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 .
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.
Claim Objections
Claims 8 and 15 are objected to because of the following informalities:
In claim 8, replace “at least one of the plurality of receiving antennas or at least one of the plurality of transmitting antennas” with –the at least one receiving antenna or the at least one transmitting antenna--. Otherwise, “the plurality of receiving antennas” and “the plurality of transmitting antennas” lacks antecedent basis in the claim.
In claim 15, insert—one—before “receiving antenna” on line 11.
Appropriate corrections are required.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
The following is a quotation of the appropriate paragraphs of 35 U.S.C. 102 that form the basis for the rejections under this section made in this Office action:
A person shall be entitled to a patent unless –
(a)(1) the claimed invention was patented, described in a printed publication, or in public use, on sale, or otherwise available to the public before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
(a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claims 1, 2, 4, 8-9, 11 and 15-16 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Seki et al. (U. S. Pub. 2020/0196392).
As for claims 1, 8 and 15, Seki et al. discloses a sensing system (see Figs. 1, 3, 5, 7, 13, 16 and 17), comprising:
a group of transmitting antennas (24a) operably connected to a vehicle seat (11), each transmitting antenna (24a) adapted to transmit a signal that is orthogonal to each other signal transmitted during an integration period,
a plurality of receiving antennas (24b), each one of the pluralities of receiving antennas adapted to receive transmitted signals;
a processor (processing means of the detection portion 30, and/or the CPU of the controller 40) adapted to determine a measurement of transmitted signals received, wherein the processor is further adapted to process the measurements to determine position or movement of a person or an occupant of the vehicle seat (i.e., the approaches or contact of an occupant of the vehicle seat is determined, see [0055]--[0059]); and
a grounding portion (25c or 22 or 220 in Figs 7, 13 and 17) located proximate to at least one of the plurality of receiving antennas (24b) or at least one of the plurality of transmitting antennas (24a),
wherein the grounding portion (25c or 22 or 220 in Figs 7, 13 and 17) conforms to a layout of at least one of the plurality of receiving antennas or at least one of the plurality of transmitting antennas (i.e., the grounding portion 25c conforms to surround the receiving and transmitting antennas 24a, 24b, and the grounding portions 220 or 22 covers or conforms to the receiving and transmitting antennas, see Figs.7, 13 and 17).
the grounding portion (25c; 220 or 22) adapted to enhance determination of the measurements of the transmitted signals received (i.e., the grounding portion 25c and 220/22 is used to increase detection accuracy and block emitted noises, see [0094]—[0097], [0109]) during approach of the at least one transmitting antenna or the at least one receiving antenna (i.e., when the transmitting and receiving antennas 24a and 24b are approached by the person/occupant).
As for claims 2, 9 and 16, Seki et al. discloses the sensing system of claims 1, 8 and 15, further comprising a dielectric portion (insulation portion board 23, see [0041]) operably located between the grounding portion (25c, 22, 220) and at least one of the plurality of transmitting antennas (24a) or at least one of the plurality of receiving antennas (24b).
As for claims 4 and 11, Seki et al. discloses the sensing system of claims 1 and 8, wherein the grounding portion ( 22 or 220) is formed as a ground plane.
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.
Claims 3, 6-7, 10, 13-14, 17 and 19-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Seki et al. (U. S. Pub. 2020/0196392).
As for claims 3, 10 and 17, Seki et al. discloses the sensing system of claims 1, 8 and 15, wherein the dielectric portion (23) is made of resin material ([0041]).
Seki et al. does not specifically disclose wherein the dielectric portion is made of a foam material.
It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to modify Seki et al. to use any other suitable dielectric material, such as a foam material for the dielectric portion, as dependent upon the specific requirement and readily available resource of different application involved.
As for claims 6, 13 and 19, Seki et al. discloses the sensing system of claims 1, 8 and 15, as discussed above.
Seki et al. does not specifically disclose wherein compression of a vehicle/car seat is determined, in part, by movement of at least one transmitting antenna or the at least one receiving antenna with respect to the grounding portion.
It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to modify the capacitive proximity sensor of Seki et al. to be used as a capacitive sensor disposed in a seat, so that the compression of the seat can be determined by movement of the transmitting and receiving antennas with respect to the grounding portion, for more accurately distinguishing the different movements or positions of the occupant for providing additional vehicle controlling functionality based on the different occupant movement or position measured.
As for claims 7, 14 and 20, Seki et al. discloses the sensing system of claims 1, 8 and 15, as discussed above.
Seki et al. does not specifically disclose wherein the grounding portion is adapted to be switched between being connected to a source of ground and not being connected to the source of ground.
It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to modify Seki et al. to disclose switching on and off the connection of the grounding portion to a source of ground, so that the effect of using the grounding portion (25c and 22/220) to suppress the capacitive coupling between the transmitting and/or receiving antennas and any conductive component can be compared to and indicated (see [0092]—[0097] in Seki).
Claims 5, 12 and 18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Seki et al. (U. S. Pub. 2020/0196392) in view of Simmons (U. S. Patent 4,721,872).
As for claims 5, 12 and 18, Seki et al. discloses the sensing system of claims 1, 8 and 15, wherein the grounding portion (25c or 220 in Fig. 13) is operably connected to ground.
Seki et al. does not specifically disclose wherein the grounding portion (25c or 220) is operably connected to a portion of a vehicle.
Simmons (U. S. Patent 4,721,872) discloses it is conventional in the art to use vehicle chasis as a ground connection (see col. 2, lines 23-24).
It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to modify Seki et al. to connect the grounding portion to a portion of a vehicle, such as the vehicle chasis, as taught by Simmons, for conveniently providing the ground connection.
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed on December 12, 2025 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
In response to applicant’s argument that Seiki does not disclose “wherein the grounding portion conforms to a layout of at least one of the plurality of receiving antennas or at least one of the plurality of transmitting antenna”, the examiner asserts that Seiki does clearly disclose: 1) a grounding portion 25c in Figs. 13 and 17, conform to surround the sides of at least one of transmitting antennas 24a and at least one of the receiving antennas 24b; and 2) a grounding portion 22 or 220 as shown in Figs. 7, 13 and 17, formed as a plane, and conforms and covers the at least one of the transmitting antennas 24a and at least one of the receiving antennas 24b.
Conclusion
THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. 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 AMY HE whose telephone number is (571)272-2230. The examiner can normally be reached 9:00am--5:00pm.
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/AMY HE/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2858