DETAILED ACTION
Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
The present application is being examined under the pre-AIA first to invent provisions.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 10/03/2024 and 11/19/2025 are being considered by the examiner.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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.
This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention(s) absent any evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and effective filing dates of each claim that was not commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the later invention in order for the examiner to consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) for any potential 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) prior art against the later invention.
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.
The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
Claims 1, 6-8, 10-12, 14-18, and 20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over US 2012/0221207 (Nakamura) in view of US 2012/0288138 (Zeng).
With respect to claims 1, 11, and 20
Nakamura teaches/discloses: A method/system of controlling a vehicle (see at least Fig 1 and ¶0034), the method comprising:
a plurality of sensors couple to the vehicle (see at least Fig 1 and 9; #300 and #400-415; and ¶0034 and ¶0096-103);
a computing system coupled to the vehicle (see at least Fig 1 and ¶0034), wherein the computing system is configured to:
monitoring, by a computing system and using first sensor data from one or more sensors coupled to the vehicle (see at least Fig 1; #300; and ¶0038; Discussing a vehicle system that has sensors.), a first target area located relative to the vehicle traveling in an environment (see at least Fig 1, 10, and 12(A-D); #200, #300, and S001-S002; and ¶0107 and ¶0133-141; Discussing setting the processing area as a normal area, when the vehicle is traveling in the leftmost or rightmost lane.);
detecting a change corresponding to the environment or the vehicle (see at least Fig 1 and 6; #200 and #222; and ¶0084);
responsive to detecting the change (see at least Fig 10 and 12(A-D); S003-S005; and ¶0111-116 and ¶0133-141; Discussing detecting the number of lanes, and lane that the vehicle is traveling in.), monitoring a second target area located relative to the vehicle using second sensor data from the one or more sensors (see at least Fig 10, 12(A-D), and 13; S006; and ¶0116-117 and ¶0133-143; Discussing expanding the sensor area depending on the number of lanes or missing information.),
wherein the first target area and the second target area differ in size or shape (see at least Fig 10, 12 (A-D, and 13); S006; and ¶0116-117 and ¶0133-143; Discussing expanding the sensor area.); and
Nakamura does not go into detail on how the sensor data is used and therefore does not specifically teach:
controlling the vehicle based on monitoring the second target area.
However Zeng teaches:
controlling the vehicle based on monitoring the second target area (see at least Fig 3; #340; and ¶0038-39 and ¶0047).
Therefore it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the method for controlling the sensor area of a vehicle system disclosed in Nakamura with a system for controlling the vehicle based on the sensed information as taught in Zeng with a reasonable expectation of success, because doing so would allow the vehicle to automatically respond to a situation (see Zeng ¶0039). Thus making the vehicle safer.
With respect to claims 6 and 16
Nakamura teaches: wherein detecting the change in condition corresponding to the environment or the vehicle comprises:
detecting a change in speed of the vehicle (see at least Fig 1 and 17; #400, #411, and S303; and ¶0039-42 and ¶0199-202); and
modifying a width of the first target area to form the second target area based on detecting the change in speed of the vehicle (see at least Fig 1 and 17; #400, #411, and S303-305; and ¶0039-42 and ¶0199-202; Discussing expanding the sensor range based on vehicle speed).
With respect to claims 7 and 17
Nakamura teaches: wherein detecting the change in condition corresponding to the environment or the vehicle comprises:
determining the vehicle is approaching a turn (see at least Fig 1 and 16; #200, #222, S207, and S209; and ¶0178-186); and
expanding the first target area to form the second target area for use during performance of the turn by the vehicle (see at least Fig 1 and 16; #200, #222, and S207-210; and ¶0178-186; Discussing expanding the sensor range if the vehicle is turning.).
With respect to claims 8 and 18
Nakamura does not specifically teach:
identifying a traffic signal in an output generated by monitoring the second target area using the one or more sensors; and
controlling the vehicle based on a state of the traffic signal.
However Zeng teaches:
identifying a traffic signal in an output generated by monitoring the second target area using the one or more sensors (see at least Fig 3; #320; and ¶0031-33 and ¶0047; and
controlling the vehicle based on a state of the traffic signal (see at least Fig 3; #340; and ¶0038-39).
Therefore it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the method for controlling the sensor area of a vehicle system disclosed in Nakamura with a system for controlling the vehicle based on the sensed information as taught in Zeng with a reasonable expectation of success, because doing so would allow the vehicle to automatically respond to a situation (see Zeng ¶0039). Thus making the vehicle safer.
With respect to claim 10
Nakamura teaches: wherein detecting the change in condition corresponding to the environment or the vehicle comprises:
detecting a change in speed or orientation of a given vehicle in the environment (see at least Fig 1 and 17; #400, #411, and S303; and ¶0039-42 and ¶0199-202); and
switching from monitoring the first target area to monitoring the second target area based on detecting the change in speed or orientation of the given vehicle (see at least Fig 1 and 17; 200, #211, #400, #411, and S207-210, S303-305; and ¶0039-42. ¶0178-186, and ¶0199-202; Discussing changing the area monitored based speed/orientation).
With respect to claim 12
Nakamura teaches:
wherein the plurality of sensors includes a global positioning system (GPS) receiver and a camera (see at least Fig 1 and 2; #7 and #300; and ¶0038 and ¶0041-42).
With respect to claim 14
Nakamura teaches:
determine the vehicle is approaching an intersection (see at least Fig 16; S202; and ¶0168-169); and
expand the first target area to form the second target area for use during navigation of the intersection by the vehicle (see at least Fig 16; S208 and S210; and ¶180-192).
With respect to claim 15
Nakamura teaches:
determine the vehicle is approaching the intersection based on map data or an output generated by scanning the target area using the one or more sensors (see at least Fig 3 and 16; #150, #222, and S201-202; and ¶0049-50 and ¶0167-170)
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 2-5, 9, 13, and 19 are 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.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MICHAEL F WHALEN whose telephone number is (571)270-7747. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 10-6.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Peter Nolan can be reached at (571) 270-7016. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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MICHAEL F. WHALEN
Examiner
Art Unit 3661
/M.F.W./Examiner, Art Unit 3661
/PETER D NOLAN/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3661