DETAILED ACTION
Status of the Application
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
Status of the Claims
This action is in response to the applicant’s filing on July 1, 2026. Claims 16 and 20 are cancelled. Claims 1 - 2, 6, 10, 13, and 19 are amended. Claims 21 – 22 are new. Claims 1 - 15, 17 - 19 and 21 - 22 are pending and examined below.
Information Disclosure
information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on July 21, 2026 has been considered by the Examiner.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments, see pages 8 - 10, filed on July 17, 2026, with respect to the rejections of claims 1 - 20 under 35 U.S.C. § 102 and 103 have been fully considered and are persuasive. Therefore, the rejection has been withdrawn. However, upon further consideration, new grounds of rejection are made in view of Fukuta in view of Tsang, Allen, and further in view of Erlacher.
Please see detailed rejections below.
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 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.
The factual inquiries set forth in Graham v. John Deere Co., 383 U.S. 1, 148 USPQ 459 (1966), that are applied for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. § 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
Claims 1, 5 – 11, 13 – 15, 17, and 21 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. § 103 as being unpatentable over U.S. Patent Application Publication No. US 2022/0332240 A1 to FUKUTA et al. (herein after "Fukuta") in view of U.S. Patent No. US 12,643,379 B2 to TSANG et al. (herein after "Tsang").
(Note: Claim language is in bold typeface, and the Examiner’s comments and cited passages from the prior art reference(s) are in normal typeface.)
As to Claim 1,
Fukuta’s ramp-equipped vehicle discloses a recreational vehicle (see at least ¶0023 ~ "FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a vehicle 10 according to an embodiment. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a ramp 42 deployed as doors 36 of the vehicle 10 are opened" and ¶0024 ~ "vehicle 10 is an electric car having a generally rectangular solid shape and is capable of autonomous driving", and ¶0025 ~ pursuant to [0020] of the disclosure, vehicle 10 is configured as either a personal transport or transport bus vehicle) comprising:
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a chassis (see at least ¶0026 ~ "vehicle 10 has a base frame 11 forming a skeleton of a lower vehicle body");
a door assembly reconfigurable (see at least ¶0026 ~ "doorway 15 is formed in the left side portion of the vehicle body. The doorway 15 is located almost in the center along the front-and-rear direction and is closed by the doors 36 while the vehicle travels... also equipped with the ramp 42 (see Fig. 2) that is deployed from the underside of the doorway 15 to the outside of the vehicle body" and ¶0046 ~ "ramp apparatus 40 includes the ramp 42 and a ramp deployment and storage mechanism 41") between (i) a first state in which the door assembly defines at least a portion of a door for the occupant area (see at least ¶0026 ~ "doorway 15 is formed in the left side portion of the vehicle body. The doorway 15 is located almost in the center along the front-and-rear direction and is closed by the doors 36 while the vehicle travels... also equipped with the ramp 42 (see Fig. 2) that is deployed from the underside of the doorway 15 to the outside of the vehicle body" and ¶0046 ~ "ramp apparatus 40 includes the ramp 42 and a ramp deployment and storage mechanism 41") and
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(ii) a second state in which the door assembly defines a plurality of steps. (See at least ¶0048 ~ "controller 50 controls the ramp deployment and storage mechanism 41 to deploy the ramp 42 to the outside of the vehicle body"; describing access provision to occupant area and egress allowance ~ condition 2: state 2).
While Fukuta discusses a body coupled to the chassis, the body defining an occupant area (see at least ¶0026; Fukuta ~ "vehicle 10 has a base frame 11 forming a skeleton of a lower vehicle body, a vehicle drive unit 12 mounted on the base frame 11"), Tsang provides more clarification regarding a recreational vehicle having a floor of the occupant area extending along a first plane. (See Fig. 1; Tsang ~ illustrates a general arrangement of a vehicle 100 with an extending vehicle door,
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see Fig. 5; Tsang ~ vehicle 100 comprises a door 130 having a step 135 / 140,
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see Fig. 6; Tsang ~ exemplary side view of vehicle door assembly,
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see Col. 4, Lines 4 – 6 ~ “Various types of vehicles such as trucks, sport utility vehicles, cars, sedans, or coups can implement the door including at least one step”, and Col. 5, Lines 50 - 52; Tsang; ~ "The steps 135 can be retractable steps 135 or form retractable stairs. The steps 135 can be retractable or stowable in the door 130 or in a door compartment");
wherein in the second state the door assembly includes: (see Figs. 1 and 5; Tsang).
