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 .
Claim Objections
Claim 1 is objected to because of missing punctuation mark (;) after the word “comprising” in line 1. Appropriate correction is required.
Claim 63 is objected to because the claim recites “as claimed in any one of claims” in the last line. Since the claim dependency is unacceptable, claim 63 is not considered on the merits.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
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(s) 1-7 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102 (a) (1) as being anticipated by D1 (Plato et al. US Pub. App. 2013-0264128).
For claim 1, D1 discloses, in Figures 1-9, a luggage smart clip (100) comprising;
a housing (102) comprising a first clip section having a first distal end and a second clip section having a second distal end (The first and second clip sections are shown below in the annotated figure. Shackle 104 has distal end and coupled to the housing with a locking mechanism. Para. [0020]); and
a plurality of devices (includes display 110, keypad 106, power switch 124, power button 126, and sensor. Para. [0005, 0024]),
wherein the plurality of devices comprises at least one wireless connectivity device, at least one luggage security device and at least one power source (Para. [0003, 0023, 0024, 0043]); and
wherein said plurality of devices are incorporated in at least one of said first clip section and said second clip section (as shown below.)
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For claim 2, D1 discloses the luggage smart clip of claim 1, wherein said luggage clip is a luggage handle clip (Para. [0022].)
For claim 3, D1 discloses the luggage smart clip of claim 1, wherein any one or combination of the first clip section and said second clip section is substantially C shaped (Shackle 104 is substantially C shaped. Figure 2.)
For claim 4, D1 discloses the luggage smart clip of any preceding claim 1, wherein at least one of said first clip section and said second clip section has a substantially rectangular cross section (Housing 102 has substantially rectangular cross section. Figure 1.)
For claim 5, D1 discloses the luggage smart clip of claim1, wherein: wherein said first clip section is configured to be movable relative to said second clip section between an open configuration and a closed configuration (The shackles 104 are movable relative to one another during locking and unlocking.); wherein, in use, in the open configuration, the smart clip is attachable to a piece of luggage, and the first clip section is movable relative to the second clip section to the closed configuration to securely hold the luggage smart clip to the piece of luggage (Para. 0020, 0022].)
For claim 6, D1 discloses the luggage smart clip of claim1, wherein the housing is configured to allow the size of any one or combination of the first clip section and second clip section in the closed configuration to be adjusted (Figures 1-5. Para. [0022, 0023].)
For claim 7, D1 discloses the luggage smart clip of claim 1, wherein said at least one security device comprises a lock (Abstract. Para. [0003].)
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
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.
The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
Claim(s) 58-62, and 91-97 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over D1 (Plato et al. US Pub. App. 2013-0264128) in view of D2 (Richard, GB 2 581 937).
For claim 58, D1 discloses a luggage tag comprising a display and optionally configured to operably connect with a luggage smart clip as claimed in claim 1.
D2 teaches, in Figures 1-16, a luggage tag with screen 62 (abstract) and tag mounting holes 30 (Para. [0022, 0040]), and provides user-friendly wireless communication (Para. [0006, 0019].) It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify D1 to have a luggage tag such that the luggage tag is optionally configured to operably connect with the luggage smart clip, as taught by D2 with a reasonable expectation of success of having a user-friendly tag with wireless communication capability.
For claim 59, the combination of D1 and D2 teaches the luggage tag of claim 58, further comprising a case comprising a frame section and an attachment system, wherein the attachment system is configured to physically connect the luggage tag to a luggage smart clip; wherein the display is mounted or removably mounted in said frame section, and wherein said attachment system includes a locking section extending from said frame section for locating and locking between the distal end of the first clip section and the distal end of the second clip section of the luggage smart clip (Since the tag of D2 has mounting holes 30 for physically attaching the tag to luggage, the tag can be attach to the shackle 104 of D1. Thus, combination of D1 and D2 teaches the claimed limitations.)
For claim 60, the combination of D1 and D2 teaches the luggage tag of 59, wherein said attachment system locking section includes at least one swivel connection interconnecting said locking section with said frame section (Figures 15-16 of D2. Combination of D1 and D2 teaches the claimed limitations.)
For claim 61, the combination of D1 and D2 teaches the luggage tag of claim 59, wherein said attachment system locking section includes a slot (mounting holes 30) for receiving the tongue of the first clip section of the smart clip when said first clips section is closed together with said second clip section (D2 has mounting holes 30 [slot], and D1 has shackle 104 [tongue]. Thus, combination of D1 and D2 teaches the claimed limitations.)
For claim 62, the combination of D1 and D2 teaches the luggage tag of claim 59, wherein said frame section includes a slot configured to slidably receive said display (Figures 1-4 of D2 show frame 80b with slot to slidably receive the screen 62. Thus, combination of D1 and D2 teaches the claimed limitations.)
