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 .
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 09/22/2025 has been considered by the examiner.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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 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 35 U.S.C. 103 which forms the basis for all obviousness rejections set forth in this Office action:
A patent for a claimed invention may not be obtained, notwithstanding that the claimed invention is not identically disclosed as set forth in section 102, if the differences between the claimed invention and the prior art are such that the claimed invention as a whole would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to which the claimed invention pertains. Patentability shall not be negated by the manner in which the invention was made.
The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
Claims 1-7 and 14-18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable in view of Larson et al (US 2016/0375833 A1) in view of Tanaka et al (US 2022/0019095 A1).
Regarding claim 1, Larson discloses a vehicular driving assist system, the vehicular driving assist system comprising: an interior rearview mirror assembly comprising a mirror head adjustable about a mounting base (see Larson paras “0003”, “0023”, “0034” and “0051” “a mirror assembly that is adjustably mounted to an interior portion of a vehicle, such as via a double ball pivot or joint mounting configuration”, “the mirror assembly 10 is configured to be adjustably mounted to an interior portion of a vehicle (such as to an interior or in-cabin surface of a vehicle windshield or a headliner of a vehicle or the like) via a mounting structure or mounting configuration or assembly 18” and “Accordingly, the display device 16 may function to adjust the neutral color emitted based on the actuation condition of the electro-optic element. Also, in order to reduce issues related to glare from head-lights reflected off the mirror or glass surfaces”),
wherein the mounting base is configured to mount the interior rearview mirror assembly at an interior portion of an interior cabin of a vehicle (see Larson paras “0003”, “0023”, “0034” and “0051” “the mirror assembly 10 is configured to be adjustably mounted to an interior portion of a vehicle (such as to an interior or in-cabin surface of a vehicle windshield or a headliner of a vehicle or the like) via a mounting structure or mounting configuration or assembly 18”),
wherein the mirror head accommodates an electrochromic mirror reflective element (see Larson paras “0003”, “0023-0025”, “0027” and “0048” “The mirror reflective element 14 of the interior rearview mirror assembly 10 comprises an electro-optic mirror reflective and the display device 16 is disposed at a rear surface of the electro-optic mirror reflective element”),
and wherein the electrochromic mirror reflective element is electrically operable to adjust light reflectivity of the electrochromic mirror reflective element (see Larson paras “0003”, “0029” and “0056” “such circuitry may be configured for controlling the display functions and for controlling the dimming or variable reflectance of the reflective element” and “control the EC drive circuit to control the dimming of the electro-optic or electrochromic mirror reflective element”),
a light sensor that captures sensor data (see Larson para “0029” “The circuit board 32 may also be coupled with a photo/glare light sensor 34 established rearward of the display device for providing a viewing angle capable to sensing glare on the display area”),
an electronic control unit (ECU) comprising electronic circuitry and associated software (see Larson at least paras “0029”, “0041” and “0056”),
wherein the electronic circuitry comprises a processor operable to process sensor data captured by the light sensor (see Larson paras “0042” and “0051” “This processing may be selectively performed, but more preferably processed automatically using a combination of information such as user preference settings, ambient forward and/or rearward light sensors” and “may process image data captured by the rearward facing camera to assess glare lighting conditions (such as to detect headlights of following vehicles that may cause glare at the interior and/or exterior rearview mirror assemblies of the equipped vehicle)”),
wherein sensor data captured by the light sensor is transferred to and is processed at the ECU (see Larson para “0056” “controls the backlight driver and LED backlighting at the TFT display. Optionally, the controller may also be responsive to or in communication with a vehicle network or CAN or LIN communication bus interface. Optionally, the controller may also control the EC drive circuit to control the dimming of the electro-optic or electrochromic mirror reflective element”),
wherein the vehicular driving assist system, based at least on processing at the ECU of sensor data captured by the light sensor and transferred to the ECU, determines ambient light at the vehicle (see Larson paras “0029”, “0042” and “0051” “detecting or sensing the light (such as ambient light or glare light)”, “ambient forward and/or rearward light sensors” and “process image data captured by the rearward facing camera to assess glare lighting conditions (such as to detect headlights of following vehicles that may cause glare at the interior and/or exterior rearview mirror assemblies of the equipped vehicle), and the controller may adjust or control the dimming of the electro-optic mirror assembly or assemblies of the equipped vehicle responsive to such image processing.”),
and wherein the vehicular driving assist system, based at least in part on the determined ambient light, (i) adjusts light reflectivity of the electrochromic mirror reflective element (see Larson paras “0034” and “0056” “the electro-optic mirror reflective element 14 may be dimmed or darkened while the display device 16 is active during night-time conditions” and “Optionally, the controller may also control the EC drive circuit to control the dimming of the electro-optic or electrochromic mirror reflective element”),
But Larson fails to explicitly teach wherein an electrically dimmable window is disposed at the vehicle, and wherein the electrically dimmable window is electrically operable to adjust visible light transmissivity of the electrically dimmable window and (ii) adjusts visible light transmissivity of the electrically dimmable window.
However, Tanaka teaches wherein an electrically dimmable window is disposed at the vehicle (see Tanaka para “0027” “The windows W is formed of dimming glass changed in visible light transmissivity based on an electrical signal, for controlling the windows to be in the permeable state or the impermeable state.”).
and wherein the electrically dimmable window is electrically operable to adjust visible light transmissivity of the electrically dimmable window (see Tanaka claim 1 and paras “0006”, “0027” and “0077” “a controller configured to control visible light transmissivity of dimming glass for each of windows, based on dimming determination information of a vehicle for determining whether to bring the windows disposed at a plurality of points of the vehicle and each includes dimming glass changed in visible light transmissivity based on an electrical signal, into a permeable state or an impermeable state, wherein the dimming determination information is at least one of own vehicle state information indicating a state of an own vehicle, and own vehicle position information indicating an own vehicle position, and the controller determines a control target window to be changed in visible light transmissivity, from among the plurality of windows based on the dimming determination information, and controls visible light transmissivity of dimming glass of the control target window to be in the permeable state or the impermeable state”).
and (ii) adjusts visible light transmissivity of the electrically dimmable window (see Tanaka claim 1 and paras “0029-0030”, “0045”, “0056” and “0077” “The vehicle dimmer control system 1 illustrated here includes the controller 10, and the controller 10 controls visible light transmissivity of dimming glass for each of the windows W of the vehicle C using at least one of own vehicle state information received from another controller and own vehicle position information received from the car navigation system”).
It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the invention of Larson for interior rearview mirror assembly with full screen video display “to adjust the light transmissivity using a dimmable window” as taught by Tanaka (paras. [0029]- [0077]) in order to dynamically control visible light transmissivity of the vehicle windows based on vehicle operating conditions thereby improving occupant comfort, privacy and glare reduction.
Regarding claim 2, Larson fails to explicitly teach wherein the electrically dimmable window comprises one selected from the group consisting of (i) a windshield of the vehicle, (ii) a rear window of the vehicle, (iii) a driver-side window of the vehicle and (iv) a passenger-side window of the vehicle.
