Response to Amendment
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
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.
Claim(s) 1, 3-7, and 10-11 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Suzuki et al. (US 20240034305 A1) in view of Ichiro et al. (JP 2019-29757 A) and Lee (US 2014/0368636 A1) and further in view of Itoh (US 20220303505 A1).
A vehicle parking assistance apparatus configured to provide parking assistance when parking a vehicle in a parking space (Suzuki, Fig. 1, Parking assistance device), the vehicle parking assistance apparatus comprising: a first camera configured to capture a frontward view of the vehicle (Suzuki, Fig. 2, an imaging device 20a is disposed on the front grill portion of the subject vehicle V1); a second camera configured to capture a rearward view of the vehicle (Suzuki, Fig. 2, an imaging device 20d is disposed on the upper portion of the rear bumper); a display configured to display at least first imaging data acquired from the first camera and second imaging data acquired from the second camera (Suzuki, Fig. 3, IM2; Para. 26, the monitor image IM2 is displayed with an image acquired from the imaging device 20a disposed on the front grill portion of the subject vehicle V1 in order to present the surrounding environment information ahead of the subject vehicle V1 in the current travel direction).
Suzuki does not teach a vehicle controller configured to: calculate parking space data regarding the parking space, using the first imaging data, wherein the parking space data includes at least a distance from the vehicle to a partition line that defines the parking space, and a center position of the parking space or a length of the partition line; wherein the vehicle controller is configured to calculate, using the parking space data, a position, in the second imaging data, of the partition line that defines the parking space, and generate the synthetic data by adding, to the second imaging data, (i) a partition line corresponding to the partition line that defines the parking space and (ii) a centerline indicating the center position of the parking space, such that the added partition line is displayed in superimposition on a partition line included in the second imaging data and corresponding to the partition line that defines the parking space.
However, Ichiro teaches a vehicle controller configured to: calculate parking space data regarding the parking space, using the first imaging data, wherein the parking space data includes at least a distance from the vehicle to a partition line that defines the parking space (Ichiro, Page 10, Para. 2, the calculation unit 26 calculates the distance between the far end portion 35a of the left vertical parking partition line 35L and the vehicle 2. Further, the calculation unit 26 calculates the distance between the far end portion 35a of the right vertical parking partition line 35R and the vehicle 2. Here, the distance between the far end 35a of the left vertical parking partition line 35L and the vehicle 2 means the horizontal separation distance of the far end 35a of the left vertical parking partition line 35L with respect to the reference point of the vehicle 2); wherein the vehicle controller is configured to calculate, using the parking space data, a position, in the second imaging data, of the partition line that defines the parking space, and generate the synthetic data by adding, to the second imaging data, (i) a partition line corresponding to the partition line that defines the parking space (Ichiro, Page 10, Para. 3, When the positional relationship between the left vertical parking partition line 35L and the vehicle 2 and the positional relationship between the right vertical parking partition line 35R and the vehicle 2 become a predetermined positional relationship, the composite video data generation unit 28 The left side video data and the right side video data are synthesized with the rear video data. Specifically, the composite video data generation unit 28 determines that the distance between the far end 35a of the left vertical parking partition line 35L and the vehicle 2 is less than a predetermined value and the far vertical parking partition line 35R. When the distance between the end 35a and the vehicle 2 is less than a predetermined value, the left side video data and the right side video data are combined with the rear video data), such that the added partition line is displayed in superimposition on a partition line included in the second imaging data and corresponding to the partition line that defines the parking space (Ichiro, Page 10, Para. 8, In the composite display mode, the composite video data generated by the composite video data generation unit 28 superimposes the steering angle non-interlocking line 30 on the rear video data and combines the left side video data and the right side video data with the rear video data).
Combination of Suzuki and Ichiro are analogous art because they both pertain to parking assistance system.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to someone of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to calculate positional relationship between the vehicle and the parking partition lines (as taught by Ichiro) in order to provide composite video data displaying the partition lines.
Combination of Suzuki and Ichiro do not specifically teach wherein the parking space data includes at least a center position of the parking space or a length of the partition line; generate the synthetic data by adding, to the second imaging data, (ii) a centerline indicating the center position of the parking space.
