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 .
Drawings
Figure 1 should be designated by a legend such as --Prior Art-- because only that which is old is illustrated, per pars. 0002-0005 of the printed publication. See MPEP § 608.02(g). Corrected drawings in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d) are required in reply to the Office action to avoid abandonment of the application. The replacement sheet(s) should be labeled “Replacement Sheet” in the page header (as per 37 CFR 1.84(c)) so as not to obstruct any portion of the drawing figures. If the changes are not accepted by the examiner, the applicant will be notified and informed of any required corrective action in the next Office action. The objection to the drawings will not be held in abeyance.
The drawings are objected to as failing to comply with 37 CFR 1.84(p)(5) because they do not include the following reference sign(s) mentioned in the description: paragraph [0081] of the printed publication states: The accommodating mechanism 22 is arranged below the vehicle parked on the parking mechanism 21 and has an opening 221. However, neither 22 nor 221 is depicted in the drawings. Additionally, “opening of the accommodating mechanism” is recited in claim 1 and is required for understanding the invention as claimed. Corrected drawing sheets in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d) are required in reply to the Office action to avoid abandonment of the application. Any amended replacement drawing sheet should include all of the figures appearing on the immediate prior version of the sheet, even if only one figure is being amended. Each drawing sheet submitted after the filing date of an application must be labeled in the top margin as either “Replacement Sheet” or “New Sheet” pursuant to 37 CFR 1.121(d). If the changes are not accepted by the examiner, the applicant will be notified and informed of any required corrective action in the next Office action. The objection to the drawings will not be held in abeyance.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claims 1-10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Claim 1 recites, “… an opening and closing mechanism arranged on the accommodating mechanism and capable of switching between a closed state and an open state relative to the accommodating mechanism, wherein when the opening and closing mechanism is in the open state, the opening of the accommodating mechanism is capable of being opened; and when the opening and closing mechanism is in the closed state, the opening of the accommodating mechanism is capable of being closed …”. The examiner cannot determine the meaning of this limitation(s). This appears to be a superfluous description of a set of doors on a platform opening to reveal an accommodation space beneath, as opposed to an accommodation mechanism. Par. 0082 is illustrative:
… The first parking sub-mechanism 21A and the second parking sub-mechanism 21B are arranged separately from each other, the first parking sub-mechanism 21A may be configured to position two front wheels of the vehicle, while the second parking sub-mechanism 21B may be configured to position two rear wheels of the vehicle, and the accommodating mechanism 22 is naturally formed by the first parking sub-mechanism 21A and the second parking sub-mechanism 21B that are arranged separately from each other.
In order to continue prosecution, the accommodation mechanism will be interpreted as an accommodation space, per par. 0082.
The remainder of the limitation “… when the opening and closing mechanism is in the open state, the opening of the accommodating mechanism is capable of being opened …” and “when the opening and closing mechanism is in the closed state, the opening of the accommodating mechanism is capable of being closed …” does not appear to serve any purpose and therefore introduces a level of ambiguity that muddies the metes and bounds of claims. Par. 0085 is illustrative:
… when the opening and closing mechanism 23 is in the open state, the opening 221 of the accommodating mechanism 22 can be opened …
In order to continue prosecution, the bolded limitations above will be ignored. Claims 9-10 depend from 1 and therefore inherit the same defect. Appropriate correction is required. No new matter may be entered.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
The following is a quotation of the appropriate paragraphs of 35 U.S.C. 102 that form the basis for the rejections under this section made in this Office action:
A person shall be entitled to a patent unless –
(a)(1) the claimed invention was patented, described in a printed publication, or in public use, on sale, or otherwise available to the public before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claim(s) 1-6 and 9-10 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Agassi et al. US 8013571.
Regarding claim 1, Agassi discloses a battery swap platform [col. 7 lines 4-28], comprising:
a parking mechanism configured to park a vehicle [col. 8 lines 52-57. Fig. 16A, translation system moves the vehicle];
an accommodating mechanism [i.e. a space, see above 112 rejection. Fig. 7B, openings 720. Fig. 8B, the space beneath the vehicle indicated as “sliding door fully opened”. Fig. 16A, 1612 the service bay directly below the vehicle], which is arranged below the vehicle parked on the parking mechanism, and which has an opening [Fig. 16A, 1612 sliding door exposes an opening]; and
an opening and closing mechanism [Fig. 16A, 1612 sliding door] arranged on the accommodating mechanism and capable of switching between a closed state and an open state relative to the accommodating mechanism [Fig. 16A, 1612], wherein when the opening and closing mechanism is in the open state, the opening of the accommodating mechanism is capable of being opened; and
when the opening and closing mechanism is in the closed state, the opening of the accommodating mechanism is capable of being closed, and the opening and closing mechanism in the closed state and the parking mechanism form a vehicle passage path, such that the vehicle enters [Fig. 16A, 1636 driver drives into the swap lane] or leaves [Fig. 16B 1634 swap station door closes to allow the vehicle to drive off] the parking mechanism by means of the vehicle passage path [col. 7 lines 29-35, lines 50-57, col. 9 lines 11-18. As seen in Figs. 3 and 4].
