Prosecution Insights
Last updated: May 29, 2026
Application No. 18/965,036

Method and Device for Regulating a Tire Pressure of a Vehicle and Storage Medium

Non-Final OA §103
Filed
Dec 02, 2024
Priority
Dec 14, 2023 — CN 202311722612.7
Examiner
TRAN, SARAH ASHLEY
Art Unit
3656
Tech Center
3600 — Transportation & Electronic Commerce
Assignee
Volvo Car Corporation
OA Round
1 (Non-Final)
68%
Grant Probability
Favorable
1-2
OA Rounds
2y 1m
Est. Remaining
89%
With Interview

Examiner Intelligence

Grants 68% — above average
68%
Career Allowance Rate
79 granted / 117 resolved
+15.5% vs TC avg
Strong +22% interview lift
Without
With
+21.6%
Interview Lift
resolved cases with interview
Typical timeline
3y 7m
Avg Prosecution
12 currently pending
Career history
137
Total Applications
across all art units

Statute-Specific Performance

§101
0.8%
-39.2% vs TC avg
§103
91.4%
+51.4% vs TC avg
§102
4.4%
-35.6% vs TC avg
§112
3.4%
-36.6% vs TC avg
Black line = Tech Center average estimate • Based on career data from 117 resolved cases

Office Action

§103
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 . Claim Objections Claim 1 objected to because of the following informalities: changing “a reference tire pressure” in Line 8 to “the reference tire pressure”. Appropriate correction is required. 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 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. Claims 1-2, 10, 12, 14-15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Chan (US 20160347130 A1) in view of Shin (US 20230099037 A1) in further view of Yamakawa (JP 2008132836 A). Regarding claim 1, Chan teaches A method for regulating a tire pressure of a vehicle, comprising: ([0018] various embodiments disclosed herein relate to systems and methods for anticipatorily controlling the internal air pressure of one or more tires of a vehicle.) acquiring information comprising a value of a vehicle speed ([0019] Varying the tire pressure can be used to optimize various characteristics of vehicle operation, including…vehicle speed) and a value of the tire pressure while the vehicle is driving ([0046] For example, to provide enhanced handling of vehicle 10 in wet or icy conditions, controller 20 may determine that a relatively lower air pressure is more desirable, and control operation of pressure regulator 22 such that the air pressure of tires 14 is reduced upon vehicle 10 travelling over the wet or icy road area.), a weather condition ([0031] environment data may provide an indication of weather conditions such as rain, snow, wind, hail, and the like), a route to be followed by the vehicle ([0033] vehicle systems 32 may include an on-board navigation system such that vehicle data for a planned route of travel for vehicle 10 may be provided to controller 20.), a predicted road condition on the route ([0035] Remote device 50 is or includes one or more remote devices configured to transmit data (e.g., remote data) to and/or receive data from vehicle 10. In some embodiments, device 50 includes a remote navigation or mapping system, a weather information service, a traffic alert provider, and the like. As such, the remote data provided by device 50 to vehicle 10 (and in turn tire pressure control system 18) may include various types of remote data, such as navigation or map data, weather data, road or traffic conditions (e.g., road blockages, traffic jams, estimated travel times between points, upcoming curves or hills, upcoming road surfaces, etc.), and the like. Remote data may include other types of data according to various other embodiments.), and an energy state of the vehicle; ([0019] Varying the tire pressure can be used to optimize various characteristics of vehicle operation, including…vehicle fuel/energy consumption,) determining a difference between the acquired value of the tire pressure and the determined value of the reference tire pressure for regulating the tire pressure, ([0044] Referring back to FIG. 3, according to one embodiment controller 20 controls (e.g., maintains, increases, or decreases) the air pressure within tires 14 by way of pressure regulator 22 based on one or more types of data (e.g., road data, environment data, etc.) and/or other information. In one embodiment, based on the various types of data and information, controller 20 determines a target air pressure for one or more tires. Based on the target air pressure and the current air pressure (as provided, for example, by tire sensors 26), controller 20 controls operation of pressure regulator 22 to adjust the air pressure within tires 14 accordingly.) Chan does not expressly disclose but Shin discloses setting a plurality of tire pressure modes, wherein each of the plurality of tire pressure modes defines a reference tire pressure; ([0015] Furthermore, a control method for varying tire pressure, according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, includes: [0016] selecting, by the controller, a mode for selecting one of a specified air pressure mode, a fuel economy improvement mode, a cornering performance improvement mode, a braking performance improvement mode, an acceleration performance improvement mode, a ride comfort improvement mode, and a driving stability improvement mode by