DETAILED ACTION
This is a first action on the merits, in response to the claims received 1/9/2024. Claims 21-40 are pending for prosecution below.
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) file on 1/11/2024 has been considered by the examiner. An initialed copy is attached herewith.
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.
Claim(s) 21-40 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Pasquini et al, (Pasquini), (USPATNO.6,491,123) in view of SOHMSHETTY et al, (SOHMSHETTY), (USNO.2020/0164760).
As for claim 21, Pasquini discloses and shows in Figs. 1-3 a person or load lifting machine, comprising: a system for lifting persons or loads, an electric power circuit comprising: at least one electric motor for actuating the lifting system and moving the lifting machine on the ground, and at least a first self-contained electrical power source received in a first location of the lifting machine, the lifting machine being provided to operate by being powered solely by the first self-contained electrical power source (col.2, line 37- line 51)
Pasquini discloses all limitations, but differs from the claimed invention because he does not explicitly disclose a second location distinct from the first location and provided to removably receive a second self-contained electrical power source distinct from the first electrical power source which second self-contained electrical power source is selectable from a plurality of different second self-contained electrical power sources not exclusively consisting of generating sets and not exclusively consisting of electrical power storage devices, an electrical connection system adapted to connect any one of the plurality of second self-contained electrical power sources thereto when received in the second location so as to enable the second self-contained electrical power source to supply electric power to the power circuit, an identification on system provided to identify which of the plurality of second self-contained electrical power sources is received in the second location, and onboard electronics provided to manage the supply of electrical power to the power circuit by the second self-contained electrical power source depending on the second self- contained electrical power source identified by the identification system.
SOHMSHETTY discloses and shows in Fig. 1 a second location distinct (via ref’s charging hub) from the first location and provided to removably receive a second self-contained electrical power source distinct from the first electrical power source which second self-contained electrical power source is selectable from a plurality of different second self-contained electrical power sources not exclusively consisting of generating sets and not exclusively consisting of electrical power storage devices, an electrical connection system adapted to connect any one of the plurality of second self-contained electrical power sources thereto when received in the second location so as to enable the second self-contained electrical power source to supply electric power to the power circuit, an identification (via ref’s battery swapping system) on system provided to identify which of the plurality of second self-contained electrical power sources is received in the second location, and onboard electronics provided to manage the supply of electrical power to the power circuit by the second self-contained electrical power source depending on the second self- contained electrical power source identified by the identification system (par.[0022-0030]).
Therefore, 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 teachings of Pasquini by using a second location distinct from the first location and provided to removably receive a second self-contained electrical power source distinct from the first electrical power source which second self-contained electrical power source is selectable from a plurality of different second self-contained electrical power sources not exclusively consisting of generating sets and not exclusively consisting of electrical power storage devices, an electrical connection system adapted to connect any one of the plurality of second self-contained electrical power sources thereto when received in the second location so as to enable the second self-contained electrical power source to supply electric power to the power circuit, an identification on system provided to identify which of the plurality of second self-contained electrical power sources is received in the second location, and onboard electronics provided to manage the supply of electrical power to the power circuit by the second self-contained electrical power source depending on the second self- contained electrical power source identified by the identification system for advantages such as providing the ability to extend propulsion (par.[0006]), as taught by SOHMSHETTY.
As for claim 22, Pasquini discloses and shows in Figs. 1-3 at least one of the second self-contained electrical power sources is designed to output a DC voltage and at least one other of the second self-contained electrical power sources is designed to output an AC voltage (via ref’s battery swapping system) (par.[0035,0137]).
As for claim 23, Pasquini discloses and shows in Figs. 1-3 an electrical adaption system for adapting electrical characteristics of the electrical energy supplied to the power circuit by at least one of the second self-contained electrical power sources when connected to the electrical connection system, the electrical adapting system comprising at least one AC-DC converter and at least one DC-DC converter (via ref’s battery swapping system) (par.[0035,0137]).
As for claim 24, Pasquini discloses and shows in Figs. 1-3 an electrical adaption system for adapting electrical characteristics of the electrical energy supplied to the power circuit by at least one of the plurality of the second self-contained electrical power sources when connected to the electrical connection system.
As for claim 25, Pasquini discloses and shows in Figs. 1-3 electrical adapting system comprises at least one DC-DC converter (via ref’s battery swapping system) (par.[0035,0137]).
