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 .
DETAILED ACTION
Claim Objections
1. Claims 1 and 8 are objected to because of the following informalities: Claims 1 and 8 recite pseudo-event. It is unclear as what pseudo-event is. Is it an artificial, simulated, mock…event? For purpose of examining, Examiner will interpret reproduction of pseudo-event sound as sound simulation event. Appropriate correction is required. Failure(s) to define/clarify would lead to 112 rejection(s)
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
2. 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.
3. Claims 1, 8 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over submitted prior art Duo’ (2022/0063494).
As to claim 1, Duo teaches a vehicle control method that is applied to a battery electric vehicle (electric vehicle 100) that uses an electric motor (electric motor 104) as a traveling power device ([0146]), the vehicle control method comprising:
detecting occurrence of a driving event specific to a virtual mobility when a reproduction mode for reproducing behavior of the virtual mobility ([0207]) in a driving event of the virtual mobility is selected as a driving mode of the battery electric vehicle ([0006, 102-103, 106-111, 199-200]); and
performing event reproduction control including driving of an in-vehicle device simulating a behavior characteristic of the virtual mobility in the specific driving event and reproduction of a sound simulating a sound in the specific driving event, when the occurrence of the specific driving event is detected ([0026-0029, 0198-0200, 0207, 0225-0227]),
wherein, in the event reproduction control, the reproduction of the sound is started prior to the driving of the in-vehicle device ([0026-0029] - setting of the simulated engine revolutions value (RpmFinal) to the default value, the sound simulation routine emitting a sampled start sound, hence it would have been obvious that the sound is simulated at vehicle start before the transmission is engaged).
Duo does not explicitly discuss a reproduction of a pseudo-event sound simulating.
However, Duo teaches in expert driver simulation mode, gear shifting and the relative increase in value on the display will only be allowed if the user performs a correct maneuver (clutch operation, pedal gear selection): if the user attempts to engage the gear without pressing the clutch, control unit 4 will not allow gear engagement and the ISE sound emulation module will additionally generate the typical scratched sound. In the event of correct operation, the user will hear the sound of the mechanical gear shift engagement ([0198]), Control unit 4 sends a signal to the ISE sound emulation module at each gear change, which will reproduce the gear shift sound, which will be added to the sounds already being played. The same signal will be used to send the signal to the bass-shaker on the frame that will emit a vibration to simulate the mechanical engagement of the gear ([0199]), If the clutch-percentage signal is less than 90% (calibratable) in expert driver simulation mode, the ability to engage gears is inhibited and if you enter the shifting windows, a signal is sent to the ISE sound emulation module that will reproduce the sound of the scratched signal. The same signal will be used to send the signal to the bass-shaker that will emit a vibration that simulates the wrong maneuver ([0200]); and ([0225-0227] - the ISE sound emulation module uses the idle simulated engine revolutions and percentage acceleration (AccPercentage) signals to dynamically execute the audio tracks in its memory that reproduce the sound of the simulated engine).
It would have been obvious having reproduction of an event sound simulating for the purpose of reproducing the sound of the simulated engine.
Claim 8 is rejected for the same reasons discussed above with respect to claim 1. Furthermore, Duo teaches control unit 4 receive a plurality of input signals (12) comprising at least: an acceleration signal (5) relating to a position of an accelerator (103) of the electric propulsion vehicle (100); a vehicle speed signal (6) relating to the speed of the electric propulsion vehicle (100) to determine a value relating to the engine revolutions (RpmExt) of an electric propulsion vehicle (104) and/or an engine revolutions signal (7) relating to the engine revolutions (RpmExt) of the electric motor (104) of the electric propulsion vehicle ([0016-0019]).
4. Claims 2 and 9 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Duo’ (2022/0063494) in view of Kraemer (EP 0617183 A).
As to claims 2 and 9, Dou teaches the vehicle control method according claim 1 and the vehicle control device according to claim 8, wherein the driving of the in-vehicle device is started after the event sound reproduced by executing the event reproduction control ([0026-0029] - setting of the simulated engine revolutions value (RpmFinal) to the default value, the sound simulation routine emitting a sampled start sound, hence it would have been obvious that the sound is simulated at vehicle start before the transmission is engaged or the driving of the in-vehicle is started after the event sound reproduced). Dou does not explicitly discuss an indoor microphone of the battery electric vehicle.