However, Tanaka teaches wherein the electrically dimmable window comprises one selected from the group consisting of (i) a windshield of the vehicle, (ii) a rear window of the vehicle, (iii) a driver-side window of the vehicle and (iv) a passenger-side window of the vehicle (see Tanaka para “0027” “The windows W is formed of dimming glass changed in visible light transmissivity based on an electrical signal, for controlling the windows to be in the permeable state or the impermeable state. The windows W illustrated here include not only windows for separating the inside of the vehicle compartment and the vehicle exterior, but also partitions for separating a front seat and a rear seat inside the vehicle compartment. The windows W for separating the inside of the vehicle compartment and the vehicle exterior refer to windows Wf on the front seat side (front window, left and right front side windows, front quarter window), windows Wr on the rear seat side {rear windows (including backdoor glass of a vehicle with a backdoor), left and right rear side windows (rear side window of each line in a case where there are a plurality of lines of rear seats), rear quarter window}”).
It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the invention of Larson for interior rearview mirror assembly with full screen video display “to adjust the light transmissivity using a dimmable window” as taught by Tanaka (para. [0027]) in order to dynamically control visible light transmissivity of the vehicle windows based on vehicle operating conditions thereby improving occupant comfort, privacy and glare reduction.
Regarding claim 3, Larson fails to explicitly teach wherein the electrically dimmable window comprises a plurality of electrically dimmable windows, and wherein the plurality of electrically dimmable windows includes (i) a rear window of the vehicle, (ii) a driver-side window of the vehicle and (iii) a passenger-side window of the vehicle.
However, Tanaka teaches wherein the electrically dimmable window comprises a plurality of electrically dimmable windows, and wherein the plurality of electrically dimmable windows includes (i) a rear window of the vehicle, (ii) a driver-side window of the vehicle and (iii) a passenger-side window of the vehicle (see Tanaka paras “0006”, “0027”, “0029” and “0030” “The windows W is formed of dimming glass changed in visible light transmissivity based on an electrical signal, for controlling the windows to be in the permeable state or the impermeable state. The windows W illustrated here include not only windows for separating the inside of the vehicle compartment and the vehicle exterior, but also partitions for separating a front seat and a rear seat inside the vehicle compartment. The windows W for separating the inside of the vehicle compartment and the vehicle exterior refer to windows Wf on the front seat side (front window, left and right front side windows, front quarter window), windows Wr on the rear seat side {rear windows (including backdoor glass of a vehicle with a backdoor), left and right rear side windows (rear side window of each line in a case where there are a plurality of lines of rear seats), rear quarter window}”).
It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the invention of Larson for interior rearview mirror assembly with full screen video display “to adjust the light transmissivity using a dimmable window” as taught by Tanaka (paras. [0027]- [0030]) in order to dynamically control visible light transmissivity of the vehicle windows based on vehicle operating conditions thereby improving occupant comfort, privacy and glare reduction.
Regarding claim 4, Larson fails to explicitly teach wherein the vehicular driving assist system adjusts, independently from one another, visible light transmissivity of (i) the rear window of the vehicle, (ii) the driver-side window of the vehicle and (iii) the passenger-side window of the vehicle.
However, Tanaka teaches wherein the vehicular driving assist system adjusts, independently from one another, visible light transmissivity of (i) the rear window of the vehicle, (ii) the driver-side window of the vehicle and (iii) the passenger-side window of the vehicle (see Tanaka paras “0030”, “0035”, “0045”, “0050” and “0056” “a control target window to be changed in visible light transmissivity, from among the plurality of windows W based on the dimming determination information, and controls visible light transmissivity of dimming glass of the control target window to be in the permeable state or the impermeable state. Hereinafter, various examples of the control will be described.”).
It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the invention of Larson for interior rearview mirror assembly with full screen video display “to adjust the light transmissivity using a dimmable window” as taught by Tanaka (paras. [0030]- [0035]) in order to dynamically control visible light transmissivity of the vehicle windows based on vehicle operating conditions thereby improving occupant comfort, privacy and glare reduction.
Regarding claim 5, Larson discloses wherein the light sensor comprises a camera, and wherein the vehicular driving assist system adjusts visible light transmissivity of individual ones of the plurality of electrically dimmable windows differently from one another based on a determined location of a light source within a field of view of the camera (see Larson paras “0028”, “0041-0044”, and “0050-0051” “The display device is operable to display video images captured by a rearward viewing camera, such as a camera mounted at a rear portion of the vehicle or that views through a rear window of the vehicle so as to have a rearward field of view rearward and at least partially sideward of the vehicle” and “It is preferable to have individual light emitting diodes independently controlled based on determined display intensities of respective portions of the video images displayed by the video display device. For example, the particular zones of backlighting LEDs to be increased or decreased in intensity may be determined responsive to processing of image data representative of the displayed images, such as to determine glare regions or bright spots (or dark spots) in the images, whereby the backlighting zones associated with the glare regions or bright spots may have the LED intensity increased and/or the backlighting zones associated with dark areas may have the LED intensity decreased”),
But Larson fails to explicitly teach wherein the vehicular driving assist system adjusts visible light transmissivity of individual ones of the plurality of electrically dimmable windows.
However, Tanaka teaches wherein the vehicular driving assist system adjusts visible light transmissivity of individual ones of the plurality of electrically dimmable windows (see Tanaka claim 1 and paras “0029-0030”, “0045”, “0056” and “0077” “The vehicle dimmer control system 1 illustrated here includes the controller 10, and the controller 10 controls visible light transmissivity of dimming glass for each of the windows W of the vehicle C using at least one of own vehicle state information received from another controller and own vehicle position information received from the car navigation system”).
It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the invention of Larson for interior rearview mirror assembly with full screen video display “to adjust the light transmissivity using a dimmable window” as taught by Tanaka (paras. [0029]- [0077]) in order to dynamically control visible light transmissivity of the vehicle windows based on vehicle operating conditions thereby improving occupant comfort, privacy and glare reduction.
Regarding claim 6, Larson fails to explicitly teach wherein the vehicular driving assist system locally adjusts visible light transmissivity of a portion of at least one electrically dimmable window of the plurality of electrically dimmable windows.
However, Tanaka teaches wherein the vehicular driving assist system locally adjusts visible light transmissivity of a portion of at least one electrically dimmable window of the plurality of electrically dimmable windows (see Tanaka claim 1 and paras “0029-0030”, “0045”, “0056” and “0077” “The vehicle dimmer control system 1 illustrated here includes the controller 10, and the controller 10 controls visible light transmissivity of dimming glass for each of the windows W of the vehicle C using at least one of own vehicle state information received from another controller and own vehicle position information received from the car navigation system”).
It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the invention of Larson for interior rearview mirror assembly with full screen video display “to adjust the light transmissivity using a dimmable window” as taught by Tanaka (paras. [0029]- [0077]) in order to dynamically control visible light transmissivity of the vehicle windows based on vehicle operating conditions thereby improving occupant comfort, privacy and glare reduction.