As for claim 26, Pasquini in combination with Sohmshetty discloses the identification system comprises a data communication device adapted to establish a data communication link with any one of the plurality of second self-contained electrical power sources when received in the second location, the on-board electronics being provided to cooperate with the data communication device so as to obtain from the second self-contained electrical power source identification data thereof (par.[0057])
As for claim 27, Pasquini in combination with Sohmshetty discloses provided to be able to charge the first self- contained electrical power source from electric power supplied by the second self-contained electrical power source and which is provided to be able to supply the at least one electric motor simultaneously from the first self-contained electrical power source and the second self-contained electrical power source, wherein: - the machine is provided to allow an operator to choose between charging the first self-contained electrical power source with electric power supplied by the second self-contained electrical power source and supplying the at least one electric motor simultaneously from the first self-contained electrical power source and the second self-contained electrical power source, or- the onboard electronics is designed to automatically choose between charging the first self-
contained electrical power source with electric power supplied by the second self-contained electrical power source and supplying the at least one electric motor simultaneously from the first self-contained electrical power source and the second self-contained electrical power source
As for claim 28, Pasquini in combination with Sohmshetty discloses plurality of second self-contained electrical power sources comprises a fuel cell and/or a solar energy panel (par.[0053,0094])
As for claim 29, Pasquini in combination with Sohmshetty discloses second location is designed for cooperating in a same manner with any of the second self-contained electrical power sources to position and removably hold the second self-contained electrical power source in or on the second location
As for claim 30, Pasquini in combination with Sohmshetty discloses a electrical connection system comprises a power connector to which any one of the second self-contained electrical power sources can be connected
As for claim 31, Pasquini in combination with Sohmshetty discloses a set of several different self-contained electrical power sources not exclusively consisting of generating sets and not exclusively consisting of electrical power storage devices, each of the self-contained electrical power sources being provided to be received in the second location of a same person or load lifting machine according to claim 21 and to be connected to the electrical connection system of the person or load lifting machine as a said second self- contained electrical power source
As for claim 32, Pasquini in combination with Sohmshetty discloses each of the self-contained electrical power sources is arranged for being identifiable by the identification system of the person or load lifting machine when the second self-contained electrical power source is received in the second location of the person or load lifting machine
As for claim 33, Pasquini in combination with Sohmshetty discloses one of the second self-contained electrical power sources is designed to output a DC voltage and at least one other of the second self-contained electrical power sources is designed to output an AC voltage (via charging hub)
As for claim 34, Pasquini in combination with Sohmshetty discloses at least one of the second self-contained electrical power sources is designed to output a DC voltage, at least one other of the second self-contained electrical power sources is designed to exclusively output a single-phase AC (via charging hub)
As for claim 35, Pasquini in combination with Sohmshetty discloses several self-contained electrical power sources outputting each a different DC voltage (par.[0137])
As for claim 36, Pasquini in combination with Sohmshetty discloses one or more of the following self-contained electrical power sources: a fuel cell and/or a solar energy panel
As for claim 37, Pasquini in combination with Sohmshetty discloses method of operating a person or load lifting machine according to claim 21,comprising:- providing a set of several different self-contained electrical power sources for selective use
of any one of them with the person or load lifting machine as a said second self-contained electrical power source, the set of several different self-contained electrical power sources not exclusively consisting of generating sets and not exclusively consisting of electrical power storage devices, each of the self-contained electrical power sources being provided to be received in the second location of the person or load lifting machine and to be connected to the electrical connection system of the person or load lifting machine as a said second self-contained electrical power source.
As for claim 38, Pasquini in combination with Sohmshetty discloses each of the self-contained electrical power sources is arranged for being identifiable by the identification system of the person or load lifting machine when the second self-contained electrical power source is received in the second location of the person or load lifting machine
As for claim 39, Pasquini in combination with Sohmshetty discloses at least one of the second self-contained electrical power sources is designed to output a DC voltage and at least one other of the second self-contained electrical power sources is designed to output an AC voltage.
As for claim 40, Pasquini in combination with Sohmshetty discloses one or more of the following self-contained electrical power sources: a fuel cell and/or a solar energy panel.
Contact Information
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ARUN C WILLIAMS whose telephone number is (571)272-9765. The examiner can normally be reached on M-F 9 a.m. - 6 p.m..
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Julian Huffman can be reached on 571-272-2147. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/ARUN C WILLIAMS/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2859
Prosecution Insights