DETAILED ACTION
Non-Final Rejection
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 07/22/2024 was filed. The submission is 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 § 103
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 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.
The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention(s) absent any evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and effective filing dates of each claim that was not commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the later invention in order for the examiner to consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) for any potential 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) prior art against the later invention.
Claim(s) 1-2 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Mori (JP 2003238077 A, all citations provided from machine translation attached) in view of Wu (CN 206529218 U, all citations provided from machine translation attached).
Regarding claim 1, Mori teaches a mobile crane (crane C) comprising: a boom (10); a traveling vehicle (travel body 1) body supporting the boom (10); a distance detection device (safety device, 102) including an ultrasonic sensor (101) provided on a front side of the traveling vehicle body (Fig.1), the distance detection device being configured to detect a distance between the ultrasonic sensor and a detection object (an ultrasonic sensor (obstacle detecting means) for detecting the distance from the boom body tip to an obstacle). (Abstract, Page.4, lines 17-26, Figs.1-3, 8)
Mori also teaches a member (fig.8, 110, 115) provided between the boom (10) in a state allowing traveling and the ultrasonic sensor (101). (Figs.1-2, 8)
Mori also teaches wherein the mobile crane (crane C) travels with the boom (10) laid forward. (Figs.1-2, 8)
Mori does not explicitly teach a shielding member and the shielding member being configured to block ultrasound emitted by the ultrasonic sensor.
Wu teaches a shielding member (11) and the shielding member (11) being configured to block ultrasound emitted by the ultrasonic sensor (sensor 7 emits ultrasonic wave and the ultrasonic wave propagates through the shield 11 and it is obvious that the shield would block a portion of the wave). (Page.3, lines 22-23, Fig.1)
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date to have modified Mori to incorporate a shielding member and the shielding member being configured to block ultrasound emitted by the ultrasonic sensor in order to thereby calculate out the distance, when the measured distance back to the controller.
Regarding claim 2, Mori teaches wherein the member covers the ultrasonic sensor from a side of location of the boom. (Figs.8, 1-2)
Mori does not explicitly teach the shielding member covers the ultrasonic sensor.
Wu teaches the shielding member covers the sensor. (Page.3, lines 22-23, Fig.1)
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date to have modified Mori to incorporate the shielding member covers the sensor in order to thereby calculate out the distance, when the measured distance back to the controller.
Claim(s) 8-9 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Mori in view of Wu and Chen (CN 202897851 U, all citations provided from machine translation attached).
Regarding claim 8, Mori teaches wherein the ultrasonic sensor is provided on the traveling vehicle. (Figs.1-2, 8)
Mori does not explicitly teach wherein the sensor is provided under a bumper of the traveling vehicle.
Chen teaches wherein the sensor (4, 5) is provided under a bumper (11) of the traveling vehicle (10). (Fig.1)
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date to have modified Mori to incorporate wherein the sensor is provided under a bumper of the traveling vehicle as taught by Chen in order to detect positioning of the crane through dynamic and static displacement signals and calculate the exact position of the crane.
Regarding claim 9, Mori does not explicitly teach wherein the shielding member includes part of a bumper of the traveling vehicle.
Wu teaches a shielding member (11). (Page.3, lines 22-23, Fig.1)
Chen teaches the member (2, 6) includes part of a bumper (11) of the traveling vehicle (10). (Fig.1)
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date to have modified Mori to incorporate the shielding member as taught by Wu in order to thereby calculate out the distance, when the measured distance back to the controller and further modify Mori to incorporate the member includes part of a bumper of the traveling vehicle as taught by Chen in order to detect positioning of the crane through dynamic and static displacement signals and calculate the exact position of the crane.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 3-7 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
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ABDALLAH ABULABAN whose telephone number is (571)272-4755. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday 7:00am-3:00pm EST.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Isam Alsomiri can be reached at 571-272-6970. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/ABDALLAH ABULABAN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3645
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