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 .
This is a response to the Applicants' file on 11/15/24. In virtue of this filing, claims 1-18 are currently presented in the instant application.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 11/05/24 is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97 &1.98. Accordingly, the information disclosure statements are being considered by the examiner.
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 1,5,7,10,14, 18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over by Krause et al (US Pub. No: 20230236320-A1) in view of Pflug ((US Pub. No: 2014/033729).
With respect to claim 1, Krause et al disclose in figure 1, a vehicle headlamp control device (
a structure-imparting camera sensor comprising at least one camera module, a camera control apparatus, an analysis unit and an illumination device(paragraph[9]) comprising: a sensor(cameras 11a,11b); and a processor (a camera control apparatus and an analysis unit) operatively connected to the sensor (11a,11b)and transmitting an image of a three-dimensional pattern(14) to a road surface through a headlamp (13) of a vehicle, in response that a monitoring target(object (17)) is detected in front of the vehicle through the sensor(11a,11b).Paragraphs [9-11].
Kraus et al do not disclose the camera control apparatus (15) for transmitting a marking image.
Pflug discloses in figure a vehicle 10 includes an imaging system or vision system 12 that includes multiple exterior facing imaging sensors or cameras (such as a rearward facing imaging sensor or camera 14a, and a forwardly facing camera 14b at the front of the vehicle. Paragraph [40] and paragraph [50] for the light or the blinking may be done by positioning one or more glowing, partial, transparent polygons in front of the not engaged blinker or lights, or by animating the texture of the vehicle. The animation may be a part of at least one camera's view, and may be distorted to match correctly.
It would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate the features of Pflug into the camera control device of Krus et al to
detect an object at or near the vehicle and in the path of travel of the vehicle.
With respect to claim 5, Krause et al as modified claim 1 above disclose wherein the processor (the camera control apparatus and the analysis unit) measures a distance value between the vehicle and the monitoring target through the sensor and controls the headlamp by considering the measured distance value. Paragraphs [16-17,36-37].
With respect to claim 7, Krause et al as modified claim 1 above disclose wherein the sensor includes at least one of a lidar, a radar, and a camera. Figure 1.
With respect to claim 10, Krause et al disclose a vehicle headlamp control method (figure 1) comprising: detecting, by a processor (a camera control apparatus, an analysis unit, paragraph [9]), a monitoring target (object(17)) in front of a vehicle through a sensor (cameras (11a,11b)) operatively connected to the processor (the camera control apparatus, the analysis unit); and transmitting, by the processor, an image of a three-dimensional pattern to a road surface through a headlamp (13) of the
vehicle (10), in response that the monitoring target is detected. Paragraphs [9-11].
Kraus et al do not disclose the camera control apparatus (15) for transmitting a marking image.
Pflug discloses in figure a vehicle 10 includes an imaging system or vision system 12 that includes multiple exterior facing imaging sensors or cameras (such as a rearward facing imaging sensor or camera 14a, and a forwardly facing camera 14b at the front of the vehicle. Paragraph [40] and paragraph [50] for the light or the blinking may be done by positioning one or more glowing, partial, transparent polygons in front of the not engaged blinker or lights, or by animating the texture of the vehicle. The animation may be a part of at least one camera's view, and may be distorted to match correctly.
It would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate the features of Pflug into the camera control device of Krus et al to
detect an object at or near the vehicle and in the path of travel of the vehicle.
With respect to claim 14, Krause et al as modified claim 10 above disclose wherein the processor (the camera control apparatus and the analysis unit) measures a distance value between the vehicle and the monitoring target through the sensor and controls the headlamp by considering the measured distance value. Paragraphs [16-17,36-37].
With respect to claim 18, Krause et al as modified claim 10 above disclose, a non-transitory computer readable storage medium on which a program for performing the method of claim 10 is recorded. Paragraphs [34 or 35] for recording apparatus.
Claims 8 and 16 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over by Krause et al (US Pub. No: 2024/0027049) in view of Pflug ((US Pub. No: 2014/033729) and further in view of Buda et al (US Pub. No:2023/0256971).
