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 .
Specification
The abstract of the disclosure is objected to because of undue length. A corrected abstract of the disclosure is required and must be presented on a separate sheet, apart from any other text. See MPEP § 608.01(b).
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.
This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention(s) absent any evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and effective filing dates of each claim that was not commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the later invention in order for the examiner to consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) for any potential 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) prior art against the later invention.
Claim(s) 1-5 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Hirooka (JP 2020/067073 A, machine translation provided) in view of Vyas et al. (US 2013/0333351 A1).
Regarding claim 1, Hirooka discloses an ohmic heating-type exhaust gas purification catalyst system that performs purification of exhaust gas discharged from an internal combustion engine, the ohmic heating-type exhaust gas purification catalyst system comprising: an ohmic heating-type catalyst device (electric heating catalyst (EHC), 2) that is arranged in an exhaust pipe (11) of the internal combustion engine (an internal combustion engine, see Abstract) and performs purification of the exhaust gas discharged from the internal combustion engine, and includes an outer cylinder coupled to the exhaust pipe (11); a pair of electrodes (7a, 7b); a catalyst unit including a columnar catalyst carrier (3) that is contactable by the exhaust gas introduced into the outer cylinder and contains at least one type of catalytic metal that functions as a three-way catalyst, since the catalyst carrier (3) includes an oxidation catalyst, a three-way catalyst, a storage reduction, catalyst (NSR (NOx storage reduction) catalyst), and a selective reduction catalyst SCR); a heating element that generates heat when an electric current is caused to pass through the pair of electrodes to heat the catalyst carrier; and a temperature detector (second exhaust gas temperature sensor, 16) that can detect temperature of the catalyst bed, since the second exhaust temperature sensor (26) outputs an electric signal that correlates with the temperature of the exhaust gas flowing out from the EHC (2); and a control device (ECU (20)) that controls pass of the electric current to the pair of electrodes (7a, 7b), wherein the control device (20) is configured to perform, based on information of the temperature of the catalyst carrier (3) input from the temperature detector (16), electric current pass control including controls of (1) causing an electric current to pass through the pair of electrodes (7a, 7b) when the temperature of the catalyst bed is equal to or lower than a first threshold temperature T1 set in a range of 350±25 °C., (2) not causing an electric current to pass through the pair of electrodes (7a, 7b) when the temperature of the catalyst carrier (3) exceeds the first threshold temperature T1 and is equal to or lower than a second threshold temperature T2 set in a range of 450±25 °C., (3) causing an electric current to pass through the pair of electrodes (7a, 7b) when the temperature of the catalyst carrier exceeds the second threshold temperature T2 and is equal to or lower than a third threshold temperature T3 set to be equal to or higher than 550° C., and (4) not causing an electric current to pass through the pair of electrodes when the temperature of the catalyst bed exceeds the third threshold temperature T3, since the ECU (20), based on the output signals of the various sensors; the ECU (20) acquires the temperature of the central portion of the exhaust purification catalyst (31) (hereinafter, also referred to as “bed temperature”) when the hybrid system is activated; and supplying power control unit (18) is controlled by the ECU (20), and switches between supply of electric energy from the battery (54) to the electrode (7) (energization of EHC2) and supply stop (non-energization of EHC2), and supply from the battery (54) to the electrode 7 adjusting the amount of power energy (see Abstract; figures 1-2; and description of embodiments).
Dahodwala et al. fails to disclose a pair of electrodes and a catalyst unit including a catalyst bed.
Vyes et al. discloses a particulate filter of an internal combustion engine system (see abstract); a exhaust after-treatment system (160) includes an oxidation catalyst (140), a particulate filter (150), and a selective catalytic reduction (SCR) catalyst (170) (see figure 1 and paragraph 0130); and the oxidation catalyst (140) is a catalyst bed (see figure 1 and paragraphs 0066-0067 and 0077).
