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 .
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 03/03/2023, 07/27/2023, 12/17/2024 are in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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 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, 3, 11, 20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Zhao et al. US Pub 2014/0354229 (hereinafter Zhao).
Regarding claim 1, Zhao discloses a system for charging a plurality of electric vehicles (Fig. 1 and ¶ 0025; a plurality of electric vehicles), the system comprising:
a rail structure (¶ 0028; a track);
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a first mobile base unit (fig. 4, element 30; a movable charging apparatus) supported by the rail structure (fig. 4, element 26) and configured to move along the rail structure (¶ 0044; the robotic controller can actuate one or more drive wheels that can allow the charging apparatus to self-propel along the track) between respective vehicle charging stations (fig. 2, element 14; each parking space is able to receive a vehicle for a period time for parking and/or charging); and
a central control system configured to:
obtain a charge request from one or more electric vehicles (¶ 0040; push a button to indicate a request for charge);
determine a charging sequence of the one or more electric vehicles based on vehicle parameters and charge parameters of the at least one first battery (¶ 0041; the charging controller can initiate communication with the vehicle. The charging controller 34 can read vehicle battery information and state of charge at 88, compare the state of charge to a threshold at 90, and indicate a required recharge at 92 if the state of charge is below threshold); and
move the first mobile base unit along the rail structure based on the charging sequence (¶¶ 0043-0051; the charging controller can charge the vehicle at 70 until the vehicle reports a state of charge (SoC) above a particular threshold).
Regarding claim 3, Zhao discloses wherein the rail structure is an overhead rail structure (¶ 0029; the charging apparatus is mounted to the overhead track).
Regarding claim 11, Zhao discloses the system further comprising a plurality of battery charging stations (see fig. 3, 16 and ¶ 0028; movable charging apparatus; 28),
one battery charging station of the plurality of battery charging stations disposed at one end of the rail structure and another battery charging station of the plurality of battery charging stations disposed at another end of the rail structure that is opposite the one end (see fig. 3, element 28; one is disposed on the left, another one is disposed on the right), and wherein the movable base (fig. 17, element 30) is located between the one battery charging station and the another battery charging station.
Regarding claim 20, Zhao discloses a method for charging a plurality of electric vehicles, the method comprising:
obtaining a charge request from one or more electric vehicles (¶ 0040; push a button to indicate a request for charge);
determining a charging sequence of the one or more electric vehicles based on vehicle parameters and charge parameters of first batteries (¶ 0041; the charging controller can initiate communication with the vehicle. The charging controller 34 can read vehicle battery information and state of charge at 88, compare the state of charge to a threshold at 90, and indicate a required recharge at 92 if the state of charge is below threshold);
moving a mobile base unit along a rail structure based on the charging sequence (¶¶ 0043-0051; the charging controller can charge the vehicle at 70 until the vehicle reports a state of charge (SoC) above a particular threshold); and
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controlling a robot arm of the mobile base unit to move a charger (fig. 4, element 52) of a corresponding electric charging apparatus (see fig. 4 above) from the corresponding electric charging apparatus to a corresponding electric vehicle of the one or more electric vehicles located at a respective charging station such that the charger is electrically coupled to the corresponding electric vehicle (¶ 0051; the end effector 52 is coupled with the charging receptacle).
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.
Claim(s) 2 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Zhao in view of Penilla et al. US Pub 2020/0144838 (hereinafter Penilla).
Regarding claim 2, Zhao discloses wherein the vehicle parameters comprise a current state of charge level and a predetermined state of charge level of each electric vehicle the one or more electric vehicles (¶ 0051; charge until the vehicle reports a state of charge above a particular threshold).
Zhao fails to teach wherein the charge parameters comprise a current power level and a predetermined power level of the at least one first battery.
Penilla further discloses wherein the charge parameters comprise a current power level and a predetermined power level of the at least one first battery (¶ 0101; when the EV is fully charged or charged to the power level ordered by the user).
It would have been obvious to one skilled in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Zhao to incorporate with the teaching of Penilla by charging the EV to the level ordered by the user, because it would be advantageous to prevent overcharging the EV and prolong the service life of the battery pack.
Claim(s) 4, 6-10, 12 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Zhao in view of Alsalloum (US 2023/0191935).
Regarding claim 4, Zhao fails to the system further comprising a plurality of first batteries configured to provide power to the first mobile base unit to move along the rail structure.
