DETAILED ACTION
Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
1. The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
Status of Claims
2. This office action is in response to application number 18/191,475 filed on 03/28/2023, and the amendments and arguments filed on 02/17/2026.
Claims 1 and 14 have been amended.
No claims have been added.
No claims have been cancelled.
Claims 1-20 are currently pending and have been examined.
Response to Amendment
3. Applicant’s arguments/remarks made in amendment (See Pages 8-15, filed 02/17/2026) have been fully considered and are not persuasive.
Applicant argues, “Tomandl does not disclose a biasing member that both pivots the seat assembly 220 about a pivot axis and slides the seat assembly 220 in the vehicle forward direction when moving from the first position to the second position”
Examiner respectfully disagrees. The claim language “a seat configured to move from a first position to a second position, the second position being different from the first position, the seat being configured to pivot about a pivot axis and slide in a vehicle forward direction when moving from the first position to the second position, the second position being forward of the first position in the vehicle forward direction; a biasing member configured to move the seat from the first position to the second position;”, defined in applicant’s specification page 0026, states “When the locking member 73 is moved to the unlocked position, a biasing member is configured to move the rear seat 34 from the first position (FIG. 2) to the second position (FIG. 4). The biasing member is any suitable member, such as a torsion spring.”. Under the broadest interpretation, the examiner is interpreting this as at least one biasing member being used to move the seat from a position by sliding and pivoting a seat.
Under this interpretation, prior art Tomandl teaches in Paragraph 0039 “the folding vehicle seat assembly 10 may include a torsion spring of a known deign acting about a pivot 16 tending to shift the seat from the use configuration of FIG. 1 to the folded configuration of FIG. 2 ”. Tomandl also teaches in Paragraph 0080 “A biasing mechanism such as a spring or springs 227 bias the seat base 223 towards the forward position of FIG. 23.”
In other words, the prior art discloses a biasing member and another biasing member that moves the seat forwards and pivots the seat about a pivot axis. As the claim states the words comprising which is a term of art used in claim language which means that the named elements are essential, but other elements may be added and still form a construct within the scope of the claim. (See MPEP 2111.03(I)) Therefore the seat can be moved with a biasing member and another biasing member from the first position to the second position therefore the claim is not limited to just one biasing member as argued by applicant and can be more than one biasing member to both slide the seat and pivot the seat. In response to applicant's argument that the references fail to show certain features of the invention, it is noted that the features upon which applicant relies (i.e., a biasing member that both pivots the seat assembly 220 about a pivot axis and slide the seat assembly 220 in the vehicle forward direction when moving from the first position to the second position) are not recited in the rejected claim(s). Although the claims are interpreted in light of the specification, limitations from the specification are not read into the claims. See In re Van Geuns, 988 F.2d 1181, 26 USPQ2d 1057 (Fed. Cir. 1993). For the above reasons, applicant’s arguments are not persuasive.
Applicant further argues, “Lota does not teach an electronic controller configured to disable a switch”
Examiner respectfully disagrees. The claim language “an electronic controller configured to disable the switch upon detecting a current shift position is not a park shift position”, defined in applicant’s specification page 0027, states “The electronic controller 70 is configured to disable the first and second switches 64 and 66 upon detecting a current shift position of the vehicle 12 is not a park shift position. In other words, when the current shift position of the vehicle 12 is not the park shift position, such as a drive, neutral, low or reverse shift position, operation of the first and second switches 64 and 66 does not cause the electronic controller 70 to activate the actuator 72 to unlock the locking member 73 to move the rear seat 34 from the first position to the second position.”. Under the broadest interpretation, the examiner is interpreting this as an electronic controller that disables a switch as the switch does not activate the actuator when shifting a position to not a park shift position.
Under this interpretation, prior art Lota teaches in Column 5, line number 57-62, Column 9 “the peripheral tactile input 112 may include a plurality of buttons, such as directional arrows or button, similar to the tactile input hardware 110 such that the driver can adjust the positions of seats by manipulating the plurality of buttons”. Lota also teaches in Column 9, line number 5-10 “The input to the peripheral tactile input 112 for moving the first row seat 210 may be transmitted to the one or more processors 102. Then, the one or more processors 102 may transmit instructions to the first actuator 124,”. Finally, Lota teach Column 12, line number 49-52 “disable movement by the actuators 124 under certain driving conditions. For example, when the transmission of the vehicle is in a driving mode,”.
In other words, the prior art discloses a tactile input hardware that adjusts the positions of the seat using buttons and moves the seat using actuators however when the shift position is in driving mode then the actuators are disabled. When the actuators are disabled the tactile input hardware cannot be used to actuate the actuators thus the button can be pressed but is disabled as it will not move the actuators of the seat. For the above reasons, applicant’s arguments are not persuasive.
Finally, applicant argues, “the mere fact that the prior art can be modified does not make the modification obvious unless an apparent reason exist based on evidence in the record or scientific reason for one of ordinary skill in the art to make the modification.”
However, the rationale for combining the references in the independent claims are apparent to combine Tomandl and Lota are apparent thus it would have been for the benefit to combine Tomandl and Lota to provide a vehicle seat adjustment system for a vehicle includes a front seat of the vehicle, one or more passenger seats behind the front seat, an input device configured to receive an input for adjusting positions of the front seat, a first actuator configured to adjust positions of the front seat, a second actuator configured to adjust positions of the one or more passenger seats, and a controller communicatively coupled to the input device and the first and second actuators in order to move and adjust seats in a vehicle while maintaining a space between seats. Also the reason to combine Tomandl in view of Lota to Heeg would have been for the benefit to improve a locking device for a vehicle seat, in particular for a motor vehicle seat, the locking device having a housing, a pawl mounted in a movable manner on the housing for locking with a mating element, at least one safety element which is provided for securing the pawl in the locked state, and can be moved relative to the pawl for unlocking the locking device and a query device which queries the locked state of the locking device and has at least one transducer and at least one sensor.
Applicant respectfully disagrees that claim 14 is patentable, and therefore is rejected for the reasons similar to claim 1. Thus claims 2-13 and 15-20 are also rejected upon dependency to the independent claims. For the reasons explained above the entire rejection has been maintained.
Information Disclosure Statement
4. The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 03/28/2023 have been received and considered.
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.
The factual inquiries 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.
