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 Amendment
The amendment filed 07/01/2026 is being entered. Claims 1, 3, 6, 10, 13, and 15-20 are amended. Claims 1-20 are pending, and rejected as detailed below. This action is final as necessitated by amendment.
Drawing Objections
Replacement sheet for FIG. 6 is entered. Therefore, the drawing objection for FIG. 6 has been withdrawn.
Response to Arguments
Independent claim 1
Argument:
Applicant argues that Deyaf may disclose (i) that a notification of auxiliary equipment being activated may be transmitted to a remote device and (ii) that vehicle data may be transmitted to a remote device, Deyaf does not disclose that activation of the auxiliary equipment triggers vehicle data logging and transmission of the vehicle data. Rather, in Deyaf, (i) a notification related to auxiliary equipment and (ii) monitoring and transmission of vehicle data are separate actions as indicated by separate methods 800 and 900 of FIGS. 8 and 9, respectively.
For example, FIG. 8 relates to "poll[ing] the user inputs (e.g. one of the pushbuttons 532 of the controller interface in FIG. 5) and inputs (or outputs) hardwired to a relay module, such as relay module 400 described above and shown in FIG. 4" to detect whether data has changed (at block 808). Column 17, lines 60-64. When the data associated with inputs or the relay module has changed, "a message is displayed alerting the vehicle occupant of the change and, when necessary, requesting that the user take appropriate action at step 810." Column 18, lines 3-5. The method of FIG. 8 does not involve monitoring vehicle data (for example, from the OBD system) nor does the method of FIG. 8 trigger logging of or transmission of vehicle data from the OBD system in response to detecting a change in data associated with inputs or the relay module.
Rather, the method of FIG. 9 separately monitors CAN bus data (for example, vehicle data) from the OBD system (at block 904) to determine whether the vehicle data has changed (at block 908). When the vehicle data has changed, the vehicle data may be transmitted to a central server or other locations (see blocks 910-916). However, transmission of this vehicle data to the central server or other locations is not triggered in response to determining that an auxiliary device has been activated. Additionally, Deyaf does not disclose local vehicle data logging to allow a local device function as a "black box."
Accordingly, Deyaf does not disclose at least the below-noted features of amended claim 1:
determine, by monitoring the third connection between the adapter and the after- market device, that the after-market device has been activated, and
in response to determining that the after-market device has been activated,
transmit a notification to the electronic communication device, wherein the notification
is configured to trigger the electronic communication device to begin data logging of
the vehicle data and transmit the notification and the vehicle data to an external
device.
For at least the reasons explained above, amended claim 1 is allowable. Claims 2-9 depend from claim 1 and are allowable for at least the same reasons.
Response:
Applicant’s arguments, as amended herein, with respect to the rejections of claims 1 under 35 U.S.C. §102 have been fully considered and not persuasive. More specifically, Deyaf [col. 14, lines 52-59; “the controller 300 is configured to transmit an indication (may also be referred to as a notification or message) that the vehicle occupant has initiated a flashing light pattern on the roof mounted light bar of vehicle 650 to the ACCS network server 664.”] clearly states that the vehicle controller transmits a notification to an external device after the activation of the flashing light, wherein the transmitted notification is the activation of the flashing light and the external device is the ACCS network server 664 . Furthermore, Deyaf [col. 15, lines 58-61; “The dispatch officer may also see that the vehicle has accelerated to a high rate of speed. From this information the dispatch officer may infer that the officer in the first vehicle 650 is involved in a high-speed pursuit.”] and [col. 16, lines 11-20; “Further, any type of data may be transmitted about the environmental conditions and temperature within any of the vehicles, which may be obtained from temperature sensor 536 and carbon monoxide sensor 538 as shown for controller 300 in FIG. 5. Further, data transmitted from controllers 300 may include the location, direction, and/or speed of the vehicles to assist dispatch control who is associated with dispatch control client 666 to monitor the vehicles that are included within their fleet.”] teaches collected vehicle data that is transmitted to the external device after the activation of the flashing light, wherein the vehicle data is the acceleration data of the vehicle, location of the vehicle, speed of the vehicle, cabin temperature of the vehicle, and cabin quality of the vehicle.
Dependent Claim 3
Argument:
Applicant argues that Deyaf does not disclose the circular buffer or the functionality to store vehicle data in a more permanent memory storage location in response to receiving the notification in response to an after-market device being activated. In other words, Deyaf does not disclose local vehicle data logging to allow a local device to function as a "black box."
Response:
Applicant’s arguments, as amended herein, with respect to the rejections of claims 3 under 35 U.S.C. §102 have been fully considered and not persuasive. More specifically, Deyaf
[col. 14, lines 39-43; “ACCS network server 664 is connected to the communication network 662. Data transmissions from the controllers 300 mounted in the vehicles 650, 652, 654 are directed to the ACCS network server 664 where they are received and logged.”] teaches how the vehicle data is transmitted to the server 664 so the data can be later retrieved when necessary. It is also obvious that server 664 can store data in a circular buffer to efficiently manage fixed-size, time-ordered data streams, ensuring constant memory usage and fast access to recent entries.
Independent Claim 10 and Dependent Claim 13
Argument:
Applicant argues that independent claim 10 has been amended to recite the language of original dependent 13. This language relates to a command provided by a vehicle adapter 505 to a vehicle electrical system (for example, an OBD system of the vehicle that receives commands via an OBD port/connection from the adapter). For example, the command may instruct the vehicle "to roll down one or more windows, to turn on the air conditioning of the vehicle 105, to turn lights (e.g., headlights) on/off, and/or the like." Paragraph 0044 of the pending application.
Deyaf does not disclose that commands are provided by the relay module 110, 400 to the vehicle's OBD system 114, for example, to control integrated/original equipment manufacturer (OEM) components of the vehicle.
Original claims 5 and 13 that recite the language that has been amended into claim 10 were rejected in view of Deyaf. However, the citations to Deyaf are improper because they relate to tracking tagged items that can be removed from the vehicle (for example, a first aid kit, a flashlight, a traffic cone, and a gun). See column 19, lines 44-51. These cited portions of Deyaf have nothing to do with sending a command to the vehicle electrical system via a first connection (for example, an OBD connection) to control a component of the vehicle using the vehicle electrical system (for example, rolling down a window of the vehicle). Additionally, no other portions of Deyaf disclose the amended language of claim 10.
Furthermore, claim 13 has been amended to recite that "the command is received by the electronic communication device from a remote device at a location remote from the vehicle." This language specifies that the command is a remote command (for example, from a dispatch center) to the electronic communication device that relays the command to the adapter that then relays command to the vehicle electrical system via the first connection (for example, an OBD connection) to control a vehicle component (for example, rolling down a window of the vehicle). As explained above, Deyaf does not disclose any such command being transmitted "to the vehicle electrical system via the first connection to cause the vehicle electrical system to control a component of the vehicle in accordance with the command," as recited in amended claim 10.
For at least the reasons explained above, amended claims 10 and 13 are allowable. Claims 11-14 depend from claim 10 and are allowable for at least the same reasons.
Response:
Applicant’s arguments, as amended herein, with respect to the rejections of claims 10 under 35 U.S.C. §102 have been fully considered and not persuasive. More specifically, Deyaf [col. 6, lines 34-54; “One or more exemplary embodiments described herein relates to an autonomous communication and control system (ACCS) which allows a vehicle occupant to take various control actions or control functions 104 with respect to auxiliary equipment associated with the vehicle, such as turning on and off a flashing light pattern on the vehicles roof mounted light bar, turning on and off a siren, making announcements through the vehicle's public address system, and the like. Such control actions 104 may be entered into the controller 108 by an occupant of the vehicle and are carried out by the relay outputs associated with the relay module 110. An ACCS according to an embodiment is adapted to communicate indications or notifications 118 that such actions have been taken with respect to the auxiliary equipment to a remote ACCS network server 122. The ACCS may also be configured to communicate indications or notifications 118 of other actions taken by a vehicle occupant such as releasing a trigger lock on a weapon associated with the vehicle, opening a canine (K-9) cage door to release a service dog into the field, and the like, to name a few example actions.”] teaches that the commands inputted via the controller can be carried out through the vehicular component. For example, when the command (release a trigger lock on a weapon associated with the vehicle) is inputted through the controller, relay module 110 is able to perform a vehicular component (unlocking a trigger lock mechanism that is associated with the weapon) with the vehicle in accordance with the command.
