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 .
Status of the Claims
Claims 1-13 are pending.
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement filed 11 January 2024 fails to comply with 37 CFR 1.98(a)(2), which requires a legible copy of each cited foreign patent document; each non-patent literature publication or that portion which caused it to be listed; and all other information or that portion which caused it to be listed. It has been placed in the application file, but the information referred to therein has not been considered.
The information disclosure statements (IDS) submitted on 10 March 2025 and 07 January 2026 were filed before the mailing date of the first Office Action on the merits. The submissions are in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statements are being considered by the examiner.
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) 1-2, 8, and 13 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Zeng (CN 112744747 A) in view of Hirose (JP 2008126709 A).
In regards to claim 1, Zeng teaches an autonomous bogie comprising:
a vehicle body (1) (Fig. 1);
a partition member (12) (Fig. 2) that is provided on the vehicle body and vertically partitions (see machine translation, para. [n0023]) a vehicle body internal space (as seen in Fig. 2);
a wheel drive unit (para. [n0007]) that is disposed on a lower surface side of the partition member (as seen in Fig. 2, the wheel drive unit is below the partition member 12);
a control unit (6) (Fig. 2) that is disposed on an upper surface side (as seen in Fig. 3) of the partition member; and
Zeng does not teach a cable that is disposed across the partition member and connects the wheel drive unit and the control unit.
Hirose teaches a cable (12) (Fig. 2) that is disposed across the partition member (as seen in Fig. 2) and connects the wheel drive unit and the control unit (see machine translation, para. [0010], lines 3-6).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the autonomous bogie of Zeng to include a cable connecting the wheel drive unit and the control unit across a partition member as taught by Hirose with a reasonable expectation of success for the purpose of reducing electrical elements interfering with the upper structure of the bogie (see, para. [0044], lines 8-10).
In regards to claim 2, the combination of Zeng as modified by Hirose above teaches the autonomous bogie according to claim 1, further comprising: a plurality of pillar members that rise upward (see annotated Fig. 3 below) from the partition member (12) (Fig. 2) and support a top plate (11) (Fig. 1).
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In regards to claim 8, the combination of Zeng as modified by Hirose above teaches the combination of Hirose as modified by Zeng above teaches the autonomous bogie according to claim 1, further comprising:
a pair of left and right wheel drive units (Zeng, as seen in Fig. 2); and
a battery (41) (Zeng, Fig. 3) disposed between the pair of wheel drive units (as seen in Fig. 3, the batteries are located on the centerline of the bogie, between the drive units)
While Zeng does not teach the battery disposed a lower side of the partition member, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to include the batteries located on the lower side of the partition member with a reasonable expectation of success for the purpose of simplifying the assembly of the autonomous bogie and reducing the distance from the battery to the drive units, since it has been held that rearranging parts of an invention involves only routine skill in the art. In re Japikse, 181 F.2d 1019, 86 USPQ 70 (CCPA 1950). See MPEP § 2144.04(VI)(C).
In regards to claim 13, note that the operation of the prior structure of apparatus claim 1 inherently requires method steps as claimed.
Claim(s) 3-7 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Zeng (CN 112744747 A) in view of Hirose (JP 2008126709 A) and Mitani (JP 2005125992 A).
In regards to claim 3, the combination of Zeng as modified by Hirose above teaches the autonomous bogie according to claim 1, further comprising:
a main wheel (3) (Zeng, Fig. 2) (11) (Hirose, Fig. 2) driven by the wheel drive unit;
a driven wheel (13) (Zeng, Fig. 2) provided on at least one side in a front-rear direction with respect to the main wheel (Zeng, as seen in Fig. 2); and
when the main wheel and the driven wheel are in contact with a flat surface on the traveling surface (as seen in Fig. 2, the driven wheels 13 and main wheel 3 are level with one another),
Zeng does not teach an auxiliary wheel that rides on a step portion on a traveling surface, wherein the auxiliary wheel is positioned above the flat surface.
Mitani teaches an auxiliary wheel (5) (Fig. 4) that rides on a step portion on a traveling surface (as seen in Fig. 5), wherein the auxiliary wheel is positioned above the flat surface (as seen in Fig. 5)
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the autonomous bogie of Zeng to include an auxiliary wheel that rides on a step portion on a traveling surface positioned above the flat surface as taught by Mitani with a reasonable expectation of success for the purpose of increasing the maneuverability of the autonomous bogie (see machine translation, Mitani, para. [0006]).