5. Claim(s) 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 10, 11, 14, 15, and 20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Tomandl (US 20100164265 A1) in view of Lota (US 10279703 B2) and further in view of (US 8708413 B2) to Heeg et al. (hereinafter Heeg).
Regarding claim 1, A seat movement prevention system for a vehicle comprising: (Tomandl Paragraph 0090: “In use, when the seat assembly 220 is in the upright or use position shown in FIG. 22, the control mechanism 240 will initially be in the configuration shown in FIG. 24 wherein the pinion member 256 and rack member 260 are retained in their retracted/non-actuated positions wherein lock member 265 prevents movement of rack member 260. ”) a seat configured to move from a first position to a second position, the second position being different from the first position, the seat being configured to pivot about a pivot axis and slide in a vehicle forward direction when moving from the first position to the second position, the second position being forward of the first position in the vehicle forward direction; (Tomandl Paragraph 0039: “The folding vehicle seat assembly 10 may include a torsion spring (not shown) of a known design acting about the pivot 16 tending to shift the seat from the use configuration of FIG. 1 to the folded configuration of FIG. 2.”) (Tomandl Paragraph 0080: “The seat base is slideably mounted to the support structure 221 by linear slides 226 for movement between rearward position (FIG. 22) and a forward position (FIG. 23). A biasing mechanism such as a spring or springs 227 bias the seat base 223 towards the forward position of FIG. 23.”)
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a biasing member configured to move the seat from the first position to the second position; (Tomandl Paragraph 0080: “The seat base is slideably mounted to the support structure 221 by linear slides 226 for movement between rearward position (FIG. 22) and a forward position (FIG. 23). A biasing mechanism such as a spring or springs 227 bias the seat base 223 towards the forward position of FIG. 23.”) locking member configured to prevent movement of the seat from the first position to the second position when the locking member is in a locked position; (Tomandl Paragraph 0088: “Spring 294 thereby interconnects the lock member 265 with housing 255 and biases lock member 265 in the direction of the arrow "C" from the retracted position shown in FIG. 25 towards the extended or locked position shown in FIG. 24.”) (Tomandl Paragraph 0090: “In use, when the seat assembly 220 is in the upright or use position shown in FIG. 22, the control mechanism 240 will initially be in the configuration shown in FIG. 24 wherein the pinion member 256 and rack member 260 are retained in their retracted/non-actuated positions wherein lock member 265 prevents movement of rack member 260.”) an electronic actuator configured to move the locking member from the locked position to an unlocked position, the biasing member being configured to move the seat from the first position to the second position when the locking member is in the unlocked position; (Tomandl Paragraph 0088: “As discussed in more detail below, a powered actuator 307 may be operably connected to lock member 265 by a cable 302.”) (Tomandl Paragraph 0090: “To fold/slide the seat assembly 220 from the configuration of FIG. 22 to the configuration of FIG. 23, a user first actuates powered actuator 307 or moves input device 250, thereby generating a tension force "F2" on input cable 248. Alternately, a user can push on button 297 to move lock member 265 if control mechanism 240 is configured to include push button 297.”) (Note: moving the lock member is the unlocked position) a switch configured to operate the electronic actuator; (Tomandl Paragraph 0084: “Alternately, input device 250 may comprise an electrical switch, input/release cable 248 may comprise an electrical line or the like, and an electric motor or other powered actuator (not shown) could be mounted on or adjacent control mechanism 240 to provide for actuation of control mechanism 240.”) (Note: A push button is a type of switch) (Tomandl Paragraph 0088: “Alternately, a user can push on button 297 to move lock member 265 if control mechanism 240 is configured to include push button 297.”) (Note: A button is a type of switch) (Tomandl Paragraph 0092: “A switch 327 may be positioned on an actuator 307, or it may be positioned at a remote location such as a vehicle dashboard, interior door panel, or the like.”) […] such that the electronic actuator is prevented from moving the locking member from the locked position to the unlocked position; (Tomandl Paragraph 0088: “Spring 294 thereby interconnects the lock member 265 with housing 255 and biases lock member 265 in the direction of the arrow "C" from the retracted position shown in FIG. 25 towards the extended or locked position shown in FIG. 24.As discussed in more detail below, a powered actuator 307 may be operably connected to lock member 265 by a cable 302.”) (Tomandl Paragraph 0090: “In use, when the seat assembly 220 is in the upright or use position shown in FIG. 22, the control mechanism 240 will initially be in the configuration shown in FIG. 24 wherein the pinion member 256 and rack member 260 are retained in their retracted/non-actuated positions wherein lock member 265 prevents movement of rack member 260.”)
Tomandl does not disclose […] an electronic controller configured to disable the switch upon detecting a current shift position is not a park shift position […] a first indication being configured to be displayed on a display of the vehicle when the locking member is in the unlocked position; and a second indication being configured to indicate on the display when the seat is in the second position.
However, Lota does teach […] an electronic controller configured to disable the switch upon detecting a current shift position is not a park shift position (Lota column 5, line number 57-62: “the peripheral tactile input 112 may include a plurality of buttons, such as directional arrows or button, similar to the tactile input hardware 110 such that the driver can adjust the positions of seats by manipulating the plurality of buttons”) (Lota column 9, line number 5-10: “The input to the peripheral tactile input 112 for moving the first row seat 210 may be transmitted to the one or more processors 102. Then, the one or more processors 102 may transmit instructions to the first actuator 124,”) (Lota column 12, line number 49-52: “disable movement by the actuators 124 under certain driving conditions. For example, when the transmission of the vehicle is in a driving mode,”) […] and a second indication being configured to indicate on the display when the seat is in the second position. (Lota Column 11, line number 67- Column 12, line number 4: “The image of the changed seat arrangement may be displayed on the screen 108 as shown in FIG. 5B. In this regard, an occupant of the vehicle may understand current relative positions of seats within a vehicle by looking at the screen 108.”) (Note: The second position of the seat can be displayed on a screen)
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified Tomandl to include […] an electronic controller configured to disable the switch upon detecting a current shift position is not a park shift position […] and a second indication being configured to indicate on the display when the seat is in the second position taught by Lota. This would have been for the benefit to provide a vehicle seat adjustment system for a vehicle includes a front seat of the vehicle, one or more passenger seats behind the front seat, an input device configured to receive an input for adjusting positions of the front seat, a first actuator configured to adjust positions of the front seat, a second actuator configured to adjust positions of the one or more passenger seats, and a controller communicatively coupled to the input device and the first and second actuators in order to move and adjust seats in a vehicle while maintaining a space between seats. [Lota Column 1, line number 39-41 and Column 1, line number 45-53]
Lota does not teach […] and a first indication being configured to be displayed on a display of the vehicle when the locking member is in the unlocked position:
However, Heeg does teach […] and a first indication being configured to be displayed on a display of the vehicle when the locking member is in the unlocked position: (Heeg Column 6, line number 59-61: “For the control display (not shown) which, for example, may be integrated in the dashboard, said control display is switched on when unlocking the locking device 5.”) (Heeg Column 8, line number 1-3: “(when exceeding the limit voltage thereof in FIG. 7 denoted by “potential A switching value”), switches on the display in order to display the unlocked state.”)
