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 .
Continued Examination Under 37 CFR 1.114
A request for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, including the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e), was filed in this application after final rejection. Since this application is eligible for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114. Applicant's submission filed on 2/20/2026 has been entered.
Claim Status
Claims 1-20 are pending. Claims 1, 11, and 17 are amended. Claims 2-10, 12-16, and 18-20 are previously presented.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claim(s) 1 and 17 have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on any reference applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument. Newly found reference MARTIN (US Pub. No. 2020/0376975) is relied upon to teach the amended recitations of the “recharging unit” as recited in independent claims 1 and 17, and CHEN (CN208615741U; cited on IDS with date 2/25/2026) is relied upon to teach the “ground locking interface unit” and the “base frame”.
Claim Objections
Claims 6-7, 11, and 17 are objected to because of the following informalities:
In claim 6, lines 2-3 include typographical errors, i.e., the inclusion of two closing parentheses.
In claim 7, line 2, “a recharging unit” is recited, and it is not clear if it is referring to the same or different element as “a recharging unit” recited in claim 1. For examination purposes, they are interpreted as referring to the same element. Furthermore, line 3 include a typographical error, i.e., the inclusion of a closing parenthesis.
In claim 11, line 2, --the-- should be inserted before “recharging unit”.
In claim 17, line 12, “the at least one battery pack” lacks antecedent basis.
Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
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.
The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention(s) absent any evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and effective filing dates of each claim that was not commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the later invention in order for the examiner to consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) for any potential 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) prior art against the later invention.
Claim(s) 1-5, 8-9, 11-12, 15, and 17-19 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over KOCH (DE102017215882A1; cited in previous office action; English machine translation was included with previous office action) in view of CHEN (CN208615741U; cited in IDS with date 2/25/2026; English Machine translation is included with office action) and MARTIN (US Pub. No. 2020/0376975).
Regarding claim 1, KOCH discloses a distributed charging system (¶ 0010: flexible charging stations…can be parked and put into operation at predefined points in the public/commercial sector) comprising:
a plurality of transportable charging stations (1, 1a, Fig. 1) and at least one charging station transport unit (13, Fig. 1; ¶ 0026: authorized transport vehicle 13),
wherein the at least one charging station transport unit has at least one lifting mechanism (¶ 0026: crane) adapted to lift at least one charging station deployed on a ground floor (¶ 0005) onto a transport platform of the charging station transport unit for transport to another location (¶ 0026: platform of the transport vehicle),
wherein each transportable charging station has at least one battery pack with rechargeable battery cells (3, Fig. 1) adapted to store electrical energy which is used to charge batteries of electrically powered vehicles connected to charging stations deployed on the ground floor (¶ 0026: The charging station 1a has an electrochemical energy storage device in the form of a battery 3, by means of which a traction energy storage device 4 of an electrically driven passenger car 10 can be charged), and
wherein each portable charging station has a housing that encloses the at least one battery pack (¶ 0026: a housing is implied in order to support the disclosed components of the charging station).
KOCH fails to disclose each portable charging station includes a ground locking interface unit adapted to lock the charging station mechanically and/or electrically to a base frame of the distributed charging system installed on the ground floor, and wherein the base frame is connected to a local and/or public power supply grid to provide electrical current via electrical contacts of the ground locking interface unit and via power supply lines to a battery loading circuitry.
