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 11/18/2022. The submission is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
Claim Objections
Claims 1-20 are objected to because of the following informalities:
In claims 1, 11 and 17: the limitation: “control circuitry” should be changed to --the control circuitry--.
Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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 1-2, 6-10, and 17-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Duarte et al. (US 20150171624 A1).
Regarding claim 1, Duarte discloses
A vehicle (aircraft 10, fig.1), comprising:
a body (body 87, fig.1);
a vehicle window (aircraft windshields 14, fig.1) in the body (body 87) having a thin-film conductive layer (conductive coating 62, fig.2) and at least first and second terminals (bus bars 66, 68, fig.2) coupled to the thin-film conductive layer (conductive coating 62); and
control circuitry (heat controller 197, fig.13) configured to apply signals to the thin-film conductive layer (conductive coating 62) through the first and second terminals (bus bars 66, 68) to ohmically heat different regions of the thin-film conductive layer (conductive coating 62) by different amounts [Par.0083 cited: “…control logic for a heat controller 206 of the window heat controller 197 is a comparator of the type that compares the electrical signal, e.g. in mV from the temperature sensor 188 to a set voltage range, and when the signal is outside of the range, the control logic of the heat controller 206 forwards a signal to open the switch 198…”].
Regarding claim 2, Duarte discloses
the first terminal (bus bars 66, fig.2) is located along a first edge of the thin-film conductive layer (conductive coating 62, fig.2) and the second terminal (bus bars 68, fig.2) is located along a second opposing edge of the thin-film conductive layer (conductive coating 62, fig.2).
Regarding claim 6, Duarte discloses
the control circuitry (heat controller 197, fig.13) is configured to make electrical measurements (electrical measurement mechanism 122, fig.6) on the thin-film conductive layer (conductive coating 62, fig.2).
Regarding claim 7, Duarte discloses
the electrical measurements (electrical measurement mechanism 122, fig.6) comprise resistance measurements [Par.0060 cited: “…electrical measurement mechanism 122 reads or measures the current flowing through the conductive strip…”] and wherein the control circuitry (heat controller 197, fig.13) is configured to detect a crack in the vehicle window based on the resistance measurements (electrical measurement mechanism 122) [Par.0061 cited: “…a rupture or crack occurs and propagates in the glass sheet 22, 24 and/or 60, it will eventually reach the conductive strip 112. As the crack begins to move through and break a section of the conductive strip 112, the resistance value calculated by either the electrical measurement mechanism 122 or the control mechanism 124 begins to increase. This resistance value increase indicates a rupture or crack in the glass sheet and the conductive strip 112, e.g. but not limited to the glass sheet 22, 24 and/or 60. When the crack fully traverses and breaks the conductive strip 112, the resistance value reaches infinity and indicates a serious rupture condition…”].
Regarding claim 8, Duarte discloses
the first and second terminals (bus bars 66, 68, fig.2) are located along a first edge of the thin-film conductive layer (conductive coating 62, fig.2).
Regarding claim 9, Duarte discloses
the first and second terminals (bus bars 66, 68, fig.2) are elongated terminals that each extend entirely across a respective edge of the thin-film conductive layer (conductive coating 62, fig.2).
Regarding claim 10, Duarte discloses
the control circuitry (heat controller 197, fig.13) is configured to apply the signals to the thin-film conductive layer (conductive coating 62, fig.2) through the first and second terminals (bus bars 66, 68, fig.2) to defrost a driver-side area of the vehicle window (aircraft windshields 14, fig.1) before defrosting other areas of the vehicle window (aircraft windshields 14).
Regarding claim 17, Duarte discloses
A vehicle (aircraft 10, fig.1), comprising:
a body (body 87, fig.1);
a vehicle window (aircraft windshields 14, fig.1) in the body (body 87) having a thin-film interference filter (conductive coating 62, second urethane interlayer 34, fig.2) with at least first (conductive coating 62) and second (second urethane interlayer 34) conductive layers and having terminals (bus bars 66, 68, fig.2) coupled to the first and second conductive layers (conductive coating 62, second urethane interlayer 34); and
control circuitry (heat controller 197, fig.13) configured to apply a current to the first and second conductive layers (conductive coating 62, second urethane interlayer 34) through the terminals (bus bars 66, 68) to ohmically heat only a portion of the vehicle window (aircraft windshields 14).
Regarding claim 18, Duarte discloses
the terminals (bus bars 66, 68, fig.2) comprise segmented terminals that are distributed along different edges of the first and second conductive layers (conductive coating 62, second urethane interlayer 34, fig.2).