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified Tomandl in view of Lota to include […] and a first indication being configured to be displayed on a display of the vehicle when the locking member is in the unlocked position: taught by Heeg. This would have been for the benefit to improve a locking device for a vehicle seat, in particular for a motor vehicle seat, the locking device having a housing, a pawl mounted in a movable manner on the housing for locking with a mating element, at least one safety element which is provided for securing the pawl in the locked state, and can be moved relative to the pawl for unlocking the locking device and a query device which queries the locked state of the locking device and has at least one transducer and at least one sensor. [Heeg Column 1, line number 16-24]
Regarding claim 2, Tomandl in view of Lota and further in view of Heeg does teach claim 1, accordingly, the rejection of claim 1, is incorporated above.
Tomandl does not teach The seat movement prevention system according to claim 1, wherein a shift position sensor detects a current shift position of the vehicle.
However, Lota does teach The seat movement prevention system according to claim 1, wherein a shift position sensor detects a current shift position of the vehicle. (Lota column 5, line number 57-62: “In another example, the peripheral tactile input 112 may include a plurality of buttons, such as directional arrows or button, similar to the tactile input hardware 110 such that the driver can adjust the positions of seats by manipulating the plurality of buttons”) (Lota column 9, line number 6-8: “The input to the peripheral tactile input 112 for moving the first row seat 210 may be transmitted to the one or more processors 102. Then, the one or more processors 102 may transmit instructions to the first actuator 124,”) (Lota column 12, line number 55-57: “That is, the one or more processors 102 may enable the movement by the actuators 124 only when the transmission of the vehicle is in park”) (Note: In order for the processors to enable movement by the actuators a shift position sensor must be used in order to know when the transmission of the vehicle is in a certain gear)
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified Tomandl to include The seat movement prevention system according to claim 1, wherein a shift position sensor detects a current shift position of the vehicle taught by Lota. This would have been for the benefit to provide a vehicle seat adjustment system for a vehicle includes a front seat of the vehicle, one or more passenger seats behind the front seat, an input device configured to receive an input for adjusting positions of the front seat, a first actuator configured to adjust positions of the front seat, a second actuator configured to adjust positions of the one or more passenger seats, and a controller communicatively coupled to the input device and the first and second actuators in order to move and adjust seats in a vehicle while maintaining a space between seats. [Lota Column 1, line number 39-41 and Column 1, line number 45-53]
Regarding claim 3, Tomandl in view of Lota and further in view of Heeg does teach claim 1, accordingly, the rejection of claim 1, is incorporated above.
Tomandl does not teach The seat movement prevention system according to claim 1, wherein the switch being enabled upon detecting the current shift position is the park shift position.
However, Lota does teach The seat movement prevention system according to claim 1, wherein the switch being enabled upon detecting the current shift position is the park shift position. (Lota column 5, line number 57-62: “In another example, the peripheral tactile input 112 may include a plurality of buttons, such as directional arrows or button, similar to the tactile input hardware 110 such that the driver can adjust the positions of seats by manipulating the plurality of buttons”) (Lota column 9, line number 6-8: “The input to the peripheral tactile input 112 for moving the first row seat 210 may be transmitted to the one or more processors 102. Then, the one or more processors 102 may transmit instructions to the first actuator 124,”) (Lota column 12, line number 55-57: “That is, the one or more processors 102 may enable the movement by the actuators 124 only when the transmission of the vehicle is in park”)
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified Tomandl to include The seat movement prevention system according to claim 1, wherein the switch being enabled upon detecting the current shift position is the park shift position taught by Lota. This would have been for the benefit to provide a vehicle seat adjustment system for a vehicle includes a front seat of the vehicle, one or more passenger seats behind the front seat, an input device configured to receive an input for adjusting positions of the front seat, a first actuator configured to adjust positions of the front seat, a second actuator configured to adjust positions of the one or more passenger seats, and a controller communicatively coupled to the input device and the first and second actuators in order to move and adjust seats in a vehicle while maintaining a space between seats. [Lota Column 1, line number 39-41 and Column 1, line number 45-53]
Regarding claim 4, Tomandl in view of Lota and further in view of Heeg does teach claim 1, accordingly, the rejection of claim 1, is incorporated above.
Tomandl does not teach The seat movement prevention system according to claim 1, wherein an indicator is displayed indicating the seat is in the second position.
However, Lota The seat movement prevention system according to claim 1, wherein an indicator is displayed indicating the seat is in the second position. (Lota column 11, line number 64-65: “In other example, the displacement may be calculated based images captured by the camera 122. In another example, the displacement may be calculated based on signals from the proximity sensors 116. The image of the changed seat arrangement may be displayed on the screen 108 as shown in FIG. 5B. In this regard, an occupant of the vehicle may understand current relative positions of seats within a vehicle by looking at the screen 108)”)
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified Tomandl to include The seat movement prevention system according to claim 1, wherein an indicator is displayed indicating the seat is in the second position taught by Lota. This would have been for the benefit to provide a vehicle seat adjustment system for a vehicle includes a front seat of the vehicle, one or more passenger seats behind the front seat, an input device configured to receive an input for adjusting positions of the front seat, a first actuator configured to adjust positions of the front seat, a second actuator configured to adjust positions of the one or more passenger seats, and a controller communicatively coupled to the input device and the first and second actuators in order to move and adjust seats in a vehicle while maintaining a space between seats. [Lota Column 1, line number 39-41 and Column 1, line number 45-53]
Regarding claim 6, Tomandl in view of Lota and further in view of Heeg does teach claim 1, accordingly, the rejection of claim 1, is incorporated above.