Applicant’s arguments, as amended herein, with respect to the rejections of claims 13 under 35 U.S.C. §102 have been fully considered and not persuasive. More specifically, Deyaf [col. 21; lines 24-30; “a message originating from the fleet management and maintenance client computer 668 indicating that vehicle 650 is scheduled for maintenance on Tuesday may be directed by the ACCS server 664 to vehicle 650 alone. Upon receiving the message, the controller 300 in the vehicle 650 displays the message on the touchscreen 630.”] teaches that a command (scheduled maintenance appointment) can be received by the controller as the maintenance appointment command is received from the fleet management and maintenance client computer 668 (a remote device at a location remote from the vehicle).
Independent Claim 15 and Dependent Claim 20
Argument:
Applicant argues that independent claim 15 has been amended to recite that the electronic communication device is a "portable electronic communication device" that is configured to be removed from the docking station of the vehicle for use outside of the vehicle. For example, the electronic communication device 120 in the pending application is a tablet computer, smart phone, laptop, etc. See paragraphs 0027 and 0030 and FIGS. 2 and 3of the pending application. Continuing this example, the docking station 82/adapter 505 of the pending application does not include its own network connection and instead leverages the network connection of the portable electronic communication device 120 that is removably coupled to the docking station/adapter. See paragraph 0072 of the pending application. Such a system makes installation of the docking station/adapter easier while providing similar/the same functionality as a vehicle with dedicated network connection capabilities. Deyaf does not disclose a docking station configured to removably receive a portable communication device and act as a vehicle communication adapter as recited in amended claim 15.
The Office's citations with respect to the docking station of claim 15 are improper as they equate the claimed base of the docking station with the relay module 110, 400 of Deyaf that is mounted underneath a dashboard of the vehicle 106. See column 10, lines 34-37 of Deyaf This cited portion of Deyaf actually teaches against the use of a docking station with a base to removably receive a portable electronic device because if the relay module 110, 400 of Deyaf is mounted underneath the dashboard, it would be difficult or impossible to have the relay module 110, 400 function as docking station that removably receives a portable electronic communication device, as recited in amended claim 15.
Additionally, the controller 108, 300 of Deyaf (which the Office is seemingly likening to the electronic communication device of the pending claims) is mounted to/integrated within the vehicle 106 as opposed to being a portable electronic communication device that is removable from the vehicle for use outside of the vehicle. Accordingly, Deyaf's built-in combination of the relay module 110, 400 and the controller 108, 300 require a dedicated network connection in the vehicle. This is different than the claimed docking station/adapter that leverages the network connection of a portable electronic communication that is removably coupled to the docking station/adapter.
Dependent claim 20 explicitly recites that the docking station/adapter does not include its own network connection as explained in paragraph 0072 of the pending application. This language emphasizes that the docking station/adapter leverages the network connection of a portable electronic communication that is removably coupled to the docking station/adapter, which is not disclosed in Deyaf.
For at least the reasons explained above, claims 15 and 20 are allowable. Claims 16-20 depend from claim 15 and are allowable for at least the same reasons.
Response:
Applicant’s arguments, as amended herein, with respect to the rejections of claims 15 and 20 under 35 U.S.C. §102 have been fully considered and persuasive. Even though Deyaf teaches the mounting of the controller (electronic communication device) to the vehicle, Deyaf does not explicitly teach a docking station for a portable electronic communication device. Therefore, the rejection has been withdrawn. However, upon further consideration, a new ground(s) of rejection for claims 15 and 20 under 35 U.S.C. §103 is made in view of previously applied reference Deyaf, and further in view of Powell (US 10067533 B1). In particular, the amendments to claims 15 and 20 are addressed in the instant office action.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
The following is a quotation of the appropriate paragraphs of 35 U.S.C. 102 that form the basis for the rejections under this section made in this Office action:
A person shall be entitled to a patent unless –
(a)(1) the claimed invention was patented, described in a printed publication, or in public use, on sale, or otherwise available to the public before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claim(s) 1-14 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Deyaf (US 10692304 B1).
Regarding claim 1, Deyaf teaches (Currently Amended) An adapter (Deyaf, col. 5, lines 61-65; “The exemplary ACCS system includes a controller, such as controller 108 and a relay module, such as relay module 110. Controller 108 and relay module 110 may be attached or otherwise located within vehicle 106.”) comprising:
a first connection between the adapter and a vehicle electrical system of a vehicle (Deyaf, col. 8, lines 58-62; “As shown in FIG. 1, in one embodiment of the present invention, the controller 108 and relay 110 may also obtain data about the operating condition of vehicle 106 itself by accessing and connecting to the OBD system 114 of vehicle 106.”);
a second connection between the adapter and an electronic communication device (Deyaf, col. 7, lines 19-27; “The ACCS integrates a number of control and communications functions into a single controller, such as controller 108, which may be mounted within a vehicle, such as vehicle 106. Controller 108 may provide an interface that allows an occupant of vehicle 106 to control various auxiliary equipment 102 mounted on or within the vehicle. The controller 108 is configured to communicate with a separate relay module, such as relay module 110, that is also mounted on or within vehicle 106.”);
a third connection between the adapter (Deyaf, col. 7, lines 22-31; “Controller 108 may provide an interface that allows an occupant of vehicle 106 to control various auxiliary equipment 102 mounted on or within the vehicle. The controller 108 is configured to communicate with a separate relay module, such as relay module 110, that is also mounted on or within vehicle 106. The relay module 110 acts as a switch, providing control outputs to the various auxiliary equipment mounted on or inside the vehicle in response to user commands received by the controller 108 and other inputs hardwired to the relay 110.”) and an after-market device mounted to the vehicle (Deyaf, col. 5-6, lines 65-7; “FIG. 1 includes auxiliary equipment 102. Auxiliary equipment as used herein refers to any equipment that has been added to a vehicle to provide additional functionality beyond that provided by the original manufacturer, and may be located anywhere in or on a vehicle. Emergency vehicles such as police, fire, and EMS vehicles often require additional visual and acoustic devices such as flashing lights, spot lights, sirens and public address loud speakers for assisting police officers, firemen, and paramedics in performing their duties.”), wherein the vehicle electrical system does not monitor a status of the after-market device (Deyaf, col. 7, lines 22-31; “Controller 108 may provide an interface that allows an occupant of vehicle 106 to control various auxiliary equipment 102 mounted on or within the vehicle. The controller 108 is configured to communicate with a separate relay module, such as relay module 110, that is also mounted on or within vehicle 106. The relay module 110 acts as a switch, providing control outputs to the various auxiliary equipment mounted on or inside the vehicle in response to user commands received by the controller 108 and other inputs hardwired to the relay 110.”); and
PNG
media_image1.png
463
689
media_image1.png
Greyscale
an electronic processor coupled to a memory, the electronic processor configured (Deyaf, col. 10, lines 60-66; “The microcontroller 306 executes the software modules 308 to control the auxiliary equipment, monitor the inventory of removable equipment (i.e. removeable assets 112 in FIG. 1 and those exemplary removeable assets shown in FIG. 2), display various information on the display screen, and communicate with a remote network server such as network server 122 in FIG. 1.”) and (Deyaf, col. 11, lines 7-11; “The USB port 314 allows a laptop computer or other type of computing device to be connected to controller 300 for programming the operation of the controller 300 and/or receiving data received or accessed by the controller 300.”) to:
receive vehicle data from the vehicle electrical system via the first connection (Deyaf, col. 11, lines 48-54; “In an embodiment, relay 400 may further include one or more serial ports that are provided in FIG. 4 in the form of three female RJ connectors 412. A Controller Area Network (CAN) bus connection 426 is provided for accessing the vehicle's CAN bus to allow the ACCS to receive operational data and diagnostic codes from the vehicle's On-Board Diagnostic (OBD) system (see FIG. 7).”),
transmit the vehicle data to the electronic communication device via the second connection (Deyaf, col. 9, lines 13-18; “Any data provided from the OBD system 114 may be obtained by controller 108 and may be transmitted to the network server 122. This data may be accessed by a front-end client computer 124 and may be used for fleet management and maintenance purposes.”),
determine, by monitoring the third connection between the adapter and the after- market device, that the after-market device has been activated (Deyaf, col. 7, lines 31-37; “In addition to controlling the operation of the auxiliary equipment 102, the controller 108 is adapted to communicate various data in the form of notifications 118 (which may include raw data) regarding the status of the vehicle 106 and the auxiliary equipment 102 mounted thereon to a network server, such as network server 122.”) and (Deyaf, col. 12, lines 7-10; “The touchscreen 530 is configured to display information and messages about the status of the vehicle, the auxiliary equipment (e.g. auxiliary equipment 102) associated with the vehicle”), and
in response to determining that the after-market device has been activated (Deyaf, col. 14, lines 48-52; “if an occupant of the first vehicle 650 presses pushbutton 1 on the controller 300, and pushbutton 1 has been programmed to initiate a first flashing light pattern on a light bar, such as light bar 202 shown in FIG. 2, that may be mounted on the roof of the vehicle”),
transmit a notification to the electronic communication device, wherein the notification is configured to trigger the electronic communication device to (Deyaf col. 10, lines 50-56; “The interface 302 will be described in more detail in relation to FIG. 4, but for the present discussion it should be noted that the interface includes a plurality of programmable buttons for activating and deactivating various functions associated with the auxiliary equipment mounted on the vehicle and a display area for displaying messages and notifications to the occupants of the vehicle”) begin data logging of the vehicle data and transmit the notification (Deyaf, col. 14, lines 52-59; “the controller 300 is configured to transmit an indication (may also be referred to as a notification or message) that the vehicle occupant has initiated a flashing light pattern on the roof mounted light bar of vehicle 650 to the ACCS network server 664. This information is then received and stored on the ACCS network server 664 for retrieval by one or more interested parties.”, wherein the transmitted notification is the activation of the flashing light and the external device is the ACCS network server 664) and the vehicle data to an external device (Deyaf, col. 15, lines 58-61; “The dispatch officer may also see that the vehicle has accelerated to a high rate of speed. From this information the dispatch officer may infer that the officer in the first vehicle 650 is involved in a high-speed pursuit.”) and Deyaf, col. 16, lines 11-20; “Further, any type of data may be transmitted about the environmental conditions and temperature within any of the vehicles, which may be obtained from temperature sensor 536 and carbon monoxide sensor 538 as shown for controller 300 in FIG. 5. Further, data transmitted from controllers 300 may include the location, direction, and/or speed of the vehicles to assist dispatch control who is associated with dispatch control client 666 to monitor the vehicles that are included within their fleet.”, wherein collected and transmitted the vehicle data is the acceleration data of the vehicle, location of the vehicle, speed of the vehicle, cabin temperature of the vehicle, and cabin quality of the vehicle.).
