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 .
Continued Examination Under 37 CFR 1.114
A request for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, including the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e), was filed in this application after final rejection. Since this application is eligible for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114. Applicant's submission filed on February 6, 2026 has been entered. Claims 1-30 remain
pending in the application. Applicant’s amendment to claim 29 has overcome claim objection previously set in the Final Office Action mailed November 26, 2025.
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed February 6, 2026 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
Applicant argued that the cited references do not disclose or suggest the amended features of independent claims: "searching for an index information including the basic information and a storing position of the tire in a tire hotel generated by the remote server and corresponding to the sent basic information of the tire, transmitting the index information to the hand held tool, and searching and showing the storing position of the tire on the hand held tool by using the index information" .
In this office action, Lewis is further cited to reject the amended feature under 35 USC 103.
Applicant further argued that in the amended Claims 1, 17, 25 and 27, the descriptions of the basic information is amended to "wherein the basic information is one of a name of a vehicle owner, a telephone number of the vehicle owner, a license plate number or MMY (all of the maker, the model, and the year of the vehicle)".
As explained in the office action, Hsu discloses one of the listed basic information in paragraph [0045]: outer messages received by the tire sensor setting tool 120 can include… a vehicle owner name. [0046] discloses that the basic information is inputted into the tire sensor setting tool: the outer message is inputted into the tire sensor setting tool.
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.
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, 10, 16, 17, 25, 27, 29 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over HSU et al. (US 20200057999 A1) in view of Lewis (US 20240046074 A1).
Regarding claim 1, Hsu discloses:
A system for setting a storing position of a tire comprising: a hand held tool for inputting a basic information for the tire {paragraph [0046]: the tire brand, the tire type, the tire installation time… can be inputted as texts through the touch input interface 124 as in FIG. 4, or can be inputted into the tire sensor setting tool 120} and a storing position of the tire in a tire hotel {[0008]: providing a tire storing area, wherein the tire storing area includes a plurality of tire storing positions; storing a tire to one of the tire storing positions; inputting the tire storing position to the tire sensor setting tool. [0045]: a position of the tire on a shelf, a shelf number. [0050]: a position of the tire on the shelf is inputted into the tire sensor setting tool 120} at least comprising: a first circuit board; and a first chip module mounted on the first circuit board and electrically to and controlling a power module, a memory, an operation module, and a network communication module for transmitting the basic information and the storing position of the tire {[0006]: The tire sensor setting tool includes a circuit board, a chip module, a memory, a low frequency transceiver, a high frequency transceiver (network communication module), a power module and a display module, wherein the chip module is assembled on the circuit board, and the chip module is electrically connected to the memory, the low frequency transceiver, the high frequency transceiver, the power module and the display module, the high frequency transceiver receives the operation message, the memory stores a software program for processing the operation message and the vehicle service message (operation module), the chip module executes an instruction of the software program};
a remote server for receiving the basic information and the storing position of the tire sent from the hand held tool {[0046], [0008], [0045], [0050], Fig. 9, [0047]: The tire sensor setting tool 120 can transmit the operation message/outer message… can be wired or wirelessly transmitted to the remote server 140 for storing and analyzing}, wherein one of the hand held tool and the remote server generates an index information including the basic information and the storing position of the tire {[0048]: the operation message and the outer message can be transmitted to the remote server 140 for analyzing or matching, and the analyzing/matching result can be transmitted back to the tire sensor setting tool 120. [0030]: generating a user profile for storing the operation message and the vehicle service message; transmitting the operation message and the vehicle service message to a remote server. Examiner notes that the remote server receives and analyzes the basic information and the storing position of the tire together and transmits the analyzed result back. In the analysis process, [0027]: these data can be associated to generate an association data (index information). When a tire seller or a tire manufacturer obtains the association data through the remote server 140, the location of the tire can be obtained}, wherein the basic information is one of a name of a vehicle owner, a telephone number of the vehicle owner, a license plate number or MMY (all of the maker, the model, and the year of the vehicle) {[0045]: outer messages received by the tire sensor setting tool 120 can include… a vehicle owner name}.
Hsu does not disclose: wherein the remote server or the hand held tool searches for the index information generated by the remote server or the hand held tool, and searches the storing position of the tire on the hand held tool by using the index information.
