DETAILED ACTION
Examiner acknowledges receipt of amendment to application 18/069,742 filed on December 9, 2025. The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
Status of Claims
Claims 1-20 are still pending, with claims 1, 10, 17-18 and 20 being currently amended.
Response to Arguments
On page 9 of the remarks filed December 9, 2025, Applicant argues:
In specific, amended claim 1 requires (1) vehicle information and the charging request being transmitted by a railway signal system; and
(2) determining the pantograph charger according to the vehicle information of the railway vehicle and then controlling that pantograph charger. The railway signal system orchestrates charging logistics and communications handoff. The present subject matter consistently implements a signal/ATS system that reserves charging spaces, transmits vehicle information and charging request to the ground charging controller, and gates pantograph operations.
Chen discloses a local "charging bow/arch" system that uses RFID to identify a vehicle and lower a copper bar. It interacts directly with the vehicle. Chen neither discloses a railway signal system transmitting vehicle information or charging requests, nor determining chargers based on moving direction and compartment/grouping.
Examiner respectfully disagrees. Though Examiner agrees that Chen does not explicitly disclose a “railway signal system”, Chen does disclose transmitting vehicle information and charging requests:
“communication component for receiving the vehicle sends charging request, and sends the charging request to the controller; controller, used for receiving the charging request, control the telescopic mechanism moves downwards to make the telescopic mechanism drives the charging copper bar is reduced” [pars. 41-42]
“when the vehicle and the vehicle charging arch establishing communication connection, the vehicle can sends charging request to vehicle charging arch and content, to make the vehicle charging of the pantograph bow head 120 to the vehicle for charging” [par. 92];
“wherein, in said charging request carries with residual electric quantity information of the vehicle” [par. 97] .
Thus, the vehicle transmits a charging request, which is received by the charging arc.
As for “determining chargers based on moving direction and compartment/grouping, this is not recited in claim 1. Rather, this limitation is recited in claim 2 and independent claims 17 and 18, all of which were indicated as allowable.
As for Applicant’s arguments regarding Barbee, Barbee was relied on for teaching in an analogous reference (same field of art, charging for a pantograph vehicle) the use of rail infrastructure. Applicant’s arguments against Barbee for not teaching the features that were already taught by Chen are therefore irrelevant. Examiner notes in response to applicant's arguments against the references individually, one cannot show nonobviousness by attacking references individually where the rejections are based on combinations of references. See In re Keller, 642 F.2d 413, 208 USPQ 871 (CCPA 1981); In re Merck & Co., 800 F.2d 1091, 231 USPQ 375 (Fed. Cir. 1986).
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.
Claims 1, 3, 5, 8, 10 and 16 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Chen et al. Chinese Publication CN 107230355 A in view of Barbee et al. US PGPUB 2013/0167752. (It is noted that the Chen citations are taken from the machine translation, until a translation is obtained.)
Regarding claim 1, Chen discloses a vehicle charging control method [abs.], comprising the following steps:
receiving vehicle information of the vehicle and a charging request transmitted by a signal system [pars. 40-41 & 92-97; a vehicle charging request and information (residual energy) is sent to a charging arch];
establishing wireless communication connection with a vehicle control unit of the vehicle according to the vehicle information of the vehicle [par. 74; communication parts on the vehicle and the arch facilitate communication regarding charging]
determining, according to the vehicle information of the vehicle, a pantograph charger corresponding to the vehicle [pars. 73-75; a communication address corresponding to the charging arc is determined to set up communication based on the vehicle information, thus a pantograph charger corresponding to the vehicle is determined];
controlling the pantograph charger corresponding to the vehicle to descend [pars. 41-45 & 94-97; the charging arch has a telescopic mechanism allowing the arch to move downward]; and
controlling, according to the charging request, to start charging the vehicle [par. 104].
Chen does not explicitly disclose the vehicle is a railway vehicle or that the signal system is a railway signal system.