It would have been an obvious matter of design choice to have “a system comprising a catalyst unit including a catalyst bed that is contactable by the exhaust gas introduced into the outer cylinder and contains at least one type of catalytic metal that functions as a three-way catalyst; a heating element that generates heat when an electric current is caused to pass through the pair of electrodes to heat the catalyst bed; and a temperature detector that can detect temperature of the catalyst bed; and a control device that controls pass of the electric current to the pair of electrodes, wherein the control device is configured to perform, based on information of the temperature of the catalyst bed input from the temperature detector, electric current pass control including controls of (1) causing an electric current to pass through the pair of electrodes when the temperature of the catalyst bed is equal to or lower than a first threshold temperature T1 set in a range of 350±25 °C., (2) not causing an electric current to pass through the pair of electrodes when the temperature of the catalyst bed exceeds the first threshold temperature T1 and is equal to or lower than a second threshold temperature T2 set in a range of 450±25 °C., (3) causing an electric current to pass through the pair of electrodes when the temperature of the catalyst bed exceeds the second threshold temperature T2 and is equal to or lower than a third threshold temperature T3 set to be equal to or higher than 550 °C., and (4) not causing an electric current to pass through the pair of electrodes when the temperature of the catalyst bed exceeds the third threshold temperature T3”, since applicant has not disclosed that have that system solves any stated problem or is for any particular purpose and it appears that the invention would perform well with that system.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the teachings of Dahodwala et al. with the teachings of Vyes et al. resulting in a system comprising a catalyst unit including a catalyst bed that is contactable by the exhaust gas introduced into the outer cylinder and contains at least one type of catalytic metal that functions as a three-way catalyst; a heating element that generates heat when an electric current is caused to pass through the pair of electrodes to heat the catalyst bed; and a temperature detector that can detect temperature of the catalyst bed; and a control device that controls pass of the electric current to the pair of electrodes, wherein the control device is configured to perform, based on information of the temperature of the catalyst bed input from the temperature detector, electric current pass control including controls of (1) causing an electric current to pass through the pair of electrodes when the temperature of the catalyst bed is equal to or lower than a first threshold temperature T1 set in a range of 350±25 °C., (2) not causing an electric current to pass through the pair of electrodes when the temperature of the catalyst bed exceeds the first threshold temperature T1 and is equal to or lower than a second threshold temperature T2 set in a range of 450±25 °C., (3) causing an electric current to pass through the pair of electrodes when the temperature of the catalyst bed exceeds the second threshold temperature T2 and is equal to or lower than a third threshold temperature T3 set to be equal to or higher than 550 °C., and (4) not causing an electric current to pass through the pair of electrodes when the temperature of the catalyst bed exceeds the third threshold temperature T3.
Regarding claim 2, Dahodwala et al. discloses a system wherein the control device is configured to further perform, when performing the control of (3), a control of (3-1) not causing an electric current to pass through the pair of electrodes in a mode in which combustion gas is not generated in the internal combustion engine, since Dahodwala et al. discloses supplying power control unit (18) is controlled by the ECU (20), and switches between supply of electric energy from the battery (54) to the electrode (7) (energization of EHC2) and supply stop (non-energization of EHC2), and supply from the battery (54) to the electrode 7 adjusting the amount of power energy (see Abstract; figures 1-2; and description of embodiments).
Regarding claims 3 and 5, Dahodwala et al. discloses a system wherein the mode in which the combustion gas is not generated in the internal combustion engine is idling stop or fuel cut; wherein the internal combustion engine is a gasoline engine or a diesel engine for a vehicle (see Abstract; figures 1-2; and description of embodiments), since the use of the apparatus isn't limiting or the material the apparatus acts upon isn't limiting.
Regarding claim 4, the combined teachings of prior art references fail to disclose a system wherein the catalyst bed contains at least rhodium (Rh) as the catalytic metal.
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have the catalyst bed contains at least rhodium (Rh) as the catalytic metal, since it has been held to be within the general skill of a worker in the art to select a known material on the basis of its suitability for the intended use as a matter of obvious design choice.
Allowable Subject Matter
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter:
Claims 6-11 are allowed.
