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 .
Drawings
The drawings are objected to under 37 CFR 1.83(a). The drawings must show every feature of the invention specified in the claims. Therefore, the following item(s) must be shown or the feature(s) canceled from the claim(s):
Claim 2 sets for the limitation “wherein the connecting assembly comprises a mobile platform”. Figure 2 shows the connecting assembly (ref.# 1) and the mobile platform (ref.# 11). The mobile platform connects to the connecting assembly, but the connecting assembly does not include the mobile platform in its structure.
No new matter should be entered.
Corrected drawing sheets in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d) are required in reply to the Office action to avoid abandonment of the application. Any amended replacement drawing sheet should include all of the figures appearing on the immediate prior version of the sheet, even if only one figure is being amended. The figure or figure number of an amended drawing should not be labeled as “amended.” If a drawing figure is to be canceled, the appropriate figure must be removed from the replacement sheet, and where necessary, the remaining figures must be renumbered and appropriate changes made to the brief description of the several views of the drawings for consistency. Additional replacement sheets may be necessary to show the renumbering of the remaining figures. Each drawing sheet submitted after the filing date of an application must be labeled in the top margin as either “Replacement Sheet” or “New Sheet” pursuant to 37 CFR 1.121(d). If the changes are not accepted by the examiner, the applicant will be notified and informed of any required corrective action in the next Office action. The objection to the drawings will not be held in abeyance.
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.
Claims 1-14 are 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 1 sets forth the limitation “a connecting assembly for assembling photographic equipment”. The term “for assembling” is unclear as to the function. The drawings and specification shows the “connecting assembly” holding, or connected to, the photographic equipment.
Claims 2-14 depend from claim 1 and therefore include the deficiencies of claim 1.
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.
Claim(s) 1-4 and 6-8 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Chen (CN 206802694).
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Fig. 1
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Fig. 5
Regarding claim 1, Chen discloses “a connecting assembly (Fig. 1, ref.# 5) for assembling photographic equipment; and a sliding rail assembly (Fig. 1, re.# 1), comprising a sliding rail base (Fig .1, ref.# 2), a conveyor belt (Fig. 5, ref.# 42), and a mobile drive component (Fig. 1, ref.# 41), wherein the connecting assembly (Fig. 1, ref.# 5) is movably mounted on the sliding rail base (Fig. 1, refs. # 1, 2) and connected to the conveyor belt (Fig. 5, ref.# 42); and wherein the conveyor belt is positioned on the sliding rail base (See Fig. 5), and the mobile drive component, provided on the sliding rail base, is drivingly coupled to the conveyor belt to propel a movement of the conveyor belt relative to the sliding rail base (*See Fig. 5), facilitating a movement of the connecting assembly along the sliding rail base (abstract).”
Regarding claim 2, Chen discloses “wherein the connecting assembly comprises a mobile platform (Fig. 1, ref.# 6), and wherein the mobile platform is movably mounted on the sliding rail base (Fig. 1, ref.# 1) and connected to the conveyor belt (Fig. 5, ref.# 42).”
Regarding claim 3, Chen discloses “wherein the connecting assembly (Fig. 1, ref.# 5) further comprises a rotational drive component (Fig. 1, ref. # 51) connected to the mobile platform, enabling the connecting assembly to rotate relative to the mobile platform.” (page 5 of translation, paragraphs 3 – 6)
Regarding claim 4, Chen discloses “wherein the sliding rail assembly comprises a tensioning assembly (Fig. 1, ref.# 45); wherein the mobile platform comprises a movable block capable of moving relative to the mobile platform (Fig. 1, ref.# 6); wherein a first end of the conveyor belt (Fig. 5, ref.# 42) is connected to a first end of the mobile platform, and a second end of the conveyor belt is connected to the movable block, and the movable block is movably connected to a second end of the mobile platform; and wherein the tensioning assembly, connected to both the mobile platform and the movable block, is configured to propel the movable block to move relative to the mobile platform, tensioning or loosening the conveyor belt.” (page 5 of translation, paragraph 3)
Regarding claim 6, Chen discloses “wherein the mobile drive component comprises a mobile drive motor (Fig. 5, ref.#$ 41) , a driving wheel (Fig. 5, ref.# 43), and a driven wheel (Fig. 6, ref. 44); wherein the sliding rail base comprises a first sliding groove (Fig. 5, area of ref.# 53 through which the rail ref.# 1 slides) within which the mobile platform slides; wherein the sliding rail base comprises a first fixed base (Fig. 5, ref.# 2) and a second fixed base (Fig. 6, ref.# 2) that are respectively positioned at opposite ends of the sliding rail base; wherein the mobile drive motor (Fig. 5, ref.# 41) is mounted on the first fixed base, with an output end of the mobile drive motor connected to the driving wheel (Fig. 5, ref.# 43); wherein the driving wheel is mounted on the first fixed base, and the driven wheel (Fig. 6, ref.# 44) is mounted on the second fixed base; wherein the conveyor belt (Fig. 6, ref.# 42) is accommodated within the first sliding groove, and two ends of the conveyor belt mounted on the driving wheel and the driven wheel, respectively; and wherein the conveyor belt is configured to propel the mobile platform to move along the first sliding groove in response to the mobile drive motor powering the driving wheel and the driven wheel to rotate (page 5 of translation, 3rd paragraph).”
Regarding claim 7, Chen discloses “wherein the sliding rail base comprises a support part (Fig. 5, ref.# 2) and a sliding rail (Fig. 5, ref.# 1); and wherein the support part is affixed to one side of the sliding rail facing away from the connecting assembly (See Fig. 5).”
Regarding claim 8, Chen discloses “wherein the sliding rail base comprises a support part (Fig. 5, ref.# 2) and a sliding rail (Fig. 5, ref.# 1); and the support part extends with a first end connected to the sliding rail and a second end of the support part radiating outward (See Fig. 5).”
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) 13-14 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Chen (CN 206802694) in view of Nelson, et al. (US 2018/0037172).
Regarding claims 13-14, Chen discloses all the structure set forth in the claims except (Claim 13) “wherein the connecting assembly comprises a connecting base and a cantilever, and the connecting base is mounted on the mobile platform, with the cantilever attached to the connecting base for assembling photographic equipment” and (Claim 14) “wherein the connecting assembly comprises a connecting base and a cantilever, and the connecting base is mounted on the rotational drive component, with the cantilever attached to the connecting base for assembling photographic equipment.”
However, a camera mounting system for a vehicle with a cantilever attached to a base for holding photographic equipment was well known in the art prior to the effective filing date of the claimed invention as taught by Nelson (See Fig. 1A). Thus, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Chen wherein the connecting assembly comprises a connecting base and a cantilever, and the connecting base is mounted on the mobile platform, with the cantilever attached to the connecting base for assembling photographic equipment and wherein the connecting assembly comprises a connecting base and a cantilever, and the connecting base is mounted on the rotational drive component, with the cantilever attached to the connecting base for assembling photographic equipment in order to allow the camera to be positioned at a distance such that the base, and associated vehicle, are out of the FOV.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 5 and 9-12 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.:
Zhu (US 2023/0099957), Koymen (US 9,046,743) and Gu (US 8,385,737) teach a sliding rail with a conveyor belt and mobile drive.
Chapman (US 11,422,437), Zeng, et al. (US 2021/0286237), Chapman (US 10/151,966) and Chapman (US 2017/0205688) teach a cantilever holding system for a camera.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to RODNEY FULLER whose telephone number is (571)272-2118. The examiner can normally be reached 8:00 am - 4:30 pm, Monday - Friday.
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/RODNEY E FULLER/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2852
September 1, 2026
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