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
This Office Action is made in response to applicant’s amendment submitted on 03/02/2026. Claims 1, 6 and 7 have been amended. No claim has been cancelled. Claims 8-11 have been newly added. Claims 1-11 are currently pending in the application.
Response to Argument
Applicant’s arguments with respect to amended claims and added limitations have been considered but are moot because the arguments are believed to be answered by and therefore moot in view of new ground(s) of rejection presented below. In view of amendment, the reference Tomioka has been used for new ground(s) of rejection.
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.
Claim(s) 1-11 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yamada et al. (US. Pub. No. 2011/0234802, hereinafter “Yamada”) in view of Tayama et al. (US. Pub. No. 2018/0058879, hereinafter “Tayama”), further in view of Tomioka et al. (US. Pub. No. 2017/0305342, hereinafter “Tomioka”).
As to claims 1, 6 and 7, (Currently Amended) Yamada discloses a vehicle-mounted device [figure 1, 120], associated with its non-transitory storage medium storing a program that causes a computer to execute image display processing and its image display method implemented by a computer, comprising:
a memory [figure 1, memory 40]; and
a processor [figure 1, controller 1] coupled to the memory, and that is configured to:
detect satisfaction of a pre-specified switching condition for switching a predetermined display among a plurality of display units is satisfied, the plurality of display units being provided at the vehicle, and the predetermined display including a host vehicle image representing the vehicle [figure 12, detect the user presses the changeover switch 43 for switching a predetermined display 9 among a plurality of display units FP1-4 is satisfied, the predetermined display include a host vehicle image 9 representing the vehicle]; and,
in a case in which the processor detects that the switching condition is satisfied, control the host vehicle image to be displayed at the plurality of display units [figure 12, in a case in which the processor detects that the changeover switch 43 is pressed, control image 9 to be displayed at the plurality of display units FP1 and FP4].
Yamada does not disclose the plurality of display units being separate display units disposed at separate locations in the vehicle,
to control the host vehicle image to be displayed at the plurality of display units such that the host vehicle image migrates between the plurality of display units.
Tayama teaches a plurality of display units being separate display units disposed at separate locations in a vehicle [figure 3, a plurality of display units 15(3) and 24(4) disposed at separate locations in a vehicle],
to control a host vehicle image to be displayed such that a host vehicle image migrates between a plurality of display areas [figures 19A-C, control a host vehicle image 69 to be displayed such that a host vehicle image 69 migrates between a plurality of display areas 66 and 67].
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to have modified the vehicle-mounted device of Yamada to comprise a plurality of display units being separate display units disposed at separate locations in a vehicle and to control the host vehicle image to be displayed at the plurality of display units and areas such that the host vehicle image migrates between the plurality of display areas, as taught by Tayama, in order to improve road traffic safety (Tayama, paragraph 2).
Yamada, as modified by Tayama, doesn’t disclose to control the host vehicle image to be displayed at the plurality of display units such that the host vehicle image migrates between the plurality of display units.
Tomioka teaches a plurality of display units [figure 6, a plurality of display units 30A-30D being separate display units disposed at separate locations in a vehicle] being separate display units disposed at separate locations in a vehicle,
to control an image to be displayed at the plurality of display units such that the image migrates between the plurality of display units [figure 6, to control an image 60 to be displayed at the plurality of display units such that the image 60 migrates between display units 30A and 30D].
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to have modified the vehicle-mounted device of Yamada to comprise a plurality of display units being separate display units disposed at separate locations in a vehicle and to control the host vehicle image to be displayed at the plurality of display units and areas such that the host vehicle image migrates between the plurality of display units, as taught by Tomioka, in order to inform the driver of the presence of the object detected by the surrounding monitoring device (Tomioka, abstract).
As to claim 2, (Original) Yamada, as modified by Tayama and Tomioka, discloses the vehicle-mounted device according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of display units include:
a first display unit that displays the host vehicle image together with results of detection of objects in a vicinity of the vehicle [Yamada, figure 12, first display unit FP1 displays host vehicle image 9 together with results of detection objects (road marks) in a vicinity of vehicle]; and
a second display unit that displays a captured image of the vicinity of the vehicle together with the host vehicle image [Yamada, figure 12, second display unit FP2 that displays a captured image of the vicinity of the vehicle together with host vehicle image 90].