a first step extending along a second plane, the second plane offset from the first plane a first distance; (see Fig. 5 ~ illustrates a vehicle 100 comprising a door 130 having a frame with steps extended, and Col 6, Lines 22- 54 ~ "The top surface of the steps 135 can extend out from a top surface 215 of the door 130… The front surface of the steps 135 can be angled and extend from a front end of the steps 135 towards the surface 215").
a second step extending along a third plane, the third plane offset from the second plane a second distance, the second distance greater than the first distance; and (see Fig. 5, Fig. 10; Tsang ~ illustrates a flowchart outlining process method steps for providing a hinge 1005, providing door including step 1010, and opening a door 1015, and Col. 6, Lines 56 - 62; Tsang ~ "a top surface of the top step 135 can be located a first distance from a bottom side 335 of the opening. A top surface of the bottom step 135 can be located a second distance greater than the first distance from the bottom side 335 of the opening. The top step 135 can be offset from the bottom step 135").
one or more coupling devices extending between the first step and the second step. (See Fig. 5 ~ 520 ~ the first arm 520 and the second arm 535, wherein in Col. 8, Lines 34 - 35 ~ "The first arm 520 and the second arm 535 can be fixedly coupled to the hinge 150 and rotate on the hinge 150" wherein the first arm 520 and the second arm 535 are coupled to one another as illustrated and configured with plates 540 / 545 serving as step plates, wherein the coupling device extending between the steps are taught as portions 550 / 560 such that "portion 560 can be a linkage, a bar, a beam, an elongated member, a structural member, or a support member" as in Col. 8, Lines 67 through Col. 9, Line 1. See further Col. 5, Lines 59 - 63 ~ "At least one hinge can retract the steps 135 from the door 130. Each step 135 can include a hinge assembly the deploys or stows each step 135. The hinge assembly can deploy or store multiple steps 135 simultaneously").
Consequently, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine Fukuta with the door assembly, as taught by Tsang, to provide a second step extending along a third plane, the third plane offset from the second plane a second distance, the second distance greater than the first distance, thereby enabling benefits, including but not limited to: increased safety and ease of access for people with disabilities and/or special needs.
As to Claim 5,
Fukuta/Tsang discloses the recreational vehicle of Claim 1,
wherein the door assembly is extended or retracted between the first state and the second state by at least one of
a motor, an electric actuator, a pneumatic actuator, or a spring. (See Col 5. Lines 59 – 65; Tsang ~ spring)
As to Claim 6,
Fukuta/Tsang discloses the recreational vehicle of Claim 1,
wherein the door assembly includes:
a first section pivotably coupled to the chassis, the first section providing a lower portion of the door in the first state and a first step in the second state (see Fig. 2; Fukuta); and
a second section coupled to the first section, the second section providing an upper portion of the door in the first state (see Fig. 2; Fukuta) and
a second step in the second state, the second step closer to a ground surface than the first step. (See Fig. 2; Fukuta).
As to Claim 7,
Fukuta/Tsang discloses the recreational vehicle of Claim 6, wherein:
the first section includes:
a first panel facing the occupant area in the first state (see Fig. 2; Fukuta); and
a second panel coupled to the first panel (see Fig. 2; Fukuta), the second panel facing an exterior of the recreational vehicle in the second state (see Fig. 2; Fukuta); and
the second section includes:
a third panel facing the occupant area of the recreational vehicle in the first state (see Fig. 2; Fukuta); and
a fourth panel coupled to the third panel, the fourth panel facing the exterior of the recreational vehicle in the second state. (See Fig. 2; Fukuta).