For claim 91, D1 discloses, in Figures 1-9, a luggage smart system comprising:
at least one luggage smart clip (Figure 1)); and
least one luggage tag; wherein said at least one luggage smart clip and said at least one luggage tag are configured to be interconnected, in any one or combination of, wirelessly, electrically and physically;
wherein said one luggage smart clip comprises:
a housing (102) comprising a first clip section having a first distal end and a second clip section having a second distal end (The first and second clip sections are shown below in the annotated figure. Shackle 104 has distal end and coupled to the housing with a locking mechanism. Para. [0020]); and
a plurality of devices (includes display 110, keypad 106, power switch 124, power button 126, and sensor. Para. [0005, 0024]),
wherein the plurality of devices comprises at least one wireless connectivity device, at least one luggage security device and at least one power source (Para. [0003, 0023, 0024, 0043]); and
wherein said plurality of devices are incorporated in at least one of said first clip section and said second clip section (as shown above); and
wherein said at least one luggage tag comprises a display.
D2 teaches, in Figures 1-16, a luggage tag with screen 62 (abstract) and tag mounting holes 30 (Para. [0022, 0040]), and provides user-friendly wireless communication (Para. [0006, 0019].) It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify D1 to have a luggage tag such that the at least one luggage smart clip and said at least one luggage tag are configured to be interconnected, in any one or combination of, wirelessly, electrically and physically; and said at least one luggage tag comprises a display, as taught by D2 with a reasonable expectation of success of having a user-friendly tag with wireless communication capability.
For claim 92, the combination of D1 and D2 teaches the system of claim 91 wherein said at least one smart clip and said at least one luggage tag are integrated with one another or configured to physically pair with one another (D1 has shackle 104. D2 has tag mounting holes 30. Combination of D1 and D2 teaches the claimed limitations.)
For claim 93, the combination of D1 and D2 teaches the system of claim 91, wherein said at least one smart clip and said at least one luggage tag are configured to wireless pair with one another (D1 has wireless communication [0043] and D2 has wireless signal receiver [0006, 0019.] Thus, combination of D1 and D2 teaches the claimed limitations.)
For claim 94, combination of D1 and D2 teaches the system of claim 91, wherein said at least one smart clip and said at least one luggage tag are configured to electrically pair with one another (D1 has wireless communication [0043] and D2 has wireless signal receiver [0006, 0019.] Since both have wireless systems, they are configured to pair with one another. Thus, combination of D1 and D2 teaches the claimed limitations.)
For claim 95, the combination teaches the system of claim 94, wherein said tag attachment system includes data and/or power connections operably connected to said display and/or at one of the plurality of devices of the luggage tag, said tag attachment system data and/or power connections being configured to electrically connect with corresponding data and/or power connections on said smart clip housing when said tag attachment system is attached to said smart clip housing, said corresponding data and/or power connections on said smart clip housing being operably connected to at least one of said plurality of devices of said smart clip (D1 has screen 110 to display information [0020], and D2 has screen 62 to display information [abstract]. Combination of D1 and D2 teaches the claimed limitations)
For claim 96, the combination of D1 and D2 teaches the system of claim 95, wherein said tag attachment system includes a tag locking section extending from a body of said attachment system, wherein said tag locking section includes a slot, wherein when said first clip section and said second clip section are in the closed configuration, said tag locking is sandwiched between the distal end of said first clip section and the distal end of said second clip section and the tongue of the tongue and port system protrudes through said tag locking slot (D1 has shackle 104 [tongue], and D2 has mounting holes 30 [slot]. Combination of D1 and D2 teaches the claimed limitations.)
For claim 97, the combination of D1 and D2 teaches the system of claim 96, data and/or power connections are included in said tag locking section, wherein corresponding data and/or power connections on said smart clip housing are included in the distal end of said first clip section and/or said second clip section; and wherein when said tag locking is sandwiched between the distal end of said first clip section and the distal end of said second clip section and the tongue of the tongue and port system protrudes through said tag locking slot, said tag locking section data and/or power connections are in electrical contact with corresponding data and/or power connections on the distal end of said first clip section and/or the distal end of said second clip section (D1 has screen 110, power switch 124, power button, keypad 106, and shackle 104 [0024], and D2 has mounting holes 30 [0022]. Combination of D1 and D2 teaches the claimed limitations.)
Conclusion
Prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure and provides examples of similar inventions. There are no suggestions in the prior art of record for combining any of the references to arrive at as claimed. A few of the prior art cited but not applied includes Versteeg (US 2012-0010895); Loughlin (US 2006-0096343); and Guenther (US 8,347,660).
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to NATHAN CUMAR whose telephone number is (571)270-3112. The examiner can normally be reached Monday thru Friday, 8:00 am to 5:00 pm EST.
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/NATHAN CUMAR/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3675