Prior art — US Patent 9766801

To: Lead Patent Counsel
From: Senior Patent Analyst
Date: April 30, 2026
Subject: Prior Art Analysis for U.S. Patent No. 9,766,801

Introduction

This report provides an analysis of the most relevant prior art cited in the prosecution of U.S. Patent No. 9,766,801, "In-car information system, in-car device, and information terminal" (the '801 patent). The analysis focuses on the potential for these references to anticipate the independent claims of the '801 patent under 35 U.S.C. § 102.

The core inventive concept of the '801 patent, as detailed in independent claims 1, 8, and 11, revolves around a system and method for dynamically assigning functions of a portable information terminal (e.g., a smartphone) to the physical controls of an in-car device. This process involves a two-way exchange of information: the in-car device provides details about its available controls (actuation information), and the portable terminal (or, in an alternative embodiment, the in-car device itself) uses this information along with its own predefined operational priorities (operation assignment information) to create a mapping. This mapping is then used to translate user inputs on the in-car device into commands for the portable terminal.

The following analysis examines key prior art references cited by the patent examiner and assesses their relevance to these core concepts.

Cited Prior Art Analysis

The following references were cited during the prosecution of the '801 patent. The most pertinent have been selected for detailed analysis.

1. U.S. Patent No. 8,644,809 B2 (Srinivasan et al.)

Full Citation: U.S. Patent No. 8,644,809 B2, "System and method for interaction between a vehicle and a mobile computing device," assigned to Harman International Industries, Inc.
Dates: Filed Dec. 20, 2010; Published Feb. 4, 2014.
Brief Description: Srinivasan describes a system where a mobile device connects to a vehicle's head unit. The vehicle transmits its Human-Machine Interface (HMI) capabilities, such as the type and number of available buttons, knobs, and screen size, to the mobile device. The mobile device then uses this information to generate a user interface that is optimized for and controllable by the vehicle's specific HMI hardware. The mobile device essentially adapts its application to match the car's controls.
Potential Anticipation of '801 Patent Claims:
- Claim 1 & 11 (System and Portable Terminal): Srinivasan appears to be highly relevant and potentially anticipatory. It discloses a system where the in-car device sends its control capabilities ("actuation information") to the portable terminal. The terminal then processes this information to create a suitable user interface and control scheme. This directly maps to the core process of claim 1, where the portable terminal receives actuation information and performs an assignment of its operations to the in-car device's controls. While '801 specifically mentions "priority levels," the optimization process described in Srinivasan implies a similar logic of assigning the most important or suitable functions to the available controls.
- Claim 8 (In-car Device): This reference also provides strong groundwork for anticipating claim 8. Srinivasan's in-car device transmits its HMI capabilities, which is analogous to '801's "operation assignment information reception unit" receiving information from the terminal. The key difference is the direction of the "assignment" information. In '801's claim 8, the in-car device receives the assignment rules from the phone and performs the assignment itself. In Srinivasan, the in-car device sends its capabilities and the phone does the assignment. However, the fundamental exchange of information to enable control is present.

2. U.S. Patent Application Publication No. US 2009/0158223 A1 (Chae et al.)

Full Citation: U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2009/0158223 A1, "Mobile terminal and method of controlling the mobile terminal," assigned to LG Electronics Inc.
Dates: Filed Dec. 12, 2007; Published Jun. 18, 2009.
Brief Description: Chae discloses a system for controlling a mobile terminal using an external device, such as a car audio system. The system uses a "control command table" that maps the keys of the external device to specific functions of the mobile terminal. This table allows the mobile terminal to interpret signals from the external device's keys and execute corresponding functions (e.g., play, stop, next track). The mapping can be based on the currently active application on the mobile terminal.
Potential Anticipation of '801 Patent Claims:
- Claim 1, 8, & 11: Chae is highly relevant as it describes the fundamental concept of mapping external controls to internal functions using a predefined table. The '801 patent's "operation assignment information" is functionally similar to Chae's "control command table." A key distinction for an anticipation argument would be whether Chae's table is dynamically generated based on the specific capabilities of the connected in-car device, as claimed in '801. Chae appears to suggest a more pre-defined or application-specific mapping rather than a negotiation where the in-car device first declares its available controls and their "types" (e.g., button, dial) and the terminal then assigns functions based on priority and "recommended classification" (e.g., assigning "volume" to a dial). However, the core concept of a transmittable map linking external inputs to terminal functions is clearly taught.

3. U.S. Patent No. 8,639,228 B2 (Vaisanen et al.)

Full Citation: U.S. Patent No. 8,639,228 B2, "Apparatus and method for providing a remote user interface," assigned to Nokia Corporation.
Dates: Filed Mar. 18, 2008; Published Jan. 28, 2014.
Brief Description: Vaisanen describes a system where a mobile device can render its user interface on a remote display, such as a vehicle's head unit. The system is designed to adapt the display output based on the characteristics of the remote screen. It focuses on the mobile device generating and transmitting UI data to be displayed by a less-capable remote device, which in turn sends user input events back to the mobile device for processing.
Potential Anticipation of '801 Patent Claims:
- Claim 1, 8, & 11: This reference teaches the general architecture of a portable terminal controlling a remote display and receiving input back. It discloses the concept of the two devices communicating to establish a user interface. However, Vaisanen's primary focus is on the visual display and its adaptation. It is less specific about the '801 patent's key innovation: the intelligent assignment of functions to physical controls based on the type of control and a system of priorities. While Vaisanen's system would inherently involve some form of input mapping, it does not appear to explicitly describe the '801 patent's process of the in-car device communicating its specific control types (e.g., "I have 4 buttons and 1 rotary dial") and the terminal using that information along with a priority list to create a custom control scheme. Therefore, it is less likely to anticipate the claims on its own compared to Srinivasan or Chae.