Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
The present application is being examined under the pre-AIA first to invent provisions.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
The following is a quotation of pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 103(a) which forms the basis for all obviousness rejections set forth in this Office action:
(a) A patent may not be obtained though the invention is not identically disclosed or described as set forth in section 102, if the differences between the subject matter sought to be patented and the prior art are such that the subject matter as a whole would have been obvious at the time the invention was made to a person having ordinary skill in the art to which said subject matter pertains. Patentability shall not be negated by the manner in which the invention was made.
Claims 1,4,5,7-9,12-17 is/are rejected under pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 103(a) as being unpatentable over Seeliger et al (EP 2 316 778 A1) in view of Finkbeiner (DE 20 2013 102803 U1).
Regarding Claim 1, Seeliger discloses a smart lift system, comprising: a plurality of movable lift features, wherein a first movable lift feature of the plurality of movable lift features comprises: a lift base (Fig. 1) comprising an arm housing 7, a first arm 2 having a first adapter 3, and a second arm 2 having a second adapter 3, and a user device 1 comprising a display 6 and a user interface 5, wherein the user device 1 is configured to receive inputs from a user via the user interface.
Seeliger does not explicitly teach that the first arm and the second arm are rotatably connected to the arm housing, and wherein the lift base is operable to cause the first arm and the second arm to rotate and move each of the first adapter and the second adapter through two dimensions and cause movement through two dimensions of at least one of the first adapter and the second adapter.
Finkbeiner discloses a lift system comprising a first arm 21 and a second arm 21 rotatably connected to an arm housing 14, and wherein a lift base 14/16 is operable to cause the first arm 21 and the second arm 21 to rotate (para. 0013) and move each of a first adapter 23 and a second adapter 23 through two dimensions and cause movement through two dimensions of at least one of the first adapter 23 and the second adapter 23.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to adapt the Seeliger teachings with those of Finkbeiner so as to allow for more adjustability of the vehicle being lifted, as is known in the art to be desirable.
Regarding Claims 4,12 Seeliger discloses a spotting camera positioned so that at least one of the plurality of movable lift features is within its field of view (paras. 0009, 0010).
Regarding Claims 5,13 Seeliger discloses the spotting camera is communicatively coupled with the user device such that image data captured by the spotting camera is shown on the display (paras. 0009, 0010).
Regarding Claims 7,8 Seeliger discloses the user device is configured to create a vehicle profile and to browse a plurality of vehicle profiles from a vehicle database (para. 0013).
Regarding Claim 9, Finkbeiner discloses the first arm comprises a first linear actuator 37 and a first movable arm section 21, wherein the first movable arm section 21 has a longitudinal axis, and wherein the first linear actuator 37 is operable to cause the first movable arm section 21 to extend or retract along its longitudinal axis.
Regarding Claim 14, Finkbeiner discloses the second arm comprises a second linear actuator 37 and a second movable arm section 21, wherein the second movable arm section 21 has a longitudinal axis, and wherein the second linear actuator 37 is operable to cause the second movable arm section 21 to extend or retract along its longitudinal axis.
Regarding Claim 15, Finkbeiner discloses a user device configured to receive inputs from a user via the user interface and, in response, cause the second linear actuator to cause the second movable arm to extend along its longitudinal axis (para. 0035), and see Seeliger, claim 1 above.
Regarding Claim 16, Finkbeiner discloses the first movable arm 21 comprises a telescoping arm (para. 0034).
Regarding Claim 17, Finkbeiner discloses a column 7, wherein the first movable lift feature is configured to vertically actuate along a length of the column 7.
Claims 2,3,6,10,11,20 are rejected under pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 103(a) as being unpatentable over Seeliger in view of Finkbeiner as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Bordwell et al (WO 2009/117343).
Regarding Claims 2,3,10,11 Seeliger/Finkbeiner (applied here in a similar manner as to claim 1 above) discloses all features claimed, but does not explicitly teach that the user interface comprises a button graphic comprising a rotational or straight arrow.
Bordwell discloses a lift control interface for a lift system which comprises (Fig. 5) button graphics comprising rotational and straight arrows 202.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to adapt the teachings of the Seeliger/Finkbeiner combination with those of Bordwell, so as to provide a user interface for a user with elements that make sense in the context of a vehicle lift, as is known in the art to be desirable.
Regarding Claim 6, Bordwell discloses the user interface is graphically skinned (a thin film switch with a membrane overlay reads on a skin, paras. 0054, 0055, 0056).
Regarding Claim 20, Seeliger and Finkbeiner (applied here in a similar manner as claim 1 above) discloses all features claimed, and Bordwell discloses the user device comprises a plurality of graphics, selecting a moveable lift feature out of the pair of moveable lift features, and touching a first graphic 214 of the plurality of graphics to thereby cause the selected movable lift feature to extend a length of the selected movable lift feature (para. 0055).
Claims 18,19 are rejected under pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 103(a) as being unpatentable over Seeliger/Finkbeiner as applied to claim 12 above, and further in view of Van Houten et al (USPGP 20170174484 A1).
Regarding Claim 18, the Seeliger/Finkbeiner combination (applied here in a similar manner as to claim 12 above) discloses all features claimed, but does not explicitly teach a lift server in communication with the user device.
Van Houten discloses a lift system comprising a lift server 122 in communication with a user device 50.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to adapt the Seeliger/Finkbeiner combination with those of Van Houten so as to be able to implement a more modern networked setup as is known in the art to be desirable.
Regarding Claim 19, Van Houten discloses a global lift server 322 in communication with the lift server.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. The references cited show related teachings in the art.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JEFFREY DONELS whose telephone number is (571)272-2061. The examiner can normally be reached M-F.
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JEFFREY . DONELS
Examiner
Art Unit 2837
/JEFFREY DONELS/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2837