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 . Pursuant to communications filed on 17 February 2026, this is a First Action Non-Final Rejection on the Merits.
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election without traverse of Species B (Figure(s) 6-13; claims 2-3) in the reply filed on 17 February 2026 is acknowledged. Claims 1-3 are currently pending in the instant application.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 19 September 2024 is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement has been considered by the Examiner.
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.
This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention(s) absent any evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and effective filing dates of each claim that was not commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the later invention in order for the examiner to consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) for any potential 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) prior art against the later invention.
Claim(s) 1-3 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Cruz (US 2006/0145714 A1) in view of Selkirk et al (US 2014/0129077 A1, hereinafter Selkirk).
Regarding claim 1, Cruz teaches an intelligent diagnostic probe (Figures 1-3, electrical test device 10) for providing troubleshooting guidance during diagnosing faults within vehicle electrical systems, the intelligent diagnostic probe comprising:
a housing (Figure 2, housing 14) configured to be grasped in a hand (Figures 1-3; at least as in paragraphs 0035-0036, specifically wherein the housing 14 is designed for “single-hand operation of the test device 10.”);
a conductive probe element (Figure 2, conductive probe element 50) protruding distally from the housing (Figures 1-3; at least as in paragraphs 0021-0022 & 0039, specifically as shown in Figure 2);
a distal probe tip (Figure 2, probe tip 48) of the conductive probe element configured to be placed into contact with an electrical circuit (Figures 1-3; at least as in paragraph 0039, specifically wherein “included with the probe element 50 is a probe tip 48 on an extreme end thereof.”);
a display screen (Figures 1-4, display 54, LCD 56) configured to display measurement data (Figures 1-4; at least as in paragraphs 0021, 0025, 0034 & 0049, at least as in paragraph 0025, wherein the display device 54 is configured to display an output reading of an output signal from the electrical system);
a power cable (Figures 2 & 3, power cable 78) extending from a bottom end of the housing and configured to be connected to a motor vehicle battery (Figures 2-4; at least paragraphs 0037-0039, specifically as shown in at least Figures 2-4); and
a ground lead (Figures 2 & 3, ground lead 82) coupled with the power cable and configured to be electrically connected a ground source (Figures 2-4; at least paragraphs 0037-0039, specifically as shown in at least Figures 2-4). Cruz is silent specifically regarding “wherein the intelligent diagnostic probe is configured to provide an icon-based user interface.”
Selkirk, in the same field of endeavor of handheld vehicle diagnostic tools, teaches a vehicle diagnostic tool that is configured to communicate with a vehicle and further receives one or more inputs from a user, displays information on a display, performs a script of actions associated with a shortcut, performs diagnostic procedures in response to receiving inputs from an input device and communicates with said vehicle to perform the script of actions associated with the diagnostic process/fix. Selkirk goes on to teach wherein the diagnostic device includes a display for displaying one or more shortcuts as icons for selection by the user either directly through a touchscreen interface, or via navigation and selection buttons provided on the housing of the diagnostic device (abstract; Figures 1 & 3; at least as in paragraphs 0023-0024, 0029 and 0057-0058). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the effective filing date of the instant invention to modify the teachings of Cruz, to include Selkirk’s teaching(s) of an icon-based user interface with a diagnostic device, since Selkirk teaches wherein presenting icons on a display provides a more user-friendly display and further allows a user to perform desired diagnostic actions in a faster manner and/or with fewer user actions, thereby providing a more dynamic and robust diagnostic device.
Regarding claim 2, in view of the above combination of Cruz and Selkirk, Selkirk further teaches wherein the icon-based user interface includes any one or more of a Multimeter icon, an Injector icon, an EZ-Learning icon, a Settings icon, a Guided Diagnostics icon, and a Sensors icon (abstract; Figures 1 & 3; at least as in paragraphs 0023-0024, 0029 and 0057-0058, at least wherein various shortcuts/icons are created to perform/execute one or more diagnostic processes, which is construed at least as a “Guided Diagnostics icon”).
Regarding claim 3, in view of the above combination of Cruz and Selkirk, Selkirk further teaches wherein the intelligent diagnostic probe includes one or more navigation buttons and a selection button configured to facilitate an operator interacting with the icon-based user interface (abstract; Figures 1 & 3; at least as in paragraphs 0023-0024, 0029 and 0057-0058, specifically at least as in paragraphs 0023-0024, and further as shown in at least Figure 1).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. See attached PTO-892 – Notice of References Cited form. Examiner additionally notes the following prior art references, in the same field of endeavor as the instant invention, and also reads on many of the currently provided claim limitations above;
US 2016/0078691 A1, issued to Roepke, which is directed towards a portable vehicle diagnostic tool including an icon-based user interface for initiating one or more diagnostic applications/procedures.
US 2015/0121275 A1, issued to Marshall et al, which is directed towards vehicle diagnostic systems and methods for diagnosing and repairing vehicles that teaches utilizing an icon-based user interface.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JONATHAN L SAMPLE whose telephone number is (571)270-5925. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 7:00am-4:00pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Adam Mott can be reached at (571)270-5376. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/JONATHAN L SAMPLE/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3657