UNITED STATES PATENT AND TRADEMARK OFFICE
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`
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`UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
`United States Patent and Trademark Office
`Address: COMMISSIONER FOR PATENTS
`PO. Box 1450
`Alexandria, Virginia 2231371450
`www.uspto.gov
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`15/838,174
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`12/11/2017
`
`Geon Woong MOON
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`P7750USOO
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`1033
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`H.C. PARK & ASSOCIATES, PLC
`1894 PRESTON WHITE DRIVE
`RESTON, VA 20191
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`BROWN DREW J
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`PAPER NUMBER
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`ART UNIT
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`3616
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`NOTIFICATION DATE
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`DELIVERY MODE
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`05/ 17/2019
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`ELECTRONIC
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`Please find below and/or attached an Office communication concerning this application or proceeding.
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`The time period for reply, if any, is set in the attached communication.
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`Notice of the Office communication was sent electronically on above—indicated "Notification Date" to the
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`following e—mail address(es):
`PATENT @ PARK-LAW. COM
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`PTOL-90A (Rev. 04/07)
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`

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`0/7709 A0170” Summary
`
`Application No.
`15/838,174
`Examiner
`DREW J BROWN
`
`Applicant(s)
`MOON, Geon Woong
`Art Unit
`AIA (FITF) Status
`3616
`Yes
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`- The MAILING DA TE of this communication appears on the cover sheet wit/7 the correspondence address -
`Period for Reply
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`A SHORTENED STATUTORY PERIOD FOR REPLY IS SET TO EXPIRE g MONTHS FROM THE MAILING
`DATE OF THIS COMMUNICATION.
`Extensions of time may be available under the provisions of 37 CFR 1.136(a). In no event, however, may a reply be timely filed after SIX (6) MONTHS from the mailing
`date of this communication.
`|f NO period for reply is specified above, the maximum statutory period will apply and will expire SIX (6) MONTHS from the mailing date of this communication.
`-
`- Failure to reply within the set or extended period for reply will, by statute, cause the application to become ABANDONED (35 U.S.C. § 133).
`Any reply received by the Office later than three months after the mailing date of this communication, even if timely filed, may reduce any earned patent term
`adjustment. See 37 CFR 1.704(b).
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`Status
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`1). Responsive to communication(s) filed on 12/11/17.
`[:1 A declaration(s)/affidavit(s) under 37 CFR 1.130(b) was/were filed on
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`2a)D This action is FINAL.
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`2b)
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`This action is non-final.
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`3)[:] An election was made by the applicant in response to a restriction requirement set forth during the interview on
`; the restriction requirement and election have been incorporated into this action.
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`4)[:] Since this application is in condition for allowance except for formal matters, prosecution as to the merits is
`closed in accordance with the practice under Expat/7e Quay/e, 1935 CD. 11, 453 O.G. 213.
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`Disposition of Claims*
`5)
`Claim(s)
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`1—17 is/are pending in the application.
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`5a) Of the above claim(s)
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`is/are withdrawn from consideration.
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`E] Claim(s)
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`is/are allowed.
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`Claim(s) fl is/are rejected.
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`[:1 Claim(s) _ is/are objected to.
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`) ) ) )
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`6 7
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`8
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`
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`are subject to restriction and/or election requirement
`[j Claim(s)
`9
`* If any claims have been determined aflowabie. you may be eligible to benefit from the Patent Prosecution Highway program at a
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`participating intellectual property office for the corresponding application. For more information, please see
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`http://www.uspto.gov/patents/init events/pph/index.jsp or send an inquiry to PPeredback@uspto.gov.
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`Application Papers
`10)[:] The specification is objected to by the Examiner.
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`11). The drawing(s) filed on 12/11/17 is/are: a). accepted or b)D objected to by the Examiner.
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`Applicant may not request that any objection to the drawing(s) be held in abeyance. See 37 CFR 1.85(a).
`Replacement drawing sheet(s) including the correction is required if the drawing(s) is objected to. See 37 CFR 1.121 (d).
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`Priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119
`12). Acknowledgment is made of a claim for foreign priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119(a)-(d) or (f).
`Certified copies:
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`a). All
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`b)D Some**
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`C)D None of the:
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`1.. Certified copies of the priority documents have been received.
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`2.[:] Certified copies of the priority documents have been received in Application No.
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`3:] Copies of the certified copies of the priority documents have been received in this National Stage
`application from the International Bureau (PCT Rule 17.2(a)).
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`** See the attached detailed Office action for a list of the certified copies not received.
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`Attachment(s)
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`1)
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`Notice of References Cited (PTO-892)
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`Information Disclosure Statement(s) (PTO/SB/08a and/or PTO/SB/08b)
`2)
`Paper No(s)/Mail Date_
`U.S. Patent and Trademark Office
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`3) C] Interview Summary (PTO-413)
`Paper No(s)/Mail Date
`4) CI Other-
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`PTOL-326 (Rev. 11-13)
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`Office Action Summary
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`Part of Paper No./Mai| Date 20190513
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`

