DETAILED ACTION
This Office Action is in response to Applicant's Application filed on 5/2/2025.
Claims 1-12 are pending for examination.
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 .
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 10/8/2025 and 11/24/2025 is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
Claim Interpretation
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(f):
(f) Element in Claim for a Combination. – An element in a claim for a combination may be expressed as a means or step for performing a specified function without the recital of structure, material, or acts in support thereof, and such claim shall be construed to cover the corresponding structure, material, or acts described in the specification and equivalents thereof.
The following is a quotation of pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph:
An element in a claim for a combination may be expressed as a means or step for performing a specified function without the recital of structure, material, or acts in support thereof, and such claim shall be construed to cover the corresponding structure, material, or acts described in the specification and equivalents thereof.
The claims in this application are given their broadest reasonable interpretation using the plain meaning of the claim language in light of the specification as it would be understood by one of ordinary skill in the art. The broadest reasonable interpretation of a claim element (also commonly referred to as a claim limitation) is limited by the description in the specification when 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph, is invoked.
As explained in MPEP § 2181, subsection I, claim limitations that meet the following three-prong test will be interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph:
(A) the claim limitation uses the term “means” or “step” or a term used as a substitute for “means” that is a generic placeholder (also called a nonce term or a non-structural term having no specific structural meaning) for performing the claimed function;
(B) the term “means” or “step” or the generic placeholder is modified by functional language, typically, but not always linked by the transition word “for” (e.g., “means for”) or another linking word or phrase, such as “configured to” or “so that”; and
(C) the term “means” or “step” or the generic placeholder is not modified by sufficient structure, material, or acts for performing the claimed function.
Use of the word “means” (or “step”) in a claim with functional language creates a rebuttable presumption that the claim limitation is to be treated in accordance with 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph. The presumption that the claim limitation is interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph, is rebutted when the claim limitation recites sufficient structure, material, or acts to entirely perform the recited function.
Absence of the word “means” (or “step”) in a claim creates a rebuttable presumption that the claim limitation is not to be treated in accordance with 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph. The presumption that the claim limitation is not interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph, is rebutted when the claim limitation recites function without reciting sufficient structure, material or acts to entirely perform the recited function.
Claim limitations in this application that use the word “means” (or “step”) are being interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph, except as otherwise indicated in an Office action. Conversely, claim limitations in this application that do not use the word “means” (or “step”) are not being interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph, except as otherwise indicated in an Office action.
This application includes one or more claim limitations that do not use the word “means,” but are nonetheless being interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph, because the claim limitation(s) uses a generic placeholder that is coupled with functional language without reciting sufficient structure to perform the recited function and the generic placeholder is not preceded by a structural modifier. Such claim limitation(s) is/are: route learning part in claim 1-2, route tracking part in claim 1, 4-6, 10, automatic parking control part in claim 7, collision prevention part in claim 8.
Because this/these claim limitation(s) is/are being interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph, it/they is/are being interpreted to cover the corresponding structure described in the specification as performing the claimed function, and equivalents thereof. In the specification paragraph 75, “the parking assistance system 100 may include a communication device configured to communicate with another controller (e.g., a motor controller, a vehicle controller, an autonomous driving controller, or the like) or various types of sensors, a memory configured to store an operating system or a logic instruction and an input/output information, and one or more processors configured to perform determination, computation, judgment, and the like required to control a responsible function in order to control the functions designated to the setting part 110, the route learning part 120, the route tracking part 130, the collision prevention part 140, and the automatic parking control part 150”. Accordingly, the route learning part, route tracking part, automatic parking control part, collision prevention part are interpreted as functional software modules perform by processors.
If applicant does not intend to have this/these limitation(s) interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph, applicant may: (1) amend the claim limitation(s) to avoid it/them being interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph (e.g., by reciting sufficient structure to perform the claimed function); or (2) present a sufficient showing that the claim limitation(s) recite(s) sufficient structure to perform the claimed function so as to avoid it/them being interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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) 1-3, 7-9, 11-12 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by BONNET (DE102013015349A1).
