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 . Claims 1-20 are currently pending in this application. This communication is the first action on the merits (FAOM).
Examiner's Note
Examiner has cited particular paragraphs/columns and line numbers or figures in the references as applied to the claims below for the convenience of the applicant. Although the specified citations are representative of the teachings in the art and are applied to the specific limitations within the individual claim, other passages and figures may apply as well. It is respectfully requested from the applicant, in preparing the responses, to fully consider the references in their entirety as potentially teaching all or part of the claimed invention, as well as the context of the passage as taught by the prior art or disclosed by the examiner. Applicant is reminded that the Examiner is entitled to give the broadest reasonable interpretation to the language of the claims. Furthermore, the Examiner is not limited to Applicants' definition which is not specifically set forth in the claims.
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, and 7-9 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lötbäck et al. (EP4336147A1, hereinafter “Lötbäck”) in view of OTAKA et al. (US 20230389096 A1, hereinafter “OTAKA”).
With respect to claim 5, Lötbäck discloses a mobile body comprising a wireless communication unit and a processor [0031] computing unit of a vehicle (Also, claim 10), wherein the processor is configured to:
receive communication quality messages from a [[plurality of]] other mobile bodies by the wireless communication unit ([0012] discloses data parameters collected from plurality of vehicles “the data parameters may be collected from a large number of vehicles”, Claim 14 further discloses a vehicle of plurality of vehicles comprising means for transmitting the vehicle data to a 2nd vehicle of or a separate computing unit "A vehicle for route planning, a vehicle of a plurality of vehicles further comprising a logging means for logging the vehicle data and/or means for transmitting the vehicle data to a cloud and/or a second vehicle and/or a separate computing unit". Also, see [0013] "the generation of the route data may be based on real and up-to-date vehicular-measured data and statistics from a fleet of cars")
The communication quality messages including position information and communication quality information about a position indicated by the position information (Claim 1 and [0006] explicitly states the vehicle data comprises vehicle position data associated with signal strength data associated with signal strength data and signal frequency data. These correspond to position information and communication quality information respectively (Claim 1 "According to a first aspect, a computer-implemented method for providing route data for a vehicle is disclosed, comprising:
providing signal quality data for a geographical region comprising vehicle data of a plurality of vehicles, whereby the vehicle data comprising vehicle position data associated with signal strength data and signal frequency data;
providing destination data for the vehicle; and
generating, by the vehicle and/or a separate computing unit, the route data for the vehicle based on the signal quality data and the destination data for the vehicle.")).
create a communication quality map for each position based on the communication quality messages ( Fig. 11 and 10 illustrate route with positions displayed to the user, claim 11 and [0034] both specify that route data can be generated by the computing device of the vehicle, [0034] "In an implementation, the route data may further be generated by the computing device and/or the mobile computing device."). Alos, [0033] and 0049-0052] describe creating signal quality data for geographical regions in a database (maps), and claim 12 mentions a generating unit configured to generate route data for the vehicle based on this signal quality data [0033] " connectivity data of current vehicles may be that by creating the geographical region based on the signal quality data, ",
[0051]"vehicle data comprised by the signal quality data may comprise time stamp data and/or vehicle identification number (VIN) data and/or the signal frequency data may comprise quality of service data.",
[0052] Fig. 6 shows a schematic illustration of a database of a separate computing unit comprising signal quality data for different geographical regions, whereby the database 80 of the separate computing unit may comprise signal quality data for different geographical regions, e.g. first signal quality data 81 for the geographical region 60 and signal quality data 82, 83 for further geographical regions.
and search for a route to a destination based on the communication quality map ([0046] and Fig. 11 illustrates the route to the destination based on the route in Fig 11. [0035] describes planning a driving route based on the highest probability of robust connectivity [0035] “may be able to plan a driving route based on the highest probability of robust connectivity"), furthermore, claim 1 and [0043] state that route data is generated for the vehicle based on the signal quality data and destination data [0043] "Fig. 1 shows an example of a diagram of the disclosed method for providing route data 100 for a vehicle, comprising: providing signal quality data for a geographical region 110 comprising vehicle data of a plurality of vehicles, whereby the vehicle data comprising vehicle position data associated with signal strength data and signal frequency data; providing destination data for the vehicle 120; and generating, by the vehicle and/or a separate computing unit, the route data 130 for the vehicle based on the signal quality data and the destination data for the vehicle."
