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 .
Status of Claims
This first non-final rejection is in response to Applicant’s original filing of 12/13/2024.
Claims 1-5 are currently pending and have been examined.
Double Patenting
Claims 1-2 and 4 of this application are patentably indistinct from claims 1-2 and 5 of Application No. 18/987,758. Corresponding claim limitations are bolded and underlined in the table below.
Application No. 18/979,680
Application No. 18/987,758
1. A management device comprising an information processing device that includes a storage device, wherein the information processing device is configured to acquire user intention information indicating whether or not there is agreement of a vehicle user to disclosure of vehicle identification information on a vehicle,
receive vehicle information including the vehicle identification information from outside through communication,
when the agreement of the vehicle user exists, keep the vehicle information including the vehicle identification information in the storage device,
and when the agreement of the vehicle user does not exist, acquire first identification information that is different from the vehicle identification information, keep first corrected vehicle information including the first identification information in place of the vehicle identification information in the storage device, and delete the vehicle identification information.
1. A vehicle comprising an information processing device that stores vehicle information including vehicle identification information, wherein the information processing device is configured to:
before a stage of providing the vehicle information to a management device, acquire user intention information showing whether agreement of a vehicle user to disclosure of the vehicle identification information is present or absent;
when the agreement of the vehicle user is present, provide the vehicle information including the vehicle identification information to the management device;
and when the agreement of the vehicle user is absent, acquire first identification information that is separate from the vehicle identification information, and provide first corrected vehicle information including the first identification information instead of the vehicle identification information to the management device.
2. The management device according to claim 1, wherein when the agreement of the vehicle user does not exist, the information processing device is configured to transform the vehicle identification information into the first identification information by using a fixed transformation algorithm.
2. The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the information processing device is configured to, when the agreement of the vehicle user is absent, convert the vehicle identification information into the first identification information by a specific conversion algorithm.
4. A vehicle information management system comprising:
a vehicle that stores vehicle information including vehicle identification information;
a management device that includes a storage device;
and a first device that provides the vehicle information to the management device through communication, wherein the management device is configured to
acquire user intention information indicating whether or not there is agreement of a vehicle user to disclosure of the vehicle identification information,
receive the vehicle information including the vehicle identification information from the first device through communication,
when the agreement of the vehicle user exists, keep the vehicle information including the vehicle identification information in the storage device,
and when the agreement of the vehicle user does not exist, acquire first identification information that is different from the vehicle identification information, keep first corrected vehicle information including the first identification information in place of the vehicle identification information in the storage device, and delete the vehicle identification information.
5. A vehicle information management system comprising:
a vehicle that stores vehicle information including vehicle identification information;
a first device that acquires the vehicle information;
and a management device, wherein:
the first device is configured to:
before a stage of providing the vehicle information to the management device, acquire user intention information showing whether agreement of a vehicle user to disclosure of the vehicle identification information is present or absent;
when the agreement of the vehicle user is present, provide the vehicle information including the vehicle identification information to the management device;
and when the agreement of the vehicle user is absent, acquire first identification information that is separate from the vehicle identification information, and provide first corrected vehicle information including the first identification information instead of the vehicle identification information to the management device;
and the management device is configured to: convert the vehicle identification information included in the vehicle information into second identification information;
and even when the agreement of the vehicle user is present, provide second corrected vehicle information including the second identification information instead of the vehicle identification information to another system.
Pursuant to 37 CFR 1.78(f), when two or more applications filed by the same applicant or assignee contain patentably indistinct claims, elimination of such claims from all but one application may be required in the absence of good and sufficient reason for their retention during pendency in more than one application. Applicant is required to either cancel the patentably indistinct claims from all but one application or maintain a clear line of demarcation between the applications. See MPEP § 822.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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 the appropriate paragraphs of 35 U.S.C. 102 that form the basis for the rejections under this section made in this Office action:
A person shall be entitled to a patent unless –
(a)(1) the claimed invention was patented, described in a printed publication, or in public use, on sale, or otherwise available to the public before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claims 1-5 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Park et al. (US 20230098006 A1).
Regarding claims 1 and 4, Park discloses a vehicle information management system (claim 4; see at least abstract) comprising:
a vehicle that stores vehicle information including vehicle identification information (see at least ¶ [0035] and [0045-0046] and Fig. 1 disclosing an in-vehicle data recording system used in recording event data and transmitting it with vehicle identification information through a telecommunication device);
a management device comprising an information processing device that includes a storage device (claim 1; see at least ¶ [0047-0048] and Fig. 2 disclosing a data management system of a cloud storage system in a server network that receives event data and vehicle identification information from the vehicle telecommunication device);
and a first device that provides the vehicle information to the management device through communication (see at least ¶ [0045-0046] disclosing a vehicle telecommunication device that delivers an event report message may include vehicle identification information),
wherein the management device is configured to
acquire user intention information indicating whether or not there is agreement of a vehicle user to disclosure of the vehicle identification information (see at least ¶ [0049-0053] disclosing the cloud storage system recognizing a user’s request to anonymize event data),
receive the vehicle information including the vehicle identification information from the first device through communication (see at least ¶ [0045-0048] disclosing a vehicle telecommunication device that delivers an event report message may include vehicle identification information to a data management system of a cloud storage system),
when the agreement of the vehicle user exists, keep the vehicle information including the vehicle identification information in the storage device (see at least ¶ [0049] and [0051] and Fig. 2 disclosing storing event data and vehicle identification information in which a specific vehicle or individual is identified in corresponding databases according to a rule/policy),
and when the agreement of the vehicle user does not exist, acquire first identification information that is different from the vehicle identification information (see at least ¶ [0056-0059] disclosing a repository coordinator generating link data that connects event data and vehicle identification information stored in separate databases in the cloud storage system, wherein the link data is modified virtual identification information with randomly generated values (e.g., “salt”)), keep first corrected vehicle information including the first identification information in place of the vehicle identification information in the storage device (see at least ¶ [0056-0060] disclosing the link data is stored in the vehicle identification information database instead of unaltered vehicle identification information), and delete the vehicle identification information (see at least ¶ [0012-0015] and [0086-0091] disclosing the cloud storage system deleting event data and vehicle identification information in accordance with a user’s requested data management rule/policy).
Regarding claim 2, Park discloses when the agreement of the vehicle user does not exist, the information processing device is configured to transform the vehicle identification information into the first identification information by using a fixed transformation algorithm (see at least ¶ [0059] disclosing the link data is produced using a one-way hash function of vehicle identification information to create pseudonym identifiers).
Regarding claims 3 and 5, Park discloses transforming the vehicle identification information included in the vehicle information into second identification information (see at least ¶ [0059] disclosing the link data is produced using a one-way hash function of vehicle identification information to create pseudonym identifiers),
and providing second corrected vehicle information including the second identification information in place of the vehicle identification information to another system even when the agreement of the vehicle user exists (see at least ¶ [0056-0060] disclosing the link data is stored in the vehicle identification information database instead of unaltered vehicle identification information).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JARED C BEAN whose telephone number is (571)272-5255. The examiner can normally be reached 7:30AM - 5:00PM.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Navid Z Mehdizadeh can be reached at (571) 272-7691. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/J.C.B./Examiner, Art Unit 3669
/NAVID Z. MEHDIZADEH/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3669