However, Alsalloum further discloses an autonomous charging system with a charging robot configured with a novel telescopic charging arm having a charging plug coupled thereto charge an electric vehicle. The system includes a power source and the power source includes a plurality of rechargeable batteries to provide power to the system (abstract and ¶ 0042 and fig. 1-3).
It would have been obvious to one skilled in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Zhao to incorporate with the teaching of Alsalloum by powering the robotic arm with batteries, because it would be advantageous to reduce manual efforts in ¶ 0061.
Regarding claim 6, Zhao discloses wherein the first mobile base unit comprises:
a movable base (fig. 4, element 30) connected to the rail structure (fig. 4, element 26) and powered by a power source to move along the rail structure between the charging stations (see fig. 4 above);
a robot arm having a first end and a second end, the robot arm secured to the movable base at the first end (see fig. 4, element 54); and
an end-effector (fig. 4, element 52) secured to the robot arm at the second end.
Zhao fails to teach the power source includes a plurality of batteries.
However, Alsalloum further discloses an autonomous charging system with a charging robot configured with a novel telescopic charging arm having a charging plug coupled thereto charge an electric vehicle. The system includes a power source and the power source includes a plurality of rechargeable batteries to provide power to the system (abstract and ¶ 0042 and fig. 1-3).
It would have been obvious to one skilled in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Zhao to incorporate with the teaching of Alsalloum by powering the robotic arm with batteries, because it would be advantageous to reduce carbon emission in ¶ 0061.
Regarding claim 7, Zhao in view of Alsalloum discloses wherein the movable base includes an end having a battery terminal configured to be selectively electrically and mechanically coupled to the at least one battery (Alsalloum, ¶ 0042; can be replaceable with a new set of batteries).
Regarding claim 8, Zhao in view of Alsalloum discloses wherein: the at least one battery includes a first battery and a second battery (Alsalloum; ¶ 0042; rechargeable batteries); and the movable base includes a first end having a first battery terminal configured to be selectively electrically and mechanically coupled to the first battery and a second end having a second battery terminal configured to be selectively electrically and mechanically coupled to the second battery, the first end of the movable base is opposite the second end of the movable base (Alsalloum, fig. 3; batteries can be serially connected).
Regarding claim 9, Zhao discloses wherein the robot arm includes a plurality of segments connected to each other such that the robot arm has multiple degrees of freedom (¶ 0036 and claim 5).
Regarding claim 10, Zhao discloses wherein the movable base is connected to the rail structure by wheels (¶¶ 0030, 0044).
Regarding claim 12, Zhao discloses the system further comprising: a second mobile base unit (see fig. 3, element 28) supported by the rail structure (fig. 3, element 24) and configured to move along the rail structure (see fig. 3); and a power source configured to provide power to the second mobile base unit to move along the rail structure (¶ 0044).
Zhao fails to teach the power source includes a plurality of batteries.
However, Alsalloum further discloses an autonomous charging system with a charging robot configured with a novel telescopic charging arm having a charging plug coupled thereto charge an electric vehicle. The system includes a power source and the power source includes a plurality of rechargeable batteries to provide power to the system (abstract and ¶ 0042 and fig. 1-3).
It would have been obvious to one skilled in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Zhao to incorporate with the teaching of Alsalloum by powering the robotic arm with batteries, because it would be advantageous to reduce carbon emission in ¶ 0061.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 13-19 are allowed.
Claim 5 is 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.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter:
Regarding claim 5, the prior art fails to teach or suggest further inclusion of a plurality of battery charging stations, one battery charging station disposed at one end of the rail structure and another battery charging station disposed at another end of the rail structure that is opposite the one end, wherein each first battery of the first batteries is configured to be selectively mechanically and electrically coupled to a respective battery charging station of the battery charging stations to charge the first battery.
Regarding claim 13, the prior art fails to teach or suggest further inclusion of a plurality of the system comprising: a plurality of electric charging apparatuses disposed at respective vehicle charging stations; a controller configured to: control the robot arm to move a charger of a corresponding electric charging apparatus from the corresponding electric charging apparatus to a corresponding electric vehicle located within the respective vehicle charging station associated with the respective electric charging apparatus such that the charger is electrically coupled to the corresponding electric vehicle.
The dependent claims are allowable for the reasons as the independent claim from which they depend.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ZIXUAN ZHOU whose telephone number is (571)272-6739. The examiner can normally be reached 9:00 am to 5:00 pm.
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/ZIXUAN ZHOU/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2859 12/08/2025