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 Objections
Claim 8 is objected to because of the following informalities: Claim 8 should be corrected to depend from claim 7 (it currently depends from claim 2), since it is currently a duplicate of claim 3 (which is identical in language and also depends from claim 2). Appropriate correction is required.
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.
Claim(s) 1-10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Dor (EP0545721B1; attached herewith).
Regarding claim 1, Dor discloses a shoe interface (30, including elements 72, 74) for connecting a night vision device (10) having a line of sight there through and night vision device mount (110, see figures 1-16, for instance), the night vision device having a line of sight (“axis of optics portion”, column 11, lines 33-34) there through and the mount includes a rail (102) having a longitudinal axis (section 10-10 of fig. 8) and carriage (90) shiftably mounted to the rail (102), the improvement comprising: a wedge-shaped body (72) connecting the carriage (90) and the night vision device (10), such that the line or sight of the night vision device (10) is oriented at a desired angle (see angles a and b of figures 15-16, for instance) with respect to the longitudinal axis of the rail (102).
Regarding claim 2, Dor discloses the interface of claim 1 wherein the wedge-shaped body (72) is detachably connected (see figure 9, for instance) to one of the night vision device (10) and the night vision device mount (110).
Regarding claim 3, Dor discloses the interface of claim 2 wherein the wedge-shaped body (72) is affixed to the other of the night vision device and the night vision device mount (since 72 can be affixed to 10).
Regarding claim 4, Dor discloses the interface of claim 1 wherein the wedge-shaped body (72) has a top surface and bottom surface, the top surface mates with and abuts against the carriage (90) when the angled shoe interface is connected to the night vision device (10), the bottom surface mates with and abuts against the night vision device (10) when the angled shoe interface (72) is connected to the night vision device (10).
Regarding claim 5, Dor discloses the interface of claim 4 wherein the top surface and the bottom surface (of 72) are oriented with respect of one another to provide the desired angle (see figures 15-16, for instance).
Regarding claim 6, Do discloses in combination (see figures 1-16, for instance), a night vision device (10); a night vision device mount (110); and a plurality of angled shoe interfaces (72, 74) interconnecting the night vision device (10) to the night vision device mount (110), the night vision device (10) having a line of sight there through (“axis of optics portion”, column 11, lines 33-34), the night vision device mount (110) includes a rail (102) having a longitudinal axis (section 10-10 of fig. 8) and carriage (90) shiftably riding along the rail (102), each of the plurality of angled shoe interfaces (72, 74) has a wedge-shaped body (see figure 9, for instance) for connecting the carriage (90) and the night vision device (10) so that the line of sight of the night vision device is oriented at a plurality of differing angles (see angles a and b of figures 15-16, with respect to elements 72 and 74) with respect to the longitudinal axis of the rail (section 10-10 of 102, of figure 8).
Regarding claim 7, Dor discloses the combination of claim 6 wherein each of the plurality of angled shoe interfaces (72, 74) is adapted to detachably connect to one of the night vision device (10) and the night vision device mount (110, see fig. 9).
Regarding claim 8, Dor discloses the combination of claim 7 wherein the wedge-shaped body (72, 74) is adapted to affix to the other of the night vision device (10) and the night vision device mount (110, since 72 and 74 can be affixed to 10).
Regarding claim 9, Dor discloses the combination of claim 6 wherein the wedge-shaped body of each of the plurality of the angled shoe interfaces (72, 74) has a top surface and bottom surface, the top surface mates with and abuts against the carriage (90) when each of the plurality of angled shoe interfaces (72, 74) is connected to the night vision device (10), the bottom surface mates with and abuts against the night vision device (10) when each of the plurality of the angled shoe interface (72, 74) is connected to the night vision device (10).
Regarding claim 10, Dor discloses the improvement of claim 9 wherein the top surface and the bottom surface of the wedge-shaped body of each of the plurality of the angled shoe interfaces (72. 74) are oriented with respect to one another to provide the plurality of differing angles (see angles a and b of figures 15-16, for instance).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to NATHANAEL R BRIGGS whose telephone number is (571)272-8992. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday, 9:00 am - 5:00 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, Jennifer Carruth can be reached at (571)-272-9791. 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.
/NATHANAEL R BRIGGS/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2871 3/10/2026