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`(Only for new nonprovismnal applications under 37 CFR 1.53{b))
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`TO THE ASSISTANT COMMISSIONER FOR PATENTS
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`Box Patent Application
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`Transmitted herewith for filing under 35 U.S.C. 111(a) and 37 CFR. 1.53(b) is a new utility patent application for an
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`invfiflfiiflfitleg;
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`CRUISE CONTROL INDICATOR
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`and invented by:
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`C. KUMAR N. PATEL
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`‘_ W a CONTINUATION APPLICATION, check appropriate box and supply the requisite information:
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` :1 Continuation-in—part(CIP)
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`of priorapplication No.:
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`Filing fee as calculated and transmitted as described below
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`Application Elements
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`pages and including the following:
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`Descriptive Title of the Invention
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`BLILIEE Background of the Invention
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`Cross References to Related Applications (if applicable)
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`a Brief Summary of the Invention
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`8 Detailed Description
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`a Claim(s) as Classified Below
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`Ki Abstract of the Disclosure
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`Page 1 of 3
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`Subaru of America, Inc., et al.
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`Application Elements (Continued)
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`3 Drawing(s) (when necessary as prescribed by 35 USC 113)
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`With Power of Attorney
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`see 37 CFR. 1.63(d)(2) and 1.33(b).
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`The entire disclosure of the prior application, from which a copy of the oath or declaration is supplied
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`incorporated by reference therein.
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`First Class D Express Mail (Specify Label No): EL 349 964 153US
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`Subaru of America, inc., et ai.
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`to coverthe filing fee is enclosed.
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`las described below. A duplicate copy of this sheet is enclosed.
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`Credit any overpayment.
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`pursuant to 37 C.F.R. 1.311(b).
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`Signature
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`Registration No. 37,115
`PRETTY, SCHROEDER & POPLAWSKI, RC.
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`444 South Flower Street - 19th Floor
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`Los Angeles, CA 90071—2919
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`Ofc: 213/622-7700
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`Subaru of America, Inc., et al.
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`A P P L I C A T I O N
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`OF
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`C. KUMAR N. PATEL
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`FOR
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`UNITED STATES LETTERS PATENT
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`ON
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`Docket No. P07 42750
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`Sheets of Drawings: 4
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`IBM—om
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`PRETTY, SCPIROEDER, & POPLAWSKL PC.
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`CERTIFICATE OF MAILING BY "EXPRESS MAIL‘l
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`"EXPRESS MAIL" MAILING LABEL NUIVIBER
`El 349 964 153 US
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`MAY 7: 1999
`DATE OF DEPOSIT
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`I HEREBY CERTIFY THAT THIS PAPER OR FEE IS BEING DEPOSITED WITH THE UNITED STATES
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`THE DATE INDICATED ABOVE AND IS ADDRESSED TO BOX NEW PATENT APPLICATION, THE
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`ASSISTANT COMMISSIONER FOR PATENTS, \VASHINGTON= D. C 20231.
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`JOHN TRIVINO
`‘ AME O 9 ’ERSON MAILING PAPER OR FEE}
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`Subaru of America, Inc., et al.
`Ex. 1002 p. 4
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`CRUISE CONTROL INDICATOR
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`This application claims the benefit of US. Provisional Application No.
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`60/085,183, filed on May 12, 1998.
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`FIELD OF THE INVENTION
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`This invention relates to cruise control systems and more particularly to
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`automotive cruise control systems which display preset speed information.
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`BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
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`The cruise control accessory found in many automobiles today can be
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`characterized as ahuman—machine system. That is, while the cruise control feature offers the
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`operator of a vehicle the benefit of speed control (machine) automation, it also requires
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`significant human interface for its proper and safe operation.
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`In particular, conventional
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`cruise control systems require the operator to (1) turn on the cruise control system (by
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`depressing or rocking a button on the steering wheel or dashboard), (2) achieve the desired
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`cruising speed (by controlling the deflection of the accelerator), and then (3) engage, or set,
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`the cruise control (by pressing another button typically located on the steering wheel or
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`cruise control stalk shift).
