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 .
This is the First Office Action on the merits of Application No. 18/068655, filed on 12/20/2022. Claims 1-21 are still pending in the application.
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.
(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.
Claim 1-7, 9, 14-15, 17-20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by WO 2017/070564 to Elliott et al (henceforth referred to as Elliott).
Regarding claims 1-7, 9, 14-15, 17-19, Elliott discloses a vehicle lift (i.e. Fig. 1, ref. 2) comprising:
a base (i.e. Fig. 4, ref. 4);
a carriage (i.e. Fig. 4, ref. 6) configured to receive a portion of a vehicle (i.e. paragraph 0021: “Carriage (6) is configured to engage a component of the vehicle”);
an actuator (i.e. Fig. 4, ref. 5) configured to vertically raise and lower said carriage relative to said base,
wherein said vehicle lift is configured to send and receive wireless signals (i.e. claim 10: “using triangulation of wireless signals”) ; and
a processor (i.e. Fig. 5, ref. 120), wherein said processor is configured to (i) control said actuator (i.e. paragraph 0038: “processors (120) execute to control operation of columns (2)”), and (ii) process the wireless signals (i.e. paragraph 0040: “processors (120) may communicate with each other via transceivers”).
Wherein said actuator is hydraulically powered (i.e. paragraph 0021: “a hydraulic system (5)”).
Wherein said processor is the only processing element of said vehicle lift (i.e. Fig. 5, each ref. 2 has only one ref. 120).
Wherein said vehicle lift is a part of a vehicle lift system (i.e. Fig. 1, ref. 1) including a plurality of substantially identical vehicle lifts (i.e. Fig. 1 shows four identical ref. 2) configured to wirelessly communicate with one another (i.e. paragraph 0040: “processors (120) may communicate with each other via transceivers”).
Wherein the wireless signals are sent and received to/from the plurality of vehicle lifts in the vehicle lift system, and wherein the wireless signals are used to coordinate the heights of each of the vehicle lifts during operation of the vehicle lifts (i.e. Claim 1: “control unit is configured to communicate with each control interface of the plurality of lifts in order to coordinate the lift system”).
Wherein said vehicle lift does not include all of the following: a touchscreen display, a remote control, being configured to process lift velocity information, and being configured with adaptive wireless communication to automatically select radio frequencies (i.e. prior art mentions limitations in this claim but does not mention processing lift velocity information).
Wherein said processor comprises at least six (6) input output pins (i.e. Fig. 5, ref. 120 shown with 6 input/output lines connected to ref. 120) configured to receive information from one or more sensors (i.e. Fig. 5, ref. 124) associated with said vehicle lift.
Wherein said processor comprises at least six (6) input output pins (i.e. Fig. 5, ref. 120 shown with 6 input/output lines connected to ref. 120) configured to send information to at least one hydraulic valve (i.e. Fig. 5, ref. 104, 106) with said vehicle lift.
Wherein the processor includes a wireless communication module (i.e. Fig. 5, ref. 300) configured to send and receive the wireless signals.
Wherein the wireless communications module is configured to send and receive the wireless signals over at least one of the following networks: Wi-FI, Mi-Fi, Bluetooth, and cellular (i.e. paragraph 0024: “wireless transceiver may take… Bluetooth, Wi-Fi,… and other wireless transceivers and hardware”).
Further comprising a user control (i.e. Fig. 5, ref. 200) configured to receive lift instructions from a user of said vehicle lift, wherein said processor includes a communication port in communication with said user control.
Wherein said communications port comprises a wired serial communications port (i.e. paragraph 0024: “an alternative… cables may be used to provide wired communication of information/commands between each column (2) and centralized control module”).
Wherein said user control include a display screen (i.e. Fig. 5, ref. 202), and wherein said processor is configured to control said display screen.
