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 .
Continued Examination Under 37 CFR 1.114
A request for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, including the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e), was filed in this application after final rejection. Since this application is eligible for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114. Applicant's submission filed on 01/08/2026 has been entered.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
The text of those sections of Title 35, U.S. Code not included in this action can be found in a prior Office action.
Claim(s) 3, 6, 10 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Zuckerman et al (US 20140297113 A1) (Zuckerman) in view of Nancollis et al. (US 20210190258 A1).
Regarding claim 3, Zuckerman discloses a vehicle having a vehicle frame (See Fig. 10-1; 10-108), comprising:
a cabin moveably attached to the vehicle frame (See Fig. 10-1; 10-104 and 10-108; para. 0065);
a cabin actuator (See Fig. 10-1; 10-102), attached to the cabin and to the vehicle frame, arranged for stabilizing the cabin with respect to a gravitational reference frame (See Fig. 10-1 and para. 0068);
a system comprising a second inertial measurement unit arranged to be attached to the vehicle frame and for determining a movement of the vehicle frame (See para. 0068); and
wherein sensors are attached to the cabin (See para. 0068).
Zuckerman does not disclose:
a system comprising:
a sensor frame arranged for receiving one or more sensors;
a first inertial measurement unit attached to the sensor frame for determining a movement of the sensor frame; and
a sensor frame actuator, attached to the sensor frame and arranged for being attached to the vehicle, and arranged for stabilizing the sensor frame with respect to the vehicle frame based on the determined movements of the sensor frame and vehicle frame,
wherein the sensor frame actuator is attached to the cabin.
Nancollis discloses a system for stabilizing (See Figs. 1-3) comprising:
a system comprising:
a sensor frame (See Fig. 3) arranged for receiving one or more sensors (See para. 0035; e.g. camera);
a first inertial measurement unit attached to the sensor frame for determining a movement of the sensor frame (See para. 0043);
a second inertial measurement unit arranged to be attached to the vehicle frame and for determining a movement of the vehicle frame (See para. 0043; e.g. additional sensors on vehicle); and
a sensor frame actuator (See Fig. 3; 28), attached to the sensor frame and arranged for being attached to the vehicle (See Figs. 1-3), and arranged for stabilizing the sensor frame with respect to the vehicle frame based on the determined movements of the sensor frame and vehicle frame (See Figs 1-3, para. 0032 and 0042-0044 and Zuckerman Fig. 10-1; 10-108 and 10-110; para. 0063 and 0065),
wherein said the sensor frame actuator is attached to the cabin (See Nancollis Figs 1-3 and Zuckerman para. 0068).
It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the stabilization system of Nancollis with the stabilization system as disclosed by Zuckerman in order to provide a stabilization system that supports a wider range of sensors (See Nancollis para. 0003 and 0035).
Regarding claim 6, a vehicle according to claim 3, wherein the vehicle is a truck (See Zuckerman Fig. 10-1).
Regarding claim 10, the system according to claim 6, further comprising one or more sensors attached to the sensor frame, wherein the one or more sensors comprise a camera (See Nancollis para. 0035; e.g. camera), a radar-device, and/or a lidar-device.
Please see motivation in claim 3.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 4, 5, and 11 are 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.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments, see pages 7-9, filed 01/08/2026, with respect to claims 4 and 5 have been fully considered and are persuasive. The 103 rejection of claims 4 and 5 has been withdrawn.
Applicant's arguments filed 01/08/2026 with respect to claim 3 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
Applicant argues on pages 5-6 of the response with respect to claim 3, that Zuckerman and Nancollis do not disclose “the sensor frame actuator is attached to the cabin”. The examiner respectfully disagrees.
Both Zuckerman and Nancollis discloses stabilizing systems used on vehicles (See Zuckerman Fig. 10-1 and Nancollis Figs. 1-3). Zuckerman discloses sensors and actuators are installed in vehicle and also states that sensors can be mounted in various location (e.g. chassis or cabin) (See Fig. 10-1; para. 0068). Nancollis also discloses a similar system. Nancollis discloses that their support stabilization system is mounted to a vehicle (See Figs 1-3, para. 0032 and 0042-0044). Therefore, one of ordinary skill in the art would recognize mounting the system of Nancollis on a vehicle at various locations as suggested by Zuckerman (See Fig. 10-1; para. 0068).
Therefore, the 35 U.S.C. 103 rejection of claim 3 is maintained.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Joseph G Ustaris whose telephone number is (571)272-7383. The examiner can normally be reached 9-5pm M-Th.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Amy C Johnson can be reached at 571-272-2238. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/JOSEPH G USTARIS/ Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2483