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`Further, the conventional cruise control system is provided with a memory
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`filnction that stores the set control speed. Thus, applying the brakes to temporarily slow
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`down temporarily disengages the cruise control function. However, re—engaging the cruise
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`control by depressing the “resume” button returns the automobile to the preset, memorized
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`speed. Similarly, temporarily accelerating while the cruise control is engaged, as is done, for
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`example, when passing other vehicles, does not disengage the system. Rather, when the
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`accelerator is released, the automobile slows down until it returns to its set cruising speed
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`and continues at that speed. In fact, the preset, memorized speed is typically canceled only
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`if the cruise control system is turned off (by either depressing the system button or turning
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`off the automobile) or if another speed is set into the memory.
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`Thus, the conventional cruise control system can be characterized as existing in
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`(1) cruise control system off - the car’s speed is
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`controlled manually; (2) system on, but not engaged - the car’s speed is still controlled
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`manually; (3) system on and engaged at a set speed— the car’s speed is automatically
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`controlled at the memorized speed; (4) system on and engaged at a set speed but the
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`accelerator is depressed thus increasing the speed of the car — the car’s speed is no longer
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`controlled automatically. However, the moment the speed of the vehicle drops to the set
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`speed due to the operator releasing the accelerator, the system jumps back to mode 3; and
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`(5) system on and engaged but the brakes are depressed - the car’s speed is no longer
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`controlled automatically but the set speed is still stored in memory and will re-engage to
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`automatic mode 3 upon depressing the “resume” button. It is also apparent that the system
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`is dynamic in that it can jump from mode to mode based on human or machine intervention.
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`The operator may know which mode the automobile is in at any given moment,
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`but this may not always be the case. While most systems provide visual feedback indicating
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`light located within the cruise control button or on the dashboard, this information is of some
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`but minimal value to the operator. They do not, however, inform the operator which mode
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`the automobile is in when the system is enabled (Le. mode 2, 3, 4, or 5). While no feedback
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`is obviously needed to identify when the system is in mode 3 because the cruise control is
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`automatically controlling the speed, conventional systems do not inform the operator whether
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`they are in fully manual mode 2 or in one of the temporarily manual modes 4 or 5. The
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`operator must rely on his or her memory to know whether the speed at which the vehicle is
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`traveling is only a temporary override of the automatic speed control to be resumed upon
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`releasing the accelerator or depressing the resume button, as the case may be, or is a function
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`of being in fully manual mode 2.
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`Lacking this knowledge poses potential safety hazards. This can be illustrated
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`by way of several examples. Example 1: The operator was on fully automatic cruise (mode
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`3) at 60 miles per hour (mph), but then accelerated to 75 mph (mode 4) and kept his/her foot
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`on the accelerator to maintain this speed for several miles. Then, the operator had a need to
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`gradually slow the vehicle down to below 60 mph, say 40 mph, because of a new driving
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`condition, such as heavy traffic, reduced speed limit or exiting the highway. However, by this
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`time, the operator forgot that cruise control was still set for 60 mph, and merely released the
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`accelerator, expecting the vehicle to continue to slow down to 40 mph. This, course, did not
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`happen. The operator’s momentary lack of speed control could lead to an accident. Example
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`2: The operator was in fully automatic cruise control mode (mode 3) but had to step on the
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`brakes to temporarily slow down, thereby disengaging the cruise control (mode 5). Some
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`time elapsed and the operator forgot the preset speed before pressing the resume button. The
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`A:l0002605,01
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`Attorney Docket No, P07 42750
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`- Page 2 —
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`Subaru of America, Inc., et al.
`Ex. 1002 p. 6
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`Subaru of America, Inc., et al.
`Ex. 1002 p. 6
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`acceleration to the preset speed may come as a surprise and lead to another hazardous
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`situation.