Lewis teaches index information and searching parts using the index information in [0017]: for identifying, classifying… vehicle parts, [0074]: classifying and identifying… multidimensional cube warehouse… search-indexes, [0080]: a server configuration, [0087]: a centralized or distributed database, and/or associated caches and server. That is, Lewis teaches an example of using index in searching automotive parts, which may include tires, with a server. Generating index information by the server is implied by database functions of the server.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art of tire management tool before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate the search index feature of Lewis with the described invention of Hsu in order to facilitate searching a particular part in a warehouse.
Similar reasoning applies to claim 17.
Regarding claim 10, which depends from claim 1, Hsu discloses: further comprising a computer device connected with the remote server or the hand held tool to access the index information in the remote server or the hand held tool {[0047]: The message processing device 130 can be a computer}.
Regarding claim 16, which depends from claim 1, Hsu discloses: wherein the first chip module is connected with and controls a display module, one of the display module and the operation module is applied to manually input the storing position of the tire in the tire hotel into the hand held tool {[0028]: The display module 120f can include a touch input interface, [0045]}.
Regarding claim 25, Hsu in view of Lewis teaches: An electronic device having a program for setting a storing position of a tire comprising: providing a selection interface means for providing a selection interface for entering a booking interface, a customer information interface or a tire information searching interface; inputting basic information means for inputting the basic information of the tire from an inputting interface; inputting storing position means for inputting a storing position of the tire in a tire hotel from the inputting interface; transmitting means for transmitting the basic information of the tire and the storing position of the tire to a remote server, and generates an index information including the basic information and the storing position of the tire by one of the electronic device and the remote server; and searching means for searching for the index information generated by the remote server or the electronic device, and searching the storing position of the tire on the electronic device by using the index information; wherein the basic information comprises a vehicle owner information that is capable of identifying an identification of a vehicle owner is one of a name of a vehicle owner, a telephone number of the vehicle owner, a license plate number or MMY (all of the maker, the model, and the year of the vehicle) {Hsu: [0046], [0008], [0045], [0050], [0006], Fig. 9, [0047], [0048], [0030], [0027] / Lewis: [0017], [0074], [0080], [0087]}.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art of tire management tool before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate the search index feature of Lewis with the described invention of Hsu in order to facilitate searching a particular part in a warehouse.
Regarding claim 27, Hsu in view of Lewis teaches: An electronic device having a program for getting a storing position of a tire comprising: inputting means for inputting a basic information of the tire and storing the basic information of the tire in a memory of the electronic device; and transmitting means for transmitting the basic information of the tire to a remote server, wherein an index information including the basic information and a storing position of the tire is Page 8 of 16 generated and stored in the remote server and is transmitted to the electronic device, thereby the storing position of tire in a tire hotel is capable of being get by the index information or directly get from the memory of the electronic device; searching means for searching for the index information generated by the remote server or the electronic device, and searching the storing position of the tire on the electronic device by using the index information: wherein the basic information comprises a vehicle owner information that is capable of identifying an identification of a vehicle owner is one of a name of a vehicle owner, a telephone number of the vehicle owner, a license plate number or MMY (all of the maker, the model, and the year of the vehicle) {Hsu: [0046], [0008], [0045], [0050], [0006], Fig. 9, [0027], [0047], [0048]: the operation message and the outer message can be transmitted to the remote server 140 for analyzing or matching, and the analyzing/matching result can be transmitted back to the tire sensor setting tool 120, [0030] / Lewis: [0017], [0074], [0080], [0087]}.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art of tire management tool before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate the search index feature of Lewis with the described invention of Hsu in order to facilitate searching a particular part in a warehouse.
Regarding claim 29, Hsu discloses: A method for searching for a storing position of a tire in a tire hotel comprising steps of. inputting a basic information of a tire by a hand held tool and transmitting the basic information of the tire to a remote server; and searching for an index information including the basic information and a storing position of the tire in a tire hotel generated by the remote server and corresponding to the sent basic information of the tire, transmitting the index information to the hand held tool, and searching and showing the storing position of the tire on the hand held tool by using the index information; wherein the basic information comprises a vehicle owner information that is capable of identifying an identification of a vehicle owner is one of a name of a vehicle owner, a telephone number of the vehicle owner, a license plate number or MMY (all of the maker, the model, and the year of the vehicle) {[0046], [0008], [0045], [0050], [0006], Fig. 9, [0047], [0048], [0030], [0027]}.
