DETAILED ACTION
This action is in response to communication on October 9th, 2024.
Claims 1-15 are currently pending.
The present application is a continuation of International application no. PCT/JP2023/016347, filed on April 25th, 2023, which claims priority to Japanese application no. JP2022-074975, filed on April 28th, 2022.
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
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)(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 1-15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Herber et al (U.S. Patent Application Publication no. 2020/0280383, hereinafter Herber).
With respect to claims 1 and 15, Herber discloses a time synchronization system and method (paragraph [0036], lines 1-6) comprising:
a master device (paragraph [0039], lines 1-3);
one or more slave devices (paragraph [0051], lines 1-8); and
a time verification device (paragraph [0036], clock synchronization control module 534), which are connected via a communication network (paragraph [0055], time sensitive network), wherein the master device includes
a synchronization message transmission unit configured to repeatedly transmit to each of the one or more slave devices (paragraph [0039], lines 1-9, periodically transmitting synchronization (or “sync”) messages), a synchronization message including a transmission time indicated by a global time counted by a clock of the master device (paragraph [0041], Precise Origin TS), and
a master information transmission unit configured to transmit master verification information including a transmission time of the synchronization message to the time verification device (paragraph [0039], lines 1-9, grandmaster periodically transmitting synchronization (or “sync”) messages),
the slave device includes
a synchronization execution unit configured to perform time synchronization to synchronize a time indicated by a local time counted by a clock of the slave device with a time indicated by the global time (paragraph [0051], lines 1-8, used to adjust the clock at the slave device), based on information obtained by receiving the synchronization message (paragraph [0051], lines 8-14, exchange messages and perform timing related calculations), and
a slave information transmission unit configured to transmit slave verification information including information used for time synchronization by the synchronization execution unit to the time verification device (paragraph [0051], lines 8-14, exchange messages and perform timing related calculations), and
the time verification device includes
a verification execution unit that generates, for each of the slave devices, verification information for verifying a synchronization state between the local time and the global time (paragraph [0058], implement domain specific clock synchronization control), based on the master verification information received from the master device and the slave verification information received from each of the one or more slave devices (paragraph [0058], receives feedback from the slave clock), and
a result transmission unit configured to transmit the verification information generated by the verification execution unit to the master device and each of the one or more slave devices (paragraph [0076], weighted merge module 560 is provided to the slave clock).
With respect to claim 2, Herber discloses the time synchronization system according to claim 1, wherein
the time verification device further includes
a transmission prohibition unit configured to prohibit the result transmission unit from transmitting the verification information when an anomaly in the synchronization state is detected based on the verification information (paragraph [0057], lines 1-9, detecting outlier values), and
the master device and the slave device further include
an anomaly determination unit configured to determine that there is an anomaly in the synchronization state when the verification information fails to be received within an allowable time after transmission of the master verification information or the slave verification information (paragraph [0064], predefined threshold).
With respect to claim 3, Herber discloses the time synchronization system according to claim 1, wherein the time verification device further includes an information addition unit that determines whether a time synchronization state is normal based on the verification information, and adds additional information indicating a determination result to the verification information (paragraph [0060], domain specific parameters), and
the master device and the slave device are configured to continue or stop the time synchronization in accordance with the additional information (paragraph [0068], sync timeout).
With respect to claim 4, Herber discloses the time synchronization system according to claim 1, further comprising an external device interface to which an external diagnostic tool is attached and detached, the external diagnostic tool reading a verification result in the time verification device (paragraph [0078], safety diagnostic module).
With respect to claims 5, Herber discloses the time synchronization system according to claim 1, wherein
the one or more slave devices are a plurality of slave devices (paragraph [0037], lines 1-5, end stations),
one of the plurality of slave devices is set as a bridge device (paragraph [0037], lines 1-5, bridges), and
the master device and each of the slave devices, except for the bridge device, are mutually connected via the bridge device (paragraph [0039], lines 1-9, grandmaster).
With respect to claim 6, Herber discloses the time synchronization system according to claim 5, wherein the time verification device is configured integrally with one of the master device or the bridge device (paragraph [0039], lines 1-9, grandmaster).
With respect to claim 7, Herber discloses the time synchronization system according to claim 1, wherein the verification execution unit calculates, as the verification information, at least one of:
a time offset that represents a difference between a reference global time and a reference local time, the reference global time being a time at a reference point, where time alignment is performed, indicated by the global time, the reference local time being the time at the reference point indicated by the local time (paragraphs [0050]-[0051]), or
a time deviation that is a difference between a value of a time length between reference points indicated by the global time and a value of the time length between the reference points indicated by the local time, the reference points each being the reference point (paragraph [0064], threshold).
