DETAILED ACTION
This action is in response to the initial filing filed on October 31, 2024, claim 1-9 have been examined this application.
Information Disclosure Statement
The Information Disclosure Statement (IDS) filed on 12/5/2024 has been acknowledged.
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
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 § 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 1-3, 5-7, and 9 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Casamassima (US 2022/0383716 A1) in view of Hassen (US 2010/0309041 A1).
Regarding Claim 1, Casamassima teaches vehicle comprising [0027 for using vehicles]:
at least one UWB transmitting antenna unit that is configured to emit a radio signal pulse in a defined transmission frequency range [0028 for having UWB for transmitting data in short pulse signals or ranging];
at least one UWB receiving antenna unit that is configured to receive radio signals in the transmission frequency range [0028 for UWB technology may be used for so-called ranging operations, i.e. for determining the distance between communicating devices];
and a processing unit that is configured to evaluate the signal strength pattern of the radio signal received by the UWB receiving antenna unit [0032 for processing signals for ranging with key fob and vehicle].
Casamassima fails to explicitly teach wherein the processing unit include a precipitation detection module that is designed to ascertain precipitation based on a signal strength pattern of the radio signal received by the UWB receiving antenna unit.
Hassen has a method for detecting precipitation in a region monitored by radar beams (abstract) and teaches wherein the processing unit include a precipitation detection module that is designed to ascertain precipitation based on a signal strength pattern of the radio signal received by the UWB receiving antenna unit [0008 for detecting precipitation in a region, and 0038 for using radar signal peaks].
It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the applicant’s invention for modifying the UWB sensor techniques, as disclosed by Casamassima, further including the precipitation calculations as taught by Hassen for the purpose to determine the existence of precipitation (Hassen, 0008).
Regarding Claim 2, Casamassima fails to explicitly teach the precipitation detection module is designed to recognize a signal strength pattern that is influenced by liquid drops and/or snowflakes present in the surroundings, and on this basis to ascertain the precipitation.
Hassen has a method for detecting precipitation in a region monitored by radar beams (abstract) and teaches the precipitation detection module is designed to recognize a signal strength pattern that is influenced by liquid drops and/or snowflakes present in the surroundings, and on this basis to ascertain the precipitation [0022 for determining rain or snow for radar cell].
It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the applicant’s invention for modifying the UWB sensor techniques, as disclosed by Casamassima, further including the precipitation calculations as taught by Hassen for the purpose to determine the existence of precipitation (Hassen, 0008).
Regarding Claim 3, Casamassima fails to explicitly teach the precipitation detection module is designed to determine, based on the signal strength pattern, a plurality of reflections, having different signal pathways, caused by the liquid drops and/or snowflakes, and on this basis to ascertain the precipitation.
Hassen has a method for detecting precipitation in a region monitored by radar beams (abstract) and teaches the precipitation detection module is designed to determine, based on the signal strength pattern, a plurality of reflections, having different signal pathways, caused by the liquid drops and/or snowflakes, and on this basis to ascertain the precipitation [0022 for determining rain or snow for radar cell with 0039 for signal power is reflected back by all of the radiation cones].
It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the applicant’s invention for modifying the UWB sensor techniques, as disclosed by Casamassima, further including the precipitation calculations as taught by Hassen for the purpose to determine the peak from the reflected radar object (Hassen, 0037).
Regarding Claim 5, Casamassima teaches at least two UWB receiving antenna units that are spaced apart from one another in the vehicle transverse direction and/or in the vehicle longitudinal direction [0042 for four outside anchors (spaced apart)],
each of which is configured to receive radio signals in the transmission frequency range, wherein the signal strength patterns of the radio signals (S) received by the UWB receiving antenna units are evaluatable by the processing unit [0042 for UWB anchors connected to a central using and sending and receiving messages],
and/or wherein the at least two UWB transmitting antenna units spaced apart from one another in the vehicle transverse direction and/or in the vehicle longitudinal direction, each of which is configured to emit a radio signal pulse in a defined transmission frequency range [0042];
and a control unit configured to control the at least two UWB transmitting antenna units such that the radio signal pulse is selectively emitted by each of the UWB transmitting antenna units [0036 for controller is configured to cause different UWB communication nodes of said plurality of UWB communication nodes to transmit said UWB messages].