Lewis teaches: searching for an index information; search the storing position of the tire on the hand held tool by using the index information {[0017], [0074], [0080], [0087]}.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art of tire management tool before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate the search index feature of Lewis with the described invention of Hsu in order to facilitate searching a particular part in a warehouse.
Claim(s) 2, 11, 12, 15, 26 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Hsu in view of Lewis and in further view of Strahan et al. (US 20230241933 A1).
Regarding claim 2, which depends from claim 1, Strahan teaches: further comprising a TPMS sensor (Tire Pressure Monitoring System Sensor) {[0025]: a tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS) sensor} comprising a storing module and a receiving module electrically connected with the storing module, and the TPMS sensor further comprising a microcontroller module, an electricity module, a transmitting module, and a detecting module, wherein the electricity module, the transmitting module, and the detecting module are electrically connected with the microcontroller module {[0036], [0033], [0032], [0030], [0027]}.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art of tire management tool before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate the TPMS sensor and its components feature of Strahan with the described invention of modified Hsu in order to provide tire pressure monitoring capability.
Regarding claim 11, which depends from claim 1, Strahan teaches: further comprising a TPMS activating device including a second circuit board and a second chip module electrically connected with and controlling a second power module, an operation module {[0036]: receive an activation signal from a handheld activation tool}, a blue tooth module {[0034]: a Bluetooth protocol transceiver}, a low frequency (125KHz) transceiver {[0003]: a low frequency (LF) system typically operating at a frequency of 125 kHz}, and a high frequency (315MH/433MH) transceiver {[0032]: a UHF RF transmitter (217) may be used for transmitting tire measurements using a 315 MHz or 433 MHz signal}, wherein an operational knob is pressed to make the low frequency transceiver send a 125KHz triggering signal to a TPMS sensor {[0003]. Pressing operational knob is implied as a means to activate TPMS sensor}, the high frequency transceiver is capable of receiving a tire pressure signal sent from a TPMS sensor {[0032]}, the tire pressure signal includes an ID number of the TPMS sensor {[0032]: transmit the sensor ID}, and the blue tooth module is applied to connect with the hand held tool to transmit the tire pressure signal to the hand held tool {[0034]: the transceiver used to transmit tire pressure data}.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art of tire management tool before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate the TPMS sensor transmission feature of Strahan with the described invention of modified Hsu in order to provide tire pressure monitoring capability.
Regarding claim 12, which depends from claim 11, Strahan teaches: wherein the TPMS activating device further comprises a controller area network (CANBUS) module electrically connected with a vehicle computer and transmitting the ID number of the TPMS sensor to the vehicle computer so as to save the ID number of the TPMS sensor in a memory of the vehicle computer or transmit an ID number of a TPMS to the TPMS activating device {[0055]: CAN interface couples an I/O port to the controller. The I/O port (417) may be used to receive tire monitoring sensor data}.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art of tire management tool before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate the CANBUS feature of Strahan with the described invention of modified Hsu in order to communicate TPMS data to the vehicle.
Regarding claim 15, which depends from claim 1, Strahan teaches: wherein the first chip module is further connected with and controls a third blue tooth module being capable of transmitting the index information to a TPMS sensor, and index information is saved in a memory module of the TPMS sensor {Strahan: [0034]}.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art of tire management tool before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate the blue tooth information transmitting feature of Strahan with the described invention of modified Hsu in order to provide tire storage information to a sensor.
Regarding claim 26, which depends from claim 25, Strahan teaches: further comprising a printing means for selectively printing the basic information of the tire and the storing position of the tire {[0055]: The display interface may be used to output indicia of tire parameters to a dashboard or display of the vehicle. Examiner notes that the output may be printing}.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art of tire management tool before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate the printing feature of Strahan with the described invention of modified Hsu in order to present tire information in tangible form.
Claim(s) 3, 13, 14 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable Hsu in view of Lewis and Strahan and in further view of Lhospitalier et al. (US 20230025904 A1).
Regarding claim 3, which depends from claim 2, modified Hsu does not teach: further comprising a radio frequency identification tag (RFID) and a message processing device, wherein the first chip module is connected with and controls an RFID reader and writer that directly read the basic information for the tire stored in the RFID, and the message processing device is capable of sending and receiving information to and from the hand held tool and the remote server.
Lhospitalier teaches that it was old and well known at the time of filing in the art of tire management tool to utilize an RFID device in [0027]: tyre is fitted with a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag, [0047]: the reading of the RFID tags of the tyres from the handling equipment.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art of tire management tool before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate the RIFD tag handling feature of Lhospitalier with the described invention of modified Hsu in order to facilitate identification of tires.
