DETAILED ACTION
Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
The present application is being examined under the pre-AIA first to invent provisions.
Double Patenting
The nonstatutory double patenting rejection is based on a judicially created doctrine grounded in public policy (a policy reflected in the statute) so as to prevent the unjustified or improper timewise extension of the "right to exclude" granted by a patent and to prevent possible harassment by multiple assignees. A nonstatutory double patenting rejection is appropriate where the conflicting claims are not identical, but at least one examined application claim is not patentably distinct from the reference claim(s) because the examined application claim is either anticipated by, or would have been obvious over, the reference claim(s). See, e.g., In re Berg, 140 F.3d 1428, 46 USPQ2d 1226 (Fed. Cir. 1998); In re Goodman, 11 F.3d 1046, 29 USPQ2d 2010 (Fed. Cir. 1993); In re Langi, 759 F.2d 887, 225 USPQ 645 (Fed. Cir. 1985); In re Van Ornum, 686 F.2d 937, 214 USPQ 761 (CCPA 1982); In re Vogel, 422 F.2d 438, 164 USPQ 619 (CCPA 1970); In re Thorington, 418 F.2d 528, 163 USPQ 644 (CCPA 1969).
A timely filed terminal disclaimer in compliance with 37 CFR 1.321 (c) or 1.321 (d) may be used to overcome an actual or provisional rejection based on nonstatutory double patenting provided the reference application or patent either is shown to be commonly owned with the examined application, or claims an invention made as a result of activities undertaken within the scope of a joint research agreement. See MPEP § 717.02 for applications subject to examination under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA as explained in MPEP § 2159. See MPEP §§ 706.02(1)(1) - 706.02(1)(3) for applications not subject to examination under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA . A terminal disclaimer must be signed in compliance with 37 CFR 1.321 (b).
The USPTO Internet website contains terminal disclaimer forms which may be used. Please visit www.uspto.gov/patent/patents-forms. The filing date of the application in which the form is filed determines what form (e.g., PTO/SB/25, PTO/SB/26, PTO/AIA /25, or PTO/AIA /26) should be used. A web-based eTerminal Disclaimer may be filled out completely online using web-screens. An eTerminal Disclaimer that meets all requirements is auto-processed and approved immediately upon submission. For more information about eTerminal Disclaimers, refer to
www.uspto.gov/patents/process/file/efs/guidance/eTD-info-l.jsp.
Claim(s) 1-20 are rejected on the ground of nonstatutory double patenting as being unpatentable over reference claim(s) 14-19 of U.S. Patent Number: 11,592,464. Although the claim(s) at issue are not identical, they are not patentably distinct from each other because: instant application independent claims 1 and 12 are related to the reference independent claim 14 as a genus type to a species type and hence anticipated by the reference claim. Dependent claims 2-11 and 13-20 are also anticipated by or obvious over corresponding reference claims as charted below.
18/985,840 (instant)
US Pat. #: 11,592,464 (reference)
1. A system for testing equipment using a test box unit for testing the equipment, the system comprising:
- a mate-in interface for connection to the test box unit; and for connection to contacts on the equipment, the mate-in interface having a unique identifier thereon; and
- a computing device adapted to:
- retrieve a connector configuration that corresponds to the unique identifier of the mate-in interface;
- within the connector configuration corresponding to the unique identifier of the mate-in interface, select any one of the contacts for testing; and
- test any one of the contacts to ground.
14. a system for testing equipment using a test box unit for testing the equipment, the system comprising:
- a mate-in interface for connection to the test box unit; and for connection to contacts on the equipment, the mate-in interface having a unique mate-in interface identifier being readable thereon; and
a computing device adapted to:
- retrieve, from a list identifiers and associated connector configurations, which one of the associated connector configurations corresponds to the identifier of the mate-in interface;
- within the one of the associated connector configurations corresponding to the unique mate-in interface identifier of the mate-in interface, select any one of the contacts for testing; and
- trigger a first signal to be inputted through the any one of the contacts to ground and measure the first signal; and - trigger a second signal to be inputted through the any one of the contacts to any other one of the contacts and measure the second signal.
2. The system of claim 1, wherein the computing device is further adapted to test any one of the contacts against each other one of the contacts.
14.
3. The system of claim 1, wherein the computing device is further adapted to output test results from the test on a user interface for display.
14. obvious for well-known extra-solution activity consideration (MPEP § 2106.05(g))
4. The system of claim 2, wherein the computing device is further adapted to output test results from the test on a user interface for display.
14. obvious for well-known extra-solution activity consideration (MPEP § 2106.05(g))
5. The system of claim 4, wherein the user interface is on the test box unit.
14. obvious for well-known extra-solution activity consideration (MPEP § 2106.05(g))
6. The system of claim 4, wherein the user interface is an external interface.
14. obvious for well-known extra-solution activity consideration (MPEP § 2106.05(g))
7. The system of claim 1, wherein the mate-in interface comprises a memory comprising the unique identifier which is readable in the memory.
15. The system of claim 14, wherein the mate-in interface comprises a memory comprising the unique identifier which is readable in the memory.
