DETAILED CORRESPONDENCE
This Office action is in response to the application filed 9/27/2024, with claims 1-20 pending.
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
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statements (IDS) submitted on 9/27/2024 complies 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.
Claim 1-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipate by Koibuchi et al., US 2005/0027402 hereinafter “Koibuchi”.
Claims 1 and 11. Koibuchi teaches a vehicle control apparatus comprising:
an input device configured to receive an input of a user ([0194] The motion control system further includes an input interface 100 and an output interface 102 that are respectively connected to the buses 98.); and
a processor configured to ([0040] along with [0192] reads on this element as such—“dedicated processing unit (which may be constructed to have at least one CPU) is installed for each unit of the hardware configuration, and each module is executed by each processing unit….In a further embodiment, the PU 92 consists of one CPU, and the single CPU is commonly used by the upper level command section 210, the lower-level command section 212 and the executing section 214.” Fig. 2 teaches an “integrated vehicle motion control system”)
generate a target motion based on content running in a vehicle or the input of the user ([0020] describes this element as such—“ the command section includes a upper-level command section and a lower-level command section each of which is adapted to generate commands for controlling the plurality of actuators in an integrated manner, the upper-level command section determining a first target vehicle state quantity based on the driving related information, without taking account of dynamic behavior of the vehicle”,),
generate a target motion value corresponding to the target motion (claim 1 of the Koibuchi reads on this element as such—“ the command section includes a upper-level
command section and a lower-level command section each of which is adapted to generate commands for controlling the plurality of actuators in an integrated manner, the upper-level command section determining a first target vehicle state quantity based on the driving related information, without taking account of dynamic behavior of the vehicle”), and
distribute control to one or more driving actuators to execute the target motion (fig. 23 illustrates execution section which controls the actuators. While at least [0180]-[0189] further explain the illustration of fig. 23).
Claims 2 and 12. Koibuchi teaches the vehicle control apparatus of claim 1 and further teaches,
wherein the target motion includes at least one of a movement of the vehicle in a forward direction and a backward direction, a movement of the vehicle in an upward direction and a downward direction, a movement of the vehicle in a pitch direction, a movement of the vehicle in a roll direction, or any combination thereof ([0256]-[0257] reads on this element as—“drive, reverse-drive and stop determining unit 252, as shown in FIG. 9. This unit 252 is adapted to determine whether the vehicle is currently running in the forward direction or in the reverse direction, or is at a stop, based on
signals from the wheel speed sensors 170.” While processor is taught is [0040] along with [0192] as such—“dedicated processing unit (which may be constructed to have at least one CPU) is installed for each unit of the hardware configuration, and each module is executed by each processing unit….In a further embodiment, the PU 92 consists of one CPU, and the single CPU is commonly used by the upper level command section 210, the lower-level command section 212 and the executing section 214.” Fig. 2 teaches an “integrated vehicle motion control system”).
Claims 3 and 13. Koibuchi teaches the vehicle control apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to determine, as an execution motion, a motion that is executable by the vehicle based on hardware information of the vehicle ([0020] along with [0189] reads on this element as such—“….wherein (1) at least a software configuration, out of hardware configuration and software configuration of the integrated vehicle motion
control system, comprises a plurality of sections that are arranged in the form of a hierarchy having a plurality of hierarchical levels in a direction from the driver toward the
plurality of actuators…. FIG. 2 is a block diagram schematically showing the hardware configuration of the integrated vehicle motion control system of the present embodiment. The motion control system includes a computer 90 as a main component
thereof While processor is taught is [0040] along with [0192] as such—“dedicated processing unit (which may be constructed to have at least one CPU) is installed for each unit of the hardware configuration, and each module is executed by each processing unit….In a further embodiment, the PU 92 consists of one CPU, and the single CPU is commonly used by the upper level command section 210, the lower-level command section 212 and the executing section 214.” Fig. 2 teaches an “integrated vehicle motion control system”).
Claims 4 and 14. Koibuchi teaches the vehicle control apparatus of claim 3, wherein the processor is configured to generate an execution motion value corresponding to the execution motion based on the hardware information of the vehicle ([0040] along with [0192] reads on this element as such—“dedicated processing unit (which may be constructed to have at least one CPU) is installed for each unit of the hardware configuration, and each module is executed by each processing unit….In a further embodiment, the PU 92 consists of one CPU, and the single CPU is commonly used by the upper level command section 210, the lower-level command section 212 and the executing section 214.” Fig. 2 teaches an “integrated vehicle motion control system”).
Claims 5 and 15. Koibuchi teaches the vehicle control apparatus of claim 4, wherein the processor is configured to determine whether the target motion value is equal to or less than the execution motion value ([0504]-[0505]reads on this element as such—“DF: drift parameter (a parameter whose absolute value increases as the degree of abnormality of the yawing motion of the vehicle increases, the parameter having a positive value if the type of the abnormality is drift-out, and having a negative value if the type of the abnormality is spin)…. The drift parameter DF can be calculated as a
product of a deviation of the actual yaw rate yr from the target yaw rate yrd and the sign of the actual yaw rate yr.” While processor is taught is [0040] along with [0192] as such—“dedicated processing unit (which may be constructed to have at least one CPU) is installed for each unit of the hardware configuration, and each module is executed by each processing unit….In a further embodiment, the PU 92 consists of one CPU, and the single CPU is commonly used by the upper level command section 210, the lower-level command section 212 and the executing section 214.” Fig. 2 teaches an “integrated vehicle motion control system”).