Regarding claim 13, which depends from claim 11, Hsu discloses: wherein the first chip module is electrically connected to and controlling a WIFI module {[0006]}, a display module {[0006]}, a controller area network module, a USB module {[0023]}.
Strahan teaches: a low frequency (125KHz) transceiver {[0003]}, a high frequency (315MH/433MH) transceiver {[0032]}, the high frequency transceiver is capable of transmitting the index information to the TPMS sensor, and index information is saved in a memory module of the TPMS sensor {[0032], a second blue tooth module {[0034]}.
Lhospitalier teaches:, a lens module {[0084]}, an RFID reader and writer {[0027]}.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art of tire management tool before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate the electronic components feature of Strahan and of Lhospitalier with the described invention of modified Hsu in order to provide electronic components required for tire storage management system.
Regarding claim 14, which depends from claim 13, Strahan teaches: wherein the first chip module is connected with and controls a buzzer and a vibration motor to generate a sound from the buzzer or a vibration from the vibration motor {[0055] teaches low pressure warning, which may be buzzer sound or vibration}.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art of tire management tool before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate the warning feature of Strahan with the described invention of modified Hsu in order to provide warning related to tire state.
Claim(s) 4, 5, 6, 8, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 28 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable Hsu in view of Lewis and Lhospitalier.
Regarding claim 4, which depends from claim 1, Hsu discloses: wherein the hand held tool further comprises a display module {[0028]}.
Lhospitalier teaches: one of the display module and the operation module is applied to directly input the basic information for the tire, the basic information further including one of a license plate number, a vehicle identification number (VIN) {[0023]: information in terms of identification of the vehicle. The identification may be a license plate number, a vehicle identification number (VIN).}
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art of tire management tool before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate the vehicle identification feature of Lhospitalier with the described invention of modified Hsu in order to facilitate associating tire data with the vehicle.
Regarding claim 5, which depends from claim 1, Lhospitalier teaches: wherein the basic information for the tire is stored in a radio frequency identification tag (RFID) attached to the tire or a TPMS sensor, and the hand held tool has a RFID reader and writer that is capable of directly reading the basic information stored in the RFID or the TPMS sensor {[0027], [0047]}.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art of tire management tool before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate the RIFD tag handling feature of Lhospitalier with the described invention of modified Hsu in order to facilitate identification of tires.
Regarding claim 6, which depends from claim 5, Lhospitalier teaches: wherein the hand held tool further comprises a lens module, one of the lens module and the operation module of the hand held tool is applied to input an inputted information including one of an ID of the TPMS sensor, an ID of the RFID, and an identification information of the tire, and RFID reader and writer of the hand held tool is applied to transmit the inputted information to the RFID or the TPMS sensor {[0027], [0047], [0084]: having a camera}.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art of tire management tool before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate the RIFD tag reading feature of Lhospitalier with the described invention of modified Hsu in order to facilitate identification of tires.
Regarding claim 8, which depends from claim 1, Lhospitalier teaches: wherein after the basic information is inputted, at least one of a type of tire based on season, identification information of a tire, an ID of a tire, a position of a tire on a vehicle, a storing date and time of a tire, and storing number of tires is inputted into the hand held tool and is sent to the remote server {[0027]: each tyre is fitted with a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag}.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art of tire management tool before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate the tire identification feature of Lhospitalier with the described invention of modified Hsu in order to facilitate tire storage management.
Regarding claim 18, which depends from claim 17, Lhospitalier teaches: wherein the basic information of the tire is stored in a radio frequency identification tag (RFID) attached onto the tire or a TPMS sensor (Tire Pressure Monitoring System Sensor), and the hand held tool has a RFID reader and writer to read the basic information of the tire stored in the RFID or the TPMS sensor for inputting the basic information of the tire into the hand held tool {[0027]}.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art of tire management tool before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate the RFID reading feature of Lhospitalier with the described invention of modified Hsu in order to facilitate obtaining tire related information.
Regarding claim 19, which depends from claim 18, Lhospitalier teaches: wherein the basic information of the tire includes at least one of a tire manufacture, ID of the tire, model of the tire, size of the tire, and manufacturing date of the tire {[0014]: the identifiers of the tyres}.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art of tire management tool before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate the RFID reading feature of Lhospitalier with the described invention of modified Hsu in order to facilitate obtaining tire related information.
