Prior art

To identify the most relevant prior art for US Patent 12037004, I will search the citations listed on the patent itself. The provided patent text from Google Patents already lists "Referenced Cited U.S. Patent Documents". I will use this list.

Here are the U.S. Patent Documents cited in US12037004B2, along with their publication/filing dates and a brief description where available. Please note that detailed descriptions and specific claim anticipation would require a full analysis of each cited patent's claims against those of US12037004B2. However, I can provide a general idea of how they might relate to the disclosed invention based on their titles and typical subject matter for the given dates. The standard for anticipation under 35 U.S.C. § 102 requires that all limitations of a claim are found in a single prior art reference.

Prior Art References for US Patent 12037004:

• US 4,665,395

  • Full Citation: US 4,665,395 A
  • Publication Date: May 12, 1987
  • Brief Description: This patent, issued in the late 1980s, likely pertains to early forms of vehicle control systems, possibly involving automatic control or warning systems rather than fully autonomous driving. Given the early date, it would likely focus on basic automation or driver assistance features.
  • Potential Anticipation: Could potentially anticipate general concepts of vehicle control or fault detection if broadly construed, but it is unlikely to anticipate the nuanced comparison of AI and human driver competence in specific anomalous conditions as detailed in claims 1, 11, and 19 of US12037004B2.

• US 4,908,988

  • Full Citation: US 4,908,988 A
  • Publication Date: March 20, 1990
  • Brief Description: Similar to US 4,665,395, this patent would predate modern self-driving technology. It might cover automated vehicle features, navigation aids, or early forms of adaptive cruise control.
  • Potential Anticipation: Unlikely to anticipate the core elements of US12037004B2 regarding dynamic competence level comparison between an SDV control processor and a human driver for operational anomalies.

• US 5,975,791

  • Full Citation: US 5,975,791 A
  • Publication Date: November 2, 1999
  • Brief Description: This patent would likely deal with more advanced vehicle electronic control systems, potentially including aspects of collision avoidance, active safety, or vehicle stability control, which were emerging technologies in the late 1990s.
  • Potential Anticipation: Could potentially anticipate aspects of detecting vehicle operational anomalies or initiating some form of automated response. However, it's improbable to detail a system that compares AI and human driver competence levels to determine control in anomalous situations.

• US 6,064,970

  • Full Citation: US 6,064,970 A
  • Publication Date: May 16, 2000
  • Brief Description: This patent, similar to US 5,975,791, probably relates to automotive control systems, possibly focusing on engine management, transmission control, or early forms of driver assistance systems.
  • Potential Anticipation: Would likely not anticipate the specific method of comparing control processor and human driver competence to assign driving modes in response to operational anomalies, as claimed in US12037004B2.

• US 6,201,318

  • Full Citation: US 6,201,318 B1
  • Publication Date: March 13, 2001
  • Brief Description: This patent likely addresses electronic control units (ECUs) in vehicles, possibly relating to diagnostics, communication within vehicle networks, or advanced sensor integration for vehicle operations.
  • Potential Anticipation: While it might touch upon sensor readings and control, it is unlikely to disclose the specific comparison and dynamic assignment of driving control based on relative competence levels of an AI and a human driver in anomalous conditions.

• US 6,326,903

  • Full Citation: US 6,326,903 B1
  • Publication Date: December 4, 2001
  • Brief Description: This patent, from the early 2000s, could cover aspects of vehicle telematics, navigation systems, or initial forms of semi-autonomous features like lane-keeping assistance or parking assist.
  • Potential Anticipation: It is improbable that this patent would anticipate the core inventive concept of US12037004B2, which revolves around a sophisticated comparison of AI and human driver competence during operational anomalies to switch driving modes.

To perform a complete prior art analysis and determine which specific claims (1, 11, or 19) each cited patent might anticipate under 35 U.S.C. § 102, a thorough review of the claims of each cited patent against the claims of US12037004B2 would be necessary. This would involve examining whether every element of a claim in US12037004B2 is present in a single prior art reference. Without access to the full text and claims of each cited patent, a definitive statement on anticipation cannot be made beyond a general assessment based on the publication date and likely subject matter.