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 .
Claims 1-4, 6-10, 12, 18, 21, 25, 26, 29-31, 33-38, 40 and 41 are pending.
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on July 15, 2025; June 28, 2024 and June 12, 2024 have been considered by the examiner.
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) 1-4, 6-10, 12, 18, 21, 25, 26, 29-31, 35, 36, 38, 40 and 41 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by U.S. Publication No. 2020/0377167 to Suzuki et al.
Regarding claim 1, the Suzuki publication teaches a control module 12 for controlling a plurality of bicycle actuators on a bicycle, comprising a memory 56b storing a set of a plurality of control programs for controlling the plurality of bicycle actuators, and a sensing arrangement configured for detecting a user-actuation thereof, wherein the control module is so arranged that each of the plurality of control programs is selectively activatable and/or deactivatable on a user-actuation of the sensing arrangement. See Figs. 1-4 and paragraphs 0075-0095.
Regarding claims 2 and 36, the set of the plurality of control programs comprises a first subset of control programs and a second subset of control programs, and wherein the control module is so arranged that any one of said first subset and second subset is pre-selectable from the plurality of control programs with a pre-selector of the sensing arrangement, and that any one control program of the pre-selected first or second subset of control programs is activatable and/or deactivatable with an activator of the sensing arrangement. The subset of programs is interpreted as sub operation modes shown in Figs. 11-15.
Regarding claim 3, each subset of control programs includes at most two control programs, such as at most one control program. See Fig. 11.
Regarding claim 4, the preselector switches between at most tow actuation states. See Fig. 7 that shows two states.
Regarding claims 6 and 8, where in the pre selector and the activator are integrated. See Fig. 2, parts 52, 54 and 12.
Regarding claim 7, a confirmator for confirming a pre-selection of a subset of control programs. This is interpreted as display 56c.
Regarding claim 9, one or more sensors for sensing a state of the bicycle (see paragraph 0102), wherein a subset of control programs is automatically pre-selected based on the sensed state. See paragraphs 0101-0102 there the different modes use the sensors.
Regarding claim 10, a default subset of control programs, wherein the control module is so configured that the default subset of control programs is automatically pre-selected upon detection of a predefined time period of inactivity of the sensing arrangement and/or upon detection of an activation of a control program. See paragraphs 0110-0115 that teaches default modes.
Regarding claim 12, the sensing arrangement is configured to be monomanually actuatable by a single hand of a user while bicycling. See Fig. 2 parts 52 and 54.
Regarding claim 18, a visual feedback device configured for providing visual feedback to a user of a currently pre-selected subset of control programs, and/or an activation state of said currently pre-selected subset of control programs, wherein the feedback is one or more of visual feedback. See Fig. 3 and display 56c.
Regarding claim 21, the control module comprises a subset of power control programs for controlling an output power of the electric propulsion motor 46, wherein said subset includes a power-up control program for increasing a power output of the electric propulsion motor and a power-down control program for decreasing the power output of the electric propulsion motor. See Fig. 3.
Regarding claim 25, one or more of a subset of gearshift control programs, a subset of, a subset of seat post adjustment control programs, a subset of suspension adjustment control programs. See Fig. 3.
Regarding claim 26, the bicycle comprises a transmission having one or more gear selection actuators for selecting any one of a plurality of gears of the transmission, and the control module comprises one or more of: a subset of automatic gear selection control programs, said subset including an automatic gear selection control program configured for automatically selecting a gear of the transmission based on a measured state of the bicycle, particularly while not allowing a user-requested gear selection; - a subset of semi-automatic gear selection control programs, said subset including a semi-automatic gear selection control program configured for automatically selecting a gear of the transmission based on a measured state of the bicycle, while also allowing a user-requested gear selection; and a subset of manual gear selection control programs. said subset including a manual gear selection control program configured for selecting a gear of a transmission. See paragraphs 0092-0095 and Figs. 11 and 12.
Regarding claim 29, a transmission and a gearshift actuator for shifting gears of the transmission, and wherein the control module comprises an upshift control program for, with the gearshift actuator, upshifting to a higher gear and/or a downshift control program for, with the gearshift actuator, downshifting to a lower gear. See paragraphs 0074, 0092-0095 and Figs. 11 and 12
Regarding claim 30, a transmission having a first gearshift actuator and a second gearshift actuator for shifting gears of the transmission, and wherein the control module comprises a first subset of control programs for controlling only the first gear shift actuator and a second subset of control programs for controlling only the second gear shift actuator. See Figs. 2-11.
Regarding claim 31, the first subset includes a first upshift control program and first downshift control program for controlling the first gearshift actuator to respectively upshift and downshift, and the second subset includes a second upshift control program and a second downshift control program for controlling the second gearshift actuator to respectively upshift and downshift the transmission. See Figs. 8 and 9.
Regarding claims 35 and 38, control system for controlling a plurality of bicycle actuators of a bicycle comprising: a memory storing a set of a plurality of control programs for controlling the plurality of bicycle actuators; a first control module 52 having a left sensing arrangement configured to be monomanually actuatable by a left hand of a user while bicycling; and a second control module 54 having a right sensing arrangement configured to be monomanually actuatable by a right hand of a user while bicycling;wherein the control system is so arranged that each of the plurality of control programs is selectively activatable and/or deactivatable on a user-actuation of sensing arrangements. See Fig. 2.
Regarding claim 40, the first and second control modules are the same or mirrored with respect to each other. See Fig. 2.
Regarding claim 41, wherein the first control module and the second control module are configured to conjunctively pre-select one or more subsets of control programs, and/or activate one or more control programs from a preselected subset. See Fig. 3.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 33, 34 and 37 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.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
U.S. Publication No. 2012/0253600 to Ichida et al. teaches various components run by the computer.
U.S. Patent No. 11,279,443 to Masuda et al. teaches a transmitter for a bicycle.
European Patent No. EP3385154 to Fossato et al. teaches a bicycle controller.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JUSTIN HOLMES whose telephone number is (571)272-3448. The examiner can normally be reached 10AM-6PM EST M-F.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Jacob S Scott can be reached at 571-270-3415. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/JUSTIN HOLMES/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3655
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