With respect to claim 8, Herber discloses the time synchronization system according to claim 1, wherein the master device further includes
a synchronization state determination unit configured to determine whether the synchronization state is normal in accordance with the verification information received from the time verification device (paragraph [0057], lines 1-9, detecting outlier values), and
a transmission interval control unit configured to change a transmission interval of the synchronization message, transmitted by the synchronization message transmission unit, according to a total number of times the synchronization state is normal, in accordance with a determination result in the synchronization state determination unit (paragraph [0068], sync timeout).
With respect to claim 9, Herber discloses the time synchronization system according to claim 1, wherein the master information transmission unit is configured to transmit the master verification information each time the synchronization message is transmitted once or a plurality of times (paragraph [0039], lines 1-9, periodically transmitting synchronization (or “sync”) messages).
With respect to claim 10, Herber discloses the time synchronization system according to claim 1, wherein
the master device includes a condition satisfaction determination unit configured to determine whether a preset verification information transmission condition is satisfied (paragraph [0064], predefined threshold), and
the master information transmission unit is configured to transmit the master verification information when the condition satisfaction determination unit determines that the verification information transmission condition is satisfied (paragraph [0039], lines 1-9, grandmaster periodically transmitting synchronization (or “sync”) messages).
With respect to claim 11, Herber discloses the time synchronization system according to claim 10, wherein the condition satisfaction determination unit is configured to determine that the verification information transmission condition is satisfied each time the synchronization message is transmitted a specified number of times (paragraph [0039], lines 1-9, grandmaster periodically transmitting synchronization (or “sync”) messages).
With respect to claim 12, Herber discloses the time synchronization system according to claim 11, wherein the master device further includes a specified number changing unit configured to change the specified number of times such that the specified number of times increases as a total number of transmissions of the master verification information increases (paragraph [0060], weight assignment module).
With respect to claim 13, Herber discloses the time synchronization system according to claim 10, wherein
the condition satisfaction determination unit is configured to determine whether the verification information transmission condition has been satisfied (paragraph [0064], predefined threshold), using at least one of the following:
a vehicle speed is equal to or greater than a predetermined value;
an external device is connected to the time synchronization system (paragraph [0070], link availability);
a function related to driving assistance, including autonomous driving, is in an operating state (paragraph [0078]); or
information requesting verification of the synchronization state has been added to the synchronization message (paragraph [0039], lines 1-9, grandmaster periodically transmitting synchronization (or “sync”) messages).
With respect to claim 14, Herber discloses a time verification device used in a time synchronization system (paragraph [0036], lines 1-6) that includes a master device (paragraph [0039], lines 1-3) and one or more slave devices (paragraph [0051], lines 1-8) connected via a communication network (paragraph [0055], time sensitive network) and is configured to perform time synchronization (paragraph [0036], clock synchronization control module 534) to synchronize a time indicated by a local time counted by a clock of each of the one or more slave devices with a time indicated by a global time counted by a clock of the master device (paragraph [0051], lines 1-8, used to adjust the clock at the slave device), the time verification device comprising:
a verification execution unit that generates, for each of the slave devices, verification information for verifying a synchronization state between the local time and the global time (paragraph [0051], lines 8-14, exchange messages and perform timing related calculations), based on master verification information received from the master device and slave verification information received from each of the one or more slave devices (paragraph [0039], lines 1-9, grandmaster periodically transmitting synchronization (or “sync”) messages), and
a result transmission unit configured to transmit the verification information generated by the verification execution unit to each of the one or more slave devices (paragraph [0076], weighted merge module 560 is provided to the slave clock),
wherein the master verification information includes a transmission time of a synchronization message indicated by the global time (paragraph [0041], Precise Origin TS), and
the slave verification information is obtained by receiving the synchronization message and includes information used for the time synchronization (paragraph [0058], receives feedback from the slave clock).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Regev Patent no. 11,563,769
Qu Pat. Pub. 2022/0278745
Butterworth Pat. Pub. 2018/0351676
Bilra Pat. Pub. 2025/0141577
Entelis Pat. Pub. 2022/0046114
Zinner Patent no. 11,973,581
Mong Pat. Pub. 2023/0379385
Hoffleit Pat. Pub. 2021/0258136
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to BLAKE J RUBIN whose telephone number is (571)270-3802. The examiner can normally be reached on Monday - Friday, 9am - 5pm.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Ario Etienne can be reached on 571-272-4001. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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9/29/26
/BLAKE J RUBIN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2457