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`Application/Control Number: 15/838,174
`Art Unit: 3616
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`Page 2
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`DETAILED ACTION
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`Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
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`The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first
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`inventor to file provisions of the AIA.
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`The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C.112(b):
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`Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
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`(b) CONCLUSION—The s pecification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out
`a nd distinctly cl aimingthe s ubject matter which the inve ntor or a joint inventor regards as the
`invention.
`
`The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C.112(pre-A|A), second paragraph:
`The s pecification s hall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointingout a nd distinctly
`cl a imingthe su bject matter which the applicant regards as his i nvention.
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`Claims 9-12 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA), second paragraph,
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`as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the
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`inventor or a joint inventor, orfor pre-AlAthe applicant regards as the invention.
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`Claim 9 recites the limitation "the second restraint part" in line 5. There is insufficient
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`antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
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`The following is a quotation of the appropriate paragraphs of 35 U.S.C.102 thatform the basis
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`Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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`for the rejections under this section made in this Office action:
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`A person shall be entitled to a patent unless —
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`(a)(1) the claimed i nventionwaspatented, described in a printed publication, or in public use, on sale
`orotherwise availableto the public before the effective filing date ofthe claimed invention.
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`Claim(s) 1-8 and 13-15 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Hiruta
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`et al. (USPub 2016/0023626).
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`With respect to claim 1, Hiruta discloses a curtain airbag cushion (30E) installed on an inner side
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`surface of a vehicle including a first chamber (chamber to right of seam 52 as shown in Figure 11)
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`configured to be inflated and deployed from a collapsed position as gas is injected therein from an
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`

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`Application/Control Number: 15/838,174
`Art Unit: 3616
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`Page 3
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`inflator into an expanded position covering the inner side surface ofthe vehicle; and a first restraint part
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`(52) disposed toward a side of a driver airbag cushion to limit expansion ofthe curtain airbag cushion
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`and form a restraint recess in the curtain airbag cushion toallow the driver airbag (9) cushion to be
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`fitted into the restraint recess such that the first chamber supports the driver airbag cushion in the
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`expanded position [0084].
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`With respect to claim 2, wherein the first restraint pa rt is configured to form the restraint recess
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`in the curtain airbag cushion by preventing inflation in a thickness direction when inflating the curtain
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`airbag cushion into its expanded position (Figure 11).
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`With respect to claim 3, wherein the curtain airbag cushion further includes a second chamber
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`(chamber to the left of seam 52 as shown in Figure 11) partitioned from the first chamber part by the
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`first restraint part and configured to be inflated and deployed when inflating the curtain airbag cushion
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`into its expanded position.
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`With respect to claim 4, wherein the curtain airbag cushion further includes a second restraint
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`part (38) configured to limit an inflation thickness ofthe second chamber.
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`With respect to claim 5, wherein the second chamber pa rt is configured to absorb shock of from
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`a head of an occupant upon a side oblique collision of the vehicle (Figure 3).
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`With respect to claim 6, wherein the air bag cushion as a height H upon complete deployment to
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`the expanded position and the shortest distance between an upper end ofthe first restraint part and an
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`upperjoined portion of the curtain airbag cushion is within a range ofabout H/4 to about H/2 (Fig 11).
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`With respect to claim 7, wherein the shortest distance between a lower end ofthe first restraint
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`part and a lowerjoined portion ofthe curtain airbag cushion is within a range of about H/6 to about H/5
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`(Fig 11).
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`With respect to claim 8, wherein the driver airbag cushion has an inflation thickness V and the
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`shortest distance between the lower end ofthe first restraint pa rt and a front joined portion ofthe
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`curtain airbag cushion is within a range of about V to about 1.4V (Figs 10-11).
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`With respect to claim 13, wherein the first restraint part comprises a first seaming pa rt (Fig 11).
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`With respect to claim 14, wherein the first chamber is disposed at one side ofthe first restraint
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`pa rt and the second chamber is disposed at another side of the first restraint pa rt (Fig 11).
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`With respect to claim 15, wherein the second restraint (38) pa rt comprises a second seaming
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`part(Fig 11).
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`

