Obviousness — US Patent 9147296

Obviousness Analysis of US Patent 9147296 under 35 U.S.C. § 103

This analysis evaluates the obviousness of US Patent 9147296, titled "Customization of vehicle controls and settings based on user profile data," under 35 U.S.C. § 103, considering prior art available before its earliest priority date of March 14, 2012. The independent claims of US9147296 focus on a method and system for personalizing vehicle controls and settings by identifying a user, retrieving their profile, automatically adjusting the vehicle, receiving user input for further adjustments, and updating the user's profile accordingly.

A person having ordinary skill in the art (POSITA) in the field of vehicle electronics and personalization systems would have possessed knowledge of various technologies for user identification, profile management, and automatic adjustment of vehicle features.

Independent Claim 1 (Method) Obviousness

Independent Claim 1 describes a method for customizing a vehicle, comprising the steps of:
A. Identifying a user of the vehicle.
B. Retrieving user profile data associated with the identified user, the user profile data comprising at least one user preference for at least one vehicle control or vehicle setting.
C. Adjusting the at least one vehicle control or vehicle setting of the vehicle based on the retrieved user profile data.
D. Receiving user input from the identified user indicating an adjustment to the at least one vehicle control or vehicle setting.
E. Updating the user profile data for the identified user based on the user input.

Combination of US7715974B2 and US20110022247A1

A combination of US Patent 7,715,974 B2 (hereafter "Eckert") and US Patent Application Publication 2011/0022247 A1 (hereafter "Lee") would render Claim 1 obvious.

Eckert (US7715974B2) discloses elements A, B, and C:
- A. Identifying a user: Eckert describes an "intelligent personal vehicle system in which users are identified using a wireless keyfob or biometric sensor." [cite: US7715974B2, Abstract].
- B. Retrieving user profile data comprising preferences for controls or settings: Eckert teaches that "the user's preferences are retrieved from a user profile." These preferences include "seat, steering wheel, mirror, HVAC, entertainment system, navigation system, and other vehicle operation parameters." [cite: US7715974B2, Abstract, Col. 3, lines 17-27].
- C. Adjusting vehicle controls or settings based on retrieved data: Eckert further discloses that "vehicle operation parameters are automatically configured based on a retrieved user profile." [cite: US7715974B2, Abstract].
Lee (US20110022247A1) discloses elements D and E:
- D. Receiving user input indicating an adjustment: Lee teaches a system where "if a driver changes any settings," the system interacts with the driver. [cite: US20110022247A1, Para. 0025]. This inherently involves receiving user input reflecting an adjustment to vehicle settings.
- E. Updating the user profile based on the user input: Lee explicitly states that "the system 10 may prompt the driver to determine if they want to save the new changes as part of their driver profile. If the driver elects to save the changes, the driver profile is updated." [cite: US20110022247A1, Para. 0025].

Motivation to Combine

A POSITA would have been motivated to combine the teachings of Eckert and Lee to create a more robust and user-friendly vehicle personalization system. Eckert provides the fundamental framework for identifying a user and automatically adjusting vehicle controls and settings based on stored preferences. However, it does not explicitly teach a mechanism for updating these preferences based on subsequent manual adjustments made by the user.

A POSITA would readily recognize that initial automatic adjustments might not perfectly match a user's current desires, or that user preferences may evolve over time. The ability to "learn" from user interactions and refine the stored profile data is a desirable feature that improves the accuracy and utility of any personalization system. Lee directly addresses this need by teaching a system that prompts the driver to save manually made changes to their profile.

Therefore, combining Eckert's comprehensive automatic customization with Lee's profile update mechanism would be a logical and obvious step for a POSITA seeking to enhance user satisfaction and the adaptability of the vehicle's personalization features. This combination would result in a system that not only sets initial preferences but also continuously improves its personalization based on real-world user interaction, representing a straightforward application of known techniques to achieve predictable results.

Note on US20100324795A1

It is also worth noting that US Patent Application Publication 2010/0324795 A1 (hereafter "Savage") appears to disclose all elements of Claim 1 independently. Savage describes a "vehicle settings management system and method" that identifies a driver [cite: US20100324795A1, Para. 0007], retrieves a driver profile defining settings for various vehicle features (e.g., seat position, mirror position, climate control) [cite: US20100324795A1, Para. 0003, 0026], and automatically adjusts those features [cite: US20100324795A1, Para. 0027]. Furthermore, Savage teaches that "if a driver adjusts a setting after the initial setting from the driver profile, the vehicle setting management system 10 may offer to save the newly adjusted setting in the driver profile associated with that driver." [cite: US20100324795A1, Para. 0033]. This explicitly covers receiving user input for adjustments and subsequently updating the user profile. This suggests Savage alone could anticipate or render Claim 1 obvious.

Independent Claim 12 (System) Obviousness

Independent Claim 12 outlines a vehicle customization system comprising memory, a processor (configured to perform the steps of Claim 1), vehicle controls, vehicle settings, sensors, input devices, and output devices.

Combination of US7715974B2 and US20110022247A1

A combination of Eckert (US7715974B2) and Lee (US20110022247A1) would render Claim 12 obvious.

Eckert (US7715974B2) discloses a "personal vehicle system" [cite: US7715974B2, Abstract] that inherently includes:
- Memory and Processor: A system that stores user profiles and automatically configures vehicle parameters requires memory for data storage and a processor to execute instructions for user identification, profile retrieval, and control adjustments. These are standard components in any such intelligent system.
- Vehicle controls and settings: Eckert explicitly refers to adjustable "seat, steering wheel, mirror, HVAC, entertainment system, navigation system" as part of the system's functionality. [cite: US7715974B2, Col. 3, lines 17-27].
- Sensors: The system utilizes "biometric sensor" for user identification [cite: US7715974B2, Abstract].
- Input devices: "Wireless keyfob" and "biometric sensor" serve as input devices for user identification. [cite: US7715974B2, Abstract]. User interaction with the entertainment and navigation systems also implies further input devices.
- Output devices: The configuration of the HVAC, entertainment system, and navigation system implies corresponding output devices (e.g., displays, speakers, air vents). [cite: US7715974B2, Col. 3, lines 17-27].
Lee (US20110022247A1) further details the system components for profile updates:
- Processor configured to receive user input and update profile: Lee describes the system (processor) prompting the driver to save changes and updating the driver profile if elected. [cite: US20110022247A1, Para. 0025]. This requires a processor configured to manage user input related to settings and update stored profile data in memory.
- Input devices and Output devices: To "prompt the driver" and receive their election to save changes [cite: US20110022247A1, Para. 0025], the system would necessarily include output devices (e.g., a display or audio system for prompts) and input devices (e.g., buttons, touchscreen, or voice recognition for user confirmation).

Motivation to Combine

A POSITA would be motivated to combine the system architecture described in Eckert with the profile update mechanisms of Lee. Eckert provides a foundational system for personalized vehicle settings. A POSITA would understand that a static profile system, while useful, could be significantly improved by incorporating a dynamic learning capability.

The motivation to integrate the elements taught by Lee into the system of Eckert is to enhance the system's intelligence and user adaptability. This involves configuring the existing processor within the vehicle (present in Eckert's system) to monitor for manual adjustments made via the existing input devices (e.g., controls for seats, mirrors, climate), and to use existing output devices (e.g., a display) to prompt the user about saving these changes. The updated profile data would then be stored in the existing memory. This integration represents a straightforward engineering effort to provide a more intuitive and responsive user experience, allowing the system to continuously adapt to and refine its understanding of user preferences. Such an enhancement would be a common design goal for improving any personalized electronic system.