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`In sum, there is a definite safety driven need to provide useful, visual feedback
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`to operators of automobiles with cruise control of the preset speeds at which they are set.
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`5
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`SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
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`The present invention addresses this need by providing the operator of a vehicle
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`with information about the preset speed of an enabled cruise control system. This is
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`accomplished by equipping the vehicle with a visual feedback system that continuously
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`provides the preset speed memorized by the cruise control system. This invention will tend
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`to enhance the safe operation of a vehicle under cruise control conditions.
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`In particular, a cruise control system for a vehicle is provided with a speed
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`controller that automatically maintains the vehicle speed at a desired preset speed, an enable
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`switch that enables the system, a set speed input in communication with the controller to
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`manually set the speed of the vehicle to that at which it is traveling at the moment of input,
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`a memory for temporarily storing the speed of the vehicle at the set speed, and a feedback
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`system for displaying the set speed information to the operator of the vehicle until a new set
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`speed is input or the system is disabled.
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`In one more detailed aspect of the invention, the feedback system of a vehicle
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`designed with a digital speed display, or speedometer, is a second digital display that provides
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`the preset cruise control speed, when the cruise control is enabled and active.
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`In another
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`more detailed embodiment, the feedback system of a vehicle having an analog speedometer
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`includes a plurality of light emitting diodes (LED’S) located at various speed intervals on the
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`speedometer dial. The LED corresponding to the speed at which the vehicle was traveling
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`when the cruise control system was set illuminates and remains lit (or blinks) for the benefit
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`of the operator.
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`Other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent
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`from the following detailed description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying
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`drawings, which illustrate, by way of example, the principles of the invention.
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`FIG. 1 is schematic of a digital speed display of one embodiment of the present
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`BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAW’INGS
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`invention;
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`- Page3 —
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`A:l0002605.01
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`
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`Attorney Docket NI). P0742750
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`Subaru of America, Inc., et al.
`Ex. 1002 p. 7
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`Subaru of America, Inc., et al.
`Ex. 1002 p. 7
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`FIG. 2 is a plan View of another embodiment of the present invention, wherein
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`an analog speedometer incorporating a bank of LED detector assemblies is shown;
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`FIG. 3 is a partial side View of the analog speedometer taken along line 3-3 of
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`FIG. 2, wherein an LED detector assembly and speedometer needle are fin’ther illustrated;
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`FIG. 4 is a flow chart detailing the various operations of the analog cruise control
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`feedback system shown in FIG. 2; and
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`FIG. 5 is a schematic of the LED detector assembly shown in FIGS. 2 and 3.
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`DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODllVlENT
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`10
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`The invention summarized above and defined by the enumerated claims may be
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`better understood by referring to the following detailed description, which should be read in
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`conjunction with the accompanying drawings. This detailed description of a particular
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`preferred embodiment, set out below to enable one to build and use one particular
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`implementation of the invention, is not intended to limit the enumerated claims, but to serve
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`as a particular example thereof. The particular example set out below is one preferred
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`specific implementation ofan improved cruise control system for an automobile, namely, one
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`that provides continuous visual feedback of the preset speed of the system for the
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`convenience of the operator and for improved safety. The invention, however, may also be
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`applied to other types of transportation means that could utilize a cruise control system.
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`Automobiles currently provide one of two types of speed displays, namely, the
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`analog display, typically in the form of the traditional speedometer, and the digital display.
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`Accordingly, as detailed below, the present invention provides cruise control speed-indicating
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`solutions for both types of displays. The digital display embodiment is described first.
