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 .
Election/Restrictions
The Applicant has cancelled all claims subject to the restriction requirement. Therefore, said restriction requirement is moot.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statements (IDS) submitted on 3/03/2024, 10/08/2024, 12/18/2024, 12/20/2024, 6/25/2025, & 12/16/2025 are in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the examiner has considered the information disclosure statements.
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.
(a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claims 30-49 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Enarvi et al. (US Patent Application Publication # EP20164691).
Regarding Claim 30, Enarvi discloses an electronic shelf rail system (i.e. display units 24), comprising:
a support device (i.e. mounting device 4 w/ supporting beam 13 & end pieces 19) configured to couple an electronic device (i.e. display 11 w/ protective pockets 9/12, display drivers 6, & display driver wires 8) to a shelf rail (i.e. product shelf 28), the support device comprising-
a first wall (i.e. top sections 4b & walls of supporting beam 13 & end pieces 19);
a second wall (i.e. connector 3/21) engaged with the first wall; and
a conductor support (i.e. rail 1) configured to be coupled to the second wall and spaced apart from the first wall when coupled to the second wall, the conductor support including one or more conductor tracks (i.e. wire ducts 1b),
wherein the first wall, the second wall, and the conductor support together at least partially define a receiving region (i.e. space between walls of supporting beam 13 w/ space inside top sections 4b) configured to receive at least a portion (i.e. display drivers 6 & display driver connectors 7) of the electronic device and thereby allow the electronic device to be operably coupled to the one or more conductor tracks (Fig. 1-6; Abstract; Paragraphs 0013-0029).
Regarding Claim 31, Enarvi discloses that the conductor support (i.e. rail 1) includes a side,
the one or more conductor tracks (i.e. wire ducts 1b) are positioned on the side, and
when the conductor support is coupled to the second wall (i.e. connector 3/21), the side and the one or more conductor tracks face toward the first wall (i.e. top sections 4b & walls of supporting beam 13 & end pieces 19) (Fig. 2 & 4).
Regarding Claim 32, Enarvi discloses that the one or more conductor tracks (i.e. wire ducts 1b) include one or more wires (i.e. feed wires 2) that extend longitudinally along the conductor support (i.e. rail 1) (Fig. 2 & 4).
Regarding Claim 33, Enarvi discloses that the conductor support (i.e. rail 1) includes a surface, and wherein the one or more conductor tracks (i.e. wire ducts 1b) extend outwardly from the surface (Fig. 2 & 4).
Regarding Claim 34, Enarvi discloses that the second wall (i.e. connector 3/21) includes a conductor support coupling feature configured to releasably receive at least a portion of the conductor support (Fig. 2 & 4; Paragraphs 0026).
Regarding Claim 35, Enarvi discloses that the first wall (i.e. walls of supporting beam 13) and the second wall (i.e. connector 21) comprise a unitary structure (Fig. 4; Paragraphs 0026).
Regarding Claim 36, Enarvi discloses that the conductor support (i.e. rail 1) includes a first side facing toward the first wall (i.e. top sections 4b & walls of supporting beam 13 & end pieces 19) and a second side opposite the first side, and wherein the electronic shelf rail system further comprises a conductor support web (i.e. protrusion from the top wall of supporting beam 13 to which connector 21 is attached and which contacts the top of rail 1) operably coupled to the second wall (i.e. connector 21) and configured to contact the first side and/or the second side of the conductor support (Fig. 4; Paragraphs 0026).
Regarding Claim 37, Enarvi discloses that the first wall (i.e. top sections 4b & walls of supporting beam 13 & end pieces 19) and the conductor support (i.e. rail 1) extend away from the second wall (i.e. connector 21) in a parallel direction (Fig. 4; Paragraphs 0026).
Regarding Claim 38, Enarvi discloses a supply device (i.e. control unit 18 w/ data transfer unit 16) configured to provide power and/or communication signals to the electronic device, the supply device comprising-
supply electronics (i.e. data transfer unit 16); and
one or more electrical connectors (i.e. connectors 25/27 w/ wires 17/26 & spring units 23) operably coupling the supply electronics to corresponding ones of the one or more conductor tracks (Fig. 3, 5; Paragraphs 0002, 0009-0010, 0024-0028).
