DETAILED ACTION
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement filed 11/21/25 fails to comply with 37 CFR 1.98(a)(2), which requires a legible copy of each cited foreign patent document; each non-patent literature publication or that portion which caused it to be listed; and all other information or that portion which caused it to be listed. It has been placed in the application file, but the information referred to therein has not been considered.
A copy of foreign patent document DE 10348221 and an English abstract/explanation of relevance thereof, has not been submitted.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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, 5, 7-9 and 11-14 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Rake et al. (US Pub No. 2019/0375392 A1).
Regarding Claim 1, Rake et al. discloses
a base (570) configured to be fixed to a portion of said motor vehicle ([0063]), said base comprising a guide (572/slots);
a movable selector (110, Fig. 5), which is movable along said guide;
said movable selector comprising, in turn, a stem and a knob operatively connected to said stem (i.e. see annotated Fig. 5 below, also it is noted that a knob is required to be merely a rounded protuberance);
said knob comprising at least one selection device (comprising 142) configured to receive, in use, an input from a user and to generate a corresponding signal indicative of said input ([0063], [0064]);
said command device further comprising an electronic control unit (118) operatively connected to said selection device; and
said electronic control unit being configured to control at least one parameter (controls steering in [0063]-[0064], thereby would involve at least the steering angle, also see [0007]) associated with said motor vehicle based on said signal.
Regarding Claim 5, Rake et al. discloses
said knob comprises a surface (i.e. its upper surface) and said selection device comprises at least one element rotatable (142) relative to said surface about a rotational axis (i.e. the central axis perpendicular to its planar circular surface) and a transducer (112); and
said transducer being configured to detect the position or the rotation of said element relative to said rotational axis and to generate said signal based on said position or rotation ([0047]).
Regarding Claim 7, Rake et al. discloses
said parameter is at least one of a steering control variable (controls steering in [0063]-[0064], thereby would involve at least the steering angle) of at least one wheel of said motor vehicle ([0007]) and a control variable of a torque imparted, in use, to said wheels.
Regarding Claim 8, Rake et al. discloses
a further selector (“a sensor device” in [0005], which detects position of the operating component such that steering control (via 142) is activated, also see [0038]), which is configured to selectively activate at least one of said electronic control unit and said selection device.
Regarding Claim 9, Rake et al. discloses
said parameter is selectable by the user (i.e. indirectly, when the operating component is shifted to drive mode and the steering control is thereby activated/selected, [0005], [0038]).
Regarding Claim 11, Rake et al. discloses
said further selector is arranged at said knob (i.e. ‘at’ may be taken as ‘near’, whereby the sensor that detects position of the operating component would have to be near the operating component and therefore near the knob).
Regarding Claim 12, Rake et al. discloses
said movable selector is movable along said guide between at least a first position (i.e. forward drive) associated with a first functionality (i.e. steering, [0038]) of said motor vehicle and a second position (i.e. park, neither drive nor reverse) associated with a second functionality (i.e. parking) of said motor vehicle;
said movable selector in said first position being configured to select said first functionality ([0038]); said movable selector in said second position being configured to select said second functionality (i.e. is remained parked);
wherein said parameter is correlated to said first or second functionality selected, in use, by said movable selector (i.e. steering angle is correlated to the first functionality, in use).
Regarding Claim 13, Rake et al. discloses
A motor vehicle comprising a command device according to claim 1 (see Abstract).
Regarding Claim 14, Rake et al. discloses
the parameter is selectable by the user (i.e. indirectly, when the operating component is shifted to drive mode and the steering control is thereby activated/selected, [0005], [0038]), and said motor vehicle comprising a user interface (i.e. the exterior surface/grip of the knob) configured to allow the selection of said parameter (i.e. via gripping and shifting to the drive position).
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Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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, 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) 2-4 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Rake et al. (US Pub No. 2019/0375392 A1) in view of Tippelhofer et al. (US Pub No. 2013/0120129 A1).
Regarding Claim 2, Rake et al. discloses a touch sensor surface ([0044]) but does not disclose its location.
Tippelhofer et al discloses said selection device (on knob 4) comprises a surface (i.e. top surface of 5), which is touchable, in use, by a user of said motor vehicle and a tactile sensor ([0018]); and
said tactile sensor being configured to detect a touch of the user on at least one region of said surface and to generate said signal based on said touch ([0018]), for the purpose of selecting and changing parameters ([0021]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective
filing date to modify the invention of Rake et al. by including the touch surface sensor on
a selection device/knob as disclosed by Tippelhofer et al., for the purpose of selecting
and changing parameters.
It is noted that this modification may involve explicitly locating the touch sensor of
Rake et al. on the knob as per Tippelhofer et al., along with the associated
functionality/parameter selection taught by Tippelhofer et al.
Regarding Claim 3, Rake et al. does not disclose the first and second parameter
controls as claimed.
Tippelhofer et al. discloses to control a first said parameter associated with said
motor vehicle when said tactile sensor detects a touch along a first direction (i.e.
selection of modes in the up/down direction); and
control a second said parameter associated with said motor vehicle when said
tactile sensor detects a touch along a second direction, which is transversal to said first
direction (i.e. changing selections within the modes, in the left/right direction), for the
purpose of controlling various vehicle functionality ([0021]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective
filing date to modify the invention of Rake et al. by including the parameter selection
based on direction as disclosed by Tippelhofer et al., for the purpose of controlling
various vehicle functionality.
Regarding Claim 4, Rake et al.
said tactile sensor is of the capacitive ([0044]), resistive, surface acoustic wave
or optical imaging type.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 6 and 10 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter: None of the prior art of record shows two rotatable elements (Claim 6) or control of a further selector (Claim 10) as claimed.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Weiten (US Patent No. 5,243,871) discloses housing 10, guide 17, stem 11 and knob 18.
Wolterman (US Pub No. 2011/0036191) discloses tactile sensor 32 on knob 31.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to PRASAD GOKHALE whose telephone number is (571)270-3543. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday, 9am - 5:30pm.
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/PRASAD V GOKHALE/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3653 September 4, 2026
