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 on 2/18/2026 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
Regarding Applicant’s argument that Kimura converts each acceleration signal into magnitude-based energy values (fHL, fLL, fHR, fLR) by filtering, rectifying, and integrating the signals, and then compares ratios of those energy values to make a deformation determination. The energy and ratios of energy remain dependent on signal amplitude and therefore are not signal-strength-independent properties of the signals themselves.
Examiner respectfully disagrees. Paragraph 17 of the present publication states “for each sensor, signal strength-independent properties, such as the frequency, that describe the properties of the contact are determined”, therefore, the signal strength-independent property is the frequency of the acceleration signal.
Kimura also teaches use frequency of the acceleration signal to detect the contact (Column 20, lines 1-45, “The side deformation determination process which uses a pair of acceleration sensors mounted on either side of a vehicle body (multiple point type 1) can be carried out by comparing the frequency components of the left system and the right system (fLL, fHL, fLR and fHR) obtained by the frequency analysis according to the prescribed determination logic”).
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 11-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Kimura et al. (U.S. Patent No. 6018980).
Regarding claim 11, Kimura teaches a method for detecting a contact on a vehicle, the method comprising the following steps: evaluating and comparing acceleration signals from at least two sensors to one another (Column 20, lines 1-45, “The side deformation determination process which uses a pair of acceleration sensors mounted on either side of a vehicle body (multiple point type 1) can be carried out by comparing the frequency components of the left system and the right system (fLL, fHL, fLR and fHR) obtained by the frequency analysis according to the prescribed determination logic”), wherein at least one signal strength-independent property of the signals is taken into account (Column 20, lines 1-45, “comparing the frequency components”); and detecting the contact on the vehicle based on the evaluation and comparison (Column 20, lines 1-45, “The side deformation determination process”).
Regarding claim 12, Kimura teaches wherein a frequency of each of the signals is acquired as the signal strength-independent property of the signals (Column 20, lines 1-45, “comparing the frequency components”).
Regarding claim 13, Kimura teaches wherein the method is used to detect a contact which results in minor damage (Column 5, line 63 to column 5, line 4, “this determination logic allows a time interval involving an intrusion (side deformation) and a time interval not involving an intrusion to be accurately distinguished according to the differences between the distributions of frequency components”, no intrusion is a minor damage).
Regarding claim 14, Kimura teaches wherein a frequency is taken into account as at least one property of the at least one signal strength-independent property (Column 20, lines 1-45, “comparing the frequency components”)
Regarding claim 15, Kimura teaches in which a first sensor and a second sensor are used (Column 20, lines 1-45).
Regarding claim 16, Kimura teaches wherein the first sensor and the second sensor are mounted on opposite sides of the vehicle (Column 20, lines 1-45).
Regarding claim 17, Kimura teaches wherein further sensors are used (As shown in Fig.11, RU, LU and CU).
Regarding claim 18, Kimura teaches wherein a relative signal strength ascertainment is carried out (Column 10, lines 52-67).
Regarding claims 19-20, the claims are commensurate in scope with the above claim 11, and are rejected for the same reasons as set forth above.
Conclusion
THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. 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 XIN Y ZHONG whose telephone number is (571)272-3798. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 9 a.m. - 6 p.m..
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/XIN Y ZHONG/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2855
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