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 Status
Claims 1-7 and 10-20 are pending for examination.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 101
35 U.S.C. 101 reads as follows:
Whoever invents or discovers any new and useful process, machine, manufacture, or composition of matter, or any new and useful improvement thereof, may obtain a patent therefor, subject to the conditions and requirements of this title.
Claims 1-7 and 10-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 101 because the claimed invention is directed to a judicial exception (i.e., abstract idea) without reciting significantly more to transform the exception into a patent eligible application.
Regarding claims 1, 7, and 15, recite processes directed to receiving communication and location information, obtaining video, extracting feature information, storing data across first and second storage section, and providing information based on the stored correspondence. These processes considered individually and in combination fall within the judicial exception of an abstract ideas. Specifically, certain mental processes (e.g., observing video to extract feature) and methods of organizing human activity/data processing (e.g., receiving and storing information).
Furthermore, the claimed subject matter is not integrated into a practical application, nor does it add “significantly more” to the judicial exception. The claims merely recite generic computer components (e.g., processor, first and second storage sections) performing routine data manipulation steps. These steps are generic and fail to impose any technical control or physical transformation on the operation of the vehicle.
Regarding claims 2-6, 10-14, and 16-20, are also rejected because they depend on claims 1, 7, and 15 respectively.
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.
Regarding claims 1, 7, and 15, recites the limitation "each vehicle" in line 11 of claim 1, in line 12 of claim 7, and in line 7 of claim 15. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation because the preceding clause introduces “a vehicle” in singular form instead of “each vehicle”.
Regarding claims 2-6, 10-14, and 16-20, are also rejected because they depend on claims 1, 7, and 15 respectively.
Regarding claim 5, recites the limitation "the correspondence from another communication apparatus" in line 5. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim. Claim 1 recites and defines the communication apparatus stores the correspondence in the last clause. However, the correspondence from another communication apparatus is not the same as the correspondence stored in the communication apparatus because the communication apparatus and the another communication device are two different devices. Therefore, the limitation lacks proper antecedent basis
Regarding claims 13 and 19, they are also rejected for the same reason as claim 5 because they lack proper antecedent basis for the limitation “the correspondence from a second communication apparatus”.
Regarding claims 6, 14 and 20, are also rejected because they depend on claim 5, 13 and 19, respectively.
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)(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 and 15-19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Huang (Pub. No.: US 2024/0029480 A1).
Regarding claim 1, Huang teaches a communication apparatus (Fig. 2, roadside unit and edge server communication apparatus) comprising at least one processor, the at least one processor carrying out:
a process of receiving communication information and location information of a vehicle from the vehicle (Fig. 2, para [0025], “The data processing center receives information reported by the target vehicle in real time as a basis for controlling the target vehicle. The reported information may include the target vehicle's own information, speed, acceleration, position, and the like. It may also include environmental information sensed by the target vehicle, including an environmental image, an obstacle distance, and the like.”. The edge server/data processing center receives communication report and location information from target vehicle);
a process of obtaining a video of the vehicle (Fig. 1, para [0031], “It should be noted that, the detection device mentioned above may be a roadside device disposed on a road, for example, a camera, a tachometer, and the like. The detection device mentioned above may also be a vehicle near the target vehicle. The collected information mentioned above may include an image, a speed, a position, etc. of the target vehicle.”. The roadside device includes a camera to capture a video of the target vehicle);
a process of obtaining feature information of the vehicle based on the obtained video (Fig. 1, and para [0079], “A camera and a radar of the roadside device may also collect information data of the target vehicle (speed, position, fault picture, license plate, etc.) and upload it to the edge server to form a second data.”); and
a process of storing, in a storage section, as correspondence, the obtained feature information of the vehicle and the communication information in association with each other for each vehicle, based on the communication information, the location information, and the video of the vehicle (Fig. 1, the edge server associates the communication information (e.g., location and disconnection information) and image of the target vehicle. The edge server transmits a fault message to a third party (e.g., surrounding vehicles) based on the detected disconnection and the image received of the target vehicle.).
Regarding claim 2, Huang teaches the communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the communication information includes a communication mode supported by the vehicle (Fig. 2, para [0025], the edge server and the vehicle engages in a communication mode when transmitting information).
Regarding claim 3, Huang teaches the communication apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the communication information includes address information of the vehicle (Fig. 2, para [0025], the edge server communicates with the vehicle by using the communication address of the vehicle.).
Regarding claim 4, Huang teaches the communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the feature information of the vehicle is at least one selected from the group consisting of information related to a number plate of the vehicle, information related to a model of the vehicle, information related to a shape of the vehicle, and information related to a color of the vehicle (Fig. 1, and para [0079], “A camera and a radar of the roadside device may also collect information data of the target vehicle (speed, position, fault picture, license plate, etc.) and upload it to the edge server to form a second data.”).
Regarding claim 5, Huang teaches the communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein
the communication apparatus is configured to manage a first area (Fig. 2, the top roadside device and edge server manage a first area), and
in the process of receiving, the at least one processor receives information related to the correspondence from another communication apparatus configured to manage a second area and stores the received information in the storage section (Fig. 2, the top edge server receives message from the middle roadside device), the another communication apparatus being other than the communication apparatus configured to manage the first area (Fig. 2, the middle roadside device manages a second area that is different from the top roadside device.).
Regarding claim 15, recites a method for the apparatus of claim 1. Therefore, the claim is rejected for the same reason.
Regarding claim 16, recites a method for the apparatus of claim 2. Therefore, the claim is rejected for the same reason.
Regarding claim 17, recites a method for the apparatus of claim 3. Therefore, the claim is rejected for the same reason.
Regarding claim 18, recites a method for the apparatus of claim 4. Therefore, the claim is rejected for the same reason.
Regarding claim 19, recites a method for the apparatus of claim 5. Therefore, the claim is rejected for the same reason.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ZHEN Y WU whose telephone number is (571)272-5711. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday, 10AM-6PM, EST.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Quan-Zhen Wang can be reached at 571-272-3114. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/ZHEN Y WU/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2685
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