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 .
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statements filed 11/4/2024 and 10/14/2025 have been fully considered and there are no issues with the submissions.
Status of the Claims
This office action is in response to the communications filed 10/24/2024. Claims 1-20 are currently pending.
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 1-3, 5, 8-9,11, 13, 14, 17, 18 and 20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by US 20200150648 A1 hereinafter Horta.
Regarding claim 1, Horita teaches a modular vehicle management system for an autonomous vehicle, the modular vehicle management system comprising:
a vehicle management board configured to interface with any of a plurality of vehicle-specific boards (The vehicle control apparatus includes: a communication control unit configured to control data transmission to and reception from the external apparatus; Paragraph [0006]) including at least a first vehicle-specific board, the vehicle management board comprising: (Fig. 1, The vehicle control apparatus 2 is, for example, an electronic control unit (ECU) mounted on the vehicle. The vehicle control apparatus 2a includes a processing unit 10a, a storage unit 40a, and a communication control unit 50a. The vehicle control apparatus 2b includes a processing unit 10b, a storage unit 40b, and a communication control unit 50b. Hereinafter, the processing unit 10a and the processing unit 10b are also collectively referred to as a “processing unit 10”, the storage unit 40a and the storage unit 40b are also collectively referred to as a “storage unit 40”, and the communication control unit 50a and the communication control unit 50b are also collectively referred to as a “communication control unit 50”. Paragraph [0029])
a first one or more connectors configured to receive operational data from the first vehicle-specific board and to send control data to the first vehicle-specific board; and (Fig. 1, The vehicle control apparatus includes: a communication control unit configured to control data transmission to and reception from the external apparatus; Paragraph [0006])
one or more processors, wherein the one or more processors are configured to: (Fig. 1, The processing unit 10a includes a data conformity unit 11a, a data management unit 12a, a data calculation unit 13a, an execution control unit 14a, and a diagnosis unit 15a as a function thereof. The processing unit 10b includes a data conformity unit 11b, a data management unit 12b, a data calculation unit 13b, an execution control unit 14b, and a diagnosis unit 15b as functions thereof. Hereinafter, the data conformity unit 11a and the data conformity unit 11b are collectively referred to as a “data conformity unit 11”, the data management unit 12a and the data management unit 12b are collectively referred to as a “data management unit 12”, the data calculation unit 13a and the data calculation unit 13b are collectively referred to as a “data calculation unit 13”, the execution control unit 14a and the execution control unit 14b are collectively referred to as an “execution control unit 14”, and the diagnosis unit 15a and the diagnosis unit 15b are collectively referred to as a “diagnosis unit 15”. Paragraph [0032])
receive the operational data from the first vehicle-specific board; (Fig. 1, The vehicle control apparatus includes: a communication control unit configured to control data transmission to and reception from the external apparatus; a data management unit configured to manage object data; one or more functional components configured to perform a predetermined calculation by using object data acquired from the data management unit or the communication control unit Paragraph [0006])
generate, based at least in part on the operational data, the control data; and (That is, in the present embodiment, automatic driving function is configured with three functional components, that is, a sensor fusion calculation unit 131, a map fusion calculation unit 132, and a traveling control calculation unit 133. As for the three functional components, the sensor fusion calculation unit 131 and the map fusion calculation unit 132 are mounted on the vehicle control apparatus 2a, and the traveling control calculation unit 133 is mounted on the vehicle control apparatus 2b. With calculation processings performed by these functional components, control information on automatic driving of the vehicle on which the vehicle control apparatus 2 is mounted is calculated and output to the actuator group 4 based on various kinds of information detected by the sensor group 3. Paragraph [0047])
send the control data to the first vehicle-specific board; and the first vehicle-specific board interfaced with the vehicle management board, the first vehicle-specific board comprising: (Fig. 1, The vehicle control apparatus includes: a communication control unit configured to control data transmission to and reception from the external apparatus; a data management unit configured to manage object data; one or more functional components configured to perform a predetermined calculation by using object data acquired from the data management unit or the communication control unit, and to output output object data which is object data acquired by the predetermined calculation to the data management unit; Paragraph [0006])
one or more vehicle data connections configured to provide communications with one or more computing devices and receive the operational data, wherein the one or more computing devices are configured to provide the operational data to the autonomous vehicle; (FIG. 1 is a functional block diagram showing an example of a configuration of a vehicle system 1 including the vehicle control apparatus. The vehicle system 1 is a system mounted on a vehicle and for performing appropriate driving assistance or traveling control after recognizing a state of a traveling road around the vehicle or an obstacle such as a surrounding vehicle. As shown in FIG. 1, the vehicle system 1 includes a vehicle control apparatus 2a, a vehicle control apparatus 2b, a sensor group 3, an actuator group 4, and a map information management apparatus 5. The sensor group 3 includes a sensor A indicated by a reference numeral 3a and a sensor B indicated by a reference numeral 3b. However, the sensor group 3 may include three or more sensors. The actuator group 4 includes an actuator A indicated by a reference numeral 4a and an actuator B indicated by a reference numeral 4b. However, the actuator group 4 may include three or more actuators. Hereinafter, the vehicle control apparatus 2a and the vehicle control apparatus 2b are also collectively referred to as a “vehicle control apparatus 2” Paragraph [0028])
a second one or more connectors configured to: (Fig. 1, The vehicle control apparatus 2 is, for example, an electronic control unit (ECU) mounted on the vehicle. The vehicle control apparatus 2a includes a processing unit 10a, a storage unit 40a, and a communication control unit 50a. The vehicle control apparatus 2b includes a processing unit 10b, a storage unit 40b, and a communication control unit 50b. Hereinafter, the processing unit 10a and the processing unit 10b are also collectively referred to as a “processing unit 10”, the storage unit 40a and the storage unit 40b are also collectively referred to as a “storage unit 40”, and the communication control unit 50a and the communication control unit 50b are also collectively referred to as a “communication control unit 50”. Paragraph [0029])
interface with the first one or more connectors; (Fig. 1, In the vehicle system 1, a calculation necessary for automatic driving is executed by the vehicle control apparatus 2a and the vehicle control apparatus 2b. That is, automatic driving is implemented by a cooperative operation between the vehicle control apparatus 2a and the vehicle control apparatus 2b. However, a function implemented by the vehicle system 1 in the present embodiment is an example, and a function other than automatic driving may be implemented by the vehicle system 1. Paragraph [0030])
