Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
In view of the Appeal Brief filed on February 25, 2026, PROSECUTION IS HEREBY REOPENED. New grounds of rejection are set forth below.
To avoid abandonment of the application, appellant must exercise one of the following two options:
(1) file a reply under 37 CFR 1.111 (if this Office action is non-final) or a reply under 37 CFR 1.113 (if this Office action is final); or,
(2) initiate a new appeal by filing a notice of appeal under 37 CFR 41.31 followed by an appeal brief under 37 CFR 41.37. The previously paid notice of appeal fee and appeal brief fee can be applied to the new appeal. If, however, the appeal fees set forth in 37 CFR 41.20 have been increased since they were previously paid, then appellant must pay the difference between the increased fees and the amount previously paid.
A Supervisory Patent Examiner (SPE) has approved of reopening prosecution by signing below:
/VALENTIN NEACSU, Ph.D./Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3611
Claim Objections
Claim 17 is objected to because of the following informalities:
In claim 17, lines 7 – 9, “a wheels, axle” should be “a wheel, an axle”. Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
Claims 1 – 21 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
In claim 1, lines 20 – 21, the limitation “wherein the control device and/or the distribution unit is in turn connected or connectable to one or more of the aforementioned components” is indefinite because it is unclear whether the Applicant intents to claim “the control device” and/or “the distribution unit ” or if it is merely a component on the unclaimed vehicle. This is particularly confusing because the immediately preceding limitation (“communication system is connected or connectable with one or more of the following components: …”) enumerates in the alternative 20+ elements, among which a control device and a distribution unit are included, in other words one might also be included. Because the claim only requires one of the above components/elements of the Markush group to be present, the scope of the claim is unclear. For example, the metes and bounds of the claim are uncertain if the “following component” is not represented by a control device or a distribution unit, in which case the limitation “the control device and/or the distribution unit is in turn connected or connectable to one or more of the aforementioned components” raises antecedent basis issues. Additionally, it is unclear if the phrase is intended to also cover the possibility of the control device being connected or connectable to itself, and/or the possibility of the distribution unit being connected or connectable to itself (see details above).
Claim 5 recites the limitation "the communication system" in lines 1 – 2. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claim 11, lines 9 – 15, it is unclear whether “the plug device”, “the plug socket” and “the plug” refer back to those recited in parent claim 1 or if they are entirely different. If the former is intended, then claim 11 claims “the plug device”, “the plug socket” and “the plug” are part of both the plug-in coupling system and the coupling unit, and the claim may not be enabled. If the latter is intended, the language should differentiate between the two.
Regarding claim 13, “the plug device” in line 13 is unclear (See claim 11, above).
Regarding claim 13, lines 5 – 6, the limitation “a second mechanical coupling device at least one fifth wheel” is unclear. It is unclear whether this claims ‘a second mechanical coupling device AND at least one fifth wheel’, ‘a second mechanical coupling device HAS at least one fifth wheel’, or something else. Appropriate correction is required.
Claim 17 recites the limitation "the communication system" in line 6. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
In claim 17, lines 14 – 15, the limitation “wherein the control device and/or the distribution unit is in turn connected or connectable to one or more of the aforementioned components” makes it unclear whether applicant intents to claim “the control device” and “the distribution” or if it is merely a component on the unclaimed vehicle. See details in the related rejection of Claim 1, above.
Claim 19 recites the limitation "the communication system" in line 6. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
In claim 19, line 7, the limitation “on the part of the towed vehicle” is unclear. An appropriate correction is required.
In claim 19, lines 14 – 15, similarly to claim 17, the limitation “wherein the control device and/or the distribution unit is in turn connected or connectable to one or more of the aforementioned components” makes it unclear whether applicant intents to claim “the control device” and “the distribution” or if it is merely a component on the unclaimed vehicle. See details in the related rejection of Claim 1, above.
Claims 2 – 21 depend from rejected claim 1, and therefore, are rejected for the same reasons.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 1 – 21 would be allowable if rewritten to overcome the rejection(s) under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), 2nd paragraph, set forth in this Office action and to include all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
Claims 22 and 23 are allowed.
Regarding claim 1, the prior art does not disclose a plug-in coupling system for connecting a towing vehicle and a towed vehicle, as claimed, but they do not disclose “wherein the plug and the plug socket have at least one transmitter and at least one receiver of a contactless communication system with a short range through which data is wirelessly transmitted between the towing vehicle and the towed vehicle”. Claims 2 – 21 depend from claim 1, and therefore, also contain allowable subject matter.
Regarding claim 22, the prior art does not disclose a plug-in coupling system for connecting a towing vehicle and a towed vehicle, comprising:
wherein the plug and the socket each has either
at least one transmitter and at least one receiver of a wireless, contactless communication system with a short range or
a component that can fulfill both functions, sending and receiving data wirelessly.
Regarding claim 23, the prior art does not disclose a plug-in coupling system for connecting a towing vehicle and a towed vehicle, comprising:
wherein the plug and the socket have at least one transmitter and at least one receiver of a contactless communication system with a short range.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Felicia L Brittman-Alabi whose telephone number is (313)446-6512. The examiner can normally be reached M-F, 9-6.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Valentin Neacsu can be reached at (571)272-6265. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/Felicia L. Brittman-Alabi/Examiner, Art Unit 3611
/VALENTIN NEACSU, Ph.D./Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3611
Prosecution Insights