DETAILED ACTION
This is a non-final Office Action on the merits. Claims 1-20 are currently pending and are addressed below.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted are being considered by the examiner.
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 .
Examiner's Note
Examiner has cited particular paragraphs / columns and line numbers or figures in the references as applied to the claims below for the convenience of the applicant. Although the specified citations are representative of the teachings in the art and are applied to the specific limitations within the individual claim, other passages and figures may apply as well. It is respectfully requested from the applicant, in preparing the responses, to fully consider the references in entirety as potentially teaching all or part of the claimed invention, as well as the context of the passage as taught by the prior art or disclosed by the examiner. Applicant is reminded that the Examiner is entitled to give the broadest reasonable interpretation to the language of the claims. Furthermore, the Examiner is not limited to Applicants' definition which is not specifically set forth in the claims.
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 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 1-20are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over US 20220366397 (“Gaudin”).
As per claim 1 Gaudin discloses further an autonomous vehicle, comprising:
first one or more sensors located on a first side of the autonomous vehicle [¶ 85 a camera located within the vehicle head unit or other portion of the vehicle may capture images of an area surrounding the vehicle];
second one or more sensors located on a second side of the autonomous vehicle [¶ 115 the robotic mechanical arm may include one or sever sensors to detect the height and/or position of the fuel tank opening… (e.g., via various image processing techniques)]; and
one or more processors, wherein the one or more processors are configured to:
automatically control, using images generated by the first one or more sensors, the autonomous vehicle to an energy supply station responsive to determining to resupply energy to the autonomous vehicle [¶ 117 the request to move to a particular location may include a request to move the vehicle forward a particular distance… in reverse a particular distance… move the vehicle a particular distance toward the fuel pump and/or combination];
detect, using the images generated by the first one or more sensors, an arrival of the autonomous vehicle at the energy supply station [¶ 117 When the vehicle is autonomous…, the request may be transmitted to the vehicle head unit to communicate with the software which controls operation of the vehicle (the system uses the sensors/cameras to image surroundings and automat the fueling process)… vehicle moves within the predetermined maximum distance, the robotic arm may automatically place the nozzle within the fuel tank opening and provide fuel to the vehicle]; and
responsive to detecting the arrival of the autonomous vehicle at the energy supply station, switch from processing images generated by the first one or more sensors to processing images generated by the second one or more sensors [¶ 115 Additionally in some embodiments, the fuel pump at the fuel station may be a smart fuel pump and the nozzle may be controlled automatically, for example via a robotic/mechanical arm… the robotic mechanical arm may include one or several sensors to detect the height and/or position of the fuel tank opening… (e.g., via various image processing techniques), ¶ 117 vehicle moves within the predetermined maximum distance, the robotic arm may automatically place the nozzle within the fuel tank opening and provide fuel to the vehicle … The autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicle 12 may also automatically position itself for receiving the goods or services provided by the merchant, such as positioning the autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicle 12 to receive fuel from a nozzle.].
Gaudin discloses said limitations via multiple embodiments disclosed.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date the invention was made to modify Gaudin with the multiple embodiments disclosed by Gaudin for purposes of disclosing obvious variations and combinations of the claimed limitations with use of an automated refueling system.