Kraemer teaches a motor vehicle, having an electric energy source and having switchable electric loads, the key contains as loads a speech store, a microphone and a speech reproduction unit and, in the pick-up mode (abstract); and a motor vehicle with an electrical energy source and with switchable electrical consumers, characterized in that the key contains as a consumer a speech memory, a microphone and a speech reproduction unit and that the speech memory can be switched together with the microphone on the one hand in recording mode and together with the speech reproduction unit in playback mode (first paragraph of claims).
It would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate the teachings of Kraemer into the teachings of Dou for the purpose of detecting the sound reproduced in the electric vehicle.
5. Claims 3-4 and 10-11 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Duo’ (2022/0063494) in view of Miura et al. (JP 2021113941 A).
As to claims 3 and 10, Dou teaches setting of the simulated engine revolutions value (RpmFinal) to the default value, the sound simulation routine emitting a sampled start sound, hence it would have been obvious that the sound is simulated at vehicle start before the transmission is engaged ([0026-0029]). Dou does not explicitly discuss the vehicle control method according claim 1 and the vehicle control device according to claim 8, wherein, setting state of a sound reproducing device configured to reproduce the pseudo-event sound in the battery electric vehicle is a mute state.
Miura teaches the driver can grasp the vehicle state and the change in the vehicle state by the sound generated by the vehicle sound generator 1 in addition to the engine operating sound. Further, in this modification, the rotation speed of the internal combustion engine (engine rotation speed) can be used to determine the frequency and sound pressure of the sound SC; and in another modification in which the vehicle 2 includes both an internal combustion engine and an electric motor, the rotation speed of one or both of the electric motor and the internal combustion engine can be used to determine the frequency and sound pressure of the sound synthetic sound ([0066]). It would have been obvious that the sound reproducing device can be in the one state at any given time and a state change or transition from one state to another in an event sound reproducing sound generator that would set state of a sound reproducing device configured to reproduce the event sound in the battery electric vehicle to a mute state.
It would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate the teachings of Miura into the teachings of Dou for the purpose of allowing driver to grasp the vehicle state and the change in the vehicle state by the sound generated by the vehicle sound generator and in this modification, the rotation speed of the internal combustion engine (engine rotation speed) can be used to determine the frequency and sound pressure of the sound synthetic sound.
As to claims 4 and 11, Dou teaches the control method according claim 1 and the vehicle control device according to claim 8, further comprising: detecting occurrence of a driving event common to a virtual mobility and the battery electric vehicle when a reproduction mode for reproducing behavior of the virtual mobility ([0207]) in a driving event of the virtual mobility is selected as a driving mode of the battery electric vehicle ([0006, 102-103, 106-111, 199-200]); and performing event reproduction control including at least one of driving of an in-vehicle device simulating a behavior characteristic of the virtual mobility in the common driving event and reproduction of a sound simulating a sound in the specific driving event, when the occurrence of the specific driving event is detected ([0026-0029, 0198-0200, 0207, 0225-0227]). And Miura teaches the driver can grasp the vehicle state and the change in the vehicle state by the sound generated by the vehicle sound generator 1 in addition to the engine operating sound. Further, in this modification, the rotation speed of the internal combustion engine (engine rotation speed) can be used to determine the frequency and sound pressure of the sound SC; and in another modification in which the vehicle 2 includes both an internal combustion engine and an electric motor, the rotation speed of one or both of the electric motor and the internal combustion engine can be used to determine the frequency and sound pressure of the sound synthetic sound ([0061, 0066]).
6. Claims 5-6 and 12-13 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Duo’ (2022/0063494) in view of Shimada et al. (US Patent 9,108,645).
As to claims 5 and 12, Dou does not explicitly discuss the vehicle control method according claim 1 and the vehicle control device according to claim 8, wherein the virtual mobility includes a railroad vehicle with a cargo vehicle; and the specific driving event includes a departure event of the railroad vehicle detected by start of the battery electric vehicle and a stop event of the railroad vehicle detected by stop of the battery electric vehicle.
