DETAILED ACTION
This Non-Final action is responsive to the application and IDS filed 9/4/2025.
In the application Claims 1-6 are pending. Claims 1 and 6 are the independent claims.
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 9/4/2025 has been entered, and considered by the examiner.
Priority
5. Acknowledgement is made to applicant’s claim for foreign priority to 2024-166266 (JP), filed 9/25/2024, however no certified copy of the priority documents have been received has of yet.
Drawings
6. The Drawings filed on 9/25/2024 have been approved.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
7. Claims 1 and 6 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention. The claims recite the term “steep slope” which is a term of degree for which the claims do not recite an objective boundary. The specification paragraph 41 discloses determining that the vehicle is on a steep slope when the vehicle inclination sensed by acceleration sensor 140 is equal to or greater than a reference angle, the claims do not specify the reference angle or otherwise expressly define the inclination condition corresponding to a “steep slope”. The specification further indicates that the reference angle may be selected based on the specification of brake device 12, particularly the brake-hold-function, but does not identify a particular value or range for the reference angle. Accordingly, it is unclear from the claims, with reasonable certainty, what degree of vehicle inclination falls within the scope of the term “steep slope”. While the specification provides guidance for determining a steep slope, the claims themselves do not incorporate an ascertainable boundary for that condition.
Dependent claims 2-5 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) has they inherit the deficiency of the Independent claim.
Difference Over Prior Art
US20220250616A1 – discloses a vehicle comprising an autonomous driving system and a vehicle platform that control the vehicle in response to a command received form the autonomous driving system, where the autonomous driving system issues a first command to request deceleration and, once a first signal indicates the vehicle has slowed to 0 km/h or below a prescribed velocity, issues a second command requesting the vehicle platform to maintain the vehicle stationary via brake hold control. However, there is no disclosure of any steep-slope triggered brake hold prohibition or manual/autonomous mode switching functionality.
US20230111175A1 – discloses a vehicle on which an autonomous driving system is mountable, comprising a vehicle platform where an immobilization command is transmitted from the ADS through the VCIB to the base vehicle when a first condition including the vehicle being in a standstill status is satisfied. This outlines the same VCIB/ADS based-vehicle architecture and standstill-triggered command/status signaling framework. However, there is not teaching of steep-slope sensing or brake-hold prohibition signal tried to vehicle grade.
US20240034288A1 – discloses an autonomous driving vehicle architecture where brake control is described as critical during autonomous driving, noting that brake hold pressure should be adaptable to different gradients/slopes when the ADV is stopped on a slope. Further teaching a generic ADV system architecture capable of operating in manual, full-autonomous or partial autonomous modes. However, failing to teach adjusting brake hold pressure magnitude for slope conditions.
US20210245778A1 – discloses a vehicle on which an autonomous driving system is mountable, having a vehicle platform and vehicle control interface that interfaces between the ADS and the platform which receives a tire turning angle command. However, failing to teach any disclosure of brake devices, brake hold, steep-slope detection or any prohibition signal including change between manual and autonomous modes.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MANGLESH M PATEL whose telephone number is (571)272-5937. The examiner can normally be reached on M-F from 11 am to 7 pm.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Erin D. Bishop, can be reached at telephone number 571-270-3713. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/Manglesh M Patel/
Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3665
8/7/2026
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