The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
DETAILED ACTION
This is in response to application filed on 10/18/24, in which Claims 1-20 are presented for examination of which Claims 1 and 20 are in independent form.
Specification
Please include “time-trace” into the title.
Please condense the abstract to under 150 words.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of the second paragraph of 35 U.S.C. 112:
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.
Claim 19 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112, second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which applicant regards as the invention.
Claim 19 recites the limitation “one of the 3-axis sensors...” in lines 2-3. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim. The claim will be interpreted to depend from Claim 18.
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 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.
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.
(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 1-4, 17 and 20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) and 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Zhang et al. (Zhang; US 5347456 A).
Regarding Claim 1, Zhang discloses a method for automatic alert generation in a vehicle on a roadway (Abstract;), comprising:
detecting at least one time-trace of electromagnetic (EM) fields originated or reflected from a surface of the roadway (Fig 1, Col 3 Lines 13-30 vehicle direction sensing system for use with discreet magnetic markers wherein each magnetic marker, having a magnetic field associated therewith is embedded along a predetermined line in a pathway. The invention includes a first magnetic field strength sensing device positioned in the vehicle for determining the vertical component of the field strength of one of the discreet magnetic markers. Also included is a second magnetic field strength second sensing device positioned in the vehicle for determining the horizontal component of the field strength of the same one of the discreet magnetic markers. A computer is included for comparing the vertical component of the magnetic field strength and the horizontal component of the magnetic field strength of one of the markers to obtain the lateral deviation of the vehicle from the predetermined line);
extracting at least one notification information item from the at least one time-trace (Abstract An on-board sensing system acquires the information when the vehicle passes over the reference markers and thereby determines vehicle deviation and upcoming road geometry. Other coded information may be provided through the passive discrete markers to include such items as geographical position, warning of future conditions; Col 9 Line 63-Col 10 Line 1 a vehicle approaches a turn the road geometry information including the radius, the direction of the turn, and the length of the turn will be provided to the vehicle for example, three times. Should there be inconsistencies between all three receptions, a warning signal can be transmitted to the vehicle operator or the vehicle slowed and ultimately halted); and
automatically generating an on-vehicle alert according to the notification information item (Abstract, Col 9 Lines 63-68).
Regarding Claim 2, Zhang discloses the magnetic fields originated or reflected from a pavement surface signage deployed on the roadway (Fig 1, Col 3 Lines 13-30).
2>Regarding Claim 3, Zhang discloses the pavement surface signage comprises a magnetic or magnetized material (Fig 1, Col 3 Lines 13-30).
3>Regarding Claim 4, Zhang discloses the magnetic or magnetized material is spatially patterned on the roadway to form the pavement surface signage (Abstract, Fig 1, Col 3 Lines 13-30).
Regarding Claim 17, Zhang discloses the in-vehicle alert is at least displayed on a dashboard of the vehicle (Col 2 Lines 63-68 provide a vehicle guidance and control system that based on interpreted roadway geometry provides steering signals either to a vehicle operator by way of a display or alternatively provides steering signals to the vehicle steering mechanism).
Regarding Claim 20, Zhang discloses an in-vehicle alert system (Abstract) comprising:
at least one sensor (22, 24, 26 of Fig 1) configured to detect at least one time-trace of EM fields originated or reflected from a pavement surface signage of a roadway (Fig 1, Col 3 Lines 13-30 vehicle direction sensing system for use with discreet magnetic markers wherein each magnetic marker, having a magnetic field associated therewith is embedded along a predetermined line in a pathway. The invention includes a first magnetic field strength sensing device positioned in the vehicle for determining the vertical component of the field strength of one of the discreet magnetic markers. Also included is a second magnetic field strength second sensing device positioned in the vehicle for determining the horizontal component of the field strength of the same one of the discreet magnetic markers. A computer is included for comparing the vertical component of the magnetic field strength and the horizontal component of the magnetic field strength of one of the markers to obtain the lateral deviation of the vehicle from the predetermined line);
a processor (42 of Fig 1) configured to: receive the at least one time-trace and to extract at least one notification information item from the at least one time-trace (Abstract An on-board sensing system acquires the information when the vehicle passes over the reference markers and thereby determines vehicle deviation and upcoming road geometry. Other coded information may be provided through the passive discrete markers to include such items as geographical position, warning of future conditions; Col 9 Line 63-Col 10 Line 1 a vehicle approaches a turn the road geometry information including the radius, the direction of the turn, and the length of the turn will be provided to the vehicle for example, three times. Should there be inconsistencies between all three receptions, a warning signal can be transmitted to the vehicle operator or the vehicle slowed and ultimately halted); and
automatically generating an in-vehicle alert according to the notification information item (Abstract, Col 9 Lines 63-68).; and
an alerting device for a visual or audible presentation of the in-vehicle alert (Col 10 Lines 9-11 decoded information may be displayed to the operator on a video display terminal 43 mounted in the vehicle).
