IN THE UNITED STATES PATENT AND TRADEMARK OFFICE
`
`Patent Application No. 12r‘727,537
`
`Confirmation No. 3463
`
`Applicant: LeR0y G. Hagenbuch
`
`Filed: March 19, 2010
`
`TCIAU: 3661
`
`Examiner: CAMBY, RICHARD
`
`Docket No.: 70604’?
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`Customer No.: 23460
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`Commissioner for Patents
`P.O. Box 1450
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`Alexandria, VA 22313-1450
`
`Dear Sir:
`
`Reply to Office Action
`
`In reply to the Office action dated May 26, 201 1, please enter the following
`
`amendments and consider the following remarks.
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`Amendments to the Claims are reflected in the listing of claims which begins on page 2 of
`
`this paper.
`
`Remarks.4'Arguments begin on page 9 of this paper.
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`Page 1 of 13
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`OWNER Ex. 2016, page 1
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`

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`Application No. 12;’727,537
`
`Reply to Office Action
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`AMENDMENTS TO THE CLAIMS
`
`1.
`
`(Currently Amended) A method for recording operation of a vehicle, the
`
`method comprising:
`
`monitoring production-related parameters of the vehicle, including a ground speed of
`
`the vehicle, a position positions of a throttle for an engine pfter the vehicle and a degree of
`
`braking of the vehicle;
`
`monitoring vital sign parameters of the vehicle, including information indicative of a
`
`change in the velocity of the vehicle;
`
`detecting a collision of the vehicle in response to a sudden change in the velocity of
`
`the vehicle;
`
`automatically sending a Wireless distress signal from the vehicle in response to
`
`detecting the collision; and
`
` capturing the production-related parameters of the vehicle before detection
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`of the collision and the vital sign parameters after
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`pi=eee-el-i-Hg-t,-he detection of the collision.
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`2.
`
`(Currently Amended) The method of claim 1 wherein the production-related
`
`parameters include an
`
`RPM of the engine
`
`1
`
`1.
`
`I
`
`!
`
`.
`
`E I
`
`H.
`
`.
`
`_
`
`3 .
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`4.
`
`(Canceled)
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`(Currently Amended) The method of claim 1 wherein the production-related
`
`parameters include
`
`actions of a steering wheel
`
`1.
`
`3
`
`.
`
`E I
`
`H.
`
`.
`
`I
`
`5.
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`(Currently Amended) The method of claim 1 wherein the produetion—1-elated
`
`parameters include
`..a
`.n o.-
`_-_
`u
`u
`
`.- g-..
`u
`
`a load on the engine
`aa~-
`n
`-
`.
`-
`_
`
`--
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`Page 2 of 13
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`OWNER Ex. 2016, page 2
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`

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`Application No. 12r‘727,537
`
`Reply to Office Action
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`6.
`
`(Canceled)
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`7.
`
`(Canceled)
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`8.
`
`(Canceled)
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`9.
`
`(Canceled)
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`10.
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`(Currently Amended) The method of claim [[6]] 1 wherein the vital sign
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`parameters include an acceleration of the vehicle
`A
`n
`a
`.. —-
`-a
`g
`-
`-_
`-
`.g -nan
`n
`v
`-
`1-
`w
`-u
`-
`c
`nu
`C‘
`
`A
`II
`
`n
`
`a
`u
`
`-
`
`nu
`00
`
`-
`--u
`
`
`
`1 1.
`
`(Canceled)
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`12.
`
`(Canceled)
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`13.
`
`(Currently Amended) The method of claim [[3]] _l_ wherein the production-
`
`related parameters include an onfoff status of a braking system of the vehicle 5tatHs~ef—t-he
`
` .
`
`14.
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`(Canceled)
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`15.
`
`(Currently Amended) The method of claim 1 wherein the production-related
`
`parameters include
`
`a status of a seatbelt
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`Page 3 of 13
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`OWNER Ex. 2016, page 3
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`Application No. 12/727,537
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`Reply to Office Action
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`16.
`
`(Currently Amended) The method of claim [[8]] 1 wherein the information
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`indicative of the change in velocity is a seguence of speed measurements taken at known time
`
`intervals.
