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 .
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claims 1-10 have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on any reference applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Wang et al. (US 2018/0194344 A1) in view of Yu et al. (Us 2018/0328750 A1).
As to claims 1 and 6, Wang discloses a parking support device for performing automatic traveling of a vehicle based on a parking operation performed in the past (Fig. 1, Abstract), the parking support device comprising: a processor (Fig. 5, 510); and a memory (Fig. 5, 516) including a computer program that, when implemented by the processor, causes the processor to perform processing, the processing comprising: acquiring first position (para. 012-0015, start position) information based on a characteristic point extracted from a surrounding image (para. 0017, 0028, camera); acquiring second position (para. 012-0015, current position) information based on a received satellite signal (para. 0020); and performing automatic traveling based on the first position information, the second position information, and a traveling route of the parking operation performed in the past (para. 012-0015). Wang does not explicitly disclose acquiring first position information about the vehicle by comparing a first characteristic point extracted from a first surrounding image at a first time of receiving an operation of starting the automatic traveling and a second characteristic point extracted from a second surrounding image at a second time of learning a traveling route during the parking operation performed in the past. However, Yun teaches acquiring first position information about the vehicle by comparing a first characteristic point extracted from a first surrounding image at a first time of receiving an operation of starting the automatic traveling and a second characteristic point extracted from a second surrounding image at a second time of learning a traveling route during the parking operation performed in the past (para. 0321-0322). Therefore, given the teaching of Yun, it would have been obvious to one skilled in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to have readily recognized the desirability and advantages of modifying the method/device of Wang, by employing the well-known or conventional features of acquiring first position information about the vehicle by comparing a first characteristic point extracted from a first surrounding image at a first time of receiving an operation of starting the automatic traveling and a second characteristic point extracted from a second surrounding image at a second time of learning a traveling route during the parking operation performed in the past, to determine the current position of vehicle for performing automatic parking.
As to claims 2 and 7, Wang further discloses wherein the parking operation performed in the past is teacher traveling performed by a driver (Fig. 3, para. 0018).
As to claims 3 and 8, Wang further discloses comprising: starting the automatic traveling when the user performs the operation of starting the automatic traveling with an operation button (para. 0012, 0018, 0025, driver command the vehicle to begin autonomous parking).
As to claims 4 and 9, Wang further discloses comprising: starting the automatic traveling when the user performs the operation of starting the automatic traveling with a touch panel (para. 0012, 0016-0018, 0025, 0030, driver command the vehicle to begin autonomous parking via mobile application).
As to claims 5 and 10, Wang further discloses comprising: starting the automatic traveling when a driver gets off the vehicle after stopping the vehicle at the start position within the traveling route, and the user performs the operation of starting the automatic traveling from an outside of the vehicle via an operation terminal (para. 0016).
Conclusion
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Ce Li Li whose telephone number is (571)270-5564. The examiner can normally be reached M-F, 10AM-7PM.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Peter D Nolan can be reached at 571-270-7016. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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CE LI . LI
Examiner
Art Unit 3661
/PETER D NOLAN/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3661
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