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`For vehicles having digital speed displays, the speed information is already in
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`digitized form, such as binary coded decimal (BCD). As shown in the schematic of FIG. 1,
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`a main speed display 8 displays in digital format the current speed at which the vehicle is
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`operating. A clocking mechanism 10, such as an array of logic gates, is provided to write the
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`digitized information regarding the speed at which the vehicle is traveling when the set button
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`is pressed, that is, when the cruise control is engaged, into a digital memory 12, such as a
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`DRAM. Output lines 14 from the memory 12 activate a second smaller and distinctive digital
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`display 16 indicating the preset speed. In the preferred embodiment, the preset speed remains
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`A :1000260i01
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`Attorney Docket No. P07 42750
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`-Page4—
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`Subaru of America, Inc., et al.
`Ex. 1002 p. 8
`
`Subaru of America, Inc., et al.
`Ex. 1002 p. 8
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`continuously lit on the second display 16 from the moment the cruise control is engaged until
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`it is either overridden or shut off. When the cruise control is disengaged by stepping on the
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`brake, for example, to temporarily slow down the vehicle to accommodate a heavy traffic
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`load or a reduced highway speed, the preset display retains the preset speed information and
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`blinks at fixed intervals, say, twice per second. This gives the operator a clear indication of
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`the speed to which the vehicle will return when the command to resume speed is applied.
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`When the cruise control system is first activated, the preset display 16 will blink
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`the number zero indicating an “unset” state of cruise control. Further, if in the engaged state,
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`the operator steps on the accelerator to momentarily (or longer) increase vehicular speed (for
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`passing another vehicle or any other reason), the cruise control will remain engaged as is true
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`of all systems today. However, the operator will always have a clear indication of the speed
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`to which the vehicle will return upon removing the foot from the accelerator, obviating the
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`need to rely on the memory of the operator to know the cruise control speed.
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`Referring now to automobiles with analog speed displays, since digitized speed
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`is
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`information is not typically available for easy storage, as was described above, a very
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`different approach is used to achieve the same results as in the digital embodiment. As shown
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`in FIG. 2, the preset speed information is displayed right on the analog speed dial, or
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`speedometer 40, itself. In particular, the analog dial 40 which has speed markings thereon,
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`is also provided with a bank 44 of individual light emitting diode (LED) assemblies 45
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`embedded at the periphery of the dial at every 1 mile per hour (mph) interval.
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`It is
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`understood that other intervals may be used if desired. The bank 44 extends for a portion
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`of the dial corresponding to an expected potential range of cruising speeds, such as from 40
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`mph to 80 or 90 mph. Referring momentarily to FIG. 3, each LED assembly 45 is comprised
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`of an LED 46 and a detector 48. These assemblies 45, assembled individually or as an entire
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`bank 44, can be easily fabricated on a few semiconductor chips.
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`The operation of the analog embodiment of the present invention is now
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`illustrated with reference to the flow chart shown in Fig. 4, in conjunction with FIGS. 2, 3
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`and 5.
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`When the operator starts the vehicle and commences driving, the cruise control
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`30
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`(indicated as “CC” in Fig. 4) is off and the automobile is under manual control. When the
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`operator turns on the cruise control in step 100, all of the detectors 48 are off, and the display
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`of the entire bank of LEDs 44 simultaneously blink once (or a small number ofpresent times)
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`to inform the operator that the cruise connol is now enabled, step 102. Further, the LED 50,
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`A:l0002605. 91
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`Attorney Docket N0. P07 42750
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`— Page 5 —
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`Subaru of America, Inc., et al.
`Ex. 1002 p. 9
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`Subaru of America, Inc., et al.
`Ex. 1002 p. 9
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`corresponding to the 0 mph mark, remains lit to indicate the cruise control status (i.e.
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`“system on”). At this point, the driver can either continue to operate the automobile under
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`manual control or press the "set speed" button when the desired automobile speed is reached.