Regarding claim 1, BONNET teaches A parking assistance system for a vehicle, the parking assistance system including:
a route learning part configured to learn at least one parking route based on a route that the vehicle has traveled from a learning start point until the vehicle is parked at a learning end point when a route learning mode is activated(BONNET: Fig. 2; Para 26 “Para 30 “The vehicle 6 comprises an environment detection system 6.0, in particular a camera or radar system, a processing unit 6.1 and at least one storage unit 6.2. Environmental data or vehicle driving data captured by the environmental detection system 6.0 can be supplied to the processing unit 6.1”; In manual activation mode, the system only learns when the driver manually requests that the environmental or driving data be saved or updated. This can be done, for example, by operating an activation element (mechanical switch or graphical control element), entering GPS data, or marking on a map. Operating the device activates the storage or updating of the recorded environmental data or driving data. Manual activation can also occur when the vehicle is parked or parked in the destination parking space, Home Parking Space 4H. The surrounding area data or driving data related to the journey are then saved or updated. Furthermore, the environmental data or driving data are automatically saved or updated when exiting the same home parking space without any further operation”; Para 35 “According to a training course, at least two driven trajectories T1 to T2, in particular approach, exit, longitudinal and lateral trajectories, are stored during the learning mode); and
a route tracking part configured to control the vehicle so that when a route tracking mode is activated and any one of at least one pre-learned parking route and a tracking direction are selected, the vehicle enters the selected parking route and tracks the selected parking route from an entering point corresponding to a point that the vehicle entered the selected parking route to a target point corresponding to the tracking direction among the learning start point and the learning end point of the selected parking route(BONNET: Fig. 3; Para 26 “Para 30 “The vehicle 6 comprises an environment detection system 6.0, in particular a camera or radar system, a processing unit 6.1 and at least one storage unit 6.2. Environmental data or vehicle driving data captured by the environmental detection system 6.0 can be supplied to the processing unit 6.1”; Para 34 “If vehicle 6 comes close to or is parked near home parking zone H, e.g. B. when entering the area of entrance 3, the procedure can be activated automatically or manually by the driver. Based on the trajectories T1 to T3 determined in the past, a target trajectory Ts and the drivable area F of the home parking zone H are determined. Based on the target trajectory Ts, for example a mean trajectory, an automated parking process can be started inside or outside the vehicle 6, so that the vehicle 6 is parked in the home parking space 4H. Vehicle 6 parks itself independently on the learned route based on the stored trajectories T1 to T3 or the target trajectory Ts”).
Regarding claim 2, BONNET teaches The parking assistance system of claim 1,wherein the route learning part learns the parking route traveled by the vehicle by storing route information which corresponds to motion of the vehicle at index points at preset distance intervals along the parking route(BONNET: Para 24 “a parking space 4 to be approached is identified as home parking space 4H and the parking zone 2 as home parking zone H if it is determined, based on the recorded environmental data or driving data, that the parking space 4 or the parking zone 2 is repeatedly approached by the vehicle 6. Therefore, data is only stored and retained if parking space 4 or parking zone 2 is a home parking space 4H or a home parking zone H, such as one's own garage or a parking space in a company parking lot”; Para 25 “Environmental data includes a recorded GPS position, a recorded trajectory, an estimated trajectory expected to be traveled, or data from environmental sensors (such as camera images and ultrasonic measurements). Driving data includes vehicle speed, stop position, start position, steering angle, or yaw angle, which are stored or updated. In addition, other suitable environmental data, such as map data, or driving data, such as braking data, can be recorded, stored, or updated”; “Para 52 “When approaching home parking space 4H for the first time, the driver of vehicle 6 can manually save environmental data or driving data from a predefined characteristic M1 to Mn, e.g. from a predetermined distance of 50 m before reaching entrance 3 (= feature M1) or upon reaching entrance 3 (= feature M2) or upon reaching another suitable feature Mn (orientation sign on the opposite lane 1.2) ), are activated (see Fig. 5)”).
