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 § 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 and 4 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Bond et al. Pub. No. US 2023/0336852 A1; hereafter Bond).
Regarding claim 1, Bond discloses a trail camera cover device comprising: a body comprised of a first side wall (see Bond Fig. 7, item 12A), a second side wall (see Bond Fig. 7, item 8A), a rear wall (see Bond Fig. 7, item 18A), and a top wall (see Bond Fig. 7, item 4A); an interior bracket (see Bond Fig. 7, item 58); and a camera cutout (see Bond Fig. 7, either the portions between the rear wall 18A and sidewalls 8A and 12A can be construed as cutouts, or screw hole 20A can be construed as a cutout).
Regarding claim 4, Bond discloses the trail camera cover device of claim 1 further comprised of a spine (see Bond Fig. 7, the “T-ridge” 58 can be construed as comprising a spine and a bracket as the two portions of the “T,” respectively, similarly to Applicant’s disclosure of the spine 131 and the bracket 121).
Claim(s) 1-3, 5-11, and 13-17 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Barton (Pub. No. US 2011/0194184 A1; hereafter Barton).
Regarding claim 1, Barton discloses a trail camera cover device comprising: a body comprised of a first side wall, a second side wall (see Barton Figs. 3 and 6, item 304), a rear wall (see Barton Fig. 4B, item 401), and a top wall (see Barton Fig. 4A, item 301); an interior bracket (see Barton Fig. 6, item 601); and a camera cutout (see Barton Fig. 4B, item 103).
Regarding claim 2, Barton discloses the trail camera cover device of claim 1, wherein the first side wall and the second side wall is connected by the rear wall (see Barton Figs. 4B and 6, which show the rear walls connecting the side walls).
Regarding claim 3, Barton discloses the trail camera cover device of claim 2, wherein the top wall connects to the first side wall, the second side wall, and the rear wall (see Barton Figs. 5 and 6, item 301).
Regarding claim 5, Barton discloses the trail camera cover device of claim 1, wherein the top wall is comprised of a reinforcing member (see Barton Fig. 5, item 303, which can be construed as a reinforcing member).
Regarding claim 6, Barton discloses the trail camera cover device of claim 5, wherein the reinforcing member is comprised of a beveled edge (see Barton Fig. 5, item 303).
Regarding claim 7, Barton discloses the trail camera cover device of claim 1, wherein the side wall is comprised of a reinforcing member (see Barton Fig. 5, item 302, the lip can be construed as a reinforcing member since it is thicker, reinforcing the edge of the cover).
Regarding claim 8, Barton discloses the trail camera cover device of claim 1, wherein the rear wall is comprised of a strap opening (see Barton Fig. 4B, item 103).
Regarding claim 9, Barton discloses the trail camera cover device of claim 1 further comprised of a tether strap (see Barton paragraph [0021] which disclose using the slots for a tether strap “The fastener slots can be used to secure the Camera Visor 300 over a camera 501 by threading a belt or strap of flexible material through the fastener slots 103 and in turn around a vertical support object”).
Regarding claim 10, Barton discloses a trail camera cover device comprising: a body comprised of a first side wall, a second side wall (see Barton Figs. 3 and 6, item 304), a rear wall (see Barton Fig. 4B, item 401), and a curved top wall comprised of a lip (see Barton Fig. 4A, items 301 and 302); an interior bracket (see Barton Fig. 6, item 601); and a camera cutout (see Barton Fig. 4B, item 103)
Regarding claim 11, Barton discloses the trail camera cover device of claim 10, wherein the lip is comprised of a beveled lip (see Barton Fig. 5, item 302).
Regarding claim 13, Barton discloses the trail camera cover device of claim 10, wherein the top wall is comprised of a reinforcing member (see Barton Fig. 5, item 303, which can be construed as a reinforcing member).
Regarding claim 14, Barton discloses the trail camera cover device of claim 13, wherein the reinforcing member is comprised of a beveled edge (see Barton Fig. 5, item 303).
Regarding claim 15, Barton discloses the trail camera cover device of claim 10, wherein the side wall is comprised of a reinforcing member (see Barton Fig. 5, item 302, the lip can be construed as a reinforcing member since it is thicker, reinforcing the edge of the cover).
Regarding claim 16, Barton discloses the trail camera cover device of claim 10, wherein the rear wall is comprised of a strap opening (see Barton Fig. 4B, item 103).
Regarding claim 17, Barton discloses the trail camera cover device of claim 10 further comprised of a tether strap (see Barton paragraph [0021] which disclose using the slots for a tether strap “The fastener slots can be used to secure the Camera Visor 300 over a camera 501 by threading a belt or strap of flexible material through the fastener slots 103 and in turn around a vertical support object”).
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.
Claim(s) 12, 18, and 19 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Barton in view of Bond.
Regarding claim 12, Barton discloses the trail camera cover device of claim 10, but does not disclose that the cover device is comprised of a spine.
Bond discloses a trail camera cover with a spine (see Bond Fig. 7, the “T-ridge” 58 can be construed as comprising a spine and a bracket as the two portions of the “T,” respectively, similarly to Applicant’s disclosure of the spine 131 and the bracket 121).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was filed to provide a spine like that in Bond in the device of Barton in order to aid in connecting the cover to the camera housing and supporting the camera device, as shown in Bond.
Regarding claim 18, Barton discloses a trail camera cover device comprising: a body comprised of a first side wall, a second side wall (see Barton Figs. 3 and 6, item 304), a rear wall (see Barton Fig. 4B, item 401), and a curved top wall comprised of a lip (see Barton Fig. 4A, items 301 and 302); an interior bracket positioned on the rear surface (see Barton Fig. 6, item 601); and a camera cutout positioned on the rear surface (see Barton Fig. 4B, item 103)
Barton does not disclose a camera antenna opening.
Bond discloses a trail camera cover device comprising a camera antenna opening (see Bond Figs. 1 and 8, item 16); [claim 19] wherein the camera antenna opening is positioned on the first side wall or the second side wall (see Bond Fig. 8, items 8 and 16).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was filed to provide the device of Barton with an antenna opening like that in Bond in order to enable the cover to be usable with a camera with an attached antenna while still protecting the camera body, as shown in Bond.
Claim(s) 20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Barton in view of Bond as applied to claim 18 above, and further in view of Grubbs.
Regarding claim 20, Barton in view of Bond discloses the trail camera cover device of claim 18, but does not specifically disclose that the camera cutout is comprised of a beveled edge.
Grubbs discloses that it was well known in the art at the time the invention was filed to provide slots for straps like those in Barton with beveled edges in order to prevent damage to the strap (see Grubbs claim 1).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was filed to provide the device of Barton with beveled slots for a strap like that in Grubbs in order to prevent damage to the strap from sharp edges, as taught by Grubbs.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to NOAM S REISNER whose telephone number is (571)270-7542. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 9:00AM-5:30PM.
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/NOAM REISNER/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2852 1/6/2026