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 .
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election without traverse of Group I, claims 1-17, and 19 in the reply filed on 19 May 2026 is acknowledged.
Claims 18 and 20 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected invention, there being no allowable generic or linking claim.
Specification
The specification is objected to as failing to provide proper antecedent basis for the claimed subject matter. See 37 CFR 1.75(d)(1) and MPEP § 608.01(o). The following terms and phrases used in the claims fail to find clear support or antecedent basis in the description so that the meaning of the terms in the claims may be ascertainable by reference to the description. Thus it unclear what elements in the specification the claims are referring to: the “towing vehicle connection member”, “first tongue”, “hitch receiver of a towing vehicle”, “towed vehicle connection member”, “second tongue”, “bar”, “first joint”, “second joint”, “forward connector”, “wires in the towing vehicle”, ”rearward connector”, and “wires in the towed vehicle” in claim 1, “ball and socket joint” in claim 3, “an axis” and “a line between the towing vehicle and the towed vehicle” in claim 5, “brake lights and turn signal lights in the towed vehicle” in claim 11, “brakes in the towed vehicle” in claim 12, “battery” in claim 13, “motor in the towed vehicle” in claim 14, “two motors in the towed vehicle” in claim 15, “first battery”, “second battery”, and “electric cable for passing power between the first and second batteries” in claim 16, “communication module” in claim 17, “forward connector”, “wires in the towing vehicle”, rearward connector”, and “wires in the towed vehicle in claim 19. Either the description should be amended to match the claim terminology or the claims should be amended to match the description terminology.
Drawings
The drawings are objected to as failing to comply with 37 CFR 1.84(p)(5) because they include the following reference character(s) not mentioned in the description: “229” in Figure 2.
The drawings are objected to under 37 CFR 1.83(a). The drawings must show every feature of the invention specified in the claims. Therefore, the “towing vehicle connection member”, “first tongue”, “hitch receiver of a towing vehicle”, “towed vehicle connection member”, “second tongue”, “bar”, “first joint”, “second joint”, “forward connector”, “wires in the towing vehicle”, and “wires in the towed vehicle” in claim 1, “ball and socket joint” in claim 3, “an axis” and “a line between the towing vehicle and the towed vehicle” in claim 5, “brake lights and turn signal lights in the towed vehicle” in claim 11, “brakes in the towed vehicle” in claim 12, “battery” in claim 13, “motor in the towed vehicle” in claim 14, “two motors in the towed vehicle” in claim 15, “first battery”, “second battery”, and “electric cable for passing power between the first and second batteries” in claim 16, “communication module” in claim 17, “forward connector”, “wires in the towing vehicle”, rearward connector”, and “wires in the towed vehicle in claim 19. must be shown or the feature(s) canceled from the claim(s). No new matter should be entered.
Corrected drawing sheets in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d) are required in reply to the Office action to avoid abandonment of the application. Any amended replacement drawing sheet should include all of the figures appearing on the immediate prior version of the sheet, even if only one figure is being amended. The figure or figure number of an amended drawing should not be labeled as “amended.” If a drawing figure is to be canceled, the appropriate figure must be removed from the replacement sheet, and where necessary, the remaining figures must be renumbered and appropriate changes made to the brief description of the several views of the drawings for consistency. Additional replacement sheets may be necessary to show the renumbering of the remaining figures. Each drawing sheet submitted after the filing date of an application must be labeled in the top margin as either “Replacement Sheet” or “New Sheet” pursuant to 37 CFR 1.121(d). If the changes are not accepted by the examiner, the applicant will be notified and informed of any required corrective action in the next Office action. The objection to the drawings will not be held in abeyance.
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.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claims 1-17 and 19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
In claim 1 line 11 “the tow bar” lacks antecedent basis. In claim 9 line 2 “the vehicle” lacks antecedent basis. Claim 19 recites “a wiring harness”. It would appear this is the same wiring harness recited in parent claim 1.
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.
Claims 1-3, 8-14, 17, 19 (as best understood) are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Stout, II et al. US 2024/0149910. Stout, II et al. discloses a tow bar system for towing a vehicle comprising: a towing vehicle connection member with a first tongue 206 for insertion into a hitch receiver of a towing vehicle; a towed vehicle connection member with a second tongue 208 for insertion into a hitch receiver of a towed vehicle; a bar 214 attached at one end through a first joint 234 to the towing vehicle connection member and attached at its other end through a second joint 220 to the towed vehicle connection member; wherein at least one of the first and second joints is configured to allow motion in both a horizontal and vertical direction; and a wiring harness 44 held on the tow bar, having a forward connector adapted to connect to wires in the towing vehicle and a rearward connector adapted to connect to wires in the towed vehicle; wherein the first joint is configured to allow motion in both the horizontal and the vertical direction; wherein the first joint is a ball and socket joint; wherein the wiring harness of the tow bar is adapted to pass a command from the towing vehicle to the towed vehicle; wherein the towed vehicle further comprises at least one system 56 for controlling the speed, direction, or indicator lights of the towed vehicle, and wherein the at least one system of the towed vehicle receives the command from the towing vehicle and executes the command; wherein the command instructs the at least one system of the towed vehicle to echo certain actions of the towing vehicle (see paragraph [0009] “autonomous driving system of the trailer vehicle, (ii) receive, by the controller, lead vehicle control inputs from the lead vehicle, and (iii) modify, by the controller, a throttle, a steering, and a braking of the trailer vehicle, based on the received lead vehicle control inputs, to dynamically stabilize the multi-vehicle system such that the trailer vehicle does not induce forces that accelerate or slow the lead vehicle”); wherein the command activates brake lights and turn signal lights in the towed vehicle; wherein the command activates brakes in the towed vehicle to assist in stopping the towing vehicle and towed vehicle; wherein the towed vehicle is an electric vehicle powered by a battery 52, and wherein the brakes in the towed vehicle use regenerative braking to add charge to the battery; wherein the command activates at least one motor 20 in the towed vehicle to assist in moving the towing vehicle and towed vehicle; further comprising a communication module for relaying instructions to and information about the towed vehicle to a smart device in the towing vehicle (see paragraph [0082] “Additionally, the ADAS/autonomous driving system 420 is further in signal communication with the tow bar system 200 and/or lead vehicle 302 (e.g., ADAS/autonomous driving system 340) via the wired or wireless connection 351. In this way, MVCS 310 is configured to receive signals from the lead vehicle 302 and/or tow bar system 200 indicating system conditions such as, for example, lead vehicle steering, throttle position, wheel speed, relative angular positioning, etc. In some examples, the ADAS/autonomous driving system 420 is integrated with a decoupled remote driving application 444 usable, for example, on a remote electronic device (e.g., smart phone).”); the wiring harness having a forward connector adapted to connect to wires in the towing vehicle and a rearward connector adapted to connect to wires in the towed vehicle
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 4-7, and 15-16 would be allowable if rewritten to overcome the rejection(s) under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), 2nd paragraph, set forth in this Office action and to include 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 Kevin Hurley whose telephone number is (571)272-6646. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Thursday 9 am-5:30 pm Kevin.Hurley@USPTO.GOV.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Valentin Neacsu can be reached at 571-272-6265. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/KEVIN HURLEY/
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 3611
June 26, 2026
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