use of information transmitted from an input unit; and [0017] controlling, by the controller, an air pressure in the tire for varying the tire pressure by controlling current applied to the bimetal of a wheel according to a mode selected in the selecting a mode) selecting, based on the information, one tire pressure mode from the plurality of tire pressure modes and determining a value of a reference tire pressure in the one tire pressure mode; and ([0077] The control method according to various exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure may include selecting, by the controller, a mode…and controlling, by the controller, an air pressure in the tire for varying the tire pressure by controlling current applied to the bimetal of a wheel according to a mode selected in the selecting a mode.) wherein in some of the plurality of tire pressure modes, the reference tire pressure is defined as a function of the vehicle speed and has a lower value when the vehicle speed increases within a specified range ([0106] In the acceleration performance improvement mode, the air pressures of the left and right tires 1, 2 of the front wheels are controlled to maintain a normal pressure which is a predetermined pressure, and the air pressures of the left and right tires 3, 4 of the rear wheels are controlled to maintain a pressure reduced from the normal pressure which is a predetermined pressure.) Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to modify Chan with the teachings of Shin with a reasonable expectation of success by improving fuel efficiency and energy efficiency as taught by Shin ([0007]). Chan does not expressly disclose but Yamakawa discloses and a higher value when the vehicle speed decreases within the specified range. ([0014] According to the configuration of Claim 1, under the condition that the vehicle speed is less than the reference speed, the tire pressure control device increases the internal pressure of the tire to a level higher than the standard pressure, thereby reducing the steering resistance due to friction between the tire and the road surface compared to normal conditions. This reduces the load on the assist motor, making it possible to reduce the size of the assist motor.) Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to modify Chan with the teachings of Yamakawa with a reasonable expectation of success by reducing the steering resistance due to friction between the tire and the road surface compared to normal conditions as taught by Yamakawa ([0014]). Regarding claim 2, Chan teaches The method of claim 1, wherein the some of the plurality of tire pressure modes comprise a first tire pressure mode, a second tire pressure mode and a third tire pressure mode, the first tire pressure mode is applicable when the weather condition is at least one of snowy, rainy and foggy and/or the predicted road condition is at least one of icy, slippery, muddy and unsuitable for driving; ([0026] Road data acquired by road sensors 24 may include various types of data. In one embodiment, road data includes a surface state of a road or other terrain, such as a degree of wetness, a depth of water, a rate of rainfall or flooding, a presence or snow, ice, oil, or mud, the presence of holes, bumps, or surface roughness, and the like.) the second tire pressure mode is applicable when the predicted road condition comprises a highway and/or the energy state of the vehicle is low, and ([0036] Referring now to FIGS. 4-5, vehicle 10 is shown travelling along road 34 according to one embodiment. It should be noted that while various embodiments disclosed herein are described with vehicle 10 travelling along a road, the teachings herein extend to any type of terrain, including off-road applications, trails, highways, and the like. [0019] Varying the tire pressure can be used to optimize various characteristics of vehicle operation, including…vehicle fuel/energy consumption,) the third tire pressure mode is applicable when the predicted road condition is suitable for driving and/or the energy state is high. ([0036] As shown in FIGS. 4-5, in one embodiment, road sensors 24 of vehicle 10 are configured to acquire road data regarding an advanced location of road 34 (e.g., at a location ahead of a current location of vehicle 10). The road data may include, for example, data regarding an obstacle 36, including a size and/or location of the obstacle, a predicted time until the vehicle arrives at the location of the obstacle, and the like. Similar road data may be acquired regarding surface condition 38 of road 34, including a surface state (e.g., wet, snowy, icy, etc.), a surface type (e.g., dirt, gravel, pavement, etc.), and the like. Surface condition 38 may further be a change in a surface type (e.g., from pavement to gravel, etc.). [0019] Varying the tire pressure can be used to optimize various characteristics of vehicle operation, including…vehicle fuel/energy consumption,) Regarding claim 10,Chan teaches The method of claim 1, wherein some other modes of the plurality of tire pressure modes comprise a custom tire pressure mode that specifies its reference tire pressure as comprising a plurality of custom reference values when the vehicle speed reaches a specified