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 .
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
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.
Claims 5, 10, 16 and 20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Regarding claims 5 and 16, the term “PGN” is not defined in the specification or in the claims. It cannot be determined with certainty what applicant is intending to refer to by the term “PGN”. Clarification is requested.
With reference to claims 10 and 20, the equation provided is not a piecewise linear function. The equation is quadratic due to the presence of the x2 term. To define a function as piecewise linear, it must be expressed as a collection of linear equations over specific domains and may involve absolute value. Because claim 10 cannot be interpreted in a definite manner, this will be the only rejection and a substantive rejection will not be given.
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, 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.
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.
Claims 1-9 and 11-19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Shibata, et al. (U.S. Patent Publication No. 2020/0132462).
For claim 1, Shibata teaches a system comprising: at least one sensor configured to detect attitude data (see para. 0044); one or more processors having a memory and operationally coupled with the at least one sensor (see para. 0024), wherein the one or more processors are configured to: iteratively adjust an offset error present in attitude data until the attitude data is within a linear region (see paras. 0055, 0058, 0064-0065, 0091), wherein each iteration comprises: receiving, from the at least one sensor, the attitude data, wherein the attitude data includes the offset error (see paras. 0053-0054); determining a plurality of calibration coefficients based at least on the received attitude data using an equation (see paras. 0058-0059, 0070); applying the determined plurality of calibration coefficients on the received attitude data (see para. 0058); and, adjusting the offset error present in the attitude data based at least on the application of the plurality of calibration coefficients (see paras. 0055-0064) until the attitude data is within the linear region (see paras. 0055, error norms become minimum based on calibration coefficients selected).
Shibata does not explicitly disclose the use of a piecewise linear equation. However, Shibata uses measured values which are raw outputs of the gyro sensors and are proximate to a linear equation. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the effective date of filing to modify Shibata to include a piecewise linear equation based on a reasonable expectation of success and the motivation to improve whether the output of the attitude sensor can be calibrated by using such information that can be obtained by the vehicle (see para. 0022).
With reference to claim 2, Shibata further teaches wherein the attitude data comprises at least one of an angular rate, an acceleration, and an inclination of a vehicle (see para. 0044), wherein the attitude data is configured to calculate roll/pitch/yaw (RPY) values to adjust the offset error in the attitude data (see para. 0044).
Regarding claim 3, Shibata does not explicitly disclose at least one user command that resets, specifies or adds to the calibration coefficients. However, resetting a system is known to be a necessary option in calibrating functions. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the effective date of filing to modify Shibata with a user function to reset the coefficients to zero based on a reasonable expectation of success and the motivation to improve whether the output of the attitude sensor can be calibrated by using such information that can be obtained by the vehicle.
With regards to claim 4, Shibata does not explicitly disclose a user command that resets coefficients to zero. However, resetting a system is known to be a necessary option in calibrating functions. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the effective date of filing to modify Shibata with a user function to reset the coefficients to zero based on a reasonable expectation of success and the motivation to improve whether the output of the attitude sensor can be calibrated by using such information that can be obtained by the vehicle.
Regarding claim 5, Shibata does not explicitly disclose a user command that replaces the coefficients. However, user-customizing coefficients in a system is known to be a necessary option in calibrating functions. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the effective date of filing to modify Shibata with a user function to insert specific coefficients to user-defined values based on a reasonable expectation of success and the motivation to improve whether the output of the attitude sensor can be calibrated by using such information that can be obtained by the vehicle.
Pertaining to claim 6, Shibata does not explicitly disclose a user command that updates the coefficients. However, user-customized updating of coefficients in a system is known to be a necessary option in calibrating functions.
For claims 7 and 8, Shibata does not explicitly disclose the claimed modes. However, user-selectable modes for detecting attitude data and calibrating the attitude data are considered well known to one of ordinary skill in the art. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the effective date of filing to modify Shibata with a user selectable functions of data recording and calibrating values based on a reasonable expectation of success and the motivation to improve whether the output of the attitude sensor can be calibrated by using such information that can be obtained by the vehicle.
With reference to claim 9, Shibata further teaches wherein the at least one sensor comprises a 3-axis gyroscope or a 3-axis accelerometer (see para. 0039).
Regarding claim 11, Shibata does not explicitly teach a TARS device. However, Shibata teaches that the attitude sensor is mounted to the vehicle (see abstract). Official Notice is taken that a TARS device may be mounted to a vehicle. Additionally, a TARS device mounted in a vehicle is considered to be well known to one of ordinary skill in the art (see Honeywell disclosure, “TRANSPORTATION ATTITUDE REFERENCE SENSOR IN CONSTRUCTION IMPLEMENTS”, dated 2017 (see attached)).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the effective date of filing to modify Shibata with a TARS device on the vehicle based on a reasonable expectation of success and the motivation to improve whether the output of the attitude sensor can be calibrated by using such information that can be obtained by the vehicle.
Claim 12 contains similar elements to and largely mirrors the subject matter of claim 1. Accordingly, claim 12 is rejected based on the citations and reasoning outlined above for claim 1.
Claim 13 contains similar elements to and largely mirrors the subject matter of claim 2. Accordingly, claim 13 is rejected based on the citations and reasoning outlined above for claim 2.
Claim 14 contains similar elements to and largely mirrors the subject matter of claim 3. Accordingly, claim 14 is rejected based on the citations and reasoning outlined above for claim 3.
Claim 15 contains similar elements to and largely mirrors the subject matter of claim 4. Accordingly, claim 15 is rejected based on the citations and reasoning outlined above for claim 4.
Claim 16 contains similar elements to and largely mirrors the subject matter of claim 5. Accordingly, claim 16 is rejected based on the citations and reasoning outlined above for claim 5.
Claim 17 contains similar elements to and largely mirrors the subject matter of claim 6. Accordingly, claim 17 is rejected based on the citations and reasoning outlined above for claim 6.
Claim 18 contains similar elements to and largely mirrors the subject matter of claim 7. Accordingly, claim 18 is rejected based on the citations and reasoning outlined above for claim 7.
Claim 19 contains similar elements to and largely mirrors the subject matter of claim 8. Accordingly, claim 19 is rejected based on the citations and reasoning outlined above for claim 8.
Conclusion
Examiner would like to point out that any reference to specific figures, columns and lines should not be considered limiting in any way, the entire cited reference, as well as any secondary teaching reference(s), are considered to provide relevant disclosure relating to the claimed invention. Applicant is herein considered to have implicit knowledge of all teachings of the prior art of record.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ADAM D TISSOT whose telephone number is (571)270-3439. The examiner can normally be reached 8:00-4:30.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Angela Ortiz can be reached at (571) 272-1206. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/ADAM D TISSOT/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3663