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 .
Claims 1 – 9 remain pending in the application and have been fully considered.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 101
35 U.S.C. 101 reads as follows:
Whoever invents or discovers any new and useful process, machine, manufacture, or composition of matter, or any new and useful improvement thereof, may obtain a patent therefor, subject to the conditions and requirements of this title.
Claims 1 – 5, 7 – 9 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 101 because the claimed invention is directed to an abstract idea without significantly more. The claim(s) recite(s) a virtual steering angle calculation processing is processing of calculating a virtual steering angle using various inputs and variables.
The limitation of determining a virtual steering angle, as drafted, is a process that, under its broadest reasonable interpretation, covers performance of the limitation in the mind but for the recitation of generic computer components. That is, other than reciting by “a computation device,” “a control device”, and “a non-transitory computiner-readable-medium storing a computer program,” nothing in the claim element precludes the step from practically being performed in the mind. For example, but for the “by a computation device” language, “determining” in the context of this claim encompasses the user manually calculating the trailer length, vehicle speed, curvature of a path of a trailer, and the steering angle. Similarly, the limitation of determining a virtual steering anle, as drafted, is a process that, under its broadest reasonable interpretation, covers performance of the limitation in the mind but for the recitation of generic computer components. For example, but for the “by a computation device” language, “calculating a virtual steering anlg” in the context of this claim encompasses the user deriving known trailer lengths or measuring it themselves, and then further formulating a calculation using known mathematical equations to determine the preferred steering angle. If a claim limitation, under its broadest reasonable interpretation, covers performance of the limitation in the mind but for the recitation of generic computer components, then it falls within the “Mental Processes” grouping of abstract ideas. Accordingly, the claim recites an abstract idea.
This judicial exception is not integrated into a practical application. In particular, the claim only recites one additional element – using a computation device to perform both the input of variables and calculation process. The computation device in both steps is recited at a high-level of generality (i.e., as a generic processor performing a generic computer function of using inputs to compute angles based on known mathematical equations) such that it amounts no more than mere instructions to apply the exception using a generic computer component. Accordingly, this additional element does not integrate the abstract idea into a practical application because it does not impose any meaningful limits on practicing the abstract idea. The claim is directed to an abstract idea.
The claim does not include additional elements that are sufficient to amount to significantly more than the judicial exception. As discussed above with respect to integration of the abstract idea into a practical application, the additional element of using a computation device to perform both the input of variables and calculation process amounts to no more than mere instructions to apply the exception using a generic computer component. Mere instructions to apply an exception using a generic computer component cannot provide an inventive concept. The claim is not patent eligible.
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 – 9 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Lavoie et al. (US 2016/0280267).
Regarding Claim 1:
Lavoie et al. teaches a computation device (10) for an articulated vehicle that is applied to the articulated vehicle including a tractor (14) and a trailer (12) that is towed by the tractor, wherein: the computation device is configured to execute curvature variable acquisition processing (98), trailer length variable acquisition processing (80, D, paragraph 0055), and virtual steering angle calculation processing (130); the curvature variable acquisition processing is processing of acquiring a value of a curvature variable (Fig 3, paragraphs 0044 – 0055); the curvature variable is a variable indicating a curvature of a path of travel of the trailer (Fig 3); the trailer length variable acquisition processing is processing of acquiring a value of a trailer length variable (D, paragraph 0055); the trailer length variable is a variable indicating a length of the trailer (D); the virtual steering angle calculation processing is processing of calculating a virtual steering angle using the value of the curvature variable and the value of the trailer length variable as inputs (paragraph 0055, Figs 2 – 5); and the virtual steering angle is an angle indicating a displacement direction of a linking point between the trailer and the tractor (Fig 3, paragraphs 0044 – 0055).
Regarding Claim 2:
Lavoie et al. teaches the computation device is configured to execute steered angle acquisition processing and hitch angle calculation processing; the steered angle acquisition processing is processing for acquiring a steered angle of a steered wheel of the tractor (44, 67, 17, Fig 2 – 4); the hitch angle calculation processing is processing of calculating a hitch angle using the virtual steering angle and the steered angle as inputs (paragraphs 0044 – 0055, Figs 2 – 4); and the hitch angle is an angle that is formed between a front-rear direction of the tractor and a front-rear direction of the trailer (Fig 3).
Regarding Claim 3:
Lavoie et al. teaches the computation device is configured to execute yaw rate acquisition processing (60) and vehicle speed acquisition processing (58); the yaw rate acquisition processing (60) is processing of acquiring a yaw rate of the trailer; the vehicle speed acquisition processing is processing of acquiring a vehicle speed of the trailer; and the curvature variable acquisition processing is processing for acquiring the value of the curvature variable by calculating the value of the curvature variable using the yaw rate and the vehicle speed as inputs (98, Figs 3 – 4).
Regarding Claim 4:
Lavoie et al. teaches the trailer is provided with a yaw rate sensor; and the yaw rate acquisition processing is processing for acquiring the yaw rate that is detected by the yaw rate sensor (paragraph 0032).
Regarding Claim 5:
Lavoie et al. teaches the trailer is provided with wheel speed sensors for detecting speeds of each of right and left wheels; the yaw rate acquisition processing is processing for acquiring the yaw rate by calculating the yaw rate using detection values of wheel speeds of the right and left wheels that are detected by the wheel speed sensors as input (paragraph 0038).
Regarding Claim 6:
Lavoie et al. teaches a control device (10) for an articulated vehicle (12, 14), wherein: the control device is configured to execute each of the processing that is executed by the computation device for the articulated vehicle according to claim 1, and virtual steering angle control processing; and the virtual steering angle control processing is processing for operating a steered angle of the tractor by a manipulated variable for control in which the virtual steering angle is a controlled variable and also a target virtual steering angle is a target value of the controlled variable (Figs 4, 10 – 12).
Regarding Claim 7:
Lavoie et al. teaches a control device for an articulated vehicle, wherein: the control device is configured to execute each of the processing that is executed by the computation device for the articulated vehicle according to claim 2, and operating processing; and the operating processing is processing for operating predetermined hardware using the hitch angle as an input (paragraphs 0044 – 0055).
Regarding Claim 8:
Lavoie et al. teaches a computation method (Figs 10, 11, and 16) for an articulated vehicle, the computation method being applied to an articulated vehicle including a tractor (14) and a trailer (12) that is towed by the tractor, and the computation method comprising executing curvature variable acquisition processing, trailer length variable acquisition processing, and virtual steering angle calculation processing, wherein: the curvature variable acquisition processing is processing of acquiring a value of a curvature variable (98); the curvature variable is a variable indicating a curvature of a path of travel of the trailer (Figs 2 – 4); the trailer length variable acquisition processing is processing of acquiring a value of a trailer length variable; the trailer length variable is a variable indicating a length of the trailer (D, paragraph 0055); the virtual steering angle calculation processing is processing of calculating a virtual steering angle using the value of the curvature variable and the value of the trailer length variable as inputs; and the virtual steering angle is an angle indicating a displacement direction of a linking point between the trailer and the tractor (paragraphs 0044 – 0055, Figs 2 – 4, via the hitch).
Regarding Claim 9:
See rejection of Claim 1 above.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
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/LONG T TRAN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3747
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