Regarding claim 2, Deyaf teaches (Original) The adapter of claim 1, further comprising a user input button, wherein the vehicle electrical system does not monitor a status of the user input button (Deyaf, col. 12, lines 1-4; “the controller interface 302 may comprise a combination of a touch screen message display area 530 and a plurality of programmable tactile push buttons 532 as shown in FIG. 5.”);
wherein the electronic processor is configured to: determine that the user input button has been actuated in response to a user input (Deyaf, col. 14, lines 48-59; “if an occupant of the first vehicle 650 presses pushbutton 1 on the controller 300, and pushbutton 1 has been programmed to initiate a first flashing light pattern on a light bar, such as light bar 202 shown in FIG. 2, that may be mounted on the roof of the vehicle. the controller 300 is configured to transmit an indication (may also be referred to as a notification or message) that the vehicle occupant has initiated a flashing light pattern on the roof mounted light bar of vehicle 650 to the ACCS network server 664. This information is then received and stored on the ACCS network server 664 for retrieval by one or more interested parties.”), and
in response to determining that the user input button has been actuated, transmit the notification to the electronic communication device (Deyaf, col. 15, lines 44-61; “if an officer driving the first vehicle 650 shown in FIG. 6 engages another vehicle in a high speed chase, the officer may press push button 2 on the controller 300 to initiate the second flashing light pattern on the light bar 202. Again, the controller 300 will transmit an indication that the officer has initiated the second flashing light pattern on the light bar 202 to the ACCS server 664. In many cases, an officer engaged in a high-speed pursuit, may not have the time or the ability to communicate with a dispatcher at the dispatch control center. In this case, a dispatch officer viewing the information received by the ACCS server 664 via a web portal (for example) executed by the dispatch control client 666 will see that the officer has initiated the second flashing light pattern on the light bar 202. The dispatch officer may also see that the vehicle has accelerated to a high rate of speed. From this information the dispatch officer may infer that the officer in the first vehicle 650 is involved in a high-speed pursuit.”).
Regarding claim 3, Deyaf teaches (Currently Amended) The adapter of claim 1, wherein the notification is configured to trigger the adapter and/or the electronic communication device to begin data logging of the vehicle data by storing the vehicle data included in a circular buffer in a more permanent memory storage location instead of overwriting the vehicle data included in the circular buffer as new vehicle data is received (Deyaf, col. 14, lines 39-43; “ACCS network server 664 is connected to the communication network 662. Data transmissions from the controllers 300 mounted in the vehicles 650, 652, 654 are directed to the ACCS network server 664 where they are received and logged.”, wherein the vehicle data transmitted to the server 664 and stored within the server 664 so that the stored data can be later retrieved when necessary. It is also obvious that server 664 can store data in a circular buffer to efficiently manage fixed-size, time-ordered data streams, ensuring constant memory usage and fast access to recent entries.).
Regarding claim 4, Deyaf teaches (Original) The adapter of claim 1, wherein the first connection includes an on-board diagnostics (OBD) II connector configured to connect to an OBD II port of the vehicle (Deyaf, col. 8, lines 58-62; “As shown in FIG. 1, in one embodiment of the present invention, the controller 108 and relay 110 may also obtain data about the operating condition of vehicle 106 itself by accessing and connecting to the OBD system 114 of vehicle 106.”), and
wherein the second connection includes a universal serial bus (USB) connector configured to connect to a USB port of the electronic communication device (Deyaf, col. 10, lines 41-49; “FIG. 3 is a functional, exemplary block diagram of the controller 300. The functional elements of the controller 300 include an interface 302, a plurality of environmental sensors 304, a micro controller 306, a memory 307 storing a plurality of software modules adapted to be executed by the microcontroller 306, a transceiver 346, a Wi-Fi communications module 310, a Bluetooth communications module 312, at least one or more USB port 314 and at least one or more serial communications port with an RJ style connector 316.”).
Regarding claim 5, Deyaf teaches (Original) The adapter of claim 1, wherein the electronic processor is configured to: receive a command from the electronic communication device via the second connection (Deyaf, col. 11, lines 60-65; “User commands may be received using one or more selectors on controller 300 and messages may be displayed by the controller interface 302 shown in FIG. 3. User commands may also be entered on one or more display screens on controller 300, such as display screen 530 shown in FIG. 5.”); and
transmit the command to the vehicle electrical system via the first connection to cause the vehicle electrical system to control a component of the vehicle in accordance with the command (Deyaf, col. 19, lines 44-51; “A single sensor/beacon 230 may be employed to sense tagged items within a general sensing perimeter such a sensing perimeter 226 in FIG. 2. Alternatively, a combination of three or more sensors/beacons 230 may be employed to more precisely locate tagged items as being, for example, located within the actual confines of the vehicle itself, and even point to a more specific location in the vehicle where they may be located”).
Regarding claim 6, Deyaf teaches (Currently Amended) The adapter of claim 1, wherein the external device is remotely located from the vehicle;
wherein the electronic processor is configured to transmit the notification and the vehicle data to the external device (Deyaf, col. 15, lines 44-61; “if an officer driving the first vehicle 650 shown in FIG. 6 engages another vehicle in a high speed chase, the officer may press push button 2 on the controller 300 to initiate the second flashing light pattern on the light bar 202. Again, the controller 300 will transmit an indication that the officer has initiated the second flashing light pattern on the light bar 202 to the ACCS server 664. In many cases, an officer engaged in a high-speed pursuit, may not have the time or the ability to communicate with a dispatcher at the dispatch control center. In this case, a dispatch officer viewing the information received by the ACCS server 664 via a web portal (for example) executed by the dispatch control client 666 will see that the officer has initiated the second flashing light pattern on the light bar 202. The dispatch officer may also see that the vehicle has accelerated to a high rate of speed. From this information the dispatch officer may infer that the officer in the first vehicle 650 is involved in a high-speed pursuit.”) and (Deyaf, col. 18, lines 1-5; “At decision block 808, a determination is made whether any of the inputs or the sensor data have changed since the previous communication. If so, a message is displayed alerting the vehicle occupant of the change and, when necessary, requesting that the user take appropriate action at step 810.”, In order to detect data difference between two instances, it is inherent that data has to be logged.) via a network connection of the electronic communication device (Deyaf, col. 17, lines 8-11; “The controller 708 may in turn forward the OBD data as notifications 716 to an ACCS network server 718 over a network 714 as has been described with reference to FIG. 6.”); and
wherein the adapter does not include its own network connection to communicate directly with the external device (Deyaf, col. 17, lines 8-11; “The controller 708 may in turn forward the OBD data as notifications 716 to an ACCS network server 718 over a network 714 as has been described with reference to FIG. 6.”, wherein the network 714 is not a network that originate from the adapter).
