DETAILED ACTION
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA . The instant First Office Action on the merits is in response to claims filed on 11/13/2024.
Claims 1-20 are pending. Claim 1 is the base independent claim.
Priority
Applicant’s claim for the benefit of a prior-filed application under 35 U.S.C. 119(e) or under 35 U.S.C. 120, 121, or 365(c) is acknowledged.
Claim Objections
Claims 1 and 2 are objected to because of the following informalities:
In claim 1, line 7, “the one or more networks” is suggested to be changed into –the at least one network--.
In claim 2, the last line, “the position data” is suggested to be changed into –the location data—as in the parent claim.
Appropriate correction is required.
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.
This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention(s) absent any evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and effective filing dates of each claim that was not commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the later invention in order for the examiner to consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) for any potential 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) prior art against the later invention.
Claims 1-3, 6-9, 11-13 and 17-19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Basnayake et al (US 2011/0109475) in view of Xiao et al (US 2012/0309424).
Regarding claim 1, Basnayake discloses a communication system comprising:
a network communication interface (fig. 1 & par 13; e.g. a wireless communication device 14) to communicate over at least one network (par 13; e.g. networks) with a computing device of a first vehicle (par 15; e.g. driver advisory system), and a computing device of a second vehicle (par 16; e.g. host vehicle and remote vehicles);
one or more processors (par 15; e.g. processor); and
one or more memory resources storing instructions (par 15; inherently a storage for the data) that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the communication system to:
receive, par 14, par 17; e.g. obtaining the global position, speed, and course heading data by the GPS device of the host vehicle and the global position, speed, and course heading data that is included in the periodic beacon messages broadcast by the remote vehicles);
transmit, par 17-18, par 23-24; also fig. 2, fig. 6; e.g. a position and velocity vector diagram for each of the vehicles traveling along the roadway); and
transmit, par 13; e.g. The host vehicle is in communication (which may be either direct communication or indirect communication via multi-hop messaging) with a plurality of remote vehicles that are within a broadcast range of the host vehicle for exchanging global position, speed, and course heading data).
The reference discloses transmitting or receiving broadcast messages directly or indirectly, it does not explicitly disclose the interaction with the network (emphasis added).
However, it is obvious in view of Xiao. Xiao discloses:
In fig. 1E or par 39-40; e.g. the communication link between users in the vehicle may be based on a VoIP telecommunication service… the vehicular communication system may provide a GPS map via the touch display and the user may select a location on the GPS map to send to the other user. The other user may receive the location information via the vehicular communication system.
In view of the above, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the teaching of communication protocol configured for the electronic system of Xiao with the electronic system of Basnayake. One is motivated as such to filter candidates based on whether a user is active with service provider network (Xiao, par 33).
Regarding claim 2, Basnayake discloses:
determine if the position of the first vehicle relative to the second vehicle is below a predetermined threshold based, at least in part, on the position data of the first and second vehicles (par 18; e.g. each of the vehicles 20-32 are grouped based on their global position data and heading data. Vehicles traveling in a same course heading within a width-based region are used to establish the respective lanes of travel; hence it is understood the vehicles within the threshold are grouped).
Regarding claim 3, Basnayake discloses:
transmit, over the at least one network, a vehicle information signal to the computing device of the first vehicle, the vehicle information signal causing the computing device of the first vehicle to display vehicle information about the second vehicle on the GUI of the computing device of the first vehicle (par 13; e.g. The host vehicle is in communication (which may be either direct communication or indirect communication via multi-hop messaging) with a plurality of remote vehicles that are within a broadcast range of the host vehicle for exchanging global position, speed, and course heading data).
Regarding claim 6, Xiao discloses:
wherein the vehicle information includes an image of a driver of the second vehicle (par 58; e.g. a user’s profile that may be viewed by other users…the GUI may include a picture of the user).
Regarding claim 7, Basnayake discloses:
display, on the GUI of the computing device of the first vehicle, a map including a road on which the first vehicle is located (fig. 6 or par 27; e.g. vehicle global position and speed characteristics of the host vehicle and remote vehicles are mapped on the local roadway map).
Regarding claim 8, Basnayake discloses:
wherein the road includes a plurality of lanes and the map displays the plurality of lanes (fig. 6 or par 26; e.g. The map identifies the roadway and the lanes within the roadway).
Regarding claim 9, Basnayake discloses:
wherein the second vehicle is one of a plurality of second vehicles, wherein a first one of the plurality of second vehicles and the first vehicle are located in a first one of the plurality of lanes, and a second one of the plurality of second vehicles is in a second one of the plurality of lanes different from the first one of the plurality of lanes, and wherein the executed instructions further cause the communication system to transmit, over the at least one network, a message from the computing device of the first vehicle to a computing device of each of the first and second ones of the plurality of second vehicles (Basnayake, fig. 6 or par 13; e.g. The host vehicle is in communication (which may be either direct communication or indirect communication via multi-hop messaging) with a plurality of remote vehicles that are within a broadcast range of the host vehicle for exchanging global position, speed, and course heading data); Xiao further discloses: in response to selection of a burst message on the computing device of the first vehicle (Xiao, par 26; user device 125-1 generates a help request).