Regarding claim 3, BONNET teaches The parking assistance system of claim 2, wherein the route information includes at least one of location information, posture information, and gear information of the vehicle at each of the index points(BONNET: Para 24 “a parking space 4 to be approached is identified as home parking space 4H and the parking zone 2 as home parking zone H if it is determined, based on the recorded environmental data or driving data, that the parking space 4 or the parking zone 2 is repeatedly approached by the vehicle 6. Therefore, data is only stored and retained if parking space 4 or parking zone 2 is a home parking space 4H or a home parking zone H, such as one's own garage or a parking space in a company parking lot”; Para 25 “Environmental data includes a recorded GPS position, a recorded trajectory, an estimated trajectory expected to be traveled, or data from environmental sensors (such as camera images and ultrasonic measurements). Driving data includes vehicle speed, stop position, start position, steering angle, or yaw angle, which are stored or updated. In addition, other suitable environmental data, such as map data, or driving data, such as braking data, can be recorded, stored, or updated”; “Para 52 “When approaching home parking space 4H for the first time, the driver of vehicle 6 can manually save environmental data or driving data from a predefined characteristic M1 to Mn, e.g. from a predetermined distance of 50 m before reaching entrance 3 (= feature M1) or upon reaching entrance 3 (= feature M2) or upon reaching another suitable feature Mn (orientation sign on the opposite lane 1.2) ), are activated (see Fig. 5)”).
Regarding claim 7, BONNET teaches The parking assistance system of claim 1,further including: an automatic parking control part configured to control the vehicle to move to the learning end point and to park when a preset automatic parking condition is satisfied during an operation in the route learning mode(BONNET: Para 27 “when approaching the home parking zone H again and thus repeatedly, at least one trajectory T1 to T2 (approach/exit route) to reach a free home parking space 4H in the home parking zone H and position data of the free home parking space 4H are determined based on the currently recorded or stored environmental data, on the basis of which an automated parking process can be started”; Para 28 “The process can be self-learning. In this case, parking space 4 can automatically be defined as home parking space 4H if the vehicle 6 repeatedly parks in the same location with the same approach and exit route in a larger parking area. Location is determined by comparing the GPS position or by comparing stored and current camera images. This approach zone and the surrounding area are then identified as home parking zone H and, depending on the number of possible/free parking spaces 4, as at least one home parking space 4H. Each time one of the home parking spaces 4H in the home parking zone H (also called “HomeParking” zone) is approached, suitable information about the surroundings is stored. This storage can be activated either automatically or manually by the driver”; Para 29 “With automatic activation, the storage starts automatically when the vehicle 6 comes close to the home parking zone H and it is recognized as such. This means that the home parking zone H is automatically recognized, which automatically results in the storage and updating of the surrounding data or driving data, thus retraining the system”; Para 34 “If vehicle 6 comes close to or is parked near home parking zone H, e.g. B. when entering the area of entrance 3, the procedure can be activated automatically or manually by the driver. Based on the trajectories T1 to T3 determined in the past, a target trajectory Ts and the drivable area F of the home parking zone H are determined. Based on the target trajectory Ts, for example a mean trajectory, an automated parking process can be started inside or outside the vehicle 6, so that the vehicle 6 is parked in the home parking space 4H”), and to control the vehicle to move to a position other than the learning end point and is to park when the preset automatic parking condition is satisfied during the operation in the route tracking mode(BONNET: Para 42 “the procedure enables automatic replanning of the drivable area F. In the event that automatic replanning is not possible due to detected obstacles, because driving around the obstacle would lead to a journey outside the drivable area F, the procedure provides that a request to the driver for a driving action is issued. In this case, the driver can interrupt or cancel the automatic approach to home parking space 4H according to the determined target trajectory Ts and manually drive around the obstacle. This modified approach and a resulting modified trajectory within and partially outside the drivable area F can be saved as a further trajectory T4 and used to update the target trajectory Ts as well as the drivable area F (= extended learning mode); Para 44 “after display and driver confirmation, the approach can also be automatically continued in the non-drivable free space B (= “supposed free space”) and used to update the drivable area F (= extended learning mode)”).
Regarding claim 8, BONNET teaches The parking assistance system of claim 1, further including: a collision prevention part configured to control traveling of the vehicle based on a position of an obstacle present within a preset collision range from the parking route while the vehicle tracks the selected parking route(BONNET: Para 42 “the procedure enables automatic replanning of the drivable area F. In the event that automatic replanning is not possible due to detected obstacles, because driving around the obstacle would lead to a journey outside the drivable area F, the procedure provides that a request to the driver for a driving action is issued. In this case, the driver can interrupt or cancel the automatic approach to home parking space 4H according to the determined target trajectory Ts and manually drive around the obstacle. This modified approach and a resulting modified trajectory within and partially outside the drivable area F can be saved as a further trajectory T4 and used to update the target trajectory Ts as well as the drivable area F (= extended learning mode); Para 44 “after display and driver confirmation, the approach can also be automatically continued in the non-drivable free space B (= “supposed free space”) and used to update the drivable area F (= extended learning mode)”).