Regarding claim 7, Deyaf teaches (Original) The adapter of claim 1, further comprising an additional third connection between the adapter and a second after-market device mounted to the vehicle (Deyaf, col. 9, lines 40-56; “The vehicle 200 includes an array of auxiliary equipment (such as auxiliary equipment 102 in FIG. 1) and removable assets (such as inventory/assets 112 in FIG. 1) that may be associated with a typical emergency vehicle. In this exemplary illustration, the auxiliary equipment (which may be an example of some types of auxiliary equipment 102) mounted directly to the vehicle 200 includes a roof mounted light bar 202, a public address loudspeaker/siren 204, and a side mounted spotlight 206. A K-9 cage 208 is included within the vehicle for transporting a service dog. A weapons locker 210 is stored in the trunk of the vehicle 200. Also shown in FIG. 2 are a number of removable assets (e.g. removable assets 112) that may be stored and/or transported in the vehicle 200 and which an officer may regularly rely on during the course of performing his or her duties. The exemplary removable assets shown in FIG. 2 include a first aid kit 212, a flashlight 214, a traffic cone 216, and a shotgun 218.”), wherein the vehicle electrical system does not monitor a status of the second after-market device (Deyaf, col. 7, lines 22-31; “Controller 108 may provide an interface that allows an occupant of vehicle 106 to control various auxiliary equipment 102 mounted on or within the vehicle. The controller 108 is configured to communicate with a separate relay module, such as relay module 110, that is also mounted on or within vehicle 106. The relay module 110 acts as a switch, providing control outputs to the various auxiliary equipment mounted on or inside the vehicle in response to user commands received by the controller 108 and other inputs hardwired to the relay 110.”);
wherein the electronic processor is configured to: determine, by monitoring the additional third connection between the adapter and the second after-market device, that the second after-market device has been activated (Deyaf, col. 12, lines 43-52; “pushbutton 1 may be programmed to turn on a first output relay; pushbutton 2 may be programmed to turn on a second output relay, and so forth. The first output relay may in turn be hardwired to a first piece of auxiliary equipment; the second output relay may by hardwired to a second piece of auxiliary equipment, and so on, such that the first piece of auxiliary equipment is controlled by the first programmable pushbutton, and the second piece of equipment is controlled by the second programmable pushbutton. (so, button i can be connected to roof mounted light bar 202 and button 2 can be connected to side mounted spotlight 206)”), and
in response to determining that the second after-market device has been activated (Deyaf, col. 13, lines 29-44; “This and other information regarding the status of the vehicle and the auxiliary equipment (e.g. auxiliary equipment 102) associated therewith may be transmitted to nearby vehicles and to a dispatch control center that may be critical to understanding the situation the occupant of the vehicle is facing. For example, accelerometer data from the IMU 540 may indicate that the vehicle has been in an accident; gyroscopic information may indicate that the vehicle has been involved in a roll-over accident. Temperature readings could indicate the presence of a fire, or unsafe conditions in the vehicle for a K-9 service animal left in the vehicle, and so forth. All of this data and indicia about the vehicle may be highly useful and desirable to a dispatch control center and other vehicles within a fleet in order to stay on top of any difficult or challenging situations for any one of their vehicles as well as to monitor them.”), transmit the notification to the electronic communication device (Deyaf, col. 13, lines 29-44; “This and other information regarding the status of the vehicle and the auxiliary equipment (e.g. auxiliary equipment 102) associated therewith may be transmitted to nearby vehicles and to a dispatch control center that may be critical to understanding the situation the occupant of the vehicle is facing. For example, accelerometer data from the IMU 540 may indicate that the vehicle has been in an accident; gyroscopic information may indicate that the vehicle has been involved in a roll-over accident. Temperature readings could indicate the presence of a fire, or unsafe conditions in the vehicle for a K-9 service animal left in the vehicle, and so forth. All of this data and indicia about the vehicle may be highly useful and desirable to a dispatch control center and other vehicles within a fleet in order to stay on top of any difficult or challenging situations for any one of their vehicles as well as to monitor them.”).
Regarding claim 8, Deyaf teaches (Original) The adapter of claim 7, wherein the electronic processor is configured to: activate the after-market device in response to determining that the second after-market device has been activated (Deyaf, col. 13, lines 11-19; “Another may be associated with the weapons locker in the trunk of the vehicle, and so forth. A voltage signal present on one of these inputs may be programmed to indicate that an officer has released the trigger lock on his or her weapon or unlocked the weapons locker in the trunk of the car. The inputs may be programmed to initiate additional control functions with respect to the auxiliary equipment, or they may be provided for merely informational purposes.”) and (Deyaf, col. 16, lines 5-8; “Advantageously, the controllers 300 in the vehicles are meant to be customizable and tailored to each department or user of the controllers 300 to program in a manner that is most convenient to them in order to efficiently utilize to activate and control auxiliary equipment.”, for example, When a police officer release the trigger lock, spotlight 206 can be illuminated to improve the repostponing time of the police officer); and
activate the second after-market device in response to determining that the after-market device has been activated (Deyaf, col. 10, lines 5-13; “Some of the equipment mounted on the vehicle 200 such as the light bar 202, the public address speaker/siren 204, and the side mounted spotlight 206 are typically activated by one or more control switches mounted within the vehicle from a controller. Other equipment such as the K-9 cage and the gun lock 210 may be operated manually by a police officer, but may include switches that indicate, for example, that the K-9 cage door has been opened or that the weapons locker has been unlocked.”) and (Deyaf, col. 13, lines 34-37; accelerometer data from the IMU 540 may indicate that the vehicle has been in an accident; gyroscopic information may indicate that the vehicle has been involved in a roll-over accident.”) and (Deyaf, col. 16, lines 5-8; “Advantageously, the controllers 300 in the vehicles are meant to be customizable and tailored to each department or user of the controllers 300 to program in a manner that is most convenient to them in order to efficiently utilize to activate and control auxiliary equipment.”, When a police car is in a vehicle pursuit, that the light bar 202 will be illuminated. if the police car gets into an accident during the pursuit, it is obvious that the IMU 540 data can be used to determine that the vehicle is roll-over or not).
Regarding claim 9, Deyaf teaches (Original) The adapter of claim 1, wherein the after-market device includes a lighting device (Deyaf, col. 5-6, lines 65-7; “FIG. 1 includes auxiliary equipment 102. Auxiliary equipment as used herein refers to any equipment that has been added to a vehicle to provide additional functionality beyond that provided by the original manufacturer, and may be located anywhere in or on a vehicle. Emergency vehicles such as police, fire, and EMS vehicles often require additional visual and acoustic devices such as flashing lights, spot lights, sirens and public address loud speakers for assisting police officers, firemen, and paramedics in performing their duties.”).
