VEHICLE

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 Arguments Applicant’s arguments filed 09/17/2026 have been considered but are moot in view of a new ground of rejections. 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 7 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Fukuda et al. (US 2020/0391698 A1 – hereinafter Fukuda) and Kasarla (US 2023/0114533 A1 – hereinafter Kasarla, previously provided in PTO-892 form dated 07/15/2026). Regarding claim 7, Fukuda discloses a vehicle (Fig. 1; [0028]), comprising a front window (Fig. 1; [0028] – windshield 1), a camera disposed on a cabin side of the front window to capture an image of an external environment through the front window (Figs. 1-2; [0028]-[0029] – camera 100), and a heater for raising a temperature of an area of the front window including a region inside a field of view of the camera (Fig. 2; [0035]-[0036] – heater 11), wherein the front window comprises: a first window panel fitted into a window frame of a vehicle body (Figs. 1-2 – first window panel 1); and a second window panel formed as a separate member from the first window panel and disposed in the area including the region inside the field of view of the camera (Fig. 2; [0030]-[0032] – inner glass 2), and wherein a heat insulation member is disposed between the first window panel and the second window panel (Fig. 2; [0032] – heat insulating portion 3 formed between the inner glass 2 and the windshield 1), the vehicle further comprising a holding member that holds the camera to fix the camera to the vehicle body, wherein the heater is disposed on the holding member (Fig. 2 – inner glass 2 is disposed with the windshield 1 together with holding member 10), wherein the holding member is fixed to the second window panel, and is fixed to the first window panel via the second window panel (Fig. 2). However, Fukuda does not disclose an upper edge of the first window panel being formed with a recessed part in the area including the region inside the field of view of the camera; the second window panel is provided in the recessed part; the holding member is fixed to an inner surface of the second window panel, and is fixed to the first window panel via the second window panel, the holding member not being directly fixed to the first window panel. Kasarla discloses an upper edge of a first window panel being formed with a recessed part in an area including a region inside a field of view of a camera ([0017]; [0020]; Fig. 3 – upper edge of windshield 16 is formed with a recessed part 16a in an area including a region inside a field of view of a camera 14 as further shown in Fig. 2); the second window panel is provided in the recessed part ([0016]; [0020]; Fig. 2 – a second window panel associated with support element 22 is provided in the recessed part); the holding member is fixed to an inner surface of the second window panel, and is fixed to the first window panel via the second window panel, the holding member not being directly fixed to the first window panel (Fig. 2; [0019]-[0020] – a holding member mounting the camera to the support member 22 and is fixed the first window panel via the support member 22 using a seal, thus the holding member is not directly fixed to the first window panel). One of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention would have been motivated to incorporate the teachings of Kasarla into the vehicle taught by Fukuda because such an implementation would have been advantageous due to easy installation and/or replacement because it can be removable and detachable from the windshield (Kasarla: [0017]). References Considered as Relevant but not Cited in Rejections. 1) Toma et al. (US 2016/0264063 A1 – hereinafter Toma) teaches mounting a front facing camera to a windshield of a vehicle (Fig. 1; [0020]). Toma is not very clear on a recessed part or a second window panel. 2) Abadie et al. (US 2024/0157768 A1 – hereinafter Abadie) teaches a heater for raising a temperature of an area of the front window including a region inside a field of view of the camera ([0281]; Fig. 1 – heating layer 64). Abadie does not explicitly teach a second window panel provided in a recessed part of the first window panel. Specifically, in Figs. 2-3, 5 of Adabie, edges 51 and 602 are not those of a separate second window panel provided in a recessed part of the first window panel. Instead, they are elements embedded inside a single first window panel (see Figs. 1, 4, 7-9). Allowable Subject Matter Claims 1-4 and 9 are allowed. The following is an examiner’s statement of reasons for allowance: Claim 1 recites, “the first holding member and the second holding member being separately formed and separately fixed to the first window panel and the second window panel, respectively, before the first holding member and the second holding member are joined together, wherein the first holding member and the second holding member are joined and fixed to each other so that the first window panel and the second window panel are united with each other,” which are features not disclosed by prior art. Specifically, the limitations above recite a process of assembling the first and second holding members that hold the camera to the first and second window panels. An example is shown in Fig. 11A and Fig. 11B, in which the first holding member 51 is fixed to the first window panel 11, the second holding member 52 is separately fixed to the second window panel 12, the whole thing comprising the second window panel 12 and the second holding member 52 is then fixed to the first window panel and the first holding member to complete the assembly as shown in Fig. 11A. Prior art of record does not disclose the limitations. Claims 2-4 and 9 are allowable at least by virtue of dependency. Any comments considered necessary by applicant must be submitted no later than the payment of the issue fee and, to avoid processing delays, should preferably accompany the issue fee. Such submissions should be clearly labeled “Comments on Statement of Reasons for Allowance.” 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 HUNG Q DANG whose telephone number is (571)270-1116. The examiner can normally be reached IFT. Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice. If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Thai Q Tran can be reached at 571-272-7382. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300. Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000. /HUNG Q DANG/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2484