Regarding claim 9, BONNET teaches The parking assistance system of claim 8, wherein the collision prevention part performs at least one of braking control and a collision warning output on the vehicle when the obstacle is located in a first region that overlaps the selected parking route in the collision range(BONNET: Para 42 “the procedure enables automatic replanning of the drivable area F. In the event that automatic replanning is not possible due to detected obstacles, because driving around the obstacle would lead to a journey outside the drivable area F, the procedure provides that a request to the driver for a driving action is issued. In this case, the driver can interrupt or cancel the automatic approach to home parking space 4H according to the determined target trajectory Ts and manually drive around the obstacle. This modified approach and a resulting modified trajectory within and partially outside the drivable area F can be saved as a further trajectory T4 and used to update the target trajectory Ts as well as the drivable area F (= extended learning mode); Para 44 “after display and driver confirmation, the approach can also be automatically continued in the non-drivable free space B (= “supposed free space”) and used to update the drivable area F (= extended learning mode)”).
Regarding claim 11, BONNET teaches The parking assistance system of claim 9, wherein the collision prevention part performs at least one of steering control and the collision warning output on the vehicle when the obstacle is located in a second region excluding the first region in the collision range(BONNET: Para 42 “the procedure enables automatic replanning of the drivable area F. In the event that automatic replanning is not possible due to detected obstacles, because driving around the obstacle would lead to a journey outside the drivable area F, the procedure provides that a request to the driver for a driving action is issued. In this case, the driver can interrupt or cancel the automatic approach to home parking space 4H according to the determined target trajectory Ts and manually drive around the obstacle. This modified approach and a resulting modified trajectory within and partially outside the drivable area F can be saved as a further trajectory T4 and used to update the target trajectory Ts as well as the drivable area F (= extended learning mode); Para 44 “after display and driver confirmation, the approach can also be automatically continued in the non-drivable free space B (= “supposed free space”) and used to update the drivable area F (= extended learning mode)”).
Regarding claim 12, BONNET teaches The parking assistance system of claim 1, wherein the tracking direction includes: a first tracking direction with the learning end point as the target point; and a second tracking direction with the learning start point as the target point(BONNET: Para 39 “The drivable area F can thus be stored in an environment map K, which the driver can also adjust manually with suitable tools. this eliminates the need for a prior drive in learning mode of home parking zone H. For this purpose, the environment map K can be downloaded from a storage medium or an external storage device via a corresponding wireless connection in the vehicle 6 and edited and processed using the processing unit 6.1, in particular possible trajectories T1 to T3, Ts, Te, Ta for starting or leaving or parking or unparking can be loaded and activated”).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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 4-6 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over BONNET (DE102013015349A1) in view of Grimm (US20130085637A1).