Tomandl does not teach The seat movement prevention system according to claim 1, wherein the switch is disposed on an outboard side of the seat.
However, Lota does teach The seat movement prevention system according to claim 1, wherein the switch is disposed on an outboard side of the seat. (Lota column 5, line number 48-51: “In other embodiments, the peripheral tactile input 112 may be located at the side of a front-row seat, e.g., a driver seat such that a driver or passenger can manipulate while driving”) (Lota column 8, line number 62-64: “For example, the peripheral tactile input 112 may include at least one of a button for moving the first row seat”) (Note: A button is a switch)
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified Tomandl to include The seat movement prevention system according to claim 1, wherein the switch is disposed on an outboard side of the seat taught by Lota. This would have been for the benefit to provide a vehicle seat adjustment system for a vehicle includes a front seat of the vehicle, one or more passenger seats behind the front seat, an input device configured to receive an input for adjusting positions of the front seat, a first actuator configured to adjust positions of the front seat, a second actuator configured to adjust positions of the one or more passenger seats, and a controller communicatively coupled to the input device and the first and second actuators in order to move and adjust seats in a vehicle while maintaining a space between seats. [Lota Column 1, line number 39-41 and Column 1, line number 45-53]
Regarding claim 10, Tomandl in view of Lota and further in view of Heeg does teach claim 1, accordingly, the rejection of claim 1, is incorporated above.
Tomandl does not teach The seat movement prevention system according to claim 1, wherein the vehicle includes a first row of seats, a second row of seats, and a third row of seats, the seat being in the second row of seats.
However, Lota does teach The seat movement prevention system according to claim 1, wherein the vehicle includes a first row of seats, a second row of seats, and a third row of seats, the seat being in the second row of seats. (Lota column 8, line number 39-41: “In embodiments, the vehicle 200 may include three rows of seats including a first row seat 210, a second row seat 220, and a third row seat 230.”) (Lota Column 10, line number 27-29: “the second row seat 220 may include the peripheral tactile input 112 to receive input from a passenger 260.”)
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified Tomandl to include The seat movement prevention system according to claim 1, wherein the vehicle includes a first row of seats, a second row of seats, and a third row of seats, the seat being in the second row of seats taught by Lota. This would have been for the benefit to provide a vehicle seat adjustment system for a vehicle includes a front seat of the vehicle, one or more passenger seats behind the front seat, an input device configured to receive an input for adjusting positions of the front seat, a first actuator configured to adjust positions of the front seat, a second actuator configured to adjust positions of the one or more passenger seats, and a controller communicatively coupled to the input device and the first and second actuators in order to move and adjust seats in a vehicle while maintaining a space between seats. [Lota Column 1, line number 39-41 and Column 1, line number 45-53]
Regarding claim 11, Tomandl in view of Lota and further in view of Heeg does teach claim 1, accordingly, the rejection of claim 1, is incorporated above.
Tomandl does not teach The seat movement prevention system according to claim 1, wherein an angle between a seat base and a seat back of the seat are substantially the same in the first position and the second position.
However, Lota does teach The seat movement prevention system according to claim 1, wherein an angle between a seat base and a seat back of the seat are substantially the same in the first position and the second position. (Lota Column 10, line number 50-52: “and the third actuator 124 may move the third row seat 230 by a distance D5 in +x direction as shown in FIG. 3B.”) (Note: The third row of seats distance is move but the angle is the same and does not change) (Lota FIG. 3A and FIG 3B.)
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Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified Tomandl to include The seat movement prevention system according to claim 1, wherein an angle between a seat base and a seat back of the seat are substantially the same in the first position and the second position taught by Lota. This would have been for the benefit to provide a vehicle seat adjustment system for a vehicle includes a front seat of the vehicle, one or more passenger seats behind the front seat, an input device configured to receive an input for adjusting positions of the front seat, a first actuator configured to adjust positions of the front seat, a second actuator configured to adjust positions of the one or more passenger seats, and a controller communicatively coupled to the input device and the first and second actuators in order to move and adjust seats in a vehicle while maintaining a space between seats. [Lota Column 1, line number 39-41 and Column 1, line number 45-53]
Regarding claim 14, Tomandl discloses A method of preventing seat movement comprising: locking a seat in a first position with a locking member disposed in a locked position; (Tomandl Paragraph 0088: “Spring 294 thereby interconnects the lock member 265 with housing 255 and biases lock member 265 in the direction of the arrow "C" from the retracted position shown in FIG. 25 towards the extended or locked position shown in FIG. 24.”) (Tomandl Paragraph 0090: “In use, when the seat assembly 220 is in the upright or use position shown in FIG. 22, the control mechanism 240 will initially be in the configuration shown in FIG. 24 wherein the pinion member 256 and rack member 260 are retained in their retracted/non-actuated positions wherein lock member 265 prevents movement of rack member 260.”) operating a switch to move the locking member from the locked position to an unlocked position, (Tomandl Paragraph 0084: “Alternately, input device 250 may comprise an electrical switch, input/release cable 248 may comprise an electrical line or the like, and an electric motor or other powered actuator (not shown) could be mounted on or adjacent control mechanism 240 to provide for actuation of control mechanism 240.”) (Note: A push button is a type of switch) (Tomandl Paragraph 0088: “Alternately, a user can push on button 297 to move lock member 265 if control mechanism 240 is configured to include push button 297.”) (Note: A button is a type of switch) a biasing member being configured to move the seat from the first position to a second position when the locking member is in the unlocked position, the second position being different from the first position, the seat being configured to pivot about a pivot axis and slide in a vehicle forward direction when moving from the first position to the second position, the second position being forward of the first position in the vehicle forward direction; (Tomandl Paragraph 0039: “The folding vehicle seat assembly 10 may include a torsion spring (not shown) of a known design acting about the pivot 16 tending to shift the seat from the use configuration of FIG. 1 to the folded configuration of FIG. 2.”) (Tomandl Paragraph 0080: “The seat base is slideably mounted to the support structure 221 by linear slides 226 for movement between rearward position (FIG. 22) and a forward position (FIG. 23). A biasing mechanism such as a spring or springs 227 bias the seat base 223 towards the forward position of FIG. 23.”) (Tomandl Paragraph 0088: “As discussed in more detail below, a powered actuator 307 may be operably connected to lock member 265 by a cable 302.”) (Tomandl Paragraph 0090: “To fold/slide the seat assembly 220 from the configuration of FIG. 22 to the configuration of FIG. 23, a user first actuates powered actuator 307 or moves input device 250, thereby generating a tension force "F2" on input cable 248. Alternately, a user can push on button 297 to move lock member 265 if control mechanism 240 is configured to include push button 297.”) (Note: moving the lock member is the unlocked position)
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(Tomandl Paragraph 0092: “A switch 327 may be positioned on an actuator 307,”) […] such that the locking member is prevented from being moved from the locked position to the unlocked position. (Tomandl Paragraph 0088: “Spring 294 thereby interconnects the lock member 265 with housing 255 and biases lock member 265 in the direction of the arrow "C" from the retracted position shown in FIG. 25 towards the extended or locked position shown in FIG. 24.”) (Tomandl Paragraph 0090: “In use, when the seat assembly 220 is in the upright or use position shown in FIG. 22, the control mechanism 240 will initially be in the configuration shown in FIG. 24 wherein the pinion member 256 and rack member 260 are retained in their retracted/non-actuated positions wherein lock member 265 prevents movement of rack member 260.”)