However, Barbee discloses a charging system for a pantograph vehicle [fig. 11; pars. 33-39] wherein the vehicle is a railway vehicle [par. 33-39] and the signal system is a railway signal system [par. 82]
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Chen to further include the vehicle is a railway vehicle and the signal system is a railway signal system for the purpose of utilizing electric vehicle technologies to reduce the emissions of a train, as taught by Barbee (pars. 3-4).
Regarding claim 3, Chen discloses wherein the step of controlling the pantograph charger corresponding to the railway vehicle to descend comprises: controlling the pantograph charger corresponding to the railway vehicle to descend [pars. 41 & 96-97, the charging copper bar is lowered (“reduced”, see also claim 7)], the pantograph charger corresponding to the vehicle being a pantograph charger that corresponds to each compartment of the vehicle and is arranged conforming to the moving direction [pars. 92-97; the pantograph charges the vehicle (which may have just one compartment) when the vehicle is in the charging position, and thus is arranged according to the moving direction of the vehicle as it parks].
Regarding claim 5, Chen does not explicitly disclose wherein the vehicle information further comprises residual capacity information of each compartment, and the step of controlling, according to the charging request, to start charging the railway vehicle comprises: determining a to-be-charged compartment of the railway vehicle according to the residual capacity information of each compartment; and controlling, according to the charging request, to start charging the to-be-charged compartment of the railway vehicle.
However, Barbee further discloses a railway vehicle with a plurality of compartments wherein the vehicle information further comprises residual capacity information of each compartment [figs. 9a-9b, each railcar 902 and 904 has a battery assembly and BMS which monitors the state of charge of the battery], and the step of controlling, according to the charging request, to start charging the railway vehicle comprises: determining a to-be-charged compartment of the railway vehicle according to the residual capacity information of each compartment; and controlling, according to the charging request, to start charging the to-be-charged compartment of the railway vehicle [fig. 11; pars. 33-39 & 82; a particular amount is determined for charging for each battery based on the current state of charge, the charging can be done via pantograph].
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Chen to further include wherein the vehicle information further comprises residual capacity information of each compartment, and the step of controlling, according to the charging request, to start charging the railway vehicle comprises: determining a to-be-charged compartment of the railway vehicle according to the residual capacity information of each compartment; and controlling, according to the charging request, to start charging the to-be-charged compartment of the railway vehicle for the purpose of keeping the batteries of each locomotive within a particular charge range, as taught by Barbee (par. 36).
Regarding claim 8, Chen discloses, wherein the vehicle information further comprises residual capacity information of each compartment, and the step of controlling the pantograph charger corresponding to the railway vehicle to descend and controlling the pantograph charger that corresponds to the to-be charged compartment of the railway vehicle and is arranged conforming to the moving direction of the railway vehicle to descend [pars. 41 & 96-97, the charging copper bar is lowered (“reduced”, see also claim 7)].
Chen does not explicitly disclose determining a to-be-charged compartment of the railway vehicle according to residual capacity information of each compartment of the railway vehicle.
However, Barbee discloses a railway vehicle with a plurality of compartments wherein the vehicle information further comprises residual capacity information of each compartment [figs. 9a-9b, each railcar 902 and 904 has a battery assembly and BMS which monitors the state of charge of the battery] which determines a to-be-charged compartment of the railway vehicle according to residual capacity information of each compartment of the railway vehicle [fig. 11; pars. 33-39 & 82; a particular amount is determined for charging for each battery based on the current state of charge, the charging can be done via pantograph].
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Chen to further include determining a to-be-charged compartment of the railway vehicle according to residual capacity information of each compartment of the railway vehicle for the purpose of keeping the batteries of each locomotive within a particular charge range, as taught by Barbee (par. 36).
Regarding claim 10, Chen discloses further comprising: controlling the pantograph charger to ascend in response to that the charging of the railway vehicle is ended, and transmitting status information indicating that the pantograph charger is ascended to the vehicle control unit and the signal system [pars. 113-114].