and present the route to a user or move along the route ([0011] explains that the vehicle uses the route data to provide navigation from a current location to a desired destination and/or support driving "... vehicle may use the route data to provide navigation from a current location to a desired destination and/or support driving from the current location to a desired destination."), furthermore [0035] mentions autonomous vehicles using these statistics to optimize the driving route for automatic driving functionality which involves controlling the mobile body to move "...Similarly, autonomous vehicles that rely on internet connectivity for advanced use cases in the future may use these statistics to optimize the driving route for the longest duration of automatic driving functionality.", Fig. 11 illustrates route displayed/presented to the user.
Although Lötbäck discloses receiving a parameter from 2nd vehicle, logging means for a plurality of vehicles as disclosed in claim 14 and collecting data parameters from vehicles as disclosed in [0012], however Lötbäck does not explicitly disclose receiving from a plurality of mobile bodies. Emphasis in italics.
However OTAKA discloses receive communication quality messages from a plurality of other mobile bodies by the wireless communication unit (Fig. 5 step S502 “… transmits a response including the information regarding the communication condition to the vehicle 111 (S502)”, where Fig. 5 illustrates vehicle 111 receives communication condition corresponding to quality information from ap plurality of vehicles 112, 113 corresponding to the wireless devices, where the communication conditions corresponds to wireless quality, signal strength and SNR as disclosed in [0026]),
select at least one wireless communication device from the plurality of other wireless communication devices based on the communication quality information (Fig. 5 Step S503 [0041] “Thereafter, the vehicle 111 selects a device that relays the communication of the self-device and a communication method that should be used in such a device, based on the received information (S503).”),
and request the other wireless communication device that is selected to relay communication through a base station (Fig. 5 Step S504 and [0042] “In response to the selection, the vehicle 111 transmits a relay request that designates the selected communication method to the vehicle 112 (S504).”, and [0044] “After both the connection with the vehicle 111 and the connection with the predetermined device 121 are established, the vehicle 112 starts relaying the communication of the vehicle 111 (S507).” Where device 121 corresponds to an access point 121 (base station)).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified Lötbäck to incorporate the teaching of OTAKA to utilize the above feature, with the motivation of identifying mobile devices with optimal performing parameters, as recognized by (OTAKA [0026]).
With respect to claim 1, claim 1 is a broader limitation of claim 5, however claim 1 recites similar limitations to claim 5, therefore claim 1 is rejected with the same rationale/motivation applied to claim 5.
With respect to claim 2, Lötbäck in view of OTAKA discloses the mobile body according to claim 1, wherein the processor determines, as the destination, a position where communication quality is at or higher than a predetermined standard “Lotback: n an implementation, the generating of the route data may further be based on a predetermined signal quality value, whereby the predetermined signal quality value may preferably correspond to a needed signal strength level required for a voice communication of a driver of the vehicle and/or for file transfers of the driver” also [0018] and fig. 11 and [0058]. [0047-0048] and Fig. 5 further illustrates the route according to signal strength bars.
With respect to claim 3, Lötbäck in view of OTAKA discloses the mobile body according to claim 1, wherein information about the destination is a route to the destination. (Lötbäck :[0041] “Fig. 11 is a schematic illustration of an example for generating and providing route data based on a predetermined signal quality value.”)
With respect to claim 4, Lötbäck in view of OTAKA discloses The mobile body according to claim 1, wherein communication quality is a received radio wave strength, a reception quality, a signal-to-interference-plus-noise ratio, or communication throughput. (Lötbäck: [0015 and 0020] discloses wireless signal strength corresponding to radio wave strength. Further illustrated in e.g. Fig. 11 and 5).