In regards to claim 4, BONNET teaches The parking assistance system of claim 2
Yet BONNET do not explicitly teach wherein the route tracking part selects an index point among the index point of the pre-selected parking route at which the route tracking part can generate an entering route through which the vehicle can enter the pre-learned parking route while satisfying the route information associated with the corresponding index point from the current location of the vehicle, as a current tracking factor, and the route tracking part controls the vehicle to enter the parking route through the current tracking factor
However, in the same field of endeavor, Grimm teaches wherein the route tracking part selects an index point among the index point of the pre-selected parking route at which the route tracking part can generate an entering route through which the vehicle can enter the pre-learned parking route while satisfying the route information associated with the corresponding index point from the current location of the vehicle, as a current tracking factor, and the route tracking part controls the vehicle to enter the parking route through the current tracking factor (Grimm: Fig. 3; Para 57 “If the course of the reference route 26 is stored in the controller 3, then the calculation of a new parking route 29 is based on the following information: the reference starting position 23, the reference target position 27, the course of the reference route 26, the current starting position 28 of the motor vehicle 1 relative to the reference route 26 and the current recorded sensor data. In this case the controller 3 thus calculates the parking route 29 taking into account the reference route 26. That is, it can be seen from this that a route previously travelled by the driver himself—the reference route 26—is a reliable and expedient route. That is, a parking route 29 is determined for the parking process by a controller 3, which coincides with the reference route 26 in an end region 30—in the example embodiment for instance in the second half. The motor vehicle 1 is thus guided to the original reference route 26, i.e. so that the current parking route 29 steadily and continuously approaches the reference route 26. An erratic course of the parking route 29 is thus prevented; the new parking route 29 approaches the reference route 26 asymptotically and meets the reference route 26 at a point 31. The point 31 is thus determined in such a way that the vehicle's longitudinal axis—when the motor vehicle 1 is moving along the parking route 29—encloses an angle with the vehicle's longitudinal axis—when the motor vehicle 1 is moving along the reference route 26—which is less than 10°, for example. In this way it is possible to provide a comfortable parking process”; Para 61 “The parking process, as carried out using the driver assistance device 2, can take place entirely autonomously. This means that the controller 3 steers the steerable wheels of the motor vehicle 1 depending on the calculated parking route 29, 32 in a suitable manner, so that the motor vehicle 1 is parked in the garage 18 along the parking route 29, 32. The controller 3 may intervene in the drive train of the motor vehicle 1 in order to accelerate or decelerate the motor vehicle 1 to walking pace. It can also be provided that the driver assistance device 2 contains a remote controller, with which the driver can send control commands to the controller 3 from outside the motor vehicle 1. The controller 3 can then initiate or interrupt the parking process 1 based on such control commands”).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to modify The parking assistance system of BONNET with the feature of wherein the route tracking part selects an index point among the index point of the pre-selected parking route at which the route tracking part can generate an entering route through which the vehicle can enter the pre-learned parking route while satisfying the route information associated with the corresponding index point from the current location of the vehicle, as a current tracking factor, and the route tracking part controls the vehicle to enter the parking route through the current tracking factor disclosed by Grimm. One would be motivated to do so for the benefit of “the driver assistance device intervenes in the drive train and in a steering device of the motor vehicle and carries out the parking process automatically or autonomously” (Grimm: Para 57).
In regards to claim 5, the combination of BONNET and Grimm teaches The parking assistance system of claim 4, and Grimm further teaches wherein the route tracking part determines a target steering angle of the vehicle based on a difference between the route information of the current tracking factor and a target tracking factor which corresponds to an index point after the preset order from the index point associated with the current tracking factor, and the route tracking part controls steering of the vehicle based on the target steering angle until the vehicle reaches the target tracking factor from the current tracking factor(Grimm: Fig. 3; Para 57 “If the course of the reference route 26 is stored in the controller 3, then the calculation of a new parking route 29 is based on the following information: the reference starting position 23, the reference target position 27, the course of the reference route 26, the current starting position 28 of the motor vehicle 1 relative to the reference route 26 and the current recorded sensor data. In this case the controller 3 thus calculates the parking route 29 taking into account the reference route 26. That is, it can be seen from this that a route previously travelled by the driver himself—the reference route 26—is a reliable and expedient route. That is, a parking route 29 is determined for the parking process by a controller 3, which coincides with the reference route 26 in an end region 30—in the example embodiment for instance in the second half. The motor vehicle 1 is thus guided to the original reference route 26, i.e. so that the current parking route 29 steadily and continuously approaches the reference route 26. An erratic course of the parking route 29 is thus prevented; the new parking route 29 approaches the reference route 26 asymptotically and meets the reference route 26 at a point 31. The point 31 is thus determined in such a way that the vehicle's longitudinal axis—when the motor vehicle 1 is moving along the parking route 29—encloses an angle with the vehicle's longitudinal axis—when the motor vehicle 1 is moving along the reference route 26—which is less than 10°, for example. In this way it is possible to provide a comfortable parking process”; Para 61 “The parking process, as carried out using the driver assistance device 2, can take place entirely autonomously. This means that the controller 3 steers the steerable wheels of the motor vehicle 1 depending on the calculated parking route 29, 32 in a suitable manner, so that the motor vehicle 1 is parked in the garage 18 along the parking route 29, 32. The controller 3 may intervene in the drive train of the motor vehicle 1 in order to accelerate or decelerate the motor vehicle 1 to walking pace. It can also be provided that the driver assistance device 2 contains a remote controller, with which the driver can send control commands to the controller 3 from outside the motor vehicle 1. The controller 3 can then initiate or interrupt the parking process 1 based on such control commands”). The Examiner supplies the same rationale for the combination of references BONNET and Grimm as in Claim 4 above.