Regarding claim 10, Deyaf teaches (Currently Amended) A method of controlling an adapter (Deyaf, col. 5, lines 61-65; “The exemplary ACCS system includes a controller, such as controller 108 and a relay module, such as relay module 110. Controller 108 and relay module 110 may be attached or otherwise located within vehicle 106.”), the method comprising:
receiving, with an electronic processor (Deyaf, col. 10, lines 60-66; “The microcontroller 306 executes the software modules 308 to control the auxiliary equipment, monitor the inventory of removable equipment (i.e. removeable assets 112 in FIG. 1 and those exemplary removeable assets shown in FIG. 2), display various information on the display screen, and communicate with a remote network server such as network server 122 in FIG. 1.”) and (Deyaf, col. 11, lines 7-11; “The USB port 314 allows a laptop computer or other type of computing device to be connected to controller 300 for programming the operation of the controller 300 and/or receiving data received or accessed by the controller 300.”) of the adapter, vehicle data from a vehicle electrical system of a vehicle (Deyaf, col. 11, lines 48-54; “In an embodiment, relay 400 may further include one or more serial ports that are provided in FIG. 4 in the form of three female RJ connectors 412. A Controller Area Network (CAN) bus connection 426 is provided for accessing the vehicle's CAN bus to allow the ACCS to receive operational data and diagnostic codes from the vehicle's On-Board Diagnostic (OBD) system (see FIG. 7).”) via a first connection between the adapter and the vehicle electrical system of the vehicle (Deyaf, col. 8, lines 58-62; “As shown in FIG. 1, in one embodiment of the present invention, the controller 108 and relay 110 may also obtain data about the operating condition of vehicle 106 itself by accessing and connecting to the OBD system 114 of vehicle 106.”);
transmitting, with the electronic processor, the vehicle data to an electronic communication device (Deyaf, col. 9, lines 13-18; “Any data provided from the OBD system 114 may be obtained by controller 108 and may be transmitted to the network server 122. This data may be accessed by a front-end client computer 124 and may be used for fleet management and maintenance purposes.”) via a second connection between the adapter and the electronic communication device (Deyaf, col. 7, lines 19-27; “The ACCS integrates a number of control and communications functions into a single controller, such as controller 108, which may be mounted within a vehicle, such as vehicle 106. Controller 108 may provide an interface that allows an occupant of vehicle 106 to control various auxiliary equipment 102 mounted on or within the vehicle. The controller 108 is configured to communicate with a separate relay module, such as relay module 110, that is also mounted on or within vehicle 106.”);
determining, with the electronic processor and by monitoring a third connection between the adapter (Deyaf, col. 7, lines 22-31; “Controller 108 may provide an interface that allows an occupant of vehicle 106 to control various auxiliary equipment 102 mounted on or within the vehicle. The controller 108 is configured to communicate with a separate relay module, such as relay module 110, that is also mounted on or within vehicle 106. The relay module 110 acts as a switch, providing control outputs to the various auxiliary equipment mounted on or inside the vehicle in response to user commands received by the controller 108 and other inputs hardwired to the relay 110.”) and an after-market device mounted to the vehicle (Deyaf, col. 5-6, lines 65-7; “FIG. 1 includes auxiliary equipment 102. Auxiliary equipment as used herein refers to any equipment that has been added to a vehicle to provide additional functionality beyond that provided by the original manufacturer, and may be located anywhere in or on a vehicle. Emergency vehicles such as police, fire, and EMS vehicles often require additional visual and acoustic devices such as flashing lights, spot lights, sirens and public address loud speakers for assisting police officers, firemen, and paramedics in performing their duties.”), that the after-market device has been activated (Deyaf, col. 7, lines 31-37; “In addition to controlling the operation of the auxiliary equipment 102, the controller 108 is adapted to communicate various data in the form of notifications 118 (which may include raw data) regarding the status of the vehicle 106 and the auxiliary equipment 102 mounted thereon to a network server, such as network server 122.”) and (Deyaf, col. 12, lines 7-10; “The touchscreen 530 is configured to display information and messages about the status of the vehicle, the auxiliary equipment (e.g. auxiliary equipment 102) associated with the vehicle”), wherein the vehicle electrical system does not monitor a status of the after- market device (Deyaf, col. 7, lines 22-31; “Controller 108 may provide an interface that allows an occupant of vehicle 106 to control various auxiliary equipment 102 mounted on or within the vehicle. The controller 108 is configured to communicate with a separate relay module, such as relay module 110, that is also mounted on or within vehicle 106. The relay module 110 acts as a switch, providing control outputs to the various auxiliary equipment mounted on or inside the vehicle in response to user commands received by the controller 108 and other inputs hardwired to the relay 110.”);
in response to determining that the after-market device has been activated (Deyaf, col. 14, lines 48-52; “if an occupant of the first vehicle 650 presses pushbutton 1 on the controller 300, and pushbutton 1 has been programmed to initiate a first flashing light pattern on a light bar, such as light bar 202 shown in FIG. 2, that may be mounted on the roof of the vehicle”), transmitting, with the electronic processor, a notification to the electronic communication device, wherein the notification is configured to trigger the electronic communication device to (i) transmit the notification (Deyaf, col. 14, lines 52-59; “the controller 300 is configured to transmit an indication (may also be referred to as a notification or message) that the vehicle occupant has initiated a flashing light pattern on the roof mounted light bar of vehicle 650 to the ACCS network server 664. This information is then received and stored on the ACCS network server 664 for retrieval by one or more interested parties.”), the vehicle data, or both the notification and the vehicle data to an external device (Deyaf, col. 15, lines 44-61; “if an officer driving the first vehicle 650 shown in FIG. 6 engages another vehicle in a high speed chase, the officer may press push button 2 on the controller 300 to initiate the second flashing light pattern on the light bar 202. Again, the controller 300 will transmit an indication that the officer has initiated the second flashing light pattern on the light bar 202 to the ACCS server 664. In many cases, an officer engaged in a high-speed pursuit, may not have the time or the ability to communicate with a dispatcher at the dispatch control center. In this case, a dispatch officer viewing the information received by the ACCS server 664 via a web portal (for example) executed by the dispatch control client 666 will see that the officer has initiated the second flashing light pattern on the light bar 202. The dispatch officer may also see that the vehicle has accelerated to a high rate of speed. From this information the dispatch officer may infer that the officer in the first vehicle 650 is involved in a high-speed pursuit.”), (ii) begin data logging of the vehicle data (Deyaf, col. 18, lines 1-5; “At decision block 808, a determination is made whether any of the inputs or the sensor data have changed since the previous communication. If so, a message is displayed alerting the vehicle occupant of the change and, when necessary, requesting that the user take appropriate action at step 810.”, In order to detect data difference between two instances, it is inherent that data has to be logged.), or (iii) both (i) transmit the notification, the vehicle data, or both the notification and the vehicle data to the external device and (ii) begin data logging of the vehicle data (Deyaf, col. 15, lines 44-61; “if an officer driving the first vehicle 650 shown in FIG. 6 engages another vehicle in a high speed chase, the officer may press push button 2 on the controller 300 to initiate the second flashing light pattern on the light bar 202. Again, the controller 300 will transmit an indication that the officer has initiated the second flashing light pattern on the light bar 202 to the ACCS server 664. In many cases, an officer engaged in a high-speed pursuit, may not have the time or the ability to communicate with a dispatcher at the dispatch control center. In this case, a dispatch officer viewing the information received by the ACCS server 664 via a web portal (for example) executed by the dispatch control client 666 will see that the officer has initiated the second flashing light pattern on the light bar 202. The dispatch officer may also see that the vehicle has accelerated to a high rate of speed. From this information the dispatch officer may infer that the officer in the first vehicle 650 is involved in a high-speed pursuit.”) and (Deyaf, col. 18, lines 1-5; “At decision block 808, a determination is made whether any of the inputs or the sensor data have changed since the previous communication. If so, a message is displayed alerting the vehicle occupant of the change and, when necessary, requesting that the user take appropriate action at step 810.”, In order to detect data difference between two instances, it is inherent that data has to be logged.);
receiving, with the electronic processor, a command from the electronic communication device via the second connection (Deyaf, col. 11, lines 60-65; “User commands may be received using one or more selectors on controller 300 and messages may be displayed by the controller interface 302 shown in FIG. 3. User commands may also be entered on one or more display screens on controller 300, such as display screen 530 shown in FIG. 5.”); and
transmitting, with the electronic processor, the command to the vehicle electrical system via the first connection to cause the vehicle electrical system to control a component of the vehicle in accordance with the command (Deyaf, col. 6, lines 34-54; “One or more exemplary embodiments described herein relates to an autonomous communication and control system (ACCS) which allows a vehicle occupant to take various control actions or control functions 104 with respect to auxiliary equipment associated with the vehicle, such as turning on and off a flashing light pattern on the vehicles roof mounted light bar, turning on and off a siren, making announcements through the vehicle's public address system, and the like. Such control actions 104 may be entered into the controller 108 by an occupant of the vehicle and are carried out by the relay outputs associated with the relay module 110. An ACCS according to an embodiment is adapted to communicate indications or notifications 118 that such actions have been taken with respect to the auxiliary equipment to a remote ACCS network server 122. The ACCS may also be configured to communicate indications or notifications 118 of other actions taken by a vehicle occupant such as releasing a trigger lock on a weapon associated with the vehicle, opening a canine (K-9) cage door to release a service dog into the field, and the like, to name a few example actions.”, wherein the command that is inputted through the controller is releasing a trigger lock on a weapon associated with the vehicle, and wherein the vehicle electrical system to control a component of the vehicle in accordance with the command is the unlocking process of a vehicular trigger lock mechanism that is associated with the weapon).