Regarding claim 19, Duarte discloses
the portion of the vehicle window (aircraft windshields 14) comprises a driver-side portion of the vehicle window (aircraft windshields 14).
Regarding claim 20, Duarte discloses
at least one of the terminals (bus bars 66, 68, fig.2) extends across an entire edge of the first conductive layer (conductive coating 62, fig.2).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
The following is a quotation of AIA 35 U.S.C. 103 which forms the basis for all obviousness rejections set forth in this Office action:
A patent may not be obtained though the invention is not identically disclosed or described as set forth in section 102 of this title, 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 negatived by the manner in which the invention was made.
The factual inquiries set forth in Graham v. John Deere Co., 383 U.S. 1, 148 USPQ 459 (1966), that are applied 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.
Claims 3-4 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Duarte et al. (US 20150171624 A1).
Duarte discloses substantially all the features as set forth in claim 1 above, such as the first and second terminal.
Regarding claim 3, Duarte does not disclose
additional terminals coupled to the thin-film conductive layer.
Regarding claim 4, Duarte does not disclose
the additional terminals are located along third and fourth opposing edges of the thin-film conductive layer.
It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art at before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to modify a thin-film conductive layer, by including additional terminals coupled to the thin-film conductive layer; and the additional terminals are located along third and fourth opposing edges of the thin-film conductive layer, as it well known in the art of manufacturing design choice of duplication in part, in order to increase a heat conductivity.
Claims 5 and 11-16 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Duarte et al. (US 20150171624 A1), in view of Short (US 20110017487 A1).
Regarding claim 5, Duarte discloses substantially all the features as set forth in claim 1 above, such as the thin-film conductive layer.
However, Duarte does not disclose the thin-film conductive layer comprises an infrared-light-blocking layer.
Short discloses an apparatus (system 10, fig.1) comprises a thin-film conductive layer (conductive coating 16, fig.1) comprises an infrared-light-blocking layer [Par.0025 cited: “…conductive coating 16 can have any desired number of infrared reflective film…”].
It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art at before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to modify a thin-film conductive layer, comprises an infrared-light-blocking layer, as taught by Short, in order to provide an infrared filter blocking.
Regarding claim 11, Duarte discloses
A vehicle (aircraft 10, fig.1), comprising:
a body (body 87, fig.1);
a vehicle window (aircraft windshields 14, fig.1) in the body (body 87) having a conductive layer (conductive coating 62, fig.2) having segmented terminals (bus bars 66, 68, fig.2) coupled to at least first and second edges of the conductive layer (conductive coating 62,); and
a control circuitry (heat controller 197, fig.13) configured to apply a current to the conductive layer (conductive coating 62) through the segmented terminals (bus bars 66, 68) to ohmically heat a localized portion of the vehicle window (aircraft windshields 14).
However, Duarte does not disclose the conductive layer that forms an infrared-light-blocking filter.
Short discloses an apparatus (system 10, fig.1) comprises a conductive layer (conductive coating 16, fig.1) that forms an infrared-light-blocking layer [Par.0025 cited: “…conductive coating 16 can have any desired number of infrared reflective film…”].
It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art at before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to modify a thin-film conductive layer, that forms an infrared-light-blocking layer, as taught by Short, in order to provide an infrared filter blocking.
Regarding claim 12, Duarte discloses
the conductive layer (conductive coating 62, fig.2) comprises a thin-film conductive layer (conductive coating 62)
Duarte does not disclose the segmented terminals are coupled to third and fourth edges of the conductive layer.
It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art at before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to modify segmented terminals, are coupled to third and fourth edges of the conductive layer, as it well known in the art of manufacturing design choice of duplication in part, in order to increase a heat conductivity.
Regarding claim 13, Duarte discloses
the control circuitry (heat controller 197, fig.13) is configured to apply the current to the conductive layer (conductive coating 62) through the segmented terminals (bus bars 66, 68, fig.2) to locally defrost a driver-side area of the vehicle window (aircraft windshields 14, fig.1) before defrosting other areas of the vehicle window (aircraft windshields 14).
Regarding claim 14, Short discloses
the infrared-light-blocking layer (conductive coating 16, fig.1) comprises a thin-film interference filter [Par.0025 cited: “…conductive coating 16 can have any desired number of infrared reflective film…”].