convey the operational data to the vehicle management board; and (Fig. 1, An aspect of the invention provides a vehicle control apparatus configured to be communicably connected to an external apparatus. The vehicle control apparatus includes: a communication control unit configured to control data transmission to and reception from the external apparatus; a data management unit configured to manage object data; one or more functional components configured to perform a predetermined calculation by using object data acquired from the data management unit or the communication control unit, and to output output object data which is object data acquired by the predetermined calculation to the data management unit; and a storage unit configured to store setting information in which information on a writing destination of the output object data is stored for each of the functional components and to store the object data. The data management unit is configured to control the writing destination of the output object data based on the setting information. Paragraph [0006] Examiner notes that Fig. 1 discloses that data flows from sensors through a communication control unit into processing units)
receive the control data from the vehicle management board; and (Fig. 1, An aspect of the invention provides a vehicle control apparatus configured to be communicably connected to an external apparatus. The vehicle control apparatus includes: a communication control unit configured to control data transmission to and reception from the external apparatus; a data management unit configured to manage object data; one or more functional components configured to perform a predetermined calculation by using object data acquired from the data management unit or the communication control unit, and to output output object data which is object data acquired by the predetermined calculation to the data management unit; and a storage unit configured to store setting information in which information on a writing destination of the output object data is stored for each of the functional components and to store the object data. The data management unit is configured to control the writing destination of the output object data based on the setting information. Paragraph [0006] Examiner notes that Fig. 1 shows bidirectional communication between apparatuses and controlled components)
one or more vehicle operation connections configured to interface with one or more controllers of the autonomous vehicle. (Fig. 1 The data conformity unit 11a of the vehicle control apparatus 2a includes a sensor A conformity unit 111 and a sensor B conformity unit 112 respectively corresponding to the sensor A indicated by the reference numeral 3a and the sensor B indicated by the reference numeral 3b, and a map device conformity unit 113 corresponding to the map information management apparatus 5. The data conformity unit 11b of the vehicle control apparatus 2b includes an actuator A conformity unit 114 and an actuator B conformity unit 115 respectively corresponding to the actuator A indicated by the reference numeral 4a and the actuator B indicated by the reference numeral 4b. Each of these functional components converts a data format in accordance with a data format of the corresponding external apparatus and the data format of the data management unit 12. Paragraph [0034] Examiner notes that the actuators are connected to the system and controlled via communication and control unites)
Regarding claim 2, Horta teaches the management system according to claim 1. Horta also teaches wherein the one or more computing devices comprises at least one external computing system. (Provided is a vehicle control apparatus configured to be communicably connected to an external apparatus. Abstract The vehicle control apparatus 2a is communicably connected to the vehicle control apparatus 2b that is the external apparatus. The vehicle control apparatus 2a includes: the communication control unit 50a that controls the data transmission to and reception from the vehicle control apparatus 2b; the data management unit 12a that manages the object data; the data conformity unit 11a and the data calculation unit 13a which include one or more functional components that perform the predetermined calculation by using the object data acquired from the data management unit 12a or the communication control unit 50a and that output the object data acquired by the predetermined calculation to the data management unit 12a; the setting information data group 141a in which the information on the writing destination of the object data for each of the functional components, that is, the values in the fields of the storage necessity 303 and the output necessity 304, is stored; and the storage unit 40a that stores the object data. The data management unit 12a controls the writing destination of the object data based on the setting information data group 141a. Paragraph [0115])
Regarding claim 3, Horta teaches the management system according to claim 1. Horta also teaches wherein the first vehicle specific board further comprises:
one or more vehicle sensor connections configured to interface with one or more sensors located on the autonomous vehicle, wherein the one or more vehicle sensor connections are configured to receive the vehicle sensor data from the one or more sensors. (FIG. 1 is a functional block diagram showing an example of a configuration of a vehicle system 1 including the vehicle control apparatus. The vehicle system 1 is a system mounted on a vehicle and for performing appropriate driving assistance or traveling control after recognizing a state of a traveling road around the vehicle or an obstacle such as a surrounding vehicle. As shown in FIG. 1, the vehicle system 1 includes a vehicle control apparatus 2a, a vehicle control apparatus 2b, a sensor group 3, an actuator group 4, and a map information management apparatus 5. The sensor group 3 includes a sensor A indicated by a reference numeral 3a and a sensor B indicated by a reference numeral 3b. However, the sensor group 3 may include three or more sensors. The actuator group 4 includes an actuator A indicated by a reference numeral 4a and an actuator B indicated by a reference numeral 4b. However, the actuator group 4 may include three or more actuators. Hereinafter, the vehicle control apparatus 2a and the vehicle control apparatus 2b are also collectively referred to as a “vehicle control apparatus 2. Paragraph [0028] The data conformity unit 11a of the vehicle control apparatus 2a includes a sensor A conformity unit 111 and a sensor B conformity unit 112 respectively corresponding to the sensor A indicated by the reference numeral 3a and the sensor B indicated by the reference numeral 3b, and a map device conformity unit 113 corresponding to the map information management apparatus 5. The data conformity unit 11b of the vehicle control apparatus 2b includes an actuator A conformity unit 114 and an actuator B conformity unit 115 respectively corresponding to the actuator A indicated by the reference numeral 4a and the actuator B indicated by the reference numeral 4b. Each of these functional components converts a data format in accordance with a data format of the corresponding external apparatus and the data format of the data management unit 12. Paragraph [0034])
Regarding claim 5, Horta teaches the management system according to claim 1. Horta also teaches wherein the autonomous vehicle is unmanned. (In the vehicle system 1, a calculation necessary for automatic driving is executed by the vehicle control apparatus 2a and the vehicle control apparatus 2b. That is, automatic driving is implemented by a cooperative operation between the vehicle control apparatus 2a and the vehicle control apparatus 2b. However, a function implemented by the vehicle system 1 in the present embodiment is an example, and a function other than automatic driving may be implemented by the vehicle system 1. Paragraph [0030])
Regarding claim 8, Horta teaches the management system according to claim 1. Horta also teaches wherein the one or more vehicle operation connections communicate instructions to the one or more controllers of the autonomous vehicle based on the control data. (A ROM of each of the vehicle control apparatus 2a and the vehicle control apparatus 2b stores software for causing the sensor A conformity unit 111, the sensor B conformity unit 112, the map device conformity unit 113, the actuator A conformity unit 114, and the actuator B conformity unit 115 to implement functions. That is, as will be described below, the vehicle control apparatus 2a can further cause the actuator A conformity unit 114 and the actuator B conformity unit 115 to implement functions. Paragraph [0035])
Regarding claim 9, Horta teaches the modular vehicle management system according to claim 1. Horta also teaches wherein the vehicle management board further comprises:
one or more computer-readable storage mediums storing program instructions, (Further, each processing of the vehicle control apparatus 2 is implemented by executing a predetermined operation program by using a processor and a RAM, but may also be implemented by dedicated hardware as necessary. Further, although the vehicle control apparatus, the sensor group, the map information management apparatus, and the actuator group are described as individual devices in the above embodiment, any two or more of the devices may be combined and implemented as necessary. Paragraph [0150])
wherein the one or more processors are configured to execute the program instructions to cause the vehicle management board to: (Further, each processing of the vehicle control apparatus 2 is implemented by executing a predetermined operation program by using a processor and a RAM, but may also be implemented by dedicated hardware as necessary. Further, although the vehicle control apparatus, the sensor group, the map information management apparatus, and the actuator group are11escryibed as individual devices in the above embodiment, any two or more of the devices may be combined and implemented as necessary. Paragraph [0150])
receive the operational data from the first vehicle-specific board; (For example, in the above embodiment, in the vehicle control apparatus 2, each processing is assumed to be executed by the same processing unit and the same storage unit, but may be executed by a plurality of different processing units and a plurality of different storage units. In this case, for example, the processing is executed by installing processing software having the same configuration in the respective storage units and sharing the processing with the respective processing units. Further, each processing of the vehicle control apparatus 2 is implemented by executing a predetermined operation program by using a processor and a RAM, but may also be implemented by dedicated hardware as necessary. Further, although the vehicle control apparatus, the sensor group, the map information management apparatus, and the actuator group are described as individual devices in the above embodiment, any two or more of the devices may be combined and implemented as necessary. Paragraphs [0149-0150])
generate the control data; and(For example, in the above embodiment, in the vehicle control apparatus 2, each processing is assumed to be executed by the same processing unit and the same storage unit, but may be executed by a plurality of different processing units and a plurality of different storage units. In this case, for example, the processing is executed by installing processing software having the same configuration in the respective storage units and sharing the processing with the respective processing units. Further, each processing of the vehicle control apparatus 2 is implemented by executing a predetermined operation program by using a processor and a RAM, but may also be implemented by dedicated hardware as necessary. Further, although the vehicle control apparatus, the sensor group, the map information management apparatus, and the actuator group are described as individual devices in the above embodiment, any two or more of the devices may be combined and implemented as necessary. Paragraphs [0149-0150])
send the control data to the first vehicle-specific board. (For example, in the above embodiment, in the vehicle control apparatus 2, each processing is assumed to be executed by the same processing unit and the same storage unit, but may be executed by a plurality of different processing units and a plurality of different storage units. In this case, for example, the processing is executed by installing processing software having the same configuration in the respective storage units and sharing the processing with the respective processing units. Further, each processing of the vehicle control apparatus 2 is implemented by executing a predetermined operation program by using a processor and a RAM, but may also be implemented by dedicated hardware as necessary. Further, although the vehicle control apparatus, the sensor group, the map information management apparatus, and the actuator group are described as individual devices in the above embodiment, any two or more of the devices may be combined and implemented as necessary. Paragraphs [0149-0150])
Regarding claim 11, Horita teaches the vehicle management system according to claim 1. Horita also teaches wherein the autonomous vehicle communicates with at least one external computing device configured to integrate data received from the autonomous vehicle and at least one of: (Provided is a vehicle control apparatus configured to be communicably connected to an external apparatus. Abstract)
a different computing device; (Provided is a vehicle control apparatus configured to be communicably connected to an external apparatus. Abstract)
a different vehicle; or
an external sensor (The data management unit 12 manages and operates the data of the storage unit 40 in a unit of the object data that is a set of data corresponding to a predetermined target element. The “target element” is a conceptual target expressed in common by individual information elements grouped together as the object data, and corresponds to, for example, a detection target of the sensor group 3, and a control target of the actuator group 4. Preferably, for an external sensor in particular, individual environmental elements (an obstacle, a road shape, a traffic rule, or the like) recognized by the external sensor correspond to the target elements. In other words, it is preferable to adopt a method in which hardware referred to as the external sensor is not abstracted, but the data is abstracted in a unit of the environmental element that is the detection target of the external sensor, and the abstracted data is used as the object data. Paragraph [0038])
Regarding claim 13, Horita teaches the vehicle management system according to claim 1. Horita also teaches wherein the autonomous vehicle communicates with at least one external sensor. (The sensor group 3 is a set of an external sensor group that includes devices that detect a state around the vehicle and an internal sensor group that includes devices that detect a state of the vehicle. The external sensor group includes, for example, a camera device, a millimeter wave radar, a laser radar, and a sonar. The state of the vehicle includes, for example, a traveling speed, a steering angle, an operation amount of an accelerator, and an operation amount of a brake. Each device that constitutes the sensor group 3 outputs detection information thereof to the in-vehicle network. The external sensor group detects and outputs the environmental elements including an obstacle such as another vehicle, a bicycle, a pedestrian, and a fallen object that exists within a predetermined range from the vehicle, a road shape such as a white line or a road edge, and a traffic rule such as a road sign or a signal, and the like. In the present embodiment, the sensor group 3 includes the sensor A indicated by the reference numeral 3a and the sensor B indicated by the reference numeral 3b. Paragraph [0058])
Regarding claim 14, Horita teaches a method comprising:
by a vehicle management board:
receiving operational data from a first vehicle-specific board; (Fig. 1, The vehicle control apparatus includes: a communication control unit configured to control data transmission to and reception from the external apparatus; a data management unit configured to manage object data; one or more functional components configured to perform a predetermined calculation by using object data acquired from the data management unit or the communication control unit Paragraph [0006])
generating, based at least on the operational data and vehicle sensor data, control data; and (That is, in the present embodiment, automatic driving function is configured with three functional components, that is, a sensor fusion calculation unit 131, a map fusion calculation unit 132, and a traveling control calculation unit 133. As for the three functional components, the sensor fusion calculation unit 131 and the map fusion calculation unit 132 are mounted on the vehicle control apparatus 2a, and the traveling control calculation unit 133 is mounted on the vehicle control apparatus 2b. With calculation processings performed by these functional components, control information on automatic driving of the vehicle on which the vehicle control apparatus 2 is mounted is calculated and output to the actuator group 4 based on various kinds of information detected by the sensor group 3. Paragraph [0047])