Regarding claim 11, Deyaf teaches (Original) The method of claim 10, further comprising:
determining, with the electronic processor, that a user input button (Deyaf, col. 12, lines 1-4; “the controller interface 302 may comprise a combination of a touch screen message display area 530 and a plurality of programmable tactile push buttons 532 as shown in FIG. 5.”) has been actuated in response to a user input (Deyaf, col. 14, lines 48-59; “if an occupant of the first vehicle 650 presses pushbutton 1 on the controller 300, and pushbutton 1 has been programmed to initiate a first flashing light pattern on a light bar, such as light bar 202 shown in FIG. 2, that may be mounted on the roof of the vehicle. the controller 300 is configured to transmit an indication (may also be referred to as a notification or message) that the vehicle occupant has initiated a flashing light pattern on the roof mounted light bar of vehicle 650 to the ACCS network server 664. This information is then received and stored on the ACCS network server 664 for retrieval by one or more interested parties.”), wherein the vehicle electrical system does not monitor a status of the user input button (Deyaf, col. 12, lines 1-4; “the controller interface 302 may comprise a combination of a touch screen message display area 530 and a plurality of programmable tactile push buttons 532 as shown in FIG. 5.”); and
in response to determining that the user input button has been actuated, transmitting, with the electronic processor, the notification to the electronic communication device (Deyaf, col. 15, lines 44-61; “if an officer driving the first vehicle 650 shown in FIG. 6 engages another vehicle in a high speed chase, the officer may press push button 2 on the controller 300 to initiate the second flashing light pattern on the light bar 202. Again, the controller 300 will transmit an indication that the officer has initiated the second flashing light pattern on the light bar 202 to the ACCS server 664. In many cases, an officer engaged in a high-speed pursuit, may not have the time or the ability to communicate with a dispatcher at the dispatch control center. In this case, a dispatch officer viewing the information received by the ACCS server 664 via a web portal (for example) executed by the dispatch control client 666 will see that the officer has initiated the second flashing light pattern on the light bar 202. The dispatch officer may also see that the vehicle has accelerated to a high rate of speed. From this information the dispatch officer may infer that the officer in the first vehicle 650 is involved in a high-speed pursuit.”).
Regarding claim 12, Deyaf teaches (Original) The method of claim 10, further comprising:
receiving, with the electronic processor, sensor data from a sensor (Deyaf, col. 13, lines 27-28; “Collectively, the environmental sensors 304 gather critical data regarding the environment in and around the vehicle.”), wherein the vehicle electrical system does not monitor sensor data sensed by the sensor (Deyaf, col. 13, lines 20-26; “Controller 300 may also include a number of environmental sensors 304. These non-limiting, exemplary environmental sensors may include a temperature sensor 536, a carbon monoxide sensor 538, and an inertial measurement unit (IMU) 540 which includes multi-axis accelerometers and gyroscopes for providing precise information regarding the orientation and motion of the vehicle as shown in FIG. 5.”); and
transmitting, with the electronic processor, the sensor data to the electronic communication device via the second connection (Deyaf, col. 13, lines 29-37; “This and other information regarding the status of the vehicle and the auxiliary equipment (e.g. auxiliary equipment 102) associated therewith may be transmitted to nearby vehicles and to a dispatch control center that may be critical to understanding the situation the occupant of the vehicle is facing. For example, accelerometer data from the IMU 540 may indicate that the vehicle has been in an accident; gyroscopic information may indicate that the vehicle has been involved in a roll-over accident.”).
Regarding claim 13, Deyaf teaches (Currently Amended) The method of claim 10, wherein the command is received by the electronic communication device from a remote device at a location remote from the vehicle (Deyaf, col. 21, lines 24-30; “a message originating from the fleet management and maintenance client computer 668 indicating that vehicle 650 is scheduled for maintenance on Tuesday may be directed by the ACCS server 664 to vehicle 650 alone. Upon receiving the message, the controller 300 in the vehicle 650 displays the message on the touchscreen 630.”, wherein the command received by the controller is the scheduled maintenance appointment, and wherein the remote device at the location remote from the vehicle that the maintenance appointment command received is the fleet management and maintenance client computer 668).
Regarding claim 14, Deyaf teaches (Original) The method of claim 10, wherein the external device is remotely located from the vehicle, and wherein the adapter does not include its own network connection to communicate directly with the external device (Deyaf, col. 17, lines 8-11; “The controller 708 may in turn forward the OBD data as notifications 716 to an ACCS network server 718 over a network 714 as has been described with reference to FIG. 6.”); and
wherein transmitting the notification (Deyaf, col. 15, lines 44-61; “if an officer driving the first vehicle 650 shown in FIG. 6 engages another vehicle in a high speed chase, the officer may press push button 2 on the controller 300 to initiate the second flashing light pattern on the light bar 202. Again, the controller 300 will transmit an indication that the officer has initiated the second flashing light pattern on the light bar 202 to the ACCS server 664. In many cases, an officer engaged in a high-speed pursuit, may not have the time or the ability to communicate with a dispatcher at the dispatch control center. In this case, a dispatch officer viewing the information received by the ACCS server 664 via a web portal (for example) executed by the dispatch control client 666 will see that the officer has initiated the second flashing light pattern on the light bar 202. The dispatch officer may also see that the vehicle has accelerated to a high rate of speed. From this information the dispatch officer may infer that the officer in the first vehicle 650 is involved in a high-speed pursuit.”), the vehicle data (Deyaf, col. 18, lines 1-5; “At decision block 808, a determination is made whether any of the inputs or the sensor data have changed since the previous communication. If so, a message is displayed alerting the vehicle occupant of the change and, when necessary, requesting that the user take appropriate action at step 810.”), or both the notification and the vehicle data to the external device includes transmitting the notification, the vehicle data, or both the notification and the vehicle data to the external device (Deyaf, col. 15, lines 44-61; “if an officer driving the first vehicle 650 shown in FIG. 6 engages another vehicle in a high speed chase, the officer may press push button 2 on the controller 300 to initiate the second flashing light pattern on the light bar 202. Again, the controller 300 will transmit an indication that the officer has initiated the second flashing light pattern on the light bar 202 to the ACCS server 664. In many cases, an officer engaged in a high-speed pursuit, may not have the time or the ability to communicate with a dispatcher at the dispatch control center. In this case, a dispatch officer viewing the information received by the ACCS server 664 via a web portal (for example) executed by the dispatch control client 666 will see that the officer has initiated the second flashing light pattern on the light bar 202. The dispatch officer may also see that the vehicle has accelerated to a high rate of speed. From this information the dispatch officer may infer that the officer in the first vehicle 650 is involved in a high-speed pursuit.”) and (Deyaf, col. 18, lines 1-5; “At decision block 808, a determination is made whether any of the inputs or the sensor data have changed since the previous communication. If so, a message is displayed alerting the vehicle occupant of the change and, when necessary, requesting that the user take appropriate action at step 810.”, In order to detect data difference between two instances, it is inherent that data has to be logged.) via a network connection of the electronic communication device (Deyaf, col. 17, lines 8-11; “The controller 708 may in turn forward the OBD data as notifications 716 to an ACCS network server 718 over a network 714 as has been described with reference to FIG. 6.”).
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 (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
The following is a quotation of 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.
Claim(s) 15-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Deyaf (US 10692304 B1), and further in view of Powell (US 10067533 B1).
