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 .
Application status
This office action is in response to application filed on 01/03/2025. Claims 1-20 are pending. Claims 1-20 are rejected.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 02/21/2025. The submission is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
Drawings
The drawings were received on 01/03/2025. These drawings are unacceptable as FIG. 6 is objected because they are not in compliance with § 1.84 and shows incorrect margins (left margin).
1.84 Standards for drawings.
(g) Margins. The sheets must not contain frames around the sight (i.e., the usable surface), but should have scan target points (i.e., cross-hairs) printed on two catercorner margin corners. Each sheet must include a top margin of at least 2.5 cm. (1 inch), a left side margin of at least 2.5 cm. (1 inch), a right side margin of at least 1.5 cm. (5/8 inch), and a bottom margin of at least 1.0 cm. (3/8 inch), thereby leaving a sight no greater than 17.0 cm. by 26.2 cm. on 21.0 cm. by 29.7 cm. (DIN size A4) drawing sheets, and a sight no greater than 17.6 cm. by 24.4 cm. (6 15/16 by 9 5/8 inches) on 21.6 cm. by 27.9 cm. (8 1/2 by 11 inch) drawing sheets.
Corrected drawing sheets in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d) are required in reply to the Office action to avoid abandonment of the application. Any amended replacement drawing sheet should include all of the figures appearing on the immediate prior version of the sheet, even if only one figure is being amended. The figure or figure number of an amended drawing should not be labeled as “amended.” If a drawing figure is to be canceled, the appropriate figure must be removed from the replacement sheet, and where necessary, the remaining figures must be renumbered and appropriate changes made to the brief description of the several views of the drawings for consistency. Additional replacement sheets may be necessary to show the renumbering of the remaining figures. Each drawing sheet submitted after the filing date of an application must be labeled in the top margin as either “Replacement Sheet” or “New Sheet” pursuant to 37 CFR 1.121(d). If the changes are not accepted by the examiner, the applicant will be notified and informed of any required corrective action in the next Office action. The objection to the drawings will not be held in abeyance.
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) 1-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Deyaf (US 10692304 B1).
Regarding claim 1, Deyaf teaches 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
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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 (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.).
Regarding claim 2, Deyaf teaches 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 The adapter of claim 1, 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 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 4, Deyaf teaches 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 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 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 (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 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.”).
Regarding claim 7, Deyaf teaches 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 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 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 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.”); 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”), 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.).
Regarding claim 11, Deyaf teaches 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 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 The method of claim 10, further comprising:
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. 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 14, Deyaf teaches 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.”).
Regarding claim 15, Deyaf teaches A docking station for an electronic communication device (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 docking station comprising:
a base for supporting the electronic communication device (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 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 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.).
Regarding claim 16, Deyaf teaches 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 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 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 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 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 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 The docking station of claim 15, 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 20, Deyaf teaches 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 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
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.
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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.
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/U.P.C./Examiner, Art Unit 3665 /CHRISTIAN CHACE/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3665