Regarding claim 2, Agassi discloses the battery swap platform according to claim 1, wherein the opening and closing mechanism [Fig. 16A, 1612 sliding door] is provided with: a support and guide device [e.g. guide rails 708] arranged on the accommodating mechanism and configured to define a movement path [Fig. 7B, arrow 712]; and two opening and closing devices [Fig. 7B, conveyors 706 and additional conveyor systems 718] respectively arranged on the support and guide device, wherein the two opening and closing devices are movable toward each other along the movement path defined by the support and guide device so that the opening and closing mechanism is switched from the open state to the closed state, or are movable away from each other along the movement path defined by the support and guide device so that the opening and closing mechanism is switched from the closed state to the open state [col. 9 line 62 to col. 10 line 14, col. 10 lines 28-45, col. 11 lines 40-66].
Regarding claim 3, Agassi discloses the battery swap platform according to claim 1, wherein the opening and closing mechanism is provided with: a support and guide device [Fig. 7B, e.g. guide rails 708] arranged on the accommodating mechanism and configured to define a movement path [Fig. 7B, arrow 712]; and one opening and closing device [Fig. 7B, conveyors 706] arranged on the support and guide device, wherein the opening and closing device is movable in a first direction along the movement path defined by the support and guide device so that the opening and closing mechanism is switched from the open state to the closed state, or is movable in a second direction opposite to the first direction along the movement path defined by the support and guide device so that the opening and closing mechanism is switched from the closed state to the open state [col. 9 line 62 to col. 10 line 14].
Regarding claim 4, Agassi discloses the battery swap platform according to claim 2, wherein the support and guide device comprises two sliding rails [Fig. 7B, e.g. guide rails 708] which are respectively arranged on two opposite sides of the opening of the accommodating mechanism, and the opening and closing device(s) [Fig. 7B, conveyors 706 and additional conveyor systems 718] straddle(s) the two sliding rails; and the opening and closing mechanism further comprises a driving device configured to drive the opening and closing device(s) to slide along the movement path defined by the support and guide device [as shown in Figs. 7A, 7B. Col. 10 lines 28-45].
Regarding claim 5, Agassi discloses the battery swap platform according to claim 2, wherein the opening and closing device comprises a single-layer door body [Fig. 8B, door 704. Col. 9 lines 62-67].
Regarding claim 6, Agassi discloses the battery swap platform according to claim 2, wherein the opening and closing device comprises: a fixed door body [Fig. 8B, door 704] fixedly arranged on the support and guide device [rails 708]; and a linkage door body [Fig. 7A, linkage shown connected to the bottom of the door 704] arranged on the fixed door body and the support and guide device, wherein the linkage door body is slidable along the movement path defined by the support and guide device so that the opening and closing device is brought into a retracted state or in an extended state, and when the opening and closing device is in the retracted state, the opening and closing mechanism is in the open state, or when the opening and closing device is in the extended state, the opening and closing mechanism is in the closed state [Fig. 7A, linkage shown connected to the bottom of the door 704 to effectuate opening and closing of the door. Col. 9 lines 62-67].
Regarding claim 9, Agassi discloses a battery swap station, comprising: a battery swap platform [swap station 604] according to claim 1 configured to mount or dismount a battery on or from a vehicle; a battery storage mechanism [e.g. warehouse 204] configured to store the battery; and a battery docking mechanism [e.g. robotic mechanism 910] configured to connect the battery swap platform to the battery storage mechanism, and to convey the battery between the battery swap platform and the battery storage mechanism [col. 8 lines 57-66, col. 13 lines 18-48].
Regarding claim 10, Agassi discloses a battery swap method applied to a battery swap platform according to claim 1, the method comprising: controlling the opening and closing mechanism into the closed state, such that the opening and closing mechanism in the closed state and the parking mechanism form a vehicle passage path for allowing a vehicle to enter the parking mechanism; controlling the opening and closing mechanism to switch from the closed state to the open state after the vehicle is parked on the parking mechanism, such that a battery mounting/dismounting mechanism arranged in the accommodating mechanism performs a battery mounting/dismounting operation for the vehicle parked on the parking mechanism; and controlling the opening and closing mechanism to switch from the open state to the closed state after the battery mounting/dismounting operation is completed, such that the opening and closing mechanism in the closed state and the parking mechanism form a vehicle passage path again for allowing the vehicle to leave the parking mechanism [as outlined in the flowcharts of Figs 16A and 16B].
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 7-8 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but may be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims; as well as satisfactorily curing the 112 defect(s) of claim 1.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter:
The prior art does not disclose or suggest, “7. The battery swap platform according to claim 6, wherein when the opening and closing device is in the retracted state, the linkage door body is superposed above the fixed door body and completely covers the fixed door body”. Claim 8 depends from 7 and would be allowable for the same reasons.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to RICHARD V MURALIDAR whose telephone number is (571)272-8933. The examiner can normally be reached M - W 9:30 am to 6:30 PM.
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RICHARD V. MURALIDAR
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 2859
/RICHARD V MURALIDAR/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2859