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 .
Status of Claims
This first non-final rejection is in response to Applicant’s original filing of 04/03/2024.
Claims 1-20 are currently pending and have been examined.
Claim Interpretation
Dependent claim 2 recites “…the manual mode [introduced in independent claim 1] comprises at least one of the following: a manual assistance mode, a manual slam-proof protection mode, a manual interference mode, and a manual trend door closing mode,…” A broadest reasonable interpretation of the limitation requires only one of these embodied modes be present in the prior art to sufficiently reject the claim under 35 USC § 102 and/or 103. Additionally, claims dependent on claim 2 that further limit those modes are subject to the same interpretation.
The Examiner has examined claim 2 with the interpretation that the manual mode is the manual interference mode. Claim 8 further limits the manual interference mode and is examined herein. Claims 3-7, 9, and 19-20 further limit the other embodied modes that are unnecessary for a broadest reasonable interpretation of the claims.
Dependent claim 10 recites “…the electric mode [introduced in independent claim 1] comprises at least one of an automatic door opening mode and an automatic door closing mode,…” A broadest reasonable interpretation of the limitation requires only one of these embodied modes be present in the prior art to sufficiently reject the claim under 35 USC § 102 and/or 103. Additionally, claims dependent on claim 10 that further limit those modes are subject to the same interpretation.
The Examiner has examined claim 10 with the interpretation that the electric mode is the automatic door closing mode. Claims 15-16 further limits the automatic door closing mode and are examined herein. Claims 11-14 further limit the automatic door opening mode that is unnecessary for a broadest reasonable interpretation of the claims.
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.
Claims 1-2, 8, 10, and 15-18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Xiao et al. (US 20180202212 A1; reference provided in IDS filed 03/07/2025 and used in corresponding European rejection of EP 22914807).
Regarding claim 1, Xiao discloses a vehicle door system (see at least abstract), comprising:
a vehicle door mechanically coupled and connected to a vehicle body (see at least ¶ [0027] and Figs. 1-2);
an actuating mechanism connected to the vehicle door and configured to control a state of the vehicle door (see at least ¶ [0027], [0031-0033], and [0048] disclosing a power assist device with a motor and connected to a vehicle door to open and close it);
and a controller configured to control, according to a current working mode of the vehicle door system, the actuating mechanism to control the state of the vehicle door (see at least ¶ [0027], [0031-0033], and [0042-0046] disclosing a controller that directs the power assist device to open or close the door according to a desired position),
wherein the working mode comprises at least:
an electric mode, wherein in the electric mode, the controller is configured to control the actuating mechanism to drive the vehicle door to open or close (see at least ¶ [0027], [0031-0033], and [0042-0046] disclosing a controller that directs the power assist device to open or close the door according to a desired position);
a suspended mode, wherein in the suspended mode, the controller is configured to control the actuating mechanism to keep the vehicle door suspended (see at least ¶ [0046] disclosing the door being controlled into one of many positions to hold, described as detents);
and a manual mode, wherein in the manual mode, the controller is configured to control, according to an external force acting on the vehicle door, the actuating mechanism to drive the vehicle door to move (see at least ¶ [0044-0045] and [0059] disclosing the controller and power assist device responding to manual closing of the door, including detecting forces and applying resistance to prevent slamming of the door).
Regarding claim 2, Xiao discloses the manual mode comprises at least one of the following:
a manual assistance mode, a manual slam-proof protection mode (see at least ¶ [0042] and [0044-0045] and Table 1 disclosing the controller preventing a user from slamming the door by applying resistance in response to high acceleration), a manual interference mode (see at least ¶ [0042] and [0044-0045] and Table 1 disclosing the controller preventing a user from slamming the door by making the door close at a particular RPM at the hinge), and a manual trend door closing mode,
wherein in the manual assistance mode, the controller is configured to control the actuating mechanism to provide the vehicle door with a driving force in a direction the same as a movement direction of the vehicle door (see at least ¶ [0027], [0031-0033], and [0042-0046] disclosing a controller that directs the power assist device to open or close the door according to a desired position in a corresponding moving direction);
in the manual slam-proof protection mode, the controller is configured to control the actuating mechanism to provide the vehicle door with a driving force in a direction opposite to the movement direction of the vehicle door (see at least ¶ [0042] and [0044-0045] and Table 1 disclosing the controller preventing a user from slamming the door by applying resistance in response to high acceleration);
in the manual interference mode, the controller is configured to control, according to the external force applied to the vehicle door, the actuating mechanism to drive the vehicle door to open or close at a preset speed (see at least ¶ [0042] and [0044-0045] and Table 1 disclosing the controller preventing a user from slamming the door by making the door close at a particular RPM at the hinge);
and in the manual trend door closing mode, the controller is configured to control, according to manual door closing trend information, the actuating mechanism to drive the vehicle door to close.