As to claim 3, (Original) Yamada, as modified by Tayama and Tomioka, discloses the vehicle-mounted device according to claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to control at least one of coloring or transparency of the host vehicle image to be altered when controlling the host vehicle image to be displayed so as to migrate between the plurality of display units [Tayama, figures 12A-D, host vehicle image 46 is altered to be transparent to migrate between display units]. In addition, the same rationale is used as in rejection for claim 1.
As to claim 4, (Original) Yamada, as modified by Tayama and Tomioka, discloses the vehicle-mounted device according to claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to, in a case in which it is detected that the switching condition is satisfied, control the host vehicle image to migrate while an accelerator is released, and complete migration of the display between the plurality of display units in a case in which the accelerator is activated or a vehicle speed is at least a pre-specified vehicle speed [Tayama, paragraph 109, that movement from the virtual image 46.sub.1, 46.sub.1′ to the virtual image 46.sub.4, 46.sub.4′ of the virtual vehicle is displayed at a speed being faster than an actual travel speed of the own vehicle. According to the above, the occupant is caused to evaluate necessity of cancelling of the lane change or switching to manual driving after the lane change is previously noticed until the timing of scheduled lane change to be performed by the automated driving control unit 7 of the automated driving system 2]. In addition, the same rationale is used as in rejection for claim 1.
As to claim 5, (Original) Yamada, as modified by Tayama and Tomioka, discloses the vehicle-mounted device according to claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to control display of the host vehicle image so as to migrate along a progress direction of the vehicle [Tayama, figures 12A-D, migrate along a progress direction of the vehicle 46]. In addition, the same rationale is used as in rejection for claim 1.
As to claim 8, (New) Yamada, as modified by Tayama and Tomioka, discloses the vehicle-mounted device according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of display units include:
a first display device that is provided at an instrument panel [Tayama, figures 7A-B, a first display device 24(4) provided at an instrument panel, Tomioka, figure 6, a first display device 30A provided at an instrument panel]; and
a second display device that serves as multimedia display screen and that is a separate device from the first display device [Tayama, figures 7A-B, a second display device 15 that serves as multimedia display screen that is a separate device from 24, Tomioka, figure 6, a second display device 30D that serves as multimedia display screen that is a separate device from 30A]. In addition, the same rationale is used as in rejection for claim 1.
As to claim 9, (New) Yamada, as modified by Tayama and Tomioka, discloses the vehicle-mounted device according to claim 2, wherein the first display unit performs display including an object image representing an object located in a vicinity of the vehicle that has been detected by a sensor [Tayama, figure 7B, 24 performs display including an object image of truck located in a vicinity of the vehicle, paragraph 63, to obtain information regarding traffic situations around the own vehicle, the information input unit 8 is connected with cameras, various kinds of sensors, communication equipment for communication with the outside, and the like mounted on the own vehicle. For example, the information input unit 8 can obtain information of a position, a route, and a travel state of another vehicle through vehicle-to-vehicle communication with the other vehicle traveling, parking, or stopping around the own vehicle and/or can obtain latest traffic information regarding travel situations of other vehicles, road situations, and the like through radio communication with a traffic information center via the internet or public broadcasting.]. In addition, the same rationale is used as in rejection for claim 1.
As to claim 10, (New) Yamada, as modified by Tayama and Tomioka, discloses the vehicle-mounted device according to claim 2, wherein the second display unit performs display during parking, and performs display of a surrounding image obtained by imaging a rear side of the vehicle [Yamada, figure 13, display unit M31 performs display during parking, and performs display of a surrounding image BP2 obtained by imaging a rear side of the vehicle].
As to claim 11, (New) Yamada, as modified by Tayama and Tomioka, discloses the vehicle-mounted device according to claim 1, wherein the pre-specified switching condition comprises any one of:
a) the processor detecting a change in a gear shift position from a parking position to a
drive position;
b) the processor detecting a change in a gear shift position from a parking position to
a reverse position [Yamada, paragraph 110, That is, when a gear shifting lever of the vehicle 9 is positioned at "R (reverse)", the vehicle 9 is in a status to move backward, and the operating mode is changed into the back mode M3 indicating the area behind the vehicle 9];
c) a sensor detecting a parking space in a vicinity of the vehicle; or
d) the processor receiving an instruction of activating an autonomous parking function
or a parking assistance function.
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 NAN-YING YANG whose telephone number is (571)272-2211. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday, 8am-5pm, EST.
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/NAN-YING YANG/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2629
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