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 .
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)(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.
Claims 1-17 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Leonard (US 2021/0268952 A1).
Consider claim 1. Leonard teaches an apparatus (10), comprising: a post (132) configured to couple with an electric vehicle; and the post configured to cause at least a portion of an arm (105) to be disposed external to the electric vehicle (via 174 to outboard of the roof rack).
Consider claim 2. Leonard teaches that the arm is configured to move from a position inside the electric vehicle (inboard of the roof rack) to a position external to the electric vehicle (outboard of the roof rack).
Consider claim 3. Leonard teaches that the post is configured to move the arm from a first position (inboard of the roof rack) to a second position (outboard of the roof rack), wherein the first position is inside the electric vehicle and the second position is external to the electric vehicle.
Consider claim 4. Leonard teaches a stopping mechanism (184) configured to prevent the post from moving the arm beyond a predetermined position; a grabbing mechanism (226) coupled with the arm, the grabbing mechanism configured to couple with an object, wherein the grabbing mechanism includes a cable (220); and a motor (236) coupled with the grabbing mechanism, the motor configured to adjust the grabbing mechanism from a first height to a second height.
Consider claim 5. Leonard teaches that the arm is configured to adjust from a first length (distance from 132 in fig. 10) to a second length (distance from 132 in fig. 11) and at least one of the first length or the second length is different than a length of the post.
Consider claim 6. Leonard teaches a locking mechanism (210) configured to lock the arm in at least one of a first position or a second position; and a power source (284) configured to provide power to at least one of the arm or the post.
Consider claim 7. Leonard teaches a data processing system (270), the data processing system comprising at least one processor (274), coupled with memory (276), to: determine, via a graphical user interface (278 or 290), an indication to move the arm from a first position to a second position; and move, responsive to the indication, the arm from the first position to the second position.
Consider claim 8. Leonard teaches a data processing system (270), the data processing system comprising at least one processor (274), coupled with memory (276), to: determine, via a graphical user interface (278 or 290), an indication to adjust the arm from a first length to a second length; and adjust, responsive to the indication, the arm from the first length to the second length.
Consider claim 9. Leonard teaches that the post comprises: a motor (206) configured to receive power from a battery (284) of the electric vehicle, and the motor configured to move the arm from a first position (fig. 10) to a second position (fig. 11); and the battery configured to provide power to move the electric vehicle.
Consider claim 10. Leonard teaches that the post is configured to receive power from a battery (284) of the electric vehicle via an inverter, and the post configured to, responsive to receipt of the power, move the arm (via 174) from a first position (inboard of the roof rack) to a second position (outboard of the roof rack); and the battery configured to provide power to move the electric vehicle.
Consider claim 11. Leonard teaches a method, comprising: disposing a post (132) within an electric vehicle (inboard of the roof rack), the post configured to couple with the electric vehicle, and the post configured to cause at least a portion of an arm (105) to be disposed external to the electric vehicle (outboard of the roof rack).
Consider claim 12. Leonard teaches that the arm is configured to move from a position inside the electric vehicle (inboard of the roof rack) to a position external to the electric vehicle (outboard of the roof rack).
Consider claim 13. Leonard teaches that the post is configured to move the arm from a first position (inboard of the roof rack) to a second position (outboard of the roof rack), wherein the first position is inside the electric vehicle and the second position is external to the electric vehicle.
Consider claim 14. Leonard teaches disposing a stopping mechanism (184) on the post, the stopping mechanism configured to prevent the post from moving the arm beyond a predetermined position; coupling a grabbing mechanism (226) with the arm, the grabbing mechanism configured to couple with an object, wherein the grabbing mechanism includes a cable (220); and coupling a motor (236) with the grabbing mechanism, the motor configured to adjust the grabbing mechanism from a first height to a second height.
Consider claim 15. Leonard teaches that the arm is configured to adjust from a first length (distance from 132 in fig. 10) to a second length (distance from 132 in fig. 11) and at least one of the first length or the second length is different than a length of the post.
Consider claim 16. Leonard teaches coupling a locking mechanism (210) with the arm, the locking mechanism configured to lock the arm in at least one of a first position or a second position; and electrically coupling a power source (284) with at least one of the arm or the post, the power source configured to provide power to at least one of the arm or the post.
Consider claim 17. Leonard teaches connecting a motor (206) with the post; the motor configured to receive power for a battery of the electric vehicle, and the motor configured to move the arm from a first position (fig. 10) to a second position (fig. 11); and the battery of the electric vehicle configured to provide power to move the electric vehicle.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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 18-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Leonard (US 2021/0268952 A1) in view of Rocholl et al. (US 2020/0346856 A1), hereafter referred to as Rocholl.
Consider claim 18. Leonard teaches a vehicle (14), comprising: an apparatus (10), including: a post (132) coupled with the vehicle; and the post configured to cause at least a portion of an arm (105) to be disposed external to the vehicle (via 174 to outboard of the roof rack).
Leonard does not explicitly teach that the vehicle is an electric vehicle (the limitation “electric vehicle” is interpreted here as a term of art meaning “a vehicle that uses one or more electric motors for propulsion”). Rocholl teaches that electric vehicles are well-known in the art (see paragraph [0037]). It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art to modify Leonard’s vehicle to be an electric vehicle in order to reduce emissions.
Consider claim 19. Leonard teaches that the post is configured to move the arm from a first position (inboard of the roof rack) to a second position (outboard of the roof rack), wherein the first position is inside the vehicle and the second position is external to the vehicle.
Consider claim 20. Leonard teaches that the apparatus comprises: a stopping mechanism (184) configured to prevent the post from moving the arm beyond a predetermined position; a grabbing mechanism (226) coupled with the arm, the grabbing mechanism configured to couple with an object, wherein the grabbing mechanism includes a cable (220); and a motor (236) coupled with the grabbing mechanism, the motor configured to adjust the grabbing mechanism from a first height to a second height.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. The attached PTO-892 lists references which teach various self-loading vehicles with hoists.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JONATHAN D SNELTING whose telephone number is (571)270-7015. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday, 8:00-4:30 EST.
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, Saul Rodriguez can be reached at (571)272-7097. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/JONATHAN SNELTING/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3652
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