DETAILED ACTION
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 § 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 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.
Claims 1-8, 10-11 and 13-14 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Kummeth et al. WIPO Publication WO2021/170369A1 (citations taken from the US equivalent US PGPUB 2023/0132562).
Regarding claim 1, Kummeth discloses a system [fig. 1], comprising:
control circuitry [par. 39, 52 & 74; fig. 1, control unit 18]; and
a mechanical arm communicatively connected to the control circuitry and configured to adjust a dispensing location of a charging cord [figs. 3 & 5; charging arm 21, adjusts the location of the charging cord 25]
wherein the dispensing location is adjustable to different locations based on at least a first location of a first charging receptacle of a first vehicle and a second location of a second charging receptacle of a second vehicle [pars. 74-76 & 79; the location of the vehicle charging socket is sensed and the dispensing location of the charging cord is adjusted accordingly to a first location or a second location (“in all three spatial directions” “adapted to the height of the particular charging socket”)],
wherein the second location is further from a power source than the first location [figs. 3 & 5; pars. 74-76, 79 & 84-85; the cord can be extended to a plurality of different locations, closer to or further from the power source].
Regarding claim 2, Kummeth discloses further comprising:
a mobile base configured to (i) move the mechanical arm toward a power source configured to provide power to the charging cord and (ii) move the mechanical arm away from the power source configured to provide power to the charging cord [figs. 3 & 5; the arm 21 extends the plug further or closer to the mobile base (41 on the base 23 also moves, thus a mobile base), the cord 25 originates at the base 23, thus the base is also the power source; pars. 76-83].
Regarding claim 3, Kummeth discloses wherein the mechanical arm is attached to the mobile base and configured to move up and down the mobile base based on a first height of the first charging receptacle and a second height of the second charging receptacle [pars. 76 & 79-82].
Regarding claim 4, Kummeth discloses further comprising a receptacle detection apparatus comprising one or more sensors and one or more processors [pars. 38-39 & 74 ; sensor unit has a camera and is connected to an evaluation unit 17] wherein the receptacle detection apparatus is configured to perform operations comprising:
detecting, based on data collected using the one or more sensors, the first location of the first charging receptacle or the second location of the second charging receptacle [pars. 74-75; the position of the vehicle charging receptacle is detected using the sensor to be one of various locations]; and
aligning a physical location of a charging port of a charging station based on the detecting of the first location of the first charging receptacle or the second location of the second charging receptacle [pars. 74-80; based on the location of the charging receptacle the charging plug is aligned to the receptacle (the charging port is being interpreted as a charging plug based on the specification)].
Regarding claim 5, Kummeth discloses wherein the receptacle detection apparatus is configured to perform operations comprising:
connecting the charging port to a given charging receptacle [par. 54, 85 & 89]; and
initiating charging, by the charging station, based, at least in part, on the charging port being electrically connected to the given charging receptacle [pars. 54-57, charging is started after the plug is plugged in].
Regarding claim 6, Kummeth discloses wherein the receptacle detection apparatus is configured to perform operations comprising:
detecting when charging is complete; and retracting the charging port from the given charging receptacle after the charging is complete [par. 58-59 & 90; the charging process can be detected as complete and the charging plug can be unplugged].
Regarding claim 7, Kummeth discloses wherein detecting when the charging is complete comprises detecting one or more of (i) when a charge cycle is complete while the charging port is still connected to the given charging receptacle [pars. 58-59 & 90] or (ii) when the charging port has been physically removed from the given charging receptacle.
Regarding claim 8, Kummeth discloses wherein retracting the charging port comprises one or more of (i) re-spooling a section of the charging cord or (ii) retracting a portion of a telescoping portion or folding portion of the mechanical arm [par. 33, the horizontal arm can be telescoping].
Regarding claim 10, Kummeth discloses wherein the mechanical arm comprises:
a telescoping portion [par. 33 & 79; telescoping arm] or a folding portion; and
a cord dispenser attached to the telescoping portion or the folding portion, wherein the cord dispenser is configured to dispense and retract a portion of the charging cord [figs. 4-5; charge head 22 dispenses or retracts cord 25 via the telescoping portion; pars. 33 & 78-81].
Regarding claim 11, Kummeth discloses wherein the cord dispenser comprises a spring retraction mechanism configured to retract the charging cord.
