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 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.
(a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claim(s) 1, 11, 16 and 17 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) and (a)(2) as being anticipated by Morimora 2018/0297520.
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[0082] As shown in FIG. 2, the vehicle-mounted stereo camera device is arranged in the vicinity of a center in a width direction of a front end of a roof of the own vehicle SV. In detail, the vehicle-mounted stereo camera device includes a left camera arranged on a left side of a vehicle longitudinal axis FR (referring to FIG. 2) and a right camera arranged on a right side of the vehicle longitudinal axis FR. The left camera photographs the front area and a part of the left side area of the own vehicle SV, and transmits, to the image processing unit, a left image signal representing a left image photographed by the left camera, every time a predetermined time period elapses. Similarly, the right camera photographs the front area and a part of the right side area of the own vehicle SV, and transmits, to the image processing unit, a right image signal representing a right image photographed by the right camera, every time the predetermined time period elapses.
[0083] The image processing unit determines whether or not an object is present in an area which is photographed by the camera sensor 21 based on the left image signal and the right image signal. The image processing unit calculates a location/position of the object, and identifies a type (a pedestrian, a bicycle, a two-wheeler, or the like) of the object, when the object is present. The image processing unit identifies the location of the object by a direction of the object in relation to the own vehicle SV and a distance between the object and the own vehicle SV. Furthermore, the image processing unit compares images represented by image signals (the right image signal and the left image signal) with each template image corresponding to each type of the object so as to identify the type of the object. The image processing unit stores each template image corresponding to each type in advance.
[[0087] As shown in FIG. 2, a detection angle range of the front radar sensor 22C includes a “range from the vehicle longitudinal axis FR (it is assumed that an angle for a front direction is “0 deg”.) to θct/2 in a right direction” and a “range from the vehicle longitudinal axis FR to θct/2 in a left direction”. In other words, the detection angle range of the front radar sensor 22C is θct (0 deg<θct<180 deg) around the vehicle longitudinal axis FR. A total range of a “range from a base line BL to an angle θ1th in the right direction” and a “range from the base line BL to an angle θ1th in the left direction” is defined as a front area of the own vehicle SV. The base line BL is a line which passes through a predetermined location DP (referring to FIG. 3) within the own vehicle SV and is parallel with the vehicle longitudinal axis FR. The front radar sensor 22C mainly detects the object which is present in the front area of the own vehicle SV, and the front radar censor 22C can detect the object which is present in a part of the right side area of the own vehicle SV and the object which is present in a part of the left side area of the own vehicle SV.
0093] The vehicle status sensor 23 includes sensors which obtain/detect vehicle status information on a traveling status of the own vehicle. The vehicle status information is necessary to predict a predicted traveling path (course, trajectory) of the own vehicle SV. The vehicle status sensor 23 is connected to the PedW candidate selection unit 40 and the CTA candidate selection unit 50. The vehicle status sensor 23 includes a vehicle velocity sensor which detects velocity of the own vehicle SV, an acceleration sensor which detects acceleration of the own vehicle SV in a longitudinal direction on the own vehicle SV's horizontal plane and acceleration of the own vehicle SV on a width direction of the own vehicle SV's horizontal plane, a yaw rate sensor which detects a yaw rate of the own vehicle SV, a steering angle sensor which detects a steering angle of a steering wheel of the own vehicle SV, or the like. The vehicle status sensor 23 transmits the vehicle status information to the PedW candidate selection ECU 40 and the CTA candidate selection ECU 50, every time a predetermined time period elapses.
[0094] The PedW candidate selection ECU 40 obtains the object information of the object whose type is the pedestrian from the camera sensor 21 and the object information which is obtained based on the “transmitted and received data” from the front radar sensor 22C, every time the predetermined time period elapses. The PedW candidate selection ECU 40 obtains the vehicle status information from the vehicle status sensor 23, every time the predetermined time period elapses.
