UNITED STATES PATENT AND TRADEMARK OFFICE
`
`
`
`UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
`United States Patent and Trademark Office
`Address: COMMISSIONER FOR PATENTS
`PO. Box 1450
`Alexandria, Virginia 2231371450
`www.uspto.gov
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`15/597,745
`
`05/17/2017
`
`YOSHINAO KAWAI
`
`731156.609
`
`2422
`
`Seed IP Law Group LLP/Panason1e
`701 Fifth Avenue, Suite 5400
`Seattle, WA 98104
`
`NGUYEN' NGA X
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`PAPER NUMBER
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`ART UNIT
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`3662
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`NOTIFICATION DATE
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`DELIVERY MODE
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`11/02/2018
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`ELECTRONIC
`
`Please find below and/or attached an Office communication concerning this application or proceeding.
`
`The time period for reply, if any, is set in the attached communication.
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`Notice of the Office communication was sent electronically on above—indicated "Notification Date" to the
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`following e—mail address(es):
`US PTOeACtion @ SeedIP .Com
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`pairlinkdktg @ seedip .eom
`
`PTOL-90A (Rev. 04/07)
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`

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`Off/09 A0170” Summary
`
`Application No.
`15/597,745
`Examiner
`NGA X NGUYEN
`
`Applicant(s)
`KAWAI et al.
`Art Unit
`3662
`
`AIA Status
`Yes
`
`- The MAILING DA TE of this communication appears on the cover sheet wit/7 the correspondence address -
`Period for Reply
`
`A SHORTENED STATUTORY PERIOD FOR REPLY IS SET TO EXPIRE g MONTHS FROM THE MAILING
`DATE OF THIS COMMUNICATION.
`Extensions of time may be available under the provisions of 37 CFR 1.136(a). In no event, however, may a reply be timely filed
`after SIX (6) MONTHS from the mailing date of this communication.
`|f NO period for reply is specified above, the maximum statutory period will apply and will expire SIX (6) MONTHS from the mailing date of this communication.
`-
`- Failure to reply within the set or extended period for reply will, by statute, cause the application to become ABANDONED (35 U.S.C. § 133).
`Any reply received by the Office later than three months after the mailing date of this communication, even if timely filed, may reduce any
`earned patent term adjustment. See 37 CFR 1.704(b).
`
`Status
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`1)[:] Responsive to communication(s) filed on
`[:1 A declaration(s)/affidavit(s) under 37 CFR 1.130(b) was/were filed on
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`2a)D This action is FINAL.
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`2b)
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`This action is non-final.
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`3)C] An election was made by the applicant in response to a restriction requirement set forth during the interview on
`; the restriction requirement and election have been incorporated into this action.
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`4):] Since this application is in condition for allowance except for formal matters, prosecution as to the merits is
`closed in accordance with the practice under Expat/7e Quay/e, 1935 CD. 11, 453 O.G. 213.
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`Disposition of Claims*
`5)
`Claim(s)
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`1—12 is/are pending in the application.
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`5a) Of the above claim(s)
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`is/are withdrawn from consideration.
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`[:1 Claim(s)
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`is/are allowed.
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`Claim(s) fl is/are rejected.
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`[j Claim(s) _ is/are objected to.
`
`) ) ) )
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`6 7
`
`8
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`
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`are subject to restriction and/or election requirement
`C] Claim(s)
`9
`* If any claims have been determined aflowabte. you may be eligible to benefit from the Patent Prosecution Highway program at a
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`participating intellectual property office for the corresponding application. For more information, please see
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`httpfiwww.usptogovlpatentslinit_events[pph[index.'§p or send an inquiry to PPeredhagk@usptg.ggv.
`
`Application Papers
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`10):] The specification is objected to by the Examiner.
`
`11). The drawing(s) filed on See Continuation Sheet is/are: a). accepted or b)D objected to by the Examiner.
`Applicant may not request that any objection to the drawing(s) be held in abeyance. See 37 CFR 1.85(a).
`Replacement drawing sheet(s) including the correction is required if the drawing(s) is objected to. See 37 CFR 1.121 (d).
`
`Priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119
`12):] Acknowledgment is made of a claim for foreign priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119(a)-(d) or (f).
`Certified copies:
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`a)D All
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`b)I:J Some”
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`c)C] None of the:
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`1.[:]
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`Certified copies of the priority documents have been received.
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`2.[:]
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`Certified copies of the priority documents have been received in Application No.
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`3.[:] Copies of the certified copies of the priority documents have been received in this National Stage
`application from the International Bureau (PCT Rule 17.2(a)).
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`** See the attached detailed Office action for a list of the certified copies not received.
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`Attachment(s)
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`1)
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`Notice of References Cited (PTO-892)
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`Information Disclosure Statement(s) (PTO/SB/08a and/or PTO/SB/08b)
`2)
`Paper No(s)/Mail Date_
`U.S. Patent and Trademark Office
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`3) C] Interview Summary (PTO-413)
`Paper No(s)/Mail Date
`4) CI Other-
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`PTOL-326 (Rev. 11-13)
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`Office Action Summary
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`Part of Paper No./Mai| Date 20181029
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`

