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 .
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) 13-20 and 22 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Tatara, et al. (10,829,044).
Tatara discloses an equipment holder 1 for a vehicle 2 comprising a first camera 12; a second camera 11; a housing 3 that accommodates the first and second cameras, wherein the housing 3 is configured to be attached to a right or left outer side of the vehicle 2 so that the first camera images a region located laterally behind the vehicle A2 and the second camera images a region located laterally of the vehicle A1. The housing 3 is configured to space apart the first camera laterally from the vehicle far enough that the first camera images a widest point of the vehicle located behind the equipment holder, see Figure 2. A third camera 11 is accommodated in the housing, wherein the third camera images a region located laterally in front of the vehicle A1 and see Figure 4. A signal light and/ or lighting unit is on the housing, see col. 3, lines 33-35. The equipment holder further comprises a cleaning unit for one of the first or second cameras, see col. 5, lines 24-27. The equipment holder is configured to be attached in a region of the vehicle which extends behind and above an axle of a front wheel and in front of a bulkhead of the vehicle, as shown in the figures. The equipment holder is configured to be attached to vehicles of various vehicle types.
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.
Claim(s) 21, 23 and 24 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Tatara, et al. (10,829,044) in view of Aso (JP 2018107518 A).
Tatara discloses the claimed invention except for the equipment holder comprising plates. Aso discloses a vehicle monitoring device comprising a monitoring device 10 having a mounting plate 20 for attachment of cameras and a fastening plate 60 for attachment to a vehicle. Based on the teachings of Aso, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the equipment holder of Tatara to have a plates to provide a seure attachment of the cameras to the vehicle.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. The prior art recited discloses common inventive concepts as the claimed present invention.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Faye M. Fleming whose telephone number is (571)272-6672. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 8:30am-5:00pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Vivek Koppikar can be reached at (571) 272-5109. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/FAYE M FLEMING/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3612