transmitting the control data to the first vehicle-specific board; and (Fig. 1, The vehicle control apparatus includes: a communication control unit configured to control data transmission to and reception from the external apparatus; a data management unit configured to manage object data; one or more functional components configured to perform a predetermined calculation by using object data acquired from the data management unit or the communication control unit, and to output output object data which is object data acquired by the predetermined calculation to the data management unit; Paragraph [0006])
by the first vehicle-specific board:
receiving the operational data from one or more computing devices; (Fig. 1, The vehicle control apparatus includes: a communication control unit configured to control data transmission to and reception from the external apparatus; a data management unit configured to manage object data; one or more functional components configured to perform a predetermined calculation by using object data acquired from the data management unit or the communication control unit Paragraph [0006])
conveying the operational data to the vehicle management board; (Fig. 1, An aspect of the invention provides a vehicle control apparatus configured to be communicably connected to an external apparatus. The vehicle control apparatus includes: a communication control unit configured to control data transmission to and reception from the external apparatus; a data management unit configured to manage object data; one or more functional components configured to perform a predetermined calculation by using object data acquired from the data management unit or the communication control unit, and to output output object data which is object data acquired by the predetermined calculation to the data management unit; and a storage unit configured to store setting information in which information on a writing destination of the output object data is stored for each of the functional components and to store the object data. The data management unit is configured to control the writing destination of the output object data based on the setting information. Paragraph [0006] Examiner notes that Fig. 1 discloses that data flows from sensors through a communication control unit into processing units)
receiving the control data from the vehicle management board; and (Fig. 1, An aspect of the invention provides a vehicle control apparatus configured to be communicably connected to an external apparatus. The vehicle control apparatus includes: a communication control unit configured to control data transmission to and reception from the external apparatus; a data management unit configured to manage object data; one or more functional components configured to perform a predetermined calculation by using object data acquired from the data management unit or the communication control unit, and to output output object data which is object data acquired by the predetermined calculation to the data management unit; and a storage unit configured to store setting information in which information on a writing destination of the output object data is stored for each of the functional components and to store the object data. The data management unit is configured to control the writing destination of the output object data based on the setting information. Paragraph [0006] Examiner notes that Fig. 1 shows bidirectional communication between apparatuses and controlled components)
based on the control data, conveying instructions to one or more controllers of an autonomous vehicle. (Fig. 1 The data conformity unit 11a of the vehicle control apparatus 2a includes a sensor A conformity unit 111 and a sensor B conformity unit 112 respectively corresponding to the sensor A indicated by the reference numeral 3a and the sensor B indicated by the reference numeral 3b, and a map device conformity unit 113 corresponding to the map information management apparatus 5. The data conformity unit 11b of the vehicle control apparatus 2b includes an actuator A conformity unit 114 and an actuator B conformity unit 115 respectively corresponding to the actuator A indicated by the reference numeral 4a and the actuator B indicated by the reference numeral 4b. Each of these functional components converts a data format in accordance with a data format of the corresponding external apparatus and the data format of the data management unit 12. Paragraph [0034] Examiner notes that the actuators are connected to the system and controlled via communication and control unites)
Regarding claim 17, Horita teaches the method according to claim 14. Horita also teaches wherein the autonomous vehicle is unmanned. (In the vehicle system 1, a calculation necessary for automatic driving is executed by the vehicle control apparatus 2a and the vehicle control apparatus 2b. That is, automatic driving is implemented by a cooperative operation between the vehicle control apparatus 2a and the vehicle control apparatus 2b. However, a function implemented by the vehicle system 1 in the present embodiment is an example, and a function other than automatic driving may be implemented by the vehicle system 1. Paragraph [0030])
Regarding claim 18, Horita teaches the method according to claim 14. Horita also teaches the method further comprising:
communicating with at least one external computing device configured to integrate data received from the autonomous vehicle and at least one of: (Provided is a vehicle control apparatus configured to be communicably connected to an external apparatus. Abstract)
a different external computing device; (Provided is a vehicle control apparatus configured to be communicably connected to an external apparatus. Abstract)
a different autonomous vehicle; or
an external sensor. (The data management unit 12 manages and operates the data of the storage unit 40 in a unit of the object data that is a set of data corresponding to a predetermined target element. The “target element” is a conceptual target expressed in common by individual information elements grouped together as the object data, and corresponds to, for example, a detection target of the sensor group 3, and a control target of the actuator group 4. Preferably, for an external sensor in particular, individual environmental elements (an obstacle, a road shape, a traffic rule, or the like) recognized by the external sensor correspond to the target elements. In other words, it is preferable to adopt a method in which hardware referred to as the external sensor is not abstracted, but the data is abstracted in a unit of the environmental element that is the detection target of the external sensor, and the abstracted data is used as the object data. Paragraph [0038])
Regarding claim 20, Horita teaches the method according to claim 14. Horita also teaches the method further comprising communicating with at least one external sensor. (The data management unit 12 manages and operates the data of the storage unit 40 in a unit of the object data that is a set of data corresponding to a predetermined target element. The “target element” is a conceptual target expressed in common by individual information elements grouped together as the object data, and corresponds to, for example, a detection target of the sensor group 3, and a control target of the actuator group 4. Preferably, for an external sensor in particular, individual environmental elements (an obstacle, a road shape, a traffic rule, or the like) recognized by the external sensor correspond to the target elements. In other words, it is preferable to adopt a method in which hardware referred to as the external sensor is not abstracted, but the data is abstracted in a unit of the environmental element that is the detection target of the external sensor, and the abstracted data is used as the object data. Paragraph [0038])
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.
Claims 4, 10, 12, 15, 16 and 19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Horita in view of US 20160112216 A1 hereinafter Sargent.
Regarding claim 4, Horita teaches the management system according to claim 1. Horita does not teach wherein to generate the control data the one or more processors are configured to:
determine, based on at least in part of the operational data and vehicle sensor data, a desired operation for the autonomous vehicle;
determine, based at least in part on the operational data and vehicle sensor data, that the desired operation passes a safety critical test; and
based on the desired operation passing the safety critical test, generate the control data, wherein the control data is configured to control the autonomous vehicle to perform the desired operation.
