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 .
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments, see p. 6, filed August 11, 2026, with respect to objection have been fully considered and are persuasive. The objection to the specification has been withdrawn.
Applicant’s arguments, see p. 8-10, filed August 11, 2026, with respect to the rejection(s) of claim(s) 1 and 4-9 under 35 U.S.C. 103 have been fully considered and are persuasive. Therefore, the rejection has been withdrawn. However, upon further consideration, a new ground(s) of rejection is made in view of Namako (JP 2007274333 A).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
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.
The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
Claim(s) 1, 4, 5, 8, and 9 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Shimotani (WO 2010064389A1), Oda (US010777027B2), and Namako (JP 2007274333 A).
As per Claim 1, Shimotani teaches a display system (touch panel 1) to be mounted on a vehicle including a vibration sensor (acceleration sensor) (acceleration sensor is mounted in the touch panel 1 to detect vibration of the touch panel 1, or vibration of the touch panel 1 is detected by the acceleration sensor 23 mounted on the vehicle, p. 8, last sentence-p. 9, 1st paragraph), the display system including: a screen (LCD panel 10, p. 2, 2nd to last paragraph); and a controller configured or programmed to control displaying of an image on the screen and generate an image including an input interface to allow a user to perform an input operation and cause the image to be displayed on the screen (touch panel combines a display device and a coordinate position input device such as a touch pad, and is touched by touching an image area such as an icon displayed on the liquid crystal panel with a finger, it is a display input device that can sense the position information of an image and operate the device, incorporated in an in-vehicle navigation system, p. 2, Background-Art). Shimotani teaches when the vibration determination unit 303 determines that there is a predetermined amount of finger vibration, the vibration correction unit 304 performs vibration correction and the XY coordinates of the finger from which the vibration component has been removed are obtained and output to the image information generation unit 305. When it is determined that there is no predetermined amount of vibration, vibration correction is not performed, and time-series data of the XY coordinates of the finger is output to the image information generation unit 305 as it is. When it is determined that the finger vibration has a predetermined amount, an image in a certain range centered on the XY coordinates of the finger from which the vibration component is removed is enlarged, and when it is determined that there is no predetermined amount of vibration, a certain range of image centered on the XY coordinates of the finger that has not undergone vibration correction is enlarged (p. 6, 3rd paragraph). Thus, when the magnitude of vibration is below a predetermined amount (threshold), then the XY coordinate of the finger is output to the image information generation unit 305 as it is, and a certain range of image centered on the XY coordinate of the finger as it is is enlarged, and thus the input interface (certain range of image that is enlarged) is kept stationary at the XY coordinate as it is. When the magnitude of vibration is equal to or about the predetermined amount (threshold), then the vibration component is removed from the XY coordinate of the finger, which changes the XY coordinate where the certain range of image that is enlarged is centered on, and thus the input interface (certain range of image that is enlarged) is moved from the XY coordinate. Thus, Shimotani teaches wherein the controller is configured or programmed to keep the input interface stationary at a first predetermined position on the screen when a magnitude of vibration of the vehicle as detected by the vibration sensor is below a threshold, and move the input interface from the first predetermined position when the magnitude of vibration of the vehicle is equal to or above the threshold (p. 6, 3rd paragraph).
However, Shimotani does not teach that the vehicle is a work vehicle. However, Oda teaches a display system (200) to be mounted on a work vehicle (2) (server apparatus 200 mounted on the working vehicle 2, col. 3, lines 20-21; server apparatus 200 includes a server display device 220, col. 3, lines 43-45) including a vibration sensor (320D) (vibration sensor 320D that detects an acceleration indicating a vibration occurring in the dump truck 2, col. 6, lines 6-8), the display system including: a screen (220) (col. 3, lines 43-45); and a controller (210) (server apparatus 200 includes a server data processor 210, col. 3, lines 43-45) configured or programmed to control displaying of an image on the screen and generate an image including an input interface to allow a user to perform an input operation and cause the image to be displayed on the screen (operate the graphical user interface (GUI) of the server apparatus 200, col. 13, lines 62-63); a vibration of the work vehicle is detected by the vibration sensor (vibration sensor 320D that detects an acceleration indicating a vibration occurring in the dump truck 2, col. 6, lines 6-8).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Shimotani so that the vehicle is a work vehicle because Oda suggests that it is well-known in the art to check an operating state of a work vehicle, and thus it would be obvious to mount the display system on a work vehicle (col. 1, lines 13-14; col. 3, lines 20-21).
