DETAILED ACTION
The Amendment filed 4/27/2026 has been entered.
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 .
Drawings
The drawings are objected to under 37 CFR 1.83(a). The drawings must show every feature of the invention specified in the claims. Therefore, the “aperture”; the “insertion of the grasping point into the aperture”; and “a first vertical distance between the first wall edge and the first member edge is less than a second vertical distance between the second wall edge and the second member edge; and a third vertical distance between the grasping point and the first member edge is equal to a fourth vertical distance between the grasping point and the second member edge” must be shown or the feature(s) canceled from the claim(s). No new matter should be entered. (The examiner notes that Fig. 13 illustrates an “end effector” having some kind of structure for the addition of different types of “grasping structures” disclosed in para. 0053 of the publication of this application (US 2024/02364926))
Corrected drawing sheets in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d) are required in reply to the Office action to avoid abandonment of the application. Any amended replacement drawing sheet should include all of the figures appearing on the immediate prior version of the sheet, even if only one figure is being amended. The figure or figure number of an amended drawing should not be labeled as “amended.” If a drawing figure is to be canceled, the appropriate figure must be removed from the replacement sheet, and where necessary, the remaining figures must be renumbered and appropriate changes made to the brief description of the several views of the drawings for consistency. Additional replacement sheets may be necessary to show the renumbering of the remaining figures. Each drawing sheet submitted after the filing date of an application must be labeled in the top margin as either “Replacement Sheet” or “New Sheet” pursuant to 37 CFR 1.121(d). If the changes are not accepted by the examiner, the applicant will be notified and informed of any required corrective action in the next Office action. The objection to the drawings will not be held in abeyance.
Specification
The specification is objected to as failing to provide proper antecedent basis for the claimed subject matter. See 37 CFR 1.75(d)(1) and MPEP § 608.01(o). Correction of the following is required: the “aperture”; ”; the “insertion of the grasping point into the aperture”; and “a first vertical distance between the first wall edge and the first member edge is less than a second vertical distance between the second wall edge and the second member edge; and a third vertical distance between the grasping point and the first member edge is equal to a fourth vertical distance between the grasping point and the second member edge”.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
Claims 28-54 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(a) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), first paragraph, as failing to comply with the written description requirement. The claim(s) contains subject matter which was not described in the specification in such a way as to reasonably convey to one skilled in the relevant art that the inventor or a joint inventor, or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the inventor(s), at the time the application was filed, had possession of the claimed invention. Independent claims 28 and 37 recite, “a housing comprising an outer wall, the outer wall having a first wall edge, a second wall edge opposite of the first wall edge, and a first length extending between the first wall edge and the second wall edge, an extension coupled to the outer wall, the extension having a first member edge proximate the first wall edge, a second member edge opposite of the first member edge and proximate the second wall edge, and a second length extending between the first member edge and the second member edge, the second length being less than the first length.” The only support for this recitation is illustrated in the drawings. However, since the drawings are not to scale, the applicant cannot rely on the drawings for the proportions of elements recited.
Additionally, claim 32 recites, “a first vertical distance between the first wall edge and the first member edge is less than a second vertical distance between the second wall edge and the second member edge; and a third vertical distance between the grasping point and the first member edge is equal to a fourth vertical distance between the grasping point and the second member edge”. There is no support in the disclosure as filed for this recitation.
Finally, claim 34 recites, “the end effector has an aperture; and the end effector is configured to couple to the grasping point via insertion of the grasping point into the aperture.” There is no support for this claim limitation in the disclosure as filed on 10/18/2023.
Claims 28-54 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention. The independent claims recite, ““a housing comprising an outer wall, the outer wall having a first wall edge, a second wall edge opposite of the first wall edge, and a first length extending between the first wall edge and the second wall edge, an extension coupled to the outer wall, the extension having a first member edge proximate the first wall edge, a second member edge opposite of the first member edge and proximate the second wall edge, and a second length extending between the first member edge and the second member edge, the second length being less than the first length.” Furthermore, claim 32 recites, ““a first vertical distance between the first wall edge and the first member edge is less than a second vertical distance between the second wall edge and the second member edge; and a third vertical distance between the grasping point and the first member edge is equal to a fourth vertical distance between the grasping point and the second member edge”. However, the specification is completely silent regarding these recitations. One of ordinary skill in the art would be left guessing and speculating the metes and bound of these recitations.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
The text of those sections of Title 35, U.S. Code not included in this action can be found in a prior Office action.
