DETAILED ACTION
Continued Examination Under 37 CFR 1.114
A request for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, including the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e), was filed in this application after final rejection. Since this application is eligible for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114. Applicant's submission filed on 12/10/25 has been entered.
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 .
Response to Amendment
Claim 16 is pending in the application. Claims 1-15 have been cancelled.
-The 112(b) rejection has been withdrawn due to examiner clarifying the limitation “ABS control” as recited in claim 16.
-The 103 rejection has been withdrawn due to applicant amending claim 16 with limitations not disclosed by the prior art of record used in the rejection. Imamura ‘600 used as secondary prior art of rejection in combination with GB’492 increases driving force of rear towing vehicle wheel to control slip of front towing vehicle wheel. Therefore, GB in view of Imamura does not disclose increasing driving force (distribution ratio) of towed vehicle (wheel) as recited.
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.
Claim 16 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
-Claim 16 recites the limitation “wherein a control to increase the driving force of the towed vehicle is performed even when the wheel of the towed vehicle does not slip,….” The limitation “a control to increase the driving force of towed vehicle” seems to suggest that the driving force of vehicle itself is increased instead of the wheel as recited in lines 11-12 of claim “increasing a driving force distribution ratio of a non-slipping wheel” (also as shown in Figure 3, S112 and S113). Examiner suggest applicant amend the limitation to recite “wherein a control to increase the driving force of the towed vehicle wheel is performed even when the wheel of the towed vehicle does not slip,….” to clarify that the “wheel” driving force of towed vehicle is being increased and not the towed vehicle itself.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 16 would be allowable if rewritten or amended to overcome the rejection(s) under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), 2nd paragraph, set forth in this Office action. Based on the rejection, reasons for allowance will not be indicated at this time.
Conclusion
There is no additional prior art made of record and relied upon as the examiner considers the previous prior art cited and used in rejections most pertinent to applicant’s disclosure.
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Tdl
/TISHA D LEWIS/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3619 January 21, 2026