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.
Claim(s) 1-20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Bastiaensen et al., US Pg. Pub. No. (2013/0282264) referred to hereinafter as Bastiaensen.
As per claim 1, Bastiaensen teaches a method of processing probe data for performance of at least one lane level traffic-based function (see at least abstract, figs. 5-6), the method comprising: receiving, by a processing system, the probe data from a plurality of probes travelling on a navigable network, wherein the probe data comprises global navigation satellite system, GNSS,-based position data (see at least abstract, figs. 5-6, Para 27-29); processing, by the processing system, the probe data, the processing comprising: determining, for a segment of the navigable network identified based at least on the GNSS-based position data, lane-specific data based at least on the probe data from probes on the segment (see at least abstract, figs. 5-6, Para 22, 134-135, 139), the determining comprising: obtaining probe speeds for the probes on the segment based on the probe data from the probes on the segment (see at least abstract, figs. Para 30, 36), verifying that the probe speeds are assignable to clusters of probe speeds (see at least abstract, Para 43), and determining one or more lane-specific speed characteristics based at least on a clustering of the probe speeds responsive to verifying that the probe speeds are assignable to clusters of probe speeds (see at least abstract, Para 43); and providing or using the lane-specific data for the performance of the at least one lane level traffic-based function (see at least abstract, Para 139, 140, 147-178).
As per claim 2, Bastiaensen teaches a method of claim 1, wherein the one or more lane-specific speed characteristics are determined independently of lane count information of electronic map data (see at least abstract, Para 22, 27-29, 51, 139, 140, 147-178).
As per claim 3, Bastiaensen teaches a method of claim 2, wherein the clustering is performed independently of the lane count information (see at least abstract, Para 22, 27-29, 51, 139, 140, 147-178).
As per claim 4, Bastiaensen teaches a method of claim 1, wherein the one or more lane-specific speed characteristics are determined independently of a lateral offset of the probes on the segment in a direction transverse to an extension direction of the segment (see at least abstract, Para 22, 27-29, 51, 139, 140, 147-178).
As per claim 5, Bastiaensen teaches a method of claim 1, wherein determining the one or more lane-specific speed characteristics comprises determining a number of the clusters of probe speeds in the clustering (see at least abstract, Para 22, 27-29, 51, 139, 140, 147-178).
As per claim 6, Bastiaensen teaches a method of claim 1, wherein determining the one or more lane-specific speed characteristics comprises determining a mean, median or average speed and/or an uncertainty measure for a cluster of the clusters of probe speeds (see at least abstract, Summary, Para 22, 27-29, 51, 139, 140, 147-178).
As per claim 7, Bastiaensen teaches a method of claim 1, wherein providing or using the lane-specific data comprises correcting an error in an GNSS position-based lane assignment based at least on the one or more lane-specific speed characteristics (see at least abstract, Summary, Para 22, 27-29, 51, 139, 140, 147-178), and/or generating output based at least on the one or more lane-specific speed characteristics, the output enabling an error in an GNSS position-based lane assignment to be corrected, wherein the GNSS position-based lane assignment assigns the GNSS-based position data to a lane of the segment, wherein the GNSS position-based lane assignment comprises a map matching (see at least abstract, Summary, Para 22, 27-29, 51, 139, 140, 147-178).
As per claim 8, Bastiaensen teaches a method of claim 1, further comprising performing a lane assignment based at least on the GNSS-based position data and the lane-specific data (see at least abstract, Summary, Para 22, 27-29, 51, 139, 140, 147-178).
As per claim 9, Bastiaensen teaches a method of claim 8, wherein the at least one lane level traffic-based function is performed based at least on the lane assignment (see at least abstract, Summary, Para 22, 27-29, 51, 139, 140, 147-178).
As per claim 10, Bastiaensen teaches a method of claim 1, further comprising identifying, based at least on the one or more lane-specific speed characteristics, a discrepancy of an arrangement of lanes in the navigable network and electronic map data (see at least abstract, Summary, Para 22, 27-29, 51, 139, 140, 147-178).
As per claim 11, Bastiaensen teaches a method of claim 1, wherein determining the one or more lane-specific speed characteristics comprises distinguishing lane-dependent variations and temporal variations of the probe speeds on the segment (see at least abstract, Summary, Para 22, 27-29, 51, 139, 140, 147-178).
As per claim 12, Bastiaensen teaches a method of claim 1, wherein the at least one lane level traffic-based function comprises one, several, or all of: route search or route guidance (see at least abstract, Summary, Para 22, 27-29, 51, 139, 140, 147-178); route search or route guidance performed based at least on the lane-specific data for a segment that has physical barriers between lanes assigned to a same driving direction (see at least abstract, Summary, Para 22, 27-29, 51, 139, 140, 147-178); identification of incorrect lane data in an electronic map; identification of maintenance work; traffic flow control; deployment of map updates (see at least abstract, Summary, Para 22, 27-29, 51, 139, 140, 147-178).
As per claims 13-20, the limitations of claims 13-20 are similar to the limitations of claims 1-12, therefore they are rejected based on the same rationale.
Conclusion
Please refer to from 892 for cited references.
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/MUSSA A SHAAWAT/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3669