value ([0041] display portion 56 enables an operator of vehicle 10 to override a default selection of preference 62 and select a different preference. As shown in FIG. 6, preferences 62 may include options such as speed, handling, fuel, and the like. In one embodiment, controller 20 is configured to optimize the selected characteristic by adjusting the air pressure of one or more tires accordingly. For example, to optimize speed or fuel efficiency, a greater tire pressure may be utilized, while to optimize handling, a lower tire pressure may be utilized. In other embodiments, other preferences may be provided as part of display portion 56 (e.g., ride comfort, etc.).), and the information further comprises an acquired user instruction ([0040] Controller 20 may store operator preferences or settings (e.g. in memory 46) such that air pressure of tires 14 can be adjusted based on the preferences or settings of the current driver. ), and selecting one tire pressure mode from the plurality of tire pressure modes based on the information comprises: ([0052] Based on the target pressure, air pressure within one or more tires is adjusted (104). ) selecting the custom tire pressure mode from the plurality of tire pressure modes and determining the value of the reference tire pressure to be equal to one of the plurality of custom reference values when the acquired user instruction indicates that the one of the plurality of custom reference values has been selected by a user. ([0040] Display portion 54 provides a display identifying one or more drivers 60. An operator of vehicle 10 can identify him or herself by selecting the appropriate driver listed in display portion 54. Controller 20 may store operator preferences or settings (e.g. in memory 46) such that air pressure of tires 14 can be adjusted based on the preferences or settings of the current driver. In some embodiments, based on a selection of driver 60, controller 20 provides a default selection of one of preferences 62 shown in display 56. For example, based on past usage, controller 20 may store data regarding drivers and preferences) Regarding claim 12, Chan teaches The method of claim 1, further comprising: setting a compensation tire pressure mode that specifies a compensation for the reference tire pressure as a function of an increment in a vehicle load relative to a load threshold; ([0051] Referring further to FIG. 8, vehicle data is received (98). Vehicle data may be received from one or more vehicle sensors or systems, and may include data such as vehicle weight/load distribution, speed, acceleration, braking data, navigation system data, and the like.) acquiring a value of the vehicle load; ([0032] vehicle sensor 30 is configured to acquire data regarding a weight of vehicle 10, or alternatively, a load distribution for vehicle 10.) determining an amount of the compensation based on the acquired value of the vehicle load in the compensation tire pressure mode; and ([0038] Referring back to FIG. 3 and as noted above, controller 20 may further receive other types of data, including tire data (e.g., a tire pressure, temperature, tread condition, etc.), environment data (e.g., ambient temperature, pressure, local weather conditions, etc.), vehicle data (e.g., vehicle speed, acceleration, weight/loading distribution, etc.), remote data (e.g., weather or traffic reports, road condition reports, road geometry, etc.), and the like.) adding the determined amount of the compensation to the determined value of the reference tire pressure. ([0052] Based on the received data, a target pressure is determined (102). It should be noted that the target pressure may be determined taking more or less data into account than that described with respect to FIG. 8. For example, environment data, vehicle data, and/or operator data may be omitted. Alternatively, remote data from a remote source, such as weather/traffic reports, may further be considered in determining the target pressure. Based on the target pressure, air pressure within one or more tires is adjusted (104). The pressure regulation is timed such that the target pressure is achieved as vehicle 10 arrives at the advanced location corresponding to the road data) Regarding claim 14, Chan teaches A device for regulating a tire pressure of a vehicle, comprising: a processor; and (Fig. 3 processor 44) a memory coupled to the processor, the memory storing executable instructions, wherein the processor is configured to execute the executable instructions to implement the method for regulating a tire pressure of a vehicle of claim 1. ([0018] systems and methods for anticipatorily controlling the internal air pressure of one or more tires of a vehicle [0023] Memory 46 may be communicably connected to processor 44 and provide computer code or instructions to processor 44 for executing the processes described herein.) Regarding claim 15, Chan teaches A non-transitory machine-readable storage medium storing executable instructions configured to implement, when executed by a processor, the method for regulating a tire pressure of a vehicle of claim 1. ([0018] systems and methods for anticipatorily controlling the internal air pressure of one or more tires of a vehicle [0023] Memory 