As to Claim 8,
Fukuta/Tsang discloses the recreational vehicle of Claim 7,
wherein the second panel and the fourth panel face the ground surface in the second state and
the second panel and the fourth panel mesh together in the first state. (see Fig. 2; Fukuta)
As to Claim 9,
Fukuta/Tsang discloses the recreational vehicle of Claim 1, further comprising
a control system (see Fig. 5; Fukuta) configured to:
acquire a state of the door assembly (see Fig. 2 and ¶0048; Fukuta);
acquire an indication of a desired entry to or exit from the occupant area (see Col. 1, Lines 7 – 9; Allen ~ ingress and/or egress to ramp equipped vehicle); and
reconfigure the door assembly from the first state to the second state when the door assembly is in the first state (see Fig. 2 and ¶0048; Fukuta) and
in response to the indication of the desired entry or exit. (See Fig. 2 and ¶0003; Fukuta).
As to Claim 10,
Fukuta/Tsang discloses the recreational vehicle of Claim 9,
wherein the door assembly includes a first section providing the first step in the second state and a section providing the second step in the second state (see Figs. 5 - 6 and 10; Tsang),
wherein reconfiguring the door assembly from the first state to the second state includes:
rotating the first section and the second section relative to a lateral edge of the chassis about a pivot axis (see Fig. 2, ¶0026, and ¶0048; Fukuta); and
translating the second section with respect to the first section. (ee Figs. 5 – 6; Tsang).
As to Claim 11,
Fukuta/Tsang discloses the recreational vehicle of Claim 10,
wherein reconfiguring the door assembly from the second state to the first state comprises:
translating the first section to align with the second section; and pivoting the first section and the second section about the pivot axis. (See Figs. 5 – 6; Tsang).
As to Claim 17,
Fukuta/Tsang discloses the recreational vehicle of Claim 1,
wherein the door assembly is a first door assembly and the door is a first door, further comprising
a second door assembly reconfigurable between (i) a third state in which the second door assembly defines at least a portion of a second door for the occupant area (see Fig. 2; Fukuta) and (ii)
a fourth state in which the second door assembly defines one or more steps. (See Fig. 2; Fukuta).
As to Claim 13,
Fukuta/Tsang discloses the recreational vehicle of Claim 1,
wherein the door assembly includes:
a first section pivotably coupled to the chassis (see Figs. 5 – 6; Tsang),
the first section providing a lower portion of the door in the first state (see Figs. 5 – 6; Tsang) and
a first step in the second state (see Figs. 5 – 6; Tsang);
a second section coupled to the first section, the second section providing a middle portion of the door in the first state and a second step in the second state (see Figs. 5 – 6; Tsang); and
a third section coupled to the second section (see Figs. 5 – 6; Tsang),
the third section providing an upper portion of the door in the first state and
a third step in the second state (see Figs. 5 – 6; Tsang),
the third step closer to a ground surface than the second step (see Figs. 5 – 6; Tsang),
the second step closer to the ground surface than the first step. (see Figs. 5 – 6; Tsang)
As to Claim 14,
Fukuta/Tsang discloses the recreational vehicle of Claim 13,
wherein reconfiguring the door assembly from the first state to the second state includes:
pivoting the first step, the second step, and the third step relative to a lateral edge of the chassis about a pivot axis (see Figs. 5 – 6; Tsang);
translating the second step with respect to the first step (see Figs. 5 – 6; Tsang); and
translating the third step with respect to the second step. (See Figs. 5 – 6; Tsang)
As to Claim 15,
Fukuta/Tsang discloses the recreational vehicle of Claim 13,
wherein reconfiguring the door assembly from the second state to the first state includes:
translating the third step to align with the second step (see Figs. 5 – 6; Tsang);
translating the third step and the second step to align with the first step (see Figs. 5 – 6; Tsang); and
pivoting the first step, the second step, and the third step relative to a lateral edge of the chassis about a pivot axis. (See Figs. 5 – 6; Tsang).