It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art at before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to modify a thin-film conductive layer, that forms an infrared-light-blocking layer, as taught by Short, in order to provide an infrared filter blocking.
Regarding claim 15, Duarte discloses
the infrared-light-blocking filter (conductive coating 62, fig.2) comprises an additional conductive layer (second urethane interlayer 34, fig.2).
Duarte does not disclose additional terminals through which the control circuitry applies a current to the additional conductive layer.
It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art at before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to modify the infrared-light-blocking filter, by comprising additional terminals through which the control circuitry applies a current to the additional conductive layer, as it well known in the art of manufacturing design choice of duplication in part, in order to increase a heat conductivity.
Regarding claim 16, Duarte does not disclose
the additional terminals comprise an elongated terminal that extends past the segmented terminals.
It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art at before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to modify the infrared-light-blocking filter, by comprising additional terminals comprise an elongated terminal that extends past the segmented terminals, as it well known in the art of manufacturing design choice of duplication in part, in order to increase a heat conductivity.
Double Patenting
The nonstatutory double patenting rejection is based on a judicially created doctrine grounded in public policy (a policy reflected in the statute) so as to prevent the unjustified or improper timewise extension of the “right to exclude” granted by a patent and to prevent possible harassment by multiple assignees. A nonstatutory double patenting rejection is appropriate where the claims at issue are not identical, but at least one examined application claim is not patentably distinct from the reference claim(s) because the examined application claim is either anticipated by, or would have been obvious over, the reference claim(s). See, e.g., In re Berg, 140 F.3d 1428, 46 USPQ2d 1226 (Fed. Cir. 1998); In re Goodman, 11 F.3d 1046, 29 USPQ2d 2010 (Fed. Cir. 1993); In re Longi, 759 F.2d 887, 225 USPQ 645 (Fed. Cir. 1985); In re Van Ornum, 686 F.2d 937, 214 USPQ 761 (CCPA 1982); In re Vogel, 422 F.2d 438, 164 USPQ 619 (CCPA 1970); and In re Thorington, 418 F.2d 528, 163 USPQ 644 (CCPA 1969).
A timely filed terminal disclaimer in compliance with 37 CFR 1.321(c) or 1.321(d) may be used to overcome an actual or provisional rejection based on a nonstatutory double patenting ground provided the reference application or patent either is shown to be commonly owned with this application, or claims an invention made as a result of activities undertaken within the scope of a joint research agreement. A terminal disclaimer must be signed in compliance with 37 CFR 1.321(b).
The USPTO internet Web site contains terminal disclaimer forms which may be used. Please visit http://www.uspto.gov/forms/. The filing date of the application will determine what form should be used. A web-based eTerminal Disclaimer may be filled out completely online using web-screens. An eTerminal Disclaimer that meets all requirements is auto-processed and approved immediately upon submission. For more information about eTerminal Disclaimers, refer to http://www.uspto.gov/patents/process/file/efs/guidance/eTD-info-I.jsp.
Claims 1-20 are rejected on the ground of nonstatutory double patenting as being unpatentable over claims 1-19 of U.S. Patent No. 11506623.
Although the claims at issue are not identical, they are not patentably distinct from each other.
Present application 17990207
U.S. Patent No. 11506623
1. A vehicle, comprising: a body; a vehicle window in the body having a thin-film conductive layer and at least first and second terminals coupled to the thin-film conductive layer; and control circuitry configured to apply signals to the thin-film conductive layer through the first and second terminals to ohmically heat different regions of the thin-film conductive layer by different amounts.
2. The vehicle defined in claim 1 wherein the first terminal is located along a first edge of the thin-film conductive layer and the second terminal is located along a second opposing edge of the thin-film conductive layer.
3. The vehicle defined in claim 2 further comprising additional terminals coupled to the thin-film conductive layer.
4. The vehicle defined in claim 3 wherein the additional terminals are located along third and fourth opposing edges of the thin-film conductive layer.
5. The vehicle defined in claim 1 wherein the thin-film conductive layer comprises an infrared-light-blocking layer.
6. The vehicle defined in claim 1 wherein the control circuitry is configured to make electrical measurements on the thin-film conductive layer.
7. The vehicle defined in claim 6 wherein the electrical measurements comprise resistance measurements and wherein the control circuitry is configured to detect a crack in the vehicle window based on the resistance measurements.
8. The vehicle defined in claim 1 wherein the first and second terminals are located along a first edge of the thin-film conductive layer.