Regarding claim 7, Larson discloses wherein the light sensor comprises a camera, and wherein the vehicular driving assist system locally adjusts visible light transmissivity of the portion of the at least one electrically dimmable window of the plurality of electrically dimmable windows based on a determined location of a light source within a field of view of the camera (see Larson paras “0028”, “0041-0044”, and “0050-0051” “The display device is operable to display video images captured by a rearward viewing camera, such as a camera mounted at a rear portion of the vehicle or that views through a rear window of the vehicle so as to have a rearward field of view rearward and at least partially sideward of the vehicle” and “It is preferable to have individual light emitting diodes independently controlled based on determined display intensities of respective portions of the video images displayed by the video display device. For example, the particular zones of backlighting LEDs to be increased or decreased in intensity may be determined responsive to processing of image data representative of the displayed images, such as to determine glare regions or bright spots (or dark spots) in the images, whereby the backlighting zones associated with the glare regions or bright spots may have the LED intensity increased and/or the backlighting zones associated with dark areas may have the LED intensity decreased”),
But Larson fails to explicitly teach wherein the vehicular driving assist system locally adjusts visible light transmissivity of the portion of the at least one electrically dimmable window of the plurality of electrically dimmable windows.
However, Tanaka teaches wherein the vehicular driving assist system locally adjusts visible light transmissivity of the portion of the at least one electrically dimmable window of the plurality of electrically dimmable windows (see Tanaka claim 1 and paras “0029-0030”, “0045”, “0056” and “0077” “The vehicle dimmer control system 1 illustrated here includes the controller 10, and the controller 10 controls visible light transmissivity of dimming glass for each of the windows W of the vehicle C using at least one of own vehicle state information received from another controller and own vehicle position information received from the car navigation system”).
It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the invention of Larson for interior rearview mirror assembly with full screen video display “to adjust the light transmissivity using a dimmable window” as taught by Tanaka (paras. [0029]- [0077]) in order to dynamically control visible light transmissivity of the vehicle windows based on vehicle operating conditions thereby improving occupant comfort, privacy and glare reduction.
Regarding claim 14, Larson discloses wherein the vehicular driving assist system, responsive to detection of glare light incident at the electrochromic mirror reflective element, adjusts visible light transmissivity of the electrically dimmable window to reduce visible light transmissivity of the electrically dimmable window (see Larson paras “0029”, “0034”, and “0050-0051” “The circuit board 32 may also be coupled with a photo/glare light sensor 34 established rearward of the display device for providing a viewing angle capable to sensing glare on the display area, such as in a location rearward of the display screen and forward”, “night-time driving may result in increased glare from head-lights reflected off the mirror or glass surfaces at the display area. To resolve that issue, the electro-optic mirror reflective element 14 may be dimmed or darkened” and “may process image data captured by the rearward facing camera to assess glare lighting conditions (such as to detect headlights of following vehicles that may cause glare at the interior and/or exterior rearview mirror assemblies of the equipped vehicle), and the controller may adjust or control the dimming”).
Regarding claim 15, Larson discloses wherein the electrically dimmable window comprises an electrochromic medium disposed between a first glass substrate and a second glass substrate (see Larson para “0027” “the electro-optic mirror reflective element 14 of the interior rearview mirror assembly 10 includes a front substrate 24 and a rear substrate 26 spaced from front substrate 24 with the electro-optic medium (such as an electrochromic medium) and transparent conductive or semi-conductive layers (such as described below) sandwiched between the substrates 24, 26 (with the transparent conductive layer disposed at a rear surface of front substrate 24 [the second surface of the laminate electro-optical element] and the transparent conductive layer disposed at the front surface of rear substrate 26”).
Regarding claim 16, Larson discloses wherein the electrically dimmable window comprises an electrochromic medium disposed between a first glass substrate and a second glass substrate (see Larson paras “0029” and “0033” “the display device 16 comprises a display module having a display screen (such as a multi-pixel LCD panel/screen backlit by a plurality of LEDs) and a circuit element 32” and “such as a multi-pixel display screen (such as a backlit dot matrix liquid crystal display or a thin film transistor or TFT display screen) that is backlit by a plurality of illumination sources 30”).
Regarding claim 17, Larson discloses wherein the light sensor comprises at least one photosensing element (see Larson paras “0029” and “0033” “the display device 16 comprises a display module having a display screen (such as a multi-pixel LCD panel/screen backlit by a plurality of LEDs) and a circuit element 32” and “such as a multi-pixel display screen (such as a backlit dot matrix liquid crystal display or a thin film transistor or TFT display screen) that is backlit by a plurality of illumination sources 30”).
Regarding claim 18, Larson discloses wherein the light sensor comprises a camera (see Larson at least paras “0028” and “0050-0051”).
Claims 8 and 24-27 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable in view of Larson et al (US 2016/0375833 A1) in view of Tanaka et al (US 2022/0019095 A1) as applied to claim 1 above in further view of Li (US 2020/0409208 A1).
Regarding claim 8, modified Larson fails to explicitly teach wherein the vehicular driving assist system adjusts visible light transmissivity of the electrically dimmable window between at least (i) a daytime driving mode where a first level of visible light incident at the electrically dimmable window passes through the electrically dimmable window and (ii) a nighttime driving mode where a second level of visible light incident at the electrically dimmable window passes through the electrically dimmable window, and wherein the second level of visible light is greater than the first level of visible light.
However, Li teaches wherein the vehicular driving assist system adjusts visible light transmissivity of the electrically dimmable window between at least (i) a daytime driving mode where a first level of visible light incident at the electrically dimmable window passes through the electrically dimmable window and (ii) a nighttime driving mode where a second level of visible light incident at the electrically dimmable window passes through the electrically dimmable window, and wherein the second level of visible light is greater than the first level of visible light (see Li para “0071” “FIG. 1A and FIG. 1B illustrate an example of a dimmable glass 100 and its applications. As shown in FIG. 1A, dimmable glass 100 can have a low light transmittance in a bright environment (e.g., in the day time), and can have a high light transmittance in a dim environment (e.g., in the night time). When dimmable glass 100 has a low light transmittance, a relatively low proportion of incident light energy is transmitted via dimmable glass 100 as light 102 to a viewer 104, whereas when dimmable glass 100 has a high light transmittance, a relatively high proportion of incident light energy is transmitted as light 106 to viewer 104”).
It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the invention of modified Larson for interior rearview mirror assembly with full screen video display “to control the visible light t transmissivity of the electrically dimmable window based on daytime and nighttime” as taught by Li (para. [0071]) in order to improve driver visibility and occupant comfort.
