DETAILED ACTION
Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statements (IDS) submitted on 12/11/2025, 6/13/2023, and 5/19/2023 are in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election without traverse of Group I (Claims 1-19) in the reply filed on 3/2/2026 is acknowledged.
Claim 20 is withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected invention, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Election was made without traverse in the reply filed on 3/2/2026.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
4. The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claims 15 & 16 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Claim 15 recites the limitation "… when the electrical conductor is embedded at least partially within the tire."; There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claim 16 line 4 recites the limitation "… and at least an outer side wall of the tire when embedded at least partially within the tire;"; There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claims 17-19 are rejected based on their dependency of rejected claim 16.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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 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.
Claim(s) 1,2, 4 ,10-12 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C(a)(1) as being anticipated by Weber et al (DE 102015225154 A1).
Regarding claim 1 Weber et al teaches one or more electrical conductors 11 12, each electrical conductor of the one or more electrical conductors 11 12 configured to extend between an inside surface of the tire 1 and an outside surface of the tire (Interpreted as tread to sidewall) (Abstract); and one or more circumferential electrical conductors configured to extend circumferentially about at least one of the inside surface or the outside surface, the one or more circumferential electrical conductors 2a 2b being electrically coupled to the one or more electrical conductors 11 12.
Regarding claim 2 Weber et al teaches a first circumferential electrical conductor 2a that is electrically coupled with a first electrical conductor 11 of the one or more electrical conductors; and a second circumferential electrical conductor 2b that is electrically coupled with a second electrical conductor 12 of the one or more electrical conductors.
Regarding claim 4 Weber et al teaches one or more electrical conductors 11 12 include: two or more electrical conductors electrically insulated from each other, a respective electrical conductor of the two or more electrical conductors extending between the inside surface of the tire and the outside surface of the tire. (Insulating electrical conductors is an inherent electrical feature).
Regarding claim 10 Weber et al teaches at least one electrical connection strip 2 electrically coupled with at least one electrical conductor of the one or more electrical conductors 11 12 and configured to be positioned circumferentially adjacently to a tire bead (inherent) of the tire 1. (fig. 1)
Regarding claim 11 Weber et al teaches the at least one electrical connection strip 2 comprises two or more electrical connection strips 2a 2b that are electrically isolated from each other (fig. 1 & 2).
Regarding claim 12 Weber et al teaches an insulator layer 13 on which the two or more electrical connection strips 2a 2b are located.
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.
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.
Claim 3 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Weber et al (DE 102015225154 A1) in view of Sethi et al (US 20230234404 A1).
Regarding claim 3 Weber teaches all of the basic features of the claimed invention. Weber et al however does not teach one or more energy harvesting devices mountable to a tire bead region of the tire such that, while the tire is mounted on the wheel, the one or more energy harvesting devices are located between the tire bead region and a rim of the wheel. Sethi et al teaches one or more energy harvesting devices 306 mountable to a tire bead region [0101] of the tire 300 such that, while the tire 300 is mounted on the wheel, the one or more energy harvesting devices 306 are located between the tire bead region and a rim of the wheel (Figs. 3A & 3B – fig. 20).
It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art of energy harvesting tire components before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the tire conductive connection structure of Weber et al to further include one or more energy harvesting devices mountable to a tire bead region of the tire such that, while the tire is mounted on the wheel, the one or more energy harvesting devices are located between the tire bead region and a rim of the wheel for the purpose of producing energy in response to mechanical strain imparted on at least one piezoelectric component or the like.
Claim(s) 9 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Weber et al (DE 102015225154 A1).
Regarding claim 9 Weber et al teaches all of the basic features of the claimed invention. However, Weber et al does not explicitly teach at least one of the one or more electrical conductors includes at least one of a conductive polymer or rubber. Since Weber at the very least discloses a tire with multiple structural components, lacking any criticality, it would have been obvious and reasonably within the technical skill of a person having ordinary skill in the art of assembling / installing tire components, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to utilize a conductive polymer, rubber or whatever adhesive readily available to the manufacture for the purpose of effectively bonding electrical components within the structure of a tire.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 5, 13 and 14 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.
Regarding claim 5 the cited prior art does not anticipate nor render obvious a stub mountable on the tire, wherein the one or more electrical conductors are at least partially embedded in the stub along a length of the stub.
Regarding claim 13 the cited prior art does not anticipate nor render obvious two or more electrical connection strips that include a first electrical connection strip electrically coupled with a first electrical conductor and a second electrical connection strip that is distinct from the first electrical connection strip and electrically coupled with a second electrical conductor distinct from the first electrical conductor; and at least a portion of the first electrical connection strip adjacent to the second electrical conductor is curved to avoid contact between the second electrical conductor and the portion of the first electrical connection strip adjacent to the second electrical conductor, and at least a portion of the second electrical connection strip adjacent to the first electrical conductor is curved to avoid contact between the first electrical conductor and the portion of the second electrical connection strip adjacent to the first electrical conductor.
Regarding claim 14 the cited prior art does not anticipate nor render obvious an electrical conductor of the one or more electrical conductors includes: a conductive portion configured to be embedded within the tire; and one or more external conductive stubs extending between the embedded conductive portion and the outside surface of the tire and one or more internal conductive stubs extending between the embedded conductive portion and the inside surface of the tire.
Claim 16 would be allowable if rewritten to overcome the rejection(s) under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), 2nd paragraph, set forth in this Office action and to include all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
Regarding claim 16 the cited prior art does not anticipate nor render obvious one or more electrical conductors that include a plurality of electrical conductors each configured to extend between at least an inner side wall of a tire and at least an outer side wall of the tire when embedded at least partially within the tire; and the electrical connector assembly also includes a first elongated electrical conductor electrically coupled with a first set of electrical conductors of the plurality of electrical conductors and a second elongated electrical conductor electrically coupled with a second set of electrical conductors, of the plurality of electrical conductors, that is mutually exclusive to the first set of electrical conductors.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
US 20260061784 A1 SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR INTEGRATING SENSORS INTO RIM FLANGE TRANSITION AREA OF A TIRE DURING PROCESS OF MANUFACTURE
US 12145408 B2 Power distribution system mountable on a vehicle wheel
US 12109846 B2 Tire made conductive by arranging a localized conductive strip
US 11865872 B2 Interconnects for electrical components positioned adjacent to vehicle tires
WO 2023146823 A1 A SMART WHEEL SYSTEM HAVING AN INTERCONNECT RING TOPOLOGY
US 20220063415 A1 TIRE, VEHICLE POWER FEEDING APPARATUS AND AUTOMOBILE
DE 102020203472 A1 Vehicle tires
EP 3496959 B1 VEHICLE TYRE
DE 102018204119 A1 Method for applying an electrically conductive rubber filament to a tire component
FR 3060461 A1 Tire for use on vehicle wheel, has conductive strip arranged between tread and crown reinforcement and located circumferentially such that strip is positioned at angle, diametrically opposite connecting region of carcass reinforcement
US 20170234745 A1 FLEXIBLE SENSORS AND METHODS FOR MAKING THE SAME
FR 3040017 A1 PNEUMATIC COMPRISING A CONDUCTIVE YARN
US 6847126 B2 System and method for harvesting electric power from a rotating tire's static electricity
US 3841376 A PNEUMATIC TIRE AND METHOD OF RETREADING
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ANDRE J ALLEN whose telephone number is (571)272-2174. The examiner can normally be reached Mon-Fri. 9am-5PM.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Kristina M Deherrera can be reached at (303) 297-4237. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/ANDRE J ALLEN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2855
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