9. The vehicle defined in claim 1 wherein the first and second terminals are elongated terminals that each extend entirely across a respective edge of the thin-film conductive layer.
10. The vehicle defined in claim 1 wherein the control circuitry is configured to apply the signals to the thin-film conductive layer through the first and second terminals to defrost a driver-side area of the vehicle window before defrosting other areas of the vehicle window.
11. A vehicle, comprising: a body; a vehicle window in the body having a conductive layer that forms an infrared-light-blocking filter and having segmented terminals coupled to at least first and second edges of the conductive layer; and control circuitry configured to apply a current to the conductive layer through the segmented terminals to ohmically heat a localized portion of the vehicle window.
12. The vehicle defined in claim 11 wherein the conductive layer comprises a thin-film conductive layer and wherein the segmented terminals are coupled to third and fourth edges of the conductive layer.
13. The vehicle defined in claim 11 wherein the control circuitry is configured to apply the current to the conductive layer through the segmented terminals to locally defrost a driver-side area of the vehicle window before defrosting other areas of the vehicle window.
14. The vehicle defined in claim 11 wherein the infrared-light-blocking filter comprises a thin-film interference filter.
15. The vehicle defined in claim 14 wherein the infrared-light-blocking filter comprises an additional conductive layer and additional terminals through which the control circuitry applies a current to the additional conductive layer.
16. The vehicle defined in claim 15 wherein the additional terminals comprise an elongated terminal that extends past the segmented terminals.
17. A vehicle, comprising: a body; a vehicle window in the body having a thin-film interference filter with at least first and second conductive layers and having terminals coupled to the first and second conductive layers; and control circuitry configured to apply a current to the first and second conductive layers through the terminals to ohmically heat only a portion of the vehicle window.
18. The vehicle defined in claim 17 wherein the terminals comprise segmented terminals that are distributed along different edges of the first and second conductive layers.
19. The vehicle defined in claim 17 wherein the portion of the vehicle window comprises a driver-side portion of the vehicle window.
20. The vehicle defined in claim 17 wherein at least one of the terminals extends across an entire edge of the first conductive layer.
1. A vehicle, comprising: a body; a vehicle window in the body having a blanket thin-film conductive layer and multiple terminals coupled to different respective locations of the blanket thin-film conductive layer; and control circuitry configured to: apply signals to the blanket thin-film conductive layer through the multiple terminals; and make electrical measurements on the blanket thin-film conductive layer.
2. The vehicle defined in claim 1 wherein the multiple terminals are distributed along first and second opposing sides of the blanket thin-film conductive layer.
3. The vehicle defined in claim 1 wherein the multiple terminals are distributed along first, second, third, and fourth sides of the blanket thin-film conductive layer.
4. The vehicle defined in claim 1 wherein the blanket thin-film conductive layer comprises an infrared-light-blocking layer.
5. The vehicle defined in claim 1 wherein the electrical measurements comprise resistance measurements.
6. The vehicle defined in claim 5 wherein the control circuitry is configured to detect a crack in the vehicle window based on the resistance measurements.
7. The vehicle defined in claim 6 wherein the control circuitry is configured to output an alert in response to detecting the crack in the vehicle window.
8. The vehicle defined in claim 6 wherein the control circuitry is configured to deactivate vehicle controls in response to detecting the crack in the vehicle window.
9. The vehicle defined in claim 1 wherein the control circuitry is configured to apply the signals to the blanket thin-film conductive layer to ohmically heat different regions of the blanket thin-film conductive layer by different amounts.
10. A vehicle, comprising: a body; a vehicle window in the body having a thin-film conductive layer and segmented terminals coupled to the thin-film conductive layer; and control circuitry configured to: apply a current to a first portion of the thin-film conductive layer though the segmented terminals; and make electrical measurements on a second portion of the thin-film conductive layer.
11. The vehicle defined in claim 10 wherein the thin-film conductive layer comprises an infrared-light-blocking layer.
12. The vehicle defined in claim 10 wherein the electrical measurements comprise resistance measurements.
13. The vehicle defined in claim 12 wherein the control circuitry is configured to detect a crack in the vehicle window based on the resistance measurements.
14. The vehicle defined in claim 10 wherein the control circuitry is configured to apply the current to the first portion of the thin-film conductive layer to ohmically heat the first portion of the thin-film conductive layer.
15. A vehicle, comprising: a body; a vehicle window in the body having a conductive layer and terminals; and control circuitry configured to: apply a current to the conductive layer through the terminals; and make electrical measurements on first and second different portions of the conductive layer.
