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 .
This is the First Office Action on the merits of Application No. 17/737927, filed on 05/05/2022. Claims 1-17 are still pending in the application.
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.
(a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claim(s) 1-4, 9, 13, 16 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102 (a)(1)/(a)(2) as being anticipated by US Patent Application Publication No. 2019/0047816 to Madera (henceforth referred to as Madera).
Regarding claims 1-4, 9, Madera discloses an elevator system (i.e. Title), comprising:
an elevator car (i.e. Fig. 1, ref. 3) that is configured for movement along a path (i.e. Fig. 1, ref. 2);
an elevator car power supply (i.e. Fig. 1, ref. 11’, 11’’, 15, 4, 4’’) supported for movement with the elevator car, the power supply including a plurality of power sources (i.e. Fig. 1, ref. 4’, 4’’) and
an exchange station (i.e. Fig. 1, ref. 10) near the path and configured to
remove, from the elevator car power supply, a selected number of the power sources (i.e. Fig. 1b-Fig. 1c, removal of ref. 4’) that have a capacity below a selected level and
replace each of the removed number of the power sources with a replacement power source having a capacity above the selected level (i.e. Fig. 1b-1c, replacement of ref. 4’’).
Wherein the elevator car power supply includes a rack (i.e. Fig. 1, ref. 11’, 11’’),
each of the power sources is at least partially received by a compartment (i.e. each of ref. 11’ and 11’’ considered separate compartments) of the rack, and
each compartment includes an interface that is configured to establish an electrically conductive connection (i.e. paragraph 0033: “an energy transferred connection between the second supply unit 4” and the second car unit 11’’) with the power source received by the compartment.
Wherein each compartment includes a retainer (i.e. Fig. 1, ref. 15 within ref. 11’, 11’’) that is configured to secure the power source relative to the compartment to maintain the electrically conductive connection with the power source.
Wherein the exchange station includes at least one coupling device (i.e. Fig. 1, ref. 14’ 14’’) configured to remove the selected number of power sources that have the capacity below the selected level from the elevator car power supply,
place each removed power source in a selected location (i.e. Fig. 1, ref. 12’) on the exchange station where the capacity of the power source can be increased above the selected level,
select the replacement power source (i.e. Fig. 1, ref. 4’’) from the exchange station for each removed power source, and
place each replacement power source into a position on the elevator car power supply (i.e. Fig. 1c, ref. 4’’) previously occupied by the corresponding removed power source.
Wherein the elevator car includes a cab and the elevator car power supply is situated beneath the cab (i.e. Fig. 1, ref. 11’’ is located beneath ref. 3).
Regarding claims 13, 16, Madera discloses a method, comprising:
controlling movement of an elevator car (i.e. Fig. 1, ref. 3) along a path (i.e. Fig. 1, ref. 2), wherein an elevator car power supply (i.e. Fig. 1, ref. 11’, 11’’, 15, 4, 4’’) moves with the elevator car, the power supply including a plurality of power sources (i.e. Fig. 1, ref. 4’ 4’’);
determining that at least one of the plurality of power sources has a capacity below a selected level (i.e. paragraph 0029: “… energy stored in the supply units is finite. For the purpose of charging the supply units the latter are removed from the car 3 and transferred…”);
causing the elevator car to move such that the elevator car power supply is adjacent an exchange station (i.e. Fig. 1, ref. 10);
removing, from the elevator car power supply, a selected number of the power sources that have the capacity below the selected level ; (i.e. Fig. 1b-1c, removing ref. 4’) and
replacing each of the removed number of the power sources with a replacement source having a capacity above the selected level (i.e. Fig. 1b-1c, replacement of ref. 4’’).
Wherein the elevator car includes a cab and the elevator car power supply is situated beneath the cab (i.e. Fig. 1, ref. 11’’ is located beneath ref. 3).
Claim(s) 1-9, 13-15 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by CN 1133415699 to Huang et al (henceforth referred to as Huang).
Regarding claims 1-9, Huang discloses an elevator system, comprising:
an elevator car (i.e. Mark up of Fig. 1, car) that is configured for movement along a path (i.e. Mark up of Fig. 1, shaft);
an elevator car power supply supported for movement with the elevator car, the power supply including a plurality of power sources (i.e. Mark up of Fig. 1, power sources) and
an exchange station (i.e. Mark up of Fig. 1, exchange station) near the path and configured to
remove, from the elevator car power supply, a selected number of the power sources (i.e. Fig. 1-Fig. 2, removing of battery B) that have a capacity below a selected level and
replace each of the removed number of the power sources with a replacement power source having a capacity above the selected level (i.e. Fig. 1-Fig. 3, replacement of battery A).