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`17.
`
`(Currently Amended) An apparatus for recording operation of a vehicle, the
`
`apparatus comprising:
`
`eneenmere sensors for monitoringe production-related parameters of the
`
`vehicle, where the parameters include ground speed of the vehicle, a position of a throttle for
`
`an engine g“ for the vehicle and a degree of braking by a braking system of the vehicle;
`
`a first memory for capturing information from the one or more of the sensors for
`
`monitoring production-related parameters;
`
`a second memory for receiving the information from the first memory;
`
` sensors for monitoring one-enmere vital signs of the vehicle, where the
`
`vital signs include a collision of the vehicle; and
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`a processor in communication with the one-or—mere production-related and the vital
`
`sign sensors and the first and second memories for uansfen‘ing into the second
`
`memory the information captured by the first memory in response to detection of the collision
`
`of the vehicle, where the information includes data from one or more of the production-
`
`related parameters before detection of the collision and data from one or more of the vital
`
`signs sensors after detection of the collision; and
`
`a transmitter for automatically transmitting a distress signal in response to detection of
`
`the collision of the vehicle.
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`18.
`
`(Previously Presented) The apparatus of claim 17 wherein the second memory
`
`is a permanent memory.
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`19.
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`(Previously Presented) The apparatus of claim 17 wherein one of the vital
`
`signs sensors is an accelerometer.
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`Page 4 of 13
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`OWNER Ex. 2016, page 4
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`Application No. 12!727,537
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`Reply to Office Action
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`20.
`
`(Currently Amended) The apparatus of claim 17 wherein the information
`
`indicates a change in the speed of the vehicle both before and after detection of the collision
`
`
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`21.
`
`(Currently Amended) The apparatus of claim [[20]] 1_7 wherein the second
`
`senser—is~an sensors for monitoring production—related parameters includes a sensor for
`
`detecting an onfoff status of the braking system sensor.
`
`22.
`
`(Previously Presented) The apparatus of claim 17 wherein the information
`
`includes one or more positions of the throttle leading up to the detection of the collision.
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`23.
`
`(Amended) The apparatus of claim [[20]] 1_7_ wherein the information includes
`
`the degree status of the braking system leading up to
`
`the detection of the collision.
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`24.
`
`(Currently Amended) The apparatus of claim 23 wherein the information
`
`includes one or more positions of the throttle
`
`leading up to detection of the collision.
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`25.
`
`(New) The apparatus of claim 17 wherein the sensors for monitoring
`
`production-related parameters of the vehicle include a sensor for determining a state of a seat
`
`belt in the vehicle.
`
`26.
`
`(New) A method for recording operation of a vehicle, the method comprising:
`
`monitoring production-related parameters of the vehicle, including a ground speed of
`
`the vehicle, a position of a throttle for an engine of the vehicle and an onfoff status of a
`
`braking system of the vehicle;
`
`Page 5 of 13
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`OWNER Ex. 2016, page 5
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`Application No. l2a’727,537
`
`Reply to Office Action
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`monitoring vital sign parameters of the vehicle, including information indicative of a
`
`change in the velocity of the vehicle;
`
`detecting a collision of the vehicle in response to a sudden change in the velocity of
`
`the vehicle;
`
`automatically sending a wireless distress signal from the vehicle in response to
`
`detecting the collision; and
`
`capturing the production-related parameters of the vehicle before detection of the
`
`collision and the vital sign parameters after detection of the collision.
`
`27.
`
`(New) The method of claim 26 wherein the production-related parameters
`
`include an RPM of the engine.
`
`28.
`
`(New) The method of claim 26 wherein the production-related parameters
`
`include actions of a steering wheel.
`
`29.
`
`(New) The method of claim 26 wherein the production-related parameters
`
`include a load on the engine.
`
`30.
`
`(New) The method of claim 26 wherein the vital sign parameters includes an
`
`acceleration of the vehicle.
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`31.
`
`(New) The method of claim 26 wherein the production-related parameters
`
`include a degree of braking of the braking system of the vehicle.
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`32.
`
`(New) The method of claim 26 wherein the production-related parameters
`
`include a status of a seat belt.