However, the concept of determining a center position of the parking space and displaying the center position information is well known in the art as also taught by Lee. Lee teaches the parking path generating unit 140 may generate the parking path Q so that a center line G1 of both detected parking lines L1 and L2 is matched with a column axis G2 of the vehicle C, or provide the center line G1 and the column axis G2 as the guide lines G1 and G2 for assisting the steering operation of the driver; the parking path Q or the guide lines G1 and G2 are displayed on the display unit 160 together with the composed image, and the vehicle is completely parked within the parking space P by a steering operation of the driver guided by the guide lines G1 and G2 (Para. 31-32).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to someone of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to determine and display a centerline (as taught by Lee) in order to assist the steering operation of the driver.
Combination of Suzuki, Ichiro, and Lee do not teach when the vehicle controller detects shifting of the vehicle to a reverse range, generate synthetic data in which the parking space data is synthesized with the second imaging data, and display the synthetic data on the display
However, Itoh teaches when the vehicle controller detects shifting of the vehicle to a reverse range (Itoh, Fig. 3; Para. 25, The shift position sensor 28 is configured to detect which gear or operating state the vehicle is in. As will be described further below, the shift position sensor 28 may initiate the disclosed system 10 such that the system 10 is started upon the vehicle shifting into Reverse, for example, causing the overhead view (and optionally the rearward view from a rear-facing camera) to be displayed on the vehicle display 18), generate synthetic data in which the parking space data is synthesized with the second imaging data (Itoh, Para. 36, The vehicle-fixed overhead composite image 40 can be created by stitching together images from various image sensors 12. This view can be referred to as a birds-eye view, overhead view, 360-degree view, top-down view, and the like. This shows a simulated view from above the vehicle, as if a virtual camera were placed directly above the vehicle. A graphical image 44 representing a simulated top view of the vehicle can be overlaid onto the stitched-together camera images), and display the synthetic data on the display (Itoh, Fig. 3; Para. 40, the system 10 being utilized to display, on the vehicle display 18, one or more camera views of the environment about the vehicle during a reverse maneuver. In this embodiment, the left-hand side illustrates the environment-fixed overhead composite image 60 according to one embodiment, and the right-hand side illustrates a corresponding rearward-view image 42 taken from a single rearward-facing camera (e.g., one of the cameras 20), similar to that shown in FIG. 2. The images 60, 42 may be shown simultaneously, side-by-side on the vehicle display 18. Also like in FIG. 2, the environment-fixed overhead composite image 60 may be provided with guidelines 62, and again the rearward-view image 42 may include guidelines 48).
Suzuki, Ichiro, Lee, and Itoh are analogous art because they all pertain to assisting a driver with maneuvering a vehicle utilizing an environment-fixed overhead composite image.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to someone of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to detect vehicle shifting into reverse and causing the overhead view to be displayed (as taught by Itoh) resulting in predictable result of assisting a driver to maneuver a vehicle.
In regard to claim 3, Combination of Suzuki, Ichiro, Lee, and Itoh teach the vehicle parking assistance apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the vehicle controller is configured to generate the synthetic data after the vehicle advances and passes by the parking space and the vehicle controller detects the shifting to the reverse range (Itoh, Fig. 3; Para. 25, The shift position sensor 28 is configured to detect which gear or operating state the vehicle is in. For example, the shift position sensor 28 may be a PRNDL sensor configured to detect the vehicle being currently shifted into Park, Reverse, Neutral, Drive, or Low gears. This may be performed using mechanical switches, hall effect sensors, or other mechanisms known in the art. As will be described further below, the shift position sensor 28 may initiate the disclosed system 10 such that the system 10 is started upon the vehicle shifting into Reverse, for example, causing the overhead view (and optionally the rearward view from a rear-facing camera) to be displayed on the vehicle display 18).
