Prosecution Insights
Last updated: August 18, 2026
Application No. 18/973,845

COMMUNICATION SYSTEM

Final Rejection §101§102
Filed
Dec 09, 2024
Priority
Dec 11, 2023 — JP 2023-208737
Examiner
NGUYEN, QUANG N
Art Unit
2441
Tech Center
2400 — Computer Networks
Assignee
Toyota Motor Corporation
OA Round
2 (Final)
88%
Grant Probability
Favorable
3-4
OA Rounds
10m
Est. Remaining
99%
With Interview

Examiner Intelligence

Grants 88% — above average
88%
Career Allowance Rate
454 granted / 517 resolved
+29.8% vs TC avg
Strong +16% interview lift
Without
With
+16.2%
Interview Lift
resolved cases with interview
Typical timeline
2y 6m
Avg Prosecution
20 currently pending
Career history
549
Total Applications
across all art units

Statute-Specific Performance

§101
12.3%
-27.7% vs TC avg
§103
39.2%
-0.8% vs TC avg
§102
20.1%
-19.9% vs TC avg
§112
8.0%
-32.0% vs TC avg
Black line = Tech Center average estimate • Based on career data from 517 resolved cases

Office Action

§101 §102
CTNF 18/973,845 CTNF 79365 Detailed Action 1. This Office Action is responsive to the Application 18/973,845 filed 12/09/2024. Claims 1-4 are presented for examination. The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA. Priority 2. Applicant’s claim for the benefit of a prior-filed application under 35 U.S.C. 119(e) or under 35 U.S.C. 120, 121, or 365(c) is acknowledged. Information Disclosure Statement 3. The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 12/09/2024 is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner. Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 101 07-04-01 AIA 07-04 4. 35 U.S.C. 101 reads as follows: Whoever invents or discovers any new and useful process, machine, manufacture, or composition of matter, or any new and useful improvement thereof, may obtain a patent therefor, subject to the conditions and requirements of this title. 5. Claims 1-4 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 101 because the claimed invention is directed to an abstract idea without significantly more. Step 1 Analysis: Is the claim to a process, machine, manufacture or composition of matter? See MPEP Section 2106.03. Yes . Claims 1-4 are to a system. Step 2A Prong One Analysis: Does the claim recite an abstract idea, law of nature, or natural phenomenon? See MPEP Section 2106.04(II)(A)(1). Yes . Claim 1 recites "determine whether to transfer the vehicle message to one distribution system out of the plurality of distribution systems based on a setting parameter related to the vehicle message". A prediction model as claimed can be constructed in the human mind, as can determine whether to transfer a message. These are the abstract ideas of mental processes that can practically be performed in the human mind, with or without the use of a physical aid such as pen and paper (including an observation, evaluation, judgment, opinion). See MPEP Section 2106.04(a)(2)(lll). Step 2A Prong Two Analysis: Does the claim recite additional elements that integrate the judicial exception into a practical application? See MPEP 5 2106.04(d). No . Claim 1 recites additional elements "transmit a vehicle message indicating a connection request to the load balancer" and “transmit a reply message to the vehicle message”. These are additional elements that generally link the use of the judicial exception to a particular technological environment or field of use. See MPEP Section 2106.04(d), 2106.05(h). These are also additional elements that amount to adding insignificant extra-solution activity to the judicial exception. See MPEP 55 2106.04(d), 2106.05(g). Step 2B Analysis: Does the claim recite additional elements that amount to significantly more than the judicial exception? See MPEP 5 2106.05. No . Claim 1 also recites ""transmit a vehicle message indicating a connection request to the load balancer" and “transmit a reply message to the vehicle message ". These are additional elements that generally link the use of the judicial exception to a particular technological environment or field of use. See MPEP Sections 2106.04(d), 2106.05(h). These are also additional elements that amount to adding insignificant extra-solution activity to the judicial exception. See MPEP Sections 2106.04(d), 2106.05(g). Claim 1 also recites “a communication device mounted on a vehicle”, “a load balancer” and “a plurality of distribution systems” to perform the steps “transmitting a vehicle message”, “determine whether to transfer the vehicle message” and “transmitting a reply message” correspondingly. The communication device, load balancer and distribution systems are recited at a high-level of generality (i.e., generic processor/computing device performing generic computer function of determining and transmitting information) such that it amounts no more than mere instructions to apply the judicial exception using a generic computer component. Accordingly, these additional elements do not integrate the abstract idea into a practical application because they do not impose any meaningful limits on practicing the abstract idea. The claim is directed to an abstract idea. Dependent claims 2-4 also recite additional elements that are generally link the use of the judicial exception to a particular technological environment or filed of use. See MPEP Sections 2106.04(d), 2106.05(g). These are also additional elements that amount to adding insignificant extra-solution activity to the judicial exception. See MPEP Sections 2106.04(d), 2106.05(g). Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102 07-06 AIA 15-10-15 6. 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. 07-07-aia AIA 07-07 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 – 07-08-aia AIA (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. 07-15 AIA 7. Claim s 1-4 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102( a)(1 ) as being anticipated by KIM (US 2020/0029191 A1) . 