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 final rejection. 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and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114.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 05 March 2026 has been entered.
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.
Claims 1, 3, 5-12 and 15-24 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2020/0130570 to Elli et al. (“Elli”).
Regarding claim 1, Elli anticipates a textural (written abstract; note that the digital plate presenting the SAMDP is a physical object, and will thus have some texture property) element (e.g. Self-Adaptive Multiresolution Digital Plate SAMDP 112, as shown in fig. 1 and discussed at para. 21-22) comprising: i) a component (e.g. digital display, as shown in fig. 1 and discussed at para. 25) having a front surface (e.g. surface shown in fig. 1); and ii) coding (e.g. binary 2D multispectral pattern, as shown in figs. 1 and 4B, and discussed at para. 25) provided on (fig. 1) the front surface (aforementioned surface shown in fig. 1) of the component (aforementioned digital display), the coding (aforementioned binary 2D multispectral pattern) including a plurality (figs. 1 and 4B) of code characters (e.g. grids, as discussed at para. 50 and shown in figs. 1 and 4B), each code character (aforementioned grids) comprising a plurality (figs. 1 and 4B) of digits (e.g. individual cells within grids, as shown in figs. 1 and 4B, and discussed at para. 50), wherein the plurality of code characters (aforementioned grids) represent a coded message (message discussed at para. 27) and the coding (aforementioned binary 2D multispectral pattern) includes binary coding (para. 25) including binary digits (aforementioned individual cells within grids) provided as a series of binary bits (e.g. bits discussed at para. 50) that represent the coded message (aforementioned message discussed at para. 27), each binary bit (aforementioned bits discussed at para. 50) representing digital 1 (one) (para. 50) or digital 0 (zero) (para. 50).
Regarding claim 3, Elli anticipates the textural element of claim 1, wherein the coded message (aforementioned message discussed at para. 27) includes at least one of a trade name and logo (per para. 29, any relevant information may be encoded therein).
Regarding claim 5, Elli anticipates the textural element of claim 1, wherein the digital 1s (ones) (para. 50) and digital 0s (zeros) (para. 50) are represented by first and second markings (e.g. black cells and uncolored cells, respectively, as shown in fig. 4B), wherein the first markings (aforementioned black cells) are darker shaded than (note that black is darker than uncolored) the second markings (aforementioned uncolored cells).
Regarding claim 6, Elli anticipates the textural element of claim 5, wherein the first and second markings (aforementioned black cells and uncolored cells, respectively) are represented as rectangular boxes (fig. 4B) or circular shaped.
Regarding claim 7, Elli anticipates the textural element of claim 4, wherein the digital is (ones) (para. 50) and digital 0s (zeros) (para. 50) are represented by opaque and transparent markings (e.g. black and uncolored markings, as shown in fig. 4B).
Regarding claim 8, Elli anticipates the textural element of claim 7 further comprising a light illumination source (per para. 25, a digital display may be employed; note that such a digital display will contain an integrated light source therein) operatively coupled to the coding (aforementioned binary 2D multispectral pattern) for illuminating light (e.g. light generated by said digital display) through the transparent markings (aforementioned uncolored markings).
Regarding claim 9, Elli anticipates the textural element of claim 8, wherein the component (aforementioned digital display) is on a door (e.g. trunk, as shown in fig. 1; note that a trunk is a form of door disposed on a vehicle) on a vehicle (102 and 106), wherein the illuminated light (aforementioned light generated by said digital display) is illuminated to an exterior (fig. 1) of the vehicle (102 and 106).
Regarding claim 10, Elli anticipates the textural element of claim 1, wherein the component (aforementioned digital display) is provided on a dashboard or trim panel (e.g. trunk, as shown in fig. 1; note that a trunk is a form of external trim panel disposed on a vehicle) of a vehicle (102 and 106).
Regarding claim 11, Elli anticipates the textural element of claim 1, wherein the coding (aforementioned binary 2D multispectral pattern) comprises hexadecimal coding (figs. 1 and 4B).
Regarding claim 12, Elli anticipates a textural (written abstract; note that the digital plate presenting the SAMDP is a physical object, and will thus have some texture property) element (e.g. Self-Adaptive Multiresolution Digital Plate SAMDP 112, as shown in fig. 1 and discussed at para. 21-22) comprising: i) a substrate (e.g. digital display, as shown in fig. 1 and discussed at para. 25) having a front surface (e.g. surface shown in fig. 1); and ii) binary coding (e.g. binary 2D multispectral pattern, as shown in figs. 1 and 4B, and discussed at para. 25) provided on (fig. 1) the front surface (aforementioned surface shown in fig. 1) of the substrate (aforementioned digital display), the binary coding (aforementioned binary 2D multispectral pattern) including a plurality (figs. 1 and 4B) of binary code characters (e.g. grids, as discussed at para. 50 and shown in figs. 1 and 4B), each binary code character (aforementioned grids) comprising a plurality (figs. 1 and 4B) of binary digits (e.g. individual cells within grids, as shown in figs. 1 and 4B, and discussed at para. 50), wherein the plurality of code characters (aforementioned grids) represent a coded message (message discussed at para. 27) and the coding (aforementioned binary 2D multispectral pattern) includes binary coding (para. 25) including binary digits (aforementioned individual cells within grids) provided as a series of binary bits (e.g. bits discussed at para. 50) that represent the coded message (aforementioned message discussed at para. 27), each binary bit (aforementioned bits discussed at para. 50) representing digital 1 (one) (para. 50) or digital 0 (zero) (para. 50).