CHEN discloses a portable charging station (4, Fig. 1; ¶ 0037: top of the charging box 4 is provided with a top cover 401, and the sides of the charging box 4 are all equipped with display screens 402, and the bottom of the display screens 402 is provided with charging ports 403) includes a ground locking interface unit (comprising at least 3 and 301 in Fig. 1) adapted to lock the charging station mechanically and/or electrically to a base frame (1, Fig. 1) of the distributed charging system installed on the ground floor (¶ 0033: charging plug 301 is fixedly installed on the bottom of the fixed base plate 3 by bolts. The charging plug 301 is used to connect the charging socket 5 to supply power to the charging box 4. The charging plug 301 is plugged into the charging socket 5; ¶ 0038: bottom surface of the fixed base plate 3 and the top surface of the positioning base plate 2 have the same shape and area, and the four corners of the fixed base plate 3 and the positioning base plate 2 are formed with corresponding bolt holes. This arrangement facilitates the connection and fixation of the fixed base plate 3 and the positioning base plate 2), and
wherein the base frame is connected to a local and/or public power supply grid to provide electrical current via electrical contacts of the ground locking interface unit (¶ 0032: positioning base plate 2 is fixedly connected to the positioning base plate 3 by bolts, and a charging socket 5 for connecting to the external power grid is embedded in the middle of the positioning base plate 2) and via power supply lines (e.g., wires 501, Fig. 4; ¶ 0041: power grid wire 501) to a battery loading circuitry of the transportable charging station deployed on said base frame (¶ 0037: see above; circuitry of charging station 4 which includes charging ports 403, Fig. 1).
It would be obvious to provide the “ground locking interface unit” of CHEN for each portable charging station of KOCH.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to include the ground locking interface unit as recited in order to further deter theft and/or to increase availability of charging power by the connection to the local or public power supply grid.
KOCH as modified by CHEN fails to teach the battery loading circuitry connected to a recharging unit using electrical power generated by the recharging unit to recharge the at least one battery pack enclosed in the housing of the transportable charging station deployed on said base frame.
MARTIN discloses the battery loading circuitry (comprising converter 112 and switch circuit 114 in Fig. 2) connected to a recharging unit (110, Fig. 2; ¶ 0054: stack output signal (e.g., S) may be generated by the fuel cell generator 110 and transferred to the DC boost converter circuit 112) using electrical power generated by the recharging unit to recharge the at least one battery pack (116, Fig. 2; ¶ 0053: generator 100 generally comprises a fuel cell generator 110, a DC boost converter circuit 112, switch circuit 114, a rechargeable energy storage system 116; ¶ 0061: the DC boost converter circuit 112 may also be operational to convert the voltage range of the stack output signal S into the local signal E with a voltage range suitable for recharging the rechargeable energy storage system 116; ¶ 0063: rechargeable energy storage system 116 may implement one or more electrical energy storage devices…the rechargeable energy storage system 116 may be implemented with multiple high-voltage batteries) enclosed in the housing of the transportable charging station deployed on said base frame (¶ 0046: generator 100 and the fuel supply 102 may be mounted in (or on) the mobile chassis 96; ¶ 0049: mobile chassis 96 is generally operational to house the generator 100, the fuel supply 102 and the cables 104a-104n; it is noted that CHEN discloses the transportable charging station is “deployed on said base frame” as described above, and including the recharging unit of MARTIN in the distributed charging system of KOCH as modified by CHEN would provide “the recharging unit to recharge the at least one battery pack enclosed in the housing of the transportable charging station deployed on said base frame”).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to include the battery loading circuitry connected to a recharging unit as recited in order to help reduce costs for EV charging infrastructure deployment; produce less local emission than petroleum-based generators; and/or provide charging stations that provide higher energy density and station refill time than existing battery -based solutions (MARTIN, ¶ 0044).
Regarding claim 2, KOCH as modified by CHEN and MARTIN teaches the distributed charging system as applied to claim 1, but fails to disclose the ground locking interface unit of the transportable charging station comprises a remote-controlled or automatic mechanical locking mechanism adapted to lock the housing of the transportable charging station mechanically to the base frame.
CHEN further discloses the ground locking interface unit of the transportable charging station comprises a mechanical locking mechanism adapted to lock the housing of the transportable charging station mechanically to the base frame (¶ 0032-0033, 0037-0040). It would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the invention to provide the ground locking interface unit comprising an automatic mechanical locking mechanism, since it has been held that broadly providing a mechanical or automatic means to replace manual activity which has accomplished the same result involves only routine skill in the art.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to include the automatic mechanical locking mechanism in order to facilitate installation of the charging station.
