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 .
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.
Claim(s) 11-12 and 16-17 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Mochizuki (US 2022/0219599).
Regarding claim 11, Mochizuki discloses an in-vehicle device 33 adapted to be disposed on a first vehicle C, wherein the in-vehicle device comprises:
at least one projection module 6 configured to project a remind driving trajectory 27 (figure 2);
a communication module 130 configured to receive a gear information 9, a driving environment information 13, and a steering wheel information 10 of the first vehicle, wherein the gear information is selected from a parking gear, a neutral gear, a driving gear, or a reverse gear (paragraph 57);
at least one camera module 13 configured to continuously capture the driving environment information of the first vehicle along a capturing direction of the at least one camera module (p. 62); and
a processing module 5 electrically connected to the at least one projection module, the communication module, and the at least one camera module, wherein the processing module is configured to calculate the reminding driving trajectory according to the gear information, the driving environment information and the steering wheel information (p. 81, p. 85);
wherein, in response to that the gear information is the driving gear, the processing module controls the at least one projection module to project the reminding driving trajectory 272 on a ground surface in front of the first vehicle (figures 6A-6B);
in response to that the gear information is the reverse gear, the processing module controls the at least one projection module to project the reminding driving trajectory 273, 274, on a ground surface behind the first vehicle (p. 70, figure 5);
in response to that the gear information is the parking gear or the neutral gear, the processing module controls the at least one projection module to stop projecting the reminding driving trajectory (p. 74).
Regarding claim 12, Mochizuki discloses wherein the reminding driving trajectory
comprises at least one straight-line trajectory (figure 7).
Regarding claim 16, Mochizuki discloses a driving trajectory projection method adapted to an in-vehicle device 33, wherein the in-vehicle device is adapted to be disposed on a first vehicle C, and the driving trajectory projection method comprises:
receiving a gear information 9, a driving environment information 13 and a first driving speed 11 of the first vehicle, wherein the gear information is selected from a parking gear, a neutral gear, a driving gear, or a reverse gear (p. 56);
performing a projection step to project a remind driving trajectory 27 in response to that the gear information is the driving gear and the reverse gear and the first driving speed meets a preset condition (p. 74), wherein the projection step comprises:
receiving a steering wheel information of the first vehicle (p. 80);
projecting the reminding driving trajectory on a ground surface in front of the first vehicle in response to that the gear information is the driving gear and the first driving speed meets the preset condition (p. 74, p. 81, figures 6A-6B); and
projecting the reminding driving trajectory 273, 274, on a ground surface behind the first vehicle in response to that the gear information is the reverse gear and the first driving speed meets the preset condition (p. 85); and
stopping projecting the reminding driving trajectory in response to that the gear
information is the parking gear and the neutral gear (p. 74).
Regarding claim 17, Mochizuki discloses wherein the reminding driving trajectory comprises at least one straight-line trajectory (figure 7).
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.
Claim(s) 14-15 and 19-20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Mochizuki in view of Widdowson (US 2016/0207443).
Regarding claims 14 and 19, Mochizuki discloses all the claimed subject matter as set forth above in the rejection of claim 11, but does not disclose the reminding driving trajectory comprising at least one curve trajectory, and the at least one curve trajectory having a radius of curvature. Widdowson teaches the use of a reminding driving trajectory comprising at least one curve trajectory, and the at least one curve trajectory having a radius of curvature (p. 47, p. 157). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to include the reminding driving trajectory comprising at least one curve trajectory, and the at least one curve trajectory having a radius of curvature to the device of Mochizuki as taught by Widdowson for the purpose of effectively indicating driving information.
Regarding claims 15 and 20, Mochizuki (as modified by Widdowson) discloses all the claimed subject matter as set forth above in the rejection of claim 14, and further discloses the steering wheel information comprising an angle value (p. 74), the angle value being within an angle range (p. 74), but does not disclose the radius of curvature
being related to the angle value. Widdowson teaches the use of the radius of curvature
being related to an angle value (p. 47, p. 157). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to include the radius of curvature being related to the angle value to the device of Mochizuki as taught by Widdowson for the purpose of effectively indicating driving information.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 1-10 are allowed.
The following is an examiner’s statement of reasons for allowance:
Regarding claim 1, the prior art cited fails to disclose an in-vehicle device adapted to be disposed on a first vehicle, wherein the in-vehicle device comprises at least one camera module configured to capture a driving frame upon the first vehicle drives in a first lane, wherein the driving frame comprises an image of a second vehicle, and
the second vehicle drives behind the first vehicle; a processing module electrically connected to the at least one projection module, the at least one camera module, and the communication module, wherein the processing module is configured to calculate a second driving speed of the second vehicle and a first distance between the first vehicle and the second vehicle according to the image of the second vehicle; wherein in response to that the turn signal information is the left-turn instruction or the right-turn instruction, the processing module controls the at least one projection module to project the suggestion driving trajectory on a second lane, wherein the suggestion driving trajectory is selected from a historical driving trajectory or a system driving trajectory; in response to that the turn signal information is the straight-driving instruction, the processing module controls the at least one projecting module to stop projecting the suggestion driving trajectory on the second lane. Because of these limitations in the context of other limitations in the claim, the claim as a whole, which is claiming a very specific mechanism is not anticipated or obvious over the prior art of record or found during Examiner’s search.
Regarding claim 6, the prior art cited fails to disclose a driving trajectory projection method adapted to an in-vehicle device, wherein the in-vehicle device is adapted to be disposed on a first vehicle, and the driving trajectory projection
method comprises capturing a driving frame upon the first vehicle drives in a first lane, wherein the driving frame comprises an image of a second vehicle, the second vehicle drives in a second lane and drives behind the first vehicle, wherein the second lane is at a left side of the first lane or a right side of the first lane; calculating a second driving speed of the second vehicle and a first distance between the first vehicle and the second vehicle according to the image of the second vehicle; and projecting the suggestion driving trajectory on the second lane, wherein the suggestion driving trajectory is selected from a historical driving trajectory or a system driving trajectory; and
stopping projecting the suggestion driving trajectory in response to that the turn signal
information is the straight driving instruction; wherein, the historical driving trajectory is stored in a storage module. Because of these limitations in the context of other limitations in the claim, the claim as a whole, which is claiming a very specific mechanism is not anticipated or obvious over the prior art of record or found during Examiner’s search.
Claims 2-5 and 7-10 are allowed for the same reasons because of the dependency.
Claims 13 and 18 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Sugawara, Shibata, and Sakata disclose information display systems.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ANH V LA whose telephone number is (571)272-2970. The examiner can normally be reached 8:30 AM-5:00 PM.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Quan-Zhen Wang can be reached at 571-272-3114. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/ANH V LA/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2685
ANH V. LA
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 2685
Al
December 27, 2025