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 .
Drawings
The drawings are objected to as failing to comply with 37 CFR 1.84(p)(5) because they include the following reference character is not mentioned in the description: reference letter “R” as shown in Figures 3A, 4A, and 5A.
Corrected drawing sheets in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d), or amendment to the specification to add the reference character(s) in the description in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(b) 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. 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.
Claims 1, 3, and 5 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Seitz et al. (US 12043275 B2, hereinafter Seitz).
Regarding claim 1, Seitz teaches an in-vehicle display system mounted on a host vehicle and configured to display a situation around the host vehicle on a display inside a vehicle cabin, comprising: ([col. 4, lines 24-29] “A driver information display is generated and output, wherein the driver information display comprises a graphic road user object that represents the additional road user. Furthermore, the driver information display comprises a trajectory object which represents the target trajectory of the ego vehicle.”, where “The display may be output by means of known display units such as by means of a display, for example on a center console of the ego vehicle, or in an instrument cluster.” [col. 4, lines 43-45])
a target inter-vehicle distance acquisition unit configured to acquire a target inter-vehicle distance for speed control of the host vehicle with respect to a preceding vehicle traveling ahead of the host vehicle; ([col. 21, lines 36-44] “In all cases, a preceding vehicle 23 was also detected that will now be represented by a road user object 61 which is arranged in the depiction in front of the ego object 31. The depiction is generated such that the displayed distance between the ego object 31 and object of the proceeding vehicle 61 represents the actual distance between the vehicles. That is, by using the display, the driver may perceive the actual distance and may for example notice changes.”, and “Systems are provided for example for assisting with longitudinal control, for example an assistant for maintaining a given distance from a preceding vehicle, as well as for maintaining a given speed, as well as for assisting with transverse control, for example an assistant for maintaining a travel lane, for example by using road markers, or by following behind a preceding vehicle.” [col. 15, lines 41-47])
a display control unit configured to display a host vehicle icon and a preceding vehicle icon on a traveling lane area displayed on the display when the preceding vehicle is detected; (FIG. 6A, where [col. 21, lines 14-19] “FIG. 6A to 6C each include an ego object 31 that represents the ego vehicle 21. This is displayed statically and always arranged at the same position within the driver information display. The movement of the ego vehicle 21 is depicted in that the depicted environment moves relative to the ego object 31 as it appears from the coordinate system of the ego vehicle 21. For example, structures of the road move relative to the static ego object 31, including curved areas as well as road markers 30a, 30b, corresponding to the actual proper movement of the ego vehicle 21 on the road 20.”)
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FIG. 6A (Seitz et al.)
wherein the traveling lane area is set with at least a first preceding vehicle display position in front of the host vehicle icon and a second preceding vehicle display position between the first preceding vehicle display position and the host vehicle icon; wherein the display control unit displays the preceding vehicle icon at the first preceding vehicle display position on the display when the target inter-vehicle distance is a first set distance; wherein the display control unit is configured to display the preceding vehicle icon at the second preceding vehicle display position on the display when the target inter-vehicle distance is a second set distance smaller than the first set distance; (FIG. 13A and 13B, where “The driving situations in which the depictions in FIGS. 13A and 13B are generated differ in that the ego vehicle 1 moves at a slower speed in the case of FIG. 13A than in the case in FIG. 13B. That is, the safe distance to be maintained from a preceding additional road user is greater in the case of FIG. 13B than in FIG. 13A. Correspondingly, the road user object 132 for the preceding additional road user is depicted at a greater distance from the ego object 131, and the distance object 135 is also depicted at a greater distance from the ego object 131.” [col. 20. lines 21-30]. Note: the location of road user object 132 in FIG. 13B is mapped to the first preceding vehicle display position, and the location of road user object 132 in FIG. 13A is mapped to the second preceding vehicle display position.)