46 may be or include non-transient volatile memory or non-volatile memory. Memory 46 may be communicably connected to processor 44 and provide computer code or instructions to processor 44 for executing the processes described herein. [0054] By way of example, such machine-readable media can comprise RAM, ROM, EPROM, EEPROM, CD-ROM or other optical disk storage, magnetic disk storage or other magnetic storage devices, or any other medium which can be used to carry or store desired program code in the form of machine-executable instructions or data structures and which can be accessed by a general purpose or special purpose computer or other machine with a processor.) Claims 3-7, 11 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Chan (US 20160347130 A1) in view of Shin (US 20230099037 A1) in further view of Yamakawa (JP 2008132836 A) in further view of Takamura (JP 2001063326 A) Regarding claim 3, Chan does not expressly disclose but Takamura discloses The method of claim 2, wherein the first tire pressure mode specifies its reference tire pressure increases from a first reference value to a second reference value when the vehicle speed increases to be greater than a first speed value (Fig. 5 [0042] Next, we will explain the case where the acceleration ΔV remains within a range that does not exceed a predetermined reference acceleration α, while the vehicle speed V exceeds the second reference vehicle speed VL, and further exceeds the first reference vehicle speed VH (times t1 to t2)), increases from the second reference value to a third reference value when the vehicle speed increases to be greater than a second speed value (Fig. 5 [0006] means for determining whether the detected vehicle speed is greater than or equal to a third reference vehicle speed that is less than the first reference vehicle speed), decreases from the third reference value to the second reference value when the vehicle speed decreases to be less than or equal to a third speed value ([0041] If the tire pressure P is less than this reference pressure value PS, an alarm is issued,), and decreases from the second reference value to the first reference value when the vehicle speed decreases to be less than or equal to a fourth speed value; and ([0041] and if the tire pressure P is greater than the reference pressure value PS, the alarm is canceled.) in the first tire pressure mode, the fourth speed value is less than the first speed value ([0039] In step 410, the CPU 22a determines whether the vehicle speed V is greater than or equal to the second reference vehicle speed VL, which is less than the first reference vehicle speed VH), and the third speed value is less than the second speed value and greater than the first speed value. (Fig. 5 [0043] the vehicle speed V is greater than the second reference vehicle speed VL but less than the first reference vehicle speed VH) Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to modify Chan with the teachings of Takamura with a reasonable expectation of success by detecting the tire pressure of a vehicle and issues a warning when the detected tire pressure is abnormal as taught by Takamura ([0001]). Regarding claim 4, Chan does not expressly disclose but Takamura discloses The method of claim 3, wherein the second tire pressure mode specifies its reference tire pressure increases from a first reference value to a second reference value when the vehicle speed increases to be greater than a first speed value ([0004] a first reference pressure value changing means for changing the reference pressure value from a first value to a second value when it is determined that the detected vehicle speed is equal to or greater than the first reference vehicle speed), and decreases from the second reference value to the first reference value when the speed value decreases to be less than or equal to a second speed value; and ([0004] a second vehicle speed determination means for determining whether the detected vehicle speed is less than or equal to a second reference vehicle speed which is less than the first reference vehicle speed,) in the second tire pressure mode, the second speed value is less than the first speed value. ([0031] where it determines whether the vehicle speed V is less than the second reference vehicle speed VL, which is less than the first reference vehicle speed VH.) Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to modify Chan with the teachings of Takamura with a reasonable expectation of success by detecting the tire pressure of a vehicle and issues a warning when the detected tire pressure is abnormal as taught by Takamura ([0001]). Regarding claim 5, Chan does not expressly disclose but Takamura discloses The method of claim 4, wherein the first speed value in the second tire pressure mode is equal to the first speed value in the first tire pressure mode; ([0004] a first reference pressure value changing means for changing the reference pressure value from a first value to a second value when it is determined that the detected vehicle speed is equal to or greater than the first reference vehicle speed,) the second speed value in the second tire pressure mode is equal to the fourth speed value in the first tire pressure