With respect to claim 8, Krause et al as modified claim 1 above, do not disclose wherein the marking image is implemented as an animation of a three- dimensional projection lighting pattern from a driver's perspective to display a three-dimensional navigation direction.
Buda et al disclose a vehicle unit includes a mapping sensors 38 may include one or more imaging devices 34 that may acquire data that may be processed to produce a two- or three-dimensional map of the surroundings of vehicle 14, navigation sensor 32, (figure 2, paragraph [71]) and User interface 39 may include one or more visual output devices (e.g., display screens).Paragraph [75].
It would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate the features of Buda et al into the lighting control device of Krause et al to improve monitor a condition of a roadway.
With respect to claim 16, Krause et al as modified claim 10 above, do not disclose wherein the marking image is implemented as an animation of a three- dimensional projection lighting pattern from a driver's perspective to display a three-dimensional navigation direction.
Buda et al disclose a vehicle unit includes a mapping sensors 38 may include one or more imaging devices 34 that may acquire data that may be processed to produce a two- or three-dimensional map of the surroundings of vehicle 14, navigation sensor 32, (figure 2, paragraph [71]) and User interface 39 may include one or more visual output devices (e.g., display screens).Paragraph [75].
It would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate the features of Buda et al into the lighting control device of Krause et al to improve monitor a condition of a roadway.
Claims 9 and 17 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over by Krause et al (US Pub. No: 20230236320-A1) in view of Pflug ((US Pub. No: 2014/033729) and further in view of Ogvodnikov et al (US Pub. No:2023/0342880).
With respect to claim 9, Krause et al as modified disclose all limitations recite in claim 1 above, except for wherein the marking image is implemented as an augmented reality (AR)-based image with a three-dimensional pattern or an AR-based animation with a sense of motion from a pedestrian's perspective to guide pedestrian avoidance.
Ogvodnikov et al disclose a composite image generated by the composite image generator 305 can be a three-dimensional image (paragraph [60]) and paragraph [62] for real-time composite video may be generated by the video generator 310 by combining real-time video obtained from the camera 110 with a composite image generated by the composite image generator 305. The composite image can, for example, be based on an augmented reality image generated by the processor 126 of the image generation system 125 or by the processor 236 of the computer 230.
It would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate the features of Ogvodnikov et al into the lighting control device of Krause et al to provide the real time composite video and the augmented reality image.
With respect to claim 17, Krause et al as modified disclose all limitations recite in claim 1 above, except for wherein the marking image is implemented as an augmented reality (AR)-based image with a three-dimensional pattern or an AR-based animation with a sense of motion from a pedestrian's perspective to guide pedestrian avoidance.
Ogvodnikov et al disclose a composite image generated by the composite image generator 305 can be a three-dimensional image (paragraph [60]) and paragraph [62] for real-time composite video may be generated by the video generator 310 by combining real-time video obtained from the camera 110 with a composite image generated by the composite image generator 305. The composite image can, for example, be based on an augmented reality image generated by the processor 126 of the image generation system 125 or by the processor 236 of the computer 230.
It would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate the features of Ogvodnikov et al into the lighting control device of Krause et al to provide the real time composite video and the augmented reality image.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 2-4,6, 11-13 and 15 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.
Citation of pertinent prior art
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicants' disclosure. See prior arts/references listed on the PTO-892 form attached.
Inquiry
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MINH TRAN whose telephone number is (571)272-1817. The examiner can normally be reached on 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Taningco Alexander H can be reached on 571-272-8048. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300. Information regarding the status of an application may be obtained from the Patent Application Information Retrieval (PAIR) system. Status information for published applications may be obtained from either Private PAIR or Public PAIR. Status information for unpublished applications is available through Private PAIR only. For more information about the PAIR system, see http://pair-direct.uspto.gov. Should you have questions on access to the Private PAIR system, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from USPTO Customer Service Representative or access to the automated information system, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
/Minh Tran/
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 2844
Prosecution Insights