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 § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claim 17 is 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.
Claim 17 recites the limitation "such as liquid hydrogen or liquid natural gas”. The phrase "such as" renders the claim indefinite because it is unclear whether the limitations following the phrase are part of the claimed invention. See MPEP § 2173.05(d).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 1 – 16 are allowed.
The following is an examiner’s statement of reasons for allowance:
While Dudar (US 2022/0219667) discloses a fuel volume with a release valve and regulating a refueling volume based on predicted canister breakthrough; Wette (US 2024/0167633) discloses communication between a fueling device and a liquid gas fuel (hydrogen) vehicle; Leone (US 2017/0036904) discloses a maximum pressure threshold for refueling; Scott (US 2021/0054969) discloses modifying future refilling amount based on past intervals and amounts; none of these references taken either alone or in combination with the prior art of record disclose:
(Claim 1) obtaining, by the control unit, data which pertains to historical automatic ventilation events of the liquid gas fuel volume;
determining, by the control unit, a refueling pressure set point for the liquid gas fuel volume based on the obtained data; and
at a subsequent refueling operation, communicating, by the control unit, the refueling pressure set point to be used as a maximum pressure threshold when refueling the liquid gas fuel volume.
in combination with the remaining elements and features of the claimed invention.
It is for these reasons that the applicant’s invention defines over the prior art of record.
The dependent claims, being definite, further limiting, and fully enabled by the specification are also allowed.
Any comments considered necessary by applicant must be submitted no later than the payment of the issue fee and, to avoid processing delays, should preferably accompany the issue fee. Such submissions should be clearly labeled “Comments on Statement of Reasons for Allowance.”
Conclusion
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/YUHUI R PAN/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2116