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 .
2. This Office Action is sent in response to Applicant's Communication received on March 11, 2026.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s amendments/remarks filed March 11, 2026, with respect to claims 14-15, 18-19, 21 and 23-26 rejections under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) have been fully considered and are persuasive. Accordingly, said claims 14-15, 18-19, 21 and 23-26 rejections under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) have been withdrawn.
Applicant’s remarks filed March 11, 2026, with respect to claims 13-22 and 27-28 rejections under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) have been fully considered and are persuasive. Accordingly, said claims 13-22 and 27-28 rejections under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) have been withdrawn.
Further on, claims 13-22 and 27-28 are allowable over the prior art.
Applicant's arguments filed March 11, 2026, with respect to claims 23-26 rejections under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) have been fully considered but they are not persuasive as explained below.
Applicant respectfully asserts that “New independent claim 23 has similar limitations and defines over the cited art for the same reasons”.
The Examiner respectfully submits that new independent claim 23 does not have all limitations of claim 13. More specifically, claim 23 does not include the allowable features of claim 13 like among other limitations “…at a first instant of time in which it is detected that the first braking force is reduced to a value substantially equal to zero, stopping the at least one first actuator and actuating the at least one second actuator, by the electronic processing unit, so as to release the second braking force and reduce the value of the second braking force; and reducing the value of the second braking force to a value substantially equal to zero….”.
Disposition of Claims
Claims 13-28 are pending in this application.
Claims 13-22 and 27-28 are allowable over the prior art.
Claims 23-26 are rejected.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 13-22 and 27-28 are allowable over the prior art.
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 23-26 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by (DOSSI – KR 20200033311 A).
Regarding claim 23, DOSSI discloses:
A braking system of a vehicle configured to activate and deactivate a parking-braking force, the braking system comprising:
a first brake caliper (first brake caliper 4: Figs. 1 and 5) comprising:
a first brake disc (first brake disc 3: Figs. 1 and 5);
at least one first pad (At least one of first pair of pads 4', 4 " of the first brake caliper 4: Fig. 5) facing the first brake disc (first brake disc 3: Figs. 1 and 5);
at least one first actuator (electric motor 6: Figs. 1 and 5) configured to apply and release a first braking force on the at least one first pad (At least one of first pair of pads 4', 4 " of the first brake caliper 4: Fig. 5), so as to move the at least one first pad (At least one of first pair of pads 4', 4 " of the first brake caliper 4: Fig. 5) from an open position, in which the at least one first pad (At least one of first pair of pads 4', 4 " of the first brake caliper 4: Fig. 5) is positioned at a maximum distance from the first brake disc (first brake disc 3: Figs. 1 and 5) and does not actuate the parking-braking force, to a closed position in which the at least one first pad (At least one of first pair of pads 4', 4 " of the first brake caliper 4: Fig. 5) is biased against the first brake disc (first brake disc 3: Figs. 1 and 5) and applies the parking-braking force, and vice versa;
a second brake caliper (second brake caliper: [0025]) comprising:
a second brake disc (second brake disc: [0025]);
at least one second pad (at least one second pair of pads 4’, 4”: [0025]) facing the second brake disc (second brake disc: [0025]);
at least one second actuator (second electric motor 6: Figs. 1 and 5 and [0025]) configured to apply and release a second braking force on the at least one second pad (at least one second pair of pads 4’, 4”: [0025]) so as to move the at least one second pad (at least one second pair of pads 4’, 4”: [0025]) from an open position, in which the at least one second pad (at least one second pair of pads 4’, 4”: [0025]) is positioned at a maximum distance from the second brake disc (second brake disc: [0025]) and does not actuate the parking-braking force, to a closed position in which the at least one second pad (at least one second pair of pads 4’, 4”: [0025]) is biased against the second brake disc (second brake disc: [0025]) and applies the parking-braking force, and vice versa ([0025]: “According to other embodiments not shown in the figure, the system 100 is provided by each of the electric motors, by each of the electromechanical mechanisms configured to convert the rotational motion of each electric motor into a linear motion of each piston. It may further comprise one or more pistons that can be operated, each of which is a further pair of additional brake calipers configured to contact each additional brake disc mounted on each additional wheel of the vehicle 1 as a result. The pads are configured to apply the thrust of the additional pads, so parking braking force can be applied by the system 100”);
