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 .
Benefit of an Earlier Filing
Acknowledgment is made of applicant’s claim for foreign priority under 35 U.S.C. 119 (a)-(d). The certified copy has been filed in Foreign Application No. (DE) 10 2022 106 922.2 filed on 24th March, 2022.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 09/05/2024 are in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statements are being considered by the examiner.
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 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.
(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(s) 1-21 and 27-30 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102“(a)(1)” or “(a)(2)” or both as being anticipated by Applicant presented Prior Art Kohn (US 2021/0018629 A1).
Referring to Claim(s) 1-10 (Canceled).
Referring to Claim 11, Kohn teaches a device for determining an orientation of a sensor installed on a body of a motor vehicle ([0032]; [0035]), wherein the sensor includes a flat plane which is accessible from outside ([0037]; module 58 of Fig. 2 and 4), the device comprising:
an elongated main body ([0037]; 46 of Fig. 1-2) that includes a flat contact surface at one end ([0037]; 56 of Fig. 1-2);
an elongated recess ([0036]; 64 of Fig. 2) for accommodating a measuring rod at another end ([0036]; 48 of Fig. 1 and 2);
wherein the recess is formed in such a way that a longitudinal axis of the recess extends perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the main body ([0036]: “Adaptive spacer 46 itself may be ... releasably interconnected to positioning bracket 54” means that some kind of screw holes have to be provided in adaptive spacer 46, which holes extend perpendicularly to its longitudinal axis);
wherein the flat contact surface of the main body is formed in such a way that the longitudinal axis of the main body extends parallel to a normal vector of the flat plane of the sensor when the flat contact surface of the main body is in planar contact with the flat plane of the sensor ([0037]).
Referring to Claim 12, Kohn teaches the device according to claim 11, wherein a normal vector of the flat contact surface of the main body extends parallel to the longitudinal axis of the main body, and the normal vector of the flat contact surface of the main body extends parallel to the normal vector of the flat plane of the sensor when the flat contact surface of the main body is in planar contact with the flat plane of the sensor ([0037]).
Referring to Claim 13, Kohn teaches the device according to claim 11, wherein the at least one recess is a blind hole or a through-hole ([0036]: “Adaptive spacer 46 itself may be ... releasably interconnected to positioning bracket 54” means that some kind of screw holes have to be provided in adaptive spacer 46, which holes extend perpendicularly to its longitudinal axis).
Referring to Claim 14, Kohn teaches the device according to claim 12, wherein the at least one recess is a blind hole or a through-hole ([0036]).
Referring to Claim 15, Kohn teaches the device according to claim l1wherein the device further includes the measuring rod, which is cylindrical and is accommodated and fixed in the recess in such a way that a longitudinal axis of the measuring rod extends perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the main body (Fig. 1-2).
Referring to Claim 16, Kohn teaches the device according to claim 12, wherein the device further includes the measuring rod, which is cylindrical and is accommodated and fixed in the recess in such a way that a longitudinal axis of the measuring rod extends perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the main body ([0046]; Fig. 9).
Referring to Claim 17, Kohn teaches the device according to claim13, wherein the device further includes the measuring rod ([0046]; Fig. 9), which is cylindrical (Fig. 5-6) and is accommodated and fixed in the recess in such a way that a longitudinal axis of the measuring rod extends perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the main body (Fig. 1-2).
Referring to Claim 18, Kohn teaches the device according to claim 11, wherein the device includes two or four of the recess, each of which includes one of the measuring rod, which are arranged with a separation of 90⁰ relative to one another ([0046]; Fig. 9).
Referring to Claim 19, Kohn teaches the device according to claim 12, wherein the device includes two or four of the recess, each of which includes one of the measuring rod, which are arranged with a separation of 90⁰ relative to one another ([0046]; Fig. 9).
Referring to Claim 20, Kohn teaches the device according to claim 13, wherein the device includes two or four of the recess, each of which includes one of the measuring rod, which are arranged with a separation of 90⁰ relative to one another ([0046]; Fig. 9).
Referring to Claim 21, Kohn teaches the device according to claim 14, wherein the device includes two or four of the recess, each of which includes one of the measuring rod, which are arranged with a separation of 90° relative to one another ([0046]; Fig. 9).
Referring to Claim 27, Kohn teaches the device according to claim 11, wherein the main body includes on the flat contact surface an adhesive element for detachable fastening of the device to the flat plane of the sensor ([0040]-[0041]).
Referring to Claim 28, Kohn teaches the device according to claim 11, wherein the device includes a cord, weighted with a weight, which has been fastened to the end of the main body at which the recess is formed ([0045]).
Referring to Claim 29, Kohn teaches the device according to claim11, wherein the main body includes a further flat contact surface which is formed at the end of the main body at which the recess has been formed, the normal vector of which extends parallel to the longitudinal axis of the main body ([0037]).
Referring to Claim 30, Kohn teaches a kit of parts including the device according to claim 29 together with the measuring rod, for accommodation in the recess of the device, and/or, with an angle- measuring apparatus for contacting the further flat contact surface of the main body ([0038]; 48, 60, 62, 64 and 66 of Fig. 1-2).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim(s) 22-26 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.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter:
Claim(s) 22 is allowable for disclosing the main body includes a narrowing in a region between the one end, at which the flat contact surface is been formed, and the other end, at which the recess is formed, and the main body has a length of 2 cm to 4 cm. These limitations, in combinations in the claims, were not found in the prior art.
Claim(s) 23 is allowable for disclosing the main body includes a narrowing in a region between the one end, at which the flat contact surface is been formed, and the other end, at which the recess is formed, and the main body has a length of 2 cm to 4 cm. These limitations, in combinations in the claims, were not found in the prior art.
Claim(s) 24 is allowable for disclosing the main body includes a narrowing in a region between the one end, at which the flat contact surface is been formed, and the other end, at which the recess is formed, and the main body has a length of 2 cm to 4 cm. These limitations, in combinations in the claims, were not found in the prior art.
Claim(s) 25 is allowable for disclosing the main body includes a narrowing in a region between the one end, at which the flat contact surface is been formed, and the other end, at which the recess is formed, and the main body has a length of 2 cm to 4 cm. These limitations, in combinations in the claims, were not found in the prior art.
Claim(s) 26 is allowable for disclosing the main body includes a narrowing in a region between the one end, at which the flat contact surface is been formed, and the other end, at which the recess is formed, and the main body has a length of 2 cm to 4 cm. These limitations, in combinations in the claims, were not found in the prior art.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to AMIE M N'DURE whose telephone number is (571)272-6031. The examiner can normally be reached on 8AM-5:30PM.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Isam Alsomiri can be reached on 571-272-6970. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300. Information regarding the status of an application may be obtained from the Patent Application Information Retrieval (PAIR) system. Status information for published applications may be obtained from either Private PAIR or Public PAIR. Status information for unpublished applications is available through Private PAIR only. For more information about the PAIR system, see http://pair-direct.uspto.gov. Should you have questions on access to the Private PAIR system, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative or access to the automated information system, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
/AMIE M NDURE/Examiner, Art Unit 3645
/ABDALLAH ABULABAN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3645