Regarding Claim 6, Casamassima teaches at least one transceiver that includes a UWB transmitting antenna unit as well as a UWB receiving antenna unit [0042 for UWB anchors connected to a central using and sending and receiving messages],
wherein the transceiver is configured to substantially simultaneously operate the UWB transmitting antenna unit and the UWB receiving antenna unit [0043 for one anchor transmits, and all the other anchors receive the message].
Regarding Claim 7, Casamassima teaches the UWB transmitting antenna unit and the UWB receiving antenna unit are associated with a wireless remote-control system [0030 for nable access to the vehicle, the user's smart device must have a predefined rang].
Regarding Claim 9, Casamassima fails to explicitly teach a method for precipitation detection, the method comprising: providing the vehicle; and detecting a precipitation.
Hassen has a method for detecting precipitation in a region monitored by radar beams (abstract) and teaches method for precipitation detection, the method comprising: providing the vehicle [0032];
and detecting a precipitation [0008 for detecting precipitation in a region, and 0038 for using radar signal peaks].
It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the applicant’s invention for modifying the UWB sensor techniques, as disclosed by Casamassima, further including the precipitation calculations as taught by Hassen for the purpose to determine the existence of precipitation (Hassen, 0008).
Claims 4 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Casamassima (US 2022/0383716 A1) in view of Hassen (US 2010/0309041 A1), as applied to Claim 1 above, and further in view of Schneider (DE 101036138 B4).
Regarding Claim 4, Casamassima fails to explicitly teach the precipitation detection module is designed to determine the reflections, having different signal pathways, caused by the liquid drops and/or snowflakes by applying a Doppler effect and the vehicle speed.
Schneider has a Windscreen wiper device for motor vehicles with at least one motor-driven windscreen wiper (abstract) and teaches the precipitation detection module is designed to determine the reflections, having different signal pathways, caused by the liquid drops and/or snowflakes by applying a Doppler effect and the vehicle speed [0018 for statistical distribution of the precipitation signal can furthermore used to be a measure of the kind of the precipitate to win when setting the wiping interval duration or wiping speed is also taken into account].
It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the applicant’s invention for modifying the UWB sensor techniques, as disclosed by Casamassima, further including the reflection calculations as taught by Schneider for the purpose to allow wiping interval duration or the wiping speed or both are set automatically as a function of the precipitation data, (Schneider, 0016).
Claim 8 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Casamassima (US 2022/0383716 A1) in view of Hassen (US 2010/0309041 A1), as applied to Claim 1 above, and further in view of Meehan et al (US 2019/0219691 A1).
Regarding Claim 8, Casamassima fails to explicitly teach a fog light function, an automatic vehicle speed function, an automatic windshield wiper function, and/or a warning function are activatable based on a precipitation signal that is output by the precipitation detection module.
Meehan has a disclosure relate to controlling one or more vehicle systems based on a determined weather condition (abstract) and teaches a fog light function, an automatic vehicle speed function [0078 for using a fog light],
an automatic windshield wiper function, and/or a warning function are activatable based on a precipitation signal that is output by the precipitation detection module [0086 for using windshield wipers].
It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the applicant’s invention for modifying the UWB sensor techniques, as disclosed by Casamassima, further including the fog and wiper use calculations as taught by Meehan for the purpose to become more sensitive to data when a hazardous weather condition is detected (Meehan, 0085).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Tapia et al (US 2020/0116857 A1) has a precipitation radar system is mounted on the vehicle and includes a transmitter, a receiver, and an electronic control unit.
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/SAMARINA MAKHDOOM/
Examiner, Art Unit 3648
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