As to Claim 21,
Fukuta/Tsang discloses a recreational vehicle comprising:: (see ¶0023 ~ "FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a vehicle 10 according to an embodiment. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a ramp 42 deployed as doors 36 of the vehicle 10 are opened" and ¶0024 ~ "vehicle 10 is an electric car having a generally rectangular solid shape and is capable of autonomous driving", and ¶0025 ~ pursuant to [0020] of the disclosure, vehicle 10 is configured as either a personal transport or transport bus vehicle);
a chassis (see ¶0026 ~ "vehicle 10 has a base frame 11 forming a skeleton of a lower vehicle body");
a body coupled to the chassis, the body defining an occupant area (see ¶0026 ~ "vehicle 10 has a base frame 11 forming a skeleton of a lower vehicle body, a vehicle drive unit 12 mounted on the base frame 11"); and
a door assembly reconfigurable (see ¶0026 ~ "doorway 15 is formed in the left side portion of the vehicle body. The doorway 15 is located almost in the center along the front-and-rear direction and is closed by the doors 36 while the vehicle travels... also equipped with the ramp 42 (see Fig. 2) that is deployed from the underside of the doorway 15 to the outside of the vehicle body" and ¶0046 ~ "ramp apparatus 40 includes the ramp 42 and a ramp deployment and storage mechanism 41")
between (i) a first state in which the door assembly defines at least a portion of a door for the occupant area (see ¶0048 ~ "controller 50 controls the ramp deployment and storage mechanism 41 to deploy the ramp 42 to the outside of the vehicle body"; describing access provision to occupant area and egress allowance ~ condition 1: first state) and a (ii) second state in which the door assembly defines a plurality of steps. (See ¶0048 ~ "controller 50 controls the ramp deployment and storage mechanism 41 to deploy the ramp 42 to the outside of the vehicle body"; describing access provision to occupant area and egress allowance ~ condition 2: state 2).
Tsang’s vehicle door system is then relied upon to disclose a door assembly including a first section pivotably coupled to the chassis, the first section providing a lower portion of the door in the first state and a first step in the second state (see Fig. 5; Tsang ~ illustrates a vehicle 100 comprising a door 130 having a frame with steps extended, and Col 6, Lines 22- 54 ~ "The top surface of the steps 135 can extend out from a top surface 215 of the door 130… The front surface of the steps 135 can be angled and extend from a front end of the steps 135 towards the surface 215");
a second section coupled to the first section, the second section providing a middle portion of the door in the first state and a second step in the second state (see Fig. 5, Col. 6, Lines 56 – 62; Tsang ~ "a top surface of the top step 135 can be located a first distance from a bottom side 335 of the opening. A top surface of the bottom step 135 can be located a second distance greater than the first distance from the bottom side 335 of the opening. The top step 135 can be offset from the bottom step 135”); and
a third section coupled to the second section, the third section providing an upper portion of the door in the first state and a third step in the second state, the third step closer to a ground surface than the second step, the second step closer to the ground surface than the first step. (See Fig. 5; Tsang).
Consequently, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine Fukuta with the door assembly, as taught by Tsang, to provide a second step extending along a third plane, the third plane offset from the second plane a second distance, the second distance greater than the first distance, thereby enabling benefits, including but not limited to: increased safety and ease of access for people with disabilities and/or special needs.
Claims 2 – 5 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. § 103 as being unpatentable over U.S. Patent Application Publication No. US 2022/0332240 A1 to FUKUTA et al. (herein after "Fukuta") in view of U.S. Patent No. US 12,643,379 B2 to TSANG et al. (herein after "Tsang"), and further in view of U.S. Patent No. US 6,598,253 B1 to ALLEN et al. (herein after "Allen").
As to Claim 2,
Fukuta/Tsang ramp-equipped vehicle discloses the recreational vehicle of Claim 1, further comprising:
a sensor (see Fig. 5; Fukuta) ~ illustrates a block arrangement of a door ramp actuating systems for a ramp-equipped vehicle, wherein front side and rear side sensors respectively being 60A/60B actuate ramp 42); and
a control system (see Fig. 5; Fukuta) ~ illustrates a controller 50 comprising processor 52 and memory 54) configured to:
acquire a state of the door assembly (see Fig. 2 and ¶0048; Fukuta); and
acquire a motion characteristic of the recreational vehicle from the sensor. (See Fig. 2 and ¶0048; Fukuta).
