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 .
The reply filed on February 11, 2026 is not fully responsive to the prior Office action because applicant failed to correct and/or respond to the 35 USC 112 rejection of claims 23 and 24, which remain rejected in this office action.
Claim Objections
Claim 4 is objected to because of the following informalities:
In claim 4, line 1, “The truck claim 1” should be “The truck of claim 1”. Appropriate correction is required.
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.
Claims 23 and 24 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 23 recites “a battery management system”. However, it is unclear whether or not this battery management system is the same as that recited in claim 1.
Claim 24, which depends from claim 23, also recites “the battery management system”. It is unclear whether this term refers back to the “battery management system” recited in claim 23 or that recited in claim 1.
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 – 5, 7, 8 and 10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over patent application publication number US Pub 2017/0072808 A1 to Caldeira et al. (hereinafter referred to as Caldeira), in view of Chinese patent document number CN 110035946 A to Drewes..
Regarding claims 1 – 5, 7, 8 and 10 Caldeira discloses:
[Claim 1] a truck (102 and 104) comprising:
a tractor unit (tracked tractor type vehicle, Paragraph [0088]); and
a trailer (towable trailer 102) coupled to the tractor unit (vehicle 104; note that the tractor appears to be outside of the scope of the claimed trailer, see discussion in the 35 USC 112b section above),
the tractor unit comprising:
an electric or hybrid electric powertrain (electric vehicle or hybrid vehicle 104; Paragraph [0036]); and
a control system (drivetrain 112 and charge/discharge circuitry 128) for controlling the powertrain;
the trailer comprising:
a trailer battery (batteries 106), the trailer battery is arranged to provide power to the powertrain under control of the control system (See Fig. 1B), the control system comprising a control module (charge/discharge circuitry 128) arranged to provide signals for controlling the trailer battery and the trailer battery comprising a battery management system (control system 116 and battery monitoring system 236) arranged to receive the control signals and to control the trailer battery in dependence thereon (Fig. 1B); and
trailer wheels (one or more wheels 120).
However, Caldeira does not disclose:
at least one trailer traction motor configured to power the wheels; and
wherein the at least one trailer traction motor is configured to act as a generator and use regenerative power from the trailer wheels to power the trailer battery.
Drewes discloses a semi-trailer, a semi-trailer truck, and method for braking a trailer, wherein at least one trailer traction motor (motor 16) configured to power a wheel (wheels of the middle axle 1, Fig. 1); and
wherein the at least one trailer traction motor is configured to act as a generator and use regenerative power from the trailer wheels to power the trailer battery (“the energy obtained during the generator operation is recovered to the energy storage of the trailer 10; Pages 5 and 6). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date, to modify Caldeira’s trailer to include regenerative braking, as taught by Drewes, to reduce fuel consumption.
Regarding claim 2, Caldeira, modified by Drewes, discloses the truck of claim 1. Caldeira further discloses:
[Claim 2] wherein the battery management system (control system 116 and battery monitoring system 236) is arranged to determine a state of charge of the trailer battery (batteries 106) and to transmit a signal indicating a state of charge of the trailer battery to the control module (charge/discharge circuitry 128), and the control module is arranged to manage flow of power between the trailer battery and the powertrain based on the signal indicating a state of charge of the trailer battery (“transmit signal to…the one or more storage batteries”, Paragraph [0075]; which implies the signal goes through circuitry 128, See Fig. 1E).
Regarding claims 3 – 5, 7, 8 and 10, Caldeira, modified by Drewes, discloses the truck of claim 1. Caldeira further discloses:
[Claim 3] wherein the tractor unit (tracked tractor type vehicle, Paragraph [0088]) comprises:
a tractor unit drivetrain (inherent in the tractor type vehicle, Paragraph [0088]); and
a tractor unit traction motor (electric motor/generator 124) configured to power the tractor unit drivetrain (the vehicle 104 may be a tracked tractor type vehicle, Paragraph [0088]);
wherein the tractor unit traction motor is configured to provide regenerative power (regenerative braking system; Paragraph [0046]) to at least one of the trailer battery (batteries 106) and a tractor unit DC-bus under control of the control module (charge/discharge circuitry 128).