Regarding claim 11, Xiao discloses:
provide, on the GUI on the computing device of the first vehicle, at least one messaging icon; and receive a user selection of one of the at least one messaging icons (fig. 5 & par 58; e.g. a user’s profile that may be viewed by other users…the GUI may include a talk icon 515).
Regarding claim 12, Xiao discloses:
wherein the at least one messaging icon includes a first icon for sending a voice message (par 76; the form of the communication may include a VoIP call).
Regarding claim 13, Xiao discloses:
wherein the at least one messaging icon includes a second icon for sending a text message (par 76; e.g. a text message).
Regarding claim 17, Basnayake discloses:
wherein the second vehicle comprises a first one of a plurality of second vehicles (par 16; e.g. host vehicle and remote vehicles) and the executed instructions further cause the communication system to:
receive, over the one or more networks, location data of a second one of the plurality of second vehicles; determine the position of the second one of the plurality of second vehicles relative to the first vehicle (fig. 6 or par 27; e.g. vehicle global position and speed characteristics of the host vehicle and remote vehicles are mapped on the local roadway map); and transmit, over the at least one network, a second position signal to the computing device of the first vehicle, the second position signal causing the computing device of the first vehicle to display a position of the second one of the plurality of second vehicles on the GUI (par 14, par 17; e.g. obtaining the global position, speed, and course heading data by the GPS device of the host vehicle and the global position, speed, and course heading data that is included in the periodic beacon messages broadcast by the remote vehicles; also par 13, see mapping above).
Regarding claim 18, Basnayake discloses:
transmit, over the at least one network, a second vehicle information signal to the computing device of the first vehicle, the second vehicle information signal causing the computing device of the first vehicle to display vehicle information about the second one of the plurality of second vehicles on the GUI (par 13; e.g. The host vehicle is in communication (which may be either direct communication or indirect communication via multi-hop messaging) with a plurality of remote vehicles that are within a broadcast range of the host vehicle for exchanging global position, speed, and course heading data).
Regarding claim 19, Basnayake discloses:
wherein the GUI simultaneously displays the vehicle information of the first and second ones of the plurality of second vehicles (see example in fig. 6).
Claims 4-5 and 20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Basnayake et al (US 2011/0109475) in view of Xiao et al (US 2012/0309424), further in view of Zlojutro (US 2013/0033386).
Regarding claim 4, the combination discloses the subject matter of claim 3, without explicitly disclosing:
wherein the vehicle information includes at least one of a make, a model, and a color of the second vehicle.
However, Zlojutro discloses:
In fig. 1 or fig. 2, par 19, e.g. the information concerning the subject vehicle such as the year of the vehicle, make, model and color is displayed.
In view of the above, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the teaching of communication protocol configured for the electronic system of Zlojutro with the electronic system of Basnayake and Xiao. One is motivated as such for the law enforcement agency or for subscription basis (Zlojutro, par 11).
Regarding claim 5, the combination discloses the subject matter of claim 3, without explicitly disclosing:
wherein the vehicle information includes an image of the second vehicle.
However, Zlojutro discloses:
In fig. 2, see “DMV Vehicle Photo”.
In view of the above, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the teaching of communication protocol configured for the electronic system of Zlojutro with the electronic system of Basnayake and Xiao. One is motivated as such for the law enforcement agency or for subscription basis (Zlojutro, par 11).
Regarding claim 20, the combination discloses the subject matter of claim 1, without explicitly disclosing:
wherein the executed instructions further cause the communication system to access, over the at least one network, a database that includes vehicle registration and insurance information for the first vehicle.
However, Zlojutro discloses:
In par 17, e.g. the database 20 collects relevant data concerning vehicles and vehicle owners from other sources such as information concerning insurance coverage 32, license and registration information 33.
In view of the above, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the teaching of communication protocol configured for the electronic system of Zlojutro with the electronic system of Basnayake and Xiao. One is motivated as such for the law enforcement agency or for subscription basis (Zlojutro, par 11).
Claims 14-15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Basnayake et al (US 2011/0109475) in view of Xiao et al (US 2012/0309424), further in view of Monroe et al (US 2015/0185030) or Sawato (US 2016/0021047).
Regarding claim 14, the combination discloses the subject matter of claim 12, without explicitly disclosing:
convert the voice message to a text message.
However, Monroe discloses:
In par 66; e.g. voice recognition for speech-to-text translation.
In view of the above, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the teaching of communication protocol configured for the electronic system of Monroe with the electronic system of Basnayake and Xiao. One is motivated as such to automatically provide information to other vehicle operator (Monroe, par 5).
Regarding claim 15, the combination discloses the subject matter of claim 11, without explicitly disclosing:
wherein the at least one icon includes a first appearance before the message is sent and a second appearance after the message is sent, the second appearance different from the first appearance.
However, Sawato discloses:
In par 324; e.g. It should be noted that, immediately after message sending, the sent message can be displayed to be large in order to emphasize as having been sent.
In view of the above, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the teaching of communication protocol configured for the electronic system of Sawato with the electronic system of Basnayake and Xiao. One is motivated as such to provide an easy operation via wireless communication with another mobile device (Sawato, par 5).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 10 and 16 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 all intervening claims.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to YAOTANG WANG whose telephone number is (571)272-4023. The examiner can normally be reached 10:00-18:00 ET (M, W, TH & alternate F).
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/YAOTANG WANG/SCE/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2409
