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 .
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election of Group II, claims 16-20 (along with newly added claims 21-32) in the reply filed on 13 November 2025 is acknowledged. Because applicant did not distinctly and specifically point out the supposed errors in the restriction requirement, the election has been treated as an election without traverse (MPEP § 818.01(a)).
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.
Claims 16-23, 30 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Bellis, Jr. 6,497,422. Bellis, Jr discloses a system comprising: a first vehicle 40; a first docking assembly coupled to the first vehicle, the first docking assembly including a first interface component 36 that is rotatable about a first degree of freedom (about axis 54) relative to the first vehicle; a second vehicle 10; and a second docking assembly coupled to the second vehicle, the second docking assembly including a second interface component 60 to mate with the first interface component, the second interface component rotatable about a second degree of freedom (about pivot pin 32) relative to the second vehicle and a third degree of freedom (about coupler shaft 38) relative to the second vehicle;
wherein the first degree of freedom is a pitch axis, the second degree of freedom is a yaw axis, and the third degree of freedom is a roll axis; wherein the first vehicle is a powered vehicle and the second vehicle is a passive vehicle; wherein the first vehicle is an autonomous vehicle (note no structure is being claimed which is not present the vehicle of Bellis, Jr.); wherein the second vehicle is a trailer; wherein the first docking assembly includes a first mounting interface 54 to be coupled to the first vehicle, and wherein the first interface component includes a receiver (the bore in central portion 55 that receives shaft 38) , the receiver rotatably coupled to the first mounting interface to enable the receiver to rotate about a pitch axis relative to the first vehicle, the receiver defining an opening; wherein the second docking assembly including a second mounting interface to be coupled to the second vehicle, and wherein the second interface component includes a plug 38, the plug to be inserted into the opening of the receiver, the plug rotatably coupled the second mounting interface to enable the plug to rotate about a yaw axis relative to the second vehicle and rotate about a roll axis relative to the second vehicle; wherein the receiver has only one degree of freedom relative to the first mounting interface, and wherein the plug has only two degrees of freedom relative to the second mounting interface; wherein the first docking assembly includes a first spring 62to bias the receiver to a central pitch position
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 24-29, 31-32 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
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Kevin Hurley whose telephone number is (571)272-6646. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Thursday 9 am-5:30 pm Kevin.Hurley@USPTO.GOV.
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/KEVIN HURLEY/
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 3611
December 11, 2025