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.
Claims 1, 2, 9, 10, 11, 13, 17, and 18 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.
Re claim 1: “substantially vertical movement” (line 9) and ““substantially horizontal movement” (line 12) are indefinite and vague in its relationship to the movement of a charging head. The examiner interprets this to mean "vertical movement" and “horizontal movement”. If this interpretation is incorrect, Applicants should so advise. Nevertheless, correction is required.
Claims 2, 9-11, 13, 17 and 18 are also rejected for same rationales.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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 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.
Claim(s) 8 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Pachler (US 2020/0055417).
Pachler teaches a method of moving a charging assembly to engage a vehicle comprising driving an upper arm (16) of the charging assembly with an actuator (43), moving a lower arm (19) and a passive linkage (17) using a force from the upper arm and the actuator, extending or retracting the passive linkage using the force from the upper arm and the actuator (figs. 1 and 2), sensing one or more electrical characteristics the charging assembly using a sensor (61), and implementing one or more responsive actions to control operation of the charging assembly based on the one or more electrical characteristics (paragraph 0055) (see figs. 1-2; paragraphs 0052-0057).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 1-7 and 13-20 are allowed.
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:
None of prior art teaches the method of moving a charging assembly to engage a vehicle comprising engaging a stop of the passive linkage to allow a vertical movement of a charging head of the charging assembly responsive to the one or more electrical characteristics meeting one or more first designated criteria, and moving the passive linkage away from the stop to allow a horizontal movement of the charging head responsive to the one or more electrical characteristics meeting one or more second designated criteria, and a charging assembly having the same as set forth in the claims.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Koopsingraven et al. (CA 3175164), Fagan (US 11305658), Storm (US 9988835), and Doddakula (US 9937799) teach methods for charging vehicles.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to SEUNG H LEE whose telephone number is (571)272-2401. The examiner can normally be reached 7-4:00PM.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Steven Paik can be reached at 571-272-2404. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/SEUNG H LEE/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2876
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