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 .
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.
Claim Status
This action is in response to applicant’s filing on 5/27/2025 and 1/13/2026. Claims 1-20 are pending and considered below.
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.
Claims 1-2, 5-6, 8-9 and 12-13 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Haegebarth et al. (US-2006/0161341-A1, hereinafter Haegebarth).
Regarding claim 1, Haegebarth discloses:
A computerized vehicular convoying control system for controlling linking of a lead vehicle and at least one following vehicle, the system comprising: (paragraphs [0031-0036]; and FIG. 1, mobile communication network-10, vehicles-21,22,23, central server-30, group building unit-31, interface unit-32, data processing unit-33, road map data storage unit-34, data base-35, traffic data reception unit-36, wireless communication units-210,220,230, and navigation units-211,221,231);
a computerized controller configured to receive data identifying one or more geographic regions where linking is not desirable (paragraph [0013]);
a communication link configured to communicate between the computerized controller and a central server (paragraphs [0031-0036]);
wherein the central server provides the data identifying the one or more geographic regions (paragraph [0013]);
a vehicular positioning sensor configured to determine a current location of at least one of the lead vehicle and the at least one following vehicle and to provide such location to the computerized controller (paragraphs [0033], [0039] and [0047]); and
wherein the computerized controller is further configured to enable or disable linking of the lead vehicle and the at least one following vehicle based on whether the current location is within one of the one or more geographic regions where linking is not desirable (paragraphs [0013], [0023], [0061] and [0070]).
Regarding claims 2 and 9, Haegebarth further discloses:
wherein the one or more geographic regions where linking is not desirable comprise at least one region selected from a group consisting of a road grade region, a road downgrade region, a city region, a region lacking a divided highway, a region having adverse roadway characteristics, a region having adverse weather conditions, a military installation region, and a region having radio frequency interference (paragraphs [0013], [0023], [0061] and [0070]).
Regarding claim 5, Haegebarth further discloses:
wherein the central server is configured to dynamically update the data identifying the one or more geographic regions where linking is not desirable (paragraphs [0013], [0023], [0061] and [0070]).
Regarding claim 6, Haegebarth further discloses:
wherein the vehicular positioning sensor comprises a global positioning system (GPS) receiver (paragraph [0033]).
Regarding claim 8, Haegebarth further discloses:
A computerized vehicular convoying control method for controlling linking of a lead vehicle and at least one following vehicle, the method comprising: (paragraphs [0031-0036]; and FIG. 1, mobile communication network-10, vehicles-21,22,23, central server-30, group building unit-31, interface unit-32, data processing unit-33, road map data storage unit-34, data base-35, traffic data reception unit-36, wireless communication units-210,220,230, and navigation units-211,221,231);
receiving, at a computerized controller, data identifying one or more geographic regions where linking is not desirable (paragraph [0013]);
communicating, via a communication link, between the computerized controller and a central server (paragraphs [0031-0036]);
wherein the central server provides the data identifying the one or more geographic regions (paragraph [0013]);
determining, by a vehicular positioning sensor, a current location of at least one of the lead vehicle and the at least one following vehicle (paragraphs [0033], [0039] and [0047]); and
enabling or disabling, by the computerized controller, linking of the lead vehicle and the at least one following vehicle based on whether the current location is within one of the one or more geographic regions where linking is not desirable (paragraphs [0013], [0023], [0061] and [0070]).
Regarding claim 12, Haegebarth further discloses:
further comprising dynamically updating, by the central server, the data identifying the one or more geographic regions where linking is not desirable (paragraphs [0013], [0023], [0061] and [0070]).
Regarding claim 13, Haegebarth further discloses:
wherein determining the current location comprises receiving positioning information from a global positioning system (GPS) receiver (paragraph [0033]).
Claims 3-4 and 10-11 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Haegebarth, as applied to claims 1 and 8 above, and further in view of Gieseke (US-2006/0015249-A1, hereinafter Gieseke).
Regarding claims 3 and 10, Haegebarth does not disclose avoiding routing trucks through a region having a low overpass. However, Gieseke discloses a vehicle navigation system, including the following features:
wherein the one or more geographic regions where linking is not desirable comprise a region having a low overpass (paragraphs [0034] and [0044-0045]).