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`33.
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`(New) The method of claim 26 wherein the information indicative of the
`
`change in velocity is a sequence of speed measurements taken at known time intervals.
`
`P I 6 £13
`“=6
`°
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`(cid:50)(cid:58)(cid:49)(cid:40)(cid:53)(cid:3)(cid:40)(cid:91)(cid:17)(cid:3)(cid:21)(cid:19)(cid:20)(cid:25)(cid:15)(cid:3)(cid:83)(cid:68)(cid:74)(cid:72)(cid:3)(cid:25)
`OWNEREx_ 2016, page6
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`

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`Application No. 12)'727,S37
`
`Reply to Office Action
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`34.
`
`(New) An apparatus for recording operation of a vehicle, the apparatus
`
`comprising:
`
`sensors for monitoring production-related parameters of the vehicle, where the
`
`parameters include ground speed of the vehicle, a position of a throttle for an engine of the
`
`vehicle and an onfoff status of a braking system of the vehicle;
`
`a first memory for capturing information from one or more of the sensors for
`
`monitoring production-related parameters;
`
`a second memory for receiving the information from the first memory;
`
`sensors for monitoring vital signs of the vehicle, where the vitai signs include a
`
`collision of the vehicle;
`
`a processor in communication with the production-related and the vital sign sensors
`
`and the first and second memories for transferring into the second memory the information
`
`captured by the first memory in response to detection of the collision of the vehicle, where
`
`the information includes data from one or more of the production-related parameters before
`
`detection of the collision and data from one or more of the vital signs sensors after detection
`
`of the coilision; and
`
`a transmitter for automatically transmitting a distress signal in response to detection of
`
`the collision of the vehicle.
`
`35.
`
`(New) The apparatus of claim 34 wherein the second memory is a permanent
`
`memory.
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`36.
`
`(New) The apparatus of claim 34 wherein one ofthe vital signs sensors is an
`
`accelerometer.
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`37.
`
`(New) The apparatus of claim 34 wherein the information indicates a change
`
`in the speed of the vehicle both before and after detection of the collision.
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`P
`
`age
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`7 £13
`°
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`OWNEREx_ 2016, page7
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`Application No. 12x'727,537
`
`Reply to Office Action
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`38.
`
`(New) The apparatus of claim 34 wherein the sensors for monitoring
`
`production—related parameters includes a sensor for detecting a degree of braking of the
`
`braking system.
`
`39.
`
`(New) The apparatus of claim 34 wherein the information includes one or
`
`more positions of the throttle leading up to the detection of the collision.
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`40.
`
`(New) The apparatus of claim 34 wherein the information includes the onfoff
`
`status of the braking system leading up to the detection of the collision.
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`41.
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`(New) The apparatus of claim 40 wherein the information includes one or
`
`more positions of the throttle leading up to detection of the collision.
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`42.
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`(New) The apparatus of claim 34 wherein the sensors for monitoring
`
`production-related parameters of the vehicle include a sensor for determining a state of a seat
`
`belt in the vehicle.
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`43.
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`(New) A method for recording operation of a vehicle, the method comprising:
`
`monitoring positions of a throttle for an engine for the vehicle and a load carried by
`
`the vehicle;
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`detecting a collision of the vehicle; and
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`recording one or more positions of the throttle and a condition of the load preceding
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`the detection of the collision.
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`44.
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`(New) The method of claim 43 including monitoring a status ofa braking
`
`system of the vehicle and recording the status in response to detection of the collision.
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`45.
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`(New) The method of claim 43 including monitoring a status of a seat belt and
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`recording the status in response to detection of the collision.
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`Page 8 of 13
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`OWNER Ex. 2016, page 8
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`Application No. 12f727,537
`
`Reply to Office Action
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`46.
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`(New) The method of claim 43 including monitoring a ground speed of the
`
`vehicle and recording the ground speed in response to detection of the collision.
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`This iisting of claims repiaces oil prior versions, and listings, ofclaims in the application.