16. The vehicle defined in claim 15 wherein the control circuitry is configured to apply the current to the conductive layer to ohmically heat the conductive layer.
17. The vehicle defined in claim 15 wherein the conductive layer forms part of a thin-film interference filter.
18. The vehicle defined in claim 15 wherein the control circuitry is configured to detect a window crack based on the electrical measurements.
19. The vehicle defined in claim 18 wherein the control circuitry is configured to deactivate vehicle controls in response to detecting the window crack.
Claims 1-20 are rejected on the ground of nonstatutory double patenting as being unpatentable over claims 1-20 of U.S. Patent No. 10739292.
Although the claims at issue are not identical, they are not patentably distinct from each other.
Present application 17990207
U.S. Patent No. 10739292
1. A vehicle, comprising: a body; a vehicle window in the body having a thin-film conductive layer and at least first and second terminals coupled to the thin-film conductive layer; and control circuitry configured to apply signals to the thin-film conductive layer through the first and second terminals to ohmically heat different regions of the thin-film conductive layer by different amounts.
2. The vehicle defined in claim 1 wherein the first terminal is located along a first edge of the thin-film conductive layer and the second terminal is located along a second opposing edge of the thin-film conductive layer.
3. The vehicle defined in claim 2 further comprising additional terminals coupled to the thin-film conductive layer.
4. The vehicle defined in claim 3 wherein the additional terminals are located along third and fourth opposing edges of the thin-film conductive layer.
5. The vehicle defined in claim 1 wherein the thin-film conductive layer comprises an infrared-light-blocking layer.
6. The vehicle defined in claim 1 wherein the control circuitry is configured to make electrical measurements on the thin-film conductive layer.
7. The vehicle defined in claim 6 wherein the electrical measurements comprise resistance measurements and wherein the control circuitry is configured to detect a crack in the vehicle window based on the resistance measurements.
8. The vehicle defined in claim 1 wherein the first and second terminals are located along a first edge of the thin-film conductive layer.
9. The vehicle defined in claim 1 wherein the first and second terminals are elongated terminals that each extend entirely across a respective edge of the thin-film conductive layer.
10. The vehicle defined in claim 1 wherein the control circuitry is configured to apply the signals to the thin-film conductive layer through the first and second terminals to defrost a driver-side area of the vehicle window before defrosting other areas of the vehicle window.
11. A vehicle, comprising: a body; a vehicle window in the body having a conductive layer that forms an infrared-light-blocking filter and having segmented terminals coupled to at least first and second edges of the conductive layer; and control circuitry configured to apply a current to the conductive layer through the segmented terminals to ohmically heat a localized portion of the vehicle window.
12. The vehicle defined in claim 11 wherein the conductive layer comprises a thin-film conductive layer and wherein the segmented terminals are coupled to third and fourth edges of the conductive layer.
13. The vehicle defined in claim 11 wherein the control circuitry is configured to apply the current to the conductive layer through the segmented terminals to locally defrost a driver-side area of the vehicle window before defrosting other areas of the vehicle window.
14. The vehicle defined in claim 11 wherein the infrared-light-blocking filter comprises a thin-film interference filter.
15. The vehicle defined in claim 14 wherein the infrared-light-blocking filter comprises an additional conductive layer and additional terminals through which the control circuitry applies a current to the additional conductive layer.
16. The vehicle defined in claim 15 wherein the additional terminals comprise an elongated terminal that extends past the segmented terminals.
17. A vehicle, comprising: a body; a vehicle window in the body having a thin-film interference filter with at least first and second conductive layers and having terminals coupled to the first and second conductive layers; and control circuitry configured to apply a current to the first and second conductive layers through the terminals to ohmically heat only a portion of the vehicle window.
18. The vehicle defined in claim 17 wherein the terminals comprise segmented terminals that are distributed along different edges of the first and second conductive layers.
19. The vehicle defined in claim 17 wherein the portion of the vehicle window comprises a driver-side portion of the vehicle window.
20. The vehicle defined in claim 17 wherein at least one of the terminals extends across an entire edge of the first conductive layer.
1. A vehicle, comprising: a body; a vehicle window in the body that has an infrared-light-blocking layer; and control circuitry that is configured to heat the window by applying ohmic heating current to the infrared-light-blocking layer and that is configured to detect window cracks by making electrical measurements on the infrared-light-blocking layer.