As per claim 11 Gaudin discloses a method for supplying an autonomous vehicle with energy, comprising [Fig. 1]:
automatically controlling, using images generated by the first one or more sensors, the autonomous vehicle to an energy supply station responsive to determining to resupply energy to the autonomous vehicle[¶ 117 the request to move to a particular location may include a request to move the vehicle forward a particular distance… in reverse a particular distance… move the vehicle a particular distance toward the fuel pump and/or combination];
detecting, using the images generated by the first one or more sensors, an arrival of the autonomous vehicle at the energy supply station [¶ 117 When the vehicle is autonomous…, the request may be transmitted to the vehicle head unit to communicate with the software which controls operation of the vehicle (the system uses the sensors/cameras to image surroundings and automat the fueling process)… vehicle moves within the predetermined maximum distance, the robotic arm may automatically place the nozzle within the fuel tank opening and provide fuel to the vehicle; and
responsive to detecting the arrival of the autonomous vehicle at the energy supply station, switching from processing images generated by the first one or more sensors to processing images generated by the second one or more sensors [¶ 115 Additionally in some embodiments, the fuel pump at the fuel station may be a smart fuel pump and the nozzle may be controlled automatically, for example via a robotic/mechanical arm… the robotic mechanical arm may include one or several sensors to detect the height and/or position of the fuel tank opening… (e.g., via various image processing techniques), ¶ 117 vehicle moves within the predetermined maximum distance, the robotic arm may automatically place the nozzle within the fuel tank opening and provide fuel to the vehicle … The autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicle 12 may also automatically position itself for receiving the goods or services provided by the merchant, such as positioning the autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicle 12 to receive fuel from a nozzle.].
Gaudin discloses said limitations via multiple embodiments disclosed.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date the invention was made to modify Gaudin with the multiple embodiments disclosed by Gaudin for purposes of disclosing obvious variations and combinations of the claimed limitations with use of an automated refueling system.
.
As per claims 2 and 12 Gaudin discloses further wherein the one or more processors are further configured to: adjust, using images generated by the second one or more sensors, a position of the autonomous vehicle to align an energy input receptacle of the autonomous vehicle with the energy delivery receptacle [¶ 115 Additionally in some embodiments, the fuel pump at the fuel station may be a smart fuel pump and the nozzle may be controlled automatically, for example via a robotic/mechanical arm].
As per claims 3 and 13 Gaudin discloses further wherein the one or more processors configured to switch are further configured to: stop processing data of the first one or more sensors; and begin processing data of the second one or more sensors [¶ 11 vehicle may automatically navigate to the merchant location associated with the POS terminal 20. The autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicle 12 may also automatically position itself for receiving the goods or services provided by the merchant, such as positioning the autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicle 12 to receive fuel from a nozzle, ¶ 115 In some embodiments, the robotic/mechanical arm may include one or several sensors to detect the height and/or position of the fuel tank opening… When the fuel tank opening is within the predetermined maximum distance and/or the vehicle is not moving, the robotic/mechanical arm may automatically place the nozzle within the fuel tank opening and provide fuel to the vehicle (the robotic arm can only make its determination(via sensors) after the vehicle is within the proper distance made by its own determinations(sensors))].
As per claims 4 and 14 Gaudin discloses further wherein the one or more processors are further configured to: control the autonomous vehicle to move the autonomous vehicle to be a predefined distance from the energy supply station based on data generated by the second one or more sensors [¶ 115 In some embodiments, the robotic/mechanical arm may include one or several sensors to detect the height and/or position of the fuel tank opening… When the fuel tank opening is within the predetermined maximum distance and/or the vehicle is not moving, the robotic/mechanical arm may automatically place the nozzle within the fuel tank, ¶ 117 the request to move to a particular location may include a request to move the vehicle 12 forward a particular distance, … to move the vehicle 12 a particular distance toward the fuel pump].
As per claims 5 and 15 Gaudin discloses further wherein the one or more processors are configured to detect the arrival of the autonomous vehicle by: detect, via the first one or more sensors, one or more shapes on a surface in front of the autonomous vehicle and adjacent to the energy supply station; and determine the one or more shapes indicate arrival at the energy supply station [¶ 116 when the fuel tank opening is outside the predetermined maximum distance, the POS terminal 20 may transmit a signal to the vehicle head unit 14 and/or the electronic circuitry 50 requesting that the vehicle 12 be moved to a particular location… may transmit an image of the position of the vehicle 12 with an indication of a position that the vehicle need to move to, such as a rectangular outline. The image may be presented on the display 236 of the vehicle… ¶ 117the request may be transmitted to the vehicle head unit 14 to communicate with the software which controls operation of the vehicle (autonomous control)].