Regarding claim 20, Elliott discloses a wireless portable vehicle lift system (i.e. Fig. 1, ref. 1) comprising:
at least two portable lifts (i.e. Fig. 1, ref. 9), wherein each of said lifts comprises a base (i.e. Fig. 4, ref. 4), a post (i.e. Fig. 4, ref. 2), a carriage assembly (i.e. Fig. 4, ref. 6), and a lift actuator (i.e. Fig. 4, ref. 5) for vertically lifting said carriage assembly relative to said post, wherein each of said portable lifts comprises at least a first microprocessor (i.e. Fig. 5, ref. 120),
wherein said lift system comprises an electronic control system for controlling said lifts, wherein said electronic control system comprises a wireless communication system for wirelessly communicating inter-lift control signals to, from, and/or among said lifts, wherein said first microprocessor is configured to process information related to said wireless communication system (i.e. claim 27: “(c)… comprising setting each control interface in the plurality of mobile lifts to desired communication frequency such that the wireless control unit and each lift in the plurality of mobile lifts communication a system identifier between them,… configured to establish a communication network between the control unit and the plurality of mobile lifts…”),
wherein each of the lifts further comprises an intra-lift control system including one or more lift sensors (i.e. Fig. 5, ref. 124) and/or one or more lift actuators (i.e. Fig. 5, ref. 5), wherein said first microprocessor is configured to process information related to said intra-lift control system.
Claim(s) 1-5, 8, 10, 14-15, 17-19 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1)/(a)(2) as being anticipated by US Patent Application Publication No. 2015/0246797 to Jaipaul et al (henceforth referred to as Jaipaul).
Regarding claims 1-5, 8, 10, 14-15, 17-19, Jaipaul discloses a vehicle lift (i.e. Fig. 1, ref. 22) comprising:
a base (i.e. Fig. 2, ref. 30);
a carriage (i.e. Fig. 2, ref. 34) configured to receive a portion of a vehicle (i.e. paragraph 0030: “carriage assembly 34 is configured to engage a wheel of a vehicle”);
an actuator (i.e. Fig. 2, ref. 36) configured to vertically raise and lower said carriage relative to said base,
wherein said vehicle lift is configured to send and receive wireless signals (i.e. paragraph 0034, “control module 60 can be used to wirelessly control each of the lifts”) ; and
a processor (i.e. Fig. 1, ref. 600), wherein said processor is configured to (i) control said actuator (i.e. paragraph 0088: “control module (6) to perform a first function… including the lift actuator”), and (ii) process the wireless signals (i.e. paragraph 0034, “control module 60 can be used to wirelessly control each of the lifts”).
Wherein said actuator is hydraulically powered (i.e. paragraph 0031: “the lift 22 may include a hydraulic power system”).
Wherein said processor is the only processing element of said vehicle lift (i.e. Fig. 1, each ref. 22 has only one ref. 60).
Wherein said vehicle lift is a part of a vehicle lift system (i.e. Fig. 1, ref. 20) including a plurality of substantially identical vehicle lifts (i.e. Fig. 1, shows four ref. 22) configured to wirelessly communicate with one another (i.e. paragraph 0085: “the lifts 22 of the lift system 20 are equipped with wireless communication capabilities”).
Wherein the wireless signals are sent and received to/from the plurality of vehicle lifts in the vehicle lift system, and wherein the wireless signals are used to coordinate the heights of each of the vehicle lifts during operation of the vehicle lifts (i.e. paragraph 0075: “which allows the lift control module 60 to execute… applications that can be run simultaneously include the Lift Program 72”).
Wherein the one or more sensors include a height sensor (i.e. paragraph 0032: “sensors include a height sensor”).
Wherein said processor includes at least 32kB of flash memory (i.e. paragraph 0040: “memory elements may also be…. flash drive memory”) and at least 32kB or random access memory (RAM) (i.e. paragraph 0040: “memory elements may also be… random access memory (RAM)”).
Wherein the processor includes a wireless communication module (i.e. Fig. 1, ref. 60) configured to send and receive the wireless signals.
Wherein the wireless communications module is configured to send and receive the wireless signals over at least one of the following networks: Wi-FI, Mi-Fi, Bluetooth, and cellular (i.e. paragraph 0038: “communicate through various networks… (e.g. Bluetooth or WiFi)”).
Further comprising a user control (i.e. paragraph 0037: “user control interface that enables one or more users…”) configured to receive lift instructions from a user of said vehicle lift, wherein said processor includes a communication port (i.e. Fig. 5, dotted line coming out of ref. 60) in communication with said user control.
Wherein said communications port comprises a wired serial communications port (i.e. paragraph 0051: lift 22 can permit various forms of wired communicaition”).
Wherein said user control include a display screen (i.e. Fig. 7, ref. 70), and wherein said processor is configured to control said display screen.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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.
Claim(s) 21 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over US Patent Application Publication No. 2015/0246797 to Jaipaul et al in view of US Patent Application Publication No. 2009/0240402 to Lugash et al (henceforth referred to as Jaipaul and Lugash, respectively).
