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 .
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 7/28/24 , 6/14/24 are in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being 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.
(a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claim(s) 1-6, 8-9 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Hofelsauer et al., EP 2794359
Regarding claim 1, Hofelsauer discloses an apparatus for identifying and localizing a collision of a motor vehicle with an external object (Title; Vehicle impact sensor), comprising: an acquisition unit (Fig. 7; conductor 37), wherein the acquisition unit is designed to detect a change in an electrical resistance of at least one region of the acquisition unit which results from the collision (Fig. 12; ¶[0045]; characteristic impedance of conductor 37 changed due to impact).
Regarding claim 2, Hofelsauer teaches where in the acquisition unit is tubular (Fig. 12; circular conductor 37).
Regarding claim 3, Hofelsauer teaches wherein: the acquisition unit is electronically coupled to a measuring unit, and the measuring unit comprises (i) a signal generator configured to generate and transmit a first signal to the acquisition unit, and (ii) a signal receiver configured to receive a second signal from the acquisition unit (Fig. 1; generator 14, receiver 15).
Regarding claim 4, Hofelsauer teaches wherein the measuring unit is designed to calculate a ratio between the first signal and the second signal (¶[0027]-[0028]; standing ratio).
Regarding claim 5, Hofelsauer teaches a method for identifying and localizing a collision of a motor vehicle with an external object by way of an apparatus comprising an acquisition unit and a measuring unit according to claim 1, the method comprising: using the acquisition unit to acquire a change in an electrical resistance of at least one region of the acquisition unit which results from the collision (¶[0045]; characteristic impedance of conductor 37 changed due to impact).
Regarding claim 6, Hofelsauer teaches wherein a first signal is sent from the measuring unit to the acquisition unit and a second signal is sent from the acquisition unit to the measuring unit when a change in an electrical resistance of at least one region of the acquisition unit is acquired by said acquisition unit (Fig. 4; generator 14 to conductor 37 to detectors 16, 15).
Regarding claim 8, Hofelsauer teaches wherein the severity of the collision is ascertained by the measuring unit based on a ratio between the first signal and the second signal (¶[0027]-[0028]; standing ratio).
Regarding claim 9, Hofelsauer teaches a motor vehicle comprising an apparatus according to claim 1, wherein an acquisition unit of the apparatus is disposed in an inner region of the motor vehicle, in a location on the outer region of which a collision of the motor vehicle with an external object is to be expected (¶[0001]; sensor arrangement on vehicle bumper).
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/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Hofelsauer et al., EP 2794359 in view of Keller et al., US 10422637
Regarding claim 7, Hofelsauer is silent in wherein the location of the occurrence of the collision on the motor vehicle is ascertained by the measuring unit taking into account at least the length of the acquisition unit, which is tubular, and the time duration until the second signal is received by the measuring unit. Keller teaches wherein a location of the occurrence of the collision on the motor vehicle is ascertained by the measuring unit taking into account at least the length of the acquisition unit, which is tubular, and the time duration until the second signal is received by the measuring unit (Summary; location ascertained from time delay corresponding to distance along length of a channel). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the filing date of the invention to incorporate the teaching of Keller into Hofelsauer for the benefit of determining the location of a deformation to improve diagnostic functionality in case of collision.
Conclusion
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/FEBA POTHEN/Examiner, Art Unit 2858