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 .
Response to Amendment
The amendment filed 08/11/2025 has been entered. Claims 1, 4 and 9 have been amended. Therefore, claims 1-9 are now pending in the application.
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) 1-8 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Gecchelin et al. (US — 2018/0022405 A1).
As per claim 1, Gecchelin et al. (US — 2018/0022405 A1) discloses Selectively Combinable Independent Driving Vehicle comprising:
a system of [[a]] modular braking vehicles (80, fig: 1) comprising a modular braking device (The IVs 102-A, B, C, D, include at least one independent vehicle system, as shown in FIG. 13 or 29, of an energy storage system 17, a propulsion system 10, a braking system 90 (also provided by regenerative braking of motor 10), an active suspension system 11, and a steering system 60, and in one embodiment contain at least two of the independent vehicle systems, and in another most frequent embodiment includes all these systems, [0056], Fig: 13, 29), said system comprising:
at least two vehicles (80, Fig: 1-4) removably connectable to each other (Title and Fig: 1-4), wherein said vehicles, when connected to form said system of modular vehicles, form a rigid train without relative rotations between said vehicles (FIG. 7 illustrates a side view of a self driving autonomous vehicle with a retracted robotic arm 54 used to couple with another self driving vehicle according to one embodiment of the present invention, [0073], Fig: 7), in which each of said vehicles comprises at least one braking system (90, a braking system 90 (also provided by regenerative braking of motor 10), [0056], Fig: 13) which is activatable by control means (119, an IV can comprise a removable pod 119 that includes a steering control, a braking control, and a propulsion control, or any navigation capable device (e.g., without limitation a joystick, etc.), [0061], Fig: 1) accessible by a user, and
comprising, on each of said vehicles (80), connection means for mechanical connecting of said control means (119) to a transmission bar (20, base component of robotic arm, [0073], Fig: 1) for controlling the braking of the vehicles (For an RCVA 101, of FIG. 1, embodiment, the communication adapter 14055 is coupled between two rigidly coupled IVs to provide communication and control between one IV and another IV can have a shared or a master/slave relationship, as is required for multiple IVs rigidly coupled together to be able to travel, turn, brake and steer as a single unit, [0104], Fig: 1, 11, 13, 24), each respective said transmission bar extending for the length of each of said vehicles (20, Fig: 11), and wherein said bars of the vehicles are connected when said vehicles are connected to form said system of modular vehicles (Fig: 1-13, 24).
As per claim 2, Gecchelin discloses wherein said connection means (110, Fig: 1) comprise levers (119, Fig: 1) mechanics (any navigation capable device (e.g., without limitation a joystick, etc.), [0061], [0073], Fig: 1).
As per claim 3, Gecchelin discloses wherein said controls accessible by a user comprise at least the service brake control of the vehicle (a removable pod 119 that includes a steering control, a braking control, and a propulsion control, or any navigation capable device (e.g., without limitation a joystick, etc.), [0061], Fig: 1).
As per claim 4, Gecchelin discloses wherein said braking system, said connection means and said transmission bar of the brake control are servo-assisted system ( An IV can also include lateral sensors/cameras 32 (as needed by a functional self driving system). IV can further include back linear actuator 281 that drags and pulls the receptor portion 28 of the joining system. Similarly, an IV can include a front linear actuator 21 that drags and pulls the front part of the joining system (e.g., the front robotic arm), that is some kind of servo assist system, [0073], Fig: 7).
As per claim 5, Gecchelin discloses wherein the distal ends of said transmission bars are provided with joint means comprising magnetic, mechanical, pneumatic and/or electronic joints suitable for binding between them called transmission bars (Fig: 14).
As per claim 6, Gecchelin discloses wherein said controls accessible by a user comprise at least the service brake control of the vehicles (a removable pod 119 that includes a steering control, a braking control, and a propulsion control, or any navigation capable device (e.g., without limitation a joystick, etc.), [0061], Fig: 1).
