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 .
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of papers submitted under 35 U.S.C. 119(a)-(d), which papers have been placed of record in the file.
Information Disclosure Statement
The references listed in the Information Disclosure Statement filed on 03/15/2024 have been considered by the examiner (see attached PTO-1449 forms).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 101
35 U.S.C. 101 reads as follows:
Whoever invents or discovers any new and useful process, machine, manufacture, or composition of matter, or any new and useful improvement thereof, may obtain a patent therefor, subject to the conditions and requirements of this title.
Claims 1-18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 101 because the claimed invention is directed to non-statutory subject matter.
The claimed invention is directed to an abstract idea without significantly more.
Claim 1 recites a method for diagnosing a leakage in a hydrogen system for a vehicle, comprising: obtaining data of an actual gas pressure inside a hydrogen cylinder of a fuel cell vehicle; separately performing Gramian angular field transformation and Markov transition field transformation on the data of the actual gas pressure, to obtain static feature information and dynamic feature information; performing, by a static feature LeNet neural network, recognition based on the static feature information, to obtain a probability output of the static feature LeNet neural network; performing, by a dynamic feature LeNet neural network, recognition based on the dynamic feature information, to obtain a probability output of the dynamic feature LeNet neural network; and performing fusion through a Dempster-Shafer (D-S) evidence theory based on the probability output of the static feature LeNet neural network and the probability output of the dynamic feature LeNet neural network, to obtain a hydrogen leakage diagnosis result.
Claim 6 recites a system for diagnosing a leakage in a hydrogen system for a vehicle, comprising: an obtaining module configured to obtain data of an actual gas pressure inside a hydrogen cylinder of a fuel cell vehicle; a transformation module configured to separately perform Gramian angular field transformation and Markov transition field transformation on the data of the actual gas pressure, to obtain static feature information and dynamic feature information; a first recognition module configured to perform, by a static feature LeNet neural network, recognition based on the static feature information, to obtain a probability output of the static feature LeNet neural network; a second recognition module configured to perform, by a dynamic feature LeNet neural network, recognition based on the dynamic feature information, to obtain a probability output of the dynamic feature LeNet neural network; and a fuse module configured to perform fusion through a D-S evidence theory based on the probability output of the static feature LeNet neural network and the probability output of the dynamic feature LeNet neural network, to obtain a hydrogen leakage diagnosis result.…
and thus grouped as Mathematical concepts – mathematical relationships, mathematical formulas or equations, mathematical calculations.
These judicial exceptions are not integrated into a practical application because the additional elements, the data gathering step, (claim 1) “obtaining data of an actual gas pressure inside a hydrogen cylinder of a fuel cell vehicle” (claim 6) “an obtaining module configured to obtain data of an actual gas pressure inside a hydrogen cylinder of a fuel cell vehicle” are mere data gathering that do not add a meaningful limitation to the method as they are insignificant extra-solution activity. Furthermore, the additional elements (claim 6) the “modules” are recited as performing generic computer functions routinely used in computer applications. Generic computer components recited as performing generic computer functions amount to no more than using a computer as a tool to perform an abstract idea. All of which are considered not indicative of integration into a practical application (see MPEP 2106.04(d)).
The claim(s) does/do not include additional elements that are sufficient to amount to significantly more than the judicial exception because the additional elements are considered extra-solution activity of pre-solution and post-solution activity which fall under insignificant extra solution activity and deemed insufficient to qualify as “significantly more” - see MPEP 2106.05(g). The additional elements of the modules are mere instructions to implement an abstract idea on a computer, or merely uses a computer as a tool to perform an abstract idea and deemed insufficient to qualify as “significantly more” see MPEP 2106.05(f).
Dependent claims 2-5, and 7-18 when analyzed as a whole are patent ineligible under 35 U.S.C. §101 because the dependent claims fail to establish that the claims are not directed to an abstract idea as they are directed mathematical concepts and/or mental processes and do not add significantly more to the abstract idea.
Claims 14-18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 101 because the claimed invention is directed to non-statutory matter.
The claims are drawn to a “computer readable medium”. The broadest reasonable interpretation of a claim drawn to a computer readable medium covers forms of non-transitory tangible media and transitory propagating signals per se in view of the ordinary and customary meaning of computer readable media, particularly when the specification is silent (see MPEP 2111.01). Because the broadest reasonable interpretation covers a signal per se, a rejection under 35 USC 101 is appropriate as covering non-statutory subject matter.
The Examiner suggests that Applicant amends the claims as follows: “non-transitory computer readable medium containing computer instructions stored therein for causing a computer processor to perform steps of”.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 1-18 would be allowable if rewritten or amended to overcome the rejection(s) under 35 U.S.C. 101 set forth in this Office action.
The following is an examiner’s statement of reasons for allowance:
Claim 1 is considered to be allowable over the cited prior art because none of the cited prior art teaches or suggests, in combination with the other claimed limitations, performing, by a dynamic feature LeNet neural network, recognition based on the dynamic feature information, to obtain a probability output of the dynamic feature LeNet neural network; and performing fusion through a Dempster-Shafer (D-S) evidence theory based on the probability output of the static feature LeNet neural network and the probability output of the dynamic feature LeNet neural network, to obtain a hydrogen leakage diagnosis result.
Claim 6 is considered to be allowable over the cited prior art because none of the cited prior art teaches or suggests, in combination with the other claimed limitations, a second recognition module configured to perform, by a dynamic feature LeNet neural network, recognition based on the dynamic feature information, to obtain a probability output of the dynamic feature LeNet neural network; and a fuse module configured to perform fusion through a D-S evidence theory based on the probability output of the static feature LeNet neural network and the probability output of the dynamic feature LeNet neural network, to obtain a hydrogen leakage diagnosis result.
Relevant Prior Art / Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Guo et al. (US Patent Application Publication 2012/0185728 A1) discloses a system and method for detecting and diagnosing faults in a multi-variable system;
MOUSA et al. (US Patent Application Publication 2017/0040626 A1) discloses methods for detecting a hydrogen leak and in a polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell stack;
LI et al. (CN 114429504 B) discloses a trace leakage diagnosis method for hydrogen system of fuel cell automobile;
HE et al. (CN 113720537 B) discloses a detection system and detection method for hydrogen leakage of fuel cell vehicle.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to RICKY GO whose telephone number is (571)270-3340. The examiner can normally be reached on Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Arleen M. Vazquez can be reached on (571) 272-2619. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
Information regarding the status of an application may be obtained from the Patent Application Information Retrieval (PAIR) system. Status information for published applications may be obtained from either Private PAIR or Public PAIR. Status information for unpublished applications is available through Private PAIR only. For more information about the PAIR system, