DETAILED ACTION
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on November 01, 2024. 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 Objections
Claims 21-22 are objected to because of the following informalities:
Claim 21, line 3, insert ----claim---- in front of “12”
Claim 22, line 19, insert ----claim---- in front of “12”
Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claims 12-22 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Claim 12 recites the limitation "the basis" in line 6. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claim 13 recites the limitation "the vehicle/trailer combination" in line 4. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claim 17 recites the limitation "the basis of a dimension" in line 3 and line 4. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claim 20 recites the limitation "the basis of the reference" in line 7. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claim 22 recites the limitation "the basis" in line 9. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
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)(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.
Claim(s) 12 and 14-22 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Chaney, Jr. et al. (US 2017/0300761).
As per claim 12, Chaney, Jr. et al. disclose a method for providing at least one characteristic trailer characteristic variable of a trailer (towed vehicle, 22) for a trailer assistance system (24) of a vehicle (tow vehicle, 20, figure 2, paragraph 0012), the method comprising:
receiving image data describing at least one part of the trailer and a reference object (paragraph 0017);
identifying the trailer and the reference object in the image data (figure 1);
determining the at least one characteristic trailer characteristic variable of the trailer on basis of the reference object (paragraphs 0018-0020); and
outputting the at least one characteristic trailer characteristic variable to the trailer
assistance system (paragraphs 0013-0014, 0018-0019, 0024)9;
wherein a coupling point and a central axle of the trailer are further identified when identifying the trailer (paragraphs 0021, 0024); and
wherein a towbar length (distance, 56) being determined when determining the at least one characteristic trailer characteristic variable, wherein the towbar length is a distance between the coupling point and the central axle of the trailer (a distance ,56, between a hitch and each of the axles/wheels of the towed vehicle, 22)
As per claim 14, Chaney, Jr. et al. disclose an overhang length (distance, 56) being determined when determining the at least one characteristic trailer characteristic variable, wherein the overhang length describes a distance between one end of a trailer structure of the trailer and the central axle of the trailer (paragraphs 0018, 0021, 0024).
As per claim 15, Chaney, Jr. et al. disclose a drawbar length (distance, 56) being determined when determining the at least one characteristic trailer characteristic variable, wherein the drawbar length is a distance between a trailer structure of the trailer and the coupling point of the trailer (paragraphs 0018, 0021, and 0024).
As per claim 16, Chaney, Jr. et al. disclose at least one of a length (52), height (58) or width (54) of the trailer being determined when determining the at least one characteristic trailer characteristic variable (paragraphs 0018, 0021, 0024).
As per claim 17, Chaney, Jr. et al. disclose the vehicle being identified as the reference object and the at least one characteristic trailer characteristic variable of the trailer is determined on basis of a dimension (64, 68, 70) of the vehicle, wherein the dimension of the vehicle is determined on basis of a vehicle model (paragraphs 0021, 0026-0027).
As per claim 18, Chaney, Jr. et al. disclose a sequence of image data describing the at least one part of the trailer and the reference object from different angles is received when receiving the image data (figure 3, paragraphs 0024).
As per claim 19, Chaney, Jr. et al. disclose image data having additional depth information are received as the image data (figure 1).
As per claims 20-22, refer to claim 12 above.
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.
Claim(s) 13 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Chaney, Jr. et al. in view of Singh et al. (US 2016/0129939).
As per claim 13, Chaney, Jr. et al. disclose the instant claimed invention except for a reversible articulation angle is determined when determining the at least one characteristic trailer characteristic variable, wherein the reversible articulation angle describes a reversible coupling angle of a vehicle/trailer combination while reversing. Singh et al. disclose a similar system (1, figure 1) for assisting with reversing of a vehicle (3) and a trailer (5), the system configured to receive image data from one or more cameras (9, 10, 11) disposed on the vehicle (paragraphs 0015), “vehicle control system is operable to facilitate parking of the trailer 5 when it is coupled to the vehicle 3 (the combination of the vehicle 3 and the trailer 5 can be referred to as ‘a rig’). More specifically, the vehicle control system 1 is configured to control the steering of the vehicle 3 such that the vehicle 3 and the trailer 5 perform a parallel parking manoeuvre and reverse into a target parking destination, paragraph 0056) wherein the processor 33 further comprises vehicle/trailer guidance means in the form of a guidance module 33C. The guidance module 33C is provided to assist with guiding the trailer 5 when the vehicle 3 and the trailer 5 are being reversed together. In particular, the guidance module 33C is configured to output a control signal for controlling the steering angle θ of the front wheels W1, W2 of the vehicle 3 to guide the trailer 5 along a target route R, paragraph 0065). Therefore, it would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to utilize the system as taught by Singh et al. in a system as disclosed by Chaney, Jr. et al. for the purpose of assisting the driver of the vehicle while reversing the vehicle to a target space with a trailer attached therein.
Conclusion
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/TAI T NGUYEN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2685 February 4, 2026