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
`
`15/786,073
`
`10/17/2017
`
`KIYOTAKA KOBAYASHI
`
`731156.657C1
`
`2544
`
`Seed IP Law Group LLP/Panason1e
`701 Fifth Avenue, Suite 5400
`Seattle, WA 98104
`
`NGUYEN' NGA X
`
`PAPER NUMBER
`
`ART UNIT
`
`3662
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`NOTIFICATION DATE
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`DELIVERY MODE
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`01/02/2020
`
`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.
`
`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
`
`pairlinkdktg @ seedip .eom
`
`PTOL-90A (Rev. 04/07)
`
`

`

`017/09 A0170” Summary
`
`Application No.
`15/786,073
`Examiner
`NGA x NGUYEN
`
`Applicant(s)
`KOBAYASHI et al.
`Art Unit
`AIA (FITF) Status
`3662
`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 11/20/2019.
`CI A declaration(s)/affidavit(s) under 37 CFR 1.130(b) was/were filed on
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`2a). This action is FINAL.
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`2b) D This action is non-final.
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`3)[:] 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 Expade Quay/e, 1935 CD. 11, 453 O.G. 213.
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`Disposition of Claims*
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`5)
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`Claim(s) fl 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(ss)
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`is/are allowed.
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`8)
`Claim(s 110Is/are rejected
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`D Claim(ss_) is/are objected to.
`
`) ) ) )
`
`S)
`are subject to restriction and/or election requirement
`[:1 Claim(s
`* If any claims have been determined aflowable. you may be eligible to benefit from the Patent Prosecution Highway program at a
`
`participating intellectual property office for the corresponding application. For more information, please see
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`http://www.uspto.gov/patents/init events/pph/index.jsp or send an inquiry to PPeredback@uspto.gov.
`
`Application Papers
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`10)|:l The specification is objected to by the Examiner.
`
`11). The drawing(s) filed on 10/17/2017 is/are: a). accepted or b)(j 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
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`12)D 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)I:i All
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`b)C] Some**
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`c)C] None of the:
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`1.[:] Certified copies of the priority documents have been received.
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`2C] Certified copies of the priority documents have been received in Application No.
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`3D 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)).
`
`** 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)
`
`Notice of References Cited (PTO-892)
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`2) C] Information Disclosure Statement(s) (PTO/SB/OBa and/or PTO/SB/08b)
`Paper No(s)/Mail Date_
`U.S. Patent and Trademark Office
`
`3) E] 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 20191226
`
`

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`Application/Control Number: 15/786,073
`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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`Response to Arguments
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`2.
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`Applicant's arguments filed 11/20/2019 have been fully considered and are moot
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`in view new grounds of rejection. Applicant's arguments with respect to the claims have
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`been considered but are moot because the arguments do not apply to any of the
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`references being used in the current rejection.
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`Applicant amended claims 1-5 & 8-10, wherein claims 9-10 are new adding claims. The
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`amendment changed position of the claimed invention.
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`Below is new rejection as shown.
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`Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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`3.
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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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`A patent for a claimed invention maynotbe obtained, notwithstanding that the claimed
`invention is not identicallydisclosed as set forth in section 102, if the differences between the
`claimed invention and the priorartare such that the claimed invention as awhole would have
`been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having
`ordinaryskill in the art to which the claimed invention pertains. Patentabilityshall notbe
`negated by the manner in which the invention was made.
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`4.
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`Claims 1-5 & 8-10 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable
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`over by Nagata (9139201) in view of Lee (9767693).
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`With regard to claims 1 & 8, Nagata discloses a moniioringtargetvregion setting device
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`comprising:
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`

`

`Application/Control Number: 15/786,073
`Art Unit: 3662
`
`Page 3
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`en ehjeet deteetien device centigured te he rnennted en en ewn vehieie, the
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`object detection device eentignred te detect one er mere ehg’eete present around the
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`ewn vehieie in e detectien regieh {vehiete exterier intermetien eedtiieitien unit 3, see at
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`ieeet 4:45~6?+);
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`and a emeeeeer, whieh, in eeeretieh, discriminates, on e heeie et eeeitien
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`intermetieh at the ewn vehiete aesumuteted in every determined eyeie, whether er not
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`the ewn vehiete ie teeeted within e determined distance range trem en eeeumed htind
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`eeet regien, wherein the eeetimeri htind eeet regien ie set ter at ease in which an
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`eneerning vehieie in en eneerning tent-3 is steeped hetere entering an intersection et a
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`ereeereedeg and eight of the assumed htind spot region by a driver et the ewn vehiete ie
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`at ieeet pertiaiiy hiecired by the eneeming vehiete (a htind epet reeegnitien unit 2t
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`reeegnizee e idiind eeete heeed en a eeeitienei reietienehip between the driver and
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`matters at intereeetiene and ether vehietee, see at ieeet 4:‘i5~5:€32
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`81 7:10 through
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`838+};
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`eete, when the ewn vehieie ie teeeted within the determined dietenee range, at
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`meniterihg region within the deteetieh regien, the rnenitering region ineieding the
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`assumed hiind eeet regien end being updated aecerding te the eeeitien intermetien et
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`the ewn vehieie (eee at ieest 9:29~tt3:6t}) and
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`Nagata teiie te teach eeieeting; trem one er mere ehjeete detected in the rnenitering
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`regien, a target ghiegt ter which eterrn ie eertermed.
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`Lee dieeteeee 21 system which dieeteye intermetien of danger etemeht for e vehieie. The
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`system eeteete, trem ene er there ehieete deteeted in the ntenitering regien, a target
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`ehieet fer which eterrn ie eertermed (see at ieeet 22:4?—23:45+).
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`

