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 .
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on November 7, 2024 and February 24, 2026 is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
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)(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 1-5 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Naito, Kazutaka et al. (WO 2024/070572 A1), hereinafter “Naito”.
Regarding claim 1, Naito discloses in [Figs. 1-3], a management device for a vehicle on-board network system [see S] in which devices [see ECU’s 2] are connected to each other in a communicable manner [see communication network 3 and plurality of communication lines 31] , the management device comprising: processing circuitry [see on-board device 1] configured to start a target device of the devices [see page 2 and top of page 3] , the target device [see ECU 2] being a device that operates in accordance with a predetermined function to be executed [see last para. Of page 7], wherein the processing circuitry [see 1] is configured to: subsequent to modifications made to the vehicle on-board network system, obtain information including: a first startup power consumption required when starting the target device, using a first startup method for starting the target device through power control that controls whether to supply power to the target device [see pages 2-11]; and a second startup power consumption required when starting the target device, using a second startup method for starting the target device by communicating with the target device to request startup for the target device [see pages 2-11]; based on the obtained information, select a startup method for the target device from the first startup method and the second startup method; and start the target device using the selected startup method [see pages 2-11].
Regarding claim 2, Naito discloses the management device according to claim 1, wherein the processing circuitry [see 1] is configured to: calculate a difference between the first startup power consumption and the second startup power consumption; select the second startup method when the calculated difference is greater than or equal to a specified value; and select the first startup method when the calculated difference is less than the specified value [see last para. Of page 4 and page 5].
Regarding claim 3, Naito discloses the management device according to claim 1, wherein the processing circuitry [see 1] is configured to: calculate a ratio of the second startup power consumption to the first startup power consumption; select the first startup method when the calculated ratio is greater than or equal to a specified value; and select the second startup method when the calculated ratio is less than the specified value [see last para. Of page 4 and page 5].
Regarding claim 4, Naito discloses the management device according to claim 1, wherein the processing circuitry [see 1] is configured to: calculate a proportion of a difference between the first startup power consumption and the second startup power consumption relative to the first startup power consumption; select the second startup method when the calculated proportion is greater than or equal to a specified value, and select the first startup method when the calculated proportion is less than the specified value [see last para. of page 4 and page 5].
Regarding claim 5, Naito discloses the management device according to claim 1, wherein the vehicle on-board network system includes bus networks that are connected to the management device, each of the bus networks includes a power control line that starts the target device using the first startup method, and the processing circuitry is configured to obtain the information for each of the bus networks and select the startup method for each of the bus networks [see top para. on page 6].
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to TERRENCE RONIQUE WILLOUGHBY whose telephone number is (571)272-2725. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 9:30-5:30pm.
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/TERRENCE R WILLOUGHBY/Examiner, Art Unit 2836 4/18/26
/REXFORD N BARNIE/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2836
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