Regarding claim 24, Larson discloses a vehicular driving assist system, the vehicular driving assist system comprising: an interior rearview mirror assembly comprising a mirror head adjustable about a mounting base (see Larson paras “0003”, “0023”, “0034” and “0051” “a mirror assembly that is adjustably mounted to an interior portion of a vehicle, such as via a double ball pivot or joint mounting configuration”, “the mirror assembly 10 is configured to be adjustably mounted to an interior portion of a vehicle (such as to an interior or in-cabin surface of a vehicle windshield or a headliner of a vehicle or the like) via a mounting structure or mounting configuration or assembly 18” and “Accordingly, the display device 16 may function to adjust the neutral color emitted based on the actuation condition of the electro-optic element. Also, in order to reduce issues related to glare from head-lights reflected off the mirror or glass surfaces”),
wherein the mounting base is configured to mount the interior rearview mirror assembly at an interior portion of an interior cabin of a vehicle (see Larson paras “0003”, “0023”, “0034” and “0051” “the mirror assembly 10 is configured to be adjustably mounted to an interior portion of a vehicle (such as to an interior or in-cabin surface of a vehicle windshield or a headliner of a vehicle or the like) via a mounting structure or mounting configuration or assembly 18”),
wherein the mirror head accommodates an electrochromic mirror reflective element (see Larson paras “0003”, “0023-0025”, “0027” and “0048” “The mirror reflective element 14 of the interior rearview mirror assembly 10 comprises an electro-optic mirror reflective and the display device 16 is disposed at a rear surface of the electro-optic mirror reflective element”),
and wherein the electrochromic mirror reflective element is electrically operable to adjust light reflectivity of the electrochromic mirror reflective element (see Larson paras “0003”, “0029” and “0056” “such circuitry may be configured for controlling the display functions and for controlling the dimming or variable reflectance of the reflective element” and “control the EC drive circuit to control the dimming of the electro-optic or electrochromic mirror reflective element”),
a light sensor that captures sensor data (see Larson para “0029” “The circuit board 32 may also be coupled with a photo/glare light sensor 34 established rearward of the display device for providing a viewing angle capable to sensing glare on the display area”),
an electronic control unit (ECU) comprising electronic circuitry and associated software (see Larson at least paras “0029”, “0041” and “0056”),
wherein the electronic circuitry comprises a processor operable to process sensor data captured by the light sensor (see Larson paras “0042” and “0051” “This processing may be selectively performed, but more preferably processed automatically using a combination of information such as user preference settings, ambient forward and/or rearward light sensors” and “may process image data captured by the rearward facing camera to assess glare lighting conditions (such as to detect headlights of following vehicles that may cause glare at the interior and/or exterior rearview mirror assemblies of the equipped vehicle)”),
wherein sensor data captured by the light sensor is transferred to and is processed at the ECU (see Larson para “0056” “controls the backlight driver and LED backlighting at the TFT display. Optionally, the controller may also be responsive to or in communication with a vehicle network or CAN or LIN communication bus interface. Optionally, the controller may also control the EC drive circuit to control the dimming of the electro-optic or electrochromic mirror reflective element”),
wherein the vehicular driving assist system, based at least on processing at the ECU of sensor data captured by the light sensor and transferred to the ECU, determines ambient light at the vehicle (see Larson paras “0029”, “0042” and “0051” “detecting or sensing the light (such as ambient light or glare light)”, “ambient forward and/or rearward light sensors” and “process image data captured by the rearward facing camera to assess glare lighting conditions (such as to detect headlights of following vehicles that may cause glare at the interior and/or exterior rearview mirror assemblies of the equipped vehicle), and the controller may adjust or control the dimming of the electro-optic mirror assembly or assemblies of the equipped vehicle responsive to such image processing.”),
and wherein the vehicular driving assist system, based at least in part on the determined ambient light, (i) adjusts light reflectivity of the electrochromic mirror reflective element (see Larson paras “0034” and “0056” “the electro-optic mirror reflective element 14 may be dimmed or darkened while the display device 16 is active during night-time conditions” and “Optionally, the controller may also control the EC drive circuit to control the dimming of the electro-optic or electrochromic mirror reflective element”),
But Larson fails to explicitly teach wherein a plurality of electrically dimmable windows is disposed at the vehicle, and wherein each electrically dimmable window of the plurality of electrically dimmable windows is electrically operable to adjust visible light transmissivity of the electrically dimmable window and (ii) adjusts visible light transmissivity of the plurality of electrically dimmable windows.
However, Tanaka teaches wherein a plurality of electrically dimmable windows is disposed at the vehicle, (see Tanaka para “0027” “The windows W is formed of dimming glass changed in visible light transmissivity based on an electrical signal, for controlling the windows to be in the permeable state or the impermeable state.”).
and wherein each electrically dimmable window of the plurality of electrically dimmable windows is electrically operable to adjust visible light transmissivity of the electrically dimmable window (see Tanaka claim 1 and paras “0006”, “0027” and “0077” “a controller configured to control visible light transmissivity of dimming glass for each of windows, based on dimming determination information of a vehicle for determining whether to bring the windows disposed at a plurality of points of the vehicle and each includes dimming glass changed in visible light transmissivity based on an electrical signal, into a permeable state or an impermeable state, wherein the dimming determination information is at least one of own vehicle state information indicating a state of an own vehicle, and own vehicle position information indicating an own vehicle position, and the controller determines a control target window to be changed in visible light transmissivity, from among the plurality of windows based on the dimming determination information, and controls visible light transmissivity of dimming glass of the control target window to be in the permeable state or the impermeable state”).
(ii) adjusts visible light transmissivity of the plurality of electrically dimmable windows (see Tanaka claim 1 and paras “0029-0030”, “0045”, “0056” and “0077” “The vehicle dimmer control system 1 illustrated here includes the controller 10, and the controller 10 controls visible light transmissivity of dimming glass for each of the windows W of the vehicle C using at least one of own vehicle state information received from another controller and own vehicle position information received from the car navigation system”).
It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the invention of Larson for interior rearview mirror assembly with full screen video display “to adjust the light transmissivity using a dimmable window” as taught by Tanaka (paras. [0029]- [0077]) in order to dynamically control visible light transmissivity of the vehicle windows based on vehicle operating conditions thereby improving occupant comfort, privacy and glare reduction.
But modified Larson fails to explicitly teach wherein the vehicular driving assist system adjusts visible light transmissivity of each electrically dimmable window of the plurality of electrically dimmable windows between at least (i) a daytime driving mode where a first level of visible light incident at the electrically dimmable window passes through the electrically dimmable window and (ii) a nighttime driving mode where a second level of visible light incident at the electrically dimmable window passes through the electrically dimmable window, and wherein the second level of visible light is greater than the first level of visible light..
However, Li teaches wherein the vehicular driving assist system adjusts visible light transmissivity of each electrically dimmable window of the plurality of electrically dimmable windows between at least (i) a daytime driving mode where a first level of visible light incident at the electrically dimmable window passes through the electrically dimmable window and (ii) a nighttime driving mode where a second level of visible light incident at the electrically dimmable window passes through the electrically dimmable window, and wherein the second level of visible light is greater than the first level of visible light. (see Li para “0071” “FIG. 1A and FIG. 1B illustrate an example of a dimmable glass 100 and its applications. As shown in FIG. 1A, dimmable glass 100 can have a low light transmittance in a bright environment (e.g., in the day time), and can have a high light transmittance in a dim environment (e.g., in the night time). When dimmable glass 100 has a low light transmittance, a relatively low proportion of incident light energy is transmitted via dimmable glass 100 as light 102 to a viewer 104, whereas when dimmable glass 100 has a high light transmittance, a relatively high proportion of incident light energy is transmitted as light 106 to viewer 104”).
It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the invention of modified Larson for interior rearview mirror assembly with full screen video display “to control the visible light t transmissivity of the electrically dimmable window based on daytime and nighttime” as taught by Li (para. [0071]) in order to improve driver visibility and occupant comfort.
