to control and monitor the various functions of the head vehicle 105. For instance, as shown in FIG. 1, the ECUs 140 can be incorporated into a powertrain system 145 of the head vehicle 105, such as in an Engine Control Module (ECM) and/or Transmission Control Module (TCM) of the powertrain system 145, and into a head braking system 150 of the head vehicle 105 like in an Electronic Braking System (EBS). It should be recognized that the powertrain system 145 for instance includes an engine or other motors along with a drive train that is used to supply power that among other things moves the head vehicle 105, and the head braking system 150 includes brakes as well as other equipment that is used to slow down, stop, and/or hold stationary the head vehicle 105. In the depicted example, the powertrain system 145 and head braking system 150 as well as the ECUs 140 in other systems are able to communicate with the head controller 120 of the head unit 116 through the CAN 135).
As to claim 13, Viele further discloses:
a. wherein the communication system is part of a highly autonomous driving trailer architecture read on Col. 11, Line 46 – Col. 12, Line 3, ( As shown, the head unit 116 is operatively connected to at least one controller area network (“CAN”) 135 of the head vehicle 105. As should be recognized that head vehicle 105 can include more than one controller area network (“CAN”) 135 such as low and high-speed CANs. The head vehicle 105 further includes one or more ECUs 140 that are operatively connected to the CAN 135. As should be appreciated, the ECUs 140 are used to control and monitor the various functions of the head vehicle 105. For instance, as shown in FIG. 1, the ECUs 140 can be incorporated into a powertrain system 145 of the head vehicle 105, such as in an Engine Control Module (ECM) and/or Transmission Control Module (TCM) of the powertrain system 145, and into a head braking system 150 of the head vehicle 105 like in an Electronic Braking System (EBS). It should be recognized that the powertrain system 145 for instance includes an engine or other motors along with a drive train that is used to supply power that among other things moves the head vehicle 105, and the head braking system 150 includes brakes as well as other equipment that is used to slow down, stop, and/or hold stationary the head vehicle 105. In the depicted example, the powertrain system 145 and head braking system 150 as well as the ECUs 140 in other systems are able to communicate with the head controller 120 of the head unit 116 through the CAN 135).
As to claim 14, the claim is interpreted and rejected as to claim 1.
As to claim 15, the claim is interpreted and rejected as to claim 1.
6. Claim 7 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Viele in view of Request and further in view of Jeon (KR 20230110399 A).
As to claim 7, Viele further discloses:
a. one or more hardware accelerators configured to accelerate the processing speed of the first controller and/or the second controller read on Col. 11, Lines 25-45, (with continued reference to FIG. 1, the tail unit 118 in the tail vehicle 110 includes a tail controller 130 and a tail IMU 132. As will be depicted in subsequent drawings, the tail unit 118 can further include other devices such as I/O devices. The tail controller 130 controls the overall function of the tail vehicle 110 such as braking and lighting. The tail controller 130 can also act as a gateway for other tail units 118 in other tail vehicles 110 that are coupled to the tail vehicle 110. Similar to the head IMU 122, the tail IMU 132 measures the orientation and acceleration of the tail vehicle 110 and provides this information to the tail controller 130. The tail IMU 132 can for example include one or more accelerometers and gyroscopes, but the tail IMU 132 can include other features such as a GPS. In one example, the tail IMU 132 is able to measure orientation and acceleration of the tail vehicle 110 along nine (9) axes, but in other examples, the tail IMU 132 can monitor along more or less axes. In the illustrated example, the tail IMU 132 is depicted as being directly connected to the tail controller 130, but the tail IMU 132 can be indirectly connected to the tail controller 130 in other examples. Viele in view of Request does not explicitly recite wherein the one or more hardware accelerators are configured to process image data and/or point cloud data and include at least one of the following: an image signal processor; a graphics processing unit; a neural network accelerator; or a digital signal processor.
However, Jeon in intelligent portable camera device cures deficiency by teaching that it may be beneficial wherein the one or more hardware accelerators are configured to process image data and/or point cloud data and include at least one of the following: an image signal processor; a graphics processing unit; a neural network accelerator; or a digital signal processor read on Page 6, Para. 10-11, (an image is captured by the camera member of the wireless camera device 100, the analog signal is converted into a digital signal by the camera control unit, and the digital signal is mounted on the electromagnetic field so that the electromagnetic field generated in the camera controller is formed on the trailer through the antenna, and the image signal is transmitted using the trailer as a wireless communication medium 200. At this time, it is preferable that the electromagnetic field is set to a frequency of a different band so that interference with the digital signal does not occur. The digital signal is also converted to a specific frequency band of a different band from the electromagnetic field so that transmission is made through an antenna).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate the intelligent portable camera device of Jeon into Viele in view of Request in order to provide around view and object recognition functions, thereby providing an advantage of easily identifying an object.
Response to Arguments
7. Applicant's arguments with respect to claims 1-15 have been considered but are moot in view of the new ground(s) of rejection that was necessitated by Applicant's amendment.
Allowable Subject Matter
8. Claim 6 is objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims. However, an updated search will need to be performed after the next response from Applicant.
Citation of pertinent Prior Arts
9. The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure: see PTO-892 Notice of References Cited.
Conclusion
6. Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any extension fee pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Fekadeselassie Girma whose telephone number is (571) 270-5886. The examiner can normally be reached on Monday thru Friday, 8:30 – 5:00. If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Joseph H. Feild can be reached on (571) 272-4090. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/Fekadeselassie Girma/
Primary Examiner Art Unit 2689
Prosecution Insights