Regarding claim 13, Kummeth discloses further comprising control circuitry configured to perform operations comprising identifying characteristics of a vehicle that is located within a given physical area [pars. 62-64, 74 & 90; an evaluation unit detects vehicle characteristics including the location of the vehicle charging socket, of a vehicle within range of the device].
Regarding claim 14, Kummeth discloses wherein the control circuitry is configured to perform operations further comprising:
adjusting charging parameters of the charging station based on the characteristics of the vehicle that is located within the given physical area [pars. 74-80; the charging height of the plug is adjusted (a charging parameter) based on the vehicle charging socket]; and
moving the mechanical arm to a specified position based on the characteristics of the vehicle that is located within the given physical area [pars. 74-80; based on the vehicle charging socket].
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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.
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 15 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over WO2021/170369A1 (citations taken from the US equivalent US PGPUB 2023/0132562).
Regarding claim 15, Kummeth discloses wherein the control circuitry is configured to perform operations further comprising:
moving the mechanical arm to a designated location based on the vehicle reaching a charge complete state [par. 58-59 & 90; the charging process can be detected as complete and the charging plug can be unplugged, at which point the art can be retracted (pars. 77-78 & 80-81)].
Kummeth does not explicitly disclose monitoring a charge state of the vehicle; and determining on the charge state being complete based on the monitored charge state.
However, Examiner takes Official Notice that it is well known in the electric vehicle charging arts to determine the charging state is complete based on monitoring the state of charge using current and/or voltage monitors. Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Kummeth to further include monitoring a charge state of the vehicle and determining on the charge state being complete based on the monitored charge state for the purpose of avoiding overcharging, and since it has been held to be within the general skill of a worker in the art to apply a known technique to a known device (method, or product) which was ready for improvement in order to yield results predictable by one of ordinary skill the art. KSR International Co. v Teleflex Inc., 550 U.S. 398, 127 S. Ct. 1727, 82 USPQ2d 1385, 1395-97 (2007).
Claim 16 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over WO2021/170369A1 (citations taken from the US equivalent US PGPUB 2023/0132562) in view of Cornish US PGPUB 2012/0233062.
Regarding claim 16, Kummeth does not explicitly disclose further comprising a solar power collection system configured to provide power to an electric vehicle charging station that includes the charger.
However, Cornish discloses an electric vehicle charging system with a movable arm comprising a solar power collection system configured to provide power to an electric vehicle charging station that includes the charger [figs. 1-4; par. 98].
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Kummeth to further include a solar power collection system configured to provide power to an electric vehicle charging station that includes the charger for the purpose of allowing the charging station to collect and utilize renewable solar energy, and since it has been held to be within the general skill of a worker in the art to apply a known technique to a known device (method, or product) which was ready for improvement in order to yield results predictable by one of ordinary skill the art. KSR International Co. v Teleflex Inc., 550 U.S. 398, 127 S. Ct. 1727, 82 USPQ2d 1385, 1395-97 (2007).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 9, 12 and 17-20 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.
With respect to claim 9, the following is an examiner's statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter: the prior art fails to further teach or suggest “the base is located on an opposite side of a parking block than a power source providing power to the charging cord; and the charging cord electrically connects the base to the power source, and is routed through the parking block” in combination with all the other elements recited in claim 9.
Claim 12, being dependent on claim 9, would be allowable for the same reasons as claim 12.
With respect to claim 17, the following is an examiner's statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter: the prior art fails to further teach or suggest “a parking block, comprising: a top surface; and a bottom surface, wherein the bottom surface is configured to be closer to the ground than the top surface when the parking block is in an installed state, wherein: the parking block has a cord channel defined at a location within the parking block that is between the top surface and the bottom surface; and the cord channel is a void configured to accept a cord that connects an electric vehicle (EV) charger to an EV charging port configured to physically connect to an EV” in combination with all the other elements recited in claim 17.
Claims 18-20, being dependent on claim 17, would be allowable for the same reasons as claim 17.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure:
Sato et al. US PGPUB 2023/0166625 discloses an electric vehicle charging system with a movable arm and a retractable charging cable.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to DAVID V HENZE whose telephone number is (571)272-3317. The examiner can normally be reached M to F, 9am to 7pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Julian Huffman can be reached at 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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/DAVID V HENZE/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2859
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