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 .
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.
Claim(s) 1-3 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Herman et al. (US 2020/0141174) in view of Provencher et al.(US 2018/0013311) and further in view of Hall et al. (US 2018/0283100) or Paulson et al. (US 4,622,788).
Regarding claim 1, Herman et al. teaches a power feeding system feeding power to a vehicle equipped with a battery, the power feeding system comprising: an accommodation portion and configured to accommodate the vehicle (see fig. 2); a power feeding unit (coil or RF, wireless charging of 64, para 0040) configured to feed power to the battery of the vehicle accommodated in the accommodation portion; a power feeding controller (para 0040) configured to control the power feeding to the battery by the power feeding unit; and a temperature sensor (96) configured to detect temperature inside the accommodation portion,
wherein the power feeding controller is configured to control the power feeding to the battery (see 0039-0040).
Herman fails to teach a power controller which uses temperature detected by the sensor in regulating or control power feeding to the battery.
Provencher et al. teaches a battery management method in (see fig. 4) and (in see para 0020, 0024-0033, 0038) wherein temperature sensors sensing ambient environment can be determined and used in determining whether to charge a battery to keep it warm.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate the teaching of using a temperature sensor in regulating that of a battery to operate loads efficiently and maintain long term operability of batteries without damaging the battery earlier than expected.
The combination fails to teach heat insulation in an accommodation means.
Paulson teaches a building structure with a heat insulation means (see 15 of figs, col 3)
Hall et al. teaches an accommodation unit in (see para 0036, 0038) with heat insulation.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate the teaching of either Paulson or Hall into the combination for the advantage of using heat insulators which is to keep homes or enclosures warm when enclosures are heated and to reduce utility bills in a cold environment.
Regarding claim 2, The combination teaches in (see para 0026 of Provencher et al.) wherein the power feeding controller is configured to instruct the power feeding unit to stop the power feeding to the battery in a case where the temperature detected by the temperature sensor is higher than an upper limit of the temperature range.
Regarding claim 3, The combination teaches in (see para 0025, 0026 of Provencher et al.) teaches wherein the power feeding controller is configured to instruct the power feeding unit to start the power feeding to the battery in a case where the temperature detected by the temperature sensor is lower than a lower limit of the temperature range.
Claim(s) 4 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Herman et al. (US 2020/0141174) in view of Provencher et al.(US 2018/0013311) and further in view of Hall et al. (US 2018/0283100) or Paulson et al. (US 4,622,788) and further in view of Nakamura et al. (US 2021/0061129).
Regarding claim 4, The combination fails to teach the claimed subject matter comprising wherein the power feeding controller is configured to output a signal instructing discharge of the battery to be started in a case where the temperature detected by the temperature sensor is lower than a lower limit of the temperature range and a charging rate of the battery is higher than a predetermined threshold.
Nakamura teaches a power management wherein a controller is configured to output a signal instructing discharge of the battery to be started in a case where the temperature detected by the temperature sensor is lower than a lower limit of the temperature range and a charging rate of the battery is higher than a predetermined threshold (see claims 3, 7, abstract, para 0014, 0021, 0080, 0087). The disclosure of Nakamura seems to disclose that for instance if the temperature of a battery is lower than a certain threshold and also, the SOC is low then, the battery would be stop from discharging, however if greater it would be allowed to discharge to compensate for the low temperature.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate the teaching of Nakamura into the combination thus making it possible to increase output performance based on (see para 0008 of Nakamura et al.).
Claim 5 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Herman et al. (US 2020/0141174) in view of Provencher et al..
Regarding claim 5, The combination teaches a temperature sensor in (see 96 of fig. 2 and para 0046 of Herman et al.).
However, the combination fails to wherein the temperature sensor is installed at a position in the accommodation portion closer to a ceiling wall of the accommodation portion than to a floor surface of the accommodation portion.
Zribi teaches an accommodation unit wherein a temperature sensor can be installed in see para 0066) in a ceiling of an enclosure.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate the teaching of Zribi et al. thus making it possible to place a temperature sensor in a location to avoid interference or tampering by intruders or children.
Claims 6-8 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Herman et al. (US 2020/0141174) in view of Provencher et al..
Regarding claims 6-8, The combination fails to teach explicitly the claimed subject matter comprising: the power feeding unit includes a coil unit installed on a floor surface of the accommodation portion and configured to wirelessly transmit power to the battery; wherein the coil unit is exposed in the accommodation portion from the floor surface and wherein the power feeding unit further includes a power transmission circuit unit electrically connected to the coil unit and configured to transmit power to the coil unit, and the power transmission circuit unit is installed at a position in the accommodation portion closer to the floor surface than to a ceiling wall of the accommodation portion.
Maekawa et al. teaches in (see figs. 1-2 and see para 0130) with circuitry components in (see 10 of fig. 2) with various elements in the vicinity of the floor to provide power feeding. Note that the power feeding coil structure if applied on a surface in the accommodating unit of Herman et al. assuming it’s a garage would be closer to the floor than the ceiling of the garage.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate the teaching of Maekawa into the combination thus making it possible to repair and maintain power feeding assemblies more effectively.
Claim(s) 9-10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Herman et al. (US 2020/0141174) in view of Provencher et al. (US 2018/0013311) and further in view of Hall et al. (US 2018/0283100) or Paulson et al. (US 4,622,788) and further in view of Maekawa et al. (US 2016/0013664) and further in view Teggatz (US 2013/0181724).
Regarding claims 9-10, see the explanation as set forth regarding placing the power feeding transmitter on the floor on a space or enclosure.
The combination fails to teach the claimed subject matter of claims 9-10.
Teggatz in (see fig. 13) teaches a plurality of transmitters (1312s) wherein a temperature sensor (1314) can be placed in between the plurality of transmitters. If installed on a floor surface as taught by the combination such as taught Maekawa would be installed on a floor surface.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to incorporate the teaching of Teggatz into the combination thus making it possible to make any preprogrammed decisions based on sensed temperature in making sure power transfer is effective.
Claim(s) 11 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Herman et al. (US 2020/0141174) in view of Provencher et al..
Regarding claim 11, The combination fails to teach the subject matter further comprising a guidance controller configured to guide the vehicle into the accommodation portion, wherein the accommodation portion is provided with an opening portion configured for the vehicle to be capable of passing through the opening portion, a door portion configured to be capable of opening and closing the opening portion, and a passage sensor configured to detect whether or not the vehicle has passed through the opening portion, and the guidance controller is configured to control the door portion to be opened when the vehicle enters the accommodation portion from the opening portion and control the door portion to be closed when the passage sensor has detected that the vehicle has passed through the opening portion.
Lin teaches an automatic garage door control device in (see abstract, figs. 1-3) wherein a motion sensor, garage door entry sensor and a controller can control the opening and closing of a garage door in (see disclosure).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate the teaching of Lin into the combination thus making it possible to control a garage door effectively without manual intervention for a vehicle entering or exiting.
Conclusion
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/REXFORD N BARNIE/ Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2836
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