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 .
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on January 15, 2026 was filed after the mailing date of the Ex parte Quayle Action on October 10, 2025. The submission is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
The Notice of Allowance mailed February 20, 2026, is withdrawn and a Final Rejection is now mailed.
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.
Claim 1 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by patent document number DE 10 2018 118 615 A1 to Nees et al. (hereinafter referred to as Nees).
Regarding claim 1, Nees discloses an independent corner module (Fig. 3) comprising:
a knuckle (steering gear L) fastened to a wheel (vehicle wheel R);
an axle gear link (bevel gear 34) engaged to the knuckle and configured to guide a vertical motion of the knuckle (Paragraph [0066]);
a fixed frame (steering force device 33) adjacent to the axle gear link and fixed to a vehicle body (body 40);
a steering operator (the long portion of steering force transmission shaft 32) positioned between the axle gear link and the fixed frame and coupling the axle gear link to the fixed frame to apply an operating force;
wherein the steering operator capable of moving along the fixed frame by the operating force of the steering operator, and at a same time, the axle gear link rotates.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 2 – 12 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
Regarding claim 2, Nees discloses the independent corner module (Fig. 3) of claim 1, but does not disclose wherein the steering operator includes:
a carrier link surrounding at least a portion of the axle gear link and at least a portion of the fixed frame to move along the fixed frame;
an actuator configured to apply a rotation force; and a steering gear extending from a rotation shaft of the actuator and gear-engaged with the fixed frame and the axle gear link. Claims 3, 6 and 7 depend from claim 2, and therefore, are allowable for the same reasons.
Regarding claim 4, Nees discloses the independent corner module (Fig. 3) of claim 1, but does not teach wherein the axle gear link includes:
a link guide configured to guide the steering operator; and
a gear formed on the link guide and engaged with the steering operator to enable the link guide to rotate when the steering operator rotates. Claim 10 depends from claim 4, and therefore, are also allowed.
Regarding claim 5, Nees discloses the independent corner module of claim 1, but does not disclose wherein the fixed frame includes a frame gear provided at an end portion of the fixed frame that faces the steering operator.
Regarding claim 8, Nees discloses the independent corner module (Fig. 3) of claim 1, but does not disclose wherein the steering operator is configured to reach either one of opposite end portions of the fixed frame upon application of the operating force. Claim 9 depends from claim 8, and therefore, is also allowed
Regarding claim 11, Nees discloses the independent corner module (Fig. 3) of claim 1, but does not teach the corner module further including:
a buffer, wherein a first end portion of the buffer is coupled to the knuckle and a second end portion of the buffer is coupled to the axle gear link to support the vertical motion of the knuckle.
Regarding claim 12, Nees discloses the independent corner module (Fig. 3) of claim 1, but does not disclose wherein a surface of the axle gear link and a surface of the fixed frame that are adjacent to and face each other have arc shapes sharing a same center.
Conclusion
Applicant's submission of an information disclosure statement under 37 CFR 1.97(c) with the timing fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(p) on June 15, 2026 prompted the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 609.04(b). Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
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.
Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
/Felicia L. Brittman-Alabi/ Examiner, Art Unit 3611
/VALENTIN NEACSU/ Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3611