DETAILED ACTION
Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election without traverse of Group II (claims 3-7, 12-14 and 17-19) in the reply filed on 03/06/2026 is acknowledged.
Claims 2, 8-9, 15 and 20 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to nonelected Inventions, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Election was made without traverse in the reply filed on 03/06/2026.
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.
Claims 1, 10-11 and 16 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Wang et al. (US 2018/0194344 A1).
As to claims 1, 11 and 16, Wang discloses a parking support method of performing automatic traveling of a vehicle based on a parking operation performed in the past (para. 0018), the parking support method comprising: storing a traveling route based on the parking operation performed in the past (para. 0018); displaying information in a first display mode before the vehicle reaches a position where the vehicle is configured to merge into the traveling route (Fig. 1B, para. 0014); and displaying the information in a second display mode after the vehicle reaches the position where the vehicle is configured to merge into the traveling route (Fig. 1E).
As to claim 10, Wang further discloses estimating a position of the vehicle based on sensor information obtained by acquiring surroundings of the vehicle (para. 0011, 0027).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 103 which forms the basis for all obviousness rejections set forth in this Office action:
A patent for a claimed invention may not be obtained, notwithstanding that the claimed invention is not identically disclosed as set forth in section 102, if the differences between the claimed invention and the prior art are such that the claimed invention as a whole would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to which the claimed invention pertains. Patentability shall not be negated by the manner in which the invention was made.
The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
Claims 3, 12-14 and 17-19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Wang in view of Kuboyama et al. (US 2012/0158256 A1).
As to claims 3, 12 and 17, Wang does not explicitly disclose wherein the information is a traveling region image, and the traveling region image represents a traveling area through which a contour of the vehicle passes when the vehicle travels the traveling route. However, Kuboyama teaches wherein the information is a traveling region image, and the traveling region image represents a traveling area through which a contour of the vehicle passes when the vehicle travels the traveling route (Fig. 8-12, para. 0009, 0056, 0060). Therefore, given the teaching of Kuboyama, it would have been obvious to one skilled in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention, to have readily recognized the desirability and advantages of modifying method of Wang, by employing the well-known or conventional features of traveling region image, to show the driver the traveling area of the vehicle during automatic parking operation.
As to claims 13 and 18, Kuboyama further teaches wherein the traveling region image is a belt-shaped image with a width corresponding to a vehicle width of the vehicle (Fig. 8-12, para. 0009, 0056, 0060).
As to claims 14 and 19, Kuboyama further teaches wherein the traveling region image is a belt-shaped image indicating a circumscribed region through which the contour of the vehicle has actually passed at a time of teacher traveling (Fig. 8-12, para. 0009, 0056, 0060).
Claims 4-7 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Wang and Kuboyama, as applied to claim 1 above, further in view of Prokhorenkov et al. (US 2019/0376810 A1).
As to claim 4, Wang and Kuboyama do not explicitly teach displaying the traveling region image in a first color before the vehicle reaches a position where the vehicle is configured to merge into the traveling route, and displaying the traveling region image in a second color different from the first color after the vehicle reaches the position where the vehicle is configured to merge into the traveling route. However, Prokhorenkov teaches displaying the traveling region image in a first color before the vehicle reaches a position where the vehicle is configured to merge into the traveling route, and displaying the traveling region image in a second color different from the first color after the vehicle reaches the position where the vehicle is configured to merge into the traveling route (para. 0130, display route 306 to destination 308 in first color and display parking route 380 after reaches destination 308 in a second color). Therefore, given the teaching of Prokhorenkov, it would have been obvious to one skilled in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention, to have readily recognized the desirability and advantages of modifying method of Wang, by employing the well-known or conventional features of different color for travel route and parking route, to allows for the user to easily and conveniently distinguish between the two routes.
As to claim 5, Kuboyama further teaches wherein the traveling region image is a belt-shaped image with a width corresponding to a vehicle width of the vehicle (Fig. 8-12, para. 0009, 0056, 0060).
As to claim 6, Kuboyama further teaches wherein the traveling region image is a belt-shaped image indicating a circumscribed region through which the contour of the vehicle has actually passed at a time of teacher traveling (Fig. 8-12, para. 0009, 0056, 0060).
As to claim 7 the use of orange as first color and green as second color is just design choice.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Ce Li Li whose telephone number is (571)270-5564. The examiner can normally be reached M-F, 10AM-7PM.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Peter D Nolan can be reached at 571-270-7016. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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CE LI . LI
Examiner
Art Unit 3661
/PETER D NOLAN/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3661
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