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 .
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.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claims 1-12 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.
The term “large” in claim 1 is a relative term which renders the claim indefinite. The term “large” is not defined by the claim, the specification does not provide a standard for ascertaining the requisite degree, and one of ordinary skill in the art would not be reasonably apprised of the scope of the invention. It is not definite what is meant by a large number of first electrical conductors and a large number of second electrical conductors as recited in claim 1.
The following recitations are also not definite:
among the plurality of heat generating strips, at least one of a thickness, a width and a length of the heat generating strip that connects the both ends of the one of the bus bars and the both ends of the other bus bar and the heat generating strip that connects the central parts of the two bus bars is adjusted so that electrical resistance values of both heat generating strips are close to each other (as recited in claim 4);
among the plurality of heat generating strips, at least one of a thickness, a width and a length of the heat generating strip that connects the both ends of the one of the bus bars and the both ends of the other bus bar and the heat generating strip that connects the central parts of the two bus bars is adjusted so that electrical resistance values of both heat generating strips are close to each other (as recited in claim 7);
among the plurality of heat generating strips, at least one of a thickness, a width and a length of the heat generating strip that connects the both ends of the one of the bus bars and the both ends of the other bus bar and the heat generating strip that connects the central parts of the two bus bars is adjusted so that electrical resistance values of both heat generating strips are close to each other (as recited in claim 8);
among the plurality of heat generating strips, at least one of a thickness, a width and a length of the heat generating strip that connects the both ends of the one of the bus bars and the both ends of the other bus bar and the heat generating strip that connects the central parts of the two bus bars is adjusted so that electrical resistance values of both heat generating strips are close to each other (as recited in claim 9).
It is not definite whether the above recitations of claims 4 and 7-9, in particular the recitations directed to the bus bars being adjusted, are structural, functional or intended use.
The term “close” in claims 4 and 7-9 is a relative term which renders the claim indefinite. The term “close” is not defined by the claim, the specification does not provide a standard for ascertaining the requisite degree, and one of ordinary skill in the art would not be reasonably apprised of the scope of the invention. The claimed adjustments so that electrical resistance values of both heat generating strips are close to each other are not definite.
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.
The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention(s) absent any evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and effective filing dates of each claim that was not commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the later invention in order for the examiner to consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) for any potential 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) prior art against the later invention.
Claim(s) 1-4 and 6-9 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over JP 2010251230 A to OTANI et al. (“OTANI”) in view of US 20100026805 A1 to Seger et al. (“Seger”).
OTANI discloses:
Regarding claim 1:
a sheet substrate (e.g., resin layers 34 and 38), attached to the cover (e.g., glasses 30 and 32) (e.g., Fig. 1-3, 8 and 11 and para 36-42 and 137-170); and
at least one heat generating strip (e.g., strips of conductive layer 40 in Fig. 1, strips of heat generation part 104 including areas 110 and 112 in Fig. 8), provided along the sheet substrate (e.g., Fig. 1-3, 8 and 11 and para 36-42 and 137-170), wherein
the at least one heat generating strip is formed in a mesh shape (e.g., the conductive layer 40 has a mesh-like pattern as a group of a plurality of fine metal wires having intersections of a large number of lattices formed of conductive metal fine wires 42, mesh of fine metal wires 116 in Fig. 8) in which a large number of first electrical conductors (e.g., a first set of fine metal wires 42 seen in Fig. 1 and wires 116 in Fig. 8) in a filamentous shape and a large number of second electrical conductors (e.g., a second set of fine metal wires 42 which intersect the first set as seen in Fig. 1 and a corresponding second set of wires 116 in Fig. 8) in a filamentous shape intersect each other (e.g., Fig. 1-3, 8 and 11 and para 36-42 and 137-170), and
the large number of first electrical conductors and the large number of second electrical conductors are arranged so as to be inclined relative to a horizontal direction (e.g., Fig. 1-3, 8 and 11 and para 36-42 and 137-170, wherein it is submitted that the window glass and aforementioned conductors arranged therein in Fig. 1, 8 and 11 would have inherently been inclined relative to a horizontal direction);
Regarding claim 3: the heater sheet according to claim 1, wherein the at least one heat generating strip comprises a plurality of heat generating strips (e.g., strips of conductive layer 40 in Fig. 1, strips of heat generation part 104 including areas 110 and 112 in Fig. 8) extending in a vertical direction and arranged at intervals of 1 to 6 mm (e.g., para 169 discloses: “An insulating film (corresponding to the high resistance area 114) was applied to the boundary between the first heat generation area 110 and the second heat generation area 112 to a width of about 1 mm”) in the horizontal direction (e.g., Fig. 1-3, 8 and 11 and para 36-42 and 137-170, including Fig. 8 and 11 and para 169);
Regarding claim 4: the heater sheet according to claim 1, comprising:
a pair of upper and lower bus bars (e.g., electrodes 16 and 18 in Fig. 1, electrodes 106 and 18 in Fig. 8) extending in the horizontal direction (e.g., Fig. 1-3, 8 and 11 and para 36-42 and 137-170), wherein
the at least one heat generating strip comprises a plurality of heat generating strips (e.g., areas 110 and 112 in Fig. 8) extending in a vertical direction so as to connect the pair of upper and lower bus bars and arranged at intervals in the horizontal direction (e.g., Fig. 1-3, 8 and 11 and para 36-42 and 137-170);
a vertical interval between both ends of one of the pair of upper and lower bus bars in the horizontal direction and both ends of the other bus bar in the horizontal direction has a different value from that of a vertical interval between central parts of two bus bars in the horizontal direction (e.g., Fig. 8 and 11);
among the plurality of heat generating strips, at least one of a thickness, a width and a length of the heat generating strip that connects the both ends of the one of the bus bars and the both ends of the other bus bar and the heat generating strip that connects the central parts of the two bus bars is adjusted so that electrical resistance values of both heat generating strips are close to each other (e.g., Fig. 1-3, 8 and 11 and para 36-42 and 137-170);
Regarding claim 6: the heater sheet according to claim 2, wherein the at least one heat generating strip comprises a plurality of heat generating strips (e.g., strips of conductive layer 40 in Fig. 1, strips of heat generation part 104 including areas 110 and 112 in Fig. 8) extending in the vertical direction and arranged at intervals of 1 to 6 mm (e.g., para 169 discloses: “An insulating film (corresponding to the high resistance area 114) was applied to the boundary between the first heat generation area 110 and the second heat generation area 112 to a width of about 1 mm”) in the horizontal direction (e.g., Fig. 1-3, 8 and 11 and para 36-42 and 137-170, including Fig. 8 and 11 and para 169);
Regarding claim 7: the heater sheet according to claim 2, comprising:
a pair of upper and lower bus bars (e.g., electrodes 16 and 18 in Fig. 1, electrodes 106 and 18 in Fig. 8) extending in the horizontal direction (e.g., Fig. 1-3, 8 and 11 and para 36-42 and 137-170), wherein
the at least one heat generating strip comprises a plurality of heat generating strips (e.g., areas 110 and 112 in Fig. 8) extending in the vertical direction so as to connect the pair of upper and lower bus bars and arranged at intervals in the horizontal direction (e.g., Fig. 1-3, 8 and 11 and para 36-42 and 137-170);
a vertical interval between both ends of one of the pair of upper and lower bus bars in the horizontal direction and both ends of the other bus bar in the horizontal direction has a different value from that of a vertical interval between central parts of two bus bars in the horizontal direction (e.g., Fig. 8 and 11);
among the plurality of heat generating strips, at least one of a thickness, a width and a length of the heat generating strip that connects the both ends of the one of the bus bars and the both ends of the other bus bar and the heat generating strip that connects the central parts of the two bus bars is adjusted so that electrical resistance values of both heat generating strips are close to each other (e.g., Fig. 1-3, 8 and 11 and para 36-42 and 137-170);
Regarding claim 8: the heater sheet according to claim 3, comprising:
a pair of upper and lower bus bars (e.g., electrodes 16 and 18 in Fig. 1, electrodes 106 and 18 in Fig. 8) extending in the horizontal direction (e.g., Fig. 1-3, 8 and 11 and para 36-42 and 137-170), wherein
the at least one heat generating strip comprises a plurality of heat generating strips (e.g., areas 110 and 112 in Fig. 8) extending in the vertical direction so as to connect the pair of upper and lower bus bars and arranged at intervals in the horizontal direction (e.g., Fig. 1-3, 8 and 11 and para 36-42 and 137-170);
a vertical interval between both ends of one of the pair of upper and lower bus bars in the horizontal direction and both ends of the other bus bar in the horizontal direction has a different value from that of a vertical interval between central parts of two bus bars in the horizontal direction (e.g., Fig. 8 and 11);
among the plurality of heat generating strips, at least one of a thickness, a width and a length of the heat generating strip that connects the both ends of the one of the bus bars and the both ends of the other bus bar and the heat generating strip that connects the central parts of the two bus bars is adjusted so that electrical resistance values of both heat generating strips are close to each other (e.g., Fig. 1-3, 8 and 11 and para 36-42 and 137-170); and
Regarding claim 9: the heater sheet according to claim 6, comprising:
a pair of upper and lower bus bars (e.g., electrodes 16 and 18 in Fig. 1, electrodes 106 and 18 in Fig. 8) extending in the horizontal direction (e.g., Fig. 1-3, 8 and 11 and para 36-42 and 137-170), wherein
the at least one heat generating strip comprises a plurality of heat generating strips (e.g., areas 110 and 112 in Fig. 8) extending in the vertical direction so as to connect the pair of upper and lower bus bars and arranged at intervals in the horizontal direction (e.g., Fig. 1-3, 8 and 11 and para 36-42 and 137-170);
a vertical interval between both ends of one of the pair of upper and lower bus bars in the horizontal direction and both ends of the other bus bar in the horizontal direction has a different value from that of a vertical interval between central parts of two bus bars in the horizontal direction (e.g., Fig. 8 and 11);
among the plurality of heat generating strips, at least one of a thickness, a width and a length of the heat generating strip that connects the both ends of the one of the bus bars and the both ends of the other bus bar and the heat generating strip that connects the central parts of the two bus bars is adjusted so that electrical resistance values of both heat generating strips are close to each other (e.g., Fig. 1-3, 8 and 11 and para 36-42 and 137-170).
