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 .
Priority
Acknowledgment is made of applicant’s claim for foreign priority under 35 U.S.C. 119 (a)-(d). The certified copy has been filed in parent Application No. JP2023-189342, filed on 11-06-2023.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 09-09-2024 was filed. The submission is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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 the appropriate paragraphs of 35 U.S.C. 102 that form the basis for the rejections under this section made in this Office action:
A person shall be entitled to a patent unless –
(a)(1) the claimed invention was patented, described in a printed publication, or in public use, on sale, or otherwise available to the public before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
(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.
Claims 1-5 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being unpatentable over Wells (US 2020/0140028 A1).
Regarding claim 1, Wells teaches:
an acquisition unit that acquires attachment information about whether a communication device for use for remote control is attached to a mobile body operable through the remote control (See at least fig 4.) (“The partially assembled BEV 12 may also include a vehicle transceiver 31 configured to establish a wireless communication with the sensor skid 14… and a coordination server 50 through a wireless network 52… The skid controller 34 is capable of autonomously navigating the
partially assembled BEV 12 through the assembly process or to a commanded location received from the coordination server 50… The power connection coupler 38 is also configured to allow data transfer between the skid controller 34 and the vehicle controller 24. For example, the skid controller 34 is programmed to monitor (through the vehicle controller 24) the state of charge of the vehicle battery 22 to schedule opportunity charging with the coordination server 50” [0017],[0025],[0020]). and an instruction unit that executes at least one of a process of outputting an instruction to remove The temporary communication device from the mobile body when it is determined that the temporary communication device is attached to the mobile body for which the remote control has been finished using the attachment information. (See at least FIG 5B). (“If the partially assembled BEV 12 is at the last workstation of the assembly process, then the operating method 100 proceeds to block 144. At block 144, the skid controller 34 uploads the final process data to the coordination server 50 and prepares to disconnect the sensor skid 14 from the BEV 12”[0031]).
Examiner notes that the “skid controller “is being interpreted as the acquisition unit based on its detection of the vehicle systems and its synchronization and operational checks following coupling of sensor skid 14 to BEV 12 ([0026], fig 5A). skid transceiver 48 is carried by the removable sensor skid and receives information used for vehicle guidance [0018,0025]). Skid Controller 34 also performs the end of process determination: at block 142, it determines whether BEV 12 has reached the last workstation. If not, the process returns to block 136 for vehicle guidance. If so, the process advances to block 144, where controller 34 uploads final process data and prepares to disconnect skid 14 ([0031, fig 5B). This inherently teaches an output of instruction to remove the temporary communication device that is attached to the mobile body.
Regarding claim 2, Wells teaches:
The information processing device according to claim 1, wherein:
the remote control is executed in a factory that manufactures the mobile body (“The opportunity charging stations 16 are disposed on a plant floor PF and may be located at buffers area or charging stations …The skid controller 34 is capable of autonomously navigating the partially assembled BEV 12 through the assembly process or to a commanded location received from the coordination server 50.”[0015,0025]). And the acquisition unit acquires the attachment information from at least one of an external sensor provided in the factory to detect the mobile body (See at least fig 4.) (“The sensors 32 are configured to generate sensing data… Therefore, the skid controller 34 is programmed to receive sensing data from sensors 32. The skid controller 34 is programmed to guide the movement of the partially assembled BEV
12” [0019]). and a process management device that manages a manufacturing process for the mobile body in the factory. (“the wireless data transfer allows the sensor skid 14 to communicate with the coordination server 50, which runs algorithms that supervise the assembly process and overall operation of the autonomous vehicle guidance system 10.”)
Regarding claim 3, Wells teaches:
The information processing device according to claim 1, wherein:
the mobile body includes an actuator (“BEV12 includes the propulsion system
20. The propulsion system 20 includes one or more electric motors configured to receive electric power from the vehicle battery 22 …the propulsion system 20 converts the electrical power into mechanical power (i.e., torque) to propel the partially assembled BEV 12” [0017]). and a control device that controls the actuator; (“The vehicle controller 24 is in electronic communication with the steering assembly 18 and the propulsion system 20, allowing the vehicle controller 24 to control the steering assembly 18 and the propulsion system 20” [0015]). and the permanent communication device and the temporary communication device receive information that indicates an instruction value for the control device to control the actuator or information for the control device to determine the instruction value. (“See at least fig 4) “The partially assembled BEV 12 may also include a vehicle transceiver 31 configured to establish wireless communication with the sensor skid 14, infrastructure, workstations, adjacent vehicles, and a coordination server 50 through a wireless network 52” [0017]).
