Prior art

Analysis of Prior Art for U.S. Patent 10,347,248

This analysis details the most relevant prior art cited during the examination of U.S. Patent 10,347,248, titled "System and method for providing in-vehicle services via a natural language voice user interface." The core novelty of this patent, as defined by its independent claims (1 and 13), lies in the combination of a vehicle's telematics system, a natural language voice interface, and the use of the vehicle's current geographic location to interpret and respond to a user's spoken request for in-vehicle services. The following cited patents and patent applications are examined for their potential to anticipate these claims under 35 U.S.C. § 102.

Key Cited Prior Art and Potential Anticipation

1. U.S. Patent 7,398,209 B1

• Full Citation: US 7,398,209 B1, "Systems and methods for responding to natural language speech utterance"
• Assignee: VoiceBox Technologies, Inc.
• Publication Date: July 8, 2008 (Filed: May 30, 2003)
• Brief Description: This patent describes a system that processes natural language speech utterances by determining the user's intent. It employs a flexible, expandable, and self-learning architecture that can be used across various applications. The system uses context to understand and respond to user queries, which can be conversational.
• Potential Anticipation of Claims: This reference is highly relevant as it originates from the same original assignee and lays the foundational technology for natural language processing used in the '248 patent. It discloses receiving a natural language request and determining a response. However, it does not explicitly detail the integration with a vehicle's telematics system for determining the current geographical location and using that specific location data to tailor the response for in-vehicle services. Therefore, while it teaches the natural language and response elements, it may not fully anticipate the location-dependent aspects central to claims 1 and 13 of the '248 patent.

2. U.S. Patent 7,634,409 B2

• Full Citation: US 7,634,409 B2, "Dynamic speech sharpening"
• Assignee: VoiceBox Technologies, Inc.
• Publication Date: December 15, 2009 (Filed: August 30, 2006)
• Brief Description: This patent focuses on improving the accuracy of speech recognition by dynamically "sharpening" the recognition grammar based on context. It describes a method for refining the set of possible interpretations of a spoken utterance to improve the likelihood of a correct understanding.
• Potential Anticipation of Claims: This reference details a crucial component of the system described in the '248 patent—the speech recognition engine. It supports the "receiving a natural language spoken request" element of the claims. However, its focus is on the mechanism of speech recognition itself, rather than the broader system of using vehicle location to provide a service. It does not appear to teach the determination of a vehicle's current location and the subsequent provision of location-based services. Thus, it is unlikely to anticipate the entirety of claims 1 and 13.

3. U.S. Patent 8,112,284 B2

• Full Citation: US 8,112,284 B2, "Voice interface for a vehicle information system"
• Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
• Publication Date: February 7, 2012 (Filed: July 29, 2008)
• Brief Description: This patent describes a voice interface for a vehicle's information system that allows a user to control various functions, including navigation. It discloses a system that can recognize spoken commands and provide information or perform actions in response.
• Potential Anticipation of Claims: This is a significant piece of prior art as it directly addresses a voice interface within a vehicle. It teaches the reception of spoken requests within a vehicular context. The system likely uses location for navigation purposes (e.g., "find the nearest gas station"). The key question for anticipation would be whether it explicitly describes determining the current location of the vehicle and using that location to generate a response for a broader set of "in-vehicle services" beyond simple navigation destination entry. If the scope of services is limited or the use of the current location is not explicitly for the determination of the response in a dynamic way as claimed, it may not fully anticipate the claims.

4. U.S. Patent Application Publication 2007/0150274 A1

• Full Citation: US 2007/0150274 A1, "Speech recognition system, speech recognition method, and mobile terminal"
• Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Publication Date: June 28, 2007 (Filed: December 27, 2006)
• Brief Description: This application describes a speech recognition system for a mobile terminal that can adapt its recognition dictionary based on the user's situation, which can include their location. The goal is to improve recognition accuracy by using context.
• Potential Anticipation of Claims: This reference is relevant because it links speech recognition with location ("mobile terminal"). The concept of adapting the system based on location is present. However, the focus is on improving speech recognition accuracy rather than providing a location-dependent "in-vehicle service." For it to anticipate the claims of the '248 patent, it would need to disclose a system integrated into a vehicle's telematics system that provides a service based on the location-aware interpretation of the spoken request, not just uses location to improve the word recognition itself.

5. U.S. Patent Application Publication 2009/0171671 A1

• Full Citation: US 2009/0171671 A1, "Device, system and method for location based services"
• Assignee: Telmap Ltd.
• Publication Date: July 2, 2009 (Filed: December 28, 2007)
• Brief Description: This application discloses a system for providing location-based services to a mobile device. It describes receiving a request from a user, determining the user's location, and providing a service based on that location. It explicitly mentions voice-based queries.
• Potential Anticipation of Claims: This is a strong piece of prior art. It teaches most of the key elements of the independent claims: a spoken request ("voice-based queries"), determining a location, and providing a location-based service in response. The primary distinction for the '248 patent would be the specific context of an integrated "telematics system of a vehicle." If this application's disclosure is broad enough to be interpreted as being applicable to an in-vehicle system, or if the distinction of a "telematics system" is not deemed sufficiently novel, this reference could potentially anticipate claims 1 and 13.

Conclusion of Analysis

The prior art cited against U.S. Patent 10,347,248 establishes that the core concepts of natural language voice interfaces, in-vehicle systems, and location-based services were known before the '248 patent's priority date. The patents from VoiceBox Technologies ('209 and '409) demonstrate the foundational speech recognition and natural language understanding technology. The Honda patent ('284) places a voice interface directly within the vehicle for system control. The published applications ('274 and '671) further strengthen the link between voice requests and location-based responses.

The patentability of the '248 patent's claims likely rests on the specific, integrated combination of these elements within a vehicle's telematics system where the current location is a dynamic input used to interpret the natural language request and deliver a contextually relevant in-vehicle service. While references like US 2009/0171671 A1 come very close, the novel and non-obvious step argued by the applicant and accepted by the examiner was likely this particular holistic integration for providing a broad range of in-vehicle, location-aware services via a conversational interface.