Regarding claim 3, KOCH discloses the local power supply grid comprises at least one power generation unit adapted to generate electrical energy locally at the site of the base frame, wherein the locally generated electrical energy is used to charge battery cells of the at least one battery pack of a charging station connected electrically to the local power supply grid via the base frame or to perform load balancing between different charging stations connected via base frames to the local power supply grid and/or wherein the locally generated electrical power is fed into a public power supply grid (¶ 0005, 0011, 0024).
Regarding claim 4, KOCH discloses the power generation unit comprises at least one photovoltaic panel and/or at least one wind turbine (¶ 0005, 0011).
Regarding claim 5, KOCH as modified by CHEN and MARTIN teaches the distributed charging system as applied to claim 1, and KOCH further discloses an integrated controller adapted to communicate with a remote centralized control unit of the distributed charging system via a communication interface to exchange data, in particular to report a status of the charging station connected to said base frame and to signal for a replacement of the respective charging station (¶ 0010).
KOCH as modified by CHEN and MARTIN fails to disclose the base frame comprises the integrated controller.
It would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the invention to provide the integrated controller in the base frame, since it has been held that rearranging parts of an invention involves only routine skill in the art.
Regarding claim 8, KOCH discloses each transportable charging station comprises at least one lifting interface unit provided at the housing of the transportable charging station used by the lifting mechanism of the charging station transport unit or by the lifting mechanism of an actuator of the local power supply grid to lift the charging station on the transport platform of the charging station transport unit for transport to another location (12, Fig. 1; ¶ 0026).
Regarding claim 9, KOCH as modified by CHEN and MARTIN teaches the distributed charging system as applied to claim 8, and KOCH further discloses the lifting interface unit of the charging station comprises a mechanism adapted to [attach] the charging station mechanically to the lifting mechanism of the charging station transport unit or to the lifting mechanism of an actuator provided at the site of the local power supply grid (¶ 0026).
KOCH as modified by CHEN and MARTIN fails to teach the lifting interface unit of the charging station comprises a clamping mechanism adapted to clamp the charging station mechanically to the lifting mechanism of the charging station transport unit.
Official notice was taken that clamping mechanisms were an old and known expedient in the art, and these features are taken to be admitted prior art because applicant either failed to traverse the examiner’s assertion of official notice or applicant’s traverse is not adequate.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to include the clamping mechanism in order to provide increased security for the lifting operation of the lifting mechanism.
Regarding claim 11, KOCH as modified by CHEN and MARTIN teaches the distributed charging system as applied to claim 1, and MARTIN further discloses a recharging unit is adapted to generate electrical power from fluid or gas filled into at least one fluid container integrated in the housing of the transportable charging station or connected to the housing of the transportable charging station, wherein the recharging unit comprises fuel cells adapted to generate locally electrical power to generate power from electrolytes (¶ 0053-0054, 0060-0063).
KOCH as modified by CHEN and MARTIN fails to teach the fuel cells adapted to generate locally electrical power from methanol or a redox-flow battery module.
Official notice is taken that methanol and redox-flow fuel cells were an old and known expedient in the art at the time of the invention.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the invention to have modified the fuel cells of KOCH as modified by CHEN and MARTIN by utilizing a methanol or a redox-flow fuel cell in order to utilize the known characteristics of methanol or a redox-flow fuel cells, such as high energy density or exceptional longevity.
Regarding claim 12, KOCH discloses a control unit of the transportable charging station comprises a communication module for communication with one or more backend servers to provide services, in particular authorization services, electronic payment services, digital streaming, predictive logistic services, predictive maintenance services, intrusion detection services and/or antitheft protection services (¶ 0017-0018, 0026).
Regarding claim 15, KOCH discloses the transportable charging station comprises a sensor-based positioning system used for automatic swapping of the transportable charging station with another transportable charging station carried on the transport platform of the charging station transport unit (¶ 0014, 0017-0018).
Regarding claim 17, KOCH discloses a method for supplying at least one electrically powered vehicle (10, Fig. 1) with electrical power (abstract), the method comprising the steps of:
(a) unloading at least one transportable charging station (1, 1a, Fig. 1) from a transport platform (¶ 0026: platform of the transport vehicle) of a charging station transport unit (13, Fig. 1; ¶ 0026: authorized transport vehicle; ¶ 0010), and
(b) connecting the electrically powered vehicle to a charging connector (2, Fig. 1) of the unloaded charging station to receive electrical power from [a battery] (3, Fig. 1) integrated in a housing of the unloaded charging station (as shown in Fig. 1; ¶ 0026: The charging station 1a has an electrochemical energy storage device in the form of a battery 3, by means of which a traction energy storage device 4 of an electrically driven passenger car 10 can be charged).