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`Continuation Sheet (PTOL-326)
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`Application No. 15/597,745
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`Continuation of Application Papers 11): 05/17/2017
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`

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`Application/Control Number: 15/597,745
`Art Unit: 3662
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`Page 2
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`Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
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`1.
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`The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013,
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`is being examined
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`under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA.
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`Detailed Action
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`2.
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`This Office Action is for claimed invention filed 05/17/2017 in which claims 1-12
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`are pending for examination.
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`Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
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`3.
`
`The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
`(b) CONCLUSION—The specification shall concludewith one or more claims particularly
`pointing out and distinctlyclaiming the subject matterwhich the inventoror a joint inventor
`regards as the invention.
`
`The following is aquotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA), second paragraph:
`The specifications hall conclude with one or more claims particularlypointing outand distinctly
`claiming the subject matterwhich the applicant regards as his invention.
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`4.
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`Claim 2 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA), second
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`paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the
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`subject matter which the inventor or ajoint inventor, or for pre-AIA the applicant regards
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`as the invention.
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`Claim 2, cites “wherein the information on the traffic environment
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`...atraffic environment
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`recognition apparatus installed on a road on which the vehicle runs, and the sensor.” is
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`unclear. The claim fails to define what the sensor’s duty on this claim.
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`Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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`5.
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`The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 103 which forms the basis for all
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`obviousness rejections set forth in this Office action:
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`

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`Application/Control Number: 15/597,745
`Art Unit: 3662
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`Page 3
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`A patent for a claimed invention may not be obtained, notwithstanding that
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`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
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`before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having
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`ordinary skill
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`in the art to which the claimed invention pertains.
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`Patentability shall not be negated by the manner in which the invention
`was made.
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`6.
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`Claims 1-12 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over
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`Juka (JP2007-232412) in view of Seder (20120093357).
`
`With regard to claims 1 & 12, Juka discloses an obieot detention apparatus comprising:
`
`an input port that receives information on a plurality of ohjeots in surroundings of
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`a vehiele and information on a traffic environment of the vehicle, the plurality of objects
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`being detected by a sensor instalied on the vehicle ta radar detector 2, see at least
`
`[05312]);
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`a eontrotler that determines, based on the information on the plurality oi obit-sets
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`and the information on the trattio environment, priority for eaoh of the piuraiity of objects
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`and determines iirst information based on the priority in at ease where the totai amount
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`of information on the plurality oi“ ohjeots is greater than a determined vaiue, the first
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`information being information on part of the pturatity of ohjéeets (eleetronie control unit 4,
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`see at teast [0012l—{00i4]i; and
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`duke taits to teaches that an output port that outputs the first information to an in~vehioie
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`apparatus that eontrots the vehieie.
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`Seder discloses vehicle for identitying a potential threatening (see the ahstraotit The
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`vehicle includes a oontroi system 400 which outputs the information to Hhtl lot for
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`oontrolting the vehicle (see at least [0015] Sr {0038H0040h}.
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`