However, Fukuta/Tsang does not explicitly disclose wherein the recreational vehicle restricts movement of the door assembly from the first state to the second state in response to determining that the recreational vehicle is in motion based on the vehicle characteristic; and
restricts movement of the recreational vehicle when the control system determines the door assembly is in the second state.
On the other hand, Allen’s vehicle comprising an extendable ramp system with obstruction detection discloses restricting movement of the door assembly from the first state to the second state in response to determining that the recreational vehicle is in motion based on the vehicle characteristic (see Col. 5, Lines 1 - 5 ~ "ways of reducing the likelihood of the vehicle being driven while the ramp is extended can be provided. They can include one or more of a warning signal for example visual and/or audible, the control unit could actuate the vehicle's brakes"); and restricts movement of the recreational vehicle when the control system determines the door assembly is in the second state. (See Col. 3, Lines 1 - 8 ~ regarding control unit 65 sensing position of ramp 50's extension, Col. 3, Lines 48 - 56 ~ ramp 50 detects an obstruction and subsequently stops, Col. 5, Lines 1 - 5, and Col. 5, Lines 11 – 23 ~ teaches ramp 50 movement restriction in a diversity of ways when an obstruction is detected by the ramp control unit 65; thereby teaching movement restriction of the recreational vehicle when the ramp is extended).
Consequently, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine Fukuta/Tsang with the ramp obstruction detection system, as taught by Allen, where the resultant combination would successfully restrict movement of the door assembly from the first state to the second state, thereby enabling benefits, including but not limited to: increased safety and more reliable vehicle occupant or passenger collision avoidance for people with disabilities and/or special needs.
As to Claim 3,
Fukuta/Tsang discloses the recreational vehicle of Claim 2,
wherein the recreational vehicle is a golf vehicle, a personal transport vehicle, a low-speed vehicle, a utility task vehicle, or a light utility vehicle. (See ¶0025; Fukuta ~ pursuant to [0020] of the disclosure, vehicle 10 is configured as either a personal transport or transport bus vehicle).
Claim 4 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. § 103 as being unpatentable over U.S. Patent Application Publication No. US 2022/0332240 A1 to FUKUTA et al. (herein after "Fukuta") in view of U.S. Patent No. US 12,643,379 B2 to TSANG et al. (herein after "Tsang"), and further in view of U.S. Patent No. US 6,598,253 B1 to ALLEN et al. (herein after "Allen").
As to Claim 4,
Fukuta/Tsang discloses the recreational vehicle of Claim 1, further comprising:
a sensor (see Fig. 5; Fukuta ~ illustrates a block arrangement of a door ramp actuating systems for a ramp-equipped vehicle, wherein front side and rear side sensors respectively being 60A/60B actuate ramp 42); and
a control system (see Fig. 5; Fukuta) configured to:
acquire a proximity characteristic from the sensor (see Fig. 4, ¶0037 ~ "FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing the vehicle 10 parked on a road 80 and its surrounding area", and ¶0038 ~ sensors 60A/60B acquire a proximity characteristic of the sensed moving bodies),
wherein the proximity characteristic includes a distance between the recreational vehicle and an obstacle (see Fig. 4 and ¶0038; Fukuta); and
restricts movement of the door assembly from the first state to the second state when the distance is less than a threshold. (See Utilizing the sensed distances between the vehicle body to the sensed moving bodies as described in ¶0039; Fukuta, Allen further modifies the outcome of the sensed moving bodies by restricting movement of the door - ramp assembly as outlined in Col. 3, Lines 1 - 8, Col. 3, Lines 48 - 56, Col. 5, Lines 1 - 5, and Col. 5, Lines 11 – 23; Allen).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine Fukuta/Tsang’s ramp-equipped vehicle with the ramp obstruction detection system, as taught by Allen, where the resultant combination would successfully restrict movement of the door assembly from the first state to the second state, thereby enabling benefits, including but not limited to: increased safety and more reliable vehicle occupant or passenger collision avoidance for people with disabilities and/or special needs.