However, Sargent teaches wherein to generate the control data the one or more processors are configured to:
determine, based on at least in part of the operational data and vehicle sensor data, a desired operation for the autonomous vehicle; (Vehicle profile data could include historical data of operating thresholds deemed normal. Environmental data could also be applied to determine like conditions of vehicles and provide further context of recognized patterns. Combined data could relate to potential failure based on like-vehicle configurations and information which led up to breakdown events, safety concerns. For example, based on a pattern identified for starter seizures, the remote vehicle prognostics could look for operating and environmental conditions that matched a pattern. An exemplary pattern be: Engine hours (X)+Starter Cycles (Y)+Environment (outdoor) Temp(Z)=Potential for Starter Failure/Cease. The areas to be addressed include Mechanical, Maintenance, Environmental, and Safety Profiles. Each profile could be compared against external data, self-profile, and could have a custom profile applied (like a Police Dept). If there is a pattern recognized, alerting processes could trigger based upon established, configured, and defined methods. Alert to driver/operator could occur and alerts to network-based applications could also be available. The Safety profile relates to reconstructing events leading up to accident events and providing alerts ahead of potential events based on vehicle operating capabilities. The accident reconstruction can record numerous vehicle safety data elements. The defined data points can be captured at a high frequency. The data points can include, but not limited to, Brake Status (Master Cylinder, Brake Pad Sensors, etc.), Brake Position, Accelerator Position, Engine RPM, TCS/ABS Events, Steering Wheel Position, Speed, Transmission Position, Airbag Status, etc. Data captured at individual vehicle levels could be transmitted to the cloud for community processing and trend analysis. The data sources can include vehicle engine data (some or all protocols), additional on-vehicle sensors as equipped, external data, such as environmental data. The Safety profile can also alert driver (and network-based system) of potential operating conditions that exceed defined thresholds and could lead to an uncontrollable vehicle. Paragraphs [0098-99, 0103])
determine, based at least in part on the operational data and vehicle sensor data, that the desired operation passes a safety critical test; and (Vehicle profile data could include historical data of operating thresholds deemed normal. Environmental data could also be applied to determine like conditions of vehicles and provide further context of recognized patterns. Combined data could relate to potential failure based on like-vehicle configurations and information which led up to breakdown events, safety concerns. For example, based on a pattern identified for starter seizures, the remote vehicle prognostics could look for operating and environmental conditions that matched a pattern. An exemplary pattern be: Engine hours (X)+Starter Cycles (Y)+Environment (outdoor) Temp(Z)=Potential for Starter Failure/Cease. The areas to be addressed include Mechanical, Maintenance, Environmental, and Safety Profiles. Each profile could be compared against external data, self-profile, and could have a custom profile applied (like a Police Dept). If there is a pattern recognized, alerting processes could trigger based upon established, configured, and defined methods. Alert to driver/operator could occur and alerts to network-based applications could also be available. The Safety profile relates to reconstructing events leading up to accident events and providing alerts ahead of potential events based on vehicle operating capabilities. The accident reconstruction can record numerous vehicle safety data elements. The defined data points can be captured at a high frequency. The data points can include, but not limited to, Brake Status (Master Cylinder, Brake Pad Sensors, etc.), Brake Position, Accelerator Position, Engine RPM, TCS/ABS Events, Steering Wheel Position, Speed, Transmission Position, Airbag Status, etc. Data captured at individual vehicle levels could be transmitted to the cloud for community processing and trend analysis. The data sources can include vehicle engine data (some or all protocols), additional on-vehicle sensors as equipped, external data, such as environmental data. The Safety profile can also alert driver (and network-based system) of potential operating conditions that exceed defined thresholds and could lead to an uncontrollable vehicle. Paragraphs [0098-99, 0103])
based on the desired operation passing the safety critical test, generate the control data, wherein the control data is configured to control the autonomous vehicle to perform the desired operation. (Vehicle profile data could include historical data of operating thresholds deemed normal. Environmental data could also be applied to determine like conditions of vehicles and provide further context of recognized patterns. Combined data could relate to potential failure based on like-vehicle configurations and information which led up to breakdown events, safety concerns. For example, based on a pattern identified for starter seizures, the remote vehicle prognostics could look for operating and environmental conditions that matched a pattern. An exemplary pattern be: Engine hours (X)+Starter Cycles (Y)+Environment (outdoor) Temp(Z)=Potential for Starter Failure/Cease. The areas to be addressed include Mechanical, Maintenance, Environmental, and Safety Profiles. Each profile could be compared against external data, self-profile, and could have a custom profile applied (like a Police Dept). If there is a pattern recognized, alerting processes could trigger based upon established, configured, and defined methods. Alert to driver/operator could occur and alerts to network-based applications could also be available. The Safety profile relates to reconstructing events leading up to accident events and providing alerts ahead of potential events based on vehicle operating capabilities. The accident reconstruction can record numerous vehicle safety data elements. The defined data points can be captured at a high frequency. The data points can include, but not limited to, Brake Status (Master Cylinder, Brake Pad Sensors, etc.), Brake Position, Accelerator Position, Engine RPM, TCS/ABS Events, Steering Wheel Position, Speed, Transmission Position, Airbag Status, etc. Data captured at individual vehicle levels could be transmitted to the cloud for community processing and trend analysis. The data sources can include vehicle engine data (some or all protocols), additional on-vehicle sensors as equipped, external data, such as environmental data. The Safety profile can also alert driver (and network-based system) of potential operating conditions that exceed defined thresholds and could lead to an uncontrollable vehicle. Paragraphs [0098-99, 0103])
It would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the control system of Horita to include the safety evaluation functionality of Sargent. One of ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated to make this modification because the vehicle system would be able to evaluate operational conditions against predetermined safety thresholds and profiles to identify unsafe or potentially hazardous operating conditions as suggested by Sargent in paragraphs [0098-0103].
Regarding claim 10, Horita teaches the modular vehicle management system of claim 9. Horita does not teach wherein the vehicle management further comprises field programmable gate array architecture; and
the one or more processors are further configured to execute the program instructions to cause the vehicle management board to;
configure the FGPA architecture based on at least one of:
the vehicle sensor data;
the operational data; or
a board type of the first vehicle specific board.
