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 .
This Office Action is in response to applicant’s amendment filed on 9/4/26.
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(s) 11, 12, 15, 18, and 20-24 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over US Pat No 10,941,593 to Krishnan et al (Krishnan) in view of US Pat No 10,794,096 to Hamacher et al (Hamacher) and US Pat No 10,533,352 to Betzen et al (Betzen).
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Regarding claim 11, Krishnan discloses a motor vehicle (10) that comprises an arrangement for unlocking a lock (24) of a bonnet (14).
The arrangement comprises a gripping means (32) and a cable (34) connecting the lock of the bonnet to the gripping means.
Wherein, the gripping means is accessible to a user from outside a passenger compartment of the motor vehicle and the cable is positioned entirely outside the passenger compartment of the motor vehicle.
Krishnan fails to disclose that the motor vehicle further comprises a security device configured to prevent use of the gripping means to unlock the lock of the bonnet by an unauthorized person. Wherein, the security device includes a fixed part and a movable part in direct contact with the fixed part and configured to be moved relative to the fixed part.
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Hamacher teaches that it is well known in the art to provide an unlock arrangement with a security element (16, 42, 44, 46) to secure a grip element (12) in an engaged position and allows us to use the grip in an unengaged position.
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Betzen teaches that it is well known in the art to provide a security element (20) for securing a movable member (14) that is capable of being gripped to move it away from an engaged position, wherein the security element includes a fixed part (40) and a movable part (50) in direct contact with the fixed part and configured to be moved relative to the fixed part.
The security element is configured to be moved between an engaged position, in which the movable part directly contacts the movable member to prevent it from moving, and an unengaged position in which there is a space between the movable member and the security element such that the movable member can be moved away.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to provide the vehicle described by Krishnan with a security device, as taught by Hamacher and Betzen, in order to prevent the use of the gripping means.
As to claim 12, Krishnan discloses that the gripping means (32) is located on the front or rear bonnet, or on a front or rear wing, or a front or rear bumper, or a front grille (front wing).
As to claim 15 Krishnan discloses that the motor vehicle is an electric vehicle and the gripping means is located on a charging port of the electric vehicle.
As to claim 18, Krishnan discloses that the vehicle further comprises a charging cable (not shown) for charging the battery of the electric motor vehicle positioned in a housing (battery housing) located under the bonnet of the vehicle.
As to claim 20, Krishnan discloses a method for unlocking the front hood of the motor vehicle that comprises pulling on the grip means of the arrangement, the grip means being outside the passenger compartment.
As to claim 21, Krishnan, as modified by Hamacher and Betzen, teaches a method for charging the motor vehicle that comprises opening the charging port of the vehicle; pulling the grip means of the arrangement to unlock the front hood of the vehicle, the grip means being positioned inside the charging port; grasping a charging cable in a recess which is underneath the front hood of the vehicle; connecting an electric vehicle charging terminal to a charging interface of the port via the charging cable; and locking the grip means while the vehicle is charging, wherein all steps of the method are executed outside the passenger compartment of the motor vehicle.
As to claim 22, Betzen teaches that the fixed part is fixed directly to the motor vehicle and the movable part is configured to move in translation and rotation with respect to the fixed part.
As to claims 23 and 24, Betzen teaches that the movable part comprises a pin (72) and two fins (68a, 68b) positioned on an end of the pin, wherein the movable member includes a fitting (24 and 26), and wherein the fins are locked in the fitting of the movable member when the security element is in the engaged position.
Claim(s) 14, 16, 17 and 19 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over US Pat No 10,941,593 to Krishnan et al (Krishnan) in view of US Pat No 10,794,096 to Hamacher et al (Hamacher), US Pat No 10,533,352 to Betzen et al (Betzen) and further in view of US Pat No 9,327,593 to Minock.
As to claims 14 and 16, Krishnan, as modified by Hamacher and Betzen, fails to disclose that the arrangement further comprises an authentication means which collaborates with the security element such that the grip can be used only when an item for identifying a user is authenticated by the authentication means.
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Minock teaches that it is well known in the art to provide an unlocking arrangement that comprises an authentication means (12) which collaborates with a security element (32) such that a movable member (38) that is capable of being grip to move it to an open position, can be used only when an item for identifying a user is authenticated by the authentication means (the controller 12 may operate a vehicle security system 20 based on an incoming lock or unlock signal from, for example, the remote lock control device 14 and/or the detector 16, col 3 line 19-66).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to provide the unlocking arrangement described by Krishnan, as modified by Hamacher and Betzen, with an authentication means, as taught by Minock, in order to prevent operation of the arrangement.
As to claim 17, Krishnan, as modified by Hamacher, Betzen and Minock, teaches an identification object (Minock 14, 16) is configured to interact with a locking/unlocking device (Minock 20) of the motor vehicle to allow or prevent access to the passenger compartment of the motor vehicle, and the identification object is configured to interact with the authentication means (Minock 12) of the arrangement to make it possible to unlock the lock of the bonnet (Krishnan) by pivoting a flap and/or said locking device of a charging port of the motor vehicle (Minock teaches that 14/16 will operate the latch device 20, allowing the authentication means to unlock the lock).
As to claim 19, Krishnan discloses that the vehicle further comprises a charging cable (not shown) for charging the battery of the electric motor vehicle positioned in a housing (battery housing) located under the bonnet of the vehicle.
Response to Arguments
With respect to the drawing objection, the current amendment overcomes the previous issues.
With respect to the double patenting rejection, the rejection will be provisionally withdrawn, based on the current amendment. However, it could be reincorporated depending on prosecution of this application and the copending application.
With respect to the prior art rejection, applicant’s arguments 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.
Prosecution has been closed.
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 CARLOS LUGO whose telephone number is (571)272-7058. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 9-6pm.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Kristina Fulton can be reached at (571)272-7376. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/Carlos Lugo/
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 3675
October 11, 2026
