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
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.
The applicant is respectfully advised that in examining a pending application, the claims are interpreted as broadly as their terms reasonably convey. In re American Academy of Science Tech Center, 70 USPQ2d. 1827, 1834 (Fed. Cir. May 13, 2004). MPEP § 2111.01.
Claims 1-3, 5-13 and 15-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Yamada (U.S. Patent No. 4,965,950).
Regarding Claims 1 and 11, Yamada discloses in Figures 3-14, a vehicle 15 and a front cover structure (mark plate 10) for the vehicle 15, comprising: a front cover outer plate 10, comprising a transparent plastic layer 12 and a colored plastic layer (background color member 4), wherein along a thickness direction of the front cover outer plate 10, the transparent plastic layer 12 is provided on an upper surface of the colored plastic layer 4; and a front cover plastic inner plate 2, wherein along the thickness direction, the front cover outer plate and the front cover plastic inner plate are stacked, and the front cover plastic inner plate 2 is connected to the colored plastic layer 4 (Col 3, lines 5-15).
Regarding Claims 2 and 12, Yamada discloses in Figures 3-14, the front cover structure according to claim 1, wherein the front cover outer plate further comprises a hardened coating layer 22, and along the thickness direction, the hardened coating layer 22 is provided on a surface of the transparent plastic layer 12 away from the colored plastic layer 4.
Regarding Claims 3 and 13, Yamada discloses in Figures 3-13, the front cover structure according to claim 2, wherein along the thickness direction, edges of the colored plastic layer 4 and the transparent plastic layer 12 are aligned, and the hardened coating layer 22 wraps the edges of the colored plastic layer 4 and the transparent plastic layer 12.
Regarding Claims 5 and 15, Yamada discloses in Figures 3-14, the front cover structure according to claim 1, wherein the front cover structure further comprises a light-emitting identification assembly; the light-emitting identification assembly comprises a light-transmitting identification part and a light source 13; the colored plastic layer 4 comprises a receiving hole the light-transmitting identification part is located in the receiving hole; and the light source 13 is correspondingly provided on a side of the light-transmitting identification part away from the transparent plastic layer 12.
Regarding Claims 6 and 16, Yamada discloses in Figures 3-13, the front cover structure according to claim 5, wherein the light-emitting identification assembly comprises a light-homogenizing plate (light conducting member 14), and the light-homogenizing plate 14 is provided between the light-transmitting identification part and the light source 13.
Regarding Claims 7 and 17, Yamada discloses in Figures 3-13, the front cover structure according to claim 6, wherein the light-emitting identification assembly further comprises a circuit board 62; the light source 13 is provided on the circuit board 62; the light-homogenizing plate 14 is connected to the circuit board 62, to form a receiving space; and the light source 13 is located in the receiving space.
Regarding Claims 8 and 18, Yamada discloses in Figure 3, the front cover structure according to claim 7, wherein the light-emitting identification assembly further comprises a light source plastic support (socket mounting part 20); the light source plastic support 20 is connected to the colored plastic layer 4; and the circuit board 62 is provided on the light source plastic support 20.
Regarding Claims 9 and 19, Yamada discloses in Figure 13, the front cover structure according to claim 5, wherein the light-emitting identification assembly further comprises a light-transmitting film (color film 75 Figure 13).
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.
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.
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 applicant is respectfully advised that in examining a pending application, the claims are interpreted as broadly as their terms reasonably convey. In re American Academy of Science Tech Center, 70 USPQ2d. 1827, 1834 (Fed. Cir. May 13, 2004). MPEP § 2111.01.
Claims 4 and 14 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yamada (U.S. Patent No. 4,965,950).
Yamada does not disclose the front cover structure further comprises an adhesive member, and the adhesive member is provided between the colored plastic layer and the front cover plastic inner plate, to connect the front cover outer plate and the front cover plastic inner plate.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to use adhesives to bond or adhere the layers or outer plate 12 to the front cover inner plate 2, because a person of ordinary skill would have had good reason to pursue the known option(s) of using an adhesive to bond the display regions 2 to the color me3mber 4 which is considered to be within his or her technical grasp. This leads to the anticipated success of easily affixing the layers together and it is determined that the use of adhesive for affixing layers as disclosed by Yamada is not of innovation, but of ordinary skill and common sense. See KSR International Co. v. Teleflex Inc., 82 USPQ2d 1385 (2007).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 10 and 20 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.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter:
novel, non-obvious, multi-layered, light-transmitting film structure that is applied to a colored plastic layer, specifically covering a light-transmitting identification part where the light-transmitting film comprises a hardened transparent film layer, an intermediate light-transmitting pattern layer, and a transparent plastic base layer; and the hardened transparent film layer is connected to the colored plastic layer.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Kleber (U.S. Patent No. 7,232,246) discloses a vehicle cover with light source.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ROBERT J MAY whose telephone number is (571)272-5919. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 10AM-3:30pm.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Jong-Suk (James) Lee can be reached at 571-272-7044. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/ROBERT J MAY/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2875
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