Regarding claim 15, Deyaf teaches (Currently Amended) A docking station for a electronic communication device, the docking station comprising:
a base mounted in a vehicle (Deyaf, col. 10, lines 34-37; “It may be useful in some scenarios for relay module 400 to be mounted underneath the vehicle's dashboard where it has more convenient access to the vehicle's fuse box and electrical system.”),
a first connection between the docking station and a vehicle electrical system of the vehicle (Deyaf, col. 8, lines 58-62; “As shown in FIG. 1, in one embodiment of the present invention, the controller 108 and relay 110 may also obtain data about the operating condition of vehicle 106 itself by accessing and connecting to the OBD system 114 of vehicle 106.”);
a second connection between the docking station and the electronic communication device (Deyaf, col. 7, lines 19-27; “The ACCS integrates a number of control and communications functions into a single controller, such as controller 108, which may be mounted within a vehicle, such as vehicle 106. Controller 108 may provide an interface that allows an occupant of vehicle 106 to control various auxiliary equipment 102 mounted on or within the vehicle. The controller 108 is configured to communicate with a separate relay module, such as relay module 110, that is also mounted on or within vehicle 106.”);
a third connection between the docking station (Deyaf, col. 7, lines 22-31; “Controller 108 may provide an interface that allows an occupant of vehicle 106 to control various auxiliary equipment 102 mounted on or within the vehicle. The controller 108 is configured to communicate with a separate relay module, such as relay module 110, that is also mounted on or within vehicle 106. The relay module 110 acts as a switch, providing control outputs to the various auxiliary equipment mounted on or inside the vehicle in response to user commands received by the controller 108 and other inputs hardwired to the relay 110.”) and a lighting device mounted to the vehicle (Deyaf, col. 5-6, lines 65-7; “FIG. 1 includes auxiliary equipment 102. Auxiliary equipment as used herein refers to any equipment that has been added to a vehicle to provide additional functionality beyond that provided by the original manufacturer, and may be located anywhere in or on a vehicle. Emergency vehicles such as police, fire, and EMS vehicles often require additional visual and acoustic devices such as flashing lights, spot lights, sirens and public address loud speakers for assisting police officers, firemen, and paramedics in performing their duties.”), wherein the vehicle electrical system does not monitor a status of the lighting device (Deyaf, col. 7, lines 22-31; “Controller 108 may provide an interface that allows an occupant of vehicle 106 to control various auxiliary equipment 102 mounted on or within the vehicle. The controller 108 is configured to communicate with a separate relay module, such as relay module 110, that is also mounted on or within vehicle 106. The relay module 110 acts as a switch, providing control outputs to the various auxiliary equipment mounted on or inside the vehicle in response to user commands received by the controller 108 and other inputs hardwired to the relay 110.”);
and an electronic processor coupled to a memory (Deyaf, col. 10, lines 60-66; “The microcontroller 306 executes the software modules 308 to control the auxiliary equipment, monitor the inventory of removable equipment (i.e. removeable assets 112 in FIG. 1 and those exemplary removeable assets shown in FIG. 2), display various information on the display screen, and communicate with a remote network server such as network server 122 in FIG. 1.”) and (Deyaf, col. 11, lines 7-11; “The USB port 314 allows a laptop computer or other type of computing device to be connected to controller 300 for programming the operation of the controller 300 and/or receiving data received or accessed by the controller 300.”), the electronic processor configured to:
receive vehicle data from the vehicle electrical system via the first connection (Deyaf, col. 11, lines 48-54; “In an embodiment, relay 400 may further include one or more serial ports that are provided in FIG. 4 in the form of three female RJ connectors 412. A Controller Area Network (CAN) bus connection 426 is provided for accessing the vehicle's CAN bus to allow the ACCS to receive operational data and diagnostic codes from the vehicle's On-Board Diagnostic (OBD) system (see FIG. 7).”),
transmit the vehicle data to the electronic communication device via the second connection (Deyaf, col. 9, lines 13-18; “Any data provided from the OBD system 114 may be obtained by controller 108 and may be transmitted to the network server 122. This data may be accessed by a front-end client computer 124 and may be used for fleet management and maintenance purposes.”),
determine, by monitoring the third connection between the docking station and the lighting device, that the lighting device has been activated (Deyaf, col. 7, lines 31-37; “In addition to controlling the operation of the auxiliary equipment 102, the controller 108 is adapted to communicate various data in the form of notifications 118 (which may include raw data) regarding the status of the vehicle 106 and the auxiliary equipment 102 mounted thereon to a network server, such as network server 122.”) and (Deyaf, col. 12, lines 7-10; “The touchscreen 530 is configured to display information and messages about the status of the vehicle, the auxiliary equipment (e.g. auxiliary equipment 102) associated with the vehicle”), and
in response to determining that the lighting device has been activated (Deyaf, col. 14, lines 48-52; “if an occupant of the first vehicle 650 presses pushbutton 1 on the controller 300, and pushbutton 1 has been programmed to initiate a first flashing light pattern on a light bar, such as light bar 202 shown in FIG. 2, that may be mounted on the roof of the vehicle”), transmit a notification to the electronic communication device, wherein the notification is configured to trigger the electronic communication device to (i) transmit the notification (Deyaf, col. 14, lines 52-59; “the controller 300 is configured to transmit an indication (may also be referred to as a notification or message) that the vehicle occupant has initiated a flashing light pattern on the roof mounted light bar of vehicle 650 to the ACCS network server 664. This information is then received and stored on the ACCS network server 664 for retrieval by one or more interested parties.”),
the vehicle data, or both the notification and the vehicle data to an external device (Deyaf, col. 15, lines 44-61; “if an officer driving the first vehicle 650 shown in FIG. 6 engages another vehicle in a high speed chase, the officer may press push button 2 on the controller 300 to initiate the second flashing light pattern on the light bar 202. Again, the controller 300 will transmit an indication that the officer has initiated the second flashing light pattern on the light bar 202 to the ACCS server 664. In many cases, an officer engaged in a high-speed pursuit, may not have the time or the ability to communicate with a dispatcher at the dispatch control center. In this case, a dispatch officer viewing the information received by the ACCS server 664 via a web portal (for example) executed by the dispatch control client 666 will see that the officer has initiated the second flashing light pattern on the light bar 202. The dispatch officer may also see that the vehicle has accelerated to a high rate of speed. From this information the dispatch officer may infer that the officer in the first vehicle 650 is involved in a high-speed pursuit.”), (ii) begin data logging of the vehicle data, (Deyaf, col. 18, lines 1-5; “At decision block 808, a determination is made whether any of the inputs or the sensor data have changed since the previous communication. If so, a message is displayed alerting the vehicle occupant of the change and, when necessary, requesting that the user take appropriate action at step 810.”, In order to detect data difference between two instances, it is inherent that data has to be logged.) or (iii) both (i) transmit the notification, the vehicle data, or both the notification and the vehicle data to the external device and (ii) begin data logging of the vehicle data (Deyaf, col. 15, lines 44-61; “if an officer driving the first vehicle 650 shown in FIG. 6 engages another vehicle in a high speed chase, the officer may press push button 2 on the controller 300 to initiate the second flashing light pattern on the light bar 202. Again, the controller 300 will transmit an indication that the officer has initiated the second flashing light pattern on the light bar 202 to the ACCS server 664. In many cases, an officer engaged in a high-speed pursuit may not have the time or the ability to communicate with a dispatcher at the dispatch control center. In this case, a dispatch officer viewing the information received by the ACCS server 664 via a web portal (for example) executed by the dispatch control client 666 will see that the officer has initiated the second flashing light pattern on the light bar 202. The dispatch officer may also see that the vehicle has accelerated to a high rate of speed. From this information the dispatch officer may infer that the officer in the first vehicle 650 is involved in a high-speed pursuit.”) and (Deyaf, col. 18, lines 1-5; “At decision block 808, a determination is made whether any of the inputs or the sensor data have changed since the previous communication. If so, a message is displayed alerting the vehicle occupant of the change and, when necessary, requesting that the user take appropriate action at step 810.”, In order to detect data difference between two instances, it is inherent that data has to be logged.).
Deyaf does not explicitly teach A docking station for a portable electronic communication device
a base mounted in a vehicle, wherein the base is configured for removably supporting the portable electronic communication device, wherein the portable electronic communication device is configured to be removed from the docking station and from the vehicle for use outside of the vehicle;
Powell, in the same field of endeavor (Powell, background; “The present invention relates to docking stations for portable electronic devices.”) teaches A docking station (Powell, col. 3, line 22; “a docking station 82”) for a portable electronic communication device (Powell, col. 5, line 48; “the portable electronic device 10”)
a base (Powell, col. 3, lines 39-40; “the docking station 82 includes a base 86 sized and configured for supporting the keyboard portion 14.”) mounted in a vehicle (Powell, col. 4, lines 4-9; “The base 86 can also include electronics and ports/connectors (not shown), as is understood in the art. The base 86 can further include mounting structure 110 designed to mount the base 86 to a support, such as a desk, a wall, a movable cart, a mobile mount support of the type used in vehicles, and the like.”), wherein the base is configured for removably supporting the portable electronic communication device, wherein the portable electronic communication device is configured to be removed from the docking station and from the vehicle for use outside of the vehicle (Powell, col. 5, line 45-51; “The display support 114 further includes a lock 198 that is operable to selectively contact, abut, or otherwise engage (collectively referred to as engage, engages, or engaged) the display portion 18 of the portable electronic device 10 and prevent removal of the display portion 18 from the keyboard portion 14 when device 10 is supported in the dock 82 and the lock 198 is in its locked state.”, wherein it is obvious that the portable electronic device can be used outside of the vehicle);
Deyaf and Powell are both considered to be analogous to the claimed invention because both of them are in the same field as mounting an electronic communication device as the claimed invention. Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filling date of the claimed invention, to have modified the attachment/mounting mechanism of the Deyaf with teaching of Powell. One of the ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated to make this modification so that the portable electronic device can be easily removed from the docking station for repairs or the operator of the portable electronic device is required to use the portable electronic device outside of the vehicle. Furthermore, one of ordinary skill in the art would have been capable of applying a known technique to a known device (method, or product) that was ready for improvement, and the results would have been predictable to one of ordinary skill in the art.
