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 .
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 09/23/2025 is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statements are being considered by the examiner.
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 1-19 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 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being incomplete for omitting essential elements, such omission amounting to a gap between the elements. See MPEP § 2172.01. The omitted elements are: means to determine the presence of an authorized user outside of the vehicle and at or near the window panel of the vehicle.
Claim 12 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being incomplete for omitting essential elements, such omission amounting to a gap between the elements. See MPEP § 2172.01. The omitted elements are: means to determine the presence of a person outside of the vehicle, the person is identified as an authorized user of the vehicle; and where in, responsive at least in part to identification of the authorized user outside of the vehicle and at or near the window panel of the vehicle.
Claims 2-11 and 13-19 fall with parent 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.
Claims 20-25 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Pisz.
Pisz (US Pub. No. 2015/0180999 A1) discloses (see annotated Figure 4):
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Regarding claim 20, a vehicular display system (i.e. system for automated interaction; page 1, paragraph 0010, lines 1-2), the vehicular display system (Figure 2, element 300) comprising: a projection device (Figure 2, element 42) disposed within an interior cabin (page 2, paragraph 0033, lines 10-12) of a vehicle (element 20); wherein the projection device (Figure 2, element 42) is operable to project information toward an inner side of a window panel (Figure 2, element 22) of the vehicle for viewing of the projected information by a person outside of the vehicle (page 2, paragraph 0033, lines 7-10); wherein a person (i.e. user) present outside of the vehicle (element 20) is detected via at least one selected from the group consisting of (i) a passive entry device of the person, (ii) a signal from the person's smart phone, and (iii) a proximity sensor of the vehicle (page 4, paragraph 0045, lines 8-16); wherein, responsive at least in part to detection of the person (i.e. user) outside of the vehicle (element 20), the person is identified (page 1, paragraph 0005, lines 4-6); and where in, responsive at least in part to identification of the detected person as an authorized user (page 1, paragraph 0006, lines 4-6), and responsive to determination that the authorized user is at or near the window panel (Figure 1, element 22) of the vehicle (Figure 1, element 20), the projection device projects information for viewing by the identified authorized user of the vehicle (page 1, paragraph 0006, lines 8-9).
Regarding claim 21, the projection device (element 42) is disposed at a roof panel (i.e. interior or location within the vehicle; page 2, paragraph 0033, lines 10-11) of the vehicle (element 20).
Regarding claim 22, the window panel (Figure 1, element 22) comprises a fixed side window panel of the vehicle (Figure 1, element 20).
Regarding claim 23, the window panel (Figure 1, element 22) comprises a movable side window panel (Figure 1, element 22) of the vehicle (Figure 1, element 20), and wherein operation of the projection device (element 42) is controlled in part based on an opened/closed status of the movable side window panel (Figure 1, element 22).
Regarding claim 24, the window panel comprises a rear window panel (Figure 4, element A) of the vehicle (Figure 4, element 20).
Regarding clam 25, the projected information comprises a vehicle status (Figure 12, element 208).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Kunii et al. (US Pub. No. 2020/0231085 A1) discloses an image projection apparatus that projects an image including: an acquisition unit that acquires information to be displayed; and an image projection unit that projects the image based on the information to be displayed acquired by the acquisition unit.
Mc Call (US Pub. No. 2006/0145825 A1) teaches an apparatus including a virtual interface for entry control of a vehicle having an imaging surface that defines a field of view. The interface includes a projected keypad image on the imaging surface having at least one image of a reconfigurable key within the field of view and a gesture detector and translator having a scope of operation within the field of view. The image of the reconfigurable key may have a configuration based on a user preference.
Yang et al. (CN 110933388 A) shows a projection imaging system, method, device and vehicle. with imaging film on the window of the vehicle, the system comprising: a controller and a projector projection; the projection controller, for inputting the image information to the projector, and control the projector for projection, the projector for performing projection on the imaging film according to the image information so that the image content of the projection imaging on the imaging film. The method can by projector with low cost to realize the convey information to the user of car, meanwhile, it does not need the display screen with high cost, reduces the cost for information transmission to the user outside the vehicle.
Sawada (JP 2011-006034 A) discloses an on-vehicle control unit displaying an image in a car inside or a car outside on a vehicular window via a projector. The image displayed on the vehicular window is visible inside/outside the car, while securing high visibility even in a plurality of people. A user can switch to a desired screen, by touch operation a screen displayed inside/outside the car on the window. Convenience is enhanced by allowing the touch operation for the screen displayed on the vehicular window.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MAGDA CRUZ whose telephone number is (571)272-2114. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday from 9:00 AM to 5:30 PM.
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/MAGDA CRUZ/
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 2882
09/26/2026
