CTNF 19/182,825 CTNF 87242 DETAILED ACTION Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status 07-03-aia AIA 15-10-aia The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA. Priority 02-26 AIA Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55. Information Disclosure Statement The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 04/18/2025 is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner. Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103 07-06 AIA 15-10-15 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. 07-20-aia AIA 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. 07-21-aia AIA Claim (s) 1 and 5 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Piao (CN 104670081 A) in view of Atchison (US 3012338 A) and Khafagy (US 20210043015 A1) . Regarding claims 1 and 5, Piao discloses a method and a vehicle control system (e.g. Abstract) that generates, in a vehicle cabin of a real vehicle that includes an electric motor as a drive force source (e.g. Fig. 1 & [0023]), a virtual engine sound generated in a virtual vehicle that includes a virtual engine as a drive force source (e.g. Figs. 1-2: controller 20 & [0031]), the vehicle control system comprising: one or multiple storage devices that store startup sound source data of the virtual engine (e.g. [0027]); one or multiple processors that generate sound to be output from a speaker of the real vehicle (e.g. Figs. 1-2: 20 & [0031]), and a startup input device of the real vehicle (inherently disclosed on a real vehicle), explosion sound data following a first explosion of the virtual engine (e.g. [0026]: broadly interpreted as engine running sound corresponds to engine speed more than zero as the first explosion sound) Piao fails to disclose, but Atchison teaches: a startup input device of the real vehicle (e.g. Fig. 1: 10), wherein, when a startup operation signal is input from the startup input device, the one or multiple processors perform startup sound output processing for outputting, to the speaker (e.g. Fig. 1: when relay is ON, signal is transmitted to sound simulator to generate engine cranking sound), startup sound of the virtual engine that is generated based on the startup sound source data (i.e. cranking sound), the startup sound source data includes cranking sound data that is generated in conjunction with cranking of the virtual engine (e.g. Fig. 1: cranking sound generated by sound simulator). Thus, it would have been obvious to one skilled in the art to modify the teachings of Piao with the teachings of Atchison to reproduce engine cranking sound when vehicle is started so as to notify driver about starting of the vehicle engine. Piao and Atchison in combination fails to disclose, but Khafagy teaches counting input duration time of the startup operation signal (e.g. [0061]: cranking duration threshold). Khafagy teaches it is known in the art to transition engine cranking to engine running by counting a cranking duration to determine whether startup is succeeded. Thus, it would have been obvious to one skilled in the art to modify the teachings of Piao and Atchison to reproduce engine starting sound (i.e. engine running sound) after cranking sound has been generated for a duration of time so as to truly mimic an operation of a real vehicle. Therefore, combination of Piao, Atchison and Khafagy teaches the startup sound output processing includes, and switching from reproduction of the startup sound based on the cranking sound data to reproduction of startup sound based on the explosion sound data when the input duration time exceeds a regulation time . Allowable Subject Matter 12-151-08 AIA 07-43 12-51-08 Claim s 2-4 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. Conclusion Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to KAM WAN MA whose telephone number is (571) 270-3693 . The examiner can normally be reached M-F 9am-6pm. 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, Steven Lim can be reached at 571-270-1210. 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. /KAM WAN MA/Examiner, Art Unit 2688 Application/Control Number: 19/182,825 Page 2 Art Unit: 2688 Application/Control Number: 19/182,825 Page 3 Art Unit: 2688 Application/Control Number: 19/182,825 Page 4 Art Unit: 2688 Application/Control Number: 19/182,825 Page 5 Art Unit: 2688
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