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`Pressing the "set speed" button, step 104, activates all of the detectors and all of the LED’s
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`5
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`momentarily light up. Referring again to Figs. 2 and 3, the back side of the speed indicator
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`needle 42 is partially reflective for the portion of the needle that sweeps over the bank of
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`LED assemblies 44. Thus, the momentary activation of all LED’s results in the LED light
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`reflected back into only that detector 48 over which the partially reflecting needle 42 is
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`located, and only this detector is activated. As shown in Fig. 5, the electrical signal from this
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`detector is then used to activate the corresponding LED which remains lit as long as the
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`cruise control is engaged, step 106. The electronic circuitry needed to maintain the LED lit
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`after the momentary firing of LED and activation of the corresponding detector by a pulse
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`of light is well understood in the art. The vehicle is now operating at a speed controlled by
`the cruise control.
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`15
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`At this point, there are at least three scenarios that obtain. The first is that the
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`operator steps on the brake, step 108. When the operator steps on the brake for temporary
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`reduction of the vehicular speed on the highway, the cruise control disengages, step 1 10, and
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`the LED indicating the previously set speed point goes into a blinking mode. This will assure
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`that the operator has the full knowledge of the status of the cruise control, in particular, that
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`it is on but disengaged, with the potential to return the vehicle’s speed to the preset speed
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`corresponding to the blinking LED on the dial 40. The operator may continue to drive the
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`vehicle under complete manual control While the preset speed is stored in the cruise control
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`and as indicated by the blinking LED. When the operator presses the "Resume/Accelerate
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`OVA)" button, step 132, he or she knows the speed to which the vehicle will return. At this
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`point, of course, cruise control is engaged, the LED is steadily lit, and the automobile
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`accelerates to the preset speed.
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`Alternatively, as shown in step 114, the operator may choose to continue to
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`travel at the new (and now slower) speed. In this case, he or she may press the SET button
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`to re-engage the cruise control. All of the LED’s will blink momentarily, all the detectors
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`will be turned on, and only the detector under the new position of the speedometer needle
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`having received the reflected light will be activated. The LED corresponding to the new
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`cruising speed will now remain lit as described earlier.
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`A:10002605.01
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`Attorney Docket No. P07 42750
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`- Page 6»
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`Subaru of America, Inc., et al.
`Ex. 1002 p. 10
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`Subaru of America, Inc., et al.
`Ex. 1002 p. 10
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`The second scenario entails the operator stepping on the accelerator, step 116,
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`to increase the vehicular speed in order to pass another vehicle (or any other reason). As
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`shown in step 118, the LED remains lit continuously to indicate the speed to which the
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`vehicle will return once the operator takes her/his foot off the accelerator, as in step 120. For
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`the operator to be able to see the set speed when cruise control is engaged and when the
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`vehicle is moving at the preset speed, this embodiment includes a speedometer indicator
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`needle which is semitransparent over the region where the bank of LED assemblies 44 are
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`located. Thus, the operator can see the continuously lit LED and know that the cruise
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`control is engaged.
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`Alternatively, as shown in step 122, if desired, the operator can select a new,
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`higher cruising speed by pressing the "set speed" button. In this case, the earlier sequence
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`will repeat, a new LED will be lit, and the automobile speed will be set at a higher speed.
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`Finally,
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`the
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`third scenario
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`envisions
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`the
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`operator depressing the
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`“Reset/Accelerate” or “R/A” button in step 124 to accelerate the vehicle via the cruise
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`control system, step 126. Following the earlier sequences, the new speed will be set to that
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`which the vehicle was traveling when the "R/A" button was released. This will sequence all
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`of the LED’s to blink, all detectors to be activated, and then the LED under the needle to
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`stay lit to indicate the new higher cruising speed, as shown in step 128.
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`As shown, deployment of the present invention in all vehicles equipped with
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`cruise control will tend to contribute significantly towards safer driving.
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`Having thus described the basic principles and exemplary embodiments of the
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`invention,
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`it will be apparent that further variations, alterations, modifications, and
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`improvements will also occur to those skilled in the art. For example, it is understood that
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`a vehicle equipped with an analog speedometer may be designed with a digital preset speed
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`indicator. Further, itwill be apparent