DETAILED ACTION
Status of Claims
This action is in response to the application No. 19/210194 filed on 5/16/2025. Claims 1-20 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 .
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) 1-5, 8-15, and 18-20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Shirani-Mehr et al. US 11,686,588 (“Shirani-Mehr”).
As to claims 1, 11, and 20, Shirani-Mehr discloses a system and method at a computing device for a vehicle, the method comprising:
sending, to an insight server, a first message, the first message comprising a location of the vehicle (see at least Fig 5, element 502; related text: receive location data for a first location and a second location);
receiving, from the insight server, a safety report message, the safety report message including information related to road elements within a region around the location of the vehicle, each road element of the road elements being associated to a safety score above a first threshold (see at least Fig 5, elements 506, 508; related text: generate a safety score for each candidate route based on safety scores for each segment); and
performing an action based on the safety report message (see at least Fig 5, element 510; related text: provide a recommendation for a travel route comprising a best candidate route).
As to claims 2 and 12, Shirani-Mehr discloses wherein the first message further comprises at least one of a route for the vehicle, a speed of the vehicle, or a direction of travel of the vehicle (see at least Fig 5, element 502; related text: receive location data for a first location and a second location).
As to claims 3 and 13, Shirani-Mehr discloses wherein the first threshold is configured by the computing device (see at least col 13, lines 10-25: to check whether there is a segment with the safety score of f.sub.i less than a minimum safety threshold. In one example, candidate routes that contain a segment that is below a minimum safety threshold are disqualified).
As to claims 4 and 14, Shirani-Mehr discloses wherein the region comprises areas within a threshold distance of the location of the vehicle (see at least Fig 5, element 502; related text: receive location data for a first location and a second location).
As to claims 5 and 15, Shirani-Mehr discloses wherein the threshold distance is a function of at least one of a speed of the vehicle and a direction of travel of the vehicle (see at least Fig 5, element 502; related text: receive location data for a first location and a second location).
As to claims 8 and 18a, Shirani-Mehr discloses wherein the safety report message indicates dangerous locations within the region (see at least Fig 5, elements 506, 508; related text: generate a safety score for each candidate route based on safety scores for each segment).
As to claims 9 and 18b, Shirani-Mehr discloses wherein the safety report message indicates a safe route for the vehicle (see at least Fig 5, element 510; related text: provide a recommendation for a travel route comprising a best candidate route).
As to claims 10 and 19, Shirani-Mehr discloses wherein the action is selected from the group consisting of providing an alert to a driver of the vehicle, proposing a safe route to the driver of the vehicle, and taking control of the vehicle (see at least Fig 5, element 510; related text: provide a recommendation for a travel route comprising a best candidate route).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 6-7 and 16-17 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 THOMAS P INGRAM whose telephone number is (571)272-7864. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 10-6 ET.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Fadey Jabr can be reached at 571-272-1516. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/Thomas Ingram/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3668
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