8. The system of claim 1, wherein the mate-in interface comprises a label comprising the unique identifier which is readable on the label.
16. The system of claim 14, wherein the mate-in interface comprises a label comprising the unique identifier which is readable on the label.
9. The system of claim 1, wherein the mate-in interface comprises the unique identifier etched onto the mate-in interface to be readable thereon.
17. The system of claim 14, wherein the mate-in interface comprises the identifier etched onto the mate-in interface to be readable thereon.
10. The system of claim 1, wherein the mate-in interface comprises: - a generic mate-in interface for connection to the test box unit, the generic mate-in interface having the unique identifier readable thereon; and - a specific mate-in interface for connection to the generic mate-in interface, the specific mate-in interface for connection to the equipment.
18. The system of claim 14, wherein the mate-in interface comprises: - a generic mate-in interface for connection to the test box unit, the generic mate- in interface having the identifier readable thereon; and - a specific mate-in interface for connection to the generic mate-in interface, the specific mate-in interface for connection to the equipment.
11. The system of claim 1, wherein the mate-in interface comprises: - a generic mate-in interface for connection to the test box unit; and - a specific mate-in interface for connection to the generic mate-in interface, the specific mate-in interface for connection to the equipment, the specific mate-in interface having the unique identifier readable thereon.
19. The system of claim 14, wherein the mate-in interface comprises: - a generic mate-in interface for connection to the test box unit; and - a specific mate-in interface for connection to the generic mate-in interface, the specific mate-in interface for connection to the equipment, the specific mate-in interface having the identifier readable thereon.
12. A system for testing equipment using a test box unit for testing the equipment, the system comprising: - a mate-in interface for connection to the test box unit; and for connection to contacts on the equipment, the mate-in interface having a unique identifier thereon; and
- a computing device adapted to:
- retrieve a connector configuration that corresponds to the unique identifier of the mate-in interface;
- within the connector configuration corresponding to the unique identifier of the mate-in interface, select any one of the contacts for testing; and
- trigger a signal to be inputted through the any one of the contacts and measure the signal to any other one of the contacts.
14. a system for testing equipment using a test box unit for testing the equipment, the system comprising:
- a mate-in interface for connection to the test box unit; and for connection to contacts on the equipment, the mate-in interface having a unique mate-in interface identifier being readable thereon; and
a computing device adapted to:
- retrieve, from a list identifiers and associated connector configurations, which one of the associated connector configurations corresponds to the identifier of the mate-in interface;
- within the one of the associated connector configurations corresponding to the unique mate-in interface identifier of the mate-in interface, select any one of the contacts for testing; and
- trigger a first signal to be inputted through the any one of the contacts to ground and measure the first signal; and - trigger a second signal to be inputted through the any one of the contacts to any other one of the contacts and measure the second signal.
13. The system of claim 12, wherein the computing device is further adapted to output test results from the measure on a user interface for display.
14. obvious for well-known extra-solution activity consideration (MPEP § 2106.05(g))
14. The system of claim 13, wherein the user interface is on the test box unit.
14. obvious for well-known extra-solution activity consideration (MPEP § 2106.05(g))
15. The system of claim 13, wherein the user interface is an external interface.
14. obvious for well-known extra-solution activity consideration (MPEP § 2106.05(g))
16. The system of claim 12, wherein the mate-in interface comprises a memory comprising the unique identifier which is readable in the memory.
15. The system of claim 14, wherein the mate-in interface comprises a memory comprising the unique identifier which is readable in the memory.
17. The system of claim 12, wherein the mate-in interface comprises a label comprising the unique identifier which is readable on the label.
16. The system of claim 14, wherein the mate-in interface comprises a label comprising the unique identifier which is readable on the label.
18. The system of claim 12, wherein the mate-in interface comprises the unique identifier etched onto the mate-in interface to be readable thereon
17. The system of claim 14, wherein the mate-in interface comprises the identifier etched onto the mate-in interface to be readable thereon.
19. The system of claim 12, wherein the mate-in interface comprises: - a generic mate-in interface for connection to the test box unit, the generic mate-in interface having the unique identifier readable thereon; and - a specific mate-in interface for connection to the generic mate-in interface, the specific mate-in interface for connection to the equipment.
18. The system of claim 14, wherein the mate-in interface comprises: - a generic mate-in interface for connection to the test box unit, the generic mate- in interface having the identifier readable thereon; and - a specific mate-in interface for connection to the generic mate-in interface, the specific mate-in interface for connection to the equipment.
20. The system of claim 12, wherein the mate-in interface comprises: - a generic mate-in interface for connection to the test box unit; and - a specific mate-in interface for connection to the generic mate-in interface, the specific mate-in interface for connection to the equipment, the specific mate-in interface having the unique identifier readable thereon.
19. The system of claim 14, wherein the mate-in interface comprises: - a generic mate-in interface for connection to the test box unit; and - a specific mate-in interface for connection to the generic mate-in interface, the specific mate-in interface for connection to the equipment, the specific mate-in interface having the identifier readable thereon.
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 of this title, 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) 1 and 12 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Collins et al. (US 20060132119) in view of Youval et al. (US 20030006779).
