DETAILED ACTION
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 .
Specification
The lengthy specification has not been checked to the extent necessary to determine the presence of all possible minor errors. Applicant’s cooperation is requested in correcting any errors of which applicant may become aware in the specification.
Claim Objections
Claim 5 is objected to because of the following informalities: “embedded lighting assembly” is suggested to read as “embedded light system,” so as to remain consistent. Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
The following is a quotation of the appropriate paragraphs of 35 U.S.C. 102 that form the basis for the rejections under this section made in this Office action:
A person shall be entitled to a patent unless –
(a)(1) the claimed invention was patented, described in a printed publication, or in public use, on sale, or otherwise available to the public before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claims 2-8 and 11 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Weirich (U.S. Patent 11,560,088 B2).
With regards to Claim 2, Weirich discloses a system of visually indicating at least one: an electrified vehicle operation, functioning, or safety modality [note Figures 1-6], the system including:
An electrified vehicle having at least two wheel assemblies [note Abstract and Column 1, Line 1 – Column 4, Line 7], the at least two wheel assemblies each having rim structures (66) and a tire (30) connected to at least a portion of the rim structures [note Figures 1-6];
At least one tread area (46) of the tire having at least one groove [(50) and/or interior of (30) and/or grooves where (14) are located, as broadly interpreted with respect to “area”];
A light assembly (10-20) incorporated in each of the at least two wheel assemblies, the light assembly being an embedded light assembly with at least one light-emitting diode (LED) (18) positioned within the at least one groove of the at least one tread area of the tire [note Figures 1-6]; and
At least one on-board computer (24-26) carried by the electrified vehicle and controlling illumination techniques of the embedded light assembly, wherein the embedded light assembly illuminates corresponding to at least one of: an electrified vehicle operation, an electrified vehicle functioning, or an electrified vehicle safety modality [e.g., Column 4, Line 44 – Column 5, Line 11].
With regards to Claim 3, Weirich discloses the embedded light assembly (10-20) is elongated and is positioned along a circumferential length of at least one of the tire or the wheel assemblies [note Figures 1-6].
With regards to Claim 4, Weirich discloses the embedded light assembly (10-20) is elongated and is positioned along a circumferential length of at least one of the tire or the wheel assemblies [note Figures 1-6].
With regards to Claim 5, Weirich discloses the at least one tread area of the tire has at least three grooves [(50) and/or interior of (30) and/or grooves where (14) are located], wherein the embedded light(ing) assembly is positioned within each of the at least three grooves [note Figures 1-6].
With regards to Claim 6, Weirich discloses the at least grooves are non-intersecting [note Figures 1-6].
With regards to Claim 7, Weirich discloses the embedded light assembly (10-20) is positioned radially interior of a radially exterior surface of the at least one tread area of the tire [note Figures 1-6].
With regards to Claim 8, Weirich discloses at least one of the electrified vehicle operation, the electrified vehicle functioning, or the electrified vehicle safety modality further includes at least one of: automatically, or manually, or autonomously, or remotely [e.g., Column 4, Line 44 – Column 5, Line 11].
With regards to Claim 11, Weirich discloses at least one of the electrified vehicle operation, the electrified vehicle functioning, or the electrified vehicle safety modality further including enhancing at least one of: safety, visibility, conspicuity, navigation, communication, or utility of or for the electrified vehicle [note Figures 1-6 and Column 4, Line 44 – Column 5, Line 11].
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 103 which forms the basis for all obviousness rejections set forth in this Office action:
A patent for a claimed invention may not be obtained, notwithstanding that the claimed invention is not identically disclosed as set forth in section 102, if the differences between the claimed invention and the prior art are such that the claimed invention as a whole would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to which the claimed invention pertains. Patentability shall not be negated by the manner in which the invention was made.
Claims 9-10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Weirich (U.S. Patent 11,560,088 B2).
With regard to Claims 9-10, Weirich discloses the claimed invention as cited above, but does not specifically teach at least one of the electrified vehicle operation, the electrified vehicle functioning, or the electrified vehicle safety modality further including a charging function, wherein the charging function further includes at least one of: an inductive charging of a battery or for a propulsion system of the electrified vehicle.
However, it would have been obvious to one ordinarily skilled in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the at least one of the electrified vehicle operation, the electrified vehicle functioning, or the electrified vehicle safety modality of Weirich to have further include a charging function, wherein the charging function further includes at least one of: an inductive charging of a battery or for a propulsion system of the electrified vehicle. Such an obvious modification is commonly associated with electric vehicles, whereby associating the lighting/illumination to the charging is well-established and known (e.g., mobile devices, chargers, wireless charges).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure, but is not considered exhaustive: U.S. Patent 7,079,042 B2 to Reim that teaches wheel illumination [Figures 1-14].
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JASON M HAN whose telephone number is (571)272-2207. The examiner can normally be reached 9AM-5PM EST M-F.
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Thursday, January 22, 2026
/Jason M Han/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2875