DETAILED ACTION
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)(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 1 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Camisasca (US 2025/0187553).
Although a digital license plate is not required by the claimed (only a capability to flex therearound), Camisasca additionally discloses a license plate frame comprising: a license plate frame 100 configured to (and explicitly recited to) cover a perimeter of digital license plate 50 (Fig. 1) with a continuous flange (plurality of walls) 132/134/136/138 around a perimeter of the back side of the license plate (Fig. 3); the frame is capable of flexing over and gripping onto outer edges of the digital license plate (Fig. 5). It is immediately clear to one ordinary skill in the art that the continuous flange is capable of flexing. At least two concrete facts are that the continuous flange (plurality of walls) may be oriented inwardly (at an angle between 70 and 110 degrees) (0030), wherein an acute angle necessitates a flexing action to accommodate the digital license plate (Fig. 5). Furthermore, tab 150, integral with the top wall (0037-0039; Fig. 6), must flex around the digital plate in order to secure it i.e. it cannot physically pass through the digital license plate (Fig. 5).
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to the claims have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on any reference applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument.
Conclusion
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to KYLE ROBERT GRABOWSKI whose telephone number is (571)270-3518. The examiner can normally be reached M-Th 8am-6pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Daniel Troy, can be reached at 571-270-3742. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/KYLE R GRABOWSKI/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3637
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