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 .
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)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claim(s) 1, 2, 6, 7 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Ikeda (JP 2026085561).
Regarding claim 1, An interface apparatus comprising: a user state recognition unit that recognizes a state of a user having boarded a mobile body; (“the notification control system 1 monitors the occupants' state after the initial notification” Ikeda: paragraph 11)
a response output control unit that controls an output mode of a notification to be output by a first output apparatus used in the mobile body, according to the state of the user recognized by the user state recognition unit; (“The in-vehicle camera 12 captures images of occupants in the vehicle and sends the captured images to the notification control device 10. The occupants may be the driver. The in-vehicle sensors 14 include a sound detection sensor, an operation detection sensor, and a driving state detection sensor, and send the detection results to the notification control device 10. The sound detection sensor detects sounds inside the vehicle and the voices of occupants. The operation detection sensor detects operations performed on the touch panel. The driving state detection sensor detects the driving state of the vehicle. The detection results of the driving state detection sensor can be used to detect abnormalities in the in-vehicle functions. The in-vehicle sensors 14 also detect information to determine whether to illuminate a warning light.” Ikeda: paragraph 13)
and an operation recognition notification unit that executes operation recognition notification processing of outputting, by a second output apparatus used in the mobile body, an operation recognition notification when a predetermined operation of the user is recognized by the user state recognition unit, an output mode of the operation recognition notification being changed in conjunction with the predetermined operation. (“If, after executing the first notification, it is presumed that the occupant does not understand the content of the first notification, the decision unit 26 decides to output a second notification that is subordinate to the first notification. The second notification is explanatory information about the same in-vehicle functions as the subordinate first notification and supplements the content of the first notification. The second notification may also include information prompting the operator to connect in order to explain the first notification.” Ikeda: paragraph 18)
Regarding claim 2, The interface apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the operation recognition notification unit modifies the output mode of the operation recognition notification from the second output apparatus, according to a recognition degree by the user state recognition unit of the predetermined operation. (“The estimation unit 22 estimates the occupant's state immediately after outputting the first notification and estimates whether the occupant understands the content of the first notification. The estimation unit 22 extracts the occupant from the captured image using a neural network method, such as a deep learning method, and analyzes the captured image to estimate the occupant's emotions. The estimation unit 22 tracks the occupant's face image shown in consecutive captured images and calculates the occupant's level of anxiety as a score based on changes in the occupant's face image. The estimation unit 22 estimates the occupant's facial expressions that express feelings of anxiety such as confusion, bewilderment, or dissatisfaction through image analysis.” Ikeda: paragraph 20)
Regarding claim 6, the claim is interpreted and rejected as claim 1 stated above.
Regarding claim 7, the claim is interpreted and rejected as claim 1 stated above.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 3, 4, 5 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.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter: the prior art does not disclose nor suggest a second output apparatus that flashes as the operation recognition notification when the user blinking is recognized by the state recognition unit as the predetermined operation (cl. 3) nor the second output apparatus being a seat vibration apparatus that vibrates in specific locations in order to direct the user’s attention to different locations (cl. 4) nor a boarding recognition unit for recognizing when the user has boarded the vehicle and executing the operation of recognition of notification processing once boarding is recognized (cl. 5).
Conclusion
Related Art:
DE 102019118183 A1 – a system for adjusting output notifications based on user status
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to TRAVIS R HUNNINGS whose telephone number is (571)272-3118. The examiner can normally be reached M: 6-7:30a, 9:30a-4:45p, 8:30-10p; T: 6-7:30a, 12-4p, 7:30p-12a; W: 6-7:30a, 9:30a-4:45p; H: 6-7:30a, 8:15a-4:45p; F: 12:00-4:45p.
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/TRAVIS R HUNNINGS/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2689