Gieseke teaches that an adaptive routing module should calculate a vehicle route which avoids roads that have bridges that do not provide at least four meters of clearance between the bridge and vehicle (paragraph [0044]). It would have been obvious for a person of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate the navigation system which provides a route determined based on bridge clearance of Gieseke into the navigation system which provides routes which build a group of two or more vehicles of Haegebarth. A person of ordinary skill would have been motivated to do so, with a reasonable expectation of success, for the purpose of providing tall vehicles with a route which can be safely traveled. A person of ordinary skill would be aware that truck convoys must travel routes which do not include any low overpass.
Regarding claim 4, Haegebarth does not disclose avoiding routing trucks through a region having a low overpass. However, Gieseke further discloses:
wherein the computerized controller is further configured to: (paragraphs [0034] and [0044-0045]; FIG. 1, navigation server-102, vehicle navigation system-104, displays-108,120, map databases-112,118, and user input device-122; and FIG. 2, navigation server-102, vehicle navigation system-104, and adaptive routing module-210);
receive data indicative of a height of the lead vehicle or the at least one following vehicle (paragraphs [0034] and [0044]); and
apply brakes or generate a warning when at least one of the lead vehicle and the at least one following vehicle is approaching the low overpass and has a height exceeding a clearance of the low overpass (paragraph [0045]).
Gieseke teaches that a vehicle navigation system should display a road network map which includes overpass information (clearance height) (paragraph [0045]). It would have been obvious for a person of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate the navigation system display which provides a route determined based on bridge clearance of Gieseke into the navigation system which provides routes which build a group of two or more vehicles of Haegebarth. A person of ordinary skill would have been motivated to do so, with a reasonable expectation of success, for the purpose of providing tall vehicles with a route which can be safely traveled. A person of ordinary skill would be aware that truck convoys must travel routes which do not include any low overpass.
Regarding claim 11, Haegebarth does not disclose avoiding routing trucks through a region having a low overpass. However, Gieseke further discloses:
further comprising: (paragraphs [0034] and [0044-0045]; FIG. 1, navigation server-102, vehicle navigation system-104, displays-108,120, map databases-112,118, and user input device-122; and FIG. 2, navigation server-102, vehicle navigation system-104, and adaptive routing module-210);
receiving data indicative of a height of the lead vehicle or the at least one following vehicle (paragraphs [0034] and [0044]); and
applying brakes or generating a warning when at least one of the lead vehicle and the at least one following vehicle is approaching the low overpass and has a height exceeding a clearance of the low overpass (paragraph [0045]).
Gieseke teaches that a vehicle navigation system should display a road network map which includes overpass information (clearance height) (paragraph [0045]). It would have been obvious for a person of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate the navigation system display which provides a route determined based on bridge clearance of Gieseke into the navigation system which provides routes which build a group of two or more vehicles of Haegebarth. A person of ordinary skill would have been motivated to do so, with a reasonable expectation of success, for the purpose of providing tall vehicles with a route which can be safely traveled. A person of ordinary skill would be aware that truck convoys must travel routes which do not include any low overpass.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 7 and 14 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.
Claims 15-20 are allowed.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Mudalige (US-2010/0256852-A1) discloses a system for operating vehicles in a platoon (Abstract). Communication between vehicles is achieved utilizing radio signals in a dedicated short range communication format (DSRC) (paragraph [0118]). A method to monitor positions within the platoon includes communicating a relatively small amount of information from the Follower Vehicles to the Leader Vehicle, determining commands including desired vehicle positions within the platoon, and utilizing those determined commands to operate the Follower Vehicles. Determining commands includes determining ranges or distance necessary to effectively operate the platoon. These distances can include inter-vehicle distances within the platoon, and can also include determination of a region that the platoon needs to effectively operate, or a desirable platoon envelope (paragraph [0129]).
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to TAMARA L WEBER whose telephone number is (303)297-4249. The examiner can normally be reached 8:30-5:00 MTN.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Faris Almatrahi can be reached at 3134464821. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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TAMARA L. WEBER
Examiner
Art Unit 3667
/TAMARA L WEBER/ Examiner, Art Unit 3667
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