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 .
Applicant(s) Response to Official Action
[1] The response filed on November 13, 2025 has been entered and made of record.
Response to Arguments/Amendments
[2] Presented arguments have been fully considered, but are rendered moot in view of the new ground(s) of rejection necessitated by amendment(s) initiated by the applicant(s).
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)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
[3] Claims 1 and 5 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Kovach [US 2021/0094512].
Regarding claim 1, Kovach discloses the claim limitations as follows:
A fixing structure of a heater for an onboard camera (i.e. fig. 2), the fixing structure comprising: a hood base (i.e. 18) that is fixed to an automobile (i.e. windshield) [figs. 1 and 2; para. 0022}; a hood plate (i.e. 20) that covers the hood base (i.e. 18) from above [fig. 2]; and a heater (i.e. 44) that is provided between the hood base (i.e. 18) and the hood plate (i.e. 20) [fig. 2], wherein the hood base (i.e. 18) and the hood plate (i.e. 20) form a hood structure (i.e. fig. 1) that allows a line of sight of an on-board camera (i.e. 12) to pass through an area between onboard glass (i.e. 16) and the hood structure (i.e. opening in 20 allows for line of sight of camera 12), while blocking undesired light to the on-board camera (i.e. this is an inherent property of the structure of fig. 2, since the narrow opening in 20 will block undesired light to the camera 12) [figs. 1 and 2], the heater (i.e. 44) is disposed below a lower surface of the hood plate (i.e. 20) [fig. 2], a lower surface of the heater (i.e. 44) is not contacted by another layer so that a space is defined directly below the lower surface of the heater (i.e. gap below 44 and above 18) [fig. 3], the hood base (i.e. 18) forms sidewalls, a rear wall and a bottom plate of the hood structure (i.e. 18 defines sidewalls, rear wall and is the bottom of the structure 10) [fig. 2], and the space is surrounded by the sidewalls and the rear wall (i.e. area above 18) and sealed between the hood plate, the lower surface of the heater, the sidewalls, the rear wall and the bottom plate extending from the sidewalls and the rear wall (i.e. 18 forms the bottom structure so it will be the sidewall, rear wall and bottom plate and all empty space between 20 and 18 are sealed [figs. 2 and 3].
Regarding claim 5, Kovach discloses the claim limitations as follows:
The fixing structure of a heater for an onboard camera according to claim 1, wherein the hood base (i.e. 18) holds the onboard camera (i.e. 12) [fig. 2; para. 0022].
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.
[4] Claims 6 and 7 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kovach [US 2021/0094512] in view of Usami et al. (“Usami”) [US 2017/0334364].
Regarding claim 6, Kovach discloses the claim limitations as set forth in claim 1.
Kovach does not explicitly disclose the following claim limitations:
The fixing structure of a heater for an onboard camera according to claim 1, the fixing structure further comprising: a bracket that is fixed to the automobile, wherein the hood base is fixed to the automobile via the bracket, and the bracket holds the onboard camera.
However, in the same field of endeavor Usami discloses the deficient claim limitations, as follows:
The fixing structure of a heater for an onboard camera according to claim 1, the fixing structure further comprising: a bracket (i.e. 12) that is fixed to the automobile (i.e. windshield) [figs. 1 and 3], wherein the hood base (i.e. 76) is fixed to the automobile (i.e. windshield) via the bracket (i.e. 12) [figs. 1 and 3], and the bracket (i.e. 12) holds the onboard camera (i.e. 25) [figs. 1 and 3].
It would have been obvious to one with ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to modify the teachings of Kovach with Usami and use a bracket, the reasoning being to secure a camera system to the windshield [para. 0002-0004].
Regarding claim 7, Kovach discloses the claim limitations as set forth in claim 1.
Kovach does not explicitly disclose the following claim limitations:
The fixing structure of a heater for an onboard camera according to claim 1, wherein the hood plate is formed of a material that conducts heat more easily than the hood base.
However, in the same field of endeavor Usami discloses the deficient claim limitations, as follows:
The fixing structure of a heater for an onboard camera according to claim 1, wherein the hood plate (i.e. 39) is formed of a material that conducts heat (i.e. facilitate heat transfer) more easily than the hood base [para. 0104-0108].
It would have been obvious to one with ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to modify the teachings of Kovach with Usami and use a conductive hood plate, the reasoning being to enable better heat transfer to the windshield [para. 0104-0108].
Conclusion
[5] Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to SATH V PERUNGAVOOR whose telephone number is (571)272-7455. The examiner can normally be reached M-F, 8 am-5 pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, COLLEEN FAUZ can be reached at (571) 272-1667. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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SATH V PERUNGAVOOR
Supervisory Patent Examiner
Art Unit 2488
/SATH V PERUNGAVOOR/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2488