However, Sargent teaches wherein the vehicle management further comprises field programmable gate array architecture; and (The various illustrative logical blocks and modules described in connection with the embodiments disclosed herein can be implemented or performed by a machine, such as a general purpose processor, a digital signal processor (DSP), an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field programmable gate array (FPGA) or other programmable logic device, discrete gate or transistor logic, discrete hardware components, or any combination thereof designed to perform the functions described herein. A general purpose processor can be a microprocessor, but in the alternative, the processor can be a controller, microcontroller, or state machine, combinations of the same, or the like. A processor can also be implemented as a combination of computing devices, for example, a combination of a DSP and a microprocessor, a plurality of microprocessors, one or more microprocessors in conjunction with a DSP core, or any other such configuration. Paragraph [0106])
the one or more processors are further configured to execute the program instructions to cause the vehicle management board to;
configure the FGPA architecture based on at least one of:
the vehicle sensor data; (The various illustrative logical blocks and modules described in connection with the embodiments disclosed herein can be implemented or performed by a machine, such as a general purpose processor, a digital signal processor (DSP), an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field programmable gate array (FPGA) or other programmable logic device, discrete gate or transistor logic, discrete hardware components, or any combination thereof designed to perform the functions described herein. A general purpose processor can be a microprocessor, but in the alternative, the processor can be a controller, microcontroller, or state machine, combinations of the same, or the like. A processor can also be implemented as a combination of computing devices, for example, a combination of a DSP and a microprocessor, a plurality of microprocessors, one or more microprocessors in conjunction with a DSP core, or any other such configuration. Paragraph [0106])
the operational data; or(The various illustrative logical blocks and modules described in connection with the embodiments disclosed herein can be implemented or performed by a machine, such as a general purpose processor, a digital signal processor (DSP), an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field programmable gate array (FPGA) or other programmable logic device, discrete gate or transistor logic, discrete hardware components, or any combination thereof designed to perform the functions described herein. A general purpose processor can be a microprocessor, but in the alternative, the processor can be a controller, microcontroller, or state machine, combinations of the same, or the like. A processor can also be implemented as a combination of computing devices, for example, a combination of a DSP and a microprocessor, a plurality of microprocessors, one or more microprocessors in conjunction with a DSP core, or any other such configuration. Paragraph [0106])
a board type of the first vehicle specific board. (The various illustrative logical blocks and modules described in connection with the embodiments disclosed herein can be implemented or performed by a machine, such as a general purpose processor, a digital signal processor (DSP), an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field programmable gate array (FPGA) or other programmable logic device, discrete gate or transistor logic, discrete hardware components, or any combination thereof designed to perform the functions described herein. A general purpose processor can be a microprocessor, but in the alternative, the processor can be a controller, microcontroller, or state machine, combinations of the same, or the like. A processor can also be implemented as a combination of computing devices, for example, a combination of a DSP and a microprocessor, a plurality of microprocessors, one or more microprocessors in conjunction with a DSP core, or any other such configuration. Paragraph [0106])
It would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the vehicle management system of Horita to include the FGPA based reconfigurable hardware as taught by Sargent. One of ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated to make this modification because FGPA architecture would provide flexible and efficient hardware implementations that could be configured to perform specific processing tasks based on system requirements as suggested by Sargent in paragraph [0106]
Regarding claim 12, Horita teaches the modular vehicle management system according to claim 1. Horita does not teach wherein the autonomous vehicle communicates with a second autonomous vehicle with a second modular vehicle management system comprising:
a second vehicle management board configured to interface with any of the plurality of vehicle specific boards including at least the first vehicle specific board and a second vehicle specific board; and
the second vehicle specific board interfaced with the second vehicle management board.
However, Sargent teaches wherein the autonomous vehicle communicates with a second autonomous vehicle with a second modular vehicle management system comprising: (The onboard vehicle analysis module 160B and the vehicle management system 110 can provide or analyze additional data that can be used for diagnostic analysis. For example, such data can include data provided by the manufacturer regarding diagnostic conditions, data obtained by crowd sourcing or otherwise analyzing data provided by a community of fleet vehicles (including, for example, predictive diagnoses based on community analysis of diagnostic trends), or the like. Paragraph [0024])
a second vehicle management board configured to interface with any of the plurality of vehicle specific boards including at least the first vehicle specific board and a second vehicle specific board; and (The onboard vehicle analysis module 160B and the vehicle management system 110 can provide or analyze additional data that can be used for diagnostic analysis. For example, such data can include data provided by the manufacturer regarding diagnostic conditions, data obtained by crowd sourcing or otherwise analyzing data provided by a community of fleet vehicles (including, for example, predictive diagnoses based on community analysis of diagnostic trends), or the like. Paragraph [0024])
the second vehicle specific board interfaced with the second vehicle management board. (The onboard vehicle analysis module 160B and the vehicle management system 110 can provide or analyze additional data that can be used for diagnostic analysis. For example, such data can include data provided by the manufacturer regarding diagnostic conditions, data obtained by crowd sourcing or otherwise analyzing data provided by a community of fleet vehicles (including, for example, predictive diagnoses based on community analysis of diagnostic trends), or the like. Paragraph [0024])
It would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the vehicle management system of Horita to include the use of a second autonomous vehicle using the same components as the first vehicle as taught by Sargent. One of ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated to make this modification because it would enable the system to utilize information obtained by other vehicles in the fleet as suggested by Sargent in paragraph [0024]
Regarding claim 15, Horita teaches the method according to claim 14. Horita does not teach wherein generating the control data comprises:
determining, based at least in part on the operational data and the vehicle sensor data, a desired operation for the autonomous vehicle;
determining, based at least in part on the operational data and the vehicle sensor data, that the desired operation passes a safety critical test; and
based on the desired operation passing the safety critical test, generating the control data, wherein the control data is configured to control the autonomous vehicle to perform the desire operation.
However, Sargent teaches wherein generating the control data comprises:
determining, based at least in part on the operational data and the vehicle sensor data, a desired operation for the autonomous vehicle; (Vehicle profile data could include historical data of operating thresholds deemed normal. Environmental data could also be applied to determine like conditions of vehicles and provide further context of recognized patterns. Combined data could relate to potential failure based on like-vehicle configurations and information which led up to breakdown events, safety concerns. For example, based on a pattern identified for starter seizures, the remote vehicle prognostics could look for operating and environmental conditions that matched a pattern. An exemplary pattern be: Engine hours (X)+Starter Cycles (Y)+Environment (outdoor) Temp(Z)=Potential for Starter Failure/Cease. The areas to be addressed include Mechanical, Maintenance, Environmental, and Safety Profiles. Each profile could be compared against external data, self-profile, and could have a custom profile applied (like a Police Dept). If there is a pattern recognized, alerting processes could trigger based upon established, configured, and defined methods. Alert to driver/operator could occur and alerts to network-based applications could also be available. The Safety profile relates to reconstructing events leading up to accident events and providing alerts ahead of potential events based on vehicle operating capabilities. The accident reconstruction can record numerous vehicle safety data elements. The defined data points can be captured at a high frequency. The data points can include, but not limited to, Brake Status (Master Cylinder, Brake Pad Sensors, etc.), Brake Position, Accelerator Position, Engine RPM, TCS/ABS Events, Steering Wheel Position, Speed, Transmission Position, Airbag Status, etc. Data captured at individual vehicle levels could be transmitted to the cloud for community processing and trend analysis. The data sources can include vehicle engine data (some or all protocols), additional on-vehicle sensors as equipped, external data, such as environmental data. The Safety profile can also alert driver (and network-based system) of potential operating conditions that exceed defined thresholds and could lead to an uncontrollable vehicle. Paragraphs [0098-99, 0103])