In regards to claim 6, the combination of BONNET and Grimm teaches The parking assistance system of claim 4, and BONNET further teaches wherein the route tracking part acquires a current location of the vehicle by simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM) (BONNET: Para 53 “if the home parking space 4H is approached again, the storage of environmental data or driving data can be automatically activated when one of the features M1 to M3, which are determined on the basis of GPS position data or recorded environmental data, is reached”).
Claim 10 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over BONNET (DE102013015349A1) in view of Yamanaka (US20210179084A1).
In regards to claim 10, BONNET teaches The parking assistance system of claim 9, wherein the route tracking part stops tracking the selected parking route when the braking control is performed, and wherein the route tracking part controls the vehicle so that the vehicle travels again while tracking the selected parking route when a resume tracking instruction is received (BONNET: Para 42 “the procedure enables automatic replanning of the drivable area F. In the event that automatic replanning is not possible due to detected obstacles, because driving around the obstacle would lead to a journey outside the drivable area F, the procedure provides that a request to the driver for a driving action is issued. In this case, the driver can interrupt or cancel the automatic approach to home parking space 4H according to the determined target trajectory Ts and manually drive around the obstacle. This modified approach and a resulting modified trajectory within and partially outside the drivable area F can be saved as a further trajectory T4 and used to update the target trajectory Ts as well as the drivable area F (= extended learning mode); Para 44 “after display and driver confirmation, the approach can also be automatically continued in the non-drivable free space B (= “supposed free space”) and used to update the drivable area F (= extended learning mode)”).
Yet BONNET do not explicitly teach wherein the route tracking part controls the vehicle so that the vehicle travels again while tracking the selected parking route when a resume tracking instruction is received within a preset time from a time at which the route tracking is stopped.
However, in the same field of endeavor, Yamanaka teaches wherein the route tracking part controls the vehicle so that the vehicle travels again while tracking the selected parking route when a resume tracking instruction is received within a preset time from a time at which the route tracking is stopped (Yamanaka: Fig. 5B; Para 57 “In the case where the pressing of the brake pedal 24 is detected (Yes in ST22), the action plan unit 43 determines whether a resumption operation is input by the occupant within the prescribed period (ST23). The resumption operation may be a touch operation on a resumption switch displayed on the touch panel 32, for example. Before the determination in step ST23, the action plan unit 43 may cause the touch panel 32 to display a message to query the occupant whether to resume the automatic parking (see FIG. 5B). Also, the resumption operation may be a pressing operation of the parking main switch 34. When the resumption operation is detected within the prescribed period (Yes in ST23), the action plan unit 43 returns to step ST11 to resume the steering control and to perform the travel control so that the vehicle is accelerated and starts traveling”).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to modify The parking assistance system of BONNET with the feature of wherein the route tracking part controls the vehicle so that the vehicle travels again while tracking the selected parking route when a resume tracking instruction is received within a preset time from a time at which the route tracking is stopped disclosed by Yamanaka. One would be motivated to do so for the benefit of (Yamanaka: Para 15 “a parking assist system in which the annoyance caused to the occupant is reduced is provided”).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
AKITA (JP2019043174A) disclosed An automatic parking assistance system according to an embodiment of the present invention is based on a peripheral object detection sensor that detects an object around the vehicle, a notification device that notifies the driver of various information, and detection information of the peripheral object detection sensor. The vehicle control device executes the automatic parking support, and while the automatic parking support is being performed, the vehicle is stopped when the predetermined suspension condition requiring the suspension of the automatic parking support is satisfied. The mode is shifted to the mode, and the notification device is notified of an action that can be executed as the next action, and the next action is selected. As a result, it is possible to improve the convenience in the case where the automatic parking control is canceled and the operation authority is transferred to the driver.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to WENYUAN YANG whose telephone number is (571)272-5455. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Thursday 9:00AM-5:00PM EST.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Hitesh Patel can be reached at (571) 270-5442. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/W.Y./ Examiner, Art Unit 3667
/Hitesh Patel/ Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3667
6/23/26
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