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 .
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 06/27/2024 is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the IDS is being considered by the examiner.
Foreign Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of papers submitted under 35 U.S.C. 119(a)-(d), which papers have been placed of record in the file.
Response to Amendments
This Office Action is in response to applicant's preliminary amendments filed on 06/27/2024. Claims 1 – 10 were previously filed on 06/27/2024. Examiner has acknowledged and reviewed applicant's amendments of claims 1 - 10. Examiner has reviewed amended claims 1 - 10, and those claims do not constitute new matter issues.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
Claim 7 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b), as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor, regards as the invention.
Claim 7 recites the limitation “Tyre system”. Examiner reviewed applicant’s specification, which disclose: “TPMS (Tyre Pressure Monitoring System)” in paragraph 5, and “TPMS” numerous times. However, applicant’s specification does not disclose a “Tyre system”. Amendment of claim 7 is required.
Claim 7 recites the limitation "the device Tyre system" in line 1. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
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.
Clams 1 – 10 are rejected under 35 U. S. C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Kendziorra et al. (EP 3572245 A1), hereafter referred to as “Kendziorra”.
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Regarding claim 1, Kendziorra disclose a device (ultrasonic device, element 1) (as shown in Figure 1) (disclosed on page 3) [[(1)]] for real-time tyre wear measurement, for a tyre (Figure 1 shows a tyre section in a radial section view) [[(19)]] comprising:
an inner face (element 11) [[(10i)]] and an outer face (tread, element 9) [[(10ie]], the outer face comprising a tread formed by a plurality of grooves (circumferential grooves, element 10) [[(S]], recessed with respect to a rolling surface [[(SR)]],
(ultrasonic device, element 1, which is a piezoactuator having) an ultrasound emitter [[(2)]] and an ultrasound receiver (page 3, paragraphs 11 and 13) [[(3)]],
the device [[(1)]] being configured for attaching to the inner face [[(10i)]] of the tyre [[(10)]], such that, by means of the emission by the emitter [[(2)]] of an ultrasound wave (transmitted acoustic wave, element 5) through a material of the tyre [[(10)]] and the reception by the receiver [[(3)]] of said wave (reflected acoustic wave, element 6) after bouncing on the rolling surface [[(SR)]], a distance is obtained,
wherein the ultrasound emitter [[(2)]] and receiver [[(3)]] are respectively configured for emitting and receiving ultrasound at frequencies of between 100 KHz and 500 KHz (page 2, paragraph 14).
Regarding claim 2, Kendziorra disclose the device [[(1)]], wherein the ultrasound emitter [[(2)]] and receiver [[(3)]] are respectively configured for emitting and receiving ultrasound at frequencies of between 200 KHz and 300 KHz (page 2, paragraph 14).
Regarding claim 3, Kendziorra disclose the device [[(1)]], wherein the emission end of the ultrasound emitter [[(2)]] and the reception end of the ultrasound receiver [[(3)]] are positioned at an attachment face of the device to the tyre (as shown in Figure 1) [[(10]]).
Regarding claim 4, Kendziorra disclose the device [[(1)]], wherein the ultrasound emitter [[(2)]] and the ultrasound receiver [[(3)]] are adjacent one to the other (page 3, paragraphs 11 and 13).
Regarding claim 5, Kendziorra disclose the device [[(1)]], further comprising a pressure sensor (tire module, element 8) [[(4)]] and a temperature sensor [[(5)]].
Regarding claim 6, Kendziorra disclose the device [[(1)]], further comprising a communication means (tire module, element 8, transmits data for the piezoactuator to central processor unit in a vehicle) [[(6)]].
Regarding claim 7, Kendziorra disclose the device Tyre system [[(10)]] characterized by comprising a device (ultrasonic device, element 1) (as shown in Figure 1) (disclosed on page 3) [[(1)]], wherein said device [[(1)]] is attached through its attachment face to the inner face (element 11) [[(10i)]] of the tyre (Figure 1 shows a tyre section in a radial section view) [[(10)]] at a position where an emission end of the ultrasound emitter [[(2)]] and a reception end of the ultrasound receiver [[(3)]] are facing a portion of the rolling surface [[(SR)]] where there is no groove (as shown in Figure 1) [[(S]]) such that, by means of the emission by the emitter [[(2)]] of an ultrasound wave through a material of the tyre [[(10)]] and the reception by the receiver [[(3)]] of said wave after bouncing on the rolling surface [[(SR)]] of the tyre [[(10]]), a distance between the inner face [[(10i)]] and the rolling surface [[(SR)]] of the outer face [[(10e)]] is obtained (last 6 paragraphs on page 3).
Regarding claim 8, Kendziorra disclose a method for real-time tyre wear measurement by means of a device (ultrasonic device, element 1) (as shown in Figure 1) (disclosed on page 3) [[(1)]], wherein the device [[(1)]] is attached to the inner face (element 11) [[(10i)]] of the tyre (Figure 1 shows a tyre section in a radial section view) [[(10)]] at a position facing a portion of the rolling surface [[(SR)]] wherein there is no groove [[(S)]], comprising the following steps:
emitting, by means of the ultrasound emitter (ultrasonic device, element 1, which is a piezoactuator providing) [[(2)]], an ultrasound wave (transmitted acoustic wave, element 5) through a material of the tyre [[(10)]];
receiving, by means of the ultrasound receiver (ultrasonic device, element 1, which is a piezoactuator receiving) [[(3)]], said ultrasound wave (reflected acoustic wave, element 6) after bouncing on the rolling surface [[(SR)]]; and
determining, from the time of flight of the ultrasound wave and a transmission speed of the ultrasound wave through the material of the tyre [[(10)]], a distance between the inner face [[(10i)]] and the rolling surface [[(SR)]] of the outer face (last 6 paragraphs on page 3) [[(10e)]], characterized in that wherein the ultrasound wave has a frequency of between 100 KHz and 500 KHz (page 2, paragraph 14).
Regarding claim 9, Kendziorra disclose the method, wherein the ultrasound
wave has a frequency of between 200 KHz and 300 KHz (page 2, paragraph 14).
Regarding claim 10, Kendziorra disclose, wherein the ultrasound wave (transmitted acoustic wave, element 5) is emitted essentially in perpendicular to the inner face (as shown in Figure 1) [[(10i)]] of the tyre [[(10)]].
Contact Information
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to WARREN K FENWICK whose telephone number is (571)270-3040. The examiner can normally be reached 10:30 AM to 7:00 PM, Monday through Friday.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Walter L. Lindsay, Jr. can be reached at 571-272-1674. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/WALTER L LINDSAY JR/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2852
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