Regarding claim 25, Larson fails to explicitly teach wherein the plurality of electrically dimmable windows includes (i) a rear window of the vehicle, (ii) a driver-side window of the vehicle and (iii) a passenger-side window of the vehicle.
However, Tanaka teaches wherein the plurality of electrically dimmable windows includes (i) a rear window of the vehicle, (ii) a driver-side window of the vehicle and (iii) a passenger-side window of the vehicle (see Tanaka paras “0006”, “0027”, “0029” and “0030” “The windows W is formed of dimming glass changed in visible light transmissivity based on an electrical signal, for controlling the windows to be in the permeable state or the impermeable state. The windows W illustrated here include not only windows for separating the inside of the vehicle compartment and the vehicle exterior, but also partitions for separating a front seat and a rear seat inside the vehicle compartment. The windows W for separating the inside of the vehicle compartment and the vehicle exterior refer to windows Wf on the front seat side (front window, left and right front side windows, front quarter window), windows Wr on the rear seat side {rear windows (including backdoor glass of a vehicle with a backdoor), left and right rear side windows (rear side window of each line in a case where there are a plurality of lines of rear seats), rear quarter window}”).
It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the invention of Larson for interior rearview mirror assembly with full screen video display “to adjust the light transmissivity using a dimmable window” as taught by Tanaka (paras. [0027]- [0030]) in order to dynamically control visible light transmissivity of the vehicle windows based on vehicle operating conditions thereby improving occupant comfort, privacy and glare reduction.
Regarding claim 26, Larson fails to explicitly teach wherein the vehicular driving assist system adjusts, independently from one another, visible light transmissivity of (i) the rear window of the vehicle, (ii) the driver-side window of the vehicle and (iii) the passenger-side window of the vehicle.
However, Tanaka teaches wherein the vehicular driving assist system adjusts, independently from one another, visible light transmissivity of (i) the rear window of the vehicle, (ii) the driver-side window of the vehicle and (iii) the passenger-side window of the vehicle (see Tanaka paras “0030”, “0035”, “0045”, “0050” and “0056” “a control target window to be changed in visible light transmissivity, from among the plurality of windows W based on the dimming determination information, and controls visible light transmissivity of dimming glass of the control target window to be in the permeable state or the impermeable state. Hereinafter, various examples of the control will be described.”).
It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the invention of Larson for interior rearview mirror assembly with full screen video display “to adjust the light transmissivity using a dimmable window” as taught by Tanaka (paras. [0030]- [0035]) in order to dynamically control visible light transmissivity of the vehicle windows based on vehicle operating conditions thereby improving occupant comfort, privacy and glare reduction.
Regarding claim 27, Larson discloses wherein the light sensor comprises a camera, and wherein the vehicular driving assist system adjusts visible light transmissivity of individual ones of the plurality of electrically dimmable windows differently from one another based on a determined location of a light source within a field of view of the camera (see Larson paras “0028”, “0041-0044”, and “0050-0051” “The display device is operable to display video images captured by a rearward viewing camera, such as a camera mounted at a rear portion of the vehicle or that views through a rear window of the vehicle so as to have a rearward field of view rearward and at least partially sideward of the vehicle” and “It is preferable to have individual light emitting diodes independently controlled based on determined display intensities of respective portions of the video images displayed by the video display device. For example, the particular zones of backlighting LEDs to be increased or decreased in intensity may be determined responsive to processing of image data representative of the displayed images, such as to determine glare regions or bright spots (or dark spots) in the images, whereby the backlighting zones associated with the glare regions or bright spots may have the LED intensity increased and/or the backlighting zones associated with dark areas may have the LED intensity decreased”),
But Larson fails to explicitly teach wherein the vehicular driving assist system adjusts visible light transmissivity of individual ones of the plurality of electrically dimmable windows.
However, Tanaka teaches wherein the vehicular driving assist system adjusts visible light transmissivity of individual ones of the plurality of electrically dimmable windows (see Tanaka claim 1 and paras “0029-0030”, “0045”, “0056” and “0077” “The vehicle dimmer control system 1 illustrated here includes the controller 10, and the controller 10 controls visible light transmissivity of dimming glass for each of the windows W of the vehicle C using at least one of own vehicle state information received from another controller and own vehicle position information received from the car navigation system”).
It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the invention of Larson for interior rearview mirror assembly with full screen video display “to adjust the light transmissivity using a dimmable window” as taught by Tanaka (paras. [0029]- [0077]) in order to dynamically control visible light transmissivity of the vehicle windows based on vehicle operating conditions thereby improving occupant comfort, privacy and glare reduction.
Claims 9-13 and 19-23 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable in view of Larson et al (US 2016/0375833 A1) in view of Tanaka et al (US 2022/0019095 A1) as applied to claim 1 above in further view of Lagowski et al (US 2020/0019034 A1).
Regarding claim 9, modified Larson fails to explicitly teach wherein the vehicular driving assist system adjusts visible light transmissivity of the electrically dimmable window to maintain at least a threshold transmissivity of visible light passing through the electrically dimmable window.
However, Lagowski teaches wherein the vehicular driving assist system adjusts visible light transmissivity of the electrically dimmable window to maintain at least a threshold transmissivity of visible light passing through the electrically dimmable window (see Lagowski para “0051” “For example, in response to the light 30 impinging on the vehicle 10 in the first direction, the window control system 12 may not limit or maintain a high level of transparency in each of the dimming zones 16a-16d because the second occupant 62b may not be located along a path of the light 30 transmitted into the vehicle 10 from the first direction 32a. In response to the light 30 impinging on the vehicle 10 in the second direction 32b, the window control system 12 may control each of the dimming zones 16a-16d to limit the transmittance of light 30 into the passenger compartment 20. Finally, in response to the detection of the light 30 impinging on the vehicle 10 in the third direction 32c, the window control system 12 may control the third dimming zone 16c and the fourth dimming zone 16d to limit the passage of the light 30 while maintaining a high level of transparency or transmittance through the first dimming zone 16a and the second dimming zone 16b. Accordingly, based on the examples discussed herein, the window control system 12 may automatically control the transmittance of each of the dimming windows 14 and/or dimming zones 16 to ensure that passengers or occupants located in any region of the vehicle 10 may be transported in comfort”).
It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the invention of modified Larson for interior rearview mirror assembly with full screen video display “to maintain a desired level of visible light transmissivity through electrically dimmable windows” as taught by Lagowski (para. [0051]) in order to improve passenger comfort and regulate the amount of transmitted light entering the vehicle.
Regarding claim 10, modified Larson fails to explicitly teach wherein the threshold transmissivity of visible light passing through the electrically dimmable window is based at least in part on a determined geographic location of the vehicle.