Regarding claim 15, Elli anticipates the textural element of claim 12, wherein the digital is (ones) (para. 50) and digital 0s (zeros) (para. 50) are represented by first and second markings (e.g. black cells and uncolored cells, respectively, as shown in fig. 4B), wherein the first markings (aforementioned black cells) are darker shaded than (note that black is darker than uncolored) the second markings (aforementioned uncolored cells).
Regarding claim 16, Elli anticipates the textural element of claim 15, wherein the first and second markings (aforementioned black cells and uncolored cells, respectively) are represented as rectangular boxes (fig. 4B) or circular shaped.
Regarding claim 17, Elli anticipates the textural element of claim 14, wherein the digital is (ones) (para. 50) and digital 0s (zeros) (para. 50) are represented by opaque and transparent markings (e.g. black and uncolored markings, as shown in fig. 4B).
Regarding claim 18, Elli anticipates the textural element of claim 17 further comprising a light illumination source (per para. 25, a digital display may be employed; note that such a digital display will contain an integrated light source therein) operatively coupled to the binary coding (aforementioned binary 2D multispectral pattern) for illuminating light (e.g. light generated by said digital display) through the transparent markings (aforementioned uncolored markings).
Regarding claim 19, Elli anticipates the textural element of claim 18, wherein the substrate (aforementioned digital display) is one of a door (e.g. trunk, as shown in fig. 1; note that a trunk is a form of door disposed on a vehicle) of a vehicle (102 and 106), a dashboard or trim panel (e.g. trunk, as shown in fig. 1; note that a trunk is a form of external trim panel disposed on a vehicle) of the vehicle (102 and 106).
Regarding claim 20, Elli anticipates a textural (written abstract; note that the digital plate presenting the SAMDP is a physical object, and will thus have some texture property) element (e.g. Self-Adaptive Multiresolution Digital Plate SAMDP 112, as shown in fig. 1 and discussed at para. 21-22) for a vehicle (e.g. 102 and 106, as shown in fig. 1 and discussed at para. 24), the textural element (112) comprising: i) a component (e.g. digital display, as shown in fig. 1 and discussed at para. 25) having a front surface (e.g. surface shown in fig. 1); and ii) binary coding (e.g. binary 2D multispectral pattern, as shown in figs. 1 and 4B, and discussed at para. 25) provided on (fig. 1) the front surface (aforementioned surface shown in fig. 1) of the component (aforementioned digital display), the binary coding (aforementioned binary 2D multispectral pattern) including a plurality (figs. 1 and 4B) of binary code characters (e.g. grids, as discussed at para. 50 and shown in figs. 1 and 4B), each binary code character (aforementioned grids) comprising a plurality (figs. 1 and 4B) of binary digits (e.g. individual cells within grids, as shown in figs. 1 and 4B, and discussed at para. 50), wherein the plurality of code characters (aforementioned grids) represent a coded message (message discussed at para. 27) and the coding (aforementioned binary 2D multispectral pattern) includes binary coding (para. 25) including binary digits (aforementioned individual cells within grids) provided as a series of binary bits (e.g. bits discussed at para. 50) that represent the coded message (aforementioned message discussed at para. 27), each binary bit (aforementioned bits discussed at para. 50) representing digital 1 (one) (para. 50) or digital 0 (zero) (para. 50).
Regarding claim 21, Elli anticipates the textural element of claim 20, wherein the coded message (aforementioned message discussed at para. 27) includes at least one of a trade name and logo (per para. 29, any relevant information may be encoded therein).
Regarding claim 22, Elli anticipates the textural element of claim 21, wherein the component (aforementioned digital display) is on a door (e.g. trunk, as shown in fig. 1; note that a trunk is a form of door disposed on a vehicle) on a vehicle (102 and 106), wherein an illuminated pattern (aforementioned light generated by said digital display) is illuminated to an exterior (fig. 1) of the vehicle (102 and 106).
Regarding claim 23, Elli anticipates the textural element of claim 20, wherein the component (aforementioned digital display) is provided on a dashboard or trim panel (e.g. trunk, as shown in fig. 1; note that a trunk is a form of external trim panel disposed on a vehicle) of a vehicle (102 and 106).
Regarding claim 24, Elli anticipates the textural element of claim 20, wherein the coding (aforementioned binary 2D multispectral pattern) comprises hexadecimal coding (figs. 1 and 4B).
Response to Arguments
In view of Applicants’ claim amendments, a further search of the pertinent body of prior art was executed. Within said search, the aforementioned Elli reference was identified. Accordingly, Applicants’ arguments have been considered, but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on any reference applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JUSTIN V LEWIS whose telephone number is (571)270-5052. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 7:30AM-5:00PM.
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/JUSTIN V LEWIS/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3637
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