2. The vehicle defined in claim 1 wherein the infrared-light-blocking layer includes at least one conductive layer and wherein the vehicle window includes terminals coupled to the conductive layer through which the control circuitry applies the ohmic heating current.
3. The vehicle defined in claim 2 wherein the terminals include segmented terminals that run along edges of the vehicle window.
4. The vehicle defined in claim 3 wherein the control circuitry is configured to apply the ohmic heating current to a portion of the conductive layer using a pair of the segmented terminals.
5. The vehicle defined in claim 3 wherein the terminals include at least one terminal that extends past at least two of the segmented terminals and wherein the control circuitry is configured to apply the ohmic heating current using the at least one terminal and is configured to make the electrical measurements using the segmented terminals.
6. The vehicle defined in claim 1 wherein the infrared-light-blocking layer includes at least one conductive layer, wherein the vehicle window includes terminals coupled to the conductive layer, and wherein the electrical measurements are resistance measurements on the conductive layer that are gathered by the control circuitry using the terminals.
7. The vehicle defined in claim 6 wherein the terminals include at least a first pair of terminals on a first pair of opposing edges of the window and include at least a second pair of terminals on a second pair of opposing edges of the window that is different than the first pair of opposing edges.
8. The vehicle defined in claim 7 wherein the control circuitry is configured to detect the cracks by measuring resistances of the conductive layer using at least the first pair of terminals and using at least the second pair of terminals.
9. The vehicle defined in claim 1 wherein the at least one conductive layer comprises a silver layer.
10. The vehicle defined in claim 9 wherein the electrical measurements comprise measurements of resistance of the silver layer.
11. The vehicle defined in claim 10 wherein the infrared-light-blocking layer comprises a plurality of silver layers including the conductive layer.
12. The vehicle defined in claim 1 wherein the electrical measurements comprise resistance measurements, wherein the vehicle window includes at least some segmented terminals formed from first strips of metal that are coupled to a silver layer in the infrared-light blocking layer and includes at least two elongated terminals that are formed from second strips of metal that each extend past at least two of the segmented terminals, wherein the control circuitry is configured to make the resistance measurements using the segmented terminals and is configured to apply the ohmic heating current to the conductive layer using the elongated terminals, and wherein the segmented terminals and elongated terminals extend along edges of the vehicle window.
13. A vehicle, comprising: a body; a vehicle window in the body, wherein the vehicle window comprises: an infrared light-blocking layer comprising a stack of thin-film layers that includes at least first and second conductive layers; and terminals formed from strips of metal that extend along edges of the stack; and control circuitry coupled to the stack of thin-film layers with the terminals, wherein the control circuitry is configured to ohmically heat the stack by applying an ohmic heating current to at least one of the first and second conductive layers and configured to detect a crack in the stack by gathering resistance information on least one of the first and second conductive layers.
14. The vehicle defined in claim 13 further comprising a vehicle window, wherein the stack forms a part of the vehicle window.
15. The vehicle defined in claim 14 wherein the terminals include first terminals that are coupled to the first conductive layer and second terminals that are coupled to the second conductive layer.
16. The vehicle defined in claim 15 wherein the control circuitry is configured to detect the crack by measuring a resistance of the first conductive layer using the first terminals.
17. The vehicle defined in claim 16 wherein the control circuitry is configured to heat the vehicle window by applying the ohmic heating current to the second conductive layer with the second terminals.
18. The vehicle defined in claim 14 wherein the first and second conductive layers are silver layers.
19. A vehicle, comprising: a body; and a vehicle window in the body, wherein the vehicle window comprises: outer and inner transparent structural layers; a polymer layer interposed between the structural layers; an opaque masking layer on a surface of the outer transparent structural layer facing the polymer layer, wherein the opaque masking layer runs along at least one edge of the outer transparent structural layer; an infrared-light-blocking layer between the outer and inner transparent structural layers; and terminals on the infrared-light-blocking layer that are configured to receive ohmic heating current that flows through the infrared-light-blocking layer to heat the infrared-light-blocking layer and that are configured to supply resistance measurement signals indicative of whether the outer structural layer has a crack.
20. The vehicle defined in claim 19 wherein the infrared-light-blocking layer comprise at least one silver layer and wherein the terminals are electrically coupled to edges of the silver layer.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to PHUONG T NGUYEN whose telephone number is (571)270-1834. The examiner can normally be reached 9.00am-5.00pm.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Steven Crabb can be reached on 571-270-5095. 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.
/PHUONG T NGUYEN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3761
09/10/2025