Claim(s) 28-32 and 36-42 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Corser et al. (US 2024/0425279).
Regarding independent claim 28, Corser discloses a system for replacing a battery in a vehicle, the system comprising: a battery comprising: a housing (202) comprising an outer wall (see Fig. 8), the outer wall having a first wall edge (see Fig. 8), a second wall edge opposite of the first wall edge, and a first length (see Fig. 8) extending between the first wall edge and the second wall edge (see Fig. 8), an extension (206) coupled to the outer wall, the extension having a first member edge (see Fig. 8) proximate the first wall edge, a second member edge (see Fig. 8) opposite of the first member edge and proximate the second wall edge, and a second length (see Fig. 8) extending between the first member edge and the second member edge, the second length being less than the first length (see Fig. 8), and, and a grasping point (top of 206) extending from a portion from the extension; and a robotic device comprising an end effector (226) having configured to couple to the grasping point to facilitate connection of the robotic device and the battery.
Regarding independent claim 37, Corser discloses a method removing a battery from a vehicle, the method comprising: causing, by a controller (see at least para. 0168) of a robotic device (220), a grasping point (top of 206) of a battery to be coupled to an end effector (226) so as to connect the battery to the robotic device, the grasping point extending from an extension (206) of the battery, the extension coupled to an outer wall (see Fig. 8) of a housing of the battery, the outer wall having a first wall edge (see Fig. 8), a second wall edge (see Fig. 8) opposite of the first wall edge, and a first length (see Fig. 8) extending between the first wall edge and the second wall edge, the extension having a first member edge (see Fig. 8) proximate the first wall edge, a second member edge (see Fig. 8) opposite of the first member edge and proximate the second wall edge, and a second length (see Fig. 8) extending between the first member edge and the second member edge, the second length being less than the first length (see Fig. 8); and after the battery is connected to the end effector, causing, by the controller, the battery to be moved (see at least para. 0122).
[AltContent: textbox (Grasping point)][AltContent: arrow][AltContent: textbox (extension)][AltContent: arrow][AltContent: textbox (Second member edge)][AltContent: textbox (First member edge)][AltContent: textbox (Second wall edge)][AltContent: textbox (First wall edge)][AltContent: arrow][AltContent: arrow][AltContent: arrow][AltContent: arrow][AltContent: connector][AltContent: connector][AltContent: connector][AltContent: connector]
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Regarding dependent claims 29-32, 36, and 38-42, Corser discloses a charging repository (340) containing a plurality of charging bays (344), each of the charging bays configured to receive the battery and charge the battery (see at least para. 0161). Corser discloses a controller configured to: determine when the battery is received in any of the charging bays (see at least paras. 0166 and 0168); and cause electrical power to be provided to one of the charging bays when the battery is received within the one of the charging bays (see at least paras. 0166 and 0168). The grasping point is a post comprising a groove (see at least Fig. 6b). A first vertical distance between the first wall edge and the first member edge is less than a second vertical distance between the second wall edge and the second member edge (see Fig. 8); and a third vertical distance between the grasping point and the first member edge is equal to a fourth vertical distance between the grasping point and the second member edge (see Fig. 8). The robotic device comprises a detector mounted on the end effector, the detector configured to facilitate detection of a position of the battery when the robotic device is not connected to the battery (see at least para. 0138). Causing the battery to be moved comprises removing the battery from a housing assembly of a vehicle (100). Causing the battery to be moved comprises inserting the battery into a charging bay (344) of a charging repository (340). After causing the battery to be moved, determining, by the controller, that the battery is received in the charging bay (see at least paras. 0166 and 0168); and after determining that the battery is received in the charging bay, causing, by the controller, electrical power to be provided to the charging bay (see at least paras. 0166 and 0168). After causing the battery to be moved, causing, by the controller, the grasping point to be decoupled from the end effector so as to disconnect the battery from the robotic device (see at least paras. 0122, 0164, and 0168). After causing the grasping point to be decoupled from the end effector, causing, by the controller, a second grasping point of a second battery to be coupled to the end effector so as to connect the second battery to the robotic device, the second grasping point extending from a portion of a second housing of the second battery; and after the battery is connected to the end effector, causing, by the controller, the second battery to be moved (see at least paras. 0122, 0164, and 0168).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
The text of those sections of Title 35, U.S. Code not included in this action can be found in a prior Office action.