Claim 12 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. § 103 as being unpatentable over U.S. Patent Application Publication No. US 2022/0332240 A1 to FUKUTA et al. (herein after "Fukuta") in view of U.S. Patent No. US 12,643,379 B2 to TSANG et al. (herein after "Tsang"), and further in view of U.S. Patent No. US 6,598,253 B1 to ALLEN et al. (herein after "Allen").
As to Claim 12,
While Fukuta/Tsang discloses the recreational vehicle of Claim 9,
wherein the control system is configured to
reconfigure the door assembly from the second state to the first state when the door assembly is in the second state (see Fig. 2 and ¶0003; Fukuta), Allen provides more clarification wherein the reconfiguration of the door assembly from the second state to the first state when the door assembly is in the second state and the indication of the desired entry or exit is not detected. (See Col. 1, Lines 7 - 9; Allen ~ ingress and/or egress to ramp equipped vehicle).
Consequently, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine Fukuta/Tsang with the ramp obstruction detection system, as taught by Allen, to provide monitoring of the desired entry or exit, thereby enabling benefits, including but not limited to: increased safety and more reliable vehicle occupant or passenger collision avoidance for people with disabilities and/or special needs.
Claim 18 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. § 103 as being unpatentable over U.S. Patent Application Publication No. US 2022/0332240 A1 to FUKUTA et al. (herein after "Fukuta") in view of U.S. Patent No. US 12,643,379 B2 to TSANG et al. (herein after "Tsang") as to claim 17 above, and further in view of U.S. Patent Application Publication No. US 2022/0332240 A1 to ERLACHER et al. (herein after "Erlacher").
As to Claim 18,
Fukuta/Tsang discloses the recreational vehicle of Claim 17.
However, Fukuta/Tsang does not disclose the recreational vehicle, further comprising:
a first row of seats extending between a first side and a second side of the recreational vehicle; and
a second row of seats extending between the first side and the second side of the recreational vehicle;
wherein the first door assembly is aligned with the first row of seats and the second door assembly is aligned with the second row of seats.
Conversely, Erlacher’s passenger transport vehicle discloses a first row of seats extending between a first side and a second side of the recreational vehicle (see Fig. 10 and ¶0005; Erlacher ~ a passenger transport vehicle), the first side opposite the second side (see Fig. 10; Erlacher); and
a second row of seats extending between the first side and the second side of the recreational vehicle (see Fig. 10 ~ illustrates a second row of seats; Erlacher);
wherein the first door assembly is aligned with the first row of seats and the second door assembly is aligned with the second row of seats. (See Fig. 10 ~ illustrates an alignment of door 16 with a first row of seats and doors 17 aligned with a second row of seats).
As a Result, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine Fukuta/Tsang with the passenger transport vehicle configuration, as taught by Erlacher, where the resultant combination would successfully provide customizable ingress / egress access to seating of a plurality of, thereby enabling benefits, including but not limited to: reasonable accommodation for people with disabilities and/or special needs.
Claim 19 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. § 103 as being unpatentable over U.S. Patent Application Publication No. US 2022/0332240 A1 to FUKUTA et al. (herein after "Fukuta") in view of U.S. Patent No. US 12,643,379 B2 to TSANG et al. (herein after "Tsang"), and further in view of U.S. Patent No. US 6,598,253 B1 to ALLEN et al. (herein after "Allen").
