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 .
Claim status
This action is in response to applicant filed on 05/23/2025. Claims 1-14 are pending for examination.
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 claims at issue 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 Longi, 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); and 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 a nonstatutory double patenting ground provided the reference application or patent either is shown to be commonly owned with this application, or claims an invention made as a result of activities undertaken within the scope of a joint research agreement. A terminal disclaimer must be signed in compliance with 37 CFR 1.321(b).
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Claims 1-14 are rejected on the ground of nonstatutory double patenting as being unpatentable over claims 1 – 12 of U.S. Patent No. 12,330,456. Although the claims at issue are not identical, they are not patentably distinct from each other because claims 1 – 12 of 12,330,456 disclose every limitation of claims 1-14 in the instant application except for the limitation “to collapse the monitored circuit power supply voltage during a sleep mode while the towable asset does not receive an auxiliary power from the 7-way coupler” However, this is an inherent feature that does not add anything to the claim nor changes the scope of the claims. The claims already disclose a sleep mode process. By definition, in a sleep mode, power shut off, reduce or in other words “collapse” the system. Therefore, a person of ordinary skill in the art to collapse the monitored circuit power supply voltage during a sleep mode while the towable asset does not receive an auxiliary power from the 7-way coupler” in order to maintain power efficiency.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 1-14 are allowed.
The following is an examiner’s statement of reasons for allowance:
Applicant teaches an automated towable asset monitoring system having an active mode of operation in which a towable asset is not coupled through a 7-way coupler to a tractor and an inactive mode of operation in which the towable asset is coupled through the 7-way coupler to a tractor, the automated asset monitoring system comprising: a battery; a power management circuit configured to convert a battery voltage from the battery to a monitored circuit power supply voltage and to collapse the monitored circuit power supply voltage during a sleep mode while the towable asset does not receive an auxiliary power from the 7-way coupler; a controller configured to command the monitored circuit power supply voltage to power a monitored circuit in the towable asset during the active mode of operation and to prevent the monitored circuit power supply voltage to power the monitored circuit during the inactive mode of operation; a telematics transceiver configured to transmit data regarding an operation of the monitored circuit during the active mode of operation to a user remote from the towable asset, wherein the system is integrated into a nose box that includes: a housing; a terminal platform within the housing, the terminal platform including a first plurality of terminals for receiving lamp power signals from the 7-way coupler, a second plurality of terminals for transmitting the lamp power signals to lamps in the towable asset; and a housing circuit board associated with the terminal platform, the housing circuit board including a plurality of lamp monitoring circuits, wherein the controller is further configured to force the power management circuit to supply an active one of the lamp monitoring circuits with the monitored circuit power supply voltage during the active mode of operation to power a respective one of the lamps in the towable asset through a respective terminal in the second plurality of terminals, the active one of the monitoring circuits being configured to measure a current and a voltage supplied to the respective one of the lamps to determine an operating condition of the respective one of the lamps, and wherein the data includes the operating condition.
The closest prior art of record is Bean et al. (US 2018/0099712) where it teaches an automated towable asset monitoring system having an active mode of operation in which a towable asset is not coupled through a 7-way coupler to a tractor and an inactive mode of operation in which the towable asset is coupled through the 7-way coupler to a tractor, the automated asset monitoring system comprising: a battery; a power management circuit configured to convert a battery voltage from the battery to a monitored circuit power supply voltage; a controller configured to command the monitored circuit power supply voltage to power a monitored circuit in the towable asset during the active mode of operation and to prevent the monitored circuit power supply voltage to power the monitored circuit during the inactive mode of operation; a telematics transceiver configured to transmit data regarding an operation of the monitored circuit during the active mode of operation to a user remote from the towable asset, wherein the system is integrated into a nose box that includes: a housing; a terminal platform within the housing.
However, the cited reference fail to individually disclose, or suggest when combined, the terminal platform including a first plurality of terminals for receiving lamp power signals from the 7-way coupler, a second plurality of terminals for transmitting the lamp power signals to lamps in the towable asset; and a housing circuit board associated with the terminal platform, the housing circuit board including a plurality of lamp monitoring circuits, wherein the controller is further configured to force the power management circuit to supply an active one of the lamp monitoring circuits with the monitored circuit power supply voltage during the active mode of operation to power a respective one of the lamps in the towable asset through a respective terminal in the second plurality of terminals, the active one of the monitoring circuits being configured to measure a current and a voltage supplied to the respective one of the lamps to determine an operating condition of the respective one of the lamps, and wherein the data includes the operating condition.
No prior art was found teaching individually, or suggesting in combination, all of the features of the applicants’ invention, specifically the terminal platform including a first plurality of terminals for receiving lamp power signals from the 7-way coupler, a second plurality of terminals for transmitting the lamp power signals to lamps in the towable asset; and a housing circuit board associated with the terminal platform, the housing circuit board including a plurality of lamp monitoring circuits, wherein the controller is further configured to force the power management circuit to supply an active one of the lamp monitoring circuits with the monitored circuit power supply voltage during the active mode of operation to power a respective one of the lamps in the towable asset through a respective terminal in the second plurality of terminals, the active one of the monitoring circuits being configured to measure a current and a voltage supplied to the respective one of the lamps to determine an operating condition of the respective one of the lamps, and wherein the data includes the operating condition in combination with the recited structural limitations of the claimed invention.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record cited in the PTO-892 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 OMAR CASILLASHERNANDEZ whose telephone number is (571)270-5432. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday, 8:30AM-4:30PM.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Joseph Feild can be reached on (571)272-4090. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/OMAR CASILLASHERNANDEZ/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2689
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