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 § 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.
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.
Claims 2-17 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Garofalo et al. (US 2022/0348097) and Jadidian et al. (US 10,418,863) in view of each other.
Re claim 2:
See figure 1 of Garofalo et al.:
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Garofalo et al. teaches, with emphasis by examiner:
“An automated electric vehicle charging station. The charging station can include a frame to which a vehicle can park in proximity to receive an electric charge. The frame is at least partially underneath the vehicle. The charging station can include an alignment indicator and a charging indicator to alert an occupant of the vehicle to a vehicle alignment status and a vehicle charging status. When the vehicle is parked in a charging position, an electronic charging unit automatically determines a receiving location on the vehicle where the vehicle can receive an electric charge. A charging plug can be stored in the frame and can be actuated out of the frame and travel in multiple directions to the receiving location. Electric charge can then be transferred from the charging plug to the vehicle. When the vehicle is finished charging, the charging plug can be actuated to return to the frame.”
And
“[0022] The electronic charging unit 120 can include various electrical components for charging the vehicle 10. The electronic charging unit 120 can include a power supply for providing the power to the vehicle 10. As shown in FIG. 2, a charging plug 130 can be coupled to the power supply through a cord 140 to facilitate providing power to the vehicle 10. The charging plug 130 can be coupled to an actuator 150 through a robotic arm 151 which may be comprised of one or more armatures 152. The actuator 150 can be coupled to a controller and can move the plug 130 relative to the frame 110 in multiple directions and out of the frame 110 to connect with the vehicle 10 at a receiving location 160. The electronic charging unit 120 determines the receiving location 160 through a destination locator 162 in electronic communication with the controller. In one embodiment, the destination locator 162 may be an image capturing device, such as a camera, that may capture images of the vehicle 10 and send those images to the controller. The controller may then analyze the images to determine the location of a charging port and may actuate the charging plug 130 to that location. In one embodiment, the receiving location 160 is a socket that the charging plug 130 inserts into. In another embodiment, the receiving location 160 is the location of a wireless power receiver in the vehicle 10. When the charging plug 130 is connected to the vehicle 10, the charging plug 130 establishes an electrical connection with the vehicle 10 to provide electric charge to the vehicle 10 thereby. In one embodiment, the controller determines the receiving location 160 using a camera with object recognition, a sensor, or some other mechanism. The controller can determine the receiving location 160 as a set of x-, y-, and z-coordinates and communicate that determination to the actuator 150.”
Thus, Garofalo et al. teaches that charging can be supplied via movement in three different dimensions from a parking space.
Garofalo et al. arguably differs in that the charging system doesn’t simply move first horizontal and then vertically.
Jadidian et al. teaches a system that moves underneath a car in a parking space to locate a charging port underneath the car, move horizontal and vertically, and making a charging connection. See figure 1 below.
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Jadidian et al. teaches (column 3, lines 33+):
“Charging device 20 may include wheels 24 or other structures that allow charging device 20 to travel along a surface such as surface 36. Surface 36 may be part of a garage, part of an outdoors roadway, or may be any other suitable path on which target device 14 and charging device 20 can travel. Motors in charging device 20 may be used to rotate and steer wheels 24 to move charging device 20 in a desired direction.
Computer-controlled motors or other actuators such as positioner 26 may be used in positioning structures within charging device 20. For example, positioner 26 may be used in positioning wireless power transfer element 28. Positioner 26 may position element 28 by tilting, raising and lowering, and/or rotating element 28. In configurations in which charging device 20 includes a battery for transferring power to target device 14, a battery loading and unloading device may be used to load and unload fresh batteries from a rack of available pre-charged batteries (as an example). A motor or other actuator may, if desired, be used to control cord management system 22 under control of control circuitry in charging device 20. System 22 may have a motorized rotating reel or other equipment that can be used to retract power cord 18 into charging device 20 or to deploy power cord 18 onto surface 36 (i.e., by feeding cord 18 out of an opening in charging device 20). The motors or other electrically controlled components that rotate and steer wheels 24 and otherwise control the movement of charging device 10 may sometimes be referred to herein as the movement system of charging device 20. Any suitable movement system may be used to control the movement of charging device 20 under the control of control circuitry within charging device 20 (e.g., a movement system based on electric drive motors for wheels 24 and a linear actuator coupled to a steering rack that turns wheels 24 in desired directions, etc.).“
Further (column 1) the system can either have a physical connector or a wireless connection.
Arguably, Garofalo et al. has all the movements of the claim inherently, but if not then Jadidian et al.’s movements more exactly match what is shown in the instant invention.
Either way, a robot system from underneath a vehicle in a parking space moves a charging plug in three dimensions using sensors of various kinds including cameras, to physically locate and connect to a charging port.
Re claims 3-17: These various movements are shown or implied in Garofalo et al. and or Jadidian et al.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 18 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 prior art fails to teach or fairly suggest the hands-free electric vehicle charging system of claim 12, wherein the charge transfer unit includes a door operable between a closed position, where the EV connector is protected from an exterior environment, and an open position, where the EV connector is exposed to the exterior environment, and wherein the door includes a cleaning element to clean the EV connector each time the door is opened and closed.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to DANIEL A HESS whose telephone number is (571)272-2392. The examiner can normally be reached Monday through Friday, from 9 AM to 5 PM.
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, Michael G. Lee can be reached at (571)272-2398. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/DANIEL A HESS/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2876
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