KOCH fails to disclose a housing of the charging station comprises a ground locking interface unit used to lock the charging station mechanically to a base frame installed on a ground floor, wherein the ground locking interface unit comprises electrical contacts which connect the charging station electrically to the base frame, and wherein the base frame is connected to a local and/or public power supply grid to provide electrical current via electrical contacts of the ground locking interface unit and via power supply lines to a battery loading circuitry.
CHEN discloses a housing (401, Fig. 1) of the charging station (4, Fig. 1; ¶ 0037: top of the charging box 4 is provided with a top cover 401, and the sides of the charging box 4 are all equipped with display screens 402, and the bottom of the display screens 402 is provided with charging ports 403) comprises a ground locking interface unit (comprising at least 3 and 301 in Fig. 1) used to lock the charging station mechanically to a base frame (1, Fig. 1) installed on a ground floor (¶ 0033: charging plug 301 is fixedly installed on the bottom of the fixed base plate 3 by bolts. The charging plug 301 is used to connect the charging socket 5 to supply power to the charging box 4. The charging plug 301 is plugged into the charging socket 5; ¶ 0038: bottom surface of the fixed base plate 3 and the top surface of the positioning base plate 2 have the same shape and area, and the four corners of the fixed base plate 3 and the positioning base plate 2 are formed with corresponding bolt holes. This arrangement facilitates the connection and fixation of the fixed base plate 3 and the positioning base plate 2),
wherein the ground locking interface unit comprises electrical contacts which connect the charging station electrically to the base frame (¶ 0033: see above; contacts of plug 301), and
wherein the base frame is connected to a local and/or public power supply grid to provide electrical current via electrical contacts of the ground locking interface unit (¶ 0032: positioning base plate 2 is fixedly connected to the positioning base plate 3 by bolts, and a charging socket 5 for connecting to the external power grid is embedded in the middle of the positioning base plate 2) and via power supply lines (e.g., wires 501, Fig. 4; ¶ 0041: power grid wire 501) to a battery loading circuitry (¶ 0037: see above; circuitry of charging station 4 which includes charging ports 403, Fig. 1).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to include the ground locking interface unit as recited in order to further deter theft and/or to increase availability of charging power by the connection to the local or public power supply grid.
KOCH as modified by CHEN fails to teach the unloaded charging station to receive electrical power from battery packs; and the battery loading circuitry connected to a recharging unit using electrical power generated by the recharging unit to recharge the at least one battery pack enclosed in the housing of the transportable charging station deployed on said base frame.
MARTIN discloses the unloaded charging station to receive electrical power from battery packs (¶ 0063: rechargeable energy storage system 116 may implement one or more electrical energy storage devices…the rechargeable energy storage system 116 may be implemented with multiple high-voltage batteries); and the battery loading circuitry (comprising converter 112 and switch circuit 114 in Fig. 2) connected to a recharging unit (110, Fig. 2; ¶ 0054: stack output signal (e.g., S) may be generated by the fuel cell generator 110 and transferred to the DC boost converter circuit 112) using electrical power generated by the recharging unit to recharge the at least one battery pack (116, Fig. 2; ¶ 0053: generator 100 generally comprises a fuel cell generator 110, a DC boost converter circuit 112, switch circuit 114, a rechargeable energy storage system 116; ¶ 0061: the DC boost converter circuit 112 may also be operational to convert the voltage range of the stack output signal S into the local signal E with a voltage range suitable for recharging the rechargeable energy storage system 116; ¶ 0063: see above) enclosed in the housing of the transportable charging station deployed on said base frame (¶ 0046: generator 100 and the fuel supply 102 may be mounted in (or on) the mobile chassis 96; ¶ 0049: mobile chassis 96 is generally operational to house the generator 100, the fuel supply 102 and the cables 104a-104n; it is noted that CHEN discloses the transportable charging station is “deployed on said base frame” as described above, and including the recharging unit of MARTIN in the method of KOCH as modified by CHEN would provide “the recharging unit to recharge the at least one battery pack enclosed in the housing of the transportable charging station deployed on said base frame”).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to include the battery packs and battery loading circuitry connected to a recharging unit as recited in order to help reduce costs for EV charging infrastructure deployment; produce less local emission than petroleum-based generators; and/or provide charging stations that provide higher energy density and station refill time than existing battery-based solutions (MARTIN, ¶ 0044).
