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
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 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.
Claims 20, 25-27, and 29 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Glover et al. (US 8,857,379) in view of Edri et al. (US 2021/0142642).
Regarding claim 20: Glover discloses a rope connecting device with a timer clock system for timing rodeo events, comprising:
a chute used in the rodeo event to restrain an animal used in the rodeo event;
a first connection component configured to mount to an end of a trip rope attachable to the animal (a light-weight piece of rope is secured to the calf’s neck);
a second connection component connectable to the first connection component and mounted to the chute (trip lever adjacent to pen or box); a timer (timer clock); the timer clock is started when the disconnection of the first connectable component from the second connection component the timer records a start time of the event (col. 1, lines 13-25).
Glover does not disclose the sensing component for detecting the disconnection of the rope. Edri discloses a rope safety device comprising a sensor for detecting disconnection of the end rope [0035-0036]. It would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to utilize the sensing component to detect the disconnection of the rope as taught by Edri in a system as disclosed by Glover to effectively detect the disconnection and to indicate the start of the rope disconnection.
Regarding claim 25: See claim 20 above.
Regarding claim 26: Glover discloses the disconnection of the first connection component further causes release of a barrier rope that is mounted on a box that holds a horse used in the rodeo event (col. 1, lines 13-25).
Regarding claim 27: Glover discloses the trip rope includes a tail configured to release the barrier rope (col. 1, lines 13-25).
Regarding claim 29: Glover discloses the trip rope is secured to the animal and the trip rope has an end; the end connected to the first connection component wherein removal of the first connection component from the second connection component causes the timer to record the start time (col. 1, lines 13-25).
Claims 21 and 33 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Glover et al. (US 8,857,379) in view of Edri et al. (US 2021/0142642) as applied to claim 20 above and further in view of Khan (US 2022/0015584).
Regarding claim 21: Glover and Edri do not disclose the recording of the start time using a time stamp. Khan discloses a timer device which record the start time using a time stamp [0038]. It would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to utilize a time stamp as taught by Khan in a system as disclosed by Glover and Edri to accurately record the time that is reliable for a sporting event.
Regarding claim 33: Glover in view of Edri discloses the timer to record the start time of the rodeo event upon detection of disconnection of the first connection component from the second connection component (col. 1, lines 13-25). Glover and Edri do not disclose the recording of the start time using a time stamp. Khan discloses a timer device which record the start time using a time stamp [0038]. It would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to utilize a time stamp as taught by Khan in a system as disclosed by Glover and Edri to accurately record the time that is reliable for a sporting event.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 34-39 are allowed.
Claims 22-24, 28 and 30-32 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.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
-Putty et al. (US 8,196,377) discloses to a remotely actuable safety release for use in connection with a riding harness such as, for example, a bull rope as utilized in the sport of bull riding.
-Eicks (US 7,637,230) discloses to quick release lariats and more particularly pertains to a new quick release lariat for separating a honda to allow easy retrieval of a rope.
-Dunton et al. (US 6,640,524) discloses a latch inserted in an animal rigging and controllably releasable for quick unlatching.
-Jeffcoat (US 2026/0126147) discloses a mounting system for electronic timing devices is a system that facilitates the mounting of an electronic timing device to a rodeo chute.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to TOAN NGOC PHAM whose telephone number is (571)272-2967. The examiner can normally be reached M - F (7 AM - 3:30 PM).
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Quan-Zhen Wang can be reached at (571) 272-3114. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
/TOAN N PHAM/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2685
6/4/26
Prosecution Insights