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 .
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 103 which forms the basis for all obviousness rejections set forth in this Office action:
A patent for a claimed invention may not be obtained, notwithstanding that the claimed invention is not identically disclosed as set forth in section 102, if the differences between the claimed invention and the prior art are such that the claimed invention as a whole would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to which the claimed invention pertains. Patentability shall not be negated by the manner in which the invention was made.
Claim(s) 1-5 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Rich et al. (US 2021/0279978) in view of Bout (US 20180194176).
As per claim 1, Rich et al. disclose a system (figures 1-3), comprising: an
electronic device (12) connected to a first database (34), displaying a link diagram
(visual code, 60, figure 3) upon inputting vehicle data (paragraphs 0038, 0041, 0043-
0044, 0047 and 0050-0051); and a handheld mobile device (22) connected to a second
database (56), retrieving a communication protocol from the second database after scanning the link diagram (paragraphs 0038 and 0050-0053).
Rich et al. disclose the instant claimed invention except for setting the tire sensor
communication protocol. Bout discloses a system (100, figure 3) for reprogramming a
tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS) tire sensor data comprising an electronic
device in a form of a vehicle electronic control unit (ECU, 114, figure 3, paragraphs
0028-0029) and a handheld mobile device in a form of a TPMS relearning tool (126,
figure 3) configured to communicate with the TPMS with a tire sensor (110, paragraphs
0030-0031), wherein the TPMS relearning tool (126) which (a) receives a first TPMS tire
sensor data signals from the TPMS tire sensors, (b) initiates the vehicle control system
to enter into a resetting, and (c) re-emits the first TPMS tire sensor data signal as a
second TPMS tire sensor data signal to the vehicle control system to reset the vehicle
control system to the present TPMS tire sensor data (see abstract and paragraphs
0037-0038). Therefore, it would have been obvious before the effective filing date of
the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to utilize the system as
taught by Bout in a system as disclosed by Rich et al. for the purpose of setting the tire
sensor communication protocol after scanned the visible code displayed on the
electronic device.
As per claim 2, Rich et al. disclose the link diagram (60) includes a
communication protocol command and a communication protocol path, the handheld
mobile device searches the second database for the specified communication protocol
based on the communication protocol command, and if the specified communication
protocol is not found, downloading the specified communication protocol from the first
database using the communication protocol path (paragraphs 0052-0055).
As per claim 3, Rich et al. disclose the electronic device is connected to a
network server, and the first database is a cloud database located on the network
server (paragraph 0044), and the electronic device (12) is a desktop computer, a laptop,
a tablet, or a smartphone (figures 1-2).
As per claim 4, Rich et al. disclose the handheld mobile device (22, figure 2)
being connected to an operation module (58), and the operation module being
connected to either a camera module (50), when the camera module (50) captures the
link diagram (figure 3), and the operation module selects the corresponding
communication protocol (paragraphs 0050, 0055 and 0060).
As per claim 5, Rich et al. disclose the handheld mobile device includes a low-
frequency transceiver (48), the handheld mobile device uses the low-frequency
transceiver to program the communication protocol into the tire sensor (paragraph 0048).
Claim(s) 8-9, 12, 14 and 16 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Rich et al. as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Wicher et al. (US 2019/0092105).
As per claim 8, refer to claim 1 above. Bout discloses a tire sensor (110, figure
3) but not specifically disclose detail of the tire sensor, as claimed. Wicher et al.
disclose a comprising a tire sensor in a form of a wheel unit (200, figures 1-2) comprising a control module (230), and the control module electrically connected to a
sensing module (180), a transmission module (260) and a power module (270), and the
power module provides power to the tire sensor, and the control module controls the
sensing module to detect tire information, which is transmitted externally by the
transmission module, and the transmission module receives an external signal
(paragraphs 0055-0056). Therefore, it would have been obvious before the effective
filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to utilize
the tire sensor as taught by Wicher et al. in a system as disclosed by, Bout et al. as
modified, for the purpose of detecting of pressure of the tire in order to alert the
pressure status information.
As per claim 9, Wicher et al. disclose an electronic device (100) displays a code
learning process diagram on an output device (110) based on the vehicle data
(paragraph 0052), and the code learning process diagram includes one of the following:
on-board diagnostics (OBD) code learning, automatic code learning, tool-triggered code
learning, or deflation-triggered code learning.
As per claim 12, refer to claims 8 above.
As per claims 14 and 16, The method claims 8 and 9 are essentially the same in
scope as system claims above and are rejected similarly.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 6-7, 10, 13, 15 and 17-20 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed April 08, 2036 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
Applicant argues that Rich et al. does not expressly disclose the technical feature that "the electronic device, after vehicle data are input, generates and displays a link code." Examiner does not agree. Rich et al. clearly disclose the electronic device (12) includes a tool (16) plug connectable into a diagnostic port (18) on a vehicle (14, figure 1) to communicate with an ECU (20) for retrieving vehicle data and/or vehicle information. Once the vehicle data and information is obtained, it may be analyzed to produce a diagnostic summary. The customer may be required to interact with the electronic device (12) at various stages of the process to provide information, as well as to receive the diagnostic summer (paragraphs 0037 and 0047). Rich et al. further disclose the electronic device displays a visual code (60, figure 3), the handheld mobile device (22) captures the visual code (60, paragraphs 0050-0056).
Applicant argues that Rich et al. do not expressly disclose the technical feature that "after scanning the link code, the handheld mobile device selects a corresponding communication protocol from the database of the handheld mobile device." Examiner does not agree. Rich et al. disclose “various aspects of the present disclosure are directed toward utilizing a customer's handheld communication device 22 to facilitate and enhance customer interaction with the kiosk 12. In one embodiment, the customer's handheld communication device 22, e.g., smartphone, may be operatively linked to the kiosk 12 to allow the handheld communication device 22 to serve as a user interface for the kiosk 12. For instance, the smartphone 22 may be used to retrieve vehicle identification information from the vehicle 14 and upload such information to the kiosk 12 or to a remote server 24, 26, 28 operatively associated with the kiosk 12. In this regard, it is contemplated that the smartphone 22 may be used as a “hotspot” (e.g., a location which may provide Internet access) for the kiosk 12. The smartphone 22 may also be used to display diagnostic results subsequent to any retrieval of data from the vehicle 14.”, paragraph 0037. Rich et al. further disclose “visual code may be scanned by the smartphone 22, which may cause the smartphone 22 to send a signal to a remote operations server 28 for creating a record on the remote operations server 28 of the customer's interaction with the kiosk 12. The stored record may be associated with a unique code, which may allow retrieval of any diagnostic data and any results associated with the customer's interaction with the kiosk 12 at any time when the unique code is provided to the server 28”, paragraph 0038.
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.
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/TAI T NGUYEN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2685 May 19, 2026
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