Regarding claim 20, which depends from claim 18, Hsu discloses: further comprising steps of: inputting an inputted information including one of an ID of the TPMS sensor, an ID of the RFID, and an tire identification information into the hand held tool by one of an operation module and a display module of the hand held tool; and transmitting the inputted information from the hand held tool to the RFID or the TPMS sensor {[0046], [0006]}.
Regarding claim 21, which depends from claim 18, Lhospitalier teaches: further comprising steps of: scanning an inputted information including one of an ID of the TPMS sensor, an ID of the RFID, and an tire identification information into the hand held tool by a lens module of the hand held tool; and transmitting the inputted information from the hand held tool to the RFID or the TPMS sensor {[0027], [0047], [0084]}.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art of tire management tool before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate the tire information reading feature of Lhospitalier with the described invention of modified Hsu in order to facilitate identification of tires.
Regarding claim 22, which depends from claim 17, Lhospitalier teaches: wherein in the step of inputting the basic information of the tire, the basic information for the tire further including one of a license plate number and a vehicle identification number (VIN), and the basic information is directly inputted by one of a display module and an operation module of the hand held tool {[0023]}.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art of tire management tool before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate the vehicle identification feature of Lhospitalier with the described invention of modified Hsu in order to facilitate associating tire data with the vehicle.
Regarding claim 23, which depends from claim 17, Lhospitalier teaches: wherein after the step of inputting the basic information of the tire, at least one of a type of tire based on season, identification information of the tire, an ID of the tire, a position of the tire on a vehicle, and a storing date and time of the tire is inputted into the hand held tool and is sent to the remote server {[0014]: the positions of the tyres on the axles}.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art of tire management tool before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate the tire position on a vehicle feature of Lhospitalier with the described invention of modified Hsu in order to facilitate finding a tire to be fitted on the vehicle.
Regarding claim 24, which depends from claim 17, Lhospitalier teaches: further comprising a step of showing a position of the tire on a vehicle on a display module of the hand held tool and inputting a brand, model, and size of the tire into the hand held tool {[0014]}.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art of tire management tool before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate the tire position on a vehicle feature of Lhospitalier with the described invention of modified Hsu in order to include the tire position in the tire information to be input into the hand held tool.
Regarding claim 28, which depends from claim 27, Lhospitalier teaches: wherein the basic information further comprises one of a license plate number and a vehicle identification number (VIN), and the basic information for the tire is directly inputted by the electronic device {[0023]}.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art of tire management tool before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate the vehicle identification feature of Lhospitalier with the described invention of modified Hsu in order to facilitate associating tire data with the vehicle.
Claim(s) 7, 9 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Hsu in view of Lewis and in further view of Alspach et al. (US 20220314970 A1).
Regarding claim 7, which depends from claim 1, modified Hsu does not teach: further comprising a tread depth measuring tool for measuring a tread depth of the tire, or the hand held tool further comprises a lens module for scanning or picturing the tread depth of the tire, wherein the tread depth of the tired being measured, scanned, or pictured is transmitted to the hand held tool and is then transmitted to the remote server from the hand held tool.
Alspach teaches to measure tread depth in paragraph [0013]: a depth sensor or a camera that scans the tread of the tire.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art of tire management tool before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate the tread depth measuring feature of Alspach with the described invention of modified Hsu in order to check tire wear.
Regarding claim 9, which depends from claim 1, Alspach teaches: wherein the hand held tool further comprises a lens module for picturing an appearance of the tire after the basic information is inputted, and the appearance of the tire is then sent to the remote server {[0044]: The tread data may include tread information, pressure, punctures, presence of foreign materials within the tread, or other information pertaining to the wheels}.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art of tire management tool before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate the tire appearance check feature of Alspach with the described invention of modified Hsu in order to check tire condition.
Claim(s) 30 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over HSU in view of Lewis and Lhospitalier.
Regarding claim 30, which depends from claim 29, Lhospitalier teaches: wherein the basic information further comprises one of a license plate number and a vehicle identification number (VIN), and the basic information for the tire is directly inputted by the hand held tool {[0023]}.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art of tire management tool before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate the vehicle identification feature of Lhospitalier with the described invention of modified Hsu in order to facilitate associating tire data with the vehicle.
Conclusion
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/C.P./Examiner, Art Unit 3661
/RAMYA P BURGESS/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3661