With respect to claim 7, Lötbäck in view of OTAKA discloses The mobile body according to claim 5, wherein the processor preferentially searches for a route where a communication quality is at or higher than a predetermined standard, based on the communication quality map (Lötbäck: [0057] “[0057] Fig. 11 shows a schematic illustration of an example for generating and providing route data based on a predetermined signal quality value, whereby route data for an improved, i.e. with respect to the signal quality, vehicle's path 71 of the geographical region 60 are provided by the second user 92 to the vehicle 50. Thereby, the improved vehicle's path 71 differs from the non-improved vehicle's path 70, in such a way that it guides the vehicle 50 around the base station 62 in such a way that the vehicle 50 may mostly travel in areas of the geographical region 60 that provide an improved received signal strength compared to the non-improved vehicle's path 70. Moreover, the route data for the improved vehicle's path 71 may be provided to the vehicle 50 by a mobile computing system of the second user 92. However, the provision is not limited to such a mobile computing system, the route data may, additionally or alternatively, be provided by the vehicle 50 itself, the separate computing unit and/or devices with access to the database 80.”)
With respect to claim 8, Lötbäck in view of OTAKA discloses the mobile body according to claim 5, wherein the processor is further configured to determine a position with a high communication quality as the destination (Lötbäck: Fig. 11 and [0057] where the improved route 71 and its positions along the way towards the destination are based on predetermined quality signal).
With respect to claim 9, claim 9 recites similar limitations to claim 4, therefore claim 9 is rejected with the same rationale/motivation applied to claim 4.
Claims 6 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lötbäck et al. (EP4336147A1, hereinafter “Lötbäck”) in view of Shang et al. (OTAKA et al. (US 20230389096 A1, hereinafter “OTAKA”) and Shang (US 20220327650 A1).
With respect to claim 6, Lötbäck in view of OTAKA discloses the mobile body according to claim 5, wherein the processor receives a route search request including a destination [[from the user]] (Lötbäck: [0036] receiving destination data for a vehicle, and further illustrated in Figure 1 (120)),
searches for a route to the destination using a communication quality map created based on the communication quality message [[obtained by the request message]] and presents the route to the user ([0057] generating and providing improved route data based on signal quality).
Lötbäck in view of OTAKA discloses the aforementioned limitations and further discloses the quality map discussed in claim 5. However, Lötbäck in view of OTAKA does not disclose the limitation below. Emphasis in italic.
However Shang discloses wherein the processor receives a route search request including a destination from the user (Shang Fig. 1B [0047] “ For example, a user may use the computing device 110 (e.g., a mobile phone installed with a software application associated with the platform) to request a transportation trip arranged by the platform.”, and [0050] “ In some embodiments, the computing device 110 may transmit a signal (e.g., query signal 124) to the system 102. The computing device 110 may be associated with a passenger seeking transportation service. The query signal 124 may correspond to a bubble signal comprising information such as a current location of the passenger, a current time, an origin of a planned transportation, a destination of the planned transportation, etc.”)
transmits a request message requesting the communication quality message to the other mobile bodies, in response to the route search request ([0047] “The system 102 may receive the request and relay it to one or more computing device 111 (e.g., by posting the request to a software application installed on mobile phones carried by vehicle drivers or installed on in-vehicle computers). Each vehicle driver may use the computing device 111 to accept the posted transportation request and obtain pick-up location information.”),
searches for a route to the destination using a communication quality map created based on the communication quality message obtained by the request message (Fig. 1B [0052] “[0052] In some embodiments, when making the assignment, the system 102 may send a plan (e.g., plan signal 128) to the computing device 110 or one or more other devices. The plan signal 128 may include a price quote, a discount signal, the route departing from the origin location and arriving at the destination location, an estimated time of arrival at the destination location, etc. The plan signal may be presented on the computing device 110 for the user to accept or reject.” Based on the data signal 122 and 126 corresponding to communication quality messages received form computing devices, a plan route signal 128 is presented to the user device.)
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified Lötbäck in view of OTAKA to incorporate the teaching of Shang to utilize the above feature, with the motivation of improving incentivize users in selecting routes, as recognized by (Shang [0056]).
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.
Claims 10-13 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by OTAKA et al. (US 20230389096 A1, hereinafter “OTAKA”).
