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 amendments, filed 12/16/2025, have been entered and made of record. Claim 1 has been amended. Claims 10 and 11 have been cancelled. Claims 12 -14 have been added. Claims 1-9 and 12-14 are pending.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments in the Remarks filed on 12/16/2025 have been considered but are moot in view of the new ground(s) of rejection.
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.
Monroe in view of Li, Chou and Nakamura
Claims 1-9, 13 and 14 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Monroe et al.(USPubN 2018/0178652; hereinafter Monroe) in view of Li(USPubN 2022/0219606) further in view of Chou et al.(USPubN 2013/0210358; hereinafter Chou) further in view of Nakamura(USPubN 2022/0368873).
As per claim 1, Monroe teaches a recreational vehicle comprising: a body including a cab area and a passenger area area, the cab area including a dashboard(Para.[0007], [0078], Fig. 3 and 5);
A front windshield attached to the body(“HMD 32 extends upwardly from the instrument panel 30 toward the vehicle windshield and is configured to display various information such as vehicle speed, vehicle direction, and navigation information.” in Para.[0044], Fig. 1);
a first base attached to the dashboard(Para.[0007]);
a digital camera assembly arranged to be removably coupled to the first base and including a digital camera(Para.[0006], [0007], [0008]); and
a button positioned in the cab area and physically separate from the digital camera assembly and the base, the button communicatively coupled to the digital camera and configured to perform a particular function when pressed(Para.[0006], [0066]).
Monroe is silent about a recreational vehicle comprising: a body including a living space area and the button communicatively coupled to the digital camera with an image sensor, wherein the first base and the digital camera assembly are arranged such that a field of view of the image sensor is directed through the front windshield; and configured to selectively activate the digital camera to capture an image when pressed.
Li teaches a recreational vehicle comprising: a body including a living space area(Para.[0014]).
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 teachings Monroe with the above teachings of Li in order to improve user experience with different type of vehicle.
Chou teaches the button communicatively coupled to the digital camera with an image sensor and configured to selectively activate the digital camera to capture an image when pressed(Para.[0017]).
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 teachings Monroe and Li with the above teachings of Chou in order to improve user experience.
Nakamura teaches wherein the first base and the digital camera assembly are arranged such that a field of view of the image sensor is directed through the front windshield(“the imaging system 100 may employ three camera systems by using the image acquirers 122, 124 and 126, for example. In such a system, the image acquirer 122 may provide a narrow field of view (e.g., a value of 34 degrees, a value selected from a range from about 20 degrees to about 45 degrees). The image acquirer 124 may provide a wide field of view (e.g., a value of 150 degrees, a value selected from a range from about 100 degrees to about 180 degrees). The image acquirer 126 may provide an intermediate field of view (e.g., a value of about 46 degrees, a value selected from a range from about 35 degrees to about 60 degrees). In some embodiments, the image acquirer 126 may act as either a main camera or a primary camera. These image acquirers 122, 124 and 126 may be separately placed at an interval (e.g., about 6 cm) behind the rearview mirror 310 substantially side-by-side. Further, in some embodiments, as described earlier, one or more of the image acquirers 122, 124 and 126 may be attached to a back side of the glare shield 380 lying on the same plane as the windshield of the vehicle 200. Such a shield 380 can function to minimize any reflection of light from an interior of the vehicle, thereby reducing affection thereof on the image acquirers 122, 124, and 126.” in Para.[0108]).
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 teachings Monroe, Li and Chou with the above teachings of Nakamura in order to improve safety with cameras in the vehicle.
As per claim 2, Monroe, Li, Chou and Nakamura teach all of limitation of claim 1.
Monroe teaches wherein the digital camera includes a battery, wherein the first base includes a charger configured to charge the battery(Para.[0071], [0076]).
As per claim 3, Monroe, Li, Chou and Nakamura teach all of limitation of claim 1.
Monroe teaches wherein the charger is configured to charge the battery wirelessly(Para.[0076]).
As per claim 4, Monroe, Li, Chou and Nakamura teach all of limitation of claim 1.
Monroe teaches wherein the first base and the digital camera assembly are removably coupled to each other via one or more magnets(Para.[0052]).
As per claim 5, Monroe, Li, Chou and Nakamura teach all of limitation of claim 4.
Monroe teaches wherein wherein the magnets are permanent magnets(Para.[0052]).
As per claim 6, Monroe, Li, Chou and Nakamura teach all of limitation of claim 1.
Monroe and Li are silent about wherein the button is wirelessly coupled to the digital camera.
Chou teaches wherein the button is wirelessly coupled to the digital camera(Para.[0017]).
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 teachings Monroe and Li with the above teachings of Chou in order to improve user experience.
As per claim 7, Monroe, Li, Chou and Nakamura teach all of limitation of claim 1.
Monroe teaches wherein the button is attached to the dashboard(Para.[0006], [0007]).
As per claim 8, Monroe, Li, Chou and Nakamura teach all of limitation of claim 1.
Monroe teaches further comprising: a second base arranged to be removably coupled to the digital camera, the second base is positioned in the passenger area(Para.[0007]).
Monroe is silent about the second base is positioned in the living space area.
Li teaches the second base is positioned in the living space area(Para.[0038]).
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 teachings Monroe with the above teachings of Li in order to improve user experience with different type of vehicle.
As per claim 9, Monroe, Li, Chou and Nakamura teach all of limitation of claim 8.
Monroe teaches wherein the second base and the digital camera assembly are removably coupled to each other via one or more magnets(Para.[0052]).
As per claim 13, Monroe, Li, Chou and Nakamura teach all of limitation of claim 1.
Monroe, Li and Chou are silent about wherein the image sensor is arranged to capture images of what a driver views through the windshield during transit.
Nakamura teaches wherein the image sensor is arranged to capture images of what a driver views through the windshield during transit(Para.[0022], [0104], Fig. 9).
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 teachings Monroe, Li and Chou with the above teachings of Nakamura in order to improve safety with cameras in the vehicle.
As per claim 14, Monroe, Li, Chou and Nakamura teach all of limitation of claim 1.
Monroe, Li and Chou are silent about wherein the button is attached to a steering wheel.
Nakamura teaches wherein the button is attached to a steering wheel (Para.[0103).
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 teachings Monroe, Li and Chou with the above teachings of Nakamura in order to improve safety with cameras in the vehicle.
Monroe in view of Li, Chou, Nakamura and Kaja
Claim 12 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Monroe et al.(USPubN 2018/0178652; hereinafter Monroe) in view of Li(USPubN 2022/0219606) further in view of Chou et al.(USPubN 2013/0210358; hereinafter Chou) further in view of Nakamura(USPubN 2022/0368873) further in view of Kaja et al.(USPubN 2020/0135190; hereinafter Kaja).
As per claim 12, Monroe, Li, Chou and Nakamura teach all of limitation of claim 1.
Monroe, Li and Chou are silent about wherein the digital camera assembly is configured to be selectively rotated so that a direction of the field of view can be changed by users.
Kaja teaches wherein the digital camera assembly is configured to be selectively rotated so that a direction of the field of view can be changed by users(Para.[0016]).
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 teachings Monroe, Li, Chou and Nakamura with the above teachings of Kaja in order to improve user experience with rotatable camera or camera mount.
Conclusion
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 SUNGHYOUN PARK whose telephone number is (571)270-1333. The examiner can normally be reached M - Thur 6:00 am - 4 pm.
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/SUNGHYOUN PARK/Examiner, Art Unit 2484