DETAILED ACTION
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA . This is the initial office action based on the 18/542,749 application filed December 17, 2023. Claims 1-8 are pending and have been fully considered.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) dated April 10, 2024 is noted. The submission is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97 and 1.98. Accordingly, the IDS is being considered by the Examiner.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claims 4, 5, 7, and 8 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Claim 4 recites the limitation "the integration value" in line 1. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim. Specifically, an “integration value” was initially set forth in Claims 2 and 3, and therefore it is unclear if Claim 4 should instead depend from Claim 2 or 3.
Claim 5 is rejection based upon dependency to Claim 4.
Claim 7 is indefinite as it is unclear how a control device alone is capable of carrying out all procedural steps of Claim 1. All of the apparatus features specified in method Claim 1 are necessary to carry out the method of Claim 1, namely a cooling system with multiple coolant circuits, a vehicle system with an auxiliary heater, shut-off valves between a first coolant circuit with the auxiliary heater and a second coolant circuit with a coolant temperature sensor, and a control device for performing the steps. Therefore, Claim 7 is indefinite since it fails to set forth a claim that “clearly and precisely inform[s] persons skilled in the art of the boundaries of protected subject matter” (see MPEP § 2173).
Claim 8 is similarly rejected based upon dependency to Claim 7.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 1-8 are allowable over the prior art.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Specifically, various references are cited that provide detail of relevant control systems for internal combustion engines.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JAMES G MOUBRY whose telephone number is (571)270-5658. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 10AM - 6:30PM.
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/GRANT MOUBRY/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3747