In regard to claim 4, Combination of Suzuki, Ichiro, Lee, and Itoh teach the vehicle parking assistance apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the vehicle controller is configured to generate the synthetic data after the vehicle advances and passes by the parking space and the vehicle controller detects the shifting to the reverse range (Itoh, Fig. 3; Para. 25, The shift position sensor 28 is configured to detect which gear or operating state the vehicle is in. For example, the shift position sensor 28 may be a PRNDL sensor configured to detect the vehicle being currently shifted into Park, Reverse, Neutral, Drive, or Low gears. This may be performed using mechanical switches, hall effect sensors, or other mechanisms known in the art. As will be described further below, the shift position sensor 28 may initiate the disclosed system 10 such that the system 10 is started upon the vehicle shifting into Reverse, for example, causing the overhead view (and optionally the rearward view from a rear-facing camera) to be displayed on the vehicle display 18) and identifies the parking space based on the second imaging data (Suzuki, Para. 26, The subject vehicle V1 is displayed at the center of the overhead image IM1, and parking spaces separated by white lines are displayed on the right and left sides of the subject vehicle V1. These parking spaces include those in which other vehicles V2 are detected, and the other vehicles V2 are displayed in respective parking spaces. On the other hand, for parking spaces in which obstacles such as other vehicles V2 are not detected, dashed frames are displayed to indicate parking spaces P as spaces in which the subject vehicle V1 can be parked. A target parking space Pt selected by the driver from among the parking spaces P is displayed with a thick solid line frame).
In regard to claim 5, Combination of Suzuki, Ichiro, Lee, and Itoh teach the vehicle parking assistance apparatus according to claim 3, further comprising a Global Positioning System (GPS) decoder configured to acquire positional data regarding the vehicle (Suzuki, Para. 34, the control device 11 uses the environment information acquisition function to acquire, as the information on the surrounding environment, the positional information of the subject vehicle V1 detected by the subject vehicle position detection device including a GPS unit, a gyro sensor, etc. or the positional information of the subject vehicle V1 detected with a three-dimensional high-precision map stored in the ROM 111 (including positional information of various facilities and specific points)), wherein after the vehicle controller determines based on the positional data that the vehicle has reached within a predetermined range from the parking space (Suzuki, Para. 34, the control device 11 may use the environment information acquisition function together with the information on the surrounding environment to automatically determine whether or not the travel situation of the subject vehicle V1 is in a scene of parking the subject vehicle V1 in the target parking space Pt), the vehicle controller is configured to start to calculate the parking space data based on the first imaging data (Suzuki, Para. 26, the monitor image IM2 is displayed with an image acquired from the imaging device 20a disposed on the front grill portion of the subject vehicle V1 in order to present the surrounding environment information ahead of the subject vehicle V1 in the current travel direction. Obstacles such as other vehicles V2 are displayed in the monitor image IM2 in addition to the parking spaces separated by white lines).
In regard to claim 6, Combination of Suzuki, Ichiro, Lee, and Itoh teach the vehicle parking assistance apparatus according to claim 4, further comprising a Global Positioning System (GPS) decoder configured to acquire positional data regarding the vehicle (Suzuki, Para. 34, the control device 11 uses the environment information acquisition function to acquire, as the information on the surrounding environment, the positional information of the subject vehicle V1 detected by the subject vehicle position detection device including a GPS unit, a gyro sensor, etc. or the positional information of the subject vehicle V1 detected with a three-dimensional high-precision map stored in the ROM 111 (including positional information of various facilities and specific points)), wherein after the vehicle controller determines based on the positional data that the vehicle has reached within a predetermined range from the parking space (Suzuki, Para. 34, the control device 11 may use the environment information acquisition function together with the information on the surrounding environment to automatically determine whether or not the travel situation of the subject vehicle V1 is in a scene of parking the subject vehicle V1 in the target parking space Pt), the vehicle controller is configured to start to calculate the parking space data based on the first imaging data (Suzuki, Para. 26, the monitor image IM2 is displayed with an image acquired from the imaging device 20a disposed on the front grill portion of the subject vehicle V1 in order to present the surrounding environment information ahead of the subject vehicle V1 in the current travel direction. Obstacles such as other vehicles V2 are displayed in the monitor image IM2 in addition to the parking spaces separated by white lines).
In regard to claim 7, the claim is interpreted and rejected for the same reasons as stated in the rejection of claim 1 as stated above.
In regard to claim 10, Combination of Suzuki, Ichiro, Lee, and Itoh teach the vehicle parking assistance apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the partition lines include two lines in a direction of a lateral width of the vehicle, and the centerline is provided between the two partition lines in the synthetic data (Lee, Fig. 2(c-d); Para. 31-32, the parking path generating unit 140 may generate the parking path Q so that a center line G1 of both detected parking lines L1 and L2 is matched with a column axis G2 of the vehicle C, or provide the center line G1 and the column axis G2 as the guide lines G1 and G2 for assisting the steering operation of the driver. Finally, as illustrated in FIG. 2D, the parking path Q or the guide lines G1 and G2 are displayed on the display unit 160 together with the composed image, and the vehicle is completely parked within the parking space P by a steering operation of the driver guided by the guide lines G1 and G2).