Tomandl does not disclose […] displaying a first indication on a display of the vehicle when the locking member is in the unlocked position; displaying a second indication on the display when the seat is in the second position; detecting a current shift position of the vehicle; and disabling the switch upon determining a current shift position is not a park shift position […].
However, Lota does teach […] displaying a second indication on the display when the seat is in the second position; (Lota Column 11, line number 67- Column 12, line number 4: “The image of the changed seat arrangement may be displayed on the screen 108 as shown in FIG. 5B. In this regard, an occupant of the vehicle may understand current relative positions of seats within a vehicle by looking at the screen 108.”) (Note: The second position of the seat can be displayed on a screen) detecting a current shift position of the vehicle; (Lota column 5, line number 57-62: “In another example, the peripheral tactile input 112 may include a plurality of buttons, such as directional arrows or button, similar to the tactile input hardware 110 such that the driver can adjust the positions of seats by manipulating the plurality of buttons”) (Lota column 9, line number 6-8: “The input to the peripheral tactile input 112 for moving the first row seat 210 may be transmitted to the one or more processors 102.,”) (Lota column 12, line number 55-57: “That is, the one or more processors 102 may enable the movement by the actuators 124 only when the transmission of the vehicle is in park”) (Note: In order for the processors to enable movement by the actuators a shift position sensor must be used in order to know when the transmission of the vehicle is in a certain gear) and disabling the switch upon determining a current shift position is not a park shift position (Lota column 5, line number 57-62: “the peripheral tactile input 112 may include a plurality of buttons, such as directional arrows or button, similar to the tactile input hardware 110 such that the driver can adjust the positions of seats by manipulating the plurality of buttons”) (Lota column 9, line number 5-10: “The input to the peripheral tactile input 112 for moving the first row seat 210 may be transmitted to the one or more processors 102. Then, the one or more processors 102 may transmit instructions to the first actuator 124,”) (Lota column 12, line number 49-52: “disable movement by the actuators 124 under certain driving conditions. For example, when the transmission of the vehicle is in a driving mode,”)
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified Tomandl to include teach […] […] displaying a second indication on the display when the seat is in the second position; detecting a current shift position of the vehicle; and disabling the switch upon determining a current shift position is not a park shift position taught by Lota. This would have been for the benefit to provide a vehicle seat adjustment system for a vehicle includes a front seat of the vehicle, one or more passenger seats behind the front seat, an input device configured to receive an input for adjusting positions of the front seat, a first actuator configured to adjust positions of the front seat, a second actuator configured to adjust positions of the one or more passenger seats, and a controller communicatively coupled to the input device and the first and second actuators in order to move and adjust seats in a vehicle while maintaining a space between seats. [Lota Column 1, line number 39-41 and Column 1, line number 45-53]
Lota does not teach […] displaying a first indication on a display of the vehicle when the locking member is in the unlocked position;
However, Heeg does teach […] displaying a first indication on a display of the vehicle when the locking member is in the unlocked position; (Heeg Column 6, line number 59-61: “For the control display (not shown) which, for example, may be integrated in the dashboard, said control display is switched on when unlocking the locking device 5.”) (Heeg Column 8, line number 1-3: “(when exceeding the limit voltage thereof in FIG. 7 denoted by “potential A switching value”), switches on the display in order to display the unlocked state.”)
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified Tomandl in view of Lota to include […] displaying a first indication on a display of the vehicle when the locking member is in the unlocked position; taught by Heeg. This would have been for the benefit to improve a locking device for a vehicle seat, in particular for a motor vehicle seat, the locking device having a housing, a pawl mounted in a movable manner on the housing for locking with a mating element, at least one safety element which is provided for securing the pawl in the locked state, and can be moved relative to the pawl for unlocking the locking device and a query device which queries the locked state of the locking device and has at least one transducer and at least one sensor. [Heeg Column 1, line number 16-24]
Regarding claim 15, Tomandl in view of Lota and further in view of Heeg teaches claim 14, accordingly, the rejection for claim 14 is incorporated above.
Tomandl does not teach The method of preventing seat movement according to claim 14, further comprising enabling the switch upon determining the current shift position is the park shift position.
However, Lota does teach The method of preventing seat movement according to claim 14, further comprising enabling the switch upon determining the current shift position is the park shift position. (Lota column 5, line number 57-62: “In another example, the peripheral tactile input 112 may include a plurality of buttons, such as directional arrows or button, similar to the tactile input hardware 110 such that the driver can adjust the positions of seats by manipulating the plurality of buttons”) (Lota column 9, line number 6-9: “The input to the peripheral tactile input 112 for moving the first row seat 210 may be transmitted to the one or more processors 102.”) (Lota column 12, line number 55-57: “That is, the one or more processors 102 may enable the movement by the actuators 124 only when the transmission of the vehicle is in park”.)
