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 § 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.
Claim(s) 1 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over US 2006/0214500 (Hall) in view of US 2011/0139530 (Ananthakrishna).
Regarding claim 1, Hall teaches a vehicle [0087] comprising: a wheel (Fig. 1 shows wheel 10) comprising a rim portion (Fig. 1 shows rim 12), a disk portion (Fig. 1 shows central portion 11), and a battery (Fig. 7 shows battery 81 in a metal band around the rim); and a vehicle body (a vehicle having a vehicle body) [0087],
wherein the disk portion includes a connector at a center of the disk portion (Fig. 8 shows wire 150 connected to the LED 42 and solar cell 30 via connector at a center of the disk portion) [0150],
wherein the rim portion has an inside rim face and an outside rim face (Fig. 1 shows rim 12 having an inside rim face and an outside rim face), and
wherein the battery includes a terminal provided at an end portion of the inside rim face (Fig. 7 shows battery 81 includes a terminal provided at an end portion of the inside rim 12 face),
wherein the terminal is electrically connected to the connector through a cable (Fig. 7 shows terminal of battery electrically connected to the connector of LED 42 and solar cell 30 as shown in Fig. 8 via wire 150 as shown in detail in Fig. 10), and
wherein the battery has a belt-like shape wrapped around a cylindrical portion of the rim portion (Fig. 7 shows battery 81 fixedly positioned on the outside rim face 12A wherein battery is encased in a metal band that extends around the circumference of the rim) [0136].
However, Hall does not teach the battery between the inside rim face and the outside rim face.
However, Ananthakrishna teaches the battery between the inside rim face and the outside rim face (Fig. 5 shows belt of portable power pack being embedded in the rim 502 thereby being between the inside rim face and the outside rim face) [0027].
It would have been obvious to one with ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have the battery between the inside rim face and the outside rim face as taught by Ananthakrishna in order to protect the battery from outside environmental conditions.
Claim(s) 2 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over US 2006/0214500 (Hall) in view of US 2011/0139530 (Ananthakrishna) further in view of US 2015/0349158 (Kanemoto).
Regarding claim 2, Hall teaches a vehicle [0087] comprising: a wheel (Fig. 1 shows wheel 10) comprising a rim portion (Fig. 1 shows rim 12), a disk portion (Fig. 1 shows central portion 11), and a battery (Fig. 7 shows battery 81 in a metal band around the rim); and a vehicle body (a vehicle having a vehicle body) [0087],
wherein the disk portion includes a connector at a center of the disk portion (Fig. 8 shows wire 150 connected to the LED 42 and solar cell 30 via connector at a center of the disk portion) [0150],
wherein the rim portion has an inside rim face and an outside rim face (Fig. 1 shows rim 12 having an inside rim face and an outside rim face),
wherein the battery includes a terminal provided at an end portion of the inside rim face (Fig. 7 shows battery 81 includes a terminal provided at an end portion of the inside rim 12 face),
wherein the terminal is electrically connected to the connector through a cable (Fig. 7 shows terminal of battery electrically connected to the connector of LED 42 and solar cell 30 as shown in Fig. 8 via wire 150 as shown in detail in Fig. 10), and
wherein the battery has a belt-like shape wrapped around a cylindrical portion of the rim portion (Fig. 7 shows battery 81 fixedly positioned on the outside rim face 12A wherein battery is encased in a metal band that extends around the circumference of the rim) [0136].
However, Hall does not teach the battery between the inside rim face and the outside rim face.
However, Ananthakrishna teaches the battery between the inside rim face and the outside rim face (Fig. 5 shows belt of portable power pack being embedded in the rim 502 thereby being between the inside rim face and the outside rim face) [0027].
It would have been obvious to one with ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have the battery between the inside rim face and the outside rim face as taught by Ananthakrishna in order to protect the battery from outside environmental conditions.
However, Hall and Ananthakrishna does not teach belt-like shaped battery wrapped more than one lap.
However, Kanemoto teaches belt-like shaped battery wrapped more than one lap (Fig. 2 shows multiple layers of positive electrode plates 31 and negative electrode plates 32 thereby forming the structure where the battery is wrapped for more than one lap) [0053-0054].
It would have been obvious to one with ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have belt-like shaped battery wrapped more than one lap as taught by Kanemoto in order to increase the amount of battery present in the wheel rim thereby increasing the power capacity.
Claim(s) 3 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over US 2006/0214500 (Hall) in view of US 2011/0139530 (Ananthakrishna) and US 2015/0349158 (Kanemoto) further in view of US 2017/0008385 (Fujimoto).
Regarding claim 3, Hall, Ananthakrishna and Kanemoto does not teach further comprising an electric power transmission mechanism including a circuit and an antenna, wherein the circuit is electrically connected to the battery through the cable, and wherein the antenna is electrically connected to the circuit.
However, Fujimoto teaches an electric power transmission mechanism including a circuit and an antenna, wherein the circuit is electrically connected to the battery through the cable, and wherein the antenna is electrically connected to the circuit [0036-0037].
It would have been obvious to one with ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have an electric power transmission mechanism including a circuit and an antenna, wherein the circuit is electrically connected to the battery through a cable, and wherein the antenna is electrically connected to the circuit as taught by Fujimoto in order to ensure receiving and transmitting power wirelessly thereby bypassing the usage of wiring and saving space in the system.
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 06/17/2026 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
Regarding independent claims 1 and 3, the Applicant presents that the current references do not teach the amended portion as follows: wherein the disk portion includes a connector at a center of the disk portion, wherein the battery includes a terminal provided at an end portion of the inside rim face, wherein the terminal is electrically connected to the connector through a cable.
However, the Examiner would like to point to the Hall reference, Fig. 8 shows wire 150 connected to the LED 42 and solar cell 30 via connector at a center of the disk portion to teach wherein the disk portion includes a connector at a center of the disk portion as indicated in paragraph [0150].
Furthermore, the Examiner would like to point to Fig. 7 of Hall that shows battery 81 include a terminal provided at an end portion of the inside rim 12 face, and said terminal of battery electrically connected to the connector of LED 42 and solar cell 30 as shown in Fig. 8 via wire 150 as shown in detail in Fig. 10, thereby teaching wherein the battery includes a terminal provided at an end portion of the inside rim face, wherein the terminal is electrically connected to the connector through a cable.
Thereby, the rejection stands.
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 SWARNA N CHOWDHURI whose telephone number is (571)431-0696. The examiner can normally be reached Mon-Fri 8am-5pm.
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SWARNA N. CHOWDHURI
Examiner
Art Unit 2836
/S.N.C/Examiner, Art Unit 2836
/REXFORD N BARNIE/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2836
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