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 of this title, 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.
Claims 5-6 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Zhang in view of YAMAMOTO et al. (YAMAMOTO; US 20240288283 A1).
4>Regarding Claim 5, Zhang discloses the pavement surface signage comprises a plurality of markers of the magnetic or magnetized material (14 of Fig 1), but doesn’t teach strips.
In the same field of endeavor, YAMAMOTO discloses a magnetic marker detection system for a vehicle including sensor array with magnetic sensors arrayed in a width direction to detect a magnetic marker laid in a traveling road. YAMAMOTO discloses strips ([0101] In place of the coiled spring, a strip-shaped elastic member may be used).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Zhang with YAMAMOTO using strips in order to a detection system capable of detecting a magnetic marker laid in or on a traveling road with high reliability, irrespective of variations in attachment height of magnetic sensors on a vehicle side, as suggested by YAMAMOTO ([0005]).
5>Regarding Claim 6, Zhang discloses the plurality of markers are each oriented perpendicular to a traffic flow direction of the roadway (Fig 1).
YAMAMOTO discloses strips ([0101]).
Claims 9-12 and 15-16 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Zhang and YAMAMOTO, further in view of Yamamoto et al. (Yamamoto; US 20200320870 A1)).
5>Regarding Claim 9, Zhang doesn’t disclose the plurality of strips are each left or right inclined to a traffic flow direction of the roadway.
In the same field of endeavor, Yamamoto discloses a position capture method for capturing an own vehicle position by using a positioning part that measures a position of a vehicle and a plurality of magnetic markers laid on a traveling path of the vehicle (with their laying positions specified includes: upon detection of any of the plurality of magnetic markers.
Yamamoto discloses plurality of strips are each left or right inclined to a traffic flow direction of the roadway (see Fig 1).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Zhang with Yamamoto in order to making high-accuracy position capture possible, as suggested by Yamamoto (Abstract).
YAMAMOTO discloses strips ([0101]).
9>Regarding Claim 10, Zhang discloses the notification information item comprises a merging instruction encoded in the pavement surface signage (Col 2 Lines 63-68 provide a vehicle guidance and control system that based on interpreted roadway geometry provides steering signals either to a vehicle operator by way of a display or alternatively provides steering signals to the vehicle steering mechanism).
10>Regarding Claim 11, Zhang discloses the at least one time-trace comprises a plurality of time-traces each generated by an in-vehicle magnetic field sensor among a plurality of magnetic field sensors (Col 5 Lines 15-28 that the positioning of the two magnetometers 24 and 26 at right angles to one another and generally coincident with each other will result in intelligence to indicate which side of the magnetic marker 14 the magnetometers (and of course the vehicle) are on no matter whether the north pole of the magnet is up as shown in FIG. 3A, or whether the south pole is up as shown in FIG. 3B. An examination of FIGS. 3A and 3B will show that if the magnetometers, oriented as they are shown in FIGS. 3A and 3B, are to the left of the center line of the path of the embedded magnets 14 whether or not the north or south pole is oriented upwardly will result in polarity indications from the magnetometers of the same sign).