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FIG. 13A & 13B (Seitz et al.)
and wherein the display control unit is configured to move the preceding vehicle icon on the display from the first preceding vehicle display position to the second preceding vehicle display position as the inter-vehicle distance between the preceding vehicle and the host vehicle approaches the second set distance from the first set distance when the target inter-vehicle distance is changed from the first set distance to the second set distance ([col. 29, lines 48-53] “This change causes the position of the distance object 135 to change relative to the ego object 131. Since a stepwise adjustment of the parameter is provided in the exemplary embodiment, the distance object 135 jumps one step forward or back upon the actuation, i.e., to a greater or smaller distance relative to the ego object 131 in the depiction.”).
Regarding claim 3, Seitz teaches the in-vehicle display system according to claim 1, wherein the display control unit is configured to move the preceding vehicle icon to the second preceding vehicle display position simultaneously with the inter-vehicle distance between the preceding vehicle and the host vehicle reaching the second set distance when the target inter-vehicle distance is changed from the first set distance to the second set distance ([col. 21, lines 36-44] “In all cases, a preceding vehicle 23 was also detected that will now be represented by a road user object 61 which is arranged in the depiction in front of the ego object 31. The depiction is generated such that the displayed distance between the ego object 31 and object of the proceeding vehicle 61 represents the actual distance between the vehicles. That is, by using the display, the driver may perceive the actual distance and may for example notice changes.”, where “That is, the safe distance to be maintained from a preceding additional road user is greater in the case of FIG. 13B than in FIG. 13A. Correspondingly, the road user object 132 for the preceding additional road user is depicted at a greater distance from the ego object 131, and the distance object 135 is also depicted at a greater distance from the ego object 131.” [col. 20. lines 21-30]).
Regarding claim 5, claim 5 recites substantially similar limitations to claim 1, but in a method form. Seitz further teaches a control method of an in-vehicle display system mounted on a host vehicle and configured to display a situation around the host vehicle on a display inside a vehicle cabin, the control method comprising: ([col. 4, lines 19-29] “In a method according to a first exemplary aspect, another road user is detected in a road area lying in front of the ego vehicle. A target trajectory for the ego vehicle is generated by a driver assistance system for at least partially automatic transverse control of the ego vehicle depending on the other road user. A driver information display is generated and output, wherein the driver information display comprises a graphic road user object that represents the additional road user. Furthermore, the driver information display comprises a trajectory object which represents the target trajectory of the ego vehicle.”, where “The display may be output by means of known display units such as by means of a display, for example on a center console of the ego vehicle, or in an instrument cluster.” [col. 4, lines 43-45]).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 2 and 4 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter:
The closest prior art of Shishido (U.S. 2018/0286094 A1) teaches when the inter-vehicle distance between the preceding vehicle and the host vehicle becomes less than a proximity determination threshold ([0024] “Further, in the case where the distance between the preceding vehicle and the host vehicle is a predetermined distance or shorter, the highlighting indication setter 17 causes the highlight level of the highlighting indication to be lower when the distance between the preceding vehicle and the host vehicle is short than when the distance is long.”).
However, Shishido fails to teach “wherein the display control unit is configured to display the preceding vehicle icon at a position closer to the host vehicle icon than the second preceding vehicle display position in the traveling lane area when the inter-vehicle distance between the preceding vehicle and the host vehicle becomes less than a proximity determination threshold regardless of the target inter-vehicle distance, and wherein the display control unit is configured to move the preceding vehicle icon closer to the host vehicle icon as the inter-vehicle distance between the preceding vehicle and the host vehicle decreases.”
Furthermore, no prior art of record either alone or in combination teaches the above limitation as a whole. Therefore, claim 2 is considered allowable.
Regarding claim 4, claim 4 recites substantially similar limitations to claim 2, therefore, also contains allowable subject matter.
Conclusion
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/KEE M TUNG/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2611
/ALICIA HA/Examiner, Art Unit 2611
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