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 11-15 in the reply filed on 07/13/2026 is acknowledged.
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.
Regarding claim 11, the phrases "preferred" in line 7 and “preferentially” in line 8 render the claim indefinite because it is unclear whether the limitation(s) following the phrase are part of the claimed invention. See MPEP § 2173.05(d).
Claims 12-15 are also rejected by virtue of their dependency on claim 11 because each of dependent claims 12-15 is unclear, at least, in that it depends on unclear independent claim 11.
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.
Claim 11 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Schmidt et al. (US 6,674,392, hereafter Schmidt).
Regarding claim 11, Schmidt (‘392) discloses that A radome device for a radar sensor of a vehicle { Fig.1 item 10 (housing); Fig.4 items 42 (radome); col.4 lines 46-47 (FIG. 1 shows a cross-section through a motor-vehicle radar system), 50 (a housing 10); col.6 lines 61-62 (Cover plate 42 is designed as a radome)}, comprising:
a radome having a central region that is permeable to electromagnetic radiation of the radar sensor { Fig.1; Fig.4; col.3 lines 16-22 (a motor-vehicle radar system having at least one housing, having at least one send/receive element for sending and/or receiving electromagnetic waves, having at least one first dielectric member in the beam path of the electromagnetic waves, having at least one arrangement of electrical conductor tracks which are in direct contact with the first dielectric member); col.4 lines 46-47 (FIG. 1 shows a cross-section through a motor-vehicle radar system), 58 (send/receive elements 15); col.5 lines 7-8 (the electromagnetic waves which are sent out and received by send/receive elements 15); col.6 lines 61-62 (Cover plate 42 is designed as a radome)}; and
a heating element for controlling a temperature of the central region of the radome { Fig.1 item 12 (electrically conductive tracks); Fig.4 item 43 (electrically conductive tracks); col.3 lines 22-24 (supply an electric power to the electrical conductor tracks and the electrical conductor tracks preferably being used to heat), 42-43 (control of the electrical heating power); col.4 line 53 (electrically conductive tracks 12); col.6 line 59 (electrically conductive tracks 43)},
wherein
a heat output is introduced into the central region of the radome via electrical energy {Fig.1 item 12 (electrically conductive tracks); Fig.4 item 43 (electrically conductive tracks); col.4 line 53 (electrically conductive tracks 12); col.6 lines 1-2 (With rising temperature of electrically conductive tracks 33), 59 (electrically conductive tracks 43)},
the central region has a preferred accumulation region, within which precipitation from an environment of the vehicle preferentially accumulates when the radome device is arranged on the vehicle as intended, and an overall heat output that is different from the heat output is introduced into the preferred accumulation region {Fig.1; Fig.2; Fig.4 item 42; col.2 lines 33-36 (If a heating current flows through the electrically conductive arrangement, the dielectric member can thereby be freed from coatings such as ice, snow or slush.); col.5 line 26 (with rising material temperature); col.6 lines 1-2 (With rising temperature of electrically conductive tracks 33,), 45-50 (correct design of the electrically conductive tracks, it is possible to dispense with an additional, cost-creating open-loop/closed loop control, and that nevertheless, the motor-vehicle radar system is freed quickly and reliably from snow and ice coatings.); Examiner’s note: “heating current flows” and “rising material temperature” for “an overall heat output”. “With rising temperature of electrically conductive tracks” for “a heat output”}.
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.
Claim 12 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Schmidt (‘392) as applied to claim 11 above, and further in view of Machida et al. (JP 3556403, hereafter Machida).
Regarding claim 12, which depends on claim 11, Schmidt (‘392) discloses that in the radome device,
the heating element comprises a heating conductor, and
the heating conductor is arranged,
{ Fig.1 item 12 (electrically conductive tracks); Fig.4 item 43 (electrically conductive tracks); col.4 line 53 (electrically conductive tracks 12); col.6 line 59 (electrically conductive tracks 43) }.
However, Schmidt (‘392) does not explicitly disclose (see words with underline) “the heating conductor is arranged, substantially orthogonally with respect to a polarization of the electromagnetic radiation of the radar sensor, in the central region of the radome”. In the same field of endeavor, Machida (‘403) discloses that
the heating conductor is arranged, substantially orthogonally with respect to a polarization of the electromagnetic radiation of the radar sensor, in the central region of the radome {[0006] lines 7-8 (The electric heater is linear and is desirably disposed so as to be substantially orthogonal to the polarization direction of the transmission radio wave); [0007] lines 4-5 (the heater wire be disposed so as to be substantially orthogonal to the polarization direction of the transmission radio wave)}.
It would have been prima facie obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine Schmidt (‘392) with the teachings of Machida (‘403) {arrange heater substantially orthogonal to the polarization direction of the transmission radio wave } to arrange heater substantially orthogonal to the polarization direction of the transmission radio wave . Doing so would avoid affecting the transmission radio wave as much as possible so as to provide an in-vehicle radar device capable of removing snow with a simple configuration without deteriorate the characteristics of radio waves, as recognized by Machida (‘403) {[0005] lines 1-2 (provide an in-vehicle radar device capable of removing snow with a simple configuration), 5-6 (provide a heater device that does not deteriorate the characteristics of radio waves.); [0007] lines 5-6 (not to affect the transmission radio wave as much as possible)}.
Claims 13-15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Schmidt (‘392) and Machida (‘403) as applied to claim 12 above, and further in view of Nagai et al. (WO 2021049479, hereafter Nagai).