Regarding claim 18, KOCH as modified by CHEN and MARTIN teaches a base frame for the distributed charging system as applied to claim 1, and CHEN further teaches the base frame (1, Fig. 1) being installed on ground comprises electrical contacts (at socket 5, Fig. 1) adapted to connect a transportable charging station (4, Fig. 1) via the base frame to a local power supply grid and/or public power supply grid (¶ 0032-0033, 0037-0038, 0041).
Regarding claim 19, KOCH as modified by CHEN and MARTIN teaches the base frame comprises a base plate (CHEN, 2, Fig. 1) adapted to receive and mechanically lock a transportable charging station lowered onto the base plate of the base frame (CHEN, ¶ 0016, 0032, 0038).
Claim(s) 6-7, 13, and 20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over KOCH in view of CHEN and MARTIN as applied to claims 1-5, 8-9, 11-12, 15, and 17-19 above, and further in view of EPSTEIN (US PG Pub 2015/0054460; cited in previous office action).
Regarding claim 6, KOCH as modified by CHEN and MARTIN teaches the distributed charging system as applied to claim 1, but fails to disclose a fluid temperature control unit is adapted to cool or heat a fluid or gas filled into at least one fluid tank installed into ground below the base frame and to supply the transportable charging station locked to said base frame with cooled or heated fluid and/or with cooled or heated gas.
EPSTEIN discloses a fluid temperature control unit (70, Fig. 1; ¶ 0035) is adapted to cool or heat a fluid or gas filled into at least one fluid tank (64, Fig. 1) installed into ground below the base frame and to supply the transportable charging station locked to said base frame with cooled or heated fluid and/or with cooled or heated gas (¶ 0029, 0032-0035).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to include the fluid temperature control unit as recited in order to optimize the recharging rate and temperature control for the onboard electric vehicle batteries (EPSTEIN, ¶ 0019).
Regarding claim 7, KOCH as modified by CHEN, MARTIN, and EPSTEIN teaches the distributed charging system as applied to claim 6 but fails to disclose the base frame comprises a recharging unit adapted to generate electrical power from a fluid or gas filled into one of the fluid tanks installed into ground below the base frame.
MARTIN further discloses the [transportable charging station] comprises a recharging unit (110, Fig. 2) adapted to generate electrical power from a fluid or gas filled into [fluid tanks] (¶ 0046, 0050-0054, 0061). Providing the recharging unit in the base frame and the fluid tanks installed into ground below the base frame would be an obvious rearrangement of parts, and would not provide new or unexpected results.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to include the recharging unit as recited in order to provide an additional source of energy in the charging station.
Regarding claim 13, KOCH as modified by CHEN and MARTIN teaches the distributed charging system as applied to claim 1 but fails to disclose the transportable charging station further comprises an integrated temperature control system adapted to cool or heat components of the transportable charging station, said temperature control system comprising a battery temperature control unit adapted to cool or heat the rechargeable battery cells of the battery packs and/or a fluid temperature control unit adapted to cool or heat a fluid or gas filled into a fluid container of the transportable charging station for supply of the recharging unit of the transportable charging station with cooled or heated fluid and/or with cooled or heated gas and/or a power electronics cooling unit adapted to cool power electronics components of the DC/DC converters.
