DETAILED ACTION
The six (6) Information Disclosure Statements filed have all been reviewed and considered by the Examiner.
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
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) 1-15 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Schubert (EP 1270363 A1).
Schubert discloses a sensor array and a method for monitoring a railway system comprised of arranging a sensor array 3, including a plurality of individual sensors 4, below a movable railway element 2 of the railway switch system 1, 2 and measuring a spatial position of at least a segment of the movable railway element 2 by a contactless measurement by the sensor 3, as described in paragraph 0012. The sensor 3 is configured to differentiate between at least two different spatial positions of the segment of the movable railway element 2 and the respective spatial position relates to the distance between the segment of the movable railway element 2 and a rail 1 of the railway system.
The movable railway element 2 comprises a tongue rail of a switch assembly.
The sensors 4 are configured to differentiate between a plurality of different spatial positions of the segment of the movable railway element 2, as shown in figure 2 and described in paragraph 0014.
The spatial position of the segment of the movable railway element 2 is measured for a first arrangement of the movable railway element 2, where in the first arrangement of the movable railway element 2, is in its closest position with respect to the rail 1, and the spatial position of the segment of the movable railway element 2 is measured for a second arrangement, where in the second arrangement of the movable railway element, is arranged spaced apart from the rail 1, as shown in figures 1 and 5.
The spatial position measured for the first arrangement of the movable railway element and the spatial position measured for the second arrangement of the movable railway element are saved by the sensor array 3 as reference positions.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Seidl et al (US 6,164,600) and Rosenberger et al (US 2018/0029619) both show sensor arrangements for railway switch assemblies.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Robert J McCarry Jr. whose telephone number is (571)272-6683. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 7:00-3:00.
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/Robert J McCarry Jr/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3615
RJM
July 6, 2026
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