OTANI does not explicitly disclose the large number of first electrical conductors and the large number of second electrical conductors are arranged so as to be inclined relative to a horizontal direction (as recited in claim 1) or at least one of each of the large number of first electrical conductors and each of the large number of second electrical conductors is arranged so as to have an inclination angle of greater than 0° and within 15° relative to a vertical direction (as recited in claim 2).
However, Seger discloses:
Regarding claim 1: the large number of first electrical conductors and the large number of second electrical conductors are arranged so as to be inclined relative to a horizontal direction (e.g., Fig. 3 and para 12 and 32, wherein windshield 312 of Seger corresponds to the aforementioned window glass and conductors arranged therein of OTANI); and
Regarding claim 2: the heater sheet according to claim 1, wherein at least one of each of the large number of first electrical conductors and each of the large number of second electrical conductors is arranged so as to have an inclination angle of greater than 0° and within 15° relative to a vertical direction (e.g., Abstract, Fig. 3 and para 12 and 32).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made (pre-AIA ) or at the time before the effective filing date (post AIA ) to modify OTANI as suggested and taught by Seger in order to allow for a great reduction in the restriction of the field of view and for design aspects of the exterior view of the vehicle to be significantly improved.
Claim(s) 5 and 10-12 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over OTANI in view of Seger and further in view of US 20160248152 A1 to TAKAO et al. (“TAKAO”).
OTANI in view of Seger discloses substantially all of the features of the claimed invention as set forth above, including the heater sheet according to claims 1-4 as set forth above.
OTANI in view of Seger does not explicitly disclose A vehicle-mounted sensor cover, configured to be located in front of a vehicle-mounted sensor that transmits and receives an electromagnetic wave for detecting an object outside a vehicle in an electromagnetic wave transmission direction, having the heater sheet according to claim 1, attached thereto (as recited in claim 5).
However, TAKAO discloses:
Regarding claim 5: a vehicle-mounted sensor cover (e.g., electromagnetic-wave transmitting cover 1), configured to be located in front of a vehicle-mounted sensor (e.g., millimeter-wave radar device 6) that transmits and receives an electromagnetic wave for detecting an object outside a vehicle in an electromagnetic wave transmission direction, having the heater sheet according to claim 1 (e.g., OTANI in view of Seger discloses the heater sheet as set forth above) attached thereto (e.g., Fig. 1-3 and para 40-54 and 70);
Regarding claim 10: a vehicle-mounted sensor cover (e.g., electromagnetic-wave transmitting cover 1), configured to be located in front of a vehicle-mounted sensor (e.g., millimeter-wave radar device 6) that transmits and receives an electromagnetic wave for detecting an object outside a vehicle in an electromagnetic wave transmission direction, having the heater sheet according to claim 2 (e.g., OTANI in view of Seger discloses the heater sheet as set forth above) attached thereto (e.g., Fig. 1-3 and para 40-54 and 70);
Regarding claim 11: a vehicle-mounted sensor cover (e.g., electromagnetic-wave transmitting cover 1), configured to be located in front of a vehicle-mounted sensor (e.g., millimeter-wave radar device 6) that transmits and receives an electromagnetic wave for detecting an object outside a vehicle in an electromagnetic wave transmission direction, having the heater sheet according to claim 3 (e.g., OTANI in view of Seger discloses the heater sheet as set forth above) attached thereto (e.g., Fig. 1-3 and para 40-54 and 70); and
Regarding claim 12: a vehicle-mounted sensor cover (e.g., electromagnetic-wave transmitting cover 1), configured to be located in front of a vehicle-mounted sensor (e.g., millimeter-wave radar device 6) that transmits and receives an electromagnetic wave for detecting an object outside a vehicle in an electromagnetic wave transmission direction, having the heater sheet according to claim 4 (e.g., OTANI in view of Seger discloses the heater sheet as set forth above) attached thereto (e.g., Fig. 1-3 and para 40-54 and 70).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made (pre-AIA ) or at the time before the effective filing date (post AIA ) to modify OTANI in view of Seger as suggested and taught by TAKAO in order to provide an electromagnetic-wave transmitting cover which can achieve range extension and angle widening of a sensing radar and is excellent in design property.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ERIC S STAPLETON whose telephone number is (571)270-3492. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Thursday regular business hours.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, EDWARD (NED) LANDRUM can be reached at (571) 272-5567. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/ERIC S STAPLETON/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3761 August 6, 2025