EPSTEIN discloses the transportable charging station further comprises an integrated temperature control system adapted to cool or heat components of the transportable charging station, said temperature control system comprising a battery temperature control unit adapted to cool or heat the rechargeable battery cells of the battery packs and/or a fluid temperature control unit adapted to cool or heat a fluid or gas filled into a fluid container of the transportable charging station for supply of the recharging unit of the transportable charging station with cooled or heated fluid and/or with cooled or heated gas and/or a power electronics cooling unit adapted to cool power electronics components of the DC/DC converters (¶ 0029, 0032-0035).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to include the integrated temperature control system as recited in order to optimize the recharging rate and temperature control for either one or both of the onboard electric vehicle batteries and the battery bank of the charging station (EPSTEIN, ¶ 0019).
Regarding claim 20, KOCH as modified by CHEN and MARTIN teaches the base frame as applied to claim 18 but fails to disclose the base frame further comprises a controller adapted to control an electrical current flowing via the electrical contacts to the charging station connected electrically and mechanically to said base frame.
EPSTEIN discloses the base frame further comprises a controller (76, Fig. 1) adapted to control an electrical current flowing via the electrical contacts to the charging station connected electrically and mechanically to said base frame (¶ 0042).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to include the base frame comprises a controller as recited in order to provide increased control of the flow of current in the charging system.
Claim(s) 10 and 16 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over KOCH in view of CHEN and MARTIN as applied to claims 1-5, 8-9, 11-12, 15, and 17-19 above, and further in view of WISNIEWSKI (US PG Pub 2014/0217991; cited on IDS; cited in previous office action).
Regarding claim 10, KOCH as modified by CHEN and MARTIN teaches the distributed charging system as applied to claim 1, and KOCH further discloses the lifting mechanism of the charging station transport unit or of the actuator is adapted to lift the transportable housing of the charging station to the transport platform of the charging station transport unit (¶ 0026).
KOCH as modified by CHEN and MARTIN fails to teach a docking frame provided at the transport platform of the charging station transport unit and connected to a transport truck power grid of the charging station transport unit.
WISNIEWSKI teaches a docking frame (comprising at least elements 22, 24, and 26 as shown in Figure 1 and described in ¶ 0015) provided at the transport platform of the charging station transport unit and connected to a transport truck power grid of the charging station transport unit (¶ 0016, 0020-0022).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to include the docking frame as recited in order to keep the vehicle in service for an extended period of time without having to sit idle while the vehicle battery is recharged (WISNIEWSKI, ¶ 0020).
Regarding claim 16, KOCH as modified by CHEN and MARTIN teaches the distributed charging system as applied to claim 1 but fails to teach the transport platform comprises at least one docking frame to receive a transportable charging station, wherein the docking frame provides an electrical connection between a vehicle power grid of the charging station transport unit and the received charging station.
WISNIEWSKI teaches the transport platform comprises at least one docking frame to receive a transportable charging station (comprising at least elements 22, 24, and 26 as shown in Figure 1 and described in ¶ 0015), wherein the docking frame provides an electrical connection between a vehicle power grid of the charging station transport unit and the received charging station (¶ 0016, 0020-0022).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to include the docking frame as recited in order to keep the vehicle in service for an extended period of time without having to sit idle while the vehicle battery is recharged (WISNIEWSKI, ¶ 0020).
Claim(s) 14 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over KOCH in view of CHEN and MARTIN as applied to claims 1-5, 8-9, 11-12, 15, and 17-19 above, and further in view of MARTIN (US PG Pub 2022/0014038; cited in previous office action; hereinafter referred to as MARTIN ‘038).
Regarding claim 14, KOCH as modified by CHEN and MARTIN teaches the distributed charging system as applied to claim 1 but fails to disclose the base frame installed on the ground floor comprises protection barriers protecting the charging station from traffic participants.
MARTIN ‘038 discloses the base frame installed on the ground floor comprises protection barriers protecting the charging station from traffic participants (¶ 0036, 0046: guard rails or parking blocks).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to include the protection barriers in order to prevent damage to the charging station.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MANUEL HERNANDEZ whose telephone number is (571)270-7916. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 9a-5p ET.
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/Manuel Hernandez/Examiner, Art Unit 2859 5/6/2026
/DREW A DUNN/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2859
Prosecution Insights