However, Lagowski teaches wherein the threshold transmissivity of visible light passing through the electrically dimmable window is based at least in part on a determined geographic location of the vehicle (see Lagowski paras “0007”, “0044” and “0051” “the method may comprise detecting the direction of sunlight hitting vehicle based on a vehicle operating direction. Additionally, the method may comprise comparing a vehicle operating direction to information on a time of day and geographic region to determine the direction from which sunlight is striking the vehicle.”, “The number of dimming windows 14 and dimming zones 16 which may be controlled by the window control system 12 may vary based on the number and location of the regions of the vehicle and the intensity and the direction of incoming light. For example, in some embodiments, a first sunroof panel 44a and a second sunroof panel 44b may each comprise a plurality of dimming zones 16. Each of the dimming zones 16 may comprise an electro-optic apparatus 18 that may be independently controlled by the controller 90 of the window control system 12 to adjust a transmittance of light passing therethrough. The number of dimming zones 16 may vary based on the desired operation of the window control system 12 such that the window control system 12 may be implemented and scaled for a variety of applications” and “in response to the detection of the light 30 impinging on the vehicle 10 in the third direction 32c, the window control system 12 may control the third dimming zone 16c and the fourth dimming zone 16d to limit the passage of the light 30 while maintaining a high level of transparency or transmittance through the first dimming zone 16a and the second dimming zone 16b. Accordingly, based on the examples discussed herein, the window control system 12 may automatically control the transmittance of each of the dimming windows 14 and/or dimming zones 16 to ensure that passengers or occupants located in any region of the vehicle 10 may be transported in comfort”).
It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the invention of modified Larson for interior rearview mirror assembly with full screen video display “to maintain a desired level of visible light transmissivity through electrically dimmable windows” as taught by Lagowski (paras. [0044] - [0051]) in order to improve passenger comfort and regulate the amount of transmitted light entering the vehicle.
Regarding claim 11, modified Larson fails to explicitly teach wherein the threshold transmissivity of visible light passing through the electrically dimmable window is based at least in part on a position of the electrically dimmable window at the vehicle.
However, Lagowski teaches wherein the threshold transmissivity of visible light passing through the electrically dimmable window is based at least in part on a position of the electrically dimmable window at the vehicle (see Lagowski paras “0007”, “0044” and “0050-0051” “the method may comprise detecting the direction of sunlight hitting vehicle based on a vehicle operating direction. Additionally, the method may comprise comparing a vehicle operating direction to information on a time of day and geographic region to determine the direction from which sunlight is striking the vehicle.”, “The number of dimming windows 14 and dimming zones 16 which may be controlled by the window control system 12 may vary based on the number and location of the regions of the vehicle and the intensity and the direction of incoming light. For example, in some embodiments, a first sunroof panel 44a and a second sunroof panel 44b may each comprise a plurality of dimming zones 16. Each of the dimming zones 16 may comprise an electro-optic apparatus 18 that may be independently controlled by the controller 90 of the window control system 12 to adjust a transmittance of light passing therethrough. The number of dimming zones 16 may vary based on the desired operation of the window control system 12 such that the window control system 12 may be implemented and scaled for a variety of applications” and “in response to the detection of the light 30 impinging on the vehicle 10 in the third direction 32c, the window control system 12 may control the third dimming zone 16c and the fourth dimming zone 16d to limit the passage of the light 30 while maintaining a high level of transparency or transmittance through the first dimming zone 16a and the second dimming zone 16b. Accordingly, based on the examples discussed herein, the window control system 12 may automatically control the transmittance of each of the dimming windows 14 and/or dimming zones 16 to ensure that passengers or occupants located in any region of the vehicle 10 may be transported in comfort”).
It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the invention of modified Larson for interior rearview mirror assembly with full screen video display “to maintain a desired level of visible light transmissivity through electrically dimmable windows” as taught by Lagowski (paras. [0044] - [0051]) in order to improve passenger comfort and regulate the amount of transmitted light entering the vehicle.
Regarding claim 12, modified Larson fails to explicitly teach wherein the threshold transmissivity of visible light passing through the electrically dimmable window is based at least in part on a determined condition at the vehicle.
However, Lagowski teaches wherein the threshold transmissivity of visible light passing through the electrically dimmable window is based at least in part on a determined condition at the vehicle (see Lagowski paras “0036” and “0039” “The window control system 12 may employ a control algorithm that may adjust the amount of light that may be transmitted through at least one of the dimming windows 14 or dimming zones 16 such that the desired light intensity level is attained. Furthermore, the window control system 12 may adjust the dimming window 14 or dimming zone 16 dynamically to adapt to changing environmental conditions or vehicle orientations so that the desired light intensity level is maintained” and “Controller 90 may selectively dim the windshield 46 or one or more dimming zones 16 within the windshield 46 based on the absolute intensity of the light entering through the windshield”).
It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the invention of modified Larson for interior rearview mirror assembly with full screen video display “to maintain a desired level of visible light transmissivity through electrically dimmable windows” as taught by Lagowski (paras. [0036] - [0039]) in order to improve passenger comfort and regulate the amount of transmitted light entering the vehicle.
Regarding claim 13, modified Larson fails to explicitly teach wherein the determined condition comprises at least one selected from the group consisting of (i) a weather condition, (ii) a road condition and (iii) a time condition.
However, Lagowski teaches wherein the determined condition comprises at least one selected from the group consisting of (i) a weather condition, (ii) a road condition and (iii) a time condition (see Lagowski paras “0007”, “0044” and “0051” “the method may comprise detecting the direction of sunlight hitting vehicle based on a vehicle operating direction. Additionally, the method may comprise comparing a vehicle operating direction to information on a time of day and geographic region to determine the direction from which sunlight is striking the vehicle.”).
It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the invention of modified Larson for interior rearview mirror assembly with full screen video display “to maintain a desired level of visible light transmissivity through electrically dimmable windows” as taught by Lagowski (paras. [0007] - [0051]) in order to improve passenger comfort and regulate the amount of transmitted light entering the vehicle.