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified Tomandl to include The method of preventing seat movement according to claim 14, further comprising enabling the switch upon determining the current shift position is the park shift position taught by Lota. This would have been for the benefit to provide a vehicle seat adjustment system for a vehicle includes a front seat of the vehicle, one or more passenger seats behind the front seat, an input device configured to receive an input for adjusting positions of the front seat, a first actuator configured to adjust positions of the front seat, a second actuator configured to adjust positions of the one or more passenger seats, and a controller communicatively coupled to the input device and the first and second actuators in order to move and adjust seats in a vehicle while maintaining a space between seats. [Lota Column 1, line number 39-41 and Column 1, line number 45-53]
Regarding claim 20, Tomandl in view of Lota further in view of Heeg teaches claim 14, accordingly, the rejection for claim 14 is incorporated above.
Tomandl does not teach The method of preventing seat movement according to claim 14, further comprising displaying an indication that the seat is in the second position.
However, Lota does teach The method of preventing seat movement according to claim 14, further comprising displaying an indication that the seat is in the second position. (Lota column 11, line number 64-67 to column 12, line number 1-4: “In other example, the displacement may be calculated based images captured by the camera 122. In another example, the displacement may be calculated based on signals from the proximity sensors 116. The image of the changed seat arrangement may be displayed on the screen 108 as shown in FIG. 5B. In this regard, an occupant of the vehicle may understand current relative positions of seats within a vehicle by looking at the screen 108”) (Note: The second position of the seat can be displayed on a screen)
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified Tomandl to include The method of preventing seat movement according to claim 14, further comprising displaying an indication that the seat is in the second position taught by Lota. This would have been for the benefit to provide a vehicle seat adjustment system for a vehicle includes a front seat of the vehicle, one or more passenger seats behind the front seat, an input device configured to receive an input for adjusting positions of the front seat, a first actuator configured to adjust positions of the front seat, a second actuator configured to adjust positions of the one or more passenger seats, and a controller communicatively coupled to the input device and the first and second actuators in order to move and adjust seats in a vehicle while maintaining a space between seats. [Lota Column 1, line number 39-41 and Column 1, line number 45-53]
6. Claim(s) 5 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Tomandl (US 20100164265 A1 A1) in view of Lota (US 10279703 B2) further in view of Heeg (US 8708413 B2) and further in view of Yanai (JP 2016064700 A).
Regarding claim 5, Tomandl in view of Lota and further in view of Heeg teaches claim 1, accordingly, the rejection of claim 1 is incorporated above.
Tomandl in view of Lota further in view of Heeg does not teach The seat movement prevention system according to claim 1, wherein the switch is disposed on a seat back of the seat.
However, Yanai does teach The seat movement prevention system according to claim 1, wherein the switch is disposed on a seat back of the seat. (Yanai Page 6, line number 50 to Page 7, line number 1: As described above, according to the vehicle seat control apparatus 10 of the embodiment of the present invention, the operation switch 17 is provided on the back side of the front row seat 14.)
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified Tomandl in view of Lota further in view of Heeg to include The seat movement prevention system according to claim 1, wherein the switch is disposed on a seat back of the seat taught by Yanai. This would have been for the benefit to provide a vehicle seat control device that issues an alarm when an occupant is seated on a front seat when the front seat is in a seat state in which it is easy for an occupant of a rear seat to get off a vehicle. [Yanai Page 1]
7. Claim(s) 7 and 8 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Tomandl (US 20100164265 A1 A1) in view of Lota (US 10279703 B2) further in view of Heeg (US 8708413 B2) and further in view of (US 5311962 A) to Nakano et al. (hereinafter Nakano).
Regarding claim 7, Tomandl in view of Lota and further in view of Heeg teaches claim 1, accordingly, the rejection of claim 1 is incorporated above.
Tomandl in view of Lota further in view of Heeg does not teach The seat movement prevention system according to claim 1, wherein a seat angle position sensor is further configured to determine a seat angle between a seat base and a seat back of the seat.
However, Nakano does teach The seat movement prevention system according to claim 1, wherein a seat angle position sensor is further configured to determine a seat angle between a seat base and a seat back of the seat. (Nakano Column 1, line number 33-36: “second sensor means for detecting whether said seat back is shifted to said upright position or not”) (Nakano Column 5. Line number 7-9: “The upright and reclined positions are within predetermined angular ranges as indicated at .theta.1 and .theta.2 in FIG. 15, respectively.”) (Note: Sensor can detect the upright position of a seat therefore sensor can detect the seat angle)
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified Tomandl in view of Lota further in view of Heeg to include The seat movement prevention system according to claim 1, wherein a seat angle position sensor is further configured to determine a seat angle between a seat base and a seat back of the seat taught by Nakano. This would have been for the benefit to provide a system for controlling a seat back which is shiftable relative to a seat cushion between and upright position and a reclined position. [Nakano Column 1, line number 60-64]
Regarding claim 8, Tomandl in view of Lota further in view of Heeg and further in view of Nakano teaches claim 7, accordingly, the rejection of claim 7 is incorporated above.
Tomandl in view of Lota further in view of Heeg does not teach The seat movement prevention system according to claim 7, wherein the electronic controller is further configured to disable the switch upon detecting the seat angle is below or above a predetermined range.
However, Nakano does teach The seat movement prevention system according to claim 7, wherein the electronic controller is further configured to disable the switch upon detecting the seat angle is below or above a predetermined range. (Nakano Column 3, line number 17-20: “The shift lever 22 is pivotally movable relative to a lever bracket 23. Secured to the lever bracket 23 is a parking switch or detent switch 24 as shown in FIG. 3. ”) (Nakano Column 6, line number 29-34: “Further, the system according to the present invention restricts shifting of the shift lever from a parking position to other driving positions in a case where the seat back is tilted relative to the seat cushion beyond a predetermined angular range.”)
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified Tomandl in view of Lota further in view of Heeg to include The seat movement prevention system according to claim 7, wherein the electronic controller is further configured to disable the switch upon detecting the seat angle is below or above a predetermined range taught by Nakano. This would have been for the benefit to provide a system for controlling a seat back which is shiftable relative to a seat cushion between and upright position and a reclined position. [Nakano Column 1, line number 60-64]
Regarding claim 18, Tomandl in view of Lota and further in view of Heeg teaches claim 14, accordingly, the rejection for claim 14 is incorporated above.