Claims 6 and 16. Koibuchi teaches the vehicle control apparatus of claim 5, wherein the processor is configured to, when the target motion value is greater than the execution motion value, correct the target motion value to generate a corrected target motion value that is equal to or less than the execution motion value ([0309] reads on this element as such—“For example, if the automatic emergency brake system 274 determines that the vehicle needs to be urgently stopped, the target longitudinal acceleration gx5 is set to a deceleration-side set value (e.g., -12.0 m/s2). If there is no
need to urgently stop the vehicle, on the other hand, the target longitudinal acceleration gx5 is set to a predetermined value (e.g., 2.0 m/s2) that is equal to or greater than zero”. While processor is taught is [0040] along with [0192] as such—“dedicated processing unit (which may be constructed to have at least one CPU) is installed for each unit of the hardware configuration, and each module is executed by each processing unit….In a further embodiment, the PU 92 consists of one CPU, and the single CPU is commonly used by the upper level command section 210, the lower-level command section 212 and the executing section 214.” Fig. 2 teaches an “integrated vehicle motion control system”).
Claims 7 and 17. Koibuchi teaches the vehicle control apparatus of claim 6, wherein the processor is configured to determine that the target motion is executable by the vehicle when the target motion value or the corrected target motion value is equal to or less than the execution motion value ([0405] More specifically, in the present embodiment, a
provisional value gPlus0 of the correction amount gPlus is determined depending upon an absolute value of a yaw rate deviation Δyr of the actual yaw rate yr from the target yaw rate yrd. For example, the provisional value gPlus0 may be defined as a negative value whose absolute value increases as the absolute value of the yaw rate deviation Δyr (degree/sec.) increases. While processor is taught is [0040] along with [0192] as such—“dedicated processing unit (which may be constructed to have at least one CPU) is installed for each unit of the hardware configuration, and each module is executed by each processing unit….In a further embodiment, the PU 92 consists of one CPU, and the single CPU is commonly used by the upper level command section 210, the lower-level command section 212 and the executing section 214.” Fig. 2 teaches an “integrated vehicle motion control system”).
Claims 8 and 18. Koibuchi teaches the vehicle control apparatus of claim 7, wherein the processor is configured to select, as the one or more driving actuators, one or more actuators capable of executing the target motion ([0296] teaches that [t]he driving assist control unit 265 selects an appropriate one or ones of the above-described actuators 70 through 82 and automatically controls the selected actuator(s), for the purpose of improving the safety of the vehicle by executing, in lieu of the driver, driving operations that should be originally performed by the driver or by making up for insufficiencies of the driving skill, judgments and attentions of the driver. While processor is taught is [0040] along with [0192] as such—“dedicated processing unit (which may be constructed to have at least one CPU) is installed for each unit of the hardware configuration, and each module is executed by each processing unit….In a further embodiment, the PU 92 consists of one CPU, and the single CPU is commonly used by the upper level command section 210, the lower-level command section 212 and the executing section 214.” Fig. 2 teaches an “integrated vehicle motion control system”).
Claims 9 and 19. Koibuchi teaches the vehicle control apparatus of claim 8, wherein the processor is configured to select, as the one or more driving actuators, the one or more actuators capable of executing the execution motion when the processor is capable of executing the target motion using the one or more actuators ([0296] teaches that [t]he driving assist control unit 265 selects an appropriate one or ones of the above-described actuators 70 through 82 and automatically controls the selected actuator(s), for the purpose of improving the safety of the vehicle by executing, in lieu of the driver, driving operations that should be originally performed by the driver or by making up for insufficiencies of the driving skill, judgments and attentions of the driver. While processor is taught is [0040] along with [0192] as such—“dedicated processing unit (which may be constructed to have at least one CPU) is installed for each unit of the hardware configuration, and each module is executed by each processing unit….In a further embodiment, the PU 92 consists of one CPU, and the single CPU is commonly used by the upper level command section 210, the lower-level command section 212 and the executing section 214.” Fig. 2 teaches an “integrated vehicle motion control system”).
Claims 10 and 20. Koibuchi teaches the vehicle control apparatus of claim 6, wherein the processor is configured to control driving of the one or more driving actuators based on the target motion value or the corrected target motion value ([0415]-[0423] reads on this element as such—“The target lateral acceleration computing unit 326 computes a target lateral acceleration gyd based on the target yaw rate yrd and the vehicle speed V.” While processor is taught is [0040] along with [0192] as such—“dedicated processing unit (which may be constructed to have at least one CPU) is installed for each unit of the hardware configuration, and each module is executed by each processing unit….In a further embodiment, the PU 92 consists of one CPU, and the single CPU is commonly used by the upper level command section 210, the lower-level command section 212 and the executing section 214.” Fig. 2 teaches an “integrated vehicle motion control system”).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ANA D THOMAS whose telephone number is (571)272-8549. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday 8 - 5.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Ramya Burgess can be reached at 571-272-6011. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
/A.D.T/Examiner, Art Unit 3661
/RUSSELL FREJD/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3661