an electronic processing unit (data processing unit 8 and memory unit 9: Figs. 1 and 5) configured to control an actuation of the at least one first actuator (electric motor 6: Figs. 1 and 5) of the first brake caliper (first brake caliper 4: Figs. 1 and 5) and the at least one second actuator (second electric motor 6: Figs. 1 and 5 and [0025]) of the second brake caliper (second brake caliper: [0025]);
detection means (one or more sensors 10: Figs. 1 and 5), operatively connected to the electronic processing unit (data processing unit 8 and memory unit 9: Figs. 1 and 5), configured to
detect, either directly or indirectly, a value of the first braking force actuated by the at least one first actuator (electric motor 6: Figs. 1 and 5) on the at least one first pad (At least one of first pair of pads 4', 4 " of the first brake caliper 4: Fig. 5), and to detect, either directly or indirectly, a value of the second braking force actuated by the at least one second actuator (second electric motor 6: Figs. 1 and 5) on the at least one second pad (At least one of second pair of pads 4', 4 " of the first brake caliper 4: Fig. 5 and [0025]),
the method comprising steps of:
actuating, by the electronic processing unit (data processing unit 8 and memory unit 9: Figs. 1 and 5), the at least one first actuator (electric motor 6: Figs. 1 and 5) of the first brake caliper (first brake caliper 4: Figs. 1 and 5) so as to release the first braking force and reduce the value of the first braking force;
detecting, by the detection means (one or more sensors 10: Figs. 1 and 5), the value of the first braking force during the actuation of the at least one first actuator (electric motor 6: Figs. 1 and 5).
Regarding claim 24, DOSSI disclose the braking system according to claim 23, and further on DOSSI also discloses:
an actuating device operatively connected to the electronic processing unit ([0025-0052]),
wherein the electronic processing unit is configured to
actuate the at least one first actuator so as to release the first braking force and reduce the value of the first braking force upon reception, by the electronic processing unit, of a parking-braking force deactivation request signal ([0025-0052]),
wherein the parking-braking force deactivation request signal is sent by the actuating device upon actuation of said actuating device ([0025-0052]), and
wherein said actuating device is actuatable by a user ([0025-0052]).
Regarding claim 25, DOSSI disclose the braking system according to claim 23, and further on DOSSI also discloses:
wherein the braking system comprises a signaling device operatively connected to the electronic processing unit ([0025-0052]),
wherein the electronic processing unit is configured to
send a parking-braking force deactivation signal to the signaling device ([0025-0052]), and
wherein the parking-braking force deactivation signal is viewable by a user by means of the signaling device ([0025-0052]).
Regarding claim 26, DOSSI disclose the braking system according to claim 23, and further on DOSSI also discloses:
wherein the first brake caliper comprises:
a pair of first pads positioned opposite to the first brake disc ([0025-0052]); and
at least one pair of first actuators configured to apply and release the first braking force on the pair of first pads, so as to move the pair of first pads from an open position in which both first pads are positioned at a maximum distance from the first brake disc and do not actuate the parking-braking force, to a closed position in which both first pads are biased against the first brake disc and actuate the parking-braking force, and vice versa ([0025-0052]); and
wherein said second brake caliper comprises:
a pair of second pads positioned opposite the second brake disc ([0025-0052]); and
at least one pair of second actuators configured to apply and release the second braking force on the pair of second pads, so as to move the pair of second pads from an open position, in which both second pads are positioned at a maximum distance from the second brake disc and do not actuate the parking-braking force, to a closed position in which both second pads are biased against the second brake disc and actuate the parking-braking force, and vice versa ([0025-0052]).
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 Ruben Picon-Feliciano whose telephone number is (571)-272-4938. The examiner can normally be reached on Monday-Thursday within 11:30 am-7:30 pm ET.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Lindsay M. Low can be reached on (571)272-1196. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/RUBEN PICON-FELICIANO/Examiner, Art Unit 3747
/GRANT MOUBRY/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3747
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