[0095] The PedW candidate selection ECU 40 selects, as an obstacle(s), at least one object which has high probability of colliding with the own vehicle SV from/among the objects each of which type has been determined/identified to be the pedestrian by the camera sensor 21, based on the obtained location information, the obtained object information, and the vehicle status information, using the following method (refer to step 625). The object selected as the obstacle may include an object which is predicted not to collide with the own vehicle SV but to have a narrow margin of clearance between the object and the own vehicle SV (or to extremely approach to the own vehicle SV). The PedW candidate selection ECU 40 calculates time to collision TTC (collision time period) for each obstacle to collide with the own vehicle SV or to reach the closest point to the own vehicle SV. Further, when the time to collision TTC which is shortest/minimum among the calculated times to collision TTCs is equal to or shorter than a predetermined threshold time period T1th, the PedW candidate selection ECU 40 determines (selects) a pedestrian which corresponds to the obstacle whose time to collision TTC is shortest/minimum as a PedW candidate which is a candidate of which the warning ECU 10 warns the driver. The PedW candidate selection ECU 40 transmits PedW candidate information which includes location information of the PedW candidate and the time to collision TTC of the PedW candidate to the warning ECU 10. Details of a process for selecting the at least one obstacle and a process for calculating the time to collision TTC are described later.
[0096] In other words, the PedW candidate selection ECU 40 calculates the time to collision TTC of each of the pedestrians which is present in the front area, the right side area, or the left side area of the own vehicle SV and which has high probability of colliding with the own vehicle SV. The PedW candidate selection ECU 40 transmits the PedW candidate information to the warning ECU 10 when the shortest/minimum time to collision TTC is equal to or shorter than the threshold time period T1th. The PedW candidate may be referred to as a “first candidate”, and the PedW candidate selection ECU 40 may be referred to as a “first candidate selection unit”.
[0097] The CTA candidate selection ECU 50 obtains, from the radar ECU 30, the object information which is obtained based on the “transmitted and received data” from the front side radar sensor 22L and 22R, every time the predetermined time period elapses. The CTA candidate selection ECU 50 obtains the vehicle status information from the vehicle status sensor 23, every time the predetermined time period elapses.
[0098] The CTA candidate selection ECU 50 selects, as an obstacle(s), at least one object which has high probability of colliding with the own vehicle SV from/among the objects which have been detected by the radar sensor 22L and/or 22R, based on the obtained object information and the vehicle status information, using the following method (refer to step 720). The object selected as the obstacle may include an object which is predicted not to collide with the own vehicle SV but to have a narrow margin of clearance between the object and the own vehicle SV (or to extremely approach to the own vehicle SV). The CTA candidate selection ECU 50 does not use the object information obtained by the camera sensor 21. The CTA candidate selection ECU 50 uses only the object information obtained by the front side radar sensors 22L and 22R. Therefore, the CTA candidate selection ECU 50 cannot identify/specify the type of the object. Accordingly, the CTA candidate selection ECU 50 selects the obstacle from/among all of the objects detected by the front side radar sensors 22L and/or 22R regardless of the types of the objects.
[0099] The CTA candidate selection ECU 50 calculates time to collision TTC (collision time period) for each of the obstacles to collide with the own vehicle SV or to reach the closest point to the own vehicle SV. Further, when the time to collision TTC which is shortest/minimum among the calculated times to collision TTC is equal to or shorter than a predetermined threshold time period T1th, the CTA candidate selection ECU 50 determines (selects) the obstacle whose time to collision TTC is shortest/minimum as a CTA candidate which is a candidate of which the warning ECU 10 warns the driver. The CTA candidate selection ECU 50 transmits, to the warning ECU 10, CTA candidate information which includes location information of the CTA candidate and the time to collision TTC of the CTA candidate. Details of a process for selecting the obstacle and a process for calculating the time to collision TTC are described later.
[0100] In other words, the CTA candidate selection ECU 50 calculates the time to collision TTC of each of the obstacles which is present in the left side area or the right side area of the own vehicle SV and which has high probability of colliding with the own vehicle SV. The CTA candidate selection ECU 50 transmits the CTA candidate information to the warning ECU 10 when the shortest/minimum time to collision TTC is equal to or shorter than the threshold time period T1th. The CTA candidate may be referred to as a “second candidate”, and the CTA candidate selection ECU 50 may be referred to as a “CTA candidate selection unit”.
[0101] As described above, the front side radar sensors 22L usually detects the object(s) present in the left side area, and the front side radar sensors 22R usually detects the object(s) present in the right side area, however, each of the front side radar sensors 22L and 22R may detect the object(s) in the front area of the own vehicle SV, due to a detection error and/or manufacturing error, for example, in the arrangement location and/or the arrangement angle of each of the front side radar sensors 22L and 22R. Therefore, the CTA candidate selection ECU 50 may determine the object in the front area of the own vehicle SV as the CTA candidate.
