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 .
Election/Restrictions
Claims 9-15 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b), as being drawn to a nonelected invention, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Applicant timely traversed the restriction (election) requirement in the reply filed on 12/01/2025.
Response to Arguments
Applicant's election with traverse of Claims 1-8 and 16-20 in the reply filed on 12/01/2025 is acknowledged. The traversal is on the ground(s) that all the species are not mutually exclusive. This is not found persuasive because the species are independent or distinct because the claims to the different species recite the mutually exclusive characteristics of such species such as, using a coolant pump versus using a radiator. In addition, these species are not obvious variants of each other based on the current record. Furthermore while coolant pump and radiator are both essential components of a vehicle’ cooling system, they both work together to keep the engine’s temperature within the optimal range to thereby prevent overheating and potential damage. It is worth noting that the function of the coolant pump is to circulate the coolant throughout the engine and radiator whereas the radiator dissipates heat from the coolant.
The requirement is still deemed proper and is therefore made FINAL.
Since generic claim 16 is found allowable, claims 9-15 would be also examined on the merits.
Claims 1-20 are pending in the application for prosecution in a first action on the merits.
Priority
As required by M.P.E.P. 201.14(e), acknowledgement is made of applicant's claim for priority based on US provisional applications #63/302,489, filed on 01/24/2022.
Claim Objections
Claims 8 and 20 are objected to because of the following informalities: In claims 8 and 20 , the limitations of, “an cold threshold” should and would read for examination purpose -- a cold threshold.--. Appropriate correction is required.
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)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claim(s) 1,6 and 9-10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Ocampo Villegas et al., (Ocampo) USPAT 11,745,612 B1.
Regarding claim 1: Ocampo at least discloses and shows in Figs. 1-2: A thermal management system for a vehicle(102), comprising: a wireless charging coil(112) configured to provide thermal energy(thru heating via magnetic energy); a first heat exchanger(onboard condenser122) thermally coupled to the wireless charging coil(112)(see Figs. 1-2); a radiator(111) thermally coupled(via conduits 124 and 126)(see col. 6, lines 64-col. 7, line 14) to the first heat exchanger(122) and configured to transfer a first portion of the thermal energy provided by the wireless charging coil(112) to an interior of a passenger compartment(as shown in pictorial 304 of Fig. 3) of the vehicle(102)(note-heat from the onboard charging component may transfer to the refrigerant contained in the cold plate reservoir, which transitions to a vapor and convectively flows to the condenser; see step 308 and col. 4, lines 3-8 and col. 10, lines 36-46); and a second heat exchanger(120) thermally coupled to the first heat exchanger(122) and configured to transfer a second portion of the thermal energy provided by the wireless charging coil(112) to a battery(104) of the vehicle(102)(see col. 6, lines 32-53).
Regarding claim 6, Ocampo discloses all the claimed invention as set forth and discussed above in claim 1. Ocampo further discloses, wherein the second heat exchanger(120) is arranged downstream of the first heat exchanger(120)(see Fig. 3).
Regarding claim 9: Ocampo at least discloses and shows in Figs. 1-2: A thermal management system for a vehicle(102), comprising: a wireless charging coil(112); a coolant pump(115) configured to provide a flow of fluid at an outlet(note-pump 115 has an outlet thereon)(see Figs. 1-2); a first heat exchanger(122) thermally coupled to the wireless charging coil(112) and arranged downstream of the outlet(see Fig. 3); and a second heat exchanger(120) thermally coupled to a battery(104) of the vehicle(102) and arranged downstream of the first heat exchanger(122)(see pictorial 304 of Fig. 3), wherein the first heat exchanger(122) transfers heat energy output by the wireless charging coil(112) to the flow of fluid(via coolant lines 113), and the second heat exchanger(120) receives the flow of fluid and transfers heat from the flow of fluid to the battery(104)(note-heat from the onboard charging component may transfer to the refrigerant contained in the cold plate reservoir, which transitions to a vapor and convectively flows to the condenser; see step 308 and col. 4, lines 3-8 and col. 10, lines 36-46; col. 6, lines 32-53).
Regarding claim 10, Ocampo discloses all the claimed invention as set forth and discussed above in claim 9. Ocampo further discloses, further comprising a radiator(111) in thermal communication(via conduits 124 and 126)(see col. 6, lines 64-col. 7, line 14)with a cab interior(as shown in pictorials 304,322 and 336 and steps 302,308, 314, 320, 326 and 330 of Fig. 3) of the vehicle(102) and configured to receive heat energy from the flow of fluid to transfer heat to the cab interior.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 2-5,7-8,11-15 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 16-20 are allowed over the prior art of record.
The prior art of record either taken alone or in combination thereof fails to teach or reasonably suggest,
As in claim 2: further comprising a cab shutoff valve arranged upstream of the radiator and a cab temperature sensor arranged within the passenger compartment.
Claim 3 depends directly from claim 2 and therefore is also allowable for the same reasons.
As in claim 4: further comprising a battery shutoff valve arranged upstream of the second heat exchanger and a battery temperature sensor configured to detect a temperature of the battery.
Claim 5 depends directly from claim 4 and therefore is also allowable for the same reasons.
As in claim 7: further comprising an exterior radiator and an exterior radiator shutoff valve arranged upstream of the exterior radiator, wherein the exterior radiator shutoff valve is configured to open and expel thermal energy from the wireless charging coil when a temperature within the passenger compartment exceeds a cab temperature threshold and a temperature of the battery exceeds a battery temperature threshold.
As in claim 8: further comprising a heater configured to supply thermal energy to the wireless charging coil at startup of the vehicle when an ambient temperature is below a cold threshold.
As in claim 11: further comprising an exterior radiator and an exterior radiator shutoff valve arranged upstream of the exterior radiator, wherein the exterior radiator shutoff valve is configured to open and expel thermal energy from the flow of fluid when a temperature within the cab interior exceeds a cab temperature threshold and a temperature of the battery exceeds a battery temperature threshold.
As in claim 12: further comprising a cab shutoff valve arranged upstream of the radiator and a cab temperature sensor arranged within the cab interior.
Claim 13 depends directly from claim 12 and therefore is also allowable for the same reasons.
As in claim 14: further comprising a battery shutoff valve arranged upstream of the second heat exchanger and a battery temperature sensor configured to detect a temperature of the battery.
Claim 15 depends directly from claim 14 and therefore is also allowable for the same reasons.
As in claim 16: A vehicle, comprising: a chassis; a cab supported on the chassis and defining a cab interior; a battery; a wireless charging coil adapted to receive electrical energy from an external wireless charging coil and supply the electrical energy to the battery; a thermal management system…a battery temperature sensor configured to detect a temperature of the battery; and a battery shutoff valve arranged upstream of the second heat exchanger; and a controller in communication with the wireless charging coil and the battery temperature sensor, the controller including a processor and a memory, wherein the memory stores instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to: detect the temperature of the battery; and instruct the battery shutoff valve to close if the temperature of the battery is above a threshold temperature.
Claims 17-20 depend either directly or indirectly from claim 16 and thus are also allowed for the same reasons.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to M'BAYE DIAO whose telephone number is (571)272-6127. The examiner can normally be reached M-F; 10:00AM-6:30PM and OFF most of the time Friday when working IFP.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, TAELOR KIM can be reached at 571-270-7166. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
M'BAYE DIAO
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 2859
/M BAYE DIAO/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2859 December 22, 2025
/TAELOR KIM/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2859