mode; and/or ([0004] and changing the reference pressure value from a second value to a first value when it is determined that the detected vehicle speed is less than or equal to the second reference vehicle speed while the reference pressure value is set to a second value) the first reference value in the second tire pressure mode is equal to the third reference value in the first tire pressure mode. ([0004] a first vehicle speed determination means for determining whether the detected vehicle speed is equal to or greater than a first reference vehicle speed) Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to modify Chan with the teachings of Takamura with a reasonable expectation of success by detecting the tire pressure of a vehicle and issues a warning when the detected tire pressure is abnormal as taught by Takamura ([0001]). Regarding claim 6, Chan does not expressly disclose but Takamura discloses The method of claim 3, wherein the third tire pressure mode specifies its reference tire pressure increases from a first reference value to a second reference value when the vehicle speed increases to be greater than a first speed value (Fig. 5 [0042] Next, we will explain the case where the acceleration ΔV remains within a range that does not exceed a predetermined reference acceleration α, while the vehicle speed V exceeds the second reference vehicle speed VL, and further exceeds the first reference vehicle speed VH (times t1 to t2)), increases from the second reference value to a third reference value when the vehicle speed increases to be greater than a second speed value (Fig. 5 [0006] means for determining whether the detected vehicle speed is greater than or equal to a third reference vehicle speed that is less than the first reference vehicle speed), decreases from the third reference value to the second reference value when the vehicle speed decreases to be less than or equal to a third speed value ([0041] If the tire pressure P is less than this reference pressure value PS, an alarm is issued), and decreases from the second reference value to the first reference value when the vehicle speed decreases to be less than or equal to a fourth speed value; and ([0041] and if the tire pressure P is greater than the reference pressure value PS, the alarm is canceled) in the third tire pressure mode, the fourth speed value is less than the first speed value ([0039] In step 410, the CPU 22a determines whether the vehicle speed V is greater than or equal to the second reference vehicle speed VL, which is less than the first reference vehicle speed VH), and the third speed value is less than the second speed value and greater than the first speed value. (Fig. 5 [0043] the vehicle speed V is greater than the second reference vehicle speed VL but less than the first reference vehicle speed VH) Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to modify Chan with the teachings of Takamura with a reasonable expectation of success by detecting the tire pressure of a vehicle and issues a warning when the detected tire pressure is abnormal as taught by Takamura ([0001]). Regarding claim 7, Chan does not expressly disclose but Takamura discloses The method of claim 6, wherein the first speed value in the third tire pressure mode is equal to the first speed value in the first tire pressure mode; ([0004] a first reference pressure value changing means for changing the reference pressure value from a first value to a second value when it is determined that the detected vehicle speed is equal to or greater than the first reference vehicle speed,) the second speed value in the third tire pressure mode is equal to the second speed value in the first tire pressure mode; ([0006] means for determining whether the detected vehicle speed is greater than or equal to a third reference vehicle speed that is less than the first reference vehicle speed) the third speed value in the third tire pressure mode is equal to the third speed value in the first tire pressure mode; ([0006] determined that the detected vehicle speed is greater than or equal to the third reference vehicle speed and the detected acceleration is greater than or equal to the reference acceleration) the fourth speed value in the third tire pressure mode is equal to the fourth speed value in the first tire pressure mode; and/or ([0004] and changing the reference pressure value from a second value to a first value when it is determined that the detected vehicle speed is less than or equal to the second reference vehicle speed while the reference pressure value is set to a second value) the first reference value in the third tire pressure mode is equal to the second reference value in the first tire pressure mode. ([0004] a first vehicle speed determination means for determining whether the detected vehicle speed is equal to or greater than a first reference vehicle speed) Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to modify Chan with the teachings of Takamura with a reasonable expectation of success by detecting the tire pressure of a vehicle and issues a warning when the detected tire pressure is abnormal as taught by Takamura ([0001]). Regarding claim 11, Chan teaches The method of claim 1, the information further