determining, based at least in part on the operational data and the vehicle sensor data, that the desired operation passes a safety critical test; and (Vehicle profile data could include historical data of operating thresholds deemed normal. Environmental data could also be applied to determine like conditions of vehicles and provide further context of recognized patterns. Combined data could relate to potential failure based on like-vehicle configurations and information which led up to breakdown events, safety concerns. For example, based on a pattern identified for starter seizures, the remote vehicle prognostics could look for operating and environmental conditions that matched a pattern. An exemplary pattern be: Engine hours (X)+Starter Cycles (Y)+Environment (outdoor) Temp(Z)=Potential for Starter Failure/Cease. The areas to be addressed include Mechanical, Maintenance, Environmental, and Safety Profiles. Each profile could be compared against external data, self-profile, and could have a custom profile applied (like a Police Dept). If there is a pattern recognized, alerting processes could trigger based upon established, configured, and defined methods. Alert to driver/operator could occur and alerts to network-based applications could also be available. The Safety profile relates to reconstructing events leading up to accident events and providing alerts ahead of potential events based on vehicle operating capabilities. The accident reconstruction can record numerous vehicle safety data elements. The defined data points can be captured at a high frequency. The data points can include, but not limited to, Brake Status (Master Cylinder, Brake Pad Sensors, etc.), Brake Position, Accelerator Position, Engine RPM, TCS/ABS Events, Steering Wheel Position, Speed, Transmission Position, Airbag Status, etc. Data captured at individual vehicle levels could be transmitted to the cloud for community processing and trend analysis. The data sources can include vehicle engine data (some or all protocols), additional on-vehicle sensors as equipped, external data, such as environmental data. The Safety profile can also alert driver (and network-based system) of potential operating conditions that exceed defined thresholds and could lead to an uncontrollable vehicle. Paragraphs [0098-99, 0103])
based on the desired operation passing the safety critical test, generating the control data, wherein the control data is configured to control the autonomous vehicle to perform the desire operation. (Vehicle profile data could include historical data of operating thresholds deemed normal. Environmental data could also be applied to determine like conditions of vehicles and provide further context of recognized patterns. Combined data could relate to potential failure based on like-vehicle configurations and information which led up to breakdown events, safety concerns. For example, based on a pattern identified for starter seizures, the remote vehicle prognostics could look for operating and environmental conditions that matched a pattern. An exemplary pattern be: Engine hours (X)+Starter Cycles (Y)+Environment (outdoor) Temp(Z)=Potential for Starter Failure/Cease. The areas to be addressed include Mechanical, Maintenance, Environmental, and Safety Profiles. Each profile could be compared against external data, self-profile, and could have a custom profile applied (like a Police Dept). If there is a pattern recognized, alerting processes could trigger based upon established, configured, and defined methods. Alert to driver/operator could occur and alerts to network-based applications could also be available. The Safety profile relates to reconstructing events leading up to accident events and providing alerts ahead of potential events based on vehicle operating capabilities. The accident reconstruction can record numerous vehicle safety data elements. The defined data points can be captured at a high frequency. The data points can include, but not limited to, Brake Status (Master Cylinder, Brake Pad Sensors, etc.), Brake Position, Accelerator Position, Engine RPM, TCS/ABS Events, Steering Wheel Position, Speed, Transmission Position, Airbag Status, etc. Data captured at individual vehicle levels could be transmitted to the cloud for community processing and trend analysis. The data sources can include vehicle engine data (some or all protocols), additional on-vehicle sensors as equipped, external data, such as environmental data. The Safety profile can also alert driver (and network-based system) of potential operating conditions that exceed defined thresholds and could lead to an uncontrollable vehicle. Paragraphs [0098-99, 0103])
It would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the method of Horita to include the safety evaluation functionality of Sargent. One of ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated to make this modification because the method would be able to evaluate operational conditions against predetermined safety thresholds and profiles to identify unsafe or potentially hazardous operating conditions as suggested by Sargent in paragraphs [0098-0103].
Regarding claim 16, Horita teaches the method according to claim 14. Horita does not teach the method further comprising: configuring a field programable gate array (“FPGA”) of the vehicle management board based on at least one of:
the vehicle sensor data;
the operational data; or
a board type of the first vehicle-specific board.
However, Sargent teaches the method further comprising: configuring a field programable gate array (“FPGA”) of the vehicle management board based on at least one of: (The various illustrative logical blocks and modules described in connection with the embodiments disclosed herein can be implemented or performed by a machine, such as a general purpose processor, a digital signal processor (DSP), an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field programmable gate array (FPGA) or other programmable logic device, discrete gate or transistor logic, discrete hardware components, or any combination thereof designed to perform the functions described herein. A general purpose processor can be a microprocessor, but in the alternative, the processor can be a controller, microcontroller, or state machine, combinations of the same, or the like. A processor can also be implemented as a combination of computing devices, for example, a combination of a DSP and a microprocessor, a plurality of microprocessors, one or more microprocessors in conjunction with a DSP core, or any other such configuration. Paragraph [0106])
the vehicle sensor data; (The various illustrative logical blocks and modules described in connection with the embodiments disclosed herein can be implemented or performed by a machine, such as a general purpose processor, a digital signal processor (DSP), an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field programmable gate array (FPGA) or other programmable logic device, discrete gate or transistor logic, discrete hardware components, or any combination thereof designed to perform the functions described herein. A general purpose processor can be a microprocessor, but in the alternative, the processor can be a controller, microcontroller, or state machine, combinations of the same, or the like. A processor can also be implemented as a combination of computing devices, for example, a combination of a DSP and a microprocessor, a plurality of microprocessors, one or more microprocessors in conjunction with a DSP core, or any other such configuration. Paragraph [0106])
the operational data; or (The various illustrative logical blocks and modules described in connection with the embodiments disclosed herein can be implemented or performed by a machine, such as a general purpose processor, a digital signal processor (DSP), an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field programmable gate array (FPGA) or other programmable logic device, discrete gate or transistor logic, discrete hardware components, or any combination thereof designed to perform the functions described herein. A general purpose processor can be a microprocessor, but in the alternative, the processor can be a controller, microcontroller, or state machine, combinations of the same, or the like. A processor can also be implemented as a combination of computing devices, for example, a combination of a DSP and a microprocessor, a plurality of microprocessors, one or more microprocessors in conjunction with a DSP core, or any other such configuration. Paragraph [0106])
a board type of the first vehicle-specific board. (The various illustrative logical blocks and modules described in connection with the embodiments disclosed herein can be implemented or performed by a machine, such as a general purpose processor, a digital signal processor (DSP), an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field programmable gate array (FPGA) or other programmable logic device, discrete gate or transistor logic, discrete hardware components, or any combination thereof designed to perform the functions described herein. A general purpose processor can be a microprocessor, but in the alternative, the processor can be a controller, microcontroller, or state machine, combinations of the same, or the like. A processor can also be implemented as a combination of computing devices, for example, a combination of a DSP and a microprocessor, a plurality of microprocessors, one or more microprocessors in conjunction with a DSP core, or any other such configuration. Paragraph [0106])
It would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the method of Horita to include the FGPA based reconfigurable hardware as taught by Sargent. One of ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated to make this modification because FGPA architecture would provide flexible and efficient hardware implementations that could be configured to perform specific processing tasks based on system requirements as suggested by Sargent in paragraph [0106]
Regarding claim 19, Horita teaches the method according to claim 14. Horita does not teach the method further comprising communicating with a second autonomous vehicle.