Regarding Claim 39, Enarvi discloses that each of the one or more electrical connectors includes a first portion (i.e. connector 27 w/ wire 17) configured to be coupled to the supply electronics, a second portion (i.e. connectors 25 w/ wires 26) coupled to and oriented at a first non-zero interior angle relative to the first portion, and a third portion (i.e. spring units 23) coupled to and oriented at a second non-zero interior angle relative to the second portion configured to be coupled to a corresponding one of the one or more conductor tracks (Fig. 5; Paragraphs 0027-0028).
Regarding Claim 40, Enarvi discloses that each of the one or more electrical connectors have a U- or L-shaped profile (Fig. 5; Paragraphs 0027-0028).
Regarding Claim 41, Enarvi discloses that each of the one or more electrical connectors are connected directly to the corresponding one of the one or more conductor tracks (Fig. 5; Paragraphs 0027-0028).
Regarding Claim 42, Enarvi discloses the electronic device (i.e. display 11 w/ protective pockets 9/12, display drivers 6, & display driver wires 8), wherein the electronic device comprises-
a housing (i.e. protective pockets 9/12) defining a conductor support groove configured to receive at least a portion of the conductor support; and
one or more electrical contacts (i.e. display driver 6) coupled to the housing (i.e. through display driver wires 8) and configured to be operably coupled to corresponding ones of the one or more conductor tracks when the conductor support is positioned at least partially within the conductor support groove (Fig. 1-2; Paragraphs 0020-0025).
Regarding Claim 43, Enarvi discloses that the housing includes a front housing wall (i.e. protective pocket 12) and a rear housing wall (i.e. protective pocket 9) opposite the front housing wall and wherein the conductor support groove is positioned between the front housing wall and the rear housing wall (Fig. 1-2; Paragraphs 0020-0025).
Regarding Claim 44, Enarvi discloses that the housing (i.e. protective pockets 9/12) further includes a first end surface extending between the front housing wall and the rear housing wall and a second end surface opposite the first end surface and extending between the front housing wall and the rear housing wall, and wherein the conductor support groove extends through the first end surface and the second end surface (Fig. 1-2; Paragraphs 0020-0025).
Regarding Claim 45, Enarvi discloses that the housing (i.e. protective pockets 9/12) includes a first side (i.e. protective pocket 12) and a second side (i.e. protective pocket 9) opposite the first side, and wherein, when the electronic device is coupled to the support device, the first side is seated against the first wall of the support device and the conductor support is positioned between the first side and the second side (Fig. 1-2; Paragraphs 0020-0025).
Regarding Claim 46, Enarvi discloses that the second wall of the support device includes an end portion spaced from the first wall and curved relative to other portions of the second wall; and
the housing (i.e. protective pockets 9/12) of the electronic device further includes a notch (i.e. holes at the top of protective pocket 9 aligned with pegs 10) configured to receive the end portion of the second wall when the electronic device is coupled to the support device (Fig. 1-2; Paragraphs 0020-0025).
Regarding Claim 47, Enarvi discloses that the first wall of the support device (i.e. mounting device 4) includes a fastening opening (i.e. space between lower sections 4a); and
the electronic device further includes a coupling mechanism (i.e. top end of protective pockets 9/12) protruding from the housing and configured to be received within the fastening opening to at least partially couple the electronic device to the support device (Fig. 1-2, 4; Paragraphs 0016-0021).
Regarding Claim 48, Enarvi discloses that the electronic device is an electronic display unit (i.e. display 11) (Fig. 3; Paragraphs 0013-0017, 0024-0025, 0028-0029).
Regarding Claim 49, Enarvi discloses that the electronic device is an electronic shelf label (i.e. price label) (Fig. 3; Paragraphs 0002, 0012-0013).
Relevant Cited Art
The cited art in PTO-892 was found during the examiner's search, but was not relied upon for this office action. However, it is still considered pertinent to the applicant's disclosure.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to RHADAMES J ALONZO MILLER whose telephone number is (571)270-7829. The examiner can normally be reached Mon-Fri 10am-6pm PST.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Timothy Thompson can be reached at (571) 272-2342. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/RJA/Examiner, Art Unit 2847
/TIMOTHY J THOMPSON/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2847
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