In regards to claim 4, the combination of Zeng as modified by Hirose and Mitani above teaches the autonomous bogie according to claim 3, wherein an outer diameter of the auxiliary wheel (5) (Mitani, Fig. 4) is larger (Mitani, as seen in Fig. 4, the auxiliary wheel is larger than the driven wheel 4 of Mitani) than an outer diameter of the driven wheel (13) (Zeng, Fig. 2).
In regards to claim 5, the combination of Zeng as modified by Hirose and Mitani above teaches the autonomous bogie according to claim 3, wherein the auxiliary wheel is disposed at a position overlapping the driven wheel when viewed from a left-right direction (Mitani, as seen in Figs. 4-5, auxiliary wheel 5 overlaps driven wheel 4).
In regards to claim 6, the combination of Zeng as modified by Hirose and Mitani above teaches the autonomous bogie according to claim 3, further comprising:
a pair of left and right main wheels (Zeng, as seen in Fig. 2), wherein
the driven wheel includes a pair of left and right front driven wheels and a pair of left and right rear driven wheels (Zeng, as seen in Fig. 2), and
outer diameters of the front driven wheel and the rear driven wheel are smaller than an outer diameter of the main wheel (Zeng, as seen in Fig. 2, the driven wheels 13 are smaller than the main wheels 3).
In regards to claim 7, the combination of Zeng as modified by Hirose and Mitani above teaches the autonomous bogie according to claim 3, further comprising:
Zeng does not teach a suspension mechanism that attaches the main wheel to the vehicle body to be movable up and down, wherein the suspension mechanism presses the main wheel against the traveling surface.
Hirose teaches a suspension mechanism (14) (Fig. 4) that attaches the main wheel (11) to the vehicle body (1) to be movable up and down (para. [0014], lines 6-10), wherein the suspension mechanism presses the main wheel against the traveling surface (para. [0014], lines 6-10).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the autonomous bogie of Zeng to include a suspension mechanism as taught by Hirose with a reasonable expectation of success for the purpose of absorbing shocks to the system when driving (see Hirose, para. [0014], lines 6-10).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 9-12 are 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:
The prior art fails to teach the combination of limitations as recited in claim 9, the combination of Zeng as modified by Hirose above teaches the autonomous bogie according to claim 1, further comprising:
a medium attachment/detachment unit (2) (Fig. 3) for attaching/detaching (para. [n0013], lines 7-9) a
the
Zeng does not teach a storage medium; and a power supply operation unit that turns a power supply on or off; wherein the storage medium is removable on the condition that the power supply is in an off state by the power supply operation unit.
Nakaura (US 20190291760 A1) teaches a storage medium (30, 40) (Fig. 5), and a power supply operation unit (20). Nakaura however does not teach wherein the storage medium is removable on the condition that the power supply is in an off state by the power-supply operation unit.
It would not have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the autonomous bogie of Zeng to include wherein a storage medium is removable on the condition that the power supply is in an off state by a power-supply operation unit as the modifications necessary would require an improper amount of hindsight, i.e., the modifications needed would require improperly modifying a secondary reference.
Thus, claim 9 is non-obvious in light of the prior art of record, but is objected to due to being dependent upon a rejected base claim. Claims 10-12 are also non-obvious due to dependence upon claim 9, but are also objected to due to being dependent upon a rejected base claim.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Zheng (CN 207571576 U) discloses an intelligent mobile robot based on laser radar.
Yoneda (JP 20151401558 A) discloses a step ascent/descent vehicle.
Patron (US 20150202770 A1) discloses a sidewalk messaging of an autonomous robot.
Miyawaki (JP 2012188061 A) discloses an apparatus for driving and changing direction of the wheel.
Tokumaru (JP 2008220882 A) discloses a self-propelled vehicle.
Oka (JP 2007283958 A) discloses a suspension device for an automated guided vehicle.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JAMES WILLIAM JONES whose telephone number is (571)270-7063. The examiner can normally be reached M-F: 11am-7pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Samuel Morano can be reached at (571) 272-6684. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/JAMES WILLIAM JONES/ Examiner, Art Unit 3615
/S. Joseph Morano/ Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3615
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