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`Application/Control Number: 15/597,745
`Art Unit: 3662
`
`Page 4
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`It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective
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`filling date of the claimed invention to modify te thetheihg euteuttihg the
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`ihtermetteh te ith‘ii 151 fer eehtreiiihg the vehieie as taught by Setter fer
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`ieiehtityihg the hetehtietiy threetertieg vehieie {see the etihihiary ter ehheertihg
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`statement}.
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`With regard to ciaim 2, Seder teaches that the ihiermatieh or: the traffic environment is
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`at ieast are of a navigation apparatus ueeri tr: the vehicie, a traffic: envirehmeht
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`receghitieh apparatue thetaited era a road cm which the vehieie runs, arid the eerieer (see
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`Fig.1).
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`With regard te eiaim 3, Seder teaches that the ih— vehicie apearatus is at teast me at a
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`device that centreis running 0? the vehieie and a device that centreie ehe er mere
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`contents dispiayed en a diepiay apparatue used in the vehieie {see at ieast [0015}4).
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`With regard to claim 4, Juka teaches that the output port outputs the first information to
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`the in-vehicle apparatus sequentially in order of priority from high to low (see at least
`
`[0020]—[0021]).
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`With regard to claim 5, Juka teaches that:
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`Wherein, information on each object detected by the sensor includes a plurality
`
`of items associated with the object (see at least [0013]),
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`wherein the output port outputs, to the in-vehicle apparatus, information on the
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`plurality of objects belonging to a first information group and information on the plurality
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`of objects belonging to a second information group being lower in priority than the first
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`information group, the first information group and the second information group being
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`included in the first information (see at least [0013]—[0016]+), and
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`

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`Application/Control Number: 15/597,745
`Art Unit: 3662
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`Page 5
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`wherein the number of items included in the first information group is larger than
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`the number of items included in the second information group (see at least [0016]-
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`[0018D.
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`With regard to claim 6, Seder teaches that the controller removes one or more items
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`from the second information group based on the information on the traffic environment
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`(see at least [0025]).
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`With regard to claim 7, Juka teaches that:
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`wherein the output port outputs to the in-vehicle apparatus, information on the
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`plurality of objects belonging to a first information group and information on the plurality
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`of objects belonging to a second information group being lower in priority than the first
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`information group, the first information group and the second information group being
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`included in the first information (see at least [0018]-[0020]), and
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`wherein the frequency of outputting the second information group is lower than
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`the frequency of outputting the first information group (see at least [0020]—[0021]).
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`With regard to claim 8, Seder teaches that the controller attempts to repeatedly perform
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`a target tracking process on the plurality of objects based on the information on the
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`plurality of objects received time- sequentially via the input port to determine the priority
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`based on the information on the plurality of objects, the information on the traffic
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`environment, and a result of the target tracking process (see at elast [0025]-[0027]).
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`With regard to claim 9, Seder teaches comprising a memory,
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`wherein the controller repeatedly detects second information on a first object
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`selected by the target tracking process on the plurality of objects and repeatedly stores
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`

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`Application/Control Number: 15/597,745
`Art Unit: 3662
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`Page 6
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`the second information in the memory, the second information including a plurality of
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`second items associated with the first object (see at least [0014]-[0020]+).
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`With regard to claim 10, Juka teaches that:
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`the controller detects, by comparing the detected second information with the
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`stored second information, one or more differential second items among the plurality of
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`second items (see at least [0035]-[0037];
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`the output port outputs the one or more differential second items to the in- vehicle
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`apparatus (see at least [0037]+).
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`With regard to claim 11, Juka teaches comprising a memory,
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`wherein the output port outputs, to the in-vehicle apparatus, information on the
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`plurality of objects belonging to a first information group and information on the plurality
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`of objects belonging to a second information group being lower in priority than the first
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`information group, the first information group and the second information group being
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`included in the first information (see at least 0015]-[003]),
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`wherein the controller repeatedly detects third information on athird object
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`among the second information group selected by the target tracking process on the
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`plurality of objects and repeatedly stores the third information in the memory, the third
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`information including a plurality of third items associated with the third object, and
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`detects, by comparing the third information with the stored third information, one or
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`more differential
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`third items among the plurality of third items (see at least [0036]-
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`[0037]), and
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`wherein the output port outputs the one or more differential third items to the in-
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`vehicle apparatus (see at least [0037]).
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`

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`Application/Control Number: 15/597,745
`Art Unit: 3662
`
`Page 7
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`Conclusion
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`Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the
`
`examiner should be directed to NGA X NGUYEN whose telephone number is (571)272-
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`
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`supervisor, JELANI SMITH can be reached on 571-270-3969. The fax phone number
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`for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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`
`NGA X. NGUYEN
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`Examiner
`
`Art Unit 3662
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`

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`Application/Control Number: 15/597,745
`Art Unit: 3662
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`Page 8
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`/NGA X NGUYEN/
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`Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3662
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`