comprises an acquired value of a tire temperature of the vehicle, and ( [0028] a temperature sensor configured to measure a temperature of tire 14) Chan does not expressly disclose but Takamura discloses wherein some other modes of the plurality of tire pressure modes further comprise a protection tire pressure mode that specifies its reference tire pressure with a high reference value when the vehicle speed is greater than a speed threshold and a low reference value when the vehicle speed is less than or equal to the speed threshold ([0002] The standard pressure value is set to a normal threshold when driving at low speeds (vehicle speed less than the standard speed) and is changed to a high speed threshold that is higher than the normal threshold when driving at high speeds (vehicle speed greater than the standard speed)), and selecting one tire pressure mode from the plurality of tire pressure modes based on the information comprises: selecting the protection tire pressure mode from the plurality of tire pressure modes when the acquired value of the tire pressure is greater than a maximum tire pressure limit ([0003] Therefore, when the tire pressure is between the normal threshold and the high-speed threshold, there is a problem in that the warning is repeatedly issued and then dismissed. Furthermore, even if the threshold is not changed, the detected pressure fluctuates within a certain range, which also causes the alarm to be repeatedly triggered and then dismissed) or the acquired value of the tire temperature is higher than a temperature threshold. Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to modify Chan with the teachings of Takamura with a reasonable expectation of success by detecting the tire pressure of a vehicle and issues a warning when the detected tire pressure is abnormal as taught by Takamura ([0001]). Claim 8 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Chan (US 20160347130 A1) in view of Shin (US 20230099037 A1) in further view of Yamakawa (JP 2008132836 A) in further view of Stenneth (US 20230173856 A1) Regarding claim 8, Chan teaches The method of claim 2, acquiring a value of an acceleration associated with a vibration of the vehicle while the vehicle is driving; and (Chan [0026] Road data acquired by road sensors 24 may include various types of data. In one embodiment, road data includes a surface state of a road or other terrain, such as a degree of wetness, a depth of water, a rate of rainfall or flooding, a presence or snow, ice, oil, or mud, the presence of holes, bumps, or surface roughness, and the like [0029] tire data may include other data regarding tire 14, such as a temperature of the tire, a compliance of the tire, a tread pattern of the tire, width of the tire, slippage of the tire, an acceleration of the tire, and the like.) Chan does not expressly disclose but Stenneth discloses wherein some other modes of the plurality of tire pressure modes further comprise a specific tire pressure mode generated by a machine learning algorithm and in which the reference tire pressure is defined as a function of the vehicle speed ([0038] The prediction platform 123 may embody a machine learning model for rendering a prediction for a cause of a tire pressure change. The machine learning model may be trained based on historical data including a plurality of tire pressure signatures. Each of the plurality of tire pressure signatures may include:…(1) one or more speed levels of the vehicle within the predetermined period;), the specific tire pressure mode is applicable when the route is a specific route that has been followed by the vehicle for multiple times, and the method further comprises: ([0041] and use the machine learning model to estimate a route to the destination that yields a minimum amount of tire pressure loss.) determining that the route is the specific route based on that the route has been followed by the vehicle for at least one time; ([0069] In step 601, the prediction platform 123 receives historical data associated with a plurality of tire pressure changes. The historical data may be defined by a plurality of tire pressure signatures, where each of the plurality of tire pressure signatures includes: (1) sensor data associated with a tire pressure change; (2) travel data of a vehicle impacted by the tire pressure change; (3) vehicle attribute data indicating one or more attributes of the vehicle impacted by the tire pressure change; (4) ground truth data indicating a true cause of the tire pressure change; and (5) correlation data correlating the cause to the sensor data, travel data, and the vehicle attribute data.) updating the specific tire pressure mode by the machine learning algorithm at least based on a trade-off relationship between the acquired value of the acceleration and the acquired value of the tire pressure. ([0063] In one embodiment, the machine learning model may be further trained to predict a tire pressure change associated with one or more road segments based on sensor data associated with a vehicle's tire pressure change, travel data associated with the vehicle, vehicle attribute data thereof, or a combination thereof. By way of example, the machine learning model is trained to learn one or more tire pressure levels of a type of vehicle that has moved at a certain speed with a type of tire of a certain age at a road segment having certain attributes (e.g., composition of the surface thereof) and impacted by a certain weather condition.) Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to modify Chan with the teachings of Stenneth with a reasonable expectation of success by indicating a predicted cause of the tire pressure change as taught by Stenneth ([0001]). Claim 9 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Chan (US 20160347130 A1) in view of Shin (US 20230099037 A1) in further view of Yamakawa (JP 2008132836 A) in further view of Ikeda (US 20040201466 A1) Regarding claim 9, Chan does not expressly disclose but Ikeda discloses The method of claim 8, wherein when selecting one tire pressure mode from the plurality of tire pressure modes based on the information ([0010] the tire information detecting unit changes priority in the tire information so as to assign the lowest priority to the processed tire information signal.), the first tire pressure mode has a priority that is higher than a priority of the specific tire pressure mode ([0010] the tire information detecting unit processes one of the tire information signals having the highest priority and discards processes of the other tire information signals having lower priorities.), the priority of the specific tire pressure mode is higher than a priority of the second tire pressure mode (Fig. 4 [0037] After the computing unit 21 e normally processes the tire information A, it assigns the lowest priority, namely, the fourth priority to the tire information A, and assigns higher priorities to the tire information B, C, D than that of the tire information A.), and the priority of the second tire pressure mode is higher than a priority of the third tire pressure mode. (Fig. 4 [0038] After the computing unit 21 e normally processes the tire information C, it assigns the lowest priority to the tire information C, the third priority to the tire information A, and higher priorities to the tire information B, D than those of the tire information A and C.) Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to modify Chan with the teachings of Ikeda with a reasonable expectation of success by reducing cost of the tire information detecting system as taught by Ikeda ([0002]). Claim 13 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Chan (US 20160347130 A1) in view of Shin (US 20230099037 A1) in further view of Yamakawa (JP 2008132836 A) in further view of Kobetz (US 20060190212 A1) Regarding claim 13, Chan does not expressly disclose but Kobetz discloses The method of claim 1, further comprising: acquiring a duration of vehicle parking; and ([0007] The deactivation of the motor vehicle, the locking of the vehicle or activation of an operator control element which is provided for this purpose is preferably predefined as a condition which is indicative of the risk of the tire deflating. In particular, a predefinable time period according to one of the aforesaid criteria being exceeded can be used as a condition which is indicative of the risk of the tire deflating) regulating the tire pressure to a tire pressure limit for a parked vehicle based on that the duration exceeds a time threshold. ([0004] If a condition which is indicative of a risk of the tire deflating is determined by the tire-pressure-controlling device, a parked setpoint pressure value which deviates from the driving setpoint pressure value which is provided for the driving mode is predefined in order to prevent a flat tire while the vehicle is parked. [0002] If the measured filling pressure drops below the setpoint pressure, the tire is inflated until the filling pressure corresponds to the setpoint pressure within predefinable limits.) Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to modify Chan with the teachings of Kobetz with a reasonable expectation of success by reducing deflation even when the vehicle is parked for a relatively long time as taught by Kobetz ([0008]). Conclusion Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to SARAH TRAN whose telephone number is (313)446-6642. The examiner can normally be reached 8am-5pm M-F. 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, Khoi Tran can be reached at (571) 272-6919. 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. /S.A.T./Examiner, Art Unit 3656 /KHOI H TRAN/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3656
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Prosecution Timeline

Dec 02, 2024
Application Filed
Apr 06, 2026
Non-Final Rejection mailed — §103 (current)

Precedent Cases

Applications granted by this same examiner with similar technology

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Study what changed to get past this examiner. Based on 5 most recent grants.

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Prosecution Projections

1-2
Expected OA Rounds
68%
Grant Probability
89%
With Interview (+21.6%)
3y 7m (~2y 1m remaining)
Median Time to Grant
Low
PTA Risk
Based on 117 resolved cases by this examiner. Grant probability derived from career allowance rate.

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