Barbee as applied in claim 1 discloses the signal system is a railway signal system [par. 82].
Regarding claim 16, Chen discloses wherein after the step of controlling the pantograph charger to descend, the method further comprises: determining, through a pressure signal, a distance signal, or an electrical signal, whether pantograph descending is in place [pars. 45-47].
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 2, 4, 6-7 and 11-15 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.
Claims 17-20 are allowed.
With respect to claim 2, the following is an examiner's statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter: the prior art fails to further teach or suggest “a moving direction and a vehicle identification number of the railway vehicle, and the step of determining, according to the vehicle information of the railway vehicle, a pantograph charger corresponding to the railway vehicle comprises: determining, according to the vehicle identification number of the railway vehicle, a pantograph charger corresponding to each compartment of the railway vehicle; determining, according to a moving direction of the railway vehicle, a pantograph charger arranged conforming to the moving direction of the railway vehicle; and determining the pantograph charger corresponding to the railway vehicle, the pantograph charger corresponding to the railway vehicle being a pantograph charger that corresponds to each compartment of the railway vehicle and is arranged conforming to the moving direction” in combination with all the other elements recited in claim 2 and claim 1 from which claim 2 depends.
Claims 4, 6, 7, 9, 12 and 14, being dependent on claim 2, would be allowable for the same reasons as claim 2.
With respect to claim 11, the following is an examiner's statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter: the prior art fails to further teach or suggest “wherein the vehicle information further comprises distribution information of a current receiver, the moving direction of the railway vehicle comprises an up direction and a down direction, and the step of determining a pantograph charger corresponding to the railway vehicle comprises: in response to that the current receiver of the railway vehicle is symmetrically arranged about a center line of the railway vehicle in a lengthwise direction, the pantograph charger corresponding to each compartment of the railway vehicle in the up direction being the same as the pantograph charger corresponding to each compartment of the railway vehicle in the down direction” in combination with all the other elements recited in claim 11 and claim 1 from which claim 11 depends.
Claims 13-15 recite similar limitations as claim 11, and would therefore be allowable for the same reasons as claim 11.
With respect to claim 17, the following is an examiner's statement of reasons for allowance: the prior art fails to further teach or suggest “transmitting location information and residual capacity information of a railway vehicle to a signal system; receiving an address of a reserved charging parking space of the railway vehicle transmitted by the signal system, and controlling the railway vehicle to move to the reserved charging parking space, the address of the reserved charging parking space being determined by the signal system according to the residual capacity information, the location information and a moving plan of the railway vehicle; and receiving a wireless communication connection request initiated by a ground charging controller, and establishing wireless communication connection with the charging controller, wherein the charging controller is arranged corresponding to the reserved charging parking space of the railway vehicle” in combination with all the other elements recited in claim 17.
With respect to claim 18, the following is an examiner's statement of reasons for allowance: the prior art fails to further teach or suggest “obtaining, by a signal system, location information and residual capacity information of a railway vehicle, determining an address of a reserved charging parking space of the railway vehicle according to the residual capacity information, the location information and a moving plan of the railway vehicle, and transmitting the address of the reserved charging parking space to a vehicle control unit of the railway vehicle; receiving, by the vehicle control unit, the address of the reserved charging parking space of the railway vehicle transmitted by the signal system, and controlling the railway vehicle to move to the reserved charging parking space; transmitting, by the signal system, vehicle information of the railway vehicle and a charging request to a ground charging controller, the ground charging controller being arranged corresponding to the reserved charging parking space of the railway vehicle” in combination with all the other elements recited in claim 18.
Claims 19-20, being dependent on claim 18, are allowable for the same reasons as claim 18.
Conclusion
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to DAVID V HENZE whose telephone number is (571)272-3317. The examiner can normally be reached M to F, 9am to 7pm.
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/DAVID V HENZE/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2859