As per claim 7, Gecchelin discloses wherein said braking system, said connection means and said transmission bar of the brake control are servo-assisted system ( An IV can also include lateral sensors/cameras 32 (as needed by a functional self driving system). IV can further include back linear actuator 281 that drags and pulls the receptor portion 28 of the joining system. Similarly, an IV can include a front linear actuator 21 that drags and pulls the front part of the joining system (e.g., the front robotic arm), that is some kind of servo assist system, [0073], Fig: 7).
As per claim 8, Gecchelin discloses wherein the distal ends of said transmission bars are provided with joint means comprising magnetic, mechanical, pneumatic and/or electronic joints suitable for binding between them called transmission bars (Fig: 14).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 9 is 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.
Prior art fails to disclose wherein said control means comprises a service brake control that comprises a service brake pedal,
wherein said connection means comprise a lever, and
wherein said service brake pedal is connected to the lever which pushes in parallel both the actuation system, of the braking system of the leading vehicle and the transmission bar of the leading vehicle which reaches a rear of the leading vehicle and up to a front end of the leading vehicle and from a moment of rigid coupling of the leading vehicle to the rear trailing vehicle, a rear part of the transmission bar of the leading vehicle comes into contact with a front part of the transmission bar of the trailing vehicle, which is adapted and configured to in turn push on the brake cylinder of the braking system of the rear trailing vehicle.
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 08/11/2025 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
In page 4 of REMARK, the applicant argued that “Applicant maintains its argument in the Amendment filed August 8, 2025 that, as explained above, a difference from Gecchelin and the claim 1 is that Gecchelin does not comprise connection means for mechanical connecting said control means to a transmission bar for controlling the braking. Indeed in Gecchelin the kind of connection is not specified. The technical effect of this difference is that there is a mechanical connection from vehicle to vehicle for the braking. The advantage of this difference is that the mechanical connection is safer than an electronical connection. The objective technical problem is therefore to provide a system of a modular braking having a safe breaking system. For the skilled person it is not obvious to solve the objective technical problem because none of prior art explains the solution to this important technical problem.”
In response to applicant’s arguments, the examiner respectfully disagrees. First, prior art (Gecchelin et al. (US — 2018/0022405 A1) discloses all the limitations recited in independent claim 1.
Gecchelin discloses Referring now to FIG. 24, a communication adapter is shown, according to one or more embodiments. In particular, communication adapter 70 embedded in tip 14055 of coupling 110 shown in FIG. 14 includes a plurality of signal lines 150-157 that are configured to communicate instructions between an independent vehicle and another independent vehicle, e.g., 102-B and 102-C of FIG. 1, and further discloses For an RCVA 101, of FIG. 1, embodiment, the communication adapter 14055 is coupled between two rigidly coupled IVs to provide communication and control between one IV and another IV can have a shared or a master/slave relationship, as is required for multiple IVs rigidly coupled together to be able to travel, turn brake and steer as a single unit. ([0104], Fig: 1, 24).
That is comprising, on each of said vehicles, connection means for mechanical connecting of said control means to a transmission bar for controlling the braking of the vehicles, each respective said transmission bar extending for the length of each of said vehicles (newly added limitations).
Therefore, Gecchelin discloses all the limitations recited in independent claim 1 and the rejection of claim 1 over Gecchelin is proper for the reason set forth above and maintained the rejection Claims 2-8 depend directly or indirectly on claim 1 and therefore, rejection over Gecchelin are proper for the reason set forth above and maintained the rejection.
Claim 9 is objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure
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.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to SAN M AUNG whose telephone number is (571)270-5792. The examiner can normally be reached 9:00 AM - 5:30 PM.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Robert Siconolfi can be reached at 571-272-7124. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/SAN M AUNG/Examiner, Art Unit 3616
/Robert A. Siconolfi/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3616