Regarding claim 13, which depends on claims 11-12, Schmidt (‘392) and Machida (‘403) do not explicitly disclose that “the heating element has at least a first electric heating circuit and a second electric heating circuit, the temperature of the central region, including or excluding the preferred accumulation region, is controllable by way of the first electric heating circuit, and the temperature of only the preferred accumulation region is controllable by way of the second electric heating circuit”. In the same field of endeavor, Nagai (‘479) discloses that in the radome device,
the heating element has at least a first electric heating circuit and a second electric heating circuit, the temperature of the central region, including or excluding the preferred accumulation region, is controllable by way of the first electric heating circuit, and the temperature of only the preferred accumulation region is controllable by way of the second electric heating circuit {Fig.17 items 22c, 22d; page 3 lines 7-8 (various sensors such as a radar, the sensor and screen heater system shall be mounted on the windscreen located at the front of the vehicle.); page 7 lines 22-23 (heating wire 22c and the heating wire 22d are individually controlled for heat generation)}.
It would have been prima facie obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the combination of Schmidt (‘392) and Machida (‘403) with the teachings of Nagai (‘479) {use different heat elements at different regions} to use different heat elements at different regions. Doing so would individually control heat wires over different surface areas so as to control different target temperatures based on application requirement (e.g. high amount of heat is applied to a part of the area where the snow or ice is desired to be removed to melt the snow or ice) , as recognized by Nagai (‘479) { page 4 lines 27-29 (a high amount of heat is applied to a part of the area where the snow or ice is desired to be removed to melt the snow or ice, so that the amount of heat is less than applying heat to the entire target area. Snow or ice can be removed with electricity.); page 7 lines 22-25 (The heating wire 22c and the heating wire 22d are individually controlled for heat generation. the target temperature of the heater composed of the heating wire 22c can be made higher than the target temperature of the heater composed of the heating wire 22d.)}.
Regarding claim 14, which depends on claims 11-12, Schmidt (‘392) and Machida (‘403) do not explicitly disclose that “the overall heat output that is different from the heat output is introduced into the preferred accumulation region via an inhomogeneous heating-conductor density distribution of the heating conductor”. In the same field of endeavor, Nagai (‘479) discloses that in the radome device,
the overall heat output that is different from the heat output is introduced into the preferred accumulation region via an inhomogeneous heating-conductor density distribution of the heating conductor {Fig.6; Fig.8; Fig.9; page 4 line 12 (a temperature control circuit 33), 27-29 (a high amount of heat is applied to a part of the area where the snow or ice is desired to be removed to melt the snow or ice, so that the amount of heat is less than applying heat to the entire target area. Snow or ice can be removed with electricity.), 4-6 from bottom (The wiring pattern of the heating wire 22 is different between the high radiant heat region and the low radiant heat region. The high radiant heat region has a higher amount of heat per unit area on the heater element than the low radiant heat region)}.
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It would have been prima facie obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the combination of Schmidt (‘392) and Machida (‘403) with the teachings of Nagai (‘479) {use different types of heat elements at different regions} to use different types of heat elements at different regions. Doing so would individually control heat wires so as to control different target temperatures based on application requirement (e.g. high amount of heat is applied to a part of the area where the snow or ice is desired to be removed to melt the snow or ice) , as recognized by Nagai (‘479) { page 4 lines 27-29 (a high amount of heat is applied to a part of the area where the snow or ice is desired to be removed to melt the snow or ice, so that the amount of heat is less than applying heat to the entire target area. Snow or ice can be removed with electricity.); page 7 lines 22-25 (The heating wire 22c and the heating wire 22d are individually controlled for heat generation. the target temperature of the heater composed of the heating wire 22c can be made higher than the target temperature of the heater composed of the heating wire 22d.)}.
Regarding claim 15, which depends on claims 11-12, Schmidt (‘392) and Machida (‘403) do not explicitly disclose that “the overall heat output that is different from the heat output is introduced into the preferred accumulation region via an inhomogeneous heating-conductor cross-sectional distribution of the heating conductor”. In the same field of endeavor, Nagai (‘479) discloses that in the radome device,
the overall heat output that is different from the heat output is introduced into the preferred accumulation region via an inhomogeneous heating-conductor cross-sectional distribution of the heating conductor { Fig.6; Fig.9; page 4 line 12 (a temperature control circuit 33), 27-29 (a high amount of heat is applied to a part of the area where the snow or ice is desired to be removed to melt the snow or ice, so that the amount of heat is less than applying heat to the entire target area. Snow or ice can be removed with electricity.), 4-6 from bottom (The wiring pattern of the heating wire 22 is different between the high radiant heat region and the low radiant heat region. The high radiant heat region has a higher amount of heat per unit area on the heater element than the low radiant heat region)}.
It would have been prima facie obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the combination of Schmidt (‘392) and Machida (‘403) with the teachings of Nagai (‘479) {use different types of heat elements at different regions} to use different types of heat elements at different regions. Doing so would individually control heat wires so as to control different target temperatures based on application requirement (e.g. high amount of heat is applied to a part of the area where the snow or ice is desired to be removed to melt the snow or ice) , as recognized by Nagai (‘479) { page 4 lines 27-29 (a high amount of heat is applied to a part of the area where the snow or ice is desired to be removed to melt the snow or ice, so that the amount of heat is less than applying heat to the entire target area. Snow or ice can be removed with electricity.); page 7 lines 22-25 (The heating wire 22c and the heating wire 22d are individually controlled for heat generation. the target temperature of the heater composed of the heating wire 22c can be made higher than the target temperature of the heater composed of the heating wire 22d.)}.
Conclusion
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/YONGHONG LI/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3648
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