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 . Pursuant to communications filed on 16 December 2024, this is a First Action Non-Final Rejection on the Merits.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 16 December 2024 is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement has been considered by the Examiner.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claims 1-5 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Regarding claim 1, Applicant provides the claim limitation, “a control unit configured to calculate a switching timing of hand signals based on a traffic volume near an intersection”, however, based on the currently provided claim language, it is unclear what “a switching timing of hand signals” encompasses and therefore claim 1 is rendered indefinite. Specifically, given the broadest reasonable interpretation of the currently provided claim language, it is unclear if the claimed “hand signals” are with respect to a hand gesture of a vehicle occupant, or alternatively, a pedestrian making a hand signal/gesture, or further a traffic controller (i.e. officer, crossing guard, flagger, etc.) directing traffic external to said vehicle, or some variation and/or alternative thereof, and therefore claim 1 is rendered indefinite. Additionally, it is unclear based on said currently provided claim language, what the claimed “switching timing” correlates to, specifically, is the “switching timing” a time when a hand signal/gesture is detected, or alternatively, does the claimed “switching timing” correlate to a duration of time of a hand signal/gesture, or further does the switching timing correlate to some kind of control scheme to regulate the flow of traffic, or some alternative and/or variation thereof, and therefore claim 1 is rendered indefinite. Accordingly, appropriate correction and/or clarification are earnestly solicited.
Regarding claims 2-5, these claims are dependent upon independent claim 1 and therefore are also rejected under this section for at least their dependence upon a rejected base claim. Accordingly, appropriate correction and/or clarification are earnestly solicited.
Examiner notes wherein the claims have been addressed below in view of the prior art, as best understood by the Examiner, in light of the 35 USC 112(b) rejections provided above.
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.
Claim(s) 1-5 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Ahire et al (US 2021/0304617 A1, hereinafter Ahire).
Regarding claim 1, Ahire teaches an information processing device comprising:
a communication unit configured to communicate with a plurality of vehicles (Figures 1A & 1E-1H; at least as in paragraphs 0058 and 0071-0081, specifically as in paragraph 0058, wherein “A data management server 128 and the vehicle 120 may be configured to communicate (i.e., via a cellular communication network, local network, etc.) with one another (and with other vehicles, as well as devices within the vehicles and outside of the vehicles, such as wireless devices and/or other devices containing a processor and memory)” and further as in paragraphs 0072-0076 and 0081 wherein vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) communication is utilized to communicate between at least vehicles 152 & 154); and
a control unit configured to calculate a switching timing of hand signals based on a traffic volume near an intersection, identify a head vehicle stopped at the intersection, and control, based on the switching timing via the communication unit, an in-vehicle device provided in the head vehicle and configured to perform an operation recognizable from an outside of the head vehicle (Figures 1A & 1E-1H; at least as in paragraphs 0058 and 0071-0081, specifically as in paragraphs 0077-0079, wherein “gesture interpretation may include determining one or more of the plurality of transports are operating within a certain distance of an intersection, and determining a first of the one or more gestures detected indicates one of the occupants, operating a first transport 152 of the plurality of transports, has instructed another occupant, operating a second transport 154 of the plurality of transports to move the second transport through the intersection”, and further wherein “where there are more than two vehicles, responsive to detecting one or more indicators via the second transport, sent from a first transport, the second transport may move through the intersection, and the same one or more indicators may be detected by a third transport different from the first and second transports. Responsive to the one or more indicators being detected by the third transport, the movement of the one or more other transports may be paused for a period of time” and additionally wherein “a vehicle 120 may have indicators, such as a headlamp light 172, a foglamp 174, and a speaker 176, which can be controlled by an on-board and/or off-board computer/controller to command the indicators to engage in a pattern of vehicle language recognized by other vehicles' detectors/sensors. The signals can be identified, processed and interpreted into vehicle movement commands via the on-board and/or off-board computer/controller. The vehicles may also have certain detectors, such as a camera 178 and microphone 179. Also, light and sound sensors may be used to detect sound and light signals sent from other vehicles which can, in turn, be interpreted into vehicle movement commands. For example, the commanding vehicle may display two quick light flashes to another vehicle, which indicates a “go” command. The vehicle may instead provide one flash of the light and a horn sound, which indicates that it will proceed and the other vehicle should stop.”).
Regarding claim 2, Ahire further teaches wherein the in-vehicle device includes at least one of a headlight, a wiper, and a horn (Figures 1A & 1E-1H; at least paragraphs 0072-0073 and 0077-0079).
Regarding claim 3, Ahire further teaches wherein the control unit is configured to cause the in-vehicle device to operate by an operation method that is not performable manually (Figures 1A & 1E-1H; at least paragraphs 0072-0073 and 0077-0079).
Regarding claim 4, Ahire further teaches wherein the control unit is configured to, when the intersection is an intersection including a plurality of lanes on one side, identify the head vehicle in each of the lanes, and control the in-vehicle device of the head vehicle identified in each of the lanes based on the same switching timing (Figures 1A & 1E-1H; at least as in paragraphs 0058 and 0071-0081).
Regarding claim 5, Ahire further teaches wherein the control unit is configured to, when the intersection is an intersection of a crossroad, identify both head vehicles in lanes facing each other across the intersection, and control the in-vehicle devices of the head vehicles identified in the lanes based on the same switching timing (Figures 1A & 1E-1H; at least as in paragraphs 0058 and 0071-0081).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. See attached PTO-892 – Notice of References Cited form. Examiner additionally notes the following references in the same field of endeavor as the instant invention, and also reads on some of the currently provided claim limitations above;
US 2019/0139414 A1, issued to Morimura et al, which is directed towards a vehicle control device that recognizes a traffic signal proximate to a vehicle and further acquires a signal switching time until a signal of the traffic signal switches.
US 2007/0273552 A1, issued to Tischer, which is directed towards a traffic control system that implements a control scheme for operating traffic signals to optimize traffic flow of an environment.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JONATHAN L SAMPLE whose telephone number is (571)270-5925. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 7:00am-4:00pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Adam Mott can be reached at (571)270-5376. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/JONATHAN L SAMPLE/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3657