Regarding claim 1, Collins teaches in figure(s) 1-4 a system for testing equipment using a test box unit (test equipment 12/10; para. 29) for testing the equipment (para. 31 - One side of the equipment adapter 18 plugs into an EIC 16, while the other side accepts the test instrument's standard cable 22; figure 1), the system comprising:
- a mate-in interface (i.e., the three types of interface test adapter ITA; para. 41; ITA 40 in Fig. 1) for connection to the test box unit (12/10); and for connection to contacts (para. 21 - device pins, para. 38 - Each power supply 38 is routed into each of the four CGAs) on the equipment, the mate-in interface having a unique identifier thereon (para. 40 - Each CGA/UGA has a unique 8-bit ID word); and
- a computing device (44) adapted to: - retrieve a connector configuration (clm. 1 - user configurable signal connection array) that corresponds to the unique identifier of the mate-in interface (para. 40 - software ID check-word and software enable are input to the CID from an external or internal controller 44 via 3 standard interface connectors); - within the connector configuration corresponding to the unique identifier of the mate-in interface (para. 39 - ID check words exactly match the coded ID words for each CGA and UGA),
Collins does not teach explicitly select any one of the contacts for testing; and - test any one of the contacts to ground.
However, Youval teaches in figure(s) 1-6 select any one of the contacts for testing (select two points step in figure 2; by multiplexer in figures 4,6; para. 46 - controller sends a command to the Driver/Sensor cards to select two wires); and
- test any one of the contacts to ground (open/short test in figure 2; abs. - tests wiring insulation in a wiring harness and identifies poor wire to wire and wire to ground insulation).
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 teachings of Collins by having select any one of the contacts for testing; and test any one of the contacts to ground as taught by Youval in order to provide applying a known technique to a known device (method, or product) ready for improvement to yield predictable results as evidenced by “a system for generating a wiring diagram based upon the results of a wiring validation series of checks/tests." (abstract).
Regarding claim 12, Collins teaches in figure(s) 1-4 a system for testing equipment using a test box unit (test equipment 12/10; para. 29) for testing the equipment (para. 31 - One side of the equipment adapter 18 plugs into an EIC 16, while the other side accepts the test instrument's standard cable 22; figure 1), the system comprising:
- a mate-in interface (i.e., the three types of interface test adapter ITA; para. 41; ITA 40 in Fig. 1) for connection to the test box unit (12/10); and for connection to contacts (para. 21 - device pins, para. 38 - Each power supply 38 is routed into each of the four CGAs) on the equipment, the mate-in interface having a unique identifier thereon (para. 40 - Each CGA/UGA has a unique 8-bit ID word); and
- a computing device (44) adapted to: - retrieve a connector configuration (clm. 1 - user configurable signal connection array) that corresponds to the unique identifier of the mate-in interface (para. 40 - software ID check-word and software enable are input to the CID from an external or internal controller 44 via 3 standard interface connectors); - within the connector configuration corresponding to the unique identifier of the mate-in interface (para. 39 - ID check words exactly match the coded ID words for each CGA and UGA),
Collins does not teach explicitly select any one of the contacts for testing; and - trigger a signal to be inputted through the any one of the contacts and measure the signal to any other one of the contacts.
However, Youval teaches in figure(s) 1-6 select any one of the contacts for testing (select two points step in figure 2; by multiplexer in figures 4,6; para. 46 - controller sends a command to the Driver/Sensor cards to select two wires); and
- trigger a signal to be inputted through the any one of the contacts (para. 46 - controller sends a command to the Driver/Sensor cards to select two wires) and measure the signal to any other one of the contacts (para. 47 - controller gets a voltage level from the Driver/Sensor card which corresponds to the status of the 2 wires short or open).
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 teachings of Collins by having select any one of the contacts for testing; and trigger a signal to be inputted through the any one of the contacts and measure the signal to any other one of the contacts as taught by Youval in order to provide applying a known technique to a known device (method, or product) ready for improvement to yield predictable results as evidenced by “a system for generating a wiring diagram based upon the results of a wiring validation series of checks/tests." (abstract).
Additional Prior Art
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. The references listed in the attached form PT0-892 teach of other prior art harness connector assembly.
Gervais et al. (US 8912800) discloses “Wireless Portable Automated Harness Scanner System And Method Therefor”.
Zadesky et al. (US 20140075051) discloses “context aware functionality in an electronic device”.
Rockwell et al. (US 5072185) discloses “Wire Harness Modular Interface Adapter System And Testing Apparatus”.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to AKM ZAKARIA whose telephone number is (571)270-0664. The examiner can normally be reached on 8-5 PM (PST).
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, JUDY NGUYEN can be reached on 571-272-2258. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
Information regarding the status of an application may be obtained from the Patent Application Information Retrieval (PAIR) system. Status information for published applications may be obtained from either Private PAIR or Public PAIR. Status information for unpublished applications is available through Private PAIR only. For more information about the PAIR system, see http://pair-direct.uspto.gov. Should you have questions on access to the Private PAIR system, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative or access to the automated information system, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
/AKM ZAKARIA/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2858
Prosecution Insights