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 .
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election without traverse of claims 1-19 in the reply filed on 12/29/2025 is acknowledged.
Claim Objections
Claim 16 is objected to because of the following informalities:
Claim 16 recites “be-tween” and “con-figured”. Applicant should correct the spelling in the claims
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 1-6, 8-9, 11, 13, 15-19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Takamatsu et al. (US 20190123937).
With respect to claim 1 Takamatsu teaches a powered accessory connection system, comprising: a portable (paragraph 0162) power bar (Fig. 49 for example) comprising a port (see ports seen for example in Fig. 55) for electrically connecting an accessory (AE) to the vehicle, wherein the portable power bar comprises a housing (seen for example in Fig. 48) with at least one surface (see for example panel 2016) for mechanically interconnecting to the vehicle; a power source (battery for example paragraph 0269) disposed on the vehicle and to which a power connection (via connector 1620) from the at least one port is made directly or indirectly (via interconnecting wiring from battery to distribute to connected loads paragraph 0158); and a plurality of signal transmitting wires interconnecting the accessory to the at least one port (see for example paragraph 1036 transmitting power and signals), wherein the plurality of signal transmitting wires enable control (for example paragraph 0565 and communication control paragraph 0626-637) of the accessory via the port.
With respect to claims 2-4 Takamatsu teaches an accessory control module (see Fig. 49) configured to control the accessory via the plurality of signal transmitting wires and power.
With respect to claim 5 Takamatsu teaches at least one fuse (for example paragraph 0808) as part of the at least one power connection.
With respect to claim 6 Takamatsu teaches a user input device (for example window/lock operation, instrument panel input or air conditioner input) and the portable power bar is configured to be located (for example meter panel or air conditioner see paragraph 0274, in the dash panel 50 or door location paragraph 275) at a distance of less than 1 meter (for example door or dash from user input locations) from the user input device.
With respect to claim 8 and 11 Takamatsu teaches the portable power bar (see regions for different branch locations) is a first power bar (for example dash location) and the powered accessory connection system comprises a second power bar (door/roof location) comprising at least one port and a housing with at least one surface for mechanically interconnecting to the vehicle for securement therein or thereto.
With respect to claim 9 Takamatsu teaches second power bar is configured to be affixed to a roof (see Fig 97) of the vehicle.
With respect to claim 13 Takamatsu teaches the third power bar is configured for electrically connecting accessories configured to be located on a rear portion (see rear seat door panel Fig. 96, further see luggage room 989) of the vehicle.
With respect to claim 15 and 17 Takamatsu teaches an fuse box (see 51) electrically between the power source (battery) and the first, second and third (see for example 53, 59) power bars, wherein: the fuse box is configured to prevent electrical overload (fuse burn out) on at least one of the power source and the first, second and third power bars; the fuse box comprises a first connection port (see lines exiting 51 to other regions and control boxes) and a second connection port; the first power bar is electronically connected to the fuse box via the first connection port; the second power bar is electronically connected to the fuse box via the second connection port (for example connecting to rear door or roof); and the third power bar (door or roof) is electronically connected to the second connection port and to the fuse box via the second power bar.
With respect to claim 16 Takamatsu teaches a first fuse box (51) electrically between the power source (battery) and the first power bar (for example dash meter box), and a second fuse box electrically be-tween the power source (door) and the second and third power bars (roof), wherein: the first fuse box is configured to prevent electrical overload (fuse burn out) on at least one of the power source and the first power bar. Takamatsu teaches a second fuse box (formed with switching elements paragraph 0473) the second fuse box is configured to prevent electrical overload on at least one of the power source; the first fuse box comprises a connection port to electrically connect with the first power bar; the second power bar comprises a connection port to electrically connect with the second fuse box; and the third power bar is electronically connected to the to the second fuse box via the second power bar.
With respect to claim 18 Takamatsu the power source (5) is directly connected to one of a fuse box (51) and the at least one port.
With respect to claim 19 Takamatsu teaches an accessory control module (see CPU CBa) configured to control the accessory via the plurality of signal transmitting wires.
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 7 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Takamatsu et al. (US 20190123937) in view of Blumenstein (US 10604090).
With respect to claim 7 Takamatsu teaches the power supply however does not teach the location is under the hood. Blumenstein teaches the known placement of a bar under the hood (col. 4 lines 10-15). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the invention to modify Takamatsu to try the known placement of under the hood for the predictable result of ease of access.
Claim 12 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Takamatsu et al. (US 20190123937) in view of Krempasky, II (US 20110153898).
With respect to claim 12 Takamatsu teaches the power supply however does not teach the location to a rear firewall of the vehicle. Krempasky teaches the known placement of a rear of a firewall (paragraph 0017). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the invention to modify Takamatsu to try the known placement of the rear of a firewall for the predictable result of simplifying access to the unit.
Claim 10 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Takamatsu et al. (US 20190123937)
With respect to claim 10 Takamatsu teaches the roof comprises an inner liner and an outer shell (outer metal roof structure), and the second power bar is configured to be located between (see disposed in the roof portion paragraph 869) the inner liner and the outer shell. Takamatsu is silent to detail the liner of the roof. Roof liners are a well-known component of a vehicle roof of which the Examiner takes Official Notice. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the invention to modify Takamatsu to include the use of a liner for predictable result of improving vehicle acoustics and mounting safety.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 14 is 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. The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter: Takamatsu teaches the known use of a plural power bars however does not teach the particular configuration wherein an accessory control module configured to control the accessory via the plurality of signal transmitting wires, wherein the accessory control module comprises a first control port and a second control port, the first power bar is electronically connected to the accessory control module via the first control port, the second power bar is electronically connected to the accessory control module via the second control port, the third power bar is electronically connected to the second control port and to the accessory control module via the second power bar.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Michael Fin whose telephone number is (571)272-5921. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 9am-5:30.
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MICHAEL FIN
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 2836
/MICHAEL R. FIN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2836