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`Application/Control Number: 15/838,174
`Art Unit: 3616
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`Page4
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`Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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`The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 103 which forms the basis for all obviousness rejections
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`set forth in this Office action:
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`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, ifthe differences between the claimed inve ntion
`a nd the prior a rt are such that the claimed invention as a whole would h ave been obvious before the
`effective filingdate ofthe claimed invention to a person having ordinarys kill i n the art to which the
`claimed invention pertains. Pa tentabilityshall not be negated bythe manner in which the invention
`was made.
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`Claims 9-12, 16, and 17 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Hiruta
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`et al. in view of Walston (US 7,712,773).
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`Hiruta discloses the claimed invention as discussed above but does not disclose a third restraint
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`part that is configured to limit an inflation thickness of the curtain airbag cushion and is disposed below
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`a B pillar, and wherein the distance in a front-reardirection between the first restraint pa rt and the third
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`restraint pa rt is L, the second restraint pa rt is disposed at a position that is separated from the third
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`restraint pa rt by about L/4 to about L/2. Walston, however, disclose a third seam restraint part (labeled
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`”3rd retraint” in marked-up figure below) disposed below a B pillar (645), where a distance in a front-rear
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`direction between the first restraint part (labeled ”15t retraint” in ma rked-up figure below) and the third
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`restraint pa rt is L, the second restraint pa rt is disposed at a position that is separated from the third
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`restraint pa rt by about L/4 to about L/2. Walston also discloses a second restraint part (labeled ”2nd
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`restraint” in marked-up figure below) disposed at a position that is separated forward by L/3 from the
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`third restraint part, a fourth seam restraint pa rt (labeled ”4th restraint” in marked-up figure below) is
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`configured to limit an inflation thickness of the curtain airbag cushion in front ofthe second restraint
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`pa rt, and wherein the fourth restraint pa rt is disposed at a position that is separated from the second
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`restraint part by about L/4 to about L/2, wherein the fourth restraint part is disposed at a position that is
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`separated from the second restraint pa rt by about L/3. Therefore, it would have been obvious to one
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`having ordinary skill
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`in the art before the invention was filed to modify the invention of Hiruta in view of
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`the teachings of Walston to have other restraint parts as discussed above since it was old and well
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`known in the art to have seams in curtain airbags to separate chambers to control the protection areas,
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`pressure, and volume for optimal protection, and it would have been obvious to arrange the restraint
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`parts as discussed above because it has been held that rearranging parts ofan invention involves only
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`routine skill in the art.
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`

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`Application/Control Number: 15/838,174
`Art Unit: 3616
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`Page 5
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`Application/Control Number: 15/838,174
`Art Unit: 3616
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`Page 6
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`Conclusion
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`Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner
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`should be directed to DREWJ BROWN whose telephone number is (571)272-1362. The exa miner can
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`normally be reached on Monday-Friday.
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`Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a
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`USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use
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`the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/inte rviewpractice.
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`Ifattemptsto reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor,
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`Paul Dickson can be reached on 571-272-7742. The fax phone number for the organization where this
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`application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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`Information rega rdingthe status of an application may be obtained from the Patent Application
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`Information Retrieval (PAIR)system. Status information for published applications may be obtained
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`from either Private PAIR or Public PAIR. Status information for unpublished applications is available
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`through Private PAIR only. For more information about the PAIR system, see http://pair-
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`CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
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`DREW BROWN
`
`Primary Examiner
`Art Unit 3616
`
`/DREWJ BROWN/
`Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3616
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`5/14/19
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`