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 § 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 and 7 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.
Claims 4 and 7 recite the limitation “the first end.” There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim (the claim limitation should probably be “the primary end” – as recited in claim 1; or it could be “a first end”).
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 1-4, 6, and 8-10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Lin et al. (U.S. Pub. 2013/0214642).
Regarding claim 1, Lin discloses (Figs. 3-7) an automotive sensor (see pars. [0023] and [0033]), comprising:
a body 4 [0024], forming a workspace i.e. the inner space of housing 4: see Figs. 3-7); and
a connecting member 431 [0027], inserted into the body 4 (as shown in Figs. 5-7) and comprising a primary end 431a [0027], the primary end 431a is arranged in the workspace (as shown in Figs. 5-7) and comprises a holding portion (i.e. where the wire connects to the piezo member 54: [0027]; Figs. 5-7).
Regarding claim 2, Lin discloses (Figs. 3-7) the connecting member 431 further comprises an insertion portion (upper part of 431 where it is attached to the board 8: see Figs. 5-7) and an extension portion (lower part of 431), the insertion portion is inserted into the body 4 (as shown in Figs. 5-7), and the extension portion is attached on a surface of the body 4 (as shown in Figs. 5-7).
Regarding claim 3, Lin discloses (Figs. 3-7) the surface comprises a horizontal plane and a vertical plane (i.e. is three-dimensional: see Figs. 5-7), and the extension portion (lower part of 431) comprises a first extension section and a second extension section (as shown in Figs. 5-7), the first extension section is attached on the horizontal plane (i.e. at 431a where the pin extends horizontally: see Figs. 5-7), and the second extension section is bent relative to the first extension section (as shown in Figs. 5-7) and attached on the vertical plane (i.e. the portion of the lower part of 431 that bends upward: see Figs. 5-7).
Regarding claim 4, Lin discloses (Figs. 3-7) the first/primary end 431a is arranged at the extension portion (as shown in Figs. 5-7).
Regarding claim 6, Lin discloses (Figs. 3-7) a surface of the holding portion 431a has adhesiveness (i.e. where the wire is attached/connected to the pin: [0027]; Figs. 5-7).
Regarding claim 8, Lin discloses (Figs. 3-7) a control element 8 (i.e. circuit board: [0027]), the connecting member 431 further comprises a second end (top end in Figs. 5-7), and the second end is electrically connected to the control element 8 (as shown in Figs. 5-7; [0027]).
Regarding claim 9, Lin discloses (Figs. 3-7) the second end is inserted or soldered to the control element 8 [0028].
Regarding claim 10, Lin discloses (Figs. 3-7) the body 4 is integrally formed with the connecting member 431 [0024].
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.
This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention(s) absent any evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and effective filing dates of each claim that was not commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the later invention in order for the examiner to consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) for any potential 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) prior art against the later invention.
Claim 5 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lin et al. (U.S. Pub. 2013/0214642) in view of Blokland (U.S. Pub. 2015/0192430).
Regarding claim 5, Lin is applied as above, but does not disclose the holding portion forms a groove or a hole.
Blokland discloses (Figs. 6-7) the holding portion 4460 (end of the pin attached to the wire: [0041]) forms a groove/hole 4462 [0041] (as shown in Figs. 6-7).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to modify Lin’s device so that the holding portion forms a groove or a hole, as taught by Blokland.
Such a modification would ensure the wire is held securely, and would be an application of a known technique to a known device (method, or product) ready for improvement to yield predictable results – see MPEP 2143(I)(D).
Claim 5 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lin et al. (U.S. Pub. 2013/0214642) in view of Blokland (U.S. Pub. 2015/0192430).
Regarding claim 5, Lin is applied as above, and further discloses the workspace comprises a first workspace and a second workspace (upper and lower portions of the inner space in 4: see Figs. 5-7), and the first/primary end 431a is arranged in the first workspace (in the lower portion: see Figs. 5-7).
Lin does not disclose cross-sectional dimensions of the first workspace are larger than those of the second workspace.
However, such a modification would be merely a change in size/proportion of the first and second workspaces, which is obvious – see MPEP 2144.04IV(A).
Thus, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to modify Lin’s device so that the holding portion forms a groove or a hole, as taught by Blokland.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure:
Nakajima (U.S. Pub. 2007/0230274) discloses a pin of a sensor connected to a wire with an adhesive [0040].
Liu (CN 109116336, copy/translation attached) discloses an ultrasonic sensor with a housing/body and connecting member 6.
Rostocki et al. (DE 102018105502, copy/translation attached) discloses an ultrasonic sensor with a housing/body and connecting member 4.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Benjamin Schmitt, whose telephone number is (571) 270-7930. The examiner can normally be reached M-F | 8:30-5:00.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Walter Lindsay can be reached at (571) 272-1674. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/BENJAMIN R SCHMITT/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2852