With respect to claim 10, OTAKA discloses a wireless communication device comprising a processor ([0034] “FIG. 2 illustrates a hardware configuration example of the communication device mounted on the vehicle 111 to the vehicle 114 in the present embodiment.” Vehicle 111 in Fig. 1 and 5 comprising a CPU 201 illustrated in Fig. 2) configured to:
receive communication quality information from a plurality of other wireless communication devices (Fig. 5 step S502 “… transmits a response including the information regarding the communication condition to the vehicle 111 (S502)”, where Fig. 5 illustrates vehicle 111 receives communication condition corresponding to quality information from ap plurality of vehicles 112, 113 corresponding to the wireless devices, where the communication conditions corresponds to wireless quality, signal strength and SNR as disclosed in [0026]),
select at least one wireless communication device from the plurality of other wireless communication devices based on the communication quality information (Fig. 5 Step S503 [0041] “Thereafter, the vehicle 111 selects a device that relays the communication of the self-device and a communication method that should be used in such a device, based on the received information (S503).”),
and request the other wireless communication device that is selected to relay communication through a base station (Fig. 5 Step S504 and [0042] “In response to the selection, the vehicle 111 transmits a relay request that designates the selected communication method to the vehicle 112 (S504).”, and [0044] “After both the connection with the vehicle 111 and the connection with the predetermined device 121 are established, the vehicle 112 starts relaying the communication of the vehicle 111 (S507).” Where device 121 corresponds to an access point 121 (base station))
With respect to claim 11, OTAKA discloses the wireless communication device according to claim 10, wherein the processor transmits a request message requesting the communication quality information to the plurality of other wireless communication devices (Fig. 5 Step S501, and [0041]),
and selects at least one wireless communication device from the plurality of other wireless communication devices based on the communication quality information obtained by the request message (Fig. 5 Step S503 [0041] “Thereafter, the vehicle 111 selects a device that relays the communication of the self-device and a communication method that should be used in such a device, based on the received information (S503).” where Fig. 5 illustrates vehicle 111 receives communication condition corresponding to quality information from ap plurality of vehicles 112, 113 corresponding to the wireless devices, where the communication conditions corresponds to wireless quality, signal strength and SNR as disclosed in [0026]).
With respect to claim 12, OTAKA discloses the wireless communication device according to claim 10, wherein the wireless communication device is a wireless communication device that performs mobile wireless communication (Vehicle 111, [0032] where vehicle 111 performs wireless communication as further illustrated in Fig.1).
With respect to claim 13, OTAKA discloses The wireless communication device according to claim 10, wherein communication quality is a received radio wave strength, a reception quality, a signal-to-interference-plus-noise ratio, or communication throughput ([0026] “The wireless quality can include, for example, received signal strength, a signal to noise ratio (SNR)…”).
and the processor selects the wireless communication device with highest received radio wave strength, highest reception quality, highest signal-to-interference-plus-noise ratio, or highest communication throughput ([0045] “In this manner, the vehicle 111 selects another vehicle (the vehicle 112) capable of relaying the communication of the self-device with sufficient quality…”, sufficient quality corresponds to e.g. signal strength as disclosed in [0026] ).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure:
REI et al. (JP2017167625A) discloses setting a communication-quality threshold and using communication-quality regions below the threshold for route planning
[128-129] “The route search unit searches for a route that does not pass through a communication failure region, which is a region having a communication quality lower than a predetermined threshold value, in a communication quality map created by the communication quality map creation unit.”
Tseng et al. (US20150281906A1) discloses [0019] “, the processing device 135 may identify the current location, the selected destination, and the locations along the route to the selected destination from the navigation system 130. Using the connectivity map, the processing device 135 may determine the communication quality at each identified location. If the communication quality at the current location exceeds the predetermined threshold, the process 300 may continue at block 315. If the communication quality at the current location does not exceed the predetermined threshold, the process 300 may continue at block 330.”
Any inquiry concerning this or any earlier communication from the examiner should be directed to Examiner Akram Manshalin, whose telephone number is 571-272-6555. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday from 7:30 am to 5:00 pm.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Akwasi Sarpong can be reached on (571)-270-3438. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/Akram Manshalin/
Examiner, Art Unit 2648
/AKWASI M SARPONG/SPE, Art Unit 2681 09/21/2026
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