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Wherein the elevator power supply includes a rack, each of the power sources is at least partially received by a compartment (i.e. Mark up of Fig. 1, rack/compartment) of the rack, and
each compartment incudes an interface that is configured to establish an electrically conductive connection with the power source received by the compartment (i.e. Page 6, working process A): “battery monitor detects the battery A is connected successfully, and sends a connection success signal”).
Wherein each compartment includes a retainer (i.e. Page 6, working process D): “battery holder A”) that is configured to secure the power source relative to the compartment to maintain the electrically conductive connection with the power source.
Wherein the exchange station includes at least one coupling device (i.e. Page 5, fourth paragraph: “the battery gripper”) configured to remove the selected number of power sources that have the capacity below the selected level from the elevator car power supply (i.e. Page 6, working process A): “… the battery monitor determines that the battery pack is a deficient battery pack…”),
remove the selected number of power sources that have the capacity below the selected level from the elevator power supply (i.e. Fig. 1-Fig. 2, removing battery B),
place each removed power source in a selected location on the exchange station where the capacity of the power source can be increased above the selected level ( i.e. Page 6, working process H): “the charger charges the deficient battery pack”),
select the replacement power source from the exchange station for each removed power source, and
place each replacement power source into a position on the elevator car power supply previously occupied by the corresponding removed power source (i.e. Fig. 1-Fig. 3, replacement of battery A).
Comprising a capacity detector (i.e. Page 6, working process A): “when the battery capacity is reduced to the set threshold, the battery monitor determines that the battery pack is a deficient battery pack”) that detects the capacity of each of the power sources of the elevator car power supply and provides an indication regarding the detected capacity, and
a controller that controls when the exchange station removes the selected number of power sources from the elevator car power supply (i.e. Page 6, working process B): “the main control system after receiving the battery capacity deficiency signal… the elevator car stops at the optimal battery replacing floor”).
Comprising a vertical motion and dispatching controller that receives an indication from at least one of the capacity detector and the controller , wherein the vertical motion and dispatching controller directs the elevator car to travel to the exchange station when the indication from the capacity detector corresponds to a need to remove and replace the selected number of the power sources (i.e. Page 6, working process B): “the main control system after receiving the battery capacity deficiency signal… the elevator car stops at the optimal battery replacing floor”).
Wherein the elevator car includes a top, a bottom, and sides between the top and the bottom; and
the elevator car power supply is supported on at least one of the sides of the elevator car (i.e. Page 5, paragraph 8: “battery fixing base: installed on the back or side of the car; the function is fixing the storage battery group”).
Wherein the car is cantilevered on one of the sides, and
the elevator car power supply is supported on one of the sides (i.e. Fig. 1 and Page 5, paragraph 8: “battery fixing base: installed on the back or side of the car; the function is fixing the storage battery group”).
Regarding claims 13-15, Huang discloses a method, comprising: controlling movement of the elevator car along a path, wherein an elevator car power supply moves with the elevator car (i.e. See Mark up of Fig. 1), the power supply includes a plurality of power sources (i.e. See Mark up of Fig. 1);
determining that at least one of the plurality of power sources has a capacity below a selected level (i.e. Page 6, working process A): “when the battery capacity is reduced to the set threshold, the battery monitor determines that the battery pack is a deficient battery pack”);
causing the elevator car to move such that the elevator car power supply is adjacent an exchange station (i.e. See Mark up of Fig. 1);
removing, from the elevator car power supply, a selected number of the power sources that have the capacity below the selected level (i.e. Fig. 1-Fig. 2, removing battery B); and
replacing each of the removed number of the power sources with a replacement power source having a capacity above the selected level (i.e. Fig. 1-Fig. 3, replacement of battery A).
Wherein the elevator car includes a top, a bottom, and sides between the top and the bottom; and
the elevator car power supply is supported on at least one of the sides of the elevator car (i.e. Page 5, paragraph 8: “battery fixing base: installed on the back or side of the car; the function is fixing the storage battery group”).
Wherein the car is cantilevered on one of the sides, and
the elevator car power supply is supported on one of the sides (i.e. Fig. 1 and Page 5, paragraph 8: “battery fixing base: installed on the back or side of the car; the function is fixing the storage battery group”).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 10-12 and 17 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.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
US Patent Application Publication No. 2019/0144242 to Shijo teaches an elevator battery charging station;
US Patent No. 7,896,137 to Ishikawa teaches an elevator battery charging station;
US Patent No. 6,408,986 to Ayano et al teaches an elevator battery charging station;
US Patent No. 11,970,369 to Roberts et al teaches a multi shaft and multi elevator charging station;
US Patent No. 10,246,301 to Dominguez et al teaches a battery pack replacement method.
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/DIEM M TRAN/Examiner, Art Unit 3654