[Claim 4] wherein the trailer (towable trailer 102) comprises a battery compartment (auxiliary battery housing unit 108) and the trailer battery (batteries 106) is housed within the battery compartment (See Fig. 1E);
[Claim 5] wherein the trailer (towable trailer 102) comprises a cargo compartment separate from the battery compartment (auxiliary battery housing unit 108; the trailer may include a display disposed within the towable trailer 102, which would imply a separate compartment; Paragraph [0059]);
[Claim 7] further comprising a secondary power arrangement (electric motor/generator 124) for providing electrical power to the trailer battery (batteries 106), wherein the control system (drivetrain 112 and charge/discharge circuitry 128) is arranged to manage flow of power between the trailer battery, the powertrain and the secondary power arrangement (Paragraphs [0045] and [0046]);
[Claim 8] wherein the secondary power arrangement (electric motor/generator 124) comprises at least one of a solar panel, a generator set, and a fuel cell; and
[Claim 10] further comprising a hotel module in electrical contact with the trailer battery (batteries 106), wherein the hotel module is configured to provide electrical power from the trailer battery to at least one other electrical component (control system 116; Paragraph [0052]).
Claims 11, 12, 23 and 24 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Caldeira, in view of Drewes, and further in view of patent application publication number US Pub 2021/0268926 A1 to Liao.
Regarding claims 11, 12, 23 and 24, Caldeira, modified by Drewes, discloses the trailer (towable trailer 102) of claim 1. Caldeira does not disclose:
[Claim 11] wherein the trailer is a refrigerated trailer with a cooling system, and the trailer battery is arranged to provide electrical power to the cooling system;
[Claim 12] further comprising a trailer control module arranged to control the trailer when the trailer is not connected to the tractor unit;
[Claim 23] further comprising:
a trailer refrigeration system powered by the trailer battery, the trailer refrigeration system comprising:
a refrigeration control unit;
an electric compressor; and
an inverter; and
a battery management system, the battery management system is arranged to receive a control signal from a temperature control unit and to control the trailer refrigeration system; and
[Claim 24] wherein the battery management system is arranged to send a message to a vehicle computing system when the trailer battery has low power.
Liao discloses an integrated charging port for refrigerated electrical or hybrid electrical truck comprising:
[Claim 11] a refrigerated trailer (container 24 having attached transportation refrigeration unit (TRU) 26) with a cooling system (inherent in the refrigeration), and the trailer battery (TRU control battery 85) is arranged to provide electrical power to the cooling system (Fig. 3);
[Claim 12] further comprising a trailer control module (TRU controller 82) arranged to control the trailer (container 24 having attached transportation refrigeration unit (TRU) 26) when the trailer is not connected to the tractor unit (Paragraph [0063]);
[Claim 23] further comprising:
a trailer refrigeration system (transportation refrigeration unit (TRU) 26) powered by the trailer battery (TRU control battery 85), the trailer refrigeration system comprising:
a refrigeration control unit (bus control switching device 126; Paragraph [0061]);
an electric compressor (vapor compression circuit of TRU 26); and
an inverter (inverter 156, Fig. 3; Paragraph [0028]); and
a battery management system (BMS 154), the battery management system is arranged to receive a control signal from a temperature control unit and to control the trailer (container 24 having attached transportation refrigeration unit (TRU) 26) refrigeration system (monitors…a temperature of the energy storage device 152; Paragraph [0053]); and
[Claim 24] wherein the battery management system (BMS 154) is arranged to send a message to a vehicle computing system when the trailer battery (TRU control battery 85) has low power (Paragraph [0006]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date, to modify Caldeira’s vehicle and trailer, to have the additional features disclosed by Liao above, so that the vehicle and trailer can store food when being used in on long road trips.
Claim 6 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Caldeira, in view of Drewes, and further in view of patent document number WO 2021/244832 A1 to Lowe et al. (hereinafter referred to as Lowe).
Regarding claim 6, Caldeira, modified by Drewes, further discloses the trailer (towable trailer 102) of claim 1, but does not disclose the trailer further comprising a mounting arrangement for removably mounting the trailer battery within the trailer.
Lowe discloses an electric mobile refrigeration unit comprising a mounting arrangement for removably mounting the trailer battery within a trailer (“the TRU 10 also comprises a battery rack 20 which receives one or more removable batteries 22”; Page 18, Lns. 32 – 34). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date, to modify Caldeira’ trailer such that the batteries are removable, as taught by Lowe, providing for maintenance of the batteries.
Conclusion
THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. 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 Felicia L Brittman-Alabi whose telephone number is (313)446-6512. The examiner can normally be reached M-F, 9-6.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Valentin Neacsu can be reached at (571)272-6265. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/Felicia L. Brittman-Alabi/ Examiner, Art Unit 3611
/VALENTIN NEACSU, Ph.D./ Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3611
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