[0102] The display unit 60 is a “Head Up Display” (hereinafter referred to as a “HUD”) which receives display information from each of the ECUs in the own vehicle SV and a navigation device, and displays the received display information on a partial area (a display area) of a front glass of the own vehicle SV. A warning screen (referring to FIGS. 4A through 4C) is displayed on the display unit 60. The warning screen is a screen which guides the driver's eyes (line of sight of the driver) to the direction of the obstacle which has high probability of colliding with the own vehicle so as to warn the driver of the obstacle. The display unit 60 displays the warning screen when the display unit 60 receives a display command of the warning screen from the warning ECU 10.
[0103] An operation of the control device will next be described. When the control device has detected the PedW candidate and the CTA candidate, the control device determines/specifies/selects one (a single) candidate of which the control device warns the driver (hereinafter referred to as a “warning object”) from the PedW candidate and the CTA candidate. It should be noted that, when the control device detects either the PedW candidate or the CTA candidate, the control device determines the detected candidate to be the warning object. Thereafter, the control device displays the warning screen which guides the driver's eyes to a direction of the determined warning object. In detail, when the control device detects both the PedW candidate and the CTA candidate, the control device determines one candidate whose time to collision TTC is shorter than the other candidate as the warning object, and the control device displays the warning screen which guides the driver's eyes to only the direction of the warning object. When the control device displays the warning screen, the control device has to determine in which area the warning object (that is, either one of the PedW candidate and the CTA candidate) is present, the front area, or one of the side areas of the own vehicle SV. A method for making the above determination that the control device uses/adopts will next be described with reference to FIG. 3.
Figure 1 and paragraphs, 82-83, 87 and 93-103 disclose all features of the claimed invention as described below.
A vehicle trajectory warning method, comprising: acquiring obstacle information within a preset range of a vehicle(see paragraph 87) and driving trajectory information of the vehicle(see paragraph 87 and 102), wherein the obstacle information includes a position, a moving speed and a moving direction of each obstacle, and the driving trajectory information (see paragraphs 82-83)is used to indicate a driving trajectory area of the vehicle; determining a period of collision time of the each obstacle to the driving trajectory area according to the position(see paragraph 99), the moving speed and the moving direction of the each obstacle and the driving trajectory information; determining an obstacle corresponding to a shortest period of collision time in multiple periods of collision time shorter than a first preset threshold as a target obstacle, wherein the first preset threshold is determined according to a collision risk degree of an obstacle(1see paragraphs 100 AND 102); and displaying warning information indicating the target obstacle in a driving trajectory displayed by the vehicle (See paragraph 103).
11. A vehicle trajectory warning apparatus, comprising a memory and a processor; wherein the memory is configured to store computer execution instructions, and the processor is connected to the memory through a bus; when the vehicle trajectory warning apparatus is running, the processor executes the computer execution instructions stored in the memory, so as to enable the vehicle trajectory warning apparatus to: acquire obstacle information within a preset range of a vehicle and driving trajectory information of the vehicle, wherein the obstacle information includes a position, a moving speed and a moving direction of each obstacle, and the driving trajectory information is used to indicate a driving trajectory area of the vehicle; determine a period of collision time of the each obstacle to the driving trajectory area according to the position, the moving speed and the moving direction of the each obstacle and the driving trajectory information; determine an obstacle corresponding to a shortest period of collision time in multiple periods of collision time shorter than a first preset threshold as a target obstacle, wherein the first preset threshold is determined according to a collision risk degree of an obstacle; and display warning information indicating the target obstacle in a driving trajectory displayed by the vehicle.(follows from claim 1)
16. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, wherein the computer-readable storage medium comprises computer execution instructions that, upon being run on a computer, enable the computer to perform the vehicle trajectory warning method according claim 1. (follows from claim 1)
17. A vehicle, comprising the vehicle trajectory warning apparatus according to claim 11. (follows from claim 1)
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 2-10 and 12-15 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.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to RICHARD M CAMBY whose telephone number is (571)272-6958. The examiner can normally be reached M - F flex.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Peter D Nolan can be reached at 571 270 7016. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/RICHARD M CAMBY/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3661