Tomandl in view of Lota and further in view of Heeg does not teach The method of preventing seat movement according to claim 14, further comprising disabling the switch upon determining a seat angle is below or above a predetermined range, the seat angle being between a seat base and a seat back of the seat.
However, Nakano further comprising The method of preventing seat movement according to claim 14, further comprising disabling the switch upon determining a seat angle is below or above a predetermined range, the seat angle being between a seat base and a seat back of the seat. (Nakano Column 3, line number 17-20: “The shift lever 22 is pivotally movable relative to a lever bracket 23. Secured to the lever bracket 23 is a parking switch or detent switch 24 as shown in FIG. 3. ”) (Nakano Column 6, line number 29-34: “Further, the system according to the present invention restricts shifting of the shift lever from a parking position to other driving positions in a case where the seat back is tilted relative to the seat cushion beyond a predetermined angular range.”)
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified Tomandl in view of Lota and further in view of Heeg to include The method of preventing seat movement according to claim 14, further comprising disabling the switch upon determining a seat angle is below or above a predetermined range, the seat angle being between a seat base and a seat back of the seat taught by Nakano. This would have been for the benefit to provide a system for controlling a seat back which is shiftable relative to a seat cushion between and upright position and a reclined position. [Nakano Column 1, line number 60-64]
8. Claim(s) 9 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Tomandl (US 20100164265 A1 A1) in view of Lota (US 10279703 B2) further in view of Heeg (US 8708413 B2) further in view of Nakano (US 5311962 A) and further in view of (US 20130320729 A1) to Cooley et al. (hereinafter Cooley).
Regarding claim 9, Tomandl in view of Lota further in view of Heeg and further in view of Nakano teaches claim 8, accordingly, the rejection of claim 8 is incorporated above.
Tomandl in view of Lota further in view of Heeg does not teach The seat movement prevention system according to claim 8, wherein the predetermined range is approximately 80 to 105 degrees.
However, Nakano does teach The seat movement prevention system according to claim 8, wherein the predetermined range (Nakano Column 5, line number 4-11: “Thus, constituted reclining mechanism 60 allows the seat back 14 to be tiltable relative to the seat cushion 13 between an upright position and a reclined position. The upright and reclined positions are within predetermined angular ranges as indicated at .theta.1 and .theta.2 in FIG. 15,”)
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified Tomandl in view of Lota further in view of Heeg to include The seat movement prevention system according to claim 8, wherein the predetermined range taught by Nakano. This would have been for the benefit to provide a system for controlling a seat back which is shiftable relative to a seat cushion between and upright position and a reclined position. [Nakano Column 1, line number 60-64]
Nakano does not teach is approximately 80 to 105 degrees.
However, Cooley does teach is approximately 80 to 105 degrees. (Cooley Paragraph 0075: “seat back 38 moves from forming an angle with foundation frame 14 underlying seat base 42 greater than or equal to about 90 degrees to forming an acute angle with foundation frame 14”)
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified Stapleton in view of Lota further in view of Heeg further in view of Nakano to include is approximately 80 to 105 degrees taught by Cooley. This would have been for the benefit to provide a method of moving a passenger support from an occupant-use configuration to an easy-entry configuration. [Cooley Paragraph 0005]
9. Claim(s) 12 and 17 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Tomandl (US 20100164265 A1 A1) in view of Lota (US 10279703 B2) further in view of Heeg (US 8708413 B2) and further in view of (US 20170219089 A1) to Tsutsumi et al. (hereinafter Tsutsumi).
Regarding claim 12, Tomandl in view of Lota and further in view of Heeg teaches claim 1, accordingly, the rejection of claim 1 is incorporated above.
Tomandl in view of Lota and further in view of Heeg does not teach The seat movement prevention system according to claim 1, wherein the current shift position is determined through a voltage associated with the current shift position.
However, Tsutsumi does teach The seat movement prevention system according to claim 1, wherein the current shift position is determined through a voltage associated with the current shift position. (Tsutsumi Paragraph 0040: “FIG. 5 illustrates a voltage value that is output from each Hall IC when the shift lever 32 is shift-operated between the R position and the D position”) (Tsutsumi Paragraph 0041: “As illustrated in FIG. 5, a voltage of approximately 0.5 V is output from the IC4, a voltage of approximately 1.00 V is output from the IC3, a voltage of approximately 2.00 V is output from the IC2, and a voltage of approximately 3.00 V is output from the IC1 when the shift lever 32 is at the R position.”)
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified Tomandl in view of Lota and further in view of Heeg to include The seat movement prevention system according to claim 1, wherein the current shift position is determined through a voltage associated with the current shift position taught by Tsutsumi. This would have been for the benefit to provide a shift position detecting device for a vehicle that is configured to have four or more sensors and allows a limp-home mode while avoiding the malfunctioning of forward-reverse switching and a shift control device for a vehicle that has the shift position detecting device for a vehicle. [Tsutsumi Paragraph 0006]
Regarding claim 17, Tomandl in view of Lota and further in view of Heeg teaches claim 14, accordingly, the rejection for claim 14 is incorporated above.
Tomandl in view of Lota and further in view of Heeg does not teach The method of preventing seat movement according to claim 14, further comprising detecting a voltage associated with the current shift position to determine the current shift position.
However, Tsutsumi does teach The method of preventing seat movement according to claim 14, further comprising detecting a voltage associated with the current shift position to determine the current shift position. (Tsutsumi Paragraph 0040: “FIG. 5 illustrates a voltage value that is output from each Hall IC when the shift lever 32 is shift-operated between the R position and the D position”) (Tsutsumi Paragraph 0041: “As illustrated in FIG. 5, a voltage of approximately 0.5 V is output from the IC4, a voltage of approximately 1.00 V is output from the IC3, a voltage of approximately 2.00 V is output from the IC2, and a voltage of approximately 3.00 V is output from the IC1 when the shift lever 32 is at the R position.”)