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`Application/Control Number: 15/786,073
`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 Nagata by including to eeieet, trerrr
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`ene er mere ehieete detected in the menitering regier’i, a target ehient tnr which
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`eierrn ie neriermeci ere taught by Lee ier driving eetety nerierrnent.
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`With regard to eieirn 2, Nagata teaches that:
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`an ewnuvehicieuiniermatien eterege, which, in eeeratien, acetrrntiietee own
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`vehieie information, which is intermetieri ineiuding e moving speed anti e moving
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`directieh (it the ewn vehieie,
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`in the every determined eyeie {iriiernietien eterege unit 7,
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`see at ieaet Ezt4~2t +),
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`wherein the preeeeeer, in eeeratien, sets 21 reierertee peeitien anti a reference
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`time of the own venieie determined eceertiing te the awn vehicie inierrnetieh (see at
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`ieeet ,
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`eeieuietee e peeitien oi the ewri vehicie on at haste ef the own vehieie inierrnatien
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`in the. every determined eycie trem the reference time {see at ieeet “i3:40~i5:67+), enci
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`updatee the merritering regieh in the every determiner} eyeie {see at ieeet 1'55
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`60+},
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`With regard to claim 3, Lee teaches executing an alarm in response to the target object
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`being selected (see at least 22:47-23:45+).
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`With regard to claim 4, Nagata teaches that the determined distance range includes a
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`part of an-the intersection of a—the crossroad (see at least 15:60-67+).
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`

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`Application/Control Number: 15/786,073
`Art Unit: 3662
`
`Page 5
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`With regard to claim 5, Nagata teaches setting, as a reference time, a cycle before the
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`own vehicle enters the intersection (see at last 15:60-16:67+).
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`With regard to claim 9, Lee teaches that the target object is in the assumed blind spot
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`region (see at least 14:25-35).
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`With regard to claim 10, Nagata discloses an alarm apparatus comprising:
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`an ooieot detection devioe eoi‘iiignred to be mounted on an own vehioie, the
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`ooieotien detection devioe configured to deteot one or more objects present around the
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`own vehioie in a detection region {venioie exterior information acquisition unit 3, see at
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`ieest 4:45~87-i-); and
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`wherein the monitoring region is uodated aoeerding to position information of the
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`own vehioie and inoiudes an assumed oiind eoet region, the assumed oiind soot region
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`is set for e ease in which an oncoming vehioie in an oncoming iene is stopped before
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`entering an intersection oi a oroseroade, the asetirned biino soot region being a region
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`in which a sight ot a driver of the own vehioie ie oiooked by the oncoming vehioie (a
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`biind spot recognition unit 2i recognizes a biind soots based on a oositionai reiationsitio
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`between the driver and corners of intersections and other venioies, see at ieast 4:15»
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`5282; "ifiti through 8:58+ & 92949153};
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`Nagata fails to teach an alarm device, which, in operation, executes an alarm in
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`response to one or more objects in a monitoring region being detected, the monitoring
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`region being a part of the detection region.
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`

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`Application/Control Number: 15/786,073
`Art Unit: 3662
`
`Page 6
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`Lee discloses a system which displays information of danger element for a vehicle. The
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`system includes an alarm device, which, in operation, executes an alarm in response to
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`one or more objects in a monitoring region being detected, the monitoring region being
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`a part of the detection region (see at least 22:47-23:45+).
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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 Nagata by including an alarm
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`device,which, in operation, executes an alarm in response to one or more objects
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`in a monitoring region being detected, the monitoring region being a part of the
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`detection region as taught by Lee for driving safety.
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`Conclusion
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`Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the
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`examiner should be directed to NGA X NGUYEN whose telephone number is (571)272-
`
`5217. The examiner can normally be reached on M—F 5:30AM - 2:30PM.
`
`Examiner interviews are available via telephone,
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`in-person, and video
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`conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an
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`interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request
`
`(AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
`
`If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s
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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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`Information regarding the status of an application may be obtained from the
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`Patent Application Information Retrieval (PAIR) system. Status information for
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`

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`Application/Control Number: 15/786,073
`Art Unit: 3662
`
`Page 7
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`published applications may be obtained from either Private PAIR or Public PAIR.
`
`Status information for unpublished applications is available through Private PAIR only.
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`For more information about the PAIR system, see https://ppair-
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`my.uspto.gov/pair/PrivatePair. Should you have questions on access to the Private
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`If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative or access
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`272-1000.
`
`/NGA X NGUYEN/
`
`Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3662
`
`