However, Shimotani and Oda do not expressly teach moving the input interface from the first predetermined position in a same direction as a direction of a displacement in vibration of the work vehicle. However, Namako teaches that the display position of the image on the display is corrected by a value proportional to the movement amount in the same direction as the movement direction of the user’s face position (p. 4, 2nd paragraph). This is to effectively suppress image shake on the display (p. 5, 6th paragraph) due to vibration of a mobile terminal (p. 1, 2nd to last paragraph). Since the combination of Shimotani and Oda teaches wherein, when the magnitude of vibration of the work vehicle is equal to or above the threshold, the controller is configured or programmed to move the input interface from the first predetermined position, as discussed above, this teaching from Namako can be implemented into the combination of Shimotani and Oda so that the display of Namako is mounted on the work vehicle and the user is in the work vehicle and a vibration occurs in the work vehicle as taught by Oda. Thus, if a vibration occurs in the work vehicle and the user is in the work vehicle, then the direction of a displacement in vibration of the work vehicle is in the same direction as the direction of a displacement in vibration of the user. Thus, since Namako teaches moving the input interface from the first predetermined position in a same direction as a direction of a displacement in vibration of the user (p. 4, 2nd paragraph), then it moves the input interface from the first predetermined position in a same direction as a direction of a displacement in vibration of the work vehicle.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Shimotani and Oda to include moving the input interface from the first predetermined position in a same direction as a direction of a displacement in vibration of the work vehicle because Namako suggests that this effectively suppresses an apparent image shake that occurs on the display when the display is used during movement (p. 2, 4th paragraph).
As per Claim 4, Shimotani teaches wherein the screen is a touch screen panel (1) (p. 8, last sentence-p. 9, 1st paragraph).
As per Claim 5, Shimotani teaches a display system (touch panel 1) to be mounted on a vehicle including a vibration sensor (acceleration sensor) (acceleration sensor is mounted in the touch panel 1 to detect vibration of the touch panel 1, or vibration of the touch panel 1 is detected by the acceleration sensor 23 mounted on the vehicle, p. 8, last sentence-p. 9, 1st paragraph), the display system including: a touch screen (1) (p. 8, last sentence-p. 9, 1st paragraph); and a controller configured or programmed to control displaying of an image on the touch screen and generate an image including an input interface to allow a user to perform an input operation and cause the image to be displayed on the touch screen (touch panel combines a display device and a coordinate position input device such as a touch pad, and is touched by touching an image area such as an icon displayed on the liquid crystal panel with a finger, it is a display input device that can sense the position information of an image and operate the device, incorporated in an in-vehicle navigation system, p. 2, Background-Art); wherein the controller is configured or programmed to: generate the image such that the image includes at least one kind of information among information on the vehicle, information on travel by the vehicle, and information on work to be performed by the vehicle, and cause the image to be displayed on the touch screen (performs a navigation process according to a menu selected by the user such as a route search displayed on the touch panel 1 as a route search, performs navigation such as route search or destination guidance, p. 3, 6th paragraph). Shimotani teaches when the vibration determination unit 303 determines that there is a predetermined amount of finger vibration, the vibration correction unit 304 performs vibration correction and the XY coordinates of the finger from which the vibration component has been removed are obtained and output to the image information generation unit 305. When it is determined that there is no predetermined amount of vibration, vibration correction is not performed, and time-series data of the XY coordinates of the finger is output to the image information generation unit 305 as it is. When it is determined that the finger vibration has a predetermined amount, an image in a certain range centered on the XY coordinates of the finger from which the vibration component is removed is enlarged, and when it is determined that there is no predetermined amount of vibration, a certain range of image centered on the XY coordinates of the finger that has not undergone vibration correction is enlarged (p. 6, 3rd paragraph). Thus, when the magnitude of vibration is below a predetermined amount (threshold), then the XY coordinate of the finger is output to the image information generation unit 305 as it is, and a certain range of image centered on the XY coordinate of the finger as it is is enlarged, and thus the information (certain range of image that is enlarged) is kept stationary at the XY coordinate as it is. When the magnitude of vibration is equal to or about the predetermined amount (threshold), then the vibration component is removed from the XY coordinate of the finger, which changes the XY coordinate where the certain range of image that is enlarged is centered on, and thus the information (certain range of image that is enlarged) is moved from the XY coordinate. Thus, Shimotani teaches when the magnitude of vibration of the vehicle as detected by the vibration sensor is below a threshold, keep the at least one kind of information stationary at a predetermined position on the touch screen; and when the magnitude of vibration of the vehicle is equal to or above the threshold, move the at least one kind of information from the predetermined position (p. 6, 3rd paragraph; p. 3, 6th paragraph; p. 8, last sentence-p. 9, 1st paragraph).
However, Shimotani does not teach that the vehicle is a work vehicle. However, Oda teaches generating the image such that the image includes at least one kind of information amount information on the work vehicle, information on travel by the work vehicle, and information on work to be performed by the work vehicle, and cause the image to be displayed on the screen (server data processor 210 includes an acquisition device operating unit 218 that generates an operation signal for operating the acquisition device 300 based on the input data, col. 14, lines 56-60; dump truck 2 includes server apparatus 200, and an acquisition device 300 that acquires the operating state of the dump truck 2, col. 4, lines 29-36; camera 310 acquires image data around the dump truck 2 as the operating state data of the dump truck 2, col. 5, lines 9-12; monitor device 312 on which the image data acquired by the camera 310 is displayed is disposed in the cab 26, col. 5, lines 37-39). Thus, this teaching of the work vehicle from Oda can be implemented into the device of Shimotani so that the vehicle is a work vehicle. This would be obvious for the reasons given in the rejection for Claim 1.