Regarding claim 21, Jaipaul teaches a vehicle lift (i.e. Fig. 1, ref. 22) comprising:
a base (i.e. Fig. 2, ref. 30);
a carriage (i.e. Fig. 2, ref. 34) configured to receive a portion of a vehicle (i.e. paragraph 0030: “carriage assembly 34 is configured to engage a wheel of a vehicle”);
an actuator (i.e. Fig. 2, ref. 36) configured to vertically raise and lower said carriage relative to said base; and
a processor, wherein said processor includes the following –
input and/or output pins (i.e. paragraph 0037: “may comprise one or more functionable inputs such as…”),
flash memory (i.e. paragraph 0040: “flash drive memory”),
random access memory (RAM) (i.e. paragraph 0040: “may include random access memory (RAM)”),
a clock (i.e. paragraph 0049: “use of internal clocks”) with which said processor is configured to generate pulse-width modulated (PWM) signals,
a wireless communications module (i.e. Fig. 1, ref. 60) configured to send and receive a wireless signals.
Jaipaul does not specifically teach an analog to digital converter. However, analog to digital converters are known devices and not novel to the invention. For example, Lugash teaches a lifting device (i.e. Fig. 1C, ref. 4) for a vehicle that uses a controller including a communication module to wirelessly transmit data and operating conditions to a lift from a remote location (i.e. Abstract) wherein the controller comprises analog to digital converters to correctly interpret voltages for a built in surge protection (i.e. paragraph 0099). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to use an analog to digital converter as taught in Lugash in the vehicle lift as taught in Jaipaul to accurately interpret and monitor the voltage in a surge protector and there would have been reasonable expectation of success.
Double Patenting
Claims 1 and 20 are rejected on the ground of nonstatutory double patenting as being unpatentable over claim 20 of U.S. Patent No. 9,352,944. Although the claims at issue are not identical, they are not patentably distinct from each other because claim 20 of US Patent 9,352,944 contains all the limitations in claims 1 and 20 of the current application and would read on the claims as a 102 rejection.
Claims 1 and 20 are rejected on the ground of nonstatutory double patenting as being unpatentable over claim 15 of U.S. Patent No. 9,656,843. Although the claims at issue are not identical, they are not patentably distinct from each other because claim 15 of U.S. Patent No. 9,656,843 contains all the limitations in claims 1 and 20 of the current application and would read on the claims as a 102 rejection.
Claim 5 is rejected on the ground of nonstatutory double patenting as being unpatentable over claim 1 of U.S. Patent No. 10,214,403 and claim 3 of US Patent No. 10,457,536. Although the claims at issue are not identical, they are not patentably distinct from each other because claim 1 of U.S. Patent No. 10,214,403 and claim 3 of US Patent No. 10,457,536 contains all the limitations in claim 5 of the current application and would read on the claims as a 102 rejection.
Claims 1 and 20 are rejected on the ground of nonstatutory double patenting as being unpatentable over claim 16 of U.S. Patent No. 11,643,313. Although the claims at issue are not identical, they are not patentably distinct from each other because claim 16 of U.S. Patent No. 11,643,313 contains all the limitations in claims 1 and 20 of the current application and would read on the claims as a 102 rejection.
Claim 1 is rejected on the ground of nonstatutory double patenting as being unpatentable over claim 1 of U.S. Patent No. 10,065,842. Although the claims at issue are not identical, they are not patentably distinct from each other because claim 1 U.S. Patent No. 10,065,842 contains all the limitations in claim 1 of the current application and would read on the claims as a 102 rejection.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 11-13 and 16 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.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
US Patent Application No. 2024/0182280 to Smith et al teaches a vehicle lift system with processor to process wireless signals among identical lifts;
US Patent No. 11,638,669 to Liljedahl teaches a vehicle lift with processor to process wireless signals;
US Patent No. 11,008,203 to Elliott et al teaches a vehicle lift with processor to process wireless signals;
US Patent Application No. 2024/0407206 to Bowers et al teaches a vehicle lift system with processor to process wireless signals among identical lifts;
WO 2020/009571 to De Jong teaches a vehicle lift system with processor to process wireless signals among identical lifts;
US Patent No. 9,611,128 to Van Hoouten et al teaches a vehicle lift system with processor to process wireless signals among identical lifts.
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/DIEM M TRAN/Examiner, Art Unit 3654
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