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 .
Drawings
The drawings are objected to because all the unlabeled rectangular boxes shown in Figs. 4 and 5, and the unlabeled rectangular boxes “502”, “510” and “522” shown in Fig. 6 should be provided with descriptive text labels6. 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 § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claim 9 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Claim 9 recites the limitation "the pivotable part" in line 2. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
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 1-15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Zhang (US 20170341583 A1).
As to claims 1 and 11-15, Zhang discloses the claimed subject matter, including a processing unit (Fig. 1), configured to receive first optical sensor data from an optical sensor, the first optical sensor data containing first data where the optical sensor has a first angle with respect to the vehicle body (paragraphs 0077-0079); calibrate the optical sensor using the first optical sensor data (paragraph 0078, “The view rendering module 312 receives as input the calibration data 320. The view rendering module 312 processes the vehicle camera image data 332 and the trailer camera image data 330 based on the calibration data 320.”); and construct a view using the optical sensor data of the calibrated optical sensor (paragraph 0079, “The view rendering module 312 stitches the images of the image streams together at the boundary lines and blends the images of the image streams along the boundary line based on the blending coefficient 346 to generate a uniform, seamless image surrounding the vehicle 10 and/or trailer 8.”); detect an event related to pivoting the optical sensor (paragraph 0080, “The view rendering module 312 determines whether the pivot angle 338 is greater than zero degrees, which indicates that the trailer 8 is angled relative to the vehicle 10.”); receive second optical sensor data from the optical sensor upon detecting the event, the second optical sensor data containing second data where the optical sensor has a second angle with respect to the vehicle body due to pivoting the optical sensor based on the event (paragraph 0080); estimate the difference of the first angle and the second angle (paragraph 0080); reconstruct the view of the optical sensor using the second optical sensor data of the optical sensor having the second angle (paragraph 0080, “If true, the view rendering module 312 adjusts the boundary lines of the stitched image to compensate for the pivot angle 338. The view rendering module 312 stitches the images of the image streams together at the adjusted boundary lines and blends the images of the image streams along the adjusted boundary line based on the blending coefficient 346 to generate the uniform, seamless image that compensates for the pivot angle 338.”); and render the surround view using the reconstructed view (paragraph 0081).
As to claim 2, the claimed limitation is disclosed by Zhang (Fig. 1, 44-camera).
As to claims 3-8, they introduce different ways that trigger the angel change detection which is disclosed by Zhang (paragraphs 0099-0106).
As to claim 9, the claimed limitation is disclosed by Zhang (Fig. 1).
As to claim 10, the claimed limitation is disclosed by Zhang (Fig. 1).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Ermilios (US 20190104278 A1) discloses a method for motion estimation between two images of an environmental region of a motor vehicle, computing device, driver assistance system as well as motor vehicle.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Sherrie Hsia whose telephone number is (571)272-7347.
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, John Miller can be reached at 571-272-7353.
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.
Any response to this action should be mailed to:
Commissioner for Patents
P.O. Box 1450
Alexandria, VA 22313-1450
Or faxed to:
(571) 273-8300
Any inquiry of a general nature or relating to the status of this application or proceeding should be directed to the Customer Service Office whose telephone number is 571-272-1000.
/SHERRIE HSIA/Primary Examiner
Art Unit 2422
SH
September 5, 2026
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