As per claims 6 and 16 Gaudin discloses further wherein the one or more processors are configured to determine the one or more shapes indicate the arrival by determining the one or more shapes match a predefined shape or a predefined pattern [¶ 116 may transmit an image of the position of the vehicle 12 with an indication of a position that the vehicle need to move to, such as a rectangular outline].
As per claims 7 and 17 Gaudin discloses further wherein the one or more processors are further configured to: transmit, to a remote computer, a signal comprising the data of the first one or more sensors and the data of the second one or more sensors to enable the remote computer to generate a virtual interface for a user to control a mechanical arm of the energy supply station, wherein the data comprises image or video data of a physical environment surrounding the autonomous vehicle [¶ 184 The computer system may include one or more processors, transceivers, and/or sensors configured to:… (3) detect a triggering event indicating that the vehicle is within a predetermined range for communicating with a merchant The computer system may be further configured to: ( 4) present a display including an indication of goods or services that can be purchased at the merchant communication terminal and a user control for transmitting a request to order the goods or services].
As per claims 8 and 18 Gaudin discloses further wherein the one or more processors are further configured to: responsive to detecting the arrival of the autonomous vehicle at the energy supply station, open the energy input receptacle to enable a mechanical arm of the energy supply station to supply energy to the autonomous vehicle via an energy delivery receptacle of the energy supply station [¶ 114 The fuel tank of the vehicle 12 may also open automatically when the nozzle which provides the fuel makes contact with the fuel tank opening, ¶ 118 In this manner, the entire fueling process may be controlled automatically without requiring the user to leave his car. ¶ 119 In addition to making payments from a vehicle, automatically opening and closing a fuel cap and/or communicating with a robotic arm,].
As per claims 9 and 19 Gaudin discloses further wherein the one or more processors are further configured to: responsive to determining the autonomous vehicle has received energy from the energy supply station, close the energy input receptacle of the autonomous vehicle; and move the autonomous vehicle away from the energy supply station [¶ 118 Also when the vehicle 12 is autonomous, the autonomous vehicle may travel to the fuel station, receive fuel, and/or pay for the fuel without any assistance from a human¶ 119 In addition to making payments from a vehicle, automatically opening and closing a fuel cap and/or communicating with a robotic arm].
As per claims 10 and 20 Gaudin discloses further wherein the first one or more sensors and the second one or more sensors are image capturing devices or video capturing devices [¶ 85 a camera located within the vehicle head unit or other portion of the vehicle may capture images of an area surrounding the vehicle, ¶ 115 In some embodiments, the robotic/mechanical arm may include one or several sensors to detect the
height and/or position of the fuel tank opening (e.g., via proximity sensors, such as ultrasonic, infrared, or radar sensors or any other suitable sensors that transmit light beams to detect distance and/or shape) and/or to detect that the fuel tank is open ( e.g., via various image processing techniques)].
Additional Art to Consider
Application Pub. No. 20170327091 titled, Device For Refueling, Exchanging, And Charging Power Sources On Remote Controlled Vehicles, UAVs, Drones, Or Any Type Of Robotic Vehicle Or Machine With Mobility, discloses a refueling station designed for unmanned vehicles that also includes a robotic arm for purposes of facilitating the refueling process. This is similar to the Applicant’s invention in that Applicant’s reliance on an automated appendage system for refueling/energizing an unmanned vehicle that are in communication with each other.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to PAUL A CASTRO whose telephone number is (571)272-4836. The examiner can normally be reached on 10-6pm on campus.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Jelani Smith can be reached on 5712703969. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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PAUL A. CASTRO
Examiner
Art Unit 3662
/P.A.C/ Examiner, Art Unit 3662
/JELANI A SMITH/ Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3662