Regarding claim 19, Larson discloses a vehicular driving assist system, the vehicular driving assist system comprising: an interior rearview mirror assembly comprising a mirror head adjustable about a mounting base (see Larson paras “0003”, “0023”, “0034” and “0051” “a mirror assembly that is adjustably mounted to an interior portion of a vehicle, such as via a double ball pivot or joint mounting configuration”, “the mirror assembly 10 is configured to be adjustably mounted to an interior portion of a vehicle (such as to an interior or in-cabin surface of a vehicle windshield or a headliner of a vehicle or the like) via a mounting structure or mounting configuration or assembly 18” and “Accordingly, the display device 16 may function to adjust the neutral color emitted based on the actuation condition of the electro-optic element. Also, in order to reduce issues related to glare from head-lights reflected off the mirror or glass surfaces”),
wherein the mounting base is configured to mount the interior rearview mirror assembly at an interior portion of an interior cabin of a vehicle (see Larson paras “0003”, “0023”, “0034” and “0051” “the mirror assembly 10 is configured to be adjustably mounted to an interior portion of a vehicle (such as to an interior or in-cabin surface of a vehicle windshield or a headliner of a vehicle or the like) via a mounting structure or mounting configuration or assembly 18”),
wherein the mirror head accommodates an electrochromic mirror reflective element, (see Larson paras “0003”, “0023-0025”, “0027” and “0048” “The mirror reflective element 14 of the interior rearview mirror assembly 10 comprises an electro-optic mirror reflective and the display device 16 is disposed at a rear surface of the electro-optic mirror reflective element”),
and wherein the electrochromic mirror reflective element is electrically operable to adjust light reflectivity of the electrochromic mirror reflective element (see Larson paras “0003”, “0029” and “0056” “such circuitry may be configured for controlling the display functions and for controlling the dimming or variable reflectance of the reflective element” and “control the EC drive circuit to control the dimming of the electro-optic or electrochromic mirror reflective element”),
a camera that captures image data (see Larson para “0029” “The circuit board 32 may also be coupled with a photo/glare light sensor 34 established rearward of the display device for providing a viewing angle capable to sensing glare on the display area”),
an electronic control unit (ECU) comprising electronic circuitry and associated software, (see Larson at least paras “0029”, “0041” and “0056”),
wherein the electronic circuitry comprises an image processor operable to process image data captured by the camera (see Larson paras “0042” and “0051” “This processing may be selectively performed, but more preferably processed automatically using a combination of information such as user preference settings, ambient forward and/or rearward light sensors” and “may process image data captured by the rearward facing camera to assess glare lighting conditions (such as to detect headlights of following vehicles that may cause glare at the interior and/or exterior rearview mirror assemblies of the equipped vehicle)”),
wherein image data captured by the camera is transferred to and is processed at the ECU (see Larson para “0056” “controls the backlight driver and LED backlighting at the TFT display. Optionally, the controller may also be responsive to or in communication with a vehicle network or CAN or LIN communication bus interface. Optionally, the controller may also control the EC drive circuit to control the dimming of the electro-optic or electrochromic mirror reflective element”),
wherein the vehicular driving assist system, based at least on processing at the ECU of image data captured by the camera and transferred to the ECU, determines ambient light at the vehicle (see Larson paras “0029”, “0042” and “0051” “detecting or sensing the light (such as ambient light or glare light)”, “ambient forward and/or rearward light sensors” and “process image data captured by the rearward facing camera to assess glare lighting conditions (such as to detect headlights of following vehicles that may cause glare at the interior and/or exterior rearview mirror assemblies of the equipped vehicle), and the controller may adjust or control the dimming of the electro-optic mirror assembly or assemblies of the equipped vehicle responsive to such image processing.”),
wherein the vehicular driving assist system, based at least in part on the determined ambient light, (i) adjusts light reflectivity of the electrochromic mirror reflective element (see Larson paras “0034” and “0056” “the electro-optic mirror reflective element 14 may be dimmed or darkened while the display device 16 is active during night-time conditions” and “Optionally, the controller may also control the EC drive circuit to control the dimming of the electro-optic or electrochromic mirror reflective element”),
Larson discloses wherein the vehicular driving assist system locally adjusts visible light transmissivity of a portion of the electrically dimmable window based on a determined location of a light source within a field of view of the camera (see Larson paras “0028”, “0041-0044”, and “0050-0051” “The display device is operable to display video images captured by a rearward viewing camera, such as a camera mounted at a rear portion of the vehicle or that views through a rear window of the vehicle so as to have a rearward field of view rearward and at least partially sideward of the vehicle” and “It is preferable to have individual light emitting diodes independently controlled based on determined display intensities of respective portions of the video images displayed by the video display device. For example, the particular zones of backlighting LEDs to be increased or decreased in intensity may be determined responsive to processing of image data representative of the displayed images, such as to determine glare regions or bright spots (or dark spots) in the images, whereby the backlighting zones associated with the glare regions or bright spots may have the LED intensity increased and/or the backlighting zones associated with dark areas may have the LED intensity decreased”),
But Larson fails to explicitly teach wherein an electrically dimmable window is disposed at the vehicle, and wherein the electrically dimmable window is electrically operable to adjust visible light transmissivity of the electrically dimmable window and (ii) adjusts visible light transmissivity of the electrically dimmable window and adjusts visible light transmissivity of a portion of the electrically dimmable window.
However, Tanaka teaches wherein an electrically dimmable window is disposed at the vehicle (see Tanaka para “0027” “The windows W is formed of dimming glass changed in visible light transmissivity based on an electrical signal, for controlling the windows to be in the permeable state or the impermeable state.”).
and wherein the electrically dimmable window is electrically operable to adjust visible light transmissivity of the electrically dimmable window (see Tanaka claim 1 and paras “0006”, “0027” and “0077” “a controller configured to control visible light transmissivity of dimming glass for each of windows, based on dimming determination information of a vehicle for determining whether to bring the windows disposed at a plurality of points of the vehicle and each includes dimming glass changed in visible light transmissivity based on an electrical signal, into a permeable state or an impermeable state, wherein the dimming determination information is at least one of own vehicle state information indicating a state of an own vehicle, and own vehicle position information indicating an own vehicle position, and the controller determines a control target window to be changed in visible light transmissivity, from among the plurality of windows based on the dimming determination information, and controls visible light transmissivity of dimming glass of the control target window to be in the permeable state or the impermeable state”).
and (ii) adjusts visible light transmissivity of the electrically dimmable window (see Tanaka claim 1 and paras “0029-0030”, “0045”, “0056” and “0077” “The vehicle dimmer control system 1 illustrated here includes the controller 10, and the controller 10 controls visible light transmissivity of dimming glass for each of the windows W of the vehicle C using at least one of own vehicle state information received from another controller and own vehicle position information received from the car navigation system”)
adjusts visible light transmissivity of a portion of the electrically dimmable window (see Tanaka claim 1 and paras “0029-0030”, “0045”, “0056” and “0077” “The vehicle dimmer control system 1 illustrated here includes the controller 10, and the controller 10 controls visible light transmissivity of dimming glass for each of the windows W of the vehicle C using at least one of own vehicle state information received from another controller and own vehicle position information received from the car navigation system”).
It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the invention of Larson for interior rearview mirror assembly with full screen video display “to adjust the light transmissivity using a dimmable window” as taught by Tanaka (paras. [0029]- [0077]) in order to dynamically control visible light transmissivity of the vehicle windows based on vehicle operating conditions thereby improving occupant comfort, privacy and glare reduction.
But modified Larson fails to explicitly teach wherein the vehicular driving assist system adjusts visible light transmissivity of the electrically dimmable window to maintain at least a threshold transmissivity of visible light passing through the electrically dimmable window.
However, Lagowski teaches wherein the vehicular driving assist system adjusts visible light transmissivity of the electrically dimmable window to maintain at least a threshold transmissivity of visible light passing through the electrically dimmable window (see Lagowski para “0051” “For example, in response to the light 30 impinging on the vehicle 10 in the first direction, the window control system 12 may not limit or maintain a high level of transparency in each of the dimming zones 16a-16d because the second occupant 62b may not be located along a path of the light 30 transmitted into the vehicle 10 from the first direction 32a. In response to the light 30 impinging on the vehicle 10 in the second direction 32b, the window control system 12 may control each of the dimming zones 16a-16d to limit the transmittance of light 30 into the passenger compartment 20. Finally, in response to the detection of the light 30 impinging on the vehicle 10 in the third direction 32c, the window control system 12 may control the third dimming zone 16c and the fourth dimming zone 16d to limit the passage of the light 30 while maintaining a high level of transparency or transmittance through the first dimming zone 16a and the second dimming zone 16b. Accordingly, based on the examples discussed herein, the window control system 12 may automatically control the transmittance of each of the dimming windows 14 and/or dimming zones 16 to ensure that passengers or occupants located in any region of the vehicle 10 may be transported in comfort”).