However, Sargent teaches the method further comprising communicating with a second vehicle. (The onboard vehicle analysis module 160B and the vehicle management system 110 can provide or analyze additional data that can be used for diagnostic analysis. For example, such data can include data provided by the manufacturer regarding diagnostic conditions, data obtained by crowd sourcing or otherwise analyzing data provided by a community of fleet vehicles (including, for example, predictive diagnoses based on community analysis of diagnostic trends), or the like. Paragraph [0024])
It would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the method of Horita to include the use of a second autonomous vehicle using the same components as the first vehicle as taught by Sargent. One of ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated to make this modification because it would enable the method to utilize information obtained by other vehicles in the fleet as suggested by Sargent in paragraph [0024]
Claims 6 and 7 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Horita in view of US 20170300054 A1 hereinafter Hanson.
Regarding claim 6, Horita teaches the vehicle management system according to claim 1. Horita does not teach wherein the first vehicle specific board further comprises:
one or more power circuits configured to receive power from the autonomous vehicle and distribute power to the vehicle management board; and
a third one or more connectors configured to interface with a fourth one or more connectors of the vehicle management board and distribute the power to the vehicle management board, wherein the fourth one or more connectors are configured to receive power from the first vehicle specific board.
However, Hanson teaches wherein the first vehicle specific board further comprises:
one or more power circuits configured to receive power from the autonomous vehicle and distribute power to the vehicle management board; and (Referring now to FIG. 5, an example propulsion mechanism 420 of the unmanned vehicle 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention is discussed in greater detail. Power supplies for all modes of use of the unmanned vehicle 100 may, for example and without limitation, include a variety of motors such as electric 500, diesel 510, turbine 520, and nuclear 530. Embodiments of the unmanned vehicle 100 according to the present invention may include all or some subset of the hybrid power sources disclosed. Paragraph [0098])
a third one or more connectors configured to interface with a fourth one or more connectors of the vehicle management board and distribute the power to the vehicle management board, wherein the fourth one or more connectors are configured to receive power from the first vehicle specific board. (Still referring to FIG. 5, the unmanned vehicle 100 according to embodiments of the present invention may make use of energy captured in storage cells such as batteries 580. Such storage cells, for example and without limitation, may include high power density lithium polymer batteries or lithium ion batteries. The storage cells may receive energy from the electric motors 500 running as generators when the unmanned vehicle 100 is under power from another source such as diesel 510, turbine 520, or nuclear 530 engines. In another embodiment, the storage cells may receive energy from photovoltaic cells 590 that may be mounted to the vehicle body 105 in a variety of mechanical configurations. Such mounting configurations, for example and without limitation, may include axial hinges with actuators to articulate the photovoltaic cells 590 outwardly from the vehicle body 105. In one embodiment, the photovoltaic cells 590 may be wired to a computer-controlled power control and regulator module. A computer-controlled switch in the power control module may route power from the photovoltaic cells 590 to sets of batteries 580 for recharge depending on the relative charge state of the batteries 580. The regulator module may monitor and adjust the charge to the batteries 580 used in the first unmanned vehicle 100 embodiment. For example, and without limitation, another embodiment of battery 580 recharge may utilize wave motion to accomplish a low-level recharge by mounting a faraday tube along the fore-to-aft axis of the vehicle body 105. The faraday tube may be electrically connected to power lines in communication with batteries 580 through a regulator. Paragraph [0100])
It would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the modular vehicle system of Horita to include the power circuits and power distribution functionality of Hanson. One of ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated to make this modification because it would allow the system to use integrated power supply, storage, and regulation architectures to distribute power to various subsystems as suggested by Hanson in paragraphs [0098-0100].
Regarding claim 7, the combination of Hanson and Horita teach the vehicle management system according to claim 6. Horita does not teach wherein the one or more power circuits include at least one power conversion circuit configured to convert power from a first type provided by the autonomous vehicle to a second type based on a board type of the first vehicle specific board.
However, Hanson teaches wherein the one or more power circuits include at least one power conversion circuit configured to convert power from a first type provided by the autonomous vehicle to a second type based on a board type of the first vehicle specific board. (Still referring to FIG. 5, the unmanned vehicle 100 according to embodiments of the present invention may make use of energy captured in storage cells such as batteries 580. Such storage cells, for example and without limitation, may include high power density lithium polymer batteries or lithium ion batteries. The storage cells may receive energy from the electric motors 500 running as generators when the unmanned vehicle 100 is under power from another source such as diesel 510, turbine 520, or nuclear 530 engines. In another embodiment, the storage cells may receive energy from photovoltaic cells 590 that may be mounted to the vehicle body 105 in a variety of mechanical configurations. Such mounting configurations, for example and without limitation, may include axial hinges with actuators to articulate the photovoltaic cells 590 outwardly from the vehicle body 105. In one embodiment, the photovoltaic cells 590 may be wired to a computer-controlled power control and regulator module. A computer-controlled switch in the power control module may route power from the photovoltaic cells 590 to sets of batteries 580 for recharge depending on the relative charge state of the batteries 580. The regulator module may monitor and adjust the charge to the batteries 580 used in the first unmanned vehicle 100 embodiment. For example, and without limitation, another embodiment of battery 580 recharge may utilize wave motion to accomplish a low-level recharge by mounting a faraday tube along the fore-to-aft axis of the vehicle body 105. The faraday tube may be electrically connected to power lines in communication with batteries 580 through a regulator. Paragraph [0100])
It would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the system of Horita to include the power conversion functionality of Hanson. One of ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated to make this modification because it would enable the system to utilize multiple types of power sources and include power regulation mechanisms to ensure proper operation of the system as suggested by Hanson in paragraphs [0098-0100]
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. US 20150321672 A1 discloses a shared vehicle management system that adjusts operating mode of a vehicle based on the shared vehicle usage and location.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Joshua J Penko whose telephone number is (571)272-2604. The examiner can normally be reached Monday thru Friday 8-5 ET.
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, Hitesh Patel can be reached at 571-270-5442. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/JOSHUA JEFFREY PENKO/ Examiner, Art Unit 3667
/Hitesh Patel/ Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3667
4/3/26
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