As to Claim 19,
Fukuta’s ramp-equipped vehicle discloses a recreational vehicle (see ¶0023 ~ "FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a vehicle 10 according to an embodiment. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a ramp 42 deployed as doors 36 of the vehicle 10 are opened" and ¶0024 ~ "vehicle 10 is an electric car having a generally rectangular solid shape and is capable of autonomous driving", and ¶0025 ~ pursuant to [0020] of the disclosure, vehicle 10 is configured as either a personal transport or transport bus vehicle) comprising:
a chassis (see ¶0026 ~ "vehicle 10 has a base frame 11 forming a skeleton of a lower vehicle body");
a body coupled to the chassis, the body defining an occupant area (see ¶0026 ~ "vehicle 10 has a base frame 11 forming a skeleton of a lower vehicle body, a vehicle drive unit 12 mounted on the base frame 11");
one or more sensors (see Fig. 1, ¶0036 ~ "vehicle 10 is provided with an object sensing sensor 60A", and ¶0038 ~ "the object sensing sensors 60A and 60B sense moving bodies present in the certain areas 62A and 62B, respectively. The moving bodies include... a pedestrian 86, a runner 87, a bicycle 88, a motorcycle (auto-bicycle) 89, and the like");
a door assembly reconfigurable between (see ¶0026 ~ "doorway 15 is formed in the left side portion of the vehicle body. The doorway 15 is located almost in the center along the front-and-rear direction and is closed by the doors 36 while the vehicle travels... also equipped with the ramp 42 (see Fig. 2) that is deployed from the underside of the doorway 15 to the outside of the vehicle body" and ¶0046 ~ "ramp apparatus 40 includes the ramp 42 and a ramp deployment and storage mechanism 41") (i) a first state in which the door assembly defines at least a portion of a door for the occupant area (see ¶0048 ~ "controller 50 controls the ramp deployment and storage mechanism 41 to deploy the ramp 42 to the outside of the vehicle body"; describing access provision to occupant area and egress allowance ~ condition 1: first state) and (ii)
a second state in which the door assembly defines one or more steps (see ¶0048 ~ "controller 50 controls the ramp deployment and storage mechanism 41 to deploy the ramp 42 to the outside of the vehicle body"; describing access provision to occupant area and egress allowance ~ condition 2: state 2); and
a control system (see Fig. 5) configured to:
acquire a state of the door assembly (see Fig. 2 and ¶0048);
acquire a vehicle characteristic from the one or more sensors (see Fig. 2 and ¶0048);
acquire a proximity characteristic from the one or more sensors (see Fig. 4, ¶0037 ~ "FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing the vehicle 10 parked on a road 80 and its surrounding area", and ¶0038 ~ sensors 60A/60B acquire a proximity characteristic of the sensed moving bodies),
wherein the proximity characteristic includes a distance between the recreational vehicle and an obstacle (see Fig. 4 and ¶0038).
Tsang is then introduced to disclose a recreational vehicle having the door assembly including: (See Figs. 5 – 6; Tsang) a first section pivotably coupled to the chassis, the first section providing a lower portion of the door in the first state and a first step in the second state (See Fig. 5 ~ illustrates a vehicle 100 comprising a door 130 having a frame with steps extended, and Col 6, Lines 22- 54 ~ "The top surface of the steps 135 can extend out from a top surface 215 of the door 130… The front surface of the steps 135 can be angled and extend from a front end of the steps 135 towards the surface 215"); a second section coupled to the first section, the second section providing a middle portion of the door in the first state and a second step in the second state (see Fig. 5, Col. 6, Lines 56 – 62; Tsang ~ "a top surface of the top step 135 can be located a first distance from a bottom side 335 of the opening. A top surface of the bottom step 135 can be located a second distance greater than the first distance from the bottom side 335 of the opening. The top step 135 can be offset from the bottom step 135”); and a third section coupled to the second section (see Figs. 5 - 6; Tsang), third section providing an upper portion of the door in the first state and a third step in the second state, the third step closer to a ground surface than the second step, the second step closer to the ground surface than the first step (see Figs. 5 - 6; Tsang).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine Fukuta with the door assembly, as taught by Tsang, to provide a second step extending along a third plane, the third plane offset from the second plane a second distance, the second distance greater than the first distance, thereby enabling benefits, including but not limited to: increased safety and ease of access for people with disabilities and/or special needs.