Claim(s) 33-35 and 43-54 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Corser et al. (US 2024/0425279) in view of Bakogiannis (WO 2022/064230 A1).
Regarding claims 33-35, Corser discloses a system for replacing a battery in a vehicle, the system comprising: a battery comprising: a housing (202) comprising an outer wall (see Fig. 8), the outer wall having a first wall edge (see Fig. 8), a second wall edge opposite of the first wall edge, and a first length (see Fig. 8) extending between the first wall edge and the second wall edge (see Fig. 8), an extension (206) coupled to the outer wall, the extension having a first member edge (see Fig. 8) proximate the first wall edge, a second member edge (see Fig. 8) opposite of the first member edge and proximate the second wall edge, and a second length (see Fig. 8) extending between the first member edge and the second member edge, the second length being less than the first length (see Fig. 8), and, and a grasping point (top of 206) extending from a portion from the extension; and a robotic device comprising an end effector (226) having configured to couple to the grasping point to facilitate connection of the robotic device and the battery. The robotic device comprises a detector mounted on the end effector (see at least para. 0138). Corser further discloses a vehicle including a housing assembly comprising an outer wall and an outer wall aperture (see Fig. 6A). Corser discloses all the limitations of the claims, but it does not disclose that the battery comprises a readable indicia comprising at least one of a bar code or a QR code; the detector configured to facilitate detection of the readable indicia when the robotic device is not connected to the battery; and it does not disclose a second readable indicia located on the outer wall; wherein the detector is further configured to facilitate detection of the second readable indicia when the robotic device is not connected to the battery; and wherein the controller is configured to: receive a first signal from the detector, the first signal associated with the readable indicia and a characteristic of the battery, and receive a second signal from the detector, the second signal associated with the second readable indicia and a position of the housing assembly. However, Bakogiannis discloses a similar system which includes a battery comprising a readable indicia comprising at least one of a bar code or a QR code (see at least paras. 0060 and 0066); a detector configured to facilitate detection of the readable indicia when a robotic device is not connected to the battery; and a second readable indicia located on an outer wall of the robotic device; wherein the detector is further configured to facilitate detection of the second readable indicia (see at least para. 0060) when the robotic device is not connected to the battery; and a controller configured to: receive a first signal from the detector, the first signal associated with the readable indicia and a characteristic of the battery, and receive a second signal from the detector, the second signal associated with the second readable indicia and a position of the housing assembly (see at least paras. 0060 and 0066) for the purpose of ensuring an appropriate battery is exchanged for a specific battery of a particular vehicle. It would have been obvious for a person of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the applicant’s invention to modify Corser by having the battery comprise a readable indicia comprising at least one of a bar code or a QR code; the detector configured to facilitate detection of the readable indicia when the robotic device is not connected to the battery; and a second readable indicia located on the outer wall; wherein the detector is further configured to facilitate detection of the second readable indicia when the robotic device is not connected to the battery; and wherein the controller is configured to: receive a first signal from the detector, the first signal associated with the readable indicia and a characteristic of the battery, and receive a second signal from the detector, the second signal associated with the second readable indicia and a position of the housing assembly, as disclosed by Bakogiannis, for the purpose of ensuring an appropriate battery is exchanged for a specific battery of a particular vehicle.
