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 .
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statements filed 7/9/2025, 6/21/2023, and 6/18/2023 have been considered by the examiner.
Drawings
The drawings filed 6/18/2023 are approved by the examiner.
Claim Interpretation
The several accumulators set forth by claim 16 is being interpreted in light of elements (10a, 10b, 10c and 10d), as set forth in figures 5A, 5B and 5C of the specification of the present application.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
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 23-27 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.
In claim 23, there is no antecedent basis for “the electronic unit” in parent claims 15, 16 and 17.
Therefore, appropriate correction is required.
Claims 24-27 depend on claim 23.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
The following is a quotation of the appropriate paragraphs of 35 U.S.C. 102 that form the basis for the rejections under this section made in this Office action:
A person shall be entitled to a patent unless –
(a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claims 1 and 22 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Chun et al (United States Patent Application Publication No. 2021/0123778).
With respect to claim 1, Chun et al disclose: A platform for a mobile scanning assembly [ taught by figure 2 ], comprising least two receptacles for selective and detachable positioning of a scanning device or for positioning of at least two identically constructed or different scanning devices [ upper block (UB) shows mounting receptacles for at least three sensors (31, 32, 33); paragraph [0090] teaches detachable mounting ], which are also independently operable [ a camera (310, infrared sensor (32) and lidar (33) are inherently independent ], wherein the receptacles are positioned in an optionally adjustable angle relative to each other, wherein the platform is configured with two receptacle walls set at an angle relative to each other and on each of which a receptacle is formed [ figure 4B shows the walls of the upper block (UB) at angles to each other ], wherein the receptacles are each pocket-shaped recesses in the receptacle walls [ taught by the mounting grooves in the upper block (UB) in figure 9 and paragraph [0095] ], into each of which a retainer for a scanning device is inserted, wherein the retainer is configured with a flange plate that is precisely inserted into the recess and carries a holding flange for the scanning device which is configured for mounting the scanning device in a rotation-proof manner [ taught by the flanges (31a, 32a, 33a and 34a) in figure 10; paragraph [ 0099 ].
Figure 2 shows two of the sensor elements identically configured, thus anticipating claim 22.
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.
Claim 15 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Chun et al (United States Patent Application Publication No. 2021/0123778) in view of Jiang (CN 2091184532 U).
Claim 15 further recites using dowel pins to configure the flanges (31a, 32a, 33a and 34a).
Figure 5 of Jiang teaches that it was known before the effective filing date of the present application to have used dowl pins (3) in order to mount bracketing elements.
Therefore, it would have been obvious for a person of ordinary skill in the art to have had a reasonable expectation of success in using dowel pins to mount the flanges disclosed by Chun et al because Jiang taught dowel pins were a known element for mounting structures.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 16-21 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.
Claims 23-27 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.
Any inquiry concerning this communication should be directed to MARK HELLNER at telephone number (571)272-6981.
Examiner interviews are available via a variety of formats. See MPEP § 713.01. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
/MARK HELLNER/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3645
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