Regarding claim 6, Hirooka discloses an ohmic heating-type exhaust gas purification catalyst system that performs purification of exhaust gas discharged from an internal combustion engine, the ohmic heating-type exhaust gas purification catalyst system comprising: an ohmic heating-type catalyst device (electric heating catalyst (EHC), 2) that is arranged in an exhaust pipe (11) of the internal combustion engine (an internal combustion engine, see Abstract) and performs purification of the exhaust gas discharged from the internal combustion engine, and includes an outer cylinder coupled to the exhaust pipe (11); a pair of electrodes (7a, 7b); a catalyst unit including a columnar catalyst carrier (3) that is contactable by the exhaust gas introduced into the outer cylinder and contains at least one type of catalytic metal that functions as a three-way catalyst, since the catalyst carrier (3) includes an oxidation catalyst, a three-way catalyst, a storage reduction, catalyst (NSR (NOx storage reduction) catalyst), and a selective reduction catalyst SCR); a heating element that generates heat when an electric current is caused to pass through the pair of electrodes to heat the catalyst carrier; and a temperature detector (second exhaust gas temperature sensor, 16) that can detect temperature of the catalyst bed, since the second exhaust temperature sensor (26) outputs an electric signal that correlates with the temperature of the exhaust gas flowing out from the EHC (2); and a control device (ECU (20)) that controls pass of the electric current to the pair of electrodes (7a, 7b), wherein the control device (20) is configured to perform, based on information of the temperature of the catalyst carrier (3) input from the temperature detector (16), electric current pass control including controls of (1) causing an electric current to pass through the pair of electrodes (7a, 7b) when the temperature of the catalyst bed is equal to or lower than a first threshold temperature T1 set in a range of 350±25 °C., (2) not causing an electric current to pass through the pair of electrodes (7a, 7b) when the temperature of the catalyst carrier (3) exceeds the first threshold temperature T1 and is equal to or lower than a second threshold temperature T2 set in a range of 450±25 °C., (3) causing an electric current to pass through the pair of electrodes (7a, 7b) when the temperature of the catalyst carrier exceeds the second threshold temperature T2 and is equal to or lower than a third threshold temperature T3 set to be equal to or higher than 550° C., and (4) not causing an electric current to pass through the pair of electrodes when the temperature of the catalyst bed exceeds the third threshold temperature T3, since the ECU (20), based on the output signals of the various sensors; the ECU (20) acquires the temperature of the central portion of the exhaust purification catalyst (31) (hereinafter, also referred to as “bed temperature”) when the hybrid system is activated; and supplying power control unit (18) is controlled by the ECU (20), and switches between supply of electric energy from the battery (54) to the electrode (7) (energization of EHC2) and supply stop (non-energization of EHC2), and supply from the battery (54) to the electrode 7 adjusting the amount of power energy (see Abstract; figures 1-2; and description of embodiments).
Vyes et al. discloses a particulate filter of an internal combustion engine system (see abstract); a exhaust after-treatment system (160) includes an oxidation catalyst (140), a particulate filter (150), and a selective catalytic reduction (SCR) catalyst (170) (see figure 1 and paragraph 0130); and the oxidation catalyst (140) is a catalyst bed (see figure 1 and paragraphs 0066-0067 and 0077).
The combined teachings of the prior art references fail to disclose or suggest an exhaust gas purification method for purifying, using an ohmic heating-type catalyst device arranged in an exhaust pipe of an internal combustion engine, exhaust gas discharged from the internal combustion engine, the ohmic heating-type catalyst device including an outer cylinder coupled to the exhaust pipe, a pair of electrodes, a catalyst unit including a catalyst bed that is contactable by the exhaust gas introduced into the outer cylinder and contains at least one type of catalytic metal that functions as a three-way catalyst, a heating element that generates heat when an electric current is caused to pass through the pair of electrodes to heat the catalyst bed, and a temperature detector that can detect temperature of the catalyst bed, the exhaust gas purification method comprising: performing, based on information of the temperature of the catalyst bed acquired from the temperature detector, electric current pass control including controls of (1) causing an electric current to pass through the pair of electrodes when the temperature of the catalyst bed is equal to or lower than a first threshold temperature T1 set in a range of 350±25 °C., (2) not causing an electric current to pass through the pair of electrodes when the temperature of the catalyst bed exceeds the first threshold temperature T1 and is equal to or lower than a second threshold temperature T2 set in a range of 450±25 °C., (3) causing an electric current to pass through the pair of electrodes when the temperature of the catalyst bed exceeds the second threshold temperature T2 and is equal to or lower than a third threshold temperature T3 set to be equal to or higher than 550 °C., and (4) not causing an electric current to pass through the pair of electrodes when the temperature of the catalyst bed exceeds the third threshold temperature T3.
Claims 7-10 depend on claim 6.
Claim 11 is drawn to non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a computer program structured to cause a computer to operate the exhaust gas purification method according to claim 6.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to NATASHA E YOUNG whose telephone number is (571)270-3163. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 7:00 am - 6:00 pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Wang Claire can be reached at 571-270-1051. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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NATASHA E. YOUNG
Examiner
Art Unit 1774
/NATASHA E YOUNG/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1774
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