It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the invention of modified Larson for interior rearview mirror assembly with full screen video display “to maintain a desired level of visible light transmissivity through electrically dimmable windows” as taught by Lagowski (para. [0051]) in order to improve passenger comfort and regulate the amount of transmitted light entering the vehicle.
Regarding claim 20, Larson fails to explicitly teach wherein the electrically dimmable window comprises one selected from the group consisting of (i) a windshield of the vehicle, (ii) a rear window of the vehicle, (iii) a driver-side window of the vehicle and (iv) a passenger-side window of the vehicle.
However, Tanaka teaches wherein the electrically dimmable window comprises one selected from the group consisting of (i) a windshield of the vehicle, (ii) a rear window of the vehicle, (iii) a driver-side window of the vehicle and (iv) a passenger-side window of the vehicle (see Tanaka para “0027” “The windows W is formed of dimming glass changed in visible light transmissivity based on an electrical signal, for controlling the windows to be in the permeable state or the impermeable state. The windows W illustrated here include not only windows for separating the inside of the vehicle compartment and the vehicle exterior, but also partitions for separating a front seat and a rear seat inside the vehicle compartment. The windows W for separating the inside of the vehicle compartment and the vehicle exterior refer to windows Wf on the front seat side (front window, left and right front side windows, front quarter window), windows Wr on the rear seat side {rear windows (including backdoor glass of a vehicle with a backdoor), left and right rear side windows (rear side window of each line in a case where there are a plurality of lines of rear seats), rear quarter window}”).
It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the invention of Larson for interior rearview mirror assembly with full screen video display “to adjust the light transmissivity using a dimmable window” as taught by Tanaka (para. [0027]) in order to dynamically control visible light transmissivity of the vehicle windows based on vehicle operating conditions thereby improving occupant comfort, privacy and glare reduction.
Regarding claim 21, modified Larson fails to explicitly teach wherein the threshold transmissivity of visible light passing through the electrically dimmable window is based at least in part on a determined geographic location of the vehicle.
However, Lagowski teaches wherein the threshold transmissivity of visible light passing through the electrically dimmable window is based at least in part on a determined geographic location of the vehicle (see Lagowski paras “0007”, “0044” and “0051” “the method may comprise detecting the direction of sunlight hitting vehicle based on a vehicle operating direction. Additionally, the method may comprise comparing a vehicle operating direction to information on a time of day and geographic region to determine the direction from which sunlight is striking the vehicle.”, “The number of dimming windows 14 and dimming zones 16 which may be controlled by the window control system 12 may vary based on the number and location of the regions of the vehicle and the intensity and the direction of incoming light. For example, in some embodiments, a first sunroof panel 44a and a second sunroof panel 44b may each comprise a plurality of dimming zones 16. Each of the dimming zones 16 may comprise an electro-optic apparatus 18 that may be independently controlled by the controller 90 of the window control system 12 to adjust a transmittance of light passing therethrough. The number of dimming zones 16 may vary based on the desired operation of the window control system 12 such that the window control system 12 may be implemented and scaled for a variety of applications” and “in response to the detection of the light 30 impinging on the vehicle 10 in the third direction 32c, the window control system 12 may control the third dimming zone 16c and the fourth dimming zone 16d to limit the passage of the light 30 while maintaining a high level of transparency or transmittance through the first dimming zone 16a and the second dimming zone 16b. Accordingly, based on the examples discussed herein, the window control system 12 may automatically control the transmittance of each of the dimming windows 14 and/or dimming zones 16 to ensure that passengers or occupants located in any region of the vehicle 10 may be transported in comfort”).
It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the invention of modified Larson for interior rearview mirror assembly with full screen video display “to maintain a desired level of visible light transmissivity through electrically dimmable windows” as taught by Lagowski (paras. [0044] - [0051]) in order to improve passenger comfort and regulate the amount of transmitted light entering the vehicle.
Regarding claim 22, modified Larson fails to explicitly teach wherein the threshold transmissivity of visible light passing through the electrically dimmable window is based at least in part on a position of the electrically dimmable window at the vehicle.
However, Lagowski teaches wherein the threshold transmissivity of visible light passing through the electrically dimmable window is based at least in part on a position of the electrically dimmable window at the vehicle (see Lagowski paras “0007”, “0044” and “0050-0051” “the method may comprise detecting the direction of sunlight hitting vehicle based on a vehicle operating direction. Additionally, the method may comprise comparing a vehicle operating direction to information on a time of day and geographic region to determine the direction from which sunlight is striking the vehicle.”, “The number of dimming windows 14 and dimming zones 16 which may be controlled by the window control system 12 may vary based on the number and location of the regions of the vehicle and the intensity and the direction of incoming light. For example, in some embodiments, a first sunroof panel 44a and a second sunroof panel 44b may each comprise a plurality of dimming zones 16. Each of the dimming zones 16 may comprise an electro-optic apparatus 18 that may be independently controlled by the controller 90 of the window control system 12 to adjust a transmittance of light passing therethrough. The number of dimming zones 16 may vary based on the desired operation of the window control system 12 such that the window control system 12 may be implemented and scaled for a variety of applications” and “in response to the detection of the light 30 impinging on the vehicle 10 in the third direction 32c, the window control system 12 may control the third dimming zone 16c and the fourth dimming zone 16d to limit the passage of the light 30 while maintaining a high level of transparency or transmittance through the first dimming zone 16a and the second dimming zone 16b. Accordingly, based on the examples discussed herein, the window control system 12 may automatically control the transmittance of each of the dimming windows 14 and/or dimming zones 16 to ensure that passengers or occupants located in any region of the vehicle 10 may be transported in comfort”).
It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the invention of modified Larson for interior rearview mirror assembly with full screen video display “to maintain a desired level of visible light transmissivity through electrically dimmable windows” as taught by Lagowski (paras. [0044] - [0051]) in order to improve passenger comfort and regulate the amount of transmitted light entering the vehicle.
Regarding claim 23, Larson discloses wherein the vehicular driving assist system, responsive to detection of glare light incident at the electrochromic mirror reflective element, adjusts visible light transmissivity of the electrically dimmable window to reduce visible light transmissivity of the electrically dimmable window (see Larson paras “0029”, “0034”, and “0050-0051” “The circuit board 32 may also be coupled with a photo/glare light sensor 34 established rearward of the display device for providing a viewing angle capable to sensing glare on the display area, such as in a location rearward of the display screen and forward”, “night-time driving may result in increased glare from head-lights reflected off the mirror or glass surfaces at the display area. To resolve that issue, the electro-optic mirror reflective element 14 may be dimmed or darkened” and “may process image data captured by the rearward facing camera to assess glare lighting conditions (such as to detect headlights of following vehicles that may cause glare at the interior and/or exterior rearview mirror assemblies of the equipped vehicle), and the controller may adjust or control the dimming”).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to HOSSAM M ABD EL LATIF whose telephone number is (571)272-5869. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 8 am-5 pm EST.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Rachid Bendidi can be reached on (571) 272-4896. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
/HOSSAM M ABD EL LATIF/Examiner, Art Unit 3664
Prosecution Insights