In regard to claim 11, Combination of Suzuki, Ichiro, Lee, and Itoh teach the vehicle parking assistance apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the vehicle controller is configured to, in response to detecting shifting of the vehicle to the reverse range, activate the second camera and start to capture the rearward view of the vehicle (Itoh, Para. 35, The images 40, 42 may be displayed on the vehicle display 18 in response to the vehicle being shifted into Reverse (e.g., as signaled by shift position sensor 28)).
Claim(s) 8 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Suzuki et al. (US 20240034305 A1) in view of Ichiro et al. (JP 2019-29757 A) and Lee (US 2014/0368636 A1) and further in view of Itoh (US 20220303505 A1) and Shen et al. (US 20140121883 A1).
In regard to claim 8, Suzuki teaches the vehicle parking assistance apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a GPS decoder configured to acquire positional data (Suzuki, Para. 34, the control device 11 uses the environment information acquisition function to acquire, as the information on the surrounding environment, the positional information of the subject vehicle V1 detected by the subject vehicle position detection device including a GPS unit, a gyro sensor, etc. or the positional information of the subject vehicle V1 detected with a three-dimensional high-precision map stored in the ROM 111 (including positional information of various facilities and specific points)), wherein the vehicle controller is configured to determine that the vehicle has arrived at a contracted parking lot including the parking space registered in advance (Suzuki, Para. 40, when a parking space in a parking lot that is used relatively frequently, such as a parking lot at home or a parking lot at workplace, is preliminarily registered in the parking assistance system 1, the control device 11 has a function of detecting the preliminarily registered parking space).
Combination of Suzuki, Ichiro, Lee, and Itoh do not teach wherein the vehicle controller is configured to determine, based on the positional data, that the vehicle has arrived at a contracted parking lot including the parking space registered in advance, and in response to determining that the vehicle has arrived, activate the first camera.
However, Shen teaches wherein the vehicle controller is configured to determine, based on the positional data, that the vehicle has arrived at a contracted parking lot including the parking space registered in advance, and in response to determining that the vehicle has arrived, activate the first camera (Shen, Para. 37, The controller 148 identifies the direction towards a selected parking space using either direct data from the sensors 158 or using location information corresponding to the parking space in a parking facility and the current location of the vehicle using location data from the GPS 152. The controller 148 optionally activates one of the cameras 158 that has a view of the parking space and displays the video on the HUD 120 or LCD 124).
Suzuki, Ichiro, Lee, Itoh, and Shen are analogous art because they all pertain parking assistance system.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to someone of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to use location data from the GPS to determine the vehicle is in a parking lot and to activate a camera (as taught by Shen) resulting in predictable result of assisting the operator in parking the vehicle.
Response to Arguments
Response to amended claims is considered above in claim Rejections.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 9 is 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.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter:
With regard to claim 9, Itoh teaches the shift position sensor 28 is configured to detect which gear or operating state the vehicle is in. For example, the shift position sensor 28 may be a PRNDL sensor configured to detect the vehicle being currently shifted into Park, Reverse, Neutral, Drive, or Low gears. This may be performed using mechanical switches, hall effect sensors, or other mechanisms known in the art. As will be described further below, the shift position sensor 28 may initiate the disclosed system 10 such that the system 10 is started upon the vehicle shifting into Reverse, for example, causing the overhead view (and optionally the rearward view from a rear-facing camera) to be displayed on the vehicle display 18 (Fig. 3; Para. 25) but does not teach wherein the vehicle controller is configured to temporarily store imaging data acquired by the first camera before a driver decides to park the vehicle, and after detecting shifting to the reverse range, keep the first imaging data regarding at least parking spaces near a position where the vehicle stops. Therefore, prior art of record neither anticipates nor renders obvious the claim limitations.
Conclusion
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any extension fee pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the date of this final action.
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/SHARMIN AKHTER/
Examiner, Art Unit 2689
/DAVETTA W GOINS/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2689
Prosecution Insights