Regarding claim 16, Deyaf teaches (Currently Amended) The docking station of claim 15, further comprising a user input button, wherein the vehicle electrical system does not monitor a status of the user input button (Deyaf, col. 12, lines 1-4; “the controller interface 302 may comprise a combination of a touch screen message display area 530 and a plurality of programmable tactile push buttons 532 as shown in FIG. 5.”);
wherein the electronic processor is configured to: determine that the user input button has been actuated in response to a user input (Deyaf, col. 14, lines 48-59; “if an occupant of the first vehicle 650 presses pushbutton 1 on the controller 300, and pushbutton 1 has been programmed to initiate a first flashing light pattern on a light bar, such as light bar 202 shown in FIG. 2, that may be mounted on the roof of the vehicle. the controller 300 is configured to transmit an indication (may also be referred to as a notification or message) that the vehicle occupant has initiated a flashing light pattern on the roof mounted light bar of vehicle 650 to the ACCS network server 664. This information is then received and stored on the ACCS network server 664 for retrieval by one or more interested parties.”), and
in response to determining that the user input button has been actuated, transmit the notification to the portable electronic communication device (Deyaf, col. 15, lines 44-61; “if an officer driving the first vehicle 650 shown in FIG. 6 engages another vehicle in a high speed chase, the officer may press push button 2 on the controller 300 to initiate the second flashing light pattern on the light bar 202. Again, the controller 300 will transmit an indication that the officer has initiated the second flashing light pattern on the light bar 202 to the ACCS server 664. In many cases, an officer engaged in a high-speed pursuit, may not have the time or the ability to communicate with a dispatcher at the dispatch control center. In this case, a dispatch officer viewing the information received by the ACCS server 664 via a web portal (for example) executed by the dispatch control client 666 will see that the officer has initiated the second flashing light pattern on the light bar 202. The dispatch officer may also see that the vehicle has accelerated to a high rate of speed. From this information the dispatch officer may infer that the officer in the first vehicle 650 is involved in a high-speed pursuit.”).
Regarding claim 17, Deyaf teaches (Currently Amended) The docking station of claim 15, further comprising a sensor, wherein the vehicle electrical system does not monitor sensor data sensed by the sensor (Deyaf, col. 13, lines 20-26; “Controller 300 may also include a number of environmental sensors 304. These non-limiting, exemplary environmental sensors may include a temperature sensor 536, a carbon monoxide sensor 538, and an inertial measurement unit (IMU) 540 which includes multi-axis accelerometers and gyroscopes for providing precise information regarding the orientation and motion of the vehicle as shown in FIG. 5.”);
wherein the electronic processor is configured to: receive the sensor data from the sensor (Deyaf, col. 13, lines 27-28; “Collectively, the environmental sensors 304 gather critical data regarding the environment in and around the vehicle.”), and
transmit the sensor data to the portable electronic communication device via the second connection (Deyaf, col. 13, lines 29-37; “This and other information regarding the status of the vehicle and the auxiliary equipment (e.g. auxiliary equipment 102) associated therewith may be transmitted to nearby vehicles and to a dispatch control center that may be critical to understanding the situation the occupant of the vehicle is facing. For example, accelerometer data from the IMU 540 may indicate that the vehicle has been in an accident; gyroscopic information may indicate that the vehicle has been involved in a roll-over accident.”).
Regarding claim 18, Deyaf teaches (Currently Amended) The docking station of claim 15, wherein the first connection includes an on-board diagnostics (OBD) II connector configured to connect to an OBD II port of the vehicle (Deyaf, col. 8, lines 58-62; “As shown in FIG. 1, in one embodiment of the present invention, the controller 108 and relay 110 may also obtain data about the operating condition of vehicle 106 itself by accessing and connecting to the OBD system 114 of vehicle 106.”), and
wherein the second connection includes a universal serial bus (USB) connector configured to connect to a USB port of the portable electronic communication device (Deyaf, col. 10, lines 41-49; “FIG. 3 is a functional, exemplary block diagram of the controller 300. The functional elements of the controller 300 include an interface 302, a plurality of environmental sensors 304, a micro controller 306, a memory 307 storing a plurality of software modules adapted to be executed by the microcontroller 306, a transceiver 346, a Wi-Fi communications module 310, a Bluetooth communications module 312, at least one or more USB port 314 and at least one or more serial communications port with an RJ style connector 316.”).
Regarding claim 19, Deyaf teaches (Currently Amended) The docking station of claim 15, wherein the electronic processor is configured to: receive a command from the portable electronic communication device via the second connection (Deyaf, col. 11, lines 60-65; “User commands may be received using one or more selectors on controller 300 and messages may be displayed by the controller interface 302 shown in FIG. 3. User commands may also be entered on one or more display screens on controller 300, such as display screen 530 shown in FIG. 5.”); and
transmit the command to the vehicle electrical system via the first connection to cause the vehicle electrical system to control a component of the vehicle in accordance with the command (Deyaf, col. 19, lines 44-51; “A single sensor/beacon 230 may be employed to sense tagged items within a general sensing perimeter such a sensing perimeter 226 in FIG. 2. Alternatively, a combination of three or more sensors/beacons 230 may be employed to more precisely locate tagged items as being, for example, located within the actual confines of the vehicle itself, and even point to a more specific location in the vehicle where they may be located”).
Regarding claim 20, Deyaf teaches (Currently Amended) The docking station of claim 15, wherein the external device is remotely located from the vehicle;
wherein the electronic processor is configured to transmit the notification (Deyaf, col. 15, lines 44-61; “if an officer driving the first vehicle 650 shown in FIG. 6 engages another vehicle in a high speed chase, the officer may press push button 2 on the controller 300 to initiate the second flashing light pattern on the light bar 202. Again, the controller 300 will transmit an indication that the officer has initiated the second flashing light pattern on the light bar 202 to the ACCS server 664. In many cases, an officer engaged in a high-speed pursuit, may not have the time or the ability to communicate with a dispatcher at the dispatch control center. In this case, a dispatch officer viewing the information received by the ACCS server 664 via a web portal (for example) executed by the dispatch control client 666 will see that the officer has initiated the second flashing light pattern on the light bar 202. The dispatch officer may also see that the vehicle has accelerated to a high rate of speed. From this information the dispatch officer may infer that the officer in the first vehicle 650 is involved in a high-speed pursuit.”), the vehicle data (Deyaf, col. 18, lines 1-5; “At decision block 808, a determination is made whether any of the inputs or the sensor data have changed since the previous communication. If so, a message is displayed alerting the vehicle occupant of the change and, when necessary, requesting that the user take appropriate action at step 810.”), or both the notification and the vehicle data to the external device (Deyaf, col. 15, lines 44-61; “if an officer driving the first vehicle 650 shown in FIG. 6 engages another vehicle in a high speed chase, the officer may press push button 2 on the controller 300 to initiate the second flashing light pattern on the light bar 202. Again, the controller 300 will transmit an indication that the officer has initiated the second flashing light pattern on the light bar 202 to the ACCS server 664. In many cases, an officer engaged in a high-speed pursuit, may not have the time or the ability to communicate with a dispatcher at the dispatch control center. In this case, a dispatch officer viewing the information received by the ACCS server 664 via a web portal (for example) executed by the dispatch control client 666 will see that the officer has initiated the second flashing light pattern on the light bar 202. The dispatch officer may also see that the vehicle has accelerated to a high rate of speed. From this information the dispatch officer may infer that the officer in the first vehicle 650 is involved in a high-speed pursuit.”) and (Deyaf, col. 18, lines 1-5; “At decision block 808, a determination is made whether any of the inputs or the sensor data have changed since the previous communication. If so, a message is displayed alerting the vehicle occupant of the change and, when necessary, requesting that the user take appropriate action at step 810.”, In order to detect data difference between two instances, it is inherent that data has to be logged.) via a network connection of the portable electronic communication device (Deyaf, col. 17, lines 8-11; “The controller 708 may in turn forward the OBD data as notifications 716 to an ACCS network server 718 over a network 714 as has been described with reference to FIG. 6.”); and
wherein the docking station does not include its own network connection to communicate directly with the external device (Deyaf, col. 17, lines 8-11; “The controller 708 may in turn forward the OBD data as notifications 716 to an ACCS network server 718 over a network 714 as has been described with reference to FIG. 6.”).
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 UPUL P CHANDRASIRI whose telephone number is (703)756-5823. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 8.30 am to 5pm.
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, Christian Chace can be reached at 571-272-4190. 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.
/U.P.C./Examiner, Art Unit 3665 /CHRISTIAN CHACE/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3665