However, Shimotani and Oda do not expressly teach that the at least one kind of information is moved from the predetermined position in a same direction as a direction of a displacement in vibration of the work vehicle. However, Namako teaches that the display position of the image on the display is corrected by a value proportional to the movement amount in the same direction as the movement direction of the user’s face position (p. 4, 2nd paragraph). This is to effectively suppress image shake on the display (p. 5, 6th paragraph) due to vibration of a mobile terminal (p. 1, 2nd to last paragraph). Since the combination of Shimotani and Oda teaches when the magnitude of vibration of the work vehicle is equal to or above the threshold, move the at least one kind of information from the predetermined position, as discussed above, this teaching from Namako can be implemented into the combination of Shimotani and Oda so that the display of Namako is mounted on the work vehicle and the user is in the work vehicle and a vibration occurs in the work vehicle as taught by Oda. Thus, if a vibration occurs in the work vehicle and the user is in the work vehicle, then the direction of a displacement in vibration of the work vehicle is in the same direction as the direction of a displacement in vibration of the user. Thus, since Namako teaches moving the at least one kind of information from the predetermined position in a same direction as a direction of a displacement in vibration of the user (p. 4, 2nd paragraph), then it moves the at least one kind of information from the predetermined position in a same direction as a direction of a displacement in vibration of the work vehicle. This would be obvious for the reasons given in the rejection for Claim 1.
As per Claim 8, Shimotani teaches wherein the input interface includes an input section with which to input at least one kind of information including information on the vehicle, information on travel by the vehicle, or information on work to be performed by the vehicle (performs a navigation process according to a menu selected by the user such as a route search displayed on the touch panel 1 as a route search, performs navigation such as route search or destination guidance, p. 3, 6th paragraph).
However, Shimotani does not teach that the vehicle is a work vehicle. However, Oda teaches wherein the input interface includes an input section with which to input at least one kind of information including information on the work vehicle, information on travel by the work vehicle, or information on work to be performed by the work vehicle (server data processor 210 includes an acquisition device operating unit 218 that generates an operation signal for operating the acquisition device 300 based on the input data, col. 14, lines 56-60; dump truck 2 includes server apparatus 200, and an acquisition device 300 that acquires the operating state of the dump truck 2, col. 4, lines 29-36; state quantity sensor 320 detects state quantity data indicating the state of the dump truck 2 as the operating state data of the dump truck 2, state quantity sensor 320 includes an engine speed sensor 320A that detects an engine speed per unit time of a diesel engine which is the driving device 24, a speed sensor 320C that detects a traveling speed of the traveling device 21, col. 5, line 64-col. 6, line 6). This would be obvious for the reasons given in the rejection for Claim 1.
As per Claim 9, Shimotani teaches a vehicle comprising: a vibration sensor; and the display system (acceleration sensor is mounted in the touch panel 1 to detect vibration of the touch panel 1, or vibration of the touch panel 1 is detected by the acceleration sensor 23 mounted on the vehicle, p. 8, last sentence-p. 9, 1st paragraph).
However, Shimotani does not teach that the vehicle is a work vehicle. However, Oda teaches a work vehicle (2) comprising: a vibration sensor (320D) (vibration sensor 320D that detects an acceleration indicating a vibration occurring in the dump truck 2, col. 6, lines 6-8); and the display system (200) (server apparatus 200 mounted on the working vehicle 2, col. 3, lines 20-21; server apparatus 200 includes a server display device 220, col. 3, lines 43-45). This would be obvious for the reasons given in the rejection for Claim 1.
Claim(s) 6-7 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Shimotani (WO 2010064389A1), Oda (US010777027B2), and Namako (JP 2007274333 A) in view of Yamamoto (US 20200201037A1).
As per Claim 6, Shimotani, Oda, and Namako are relied upon for the teachings as discussed above relative to Claim 1.
However, Shimotani, Oda, and Namako do not teach a light source to be controlled by the controller; and optics to create a virtual image ahead of the screen in response to received light that is emitted from the light source. However, Yamamoto teaches further comprising: a light source to be controlled by the controller; and optics to create a virtual image ahead of the screen in response to received light that is emitted from the light source (image-light generating means configured to generate image light displaying the image information and an optical system configured to allow a driver of the vehicle to recognize the image information of the image light from the image-light generating means as a virtual image in front of the windshield, [0011]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Shimotani, Oda, and Namako to include a light source to be controlled by the controller; and optics to create a virtual image ahead of the screen in response to received light that is emitted from the light source because Yamamoto suggests that this is well-known in the art [0002].
As per Claim 7, it is similar in scope to Claim 5, and so is rejected under same rationale.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JONI HSU whose telephone number is (571)272-7785. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 10am-6:30pm.
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, Kee Tung can be reached at (571)272-7794. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
JH
/JONI HSU/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2611
Prosecution Insights