Allen is relied upon to disclose restrict movement of the door assembly from the first state to the second state in response to determining that the recreational vehicle is in motion based on the vehicle characteristic (wherein utilizing the sensed distances between the vehicle body to the sensed moving bodies as described in Fukuta ¶0039, Allen further modifies the outcome of the sensed moving bodies by restricting movement of the door - ramp assembly as outlined in Col. 3, Lines 1 - 8, Col. 3, Lines 48 - 56, Col. 5, Lines 1 - 5, and Col. 5, Lines 11 - 23; Allen;
restrict movement of the recreational vehicle when the door assembly is in the second state (see Col. 3, Lines 1 - 8, Col. 3, Lines 48 - 56, Col. 5, Lines 1 - 5, and Col. 5, Lines 11 – 23; Allen); and
restrict movement of the door assembly from the first state to the second state when the distance is less than a threshold. (See Col. 3, Lines 1 - 8, Col. 3, Lines 48 - 56, Col. 5, Lines 1 - 5, and Col. 5, Lines 11 – 23; Allen).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine Fukuta/Tsang’s ramp-equipped vehicle with the ramp obstruction detection system, as taught by Allen, where the resultant combination would successfully restrict movement of the door assembly from the first state to the second state, thereby enabling benefits, including but not limited to: increased safety and more reliable vehicle occupant or passenger collision avoidance for people with disabilities and/or special needs.
Claim 22 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. § 103 as being unpatentable over U.S. Patent Application Publication No. US 2022/0332240 A1 to FUKUTA et al. (herein after "Fukuta") in view of U.S. Patent No. US 12,643,379 B2 to TSANG et al. (herein after "Tsang") as to claim 21 above, and further in view of U.S. Patent No. US 6,598,253 B1 to ALLEN et al. (herein after "Allen").
As to Claim 22,
Fukuta/Tsang discloses the recreational vehicle of Claim 21, further comprising: (see Fig. 5 ~ illustrates a block arrangement of a door ramp actuating systems for a ramp-equipped vehicle, wherein front side and rear side sensors respectively being 60A/60B actuate ramp 42);
a sensor (see Fig. 5 ~ illustrates a block arrangement of a door ramp actuating systems for a ramp-equipped vehicle, wherein front side and rear side sensors respectively being 60A/60B actuate ramp 42); and
a control system (see Fig. 5) configured to:
acquire a state of the door assembly (see Fig. 2 and ¶0048);
acquire a motion characteristic of the recreational vehicle from the sensor (see Fig. 2 and ¶0048).
Allen is again relied upon to disclose restrict movement of the door assembly from the first state to the second state in response to determining that the recreational vehicle is in motion based on the motion characteristic (wherein utilizing the sensed distances between the vehicle body to the sensed moving bodies as described in Fukuta ¶0039, Allen further modifies the outcome of the sensed moving bodies by restricting movement of the door - ramp assembly as outlined in Col. 3, Lines 1 - 8, Col. 3, Lines 48 - 56, Col. 5, Lines 1 - 5, and Col. 5, Lines 11 - 23; Allen;
restrict movement of the recreational vehicle when the control system determines the door assembly is in the second state. (See Col. 3, Lines 1 - 8, Col. 3, Lines 48 - 56, Col. 5, Lines 1 - 5, and Col. 5, Lines 11 – 23; Allen); and
To that end, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine Fukuta/Tsang’s ramp-equipped vehicle with the ramp obstruction detection system, as taught by Allen, where the resultant combination would successfully restrict movement of the door assembly from the first state to the second state, thereby enabling benefits, including but not limited to: increased safety and more reliable vehicle occupant or passenger collision avoidance for people with disabilities and/or special needs.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the Examiner should be directed to ASHLEY L. REDHEAD, JR. whose telephone number is (571) 272 - 6952. The Examiner can normally be reached on weekdays, Monday through Thursday, between 7 a.m. and 5 p.m.
If attempts to reach the Examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the Examiner’s Supervisor, Peter Nolan can be reached Monday through Friday, between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. at (571) 270 – 7016. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/ASHLEY L REDHEAD JR./Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3661
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