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`OWNER Ex. 2016, page 9
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`Application No. 12;'727,537
`
`Reply to Office Action
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`REMARKS/ARGUMENTS
`
`Applicant acknowledges with appreciation the courtesy of the personal interview on
`
`June 8 with Examiner Camby. The inventor Mr. I-Iagenbuch attended the interview along
`
`with one of his attorneys John Conklin. During the interview, a proposed amendment to the
`
`claims was discussed. During the course of the interview, agreement was reached that the
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`applicant would submit amendments to claim 1 incorporating the substance of claim 12 into
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`claim 1 and further amending claim 1 to be in keeping with proposed amendments made in
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`co-pending application no. l3;’035,587, which is a child of this application and was also
`
`discussed during the same June 8 interview. Similar amendments were agreed to be made to
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`independent claim 17.
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`In this response to the Office action, previously presented independent claims 1 and
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`17 have been amended to recite production-related parameters that include ground speed and
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`a degree of braking of the vehicle in addition to the previously recited throttle position. Both
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`claims 1 and 17 have also been amended to include the feature of automatically transmitting a
`
`distress signal in response to detecting a collision of the vehicle, which was the subject of
`
`now canceled claim 12. Finally, both of independent claims 1 and 17 have been amended to
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`call for committing to memory production-related parameters before detection of the
`
`collisions and a vital signs parameter after detection of the collision.
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`New claims 25-46 have been added. New claim 25 depends from independent claim
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`17 and adds to the sensors for monitoring production-related parameters a sensor for
`
`determining a state of a seat belt in the vehicle. The remaining new claims 26-42 are
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`patterned after claims 1-25. Specifically, new claim 26 is an independent claim patterned
`
`after claim 1, except claim 26 recites one of the production—related parameters to be an onloff
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`status of the braking system instead of a degree of braking as recited in claim 1. New claim
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`34 is an independent claim that is patterned after claim 17, except claim 34 recites one of the
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`production-related parameters to be an on/off status of the braking system instead of a degree
`
`of braking as recited in claim 17. The new dependent claims 27-33 and 35-42 are patterned
`
`after the dependent claims 2-16 and 18-25, respectively. Claim 43 is previously presented
`
`claim 5 rewritten in independent form. Claim 5 was indicated in the Office action as being
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`P
`
`age
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`10 1°13
`0
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`OWNEREx_ 2016, page 10
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`Application No. 12/727,537
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`Reply to Office Action
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`allowable if rewritten in independent form. Claims 44-46 depend from claim 43 and recite
`
`additional features related to the monitoring and recording in claim 43.
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`The diagram below illustrates the relationships among the pending claims 1, 2, 4-5,
`
`10, I3 and 15-46 presented in this response for further examination.
`
`0
`
`0
`
`0000000 0000000
`
`e
`
`9
`
`9
`
`0000000@ 0000000
`
`000% °
`
`In the Office action, previously presented independent claims 1 and 17 and dependent
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`claims 3, 4, 6-16 and 18-24 were rejected as being anticipated by US Patent No. 5,430,432 to
`
`Camhi. Dependent claim 2 was rejected as being obvious in view of the teachings in Camhi.
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`Dependent claim 5 was objected to as depending from a rejected base claim, but was
`
`otherwise indicated as being allowable if re-written in independent form.
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`As discussed at the interview on June 8, 201 1, Camhi neither describes nor renders
`
`obvious the monitoring and recording of a status of the braking system. However, as
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`clarified during the June 8, 2011 interview, the Office action considers Camhi’s discussion of
`
`sensing rotation of a vehicle’s brake rotors or drums to determine the ground speed of the
`
`vehicle as determining a “status” of the braking system (Col. 6, 11. 30-35). Although the
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`applicant disagrees with this interpretation of “status” of the braking system, agreement was
`
`reached during the interview to specify in the claims the “status” being detected.
`
`In this
`
`regard, independent claims 1 and 17 recite sensing a degree of braking while complementary
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`independent claims 25 and 34 recite sensing an onfoffcondition of the brake. Support for
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`this limitation is found in paragraph [0096] of the published version of the application.
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`Additional features found in the independent claims also cannot be found in Camhi.
