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 claims 1-12 in the reply filed on 01/05/2026 is acknowledged.
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.
Claims 1-2 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Zeng (US 2022/0041095 A1) in view of Peacock et al., hereinafter referred to as Peacock (US 2019/0351815 A1).
As per claim 1, Zeng discloses an integrated side marker light and wireless camera unit (Zeng: Abstract.), comprising:
a side marker light including a light source and a light lens, wherein the light source is configured for emitting light towards the light lens and the light lens is configured for dispersing the light to illuminate an ambient area (Zeng: Paras. [0044], [0051] disclose a camera unit 100 including a lamp 110 that can serve as a “side marker” and Paras. [0063], [0065] disclose a light cover 460 on the front of the housing and the inner surface of the cover 460 can have elements to guide and disperse the light, such as a Fresnel lens.);
a camera (130) including a camera lens and a wireless transmitter, wherein the camera lens is configured for generating video images and the wireless transmitter is configured for wirelessly transmitting the video images to a wireless receiver of a tow vehicle (Zeng: Para. [0045] discloses the camera 130 generates a digital video stream; Para. [0063] discloses the camera may have a lens and Paras. [0012], [0014] disclose the cameras typically communicate to a display system wirelessly.); and
However, Zeng does not explicitly disclose “… an integrated mount configured for retaining the side marker light and the camera to an exterior surface of a towed vehicle, wherein the integrated mount includes a side marker portion configured for retaining the side marker light and a camera portion configured for retaining the camera, wherein the side marker portion and the camera portion are configured to vertically orientate the camera relative to the side marker light such that a rearward camera end of the camera is flush with or forward of a rearward marker end of the side marker portion.”
Further, Peacock is in the same field of endeavor and teaches an integrated mount (a grommet 134) configured for retaining the side marker light (a marker light assembly 111 includes LEDs 124) and the camera to an exterior surface of a towed vehicle (attachment to a vehicle), wherein the integrated mount (134) includes a side marker portion (light housing 112) configured for retaining the side marker light (111) and a camera portion (cylindrical aperture 118) configured for retaining the camera, wherein the side marker portion (112) and the camera portion (118) are configured to vertically orientate the camera relative to the side marker light (111) such that a rearward camera end of the camera is flush with or forward of a rearward marker end of the side marker portion (Peacock: Figs. 1-4 & Paras. [0004], [0017], [0020]-[0021], [0024] disclose a towed vehicle having a marker light assembly 111 having a light housing 112 [side marker portion] with a cylindrical aperture 118 [camera portion] that receives the body of the camera assembly 102; a grommet [integrated mount] utilized for attachment to the vehicle, wherein the front of the camera is substantially flush with the light source surrounding the camera, achieving a flush design.).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, and having the teachings of Zeng and Peacock before him or her, to modify the vehicle integrated camera side marker unit of Zeng to include the integrated mounting structure feature as described in Peacock. The motivation for doing so would have been to improve facilitation in maneuvering of the vehicle by providing a secure assembly attachment.
As per claim 2, Zeng-Peacock disclose the integrated side marker light and wireless camera unit of claim 1, wherein:
the side marker portion and the camera portion are shaped to orientate the camera [between the side marker light] (Peacock: Figs. 1, 4 & Paras. [0018], [0024] disclose the side marker portion and the camera portion are shaped to orientate the camera between the side marker light assembly 111 LED lights 124.).
However, Zeng-Peacock do not explicitly disclose “… orientate the camera above the side marker light.”
Further, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, and having the teachings of Zeng and Peacock before him or her, to modify the vehicle integrated camera side marker unit of Zeng to include the side marker light location features as described in Peacock, since it has been held that rearranging parts of an invention involves only routine skill in the art. In re Japikse, 86 USPQ 70. Please note that in the instant application, applicant has not disclosed any criticality for the claimed limitations.
The motivation for doing so would have been to improve the capability of various types of vehicle signaling functions by providing a camera configuration that is releasably coupled to the marker light assembly.
Claims 3, 4 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Zeng in view of Peacock in further in view of Keenan et al., hereinafter referred to as Keenan (US 10,136,037 B1).
As per claim 3, Zeng-Peacock disclose the integrated side marker light and wireless camera unit of claim 1 (Zeng: Abstract.), wherein:
However, Zeng-Peacock do not explicitly disclose “… an outboard lateral side of the camera includes a sun visor extending rearwardly beyond the camera lens to provide an overhang operable for shading the camera lens, wherein a rearward portion of the sun visor defines the rearward camera end.”
Further, Keenan is in the same field of endeavor and teaches an outboard lateral side of the camera includes a sun visor extending rearwardly beyond the camera lens to provide an overhang operable for shading the camera lens, wherein a rearward portion of the sun visor defines the rearward camera end (Keenan: Col 2, ll. 46-49 & Col. 5, ll. 61-65 disclose a glare visor to block stray light (e.g., sunlight) and a lens hood extending outwards from the lens 102 to implement a visor (or baseball cap) style design which provides an overhang for blocking the stray light rays.).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, and having the teachings of Zeng-Peacock and Keenan before him or her, to modify the vehicle integrated camera side marker unit of Zeng-Peacock to include the sun visor extending feature as described in Keenan. The motivation for doing so would have been to improve the camera system by preventing stray glare from striking the camera lens, thereby ensuring high-quality, reliable video image generation.
As per claim 4, Zeng-Peacock disclose the integrated side marker light and wireless camera unit of claim 3, wherein:
an inboard lateral side, an upper medial side, and a lower medial side of the camera are forward of the rearward camera end (Peacock: Paras. [0006]-[0007] disclose the camera having an outer end having a lens and an inner end opposite the outer end establishing a forward and rearward orientation and that the camera includes a cylindrical outer surface extending between the ends, therefore axiomatically comprises an inboard lateral side, an upper medial side, and a lower medial side that are located forward of the rearward inner end.).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 5-12 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.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure and can be viewed in the list of references.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to PEET DHILLON whose telephone number is (571)270-5647. The examiner can normally be reached M-F: 5am-1:30pm.
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/PEET DHILLON/Primary Examiner
Art Unit: 2488
Date: 03-12-2026