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 .
DETAILED ACTION
This office action is regarding application # 18/916,980 that was filed on 10/16/2024. Claims 1-9 are currently pending and are under examination.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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.
(a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claim(s) 1 and 7-8 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102 (a)(1)/(a)(2) as being anticipated by Huelsen et al. (US 2023/0192193).
Regarding Claim 1, Huelsen discloses an attachment structure of an external environment sensor arranged on a roof of a vehicle (abstract, 10, Fig. 1), the attachment structure comprising:
an external environment sensor (sensor module, abstract, Fig. 1, environment sensors 24, para. [0032][0034]);
a mounting portion on which the external environment sensor is mounted (support structure 20/roof frame, para. [0031]-[0032); and
a cover arranged over the external environment sensor (cover element/cover segment 32A, 32B; abstract, para. [0006],[0036,[00037]),
wherein a front portion of the cover is provided with a first air flow opening that connects an internal space of the cover and an external space of the cover (front gap 36 serving as inflow gap for cooling air, para. [0040], Fig. 2-4),
a rear portion of the cover is provided with a second air flow opening that connects the internal space of the cover and the external space of the cover (a rear edge gap 40 serving as an outlet gap, para. [0040], Fig. 2-4), and
the internal space of the cover is provided with an air flow passage that connects the first air flow opening and the second air flow opening (cooling air flows from front gap through the internal space to the rear gap to cool the sensor module, para. [00039]-[0040]).
Regarding Claim 7, Huelsen discloses an attachment structure of an external environment sensor arranged on a roof of a vehicle (abstract, 10, Fig. 1) wherein the air flow passage extends along a front-and-rear direction from the first air flow opening to the second air flow opening (air flows from front edge gap via internal flow path to the rear edge gap; para. [0039]-[0040]).
Regarding Claim 8, Huelsen discloses an attachment structure of an external environment sensor arranged on a roof of a vehicle (abstract, 10, Fig. 1) wherein the external environment sensor is a LiDAR (para. [0013]).
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) 2-6 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Huelsen et al. (US 2023/0192193) in view of Huelsen et al. (US 2022/0266917) (referred hereinafter as Huelsen-2).
Regarding Claim 2, Huelsen discloses an attachment structure of an external environment sensor arranged on a roof of a vehicle (abstract, 10, Fig. 1) with roof mounted environment sensor, cover with front and rear airflow openings connected by internal passage for cooling air flow under the cover that is mounted on the roof support/ frame structure (Fig. 1).
Huelsen-2 teaches a mounting support having an upward facing main surface, a first inclined portion that extends forward with a downward inclination (38, Fig. 2-6). The greater incline of the edge section in Huelsen-2 (abstract, para. [0010], [0012], [0032]), located at the front/ outer region of the roof module and continuing under the sensor/cover area (para. [0032]), directly teach a forward-downward inclined mounting surface. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to apply the structure of Huelsen-2 to the roof rail/ support structure of Huelsen (already used to mount the sensor under the airflow cooled cover) to achieve water drainage away from the sensor and to maintain the front to rear air flow path taught by Huelsen. The inclined surface naturally continues from the region under the rear side opening towards a region under the front side opening. Their combination yields no unexpected results.
Regarding Claim 3, modified Huelsen discloses an attachment structure of an external environment sensor arranged on a roof of a vehicle (abstract, 10, Fig. 1) wherein the roof rail further includes a pair of second inclined portions (42. Figs. 1. 4, 6) that extends laterally outward with a downward inclination from the first inclined portion (42, Figs. 1. 4, 6, Huelsen-2 teaches edge section are described at the outer corners/sides and adjoin the longitudinal roof rails; this implies the paired laterally outward downward-incline surfaces). A person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention would have found it obvious to provide a pair of such laterally outward, downward-inclined portions extending from the forward inclined portion already rendered obvious in claim 2, both for water shedding and for structural integration with the side rails, exactly us thought by Huelsen-2’s outer corner/ lateral-edge geometry.
Regarding Claim 4, modified Huelsen discloses an attachment structure of an external environment sensor arranged on a roof of a vehicle (abstract, 10, Fig. 1) of claim 3. Huelsen-2 expressly teaches the inclined edge sections adjoining the longitudinal roof rails (side rails) of the vehicle body (para. [0032], Fig. 2-4). Side rails that themselves slope forward and downward from the roof area towards the hood are conventional vehicle structure. Once the laterally outward inclined portion of claim 3 our present, connecting the outer ends of the inclined roof-structure portions to those side rails is a routine and obvious integration step that a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention would secure the roof rail structure to the vehicle body.
Regarding Claim 5, modified Huelsen discloses an attachment structure of an external environment sensor arranged on a roof of a vehicle (abstract, 10, Fig. 1) of claim 4 .Claim 5 requires that each of the side rails defines a groove that continues from the laterally outward space of the roof rail to the hood, and the laterally outward end of each of the second inclined portions is connected to the groove.
Grooves or channels in side rails (or at the roof rail) for water management, sealing, or component routing are conventional. Given the connection already rendered obvious in claim 4, routing/sealing the laterally outward end of the inclined portion into such a groove is an obvious design choice that a person of ordinary skill in the before the effective filing date of the invention would employ for secure attachment and water control, consistent with the drainage and integration goal of both Huelsen and Huelsen-2.
Regarding Claim 6, Huelsen discloses an attachment structure of an external environment sensor arranged on a roof of a vehicle (abstract, 10, Fig. 1) wherein the front edge gap/cover adjacent the front header/ per of the windshield region (28, Fig. 2). Huelsen-2’s use of inclined edge sections at the front outer regions of the roof module makes the forward termination of the inclined mounting surface at the upper end of the windshield a natural and obvious continuation for a continuous, sealed, aerodynamic transition.
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the upper end of the windshield of the vehicle disclosed in Huelsen to be connected with front end of the inclined portion as suggested in Huelsen-2 and Huelsen with a reasonable expectation of success because it creates a continuous, sealed, and aerodynamic transition.
Claim(s) 9 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Huelsen et al. (US 2023/0192193) in view of Ewert (US 2022/0126832).
Regarding Claim 9, Huelsen discloses an attachment structure of an external environment sensor arranged on a roof of a vehicle (abstract, 10, Fig. 1) of claim 1. Ewert teaches a control device that deactivates (or places into standby/sleep mode) environment sensors-including lidar-when the vehicle is at standstill, the determination being made from vehicle speed or wheel speed information (abstract, para. [0020]; [0021], activation of sensors used ‘vehicle speed’ as input variable to determine the state of the sensors; [0031],”…the at least one sensor and/or component is deactivated by the control device, as soon as the vehicle stops; the at least one sensor and/or component being activated by the control device, when the vehicle drives on…”).
It would have been obvious one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to incorporate the stop detection and sensor deactivation logic of Ewert into the roof sensor vehicle of Huelsen with a great expectation of success for energy saving and thermal management as well as reduced power consumption when the vehicle is stationary. No unexpected result arises; The combination is a predictable application of a known control technique to known sensor package.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure:
Podolski et al. (US 2023/0302870) discloses a vehicle roof comprising an environment sensor under a roof skin/dorm with air inlet and air outlet and an internal air duct/ passage for cooling.
Huelsen et al. (US 2023/0182829) discloses A roof module with environment sensor and cooling feature employing inlet/ outlet openings and airflow channels.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ASSRES H WOLDEMARYAM whose telephone number is (571)272-6607. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 8AM-5PM.
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Assres H. Woldemaryam
Primary Examiner (Aeronautics and Astronautics)
Art Unit 3642
/ASSRES H WOLDEMARYAM/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3642
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