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified Tomandl in view of Lota further in view of Heeg to include further comprising detecting a voltage associated with the current shift position to determine the current shift position taught by Tsutsumi. This would have been for the benefit to provide a shift position detecting device for a vehicle that is configured to have four or more sensors and allows a limp-home mode while avoiding the malfunctioning of forward-reverse switching and a shift control device for a vehicle that has the shift position detecting device for a vehicle. [Tsutsumi Paragraph 0006]
10. Claim(s) 13 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Tomandl (US 20100164265 A1 A1) in view of Lota (US 10279703 B2) further in view of Heeg (US 8708413 B2) and further in view of (US 5283473 A) to Furuse et al. (hereinafter Furuse).
Regarding claim 13, Tomandl in view of Lota and further in view of Heeg teaches claim 1, accordingly, the rejection of claim 1 is incorporated above.
Tomandl in view of Lota and further in view of Heeg does not teach The seat movement prevention system according to claim 1, wherein an accessory relay detects when the vehicle is in an accessory off position, the electronic controller being further configured to disable the switch after a predetermined time period upon detecting the vehicle is in the accessory off position.
However, Furuse does teach The seat movement prevention system according to claim 1, wherein an accessory relay detects when the vehicle is in an accessory off position, the electronic controller being further configured to disable the switch after a predetermined time period upon detecting the vehicle is in the accessory off position. (Furuse column 5, line number 47-53: “In the case of moving the seat 2 into a position suitable for the driver by a manual operation, the front-slide manual switch 17 or the rear-slide manual switch 21 disposed on the switch board is switched on,”) (Furuse column 7, line number 66-68 to column 8, line number 1-3: “If the predetermined time t1 elapses before the ACC contact 12 changes to the ON-state, judgement is done at step 308 that the number of counts of the suspension timer reaches the predetermined value N (YES) and control proceeds to step 316 after clearing the suspension timer at step 314.”) (Furuse column 8, line number 4-6: “In the step 316, the automatically operable state of the slide-motor 3 is cancelled,”)
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified Tomandl in view of Lota and further in view of Heeg to include The seat movement prevention system according to claim 1, wherein an accessory relay detects when the vehicle is in an accessory off position, the electronic controller being further configured to disable the switch after a predetermined time period upon detecting the vehicle is in the accessory off position taught by Furuse. This would have been for the benefit to provide a drive positioning apparatus which is so designed that the seat or the steering wheel may not begin to move unexpectedly even if the accessory switch has abnormality such as a contact fault [Furuse Column 3, line number 6-10]
11. Claim(s) 16 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Tomandl (US 20100164265 A1 A1) in view of Lota (US 10279703 B2) further in view of Heeg (US 8708413 B2) and further in view of (US 20210293335 A1) to Price et al. (hereinafter Price).
Regarding claim 16, Tomandl in view of Lota and further in view of Heeg teaches claim 14, accordingly, the rejection for claim 14 is incorporated above.
Tomandl in view of Lota and further in view of Heeg does not teach The method of preventing seat movement according to claim 14, wherein the current shift position is transmitted through a vehicle controller area network bus.
However, Price does teach The method of preventing seat movement according to claim 14, wherein the current shift position is transmitted through a vehicle controller area network bus. (Price Paragraph 0029: “a transmission position sensor 126, each of which are operably connected for computer communication using a bus 128” ) (Price Paragraph 0041: “The transmission position sensor 126 can detect a shift position (e.g., a transmission mode) of the transmission 122 and can transmit a corresponding signal indicating the shift position to the ECU 120.”)
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified Tomandl in view of Lota further in view of Heeg to include The method of preventing seat movement according to claim 14, wherein the current shift position is transmitted through a vehicle controller area network bus taught by Price. This would have been for the benefit to provide a method includes receiving a user input at the shift device to shift the transmission from the first shift position to a second shift position. The second shift position is opposite the first shift position. Further, a computer-implemented method for controlling a vehicle including a transmission and an electric parking actuator includes, upon coupling a first connector of the vehicle to a shift device connector disposed on a shift device, establishing an electrical connection between the electric parking actuator and the shift device. [Price Paragraph 0004]
12. Claim(s) 19 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Tomandl (US 20100164265 A1 A1) in view of Lota (US 10279703 B2) further in view of Heeg (US 8708413 B2) further in view of Nakano (US 5311962 A) and further in view of Furuse (US 5283473 A).
Regarding claim 19, Tomandl in view of Lota further in view of Heeg and further in view of Nakano teaches claim 18, accordingly, the rejection for claim 18 is incorporated above.
Tomandl in view of Lota further in view of Heeg and further in view of Nakano does not teach The method of preventing seat movement according to claim 18, further comprising detecting whether the vehicle is in an accessory off position, the electronic controller being further configured to disable the switch after a predetermined time period upon detecting the vehicle is in the accessory off position.
However, Furuse does teach The method of preventing seat movement according to claim 18, further comprising detecting whether the vehicle is in an accessory off position, the electronic controller being further configured to disable the switch after a predetermined time period upon detecting the vehicle is in the accessory off position. (Furuse column 5, line number 47-53: “In the case of moving the seat 2 into a position suitable for the driver by a manual operation, the front-slide manual switch 17 or the rear-slide manual switch 21 disposed on the switch board is switched on, thereby actuating the front-slide relay 15 or the rear-slide relay 19 and the slide-motor 3 is rotated in the forward or reverse direction”) (Furuse column 7, line number 66-68 to column 8, line number 1-3: “If the predetermined time t1 elapses before the ACC contact 12 changes to the ON-state, judgement is done at step 308 that the number of counts of the suspension timer reaches the predetermined value N (YES) and control proceeds to step 316 after clearing the suspension timer at step 314.”) (Furuse column 8, line number 4-6: “In the step 316, the automatically operable state of the slide-motor 3 is cancelled, and then control returns to step 301 after clearing the suspension flag at step 317”) (Note: Because the slide motor can be operated automatically an electronic controller is used)
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified Tomandl in view of Lota further in view of Heeg and further in view of Nakano to include The method of preventing seat movement according to claim 18, further comprising detecting whether the vehicle is in an accessory off position, the electronic controller being further configured to disable the switch after a predetermined time period upon detecting the vehicle is in the accessory off position taught by Furuse. This would have been for the benefit to provide a drive positioning apparatus which is so designed that the seat or the steering wheel may not begin to move unexpectedly even if the accessory switch has abnormality such as a contact fault. [Furuse Column 3, line number 6-10]
Conclusion
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). 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.
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/K.J.H./Junior Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3664
/KITO R ROBINSON/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3664
Prosecution Insights