Regarding claim 8, Xiao discloses when the actuating mechanism drives the vehicle door to open or close, the controller is configured to obtain edge covering speed information of the vehicle door in real time (see at least ¶ [0042] and [0044-0045] and Table 1 disclosing the controller preventing a user from slamming the door by making the door close at a particular RPM at the hinge);
and if it is determined according to the edge covering speed information that the edge covering speed is not equal to a third speed threshold, the controller is configured to control the actuating mechanism to drive the vehicle door to move at the third speed threshold (see at least ¶ [0042] and [0044-0045] and Table 1 disclosing the controller preventing a user from slamming the door by making the door close at a particular RPM at the hinge when a certain force, acceleration, or speed it detected).
Regarding claim 10, Xiao discloses the electric mode comprises at least one of an automatic door opening mode and an automatic door closing mode (see at least ¶ [0027], [0043], and [0046] disclosing a controller that directs the power assist device to open or close the door according to a desired position),
wherein in the automatic door opening mode, the controller is configured to control the actuating mechanism to drive the vehicle door to open (see at least ¶ [0027], [0043], and [0046] disclosing a controller that directs the power assist device to open or close the door according to a desired position);
and in the automatic door closing mode, the controller is configured to control the actuating mechanism to drive the vehicle door to close (see at least ¶ [0027], [0043], and [0046] disclosing a controller that directs the power assist device to open or close the door according to a desired position).
Regarding claim 15, Xiao discloses when the vehicle door is in the opened state or the suspended state, if the controller obtains a door closing instruction, the controller is configured to control the actuating mechanism to drive the vehicle door to close, and control the door lock of the vehicle door to be locked (see at least ¶ [0043] disclosing the controller closing the door to an over-closed position so that a latch mechanism can engage and lock the door).
Regarding claim 16, Xiao discloses the controller is configured to obtain force information of the vehicle door, and control the vehicle door to be in the suspended state if it is determined according to the force information that the vehicle door is subjected to a second resistance and the second resistance is greater than or equal to a second resistance value (see at least ¶ [0042] and [0044-0045] and Table 1 disclosing the controller preventing a user from slamming the door by monitoring a force applied and acceleration reached to apply an appropriate resistance to the slamming closure).
Regarding claim 17, Xiao discloses when the vehicle door moves in the door opening direction or the door closing direction, the controller is configured to control the vehicle door to be in the suspended state if the controller receives a suspension instruction (see at least ¶ [0046] disclosing the door being controlled into one of many positions to hold, described as detents, when opening or closing).
Regarding claim 18, Xiao discloses a vehicle (see at least Figs. 1-2), comprising the vehicle door system according to claim 1.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Specifically, the prior art not relied on discloses, teaches, or suggests matter described in claims 3-7, 9, 11-14, and 19-20 that further limit claims 2 and 10, being alternative limitations to manual modes (claim 2) and electric modes (claim 10) that are not required under the broadest reasonable interpretation of the claims.
Nishikibe et al. (US 20160201377 A1) discloses whereupon detecting the opening/closing manipulation by the user on a vehicle door, the door ECU stops the supply of the drive power to the electromagnetic clutch to disengage the electromagnetic clutch.
Zhang et al. (CN 113153026 A; reference provided in IDS filed 04/03/2024) discloses upon unlocking the door the door opening and closing executing unit operates the door.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JARED C BEAN whose telephone number is (571)272-5255. The examiner can normally be reached 7:30AM - 5:00PM.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Navid Z Mehdizadeh can be reached at (571) 272-7691. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/J.C.B./Examiner, Art Unit 3669
/NAVID Z. MEHDIZADEH/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3669