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 .
Claims 1 – 4 remain pending in the application and have been fully considered.
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 first determination unit, second determination unit, and control unit must be shown or the feature(s) canceled from the claim(s). 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 – 4 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 recites the elements “a first determination unit” and “a second determination unit” that is not clearly defined in the Specification or shown in the Drawings. The figures in the Drawings refer to a singular control device “steered wheel control device” that transmits the synchronization state and is defined an electronic control unit (paragraph 0022 of printed publication). The second device (steering control device) is similarly defined in paragraph 0021 of the printed publication, which leads to confusion as to whether a determination unit requires one or both control units based on the sensed angles of the wheel and steering, or whether a singular control unit that receives such sensed angle would suffice as well. For examination purposed, a singular control unit that receives a sensed angle and then makes a further determination that the angles are synchronized would read on the interpreted claim language limitations.
Claims 2 – 4 are rejected for being dependent on a rejected base claim.
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 – 4 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Takahashi et al. (US 2004/0128042).
Regarding Claim 1:
Takahashi et al. teaches a vehicle control device mounted in a vehicle, the vehicle control device comprising: a first determination unit (via 22, paragraph 0246) that determines whether a steering angle of a steering wheel and a turning angle of a steered wheel are in a synchronous state; a second determination unit (via 22E, paragraph 0250) that determines whether the vehicle is in a travelable state; and a control unit (21) that controls a power supply (via 90) to a first device (200) related to traveling of the vehicle, wherein when the steering angle and the turning angle are not in a synchronous state and the vehicle is in a travelable state, the control unit stops a power supply to the first device (paragraphs 0205, 0115 – 0116).
Regarding Claim 2:
Takahashi et al. teaches when the steering angle and the turning angle are not in a synchronous state and a travelable state of the vehicle continues for a predetermined time, the control unit stops a power supply to the first device (paragraph 0127).
Regarding Claim 3:
Takahashi et al. teaches the first determination unit determines that the steering angle and the turning angle are in a synchronous state by receiving a synchronization completion signal from both a second device (22 or 23) that controls the steering wheel and a third device (22 or 23) that controls the steered wheel (Fig 4).
Regarding Claim 4:
Takahashi et al. teaches the control unit stops a power supply to the first device by shutting off an ignition relay (90) inserted between a power supply unit and the first device (Fig 1, see also paragraphs 0115 – 0127, 0205).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to LONG T TRAN whose telephone number is (571)270-1899. The examiner can normally be reached Mon - Fri 9:00 - 5:00.
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, Logan Kraft can be reached at 571-270-5065. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
/LONG T TRAN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3747