Examiner notes that the “vehicle transceiver 31” is being interpreted as the permanent communication device because it is included in BEV12, and “skid 14 “ as the temporary communication device as it is removable from the vehicle[0017-0018],[0025], see fig4. Vehicle transceiver 31 establishes wireless communication between BEV12 and coordination server 50 [0017], fig 4). Wells further discloses that vehicle controller 24 receives workstation order updates from server 50, uses those updates to determine the next target workstation, and commands vehicle movement [0030]. Together these disclosures show that transceiver 31 receives server provided information used by controller 24 to determine actuator control instructions.
Regarding claim 4, Wells teaches:
The information processing device according to claim 1, wherein information received by the permanent communication device when the permanent communication device is attached to the mobile body (See at least fig 4) (“The partially assembled BEV 12 may also include a vehicle transceiver 31 configured to establish a wireless communication with the sensor skid 14… and a coordination server 50 through a wireless network 52… the partially assembled BEV 12 (via the vehicle controller 24) receives updates from the coordination server 50 regarding the work station order to determine the next target work station” [0017,0030]). is the same as information received by the temporary communication device when the temporary communication device is attached to the mobile
body. “For example, the wireless data transfer allows the sensor skid 14
to communicate with the coordination server 50, which runs algorithms that supervise the assembly process and overall operation of the autonomous vehicle guidance system 10. The coordination server 50 is in communication with the skid controller
34 and is programmed to schedule the movement of the partially assembled BEV 12 via the skid controller 34” [0025]).
Examiner notes that the “vehicle transceiver 31” is being interpreted as the permanent communication device, and “skid 14 “as the temporary communication device. Vehicle transceiver 31 and skid transceiver 48 provide communication paths between coordination server 50 and the vehicle and skid controllers [0017], [0025], see fig 4). Vehicle controller 24 receives workstation order updates to determine the next target workstation [0030]. The server also supplies guidance information to skid controller 34, and the controllers determine a target workstation and command movement toward that target ([0025], [0027]). This discloses that both the skid and the vehicle transceiver receive information for directing the same vehicle through the assembly process.
Regarding claim 5, Wells teaches:
An information processing method comprising:
acquiring attachment information about whether a communication device for use for remote control is attached to a mobile body operable through the remote control; (See at least fig 4.) (“The partially assembled BEV 12 may also include a vehicle transceiver 31 configured to establish a wireless communication with the sensor skid 14… and a coordination server 50 through a wireless network 52… The skid controller 34 is capable of autonomously navigating the partially assembled BEV 12 through the assembly process or to a commanded location received from the coordination server 50… The power connection coupler 38 is also configured to allow data transfer between the skid controller 34 and the vehicle controller 24. For example, the skid controller 34 is programmed to monitor (through the vehicle controller 24) the state of charge of the vehicle battery 22 to schedule opportunity charging with the coordination server 50” [0017], [0025],[0020]). and executing at least one of a process of outputting an instruction to remove the temporary communication device from the mobile body when it is determined that the temporary communication device is attached to the mobile body for which the remote control has been finished using the attachment information. (See at least FIG 5B). If the partially assembled BEV 12 is at the last workstation of the assembly process, then the operating method 100 proceeds to block 144. At block 144, the skid controller 34 uploads the final process data to the coordination server 50 and prepares to disconnect the sensor skid14 from the BEV 12” [0031]).
Examiner notes that the “skid controller “interprets the results of the detection, synchronization, and readiness checks as attachment information because those checks occur after mechanical and electrical coupling and provide information concerning the established operational connection between BEV 12 and sensor skid 14 carrying temporary transceiver 48 ([0018, [0025]- [0026], fig 5A). The skid controller is also identified as performing the acquiring step based on its detection of vehicle systems and its synchronization and operational checks following the coupling of sensor skid 14 to BEV 12 ([0026], fig 5A). Skid transceiver 48 is carried by the removeable skid 14 and receives information used for vehicle guidance ([0018, [0025]). Controller 34 also determines whether BEV 12 has reached the last workstation at block 142. If not, the process returns to block 136 for continued guidance. If so, the process advances to block 144, where controller 34 uploads final process data and prepares to disconnect skid 14 ([0031], Fig.5B).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
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/T.D.J./
Examiner, Art Unit 2115
/KAMINI S SHAH/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2115
