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 .
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statements (IDS) submitted on 3/6/2025, 12/19/2024 and 3/6/2025 were filed in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
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.
1: Claim(s) 1-4, 7-11 and 14-18 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_AhlhFKifwU Visual Education in view of US 2014/0268627 A1 Contreras et al.
2: As for Claim 1Claim 1 is rejected for reasons discussed related to Claim 15.
3: As for Claim 2, Visual Education further teaches and depicts one or more attachment points coupled to at least one of the first non-circular frame or the second non-circular frame, wherein the one or more attachment points are configured to couple to a ceiling frame (see screenshot below of two metal frames orthogonal to each other).
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4: As for Claim 3, Visual Education further teaches and depicts one or more attachment arms (connection straps depicted in the screenshot as discussed in Claim 2) coupled to at least one of the first non-circular frame or the second non-circular frame, wherein the one or more attachment arms are configured to couple to boom arm of a crane (mechanical crane is attaches to the ceiling to enable movement of the structure as depicted in the screenshot below).
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5: As for Claim 4, Visual Education further teaches and depicts wherein the second non-circular frame is orthogonal to the first non-circular frame (see screenshot below of two metal frames orthogonal to each other).
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6: As for Claim 7, Visual Education further teaches and depicts a central processing unit (CPU) electrically coupled to the one or more cameras and the one or more lights, wherein the CPU is configured to automatically control at least one of the one or more cameras or the one or more lights when capturing images of the vehicle placement portion in the photobooth from multiple angles (see screenshot below of the user interface controlled by a computer).
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7: As for Claim 8, Claim 8 is rejected for reasons discussed related to Claim 15.
8: As for Claim 9, Claim 9 is rejected for reasons discussed related to Claim 2.
9: As for Claim 10, Claim 10 is rejected for reasons discussed related to Claim 3.
10: As for Claim 11, Claim 11 is rejected for reasons discussed related to Claim 4.
11: As for Claim 14, Claim 14 is rejected for reasons discussed related to Claim 7.
12: As for Claim 15, Visual Education teaches and depicts in the video a method of operating a photobooth for photographing vehicles, the method comprising: moving a vehicle into the photobooth comprising: one or more cameras; one or more lights; a first non-circular frame (medal rectangular frame depicted in the below screenshot); a second non-circular frame separate from and located above the first non-circular frame (depicted in below screenshot); activating the one or more cameras and the one or more lights to capture a photograph of the vehicle; and moving the vehicle out of the photobooth.
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However, does not teach one or more rods coupled to and below the first non-circular frame, wherein the one or more rods define a closed shape around a vehicle placement portion of the photobooth; and a fabric draped from the one or more rods, wherein the fabric forms a circumferential wall of the photobooth.
Contreras et al depicts in Figures 1A, 5 and 6A and teaches in Paragraphs [0032 and 0039] a photobooth for a vehicle and teaches it is advantageous to form rods (connecting hooks 515 depicted in Figure 5) that connect to a fabric (605) draped from the rods around a vehicle placement portion of the photobooth (see Figure 6A); and a fabric draped (605) from the one or more rods (515), wherein the fabric (605) forms a circumferential wall of the photobooth in order to enclose the photobooth and improve image quality.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to attach the curtain structure of the photobooth of Contreras et al to the suspended structure of the photobooth of Visual Education in order to enclose the photobooth from stray light and therefore, improve image quality.
13: As for Claim 16, Claim 16 is rejected for reasons discussed related to Claim 2.
14: As for Claim 17, Claim 17 is rejected for reasons discussed related to Claim 3.
15: As for Claim 18, Claim 18 is rejected for reasons discussed related to Claim 4.
16: Claim(s) 5, 6, 12, 13, 19 and 20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_AhlhFKifwU Visual Education in view of US 2014/0268627 A1 Contreras et al further in view of US 2018/0160019 A1 Scheich.
17: As for Claims 5 and 6, Visual Education in view of Contreras et al teaches a system and photobooth to capture images of a vehicle including lights and cameras. However, does not teach wherein the one or more lights comprise a tracking light comprises an overhead light configured to direct placement of one or more objects within the photobooth.
Scheich teaches in Paragraphs [0032 and 0061] a system and photobooth to capture images of a vehicle including lights and cameras wherein the one or more lights comprise a tracking light comprises an overhead light configured to direct placement of one or more objects within the photobooth in order to improve image capture by enabling the system to properly position the vehicle for image capture.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to use the lighting tracking system of Scheich in the vehicle photobooth system of Visual Education in view of Contreras et al in order to by enabling the system to properly position the vehicle for image capture.
18: As for Claim 12, Claim 12 is rejected for reasons discussed related to Claim 5.
19: As for Claim 13, Claim 13 is rejected for reasons discussed related to Claim 6.
20: As for Claim 19, Claim 19 is rejected for reasons discussed related to Claim 5.
21: As for Claim 20, Claim 20 is rejected for reasons discussed related to Claim 6.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JAMES M HANNETT whose telephone number is (571)272-7309. The examiner can normally be reached 8:00 AM-5:00 PM Monday thru Thursday.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Twyler Haskins can be reached at 571-272-7406 The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/JAMES M HANNETT/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2639
JMH
February 25, 2026