Regarding claims 43-54, Corser discloses a method removing a battery from a vehicle, the method comprising: causing, by a controller (see at least para. 0168) of a robotic device (220), a grasping point (top of 206) of a battery to be coupled to an end effector (226) so as to connect the battery to the robotic device, the grasping point extending from an extension (206) of the battery, the extension coupled to an outer wall (see Fig. 8) of a housing of the battery, the outer wall having a first wall edge (see Fig. 8), a second wall edge (see Fig. 8) opposite of the first wall edge, and a first length (see Fig. 8) extending between the first wall edge and the second wall edge, the extension having a first member edge (see Fig. 8) proximate the first wall edge, a second member edge (see Fig. 8) opposite of the first member edge and proximate the second wall edge, and a second length (see Fig. 8) extending between the first member edge and the second member edge, the second length being less than the first length (see Fig. 8); and after the battery is connected to the end effector, causing, by the controller, the battery to be moved (see at least para. 0122). Corser further discloses: causing the battery to be moved comprises removing the battery from a housing assembly of a vehicle and subsequently inserting the battery into a charging bay (344) of a charging repository (340); after causing the battery to be moved, causing, by the controller, the grasping point to be decoupled from the end effector so as to disconnect the battery from the robotic device (see at least paras. 0122, 0164, and 0168); after causing the grasping point to be decoupled from the end effector, causing, by the controller, a second grasping point of a second battery to be coupled to the end effector so as to connect the second battery to the robotic device, the second grasping point extending from a portion of a second housing of the second battery; and after the battery is connected to the end effector, causing, by the controller, the second battery to be moved (see at least paras. 0122, 0164, and 0168); causing the battery to be moved comprises removing the second battery from a second charging bay of the charging repository and inserting the second battery into a housing assembly of the vehicle (see at least paras. 0122, 0164, and 0168); after causing the second battery to be moved, causing, by the controller, the second grasping point to be decoupled from the end effector so as to disconnect the second battery from the robotic device (see at least paras. 0122, 0164, and 0168); causing the battery to be moved comprises removing the battery from a first charging bay of a charging repository and inserting the battery into a second charging bay of the charging repository (see at least paras. 0122, 0164, and 0168); causing the battery to be moved comprises removing the second battery a third charging bay of the charging repository and inserting the second battery into a housing assembly of the vehicle (see at least paras. 0122, 0164, and 0168); after causing the second battery to be moved, causing, by the controller, the second grasping point to be decoupled from the end effector so as to disconnect the second battery from the robotic device (see at least paras. 0122, 0164, and 0168). Corser discloses all the limitations of the claims, but it does not disclose that before causing the grasping point to be coupled to the end effector, causing, by the controller, a detector mounted on the end effector to detect a readable indicia of the battery and determining, by the controller, based on the readable indicia, at least one: a position of the battery or a characteristic of the battery. However, Bakogiannis discloses a similar method which includes before causing a grasping point to be coupled to an end effector, causing, by a controller, a detector mounted on the end effector to detect a readable indicia of a battery and determining, by the controller, based on the readable indicia, at least one: a position of the battery or a characteristic of the battery (see at least paras. 0060 and 0066) for the purpose of ensuring an appropriate battery is exchanged for a specific battery of a particular vehicle. It would have been obvious for a person of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the applicant’s invention to modify Corser by having before causing the grasping point to be coupled to the end effector, causing, by the controller, a detector mounted on the end effector to detect a readable indicia of the battery and determining, by the controller, based on the readable indicia, at least one: a position of the battery or a characteristic of the battery, as disclosed by Bakogiannis, for the purpose of ensuring an appropriate battery is exchanged for a specific battery of a particular vehicle.
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 4/27/2026 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
The applicant states that Corser does not disclose “the outer wall having a first wall edge, a second wall edge opposite of the first wall edge, and a first length extending between the first wall edge and the second wall edge, an extension coupled to the outer wall, the extension having a first member edge proximate the first wall edge, a second member edge opposite of the first member edge and proximate the second wall edge, and a second length extending between the first member edge and the second member edge, the second length being less than the first length, and a grasping point extending from the extension” as recited in the independent claims. The examiner disagrees with the applicant. As illustrated in the annotated Fig. 8 above, Corser discloses “the outer wall having a first wall edge, a second wall edge opposite of the first wall edge, and a first length extending between the first wall edge and the second wall edge, an extension coupled to the outer wall, the extension having a first member edge proximate the first wall edge, a second member edge opposite of the first member edge and proximate the second wall edge, and a second length extending between the first member edge and the second member edge, the second length being less than the first length, and a grasping point extending from the extension” as recited in the independent claims
The applicant states that the amendment does not introduce new matter because, even though the drawings are not to scale, they illustrate the newly claimed subjected matter. However, the applicant has produced no evidence indicating that the the drawings illustrate what is recited in the claims. No annotations have been provided and no specific evidence stating how a person of ordinary skill in the art would understand that the claimed subject matter is illustrated. Additionally, the applicant cites a PTAB decision to support the assertion that the drawings illustrate what is claimed. However, the decision cited by the applicant is not a precedential decision, and the fact pattern in the decision is different from the current fact pattern.
Conclusion
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to PATRICK HEWEY MACKEY whose telephone number is (571)272-6916. The examiner can normally be reached M - F 9-5.
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 McCullough can be reached at 571-272-7805. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/PATRICK H MACKEY/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3653
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