`
`For example, Camhi neither discloses nor suggests generating a distress signal when a crash
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`Page 11 ofl3
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`OWNER Ex. 2016, page 11
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`Application No. 12;’727,S37
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`Reply to Office Action
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`is detected. Camhi neither discloses nor suggests recording information after detecting a
`
`collision.
`
`Finally, appIicant’s have made amendments to the claims in this application to
`
`expedite prosecution, but reserve the right to argue in the co-pending related application nos.
`
`13102-35,587 and 13;’035,678 that Camhi does not disclose all elements of the previously
`
`presented claims.
`
`“To anticipate a claim, a single prior art reference must expressly or inherently
`disclose each claim limitation.... But disclosure of each element is not quite
`enough--this court has long held that ‘[a]nticipation requires the presence in a
`single prior art disclosure of all elements of a claim invention arranged as in
`the claim.”
`
`Finisar Corp. v. D:'rectTV Group, Inc, 523 F.3d 1323, 1334-35 (Fed.Cir. 2008 (quoting
`
`Connelf v. Sears, Roebuck & C0., 722 F.2d, 1548 (Fed.Cir. 1983)). PL1t another way, “[t]he
`
`requirement that the prior art elements themselves be ‘arranged as in the claim’ means that
`
`claims cannot be ‘treated
`
`as mere catalogs of separate parts, in disregard of the part-to-part
`
`relationship set forth in the claims and that give the claims their meaning.” Therasense, Inc.
`
`v. Becton, Dickinson & Co., 593 F.3d 1325, 1332 (Fed.Cir. 2010) (quoting Lindemann
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`Masckinenfabrik GMZBH v. Am. Hoist & Derrick Co., 730 F.2d 1452, 1459 (Fed.Cir. 1984)).
`
`Camhi mentions monitoring throttle position in the limited context of discussing
`
`parameters that “may” be sto1'ed “upon the uncorrected occurrence of an unsafe condition...”
`
`(Camhi, Col. 7, lines 10-30). Where Camhi discusses its electronic data recorder (Col. 7, iine
`
`53 - Col. 8, line 31), it refers generically to storage of “monitored input information" without
`
`specifying or suggesting the desirability of storing throttle position upon detection of a
`
`collision for the stated purpose of “crash analysis and accident reconstruction and liability
`
`determination.” (Id. at Col. 8, lines 9-10). The particular throttle position electronic data
`
`recorder described in the previously presented claims is not disclosed in Camhi.
`
`As for obviousness, the claimed electronic data recorder “is not obvious to try unless
`
`some design need or market pressure or other motivation would suggest to one of ordinary
`
`skill to pursue the claimed course or selection.” R0335-Royce, PLC. v. United Technologies
`
`Corp, 603 F.3d 1325, 1339 (Fed.Cir. 2010). “In other words, one of ordinary skill must have
`
`good reason to pursue the known options within his or her technical grasp.” Id.
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`Page 12 of 13
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`OWNER Ex. 2016, page 12
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`

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`Application No. l2/727,5 37
`
`Reply to Offiee Action
`
`Conclusion
`
`With the filing of this amendment, applicant believes the application is in condition
`
`for allowance. Favorable reconsideration of the application is respectfully requested.
`
`If, in
`
`the opinion of Examiner Camby, a telephone conference would expedite the prosecution of
`
`the subj eet application, the Examiner is invited to call the undersigned attorney.
`
`Respectfully submitted,
`
`/John B. Conklin/
`
`John B. Conklin, Reg. No. 30,369
`LEYDIG, VOIT & MAYER, LTD.
`Two Prudential Plaza, Suite 4900
`l8O North Stetson Avenue
`
`Chicago, Illinois 60601-6731
`(312) 616-5600 (telephone)
`(312) 616-5700 (facsimile)
`
`
`Date: June l7 2011
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`Page 13 of 13
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`(cid:50)(cid:58)(cid:49)(cid:40)(cid:53)(cid:3)(cid:40)(cid:91)(cid:17)(cid:3)(cid:21)(cid:19)(cid:20)(cid:25)(cid:15)(cid:3)(cid:83)(cid:68)(cid:74)(cid:72)(cid:3)(cid:20)(cid:22)
`OWNER Ex. 2016, page 13
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