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 – 20 remain pending in the application and have been fully considered.
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 – 20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Muralidharan (US 11,541,794).
Regarding Claim 1:
Muralidharan teaches a method comprising: obtaining environmental information (via 406), as an indicative of a probability of a crash event of a vehicle (step 118); determining the probability of the crash event to occur based on the obtained environmental information (via 120); obtaining an occupant information representing current information about the occupant, and a seat position information of an adjustable vehicle seat indicating current vehicle seat position when the probability is higher than a crash threshold (Fig 1, step 122, via sensors 226, 228, 114; headrest 112, and see Col 2 line 58 – Col 3 line 8); determining a seat adjustment based on the occupant information and the seat position information (via 124); and adjusting (step 134), the adjustable vehicle seat, in accordance with one of the determined seat adjustment, from an initial position toward an optimal crash position until the optimal crash position is reached and, the crash event has occurred in case of crash event, wherein, for the determined seat adjustment, the adjustable vehicle seat is adjusted so that a maximum distance between at least a part of the adjustable vehicle seat and the occupant of the adjustable vehicle seat is maintained within a distance threshold indicative of a maximum gap between the occupant and the vehicle seat (Figs 1, 5 – 6, step 132, see gap 132 and adjustment of headrest based on collision event).
Regarding Claim 2:
Muralidharan teaches obtaining the occupant information comprises receiving, from at least one first sensor, a first set of data representative of current information about the occupant (via 122); obtaining the seat position information comprises receiving, from the at least one first sensor, a second set of data representative of current vehicle seat information; and obtaining the optimal crash position based on the occupant information and crash information (via 124), wherein the crash information comprises information about the crash event and is estimated based on the environmental information (Col 8 lines 50 – 55).
Regarding Claim 3:
Muralidharan teaches the adjusting the adjustable vehicle seat comprises at least one of: adjusting an angle between a seat bottom of the vehicle seat and a seat back of the vehicle seat; adjusting an angle between a seat back and a head rest of the vehicle seat; adjusting a height of the head rest of the vehicle seat relative to the seat back (Fig 1); adjusting a height of the vehicle seat relative to a vehicle floor; moving the head rest forwards or backwards with respect to the seat back (Fig 1); and moving the vehicle seat forwards or backwards with respect to the vehicle floor.
Regarding Claim 4:
Muralidharan teaches the optimal crash position is obtained using at least one of a database storing a plurality of optimal crash positions, and machine learning techniques (Col 24 lines 29 – 65).
Regarding Claim 5:
Muralidharan teaches the optimal crash position comprises at least one of an optimal position of a seat bottom, an optimal position of a seat back and an optimal position of a head rest (Fig 1).
Regarding Claim 6:
Muralidharan teaches one of the obtained occupant information and the seat position information is continuously collected over time and is collected alternatively from a time point at which the probability is higher than the crash threshold (Fig 1).
Regarding Claim 7:
Muralidharan teaches the crash event comprises one of a front crash event and a rear crash event (Fig 1).
Regarding Claim 8:
Muralidharan teaches the occupant information comprises at least one of a current occupant position, an occupant weight, an occupant height, an occupant torso length, and an occupant size (Fig 1, via 122, Col 2 line 58 – Col 3 line 8).
Regarding Claim 9:
Muralidharan teaches considering a seat position divergence threshold as an indicative of difference between the initial position of the vehicle and the optimal crash position of the vehicle seat during the crash event, and comparing the difference between the initial position and the optimal crash position with the seat position divergence threshold (Col 6 lines 23 – 29, Fig 1, 4 - 5).
Regarding Claim 10:
Muralidharan teaches determining an optimal seat height based on the probability of the crash event and a predicted rebound (Fig 1, via headrest).
Regarding Claim 11:
See rejection of Claim 1 above.
Regarding Claim 12:
See rejection of Claim 2 above.
Regarding Claim 13:
See rejection of Claim 4 above.
Regarding Claim 14:
See rejection of Claim 5 above.
Regarding Claim 15:
See rejection of Claim 4 above.
Regarding Claim 16:
See rejection of Claim 6 above.
Regarding Claim 17:
Muralidharan teaches a crash safety system comprising: a control unit (404), and a seat adjusting module (446) configured to adjust an adjustable vehicle seat and to obtain instructions for adjusting the adjustable vehicle seat (via 414); wherein adjusting the adjustable vehicle seat comprises. at least one of: adjusting an angle between a seat bottom of the vehicle seat and a seat back of the vehicle seat; adjusting an angle between a seat back and a head rest of the vehicle seat; adjusting a height of the head rest of the vehicle seat relative to the seat back (Fig 1. abstract); adjusting a height of the vehicle seat relative to a vehicle floor; moving the head rest forwards or backwards with respect to the seat back (Fig 1, abstract); and moving the vehicle seat forwards or backwards with respect to the vehicle floor.
Regarding Claim 18:
See rejection of Claim 2 above.
Regarding Claim 19:
Muralidharan teaches the first sensor comprises at least one of an image sensor, a weight sensor, a RADAR sensor and a seat position sensor; and wherein the second sensor comprises at least one of a Light Detection and Ranging sensor (LIDAR), a Radio Detection and Ranging sensor (RADAR), and accelerometer and an image sensor (Figs 1, 4 – 5).
Regarding Claim 20:
Muralidharan teaches the crash safety system is integrated within a vehicle (402).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to LONG T TRAN whose telephone number is (571)270-1899. The examiner can normally be reached Mon - Fri 9:00 - 5:00.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Logan Kraft can be reached at 571-270-5065. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/LONG T TRAN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3747
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