11>Regarding Claim 12, Zhang discloses an inclination direction of the plurality of strips are extracted from relative timing of signals in the plurality of time-traces (Col 3 Lines 13-20 This invention is a vehicle direction sensing system for use with discreet magnetic markers wherein each magnetic marker).
11>Regarding Claim 15, Zhang discloses the at least one notification information item further comprises an alert for slowing down the vehicle (Col 9 Line 63-Col 10 Line 1 a vehicle approaches a turn the road geometry information including the radius, the direction of the turn, and the length of the turn will be provided to the vehicle for example, three times. Should there be inconsistencies between all three receptions, a warning signal can be transmitted to the vehicle operator or the vehicle slowed and ultimately halted).
5>Regarding Claim 16, Zhang discloses the plurality of strips oriented in both a first direction perpendicular to a traffic flow direction of the roadway (vertically).
Yamamoto discloses a second direction at a left or right inclined angle to the traffic flow direction ([0068] During passage of the vehicle 4 through the azimuth identification section, as shown in FIG. 8, measuring a variation A in lateral shift amount during passage over the first and second magnetic markers 5 and 5p makes it possible to compute the traveling direction θ.sub.0 of the vehicle 4 with respect to the reference azimuth according to the following equation. θ.sub.0 is an angle formed by the traveling direction of the vehicle 4 and the reference azimuth of the azimuth identification section. For example, in the case of the azimuth identification section of the marker m, an angle obtained by adding θ.sub.0 to the reference azimuth of 235° is the absolute azimuth of the traveling direction of the vehicle 4 based on true north).
Claim 18 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Zhang in view of Honkura et al. (Honkura; US 20070084070 A1).
Regarding Claim 18, Zhang discloses he detecting at least one time-trace of the EM fields comprises detecting the EM fields using a plurality of 2-axis sensors (Col 4 Lines 36-40 probes or magnetometers are mounted so that one (24) is vertical relative to the roadway and the other (26) is mounted horizontally with its axis perpendicular to the direction of travel), but not 3-axis sensors.
In the same field of endeavor, Honkura discloses a magnetic compass including a three-axis magnetic sensor for detecting geomagnetic vector as geomagnetic components in directions of three orthogonal axes x, y, and z; a data-plane calculating unit for calculating a data plane on which output data of the three-axis magnetic sensor are present in a sensor coordinate system.
Honkura discloses detecting at least one time-trace of the EM fields comprises detecting the EM fields using a plurality of 3-axis sensors ([0065] FIGS. 2 and 5, the respective axes in the sensor coordinate system 2 are taken as the x-axis, the y-axis, and the z-axis, and the respective axes in the horizontal coordinate system 4 are taken as the X-axis, the Y-axis, and the Z-axis. Further, in the horizontal coordinate system 4, the X-Y plane is set to be the horizontal plane relative to the earth, and the Z-axis direction is set to be oriented vertically upwards. The traveling direction of the vehicle 6 is taken as the Y-axis direction. It should be noted, however, that the traveling direction of the vehicle 6 at this time is assumed in the horizontal plane).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Zhang with Honkura using 3-axis sensors in order to provide a low-cost magnetic compass that enables easy and accurate azimuth measurement irrespective of its installation angle, as suggested by Honkura ([0013]).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 7-8, 13-14 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
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
a. HUANG et al. (US 20150247719 A1) discloses a method for determining a position deviation of an object with respect to a magnetic marker. The method senses at least two axial field strength components of the magnetic field emitted from the magnetic marker with each of at least two magnetic field sensors mounted on the object. For each axial direction, the method computes a difference in the axial field strength components sensed by the two sensors. The method then determines the position deviation of the object from the magnetic marker as a function of the two differences (i.e., one difference for each axial direction). The method can be used by an intelligent lateral control system to provide lateral deviation of a mobile object, such as a vehicle, from a desired path, and the intelligent lateral control determines and applies the desired steering control to the mobile object so as to guide it along a desired path automatically.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MARK S RUSHING whose telephone number is (571)270-5876. The examiner can normally be reached on 10-6pm.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Davetta Goins can be reached at 571-272-2957. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/MARK S RUSHING/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2689