Shimada teaches a high mobility railroad vehicle system (col. 2, lines 66-67 and col. 3, line 11); the railroad vehicle received a non-electrified section prediction signal on approaching a spot of a start of a non-electrified section of the railroad, the motor driving apparatus and the electric power conversion apparatus are stopped so as to stop the driving of the motor by the electric power from the current collection apparatus, then when the railroad vehicle reaches a spot after traveling a preset distance from a spot of the reception of the non-electrified section prediction signal, the current collection apparatus is set not to provide electric power and the on-vehicle electric power supply apparatus is set to provide electric power, and then the electric power conversation apparatus and the motor driving apparatus are activated after the railroad vehicle received a non-electrified confirmation signal, and wherein, in a case where the railroad vehicle received an electrified section prediction signal on approaching a spot of the start of the electrified section, the motor driving apparatus and the electric power conversion apparatus are stopped so as to stop the driving of the motor by the electric power from the on-vehicle electric power supply apparatus, then when the railroad vehicle reaches a spot after traveling a preset distance from a spot of the reception of the electrified section prediction signal, the current collection apparatus is set to provide electric power and the on-vehicle electric power supply apparatus is set not to provide electric power, and then the electric power conversion apparatus and the motor driving apparatus are activated after the railroad vehicle receives an electrified section confirmation signal (claim 2).
It would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate the teachings of Kawanishi into the teachings of Dou for the purpose of having the motor driving apparatus are activated after the railroad vehicle receives an electrified section confirmation signal.
As to claims 6 and 13, Shimada teaches the vehicle control method according claim 1 and the vehicle control device according to claim 8, wherein the virtual mobility includes a railroad vehicle col. 2, lines 66-67 and col. 3, line 11); and receiving driving position information of the vehicle from position information transmission means installed outside of the vehicle, such as a ground unit on the tracks and a global positioning system (GPS) (col. 3, lines 45-49); the vehicle 1a includes: a spot sensor 14 that receives position information from a ground unit, that is, position information transmission means, arranged on the tracks (col. 5, lines 14-16); and the presence/absence of an external electric power, such as trolley wire, can be checked based on received traveling position information to determine whether electric power supply from outside of the vehicle is possible or impossible, that is, whether the present track being traveled over is an electrified section or a non-electrified section (col. 7, lines 31-37); hence it would have been obvious the track being traveled event detected by an external electric power such as the battery electric vehicle in order to check based on received traveling position information to determine whether electric power supply from outside of the vehicle is possible or impossible.
7. Claims 7 and 14 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Duo’ (2022/0063494) in view of Christiana et al. (2021/0109546).
As to claims 7 and 14, Dou does not explicitly discuss the vehicle control method according claim 1 and the vehicle control device according to claim 8, wherein the virtual mobility includes an aircraft; and the specific driving event includes a landing event of the aircraft at a destination, the landing event being detected when a distance from the battery electric vehicle to the destination is within a predetermined distance.
Christiana teaches the drone may be guided to follow the target while maintaining a predetermined distance from the target. For such implementations, a virtual (or actual) point may be defined with respect to the target, and the location of the virtual point may be predicted instead of the location of the landing dock. The drone may be guided to follow the virtual point ([0059]); ([0038-0039] - in the long distance guidance mode, the drone 200 may be configured to attempt detecting the vehicle 10 and/or the landing dock 100 using an imaging device. In response to detecting the vehicle 10 and/or the landing dock 100 using the imaging device, the drone guidance according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure may switch from the long distance guidance mode to a predictive guidance mode and the switch from the long distance guidance mode to the predictive guidance mode may be triggered when the drone 200 is within a predetermined distance from the vehicle 10), and in the landing mode, the controller may be configured to determine whether a distance between the drone and the landing dock is within a predetermined distance, and execute the landing in response to determining that the distance between the drone and the landing dock is within the predetermined distance ([0054]).
It would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate the teachings of Christiana into the teachings of Dou for the purpose of guiding the drone/aircraft to follow the target while maintaining a predetermined distance from the target, Christiana [0059].
Conclusion
8. Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to QUYNH H NGUYEN whose telephone number is (571)272-7489. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Thursday 7:30AM-5:30PM.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Ahmad Matar can be reached on 571-272-7488. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
/QUYNH H NGUYEN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2693
Prosecution Insights