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 .
Continued Examination Under 37 CFR 1.114
A request for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, including the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e), was filed in this application after allowance. Since this application is eligible for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114. Applicant's submission filed on May 05, 2026 has been entered.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 05/08/2026 is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the IDS is being considered by the examiner.
Foreign Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of papers submitted under 35 U.S.C. 119(a)-(d), which papers have been placed of record in the file.
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.
Claims 1 – 10 are rejected under 35 U. S. C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Schwefe et al. (DE 102016011711 A1), hereafter referred to as “Schwefe”.
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Regarding claim 1, Schwefe disclose a transmission belt arrangement comprising:
at least one transmission belt (Figure 1, element 7),
at least one sensor (laser sensor, Figure 1, element 10) configured to measure a parameter indicative of a distance between the at least one sensor and the at least one transmission belt (paragraph 26), and
processing circuitry configured to determine a state of the at least one transmission belt based on the parameter and/or based on the distance (paragraph 27).
Regarding claim 2, Schwefe disclose the transmission belt arrangement wherein the at least one sensor comprises an ultrasonic sensor, a laser sensor (laser sensor, Figure 1, element 10), and/or an infrared sensor (paragraph 19).
Regarding claim 3, Schwefe disclose the transmission belt arrangement, herein sensor is configured to measure the parameter at a portion of the at least one transmission belt that is under traction (paragraph 19).
Regarding claim 4, Schwefe disclose the transmission belt arrangement, wherein the state is a degree of elongation of the at least one transmission belt (paragraph 9).
Regarding claim 5, Schwefe disclose the transmission belt arrangement, wherein the at least one sensor provides the parameter to the processing circuitry, and wherein the processing circuitry determines the distance based on the parameter (paragraph 12).
Regarding claim 6, Schwefe disclose the transmission belt arrangement, wherein the at least one transmission belt comprises a plurality of transmission belts, and wherein each of the at least one sensor is associated with one of the at least one transmission belt (paragraphs 11 and 12).
Regarding claim 7, Schwefe disclose the transmission belt arrangement, wherein at least one of the at least one sensor is configured to provide more than one parameter (paragraph 19), and wherein each parameter is indicative of the distance between the sensor and one of the at least one transmission belt (paragraph 20).
Regarding claim 8, Schwefe disclose a method for determining a state of at least one transmission belt in a transmission belt arrangement, the method comprising:
measuring a parameter indicative of a distance between at least one sensor and at the least one transmission belt (paragraph 19), and
determining a state of the at least one transmission belt based on the distance between the at least one sensor and the at least one transmission belt (paragraph 25).
Regarding claim 9, Schwefe disclose the method, further comprising: comparing the state with a predetermined criterion (paragraph 20).
Regarding claim 10, Schwefe disclose the method, further comprising: issuing a notification if the determined state meets the predetermined criterion (paragraphs 16 and 17).
Contact Information
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to WARREN K FENWICK whose telephone number is (571)270-3040. The examiner can normally be reached 10:30 AM to 7:00 PM, Monday through Friday.
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, Walter L. Lindsay, Jr. can be reached at 571-272-1674. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/WALTER L LINDSAY JR/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2852
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