8. As to claim 1, KIM teaches a communication system [0291] comprising: a communication device mounted on a vehicle; a load balancer; and a plurality of distribution systems, wherein the communication device is configured to transmit a vehicle message indicating a connection request to the load balancer ( [0301] and [0328] : the vehicle transmits set information through the base station to the connected MEC server; [0368], [0382] and [0409] : receives set information [including driving path information and data information about a type and a size of first data] of the vehicle and a request message for generating the server bridge from the vehicle) , the load balancer is configured to determine whether to transfer the vehicle message to one distribution system out of the plurality of distribution systems based on a setting parameter related to the vehicle message ( [0409] : sets as a server for receiving first data from the vehicle, determines an expected time for processing the first data based on the set information, generates the server bridge based on the set information , generates the server bridge based on the set information and the expected time; [0305] : The MEC server may determine whether the MEC server is a MEC server constituting the server bridge, via the link-server information; [0320] : The MEC server of the server bridge receives and processes data executed in the existing server bridge according to the performance. The performance of the MEC server may be determined on the basis of a hardware specification, and maybe determined on the basis of a processing speed performed at the single server and a distributed-processing speed at a plurality of servers) , and the one distribution system is configured to, when determination is made to transfer the vehicle message to the one distribution system, transmit a reply message to the vehicle message ( [0011] : transmitting the result value of the first data processed through the server bridge to the vehicle; [0305] : If the MEC server is the DL server, constituting the server bridge, and the MEC server receives a data processing result, this may be transmitted to the vehicle) . 9. As to claim 2, KIM teaches the communication system according to claim 1, wherein: each of the distribution systems is configured to transmit a distribution message to the vehicle via the load balancer ( [0011] : transmitting the result value of the first data processed through the server bridge to the vehicle; [0305] : If the MEC server is the DL server, constituting the server bridge, and the MEC server receives a data processing result, this may be transmitted to the vehicle) ; each of the distribution systems is configured to store the distribution message ( [0434] : the computer readable medium includes all kinds of recording devices in which data that can be read by the computer system is stored; [0325] : the existing data processing result may be stored in the cloud server) ; and one distribution system connected to the vehicle via the communication device out of the plurality of distribution systems is configured to transmit the stored distribution message to the vehicle ( [0011] : transmitting the result value of the first data processed through the server bridge to the vehicle; [0305] : If the MEC server is the DL server, constituting the server bridge, and the MEC server receives a data processing result, this may be transmitted to the vehicle) . 10. As to claim 3, KIM teaches the communication system according to claim 2, wherein one or more distribution systems that are not connected to the vehicle out of the plurality of distribution systems is configured to discard the stored distribution message (in case of the driving path of the vehicle is changed, any servers constituting the network, that are NOT connected to the vehicle, can be set NOT to store the distribution message and/or discard the stored distribution message by one of ordinary skill in the art) . 11. As to claim 4, KIM teaches the communication system according to claim 2, wherein a first distribution system out of the plurality of distribution systems is configured to transmit the distribution message to a second distribution system out of the plurality of distribution systems ( [0010] : determining a server role of the second server, based on the server bridge; transmitting and receiving data to and from the second server, based on the server role; [0334-0336] : The first server receiving the first data processes the first data, according to the role of the UL server. The second data is the first data processing result may be transmitted through the first base station and the second base station to the second server that is a next server constituting the server bridge. The second server may process the received second data and the processing result may be transmitted to the next server constituting the server bridge, so that the server bridge may be operated and thereby distributed processing of the first data is possible) . 12. Further references of interest are cited on Form PTO-892, which is an attachment to this Office Action. 13. A shortened statutory period for reply to this action is set to expire THREE (3) months from the mailing date of this communication. See 37 CFR 1.134. Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to QUANG N NGUYEN whose telephone number is (571) 272-3886. If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, KAMAL B. DIVECHA, can be reached at (571) 272-5863. The fax phone number for the organization is (571) 273-8300. Information regarding the status of an application may be obtained from the Patent Application Information Retrieval (PAIR) system. Status information for published applications may be obtained from either Private PAIR or Public PAIR. Status information for unpublished applications is available through Private PAIR only. For more information about the PAIR system, see http://pair-direct.uspto.gov. Should you have questions on access to the Private PAIR system, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative or access to the automated information system, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000. /QUANG N NGUYEN/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2441 Application/Control Number: 18/973,845 Page 2 Art Unit: 2441 Application/Control Number: 18/973,845 Page 3 Art Unit: 2441 Application/Control Number: 18/973,845 Page 4 Art Unit: 2441 Application/Control Number: 18/973,845 Page 5 Art Unit: 2441 Application/Control Number: 18/973,845 Page 6 Art Unit: 2441 Application/Control Number: 18/973,845 Page 7 Art Unit: 2441 Application/Control Number: 18/973,845 Page 8 Art Unit: 2441 Application/Control Number: 18/973,845 Page 9 Art Unit: 2441
Read full office action

Prosecution Timeline

Dec 09, 2024
Application Filed
Mar 16, 2026
Non-Final Rejection mailed — §101, §102
May 01, 2026
Applicant Interview (Telephonic)
May 01, 2026
Examiner Interview Summary
Jun 11, 2026
Response Filed
Aug 17, 2026
Final Rejection mailed — §101, §102 (current)

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Prosecution Projections

3-4
Expected OA Rounds
88%
Grant Probability
99%
With Interview (+16.2%)
2y 6m (~10m remaining)
Median Time to Grant
Moderate
PTA Risk
Based on 517 resolved cases by this examiner. Grant probability derived from career allowance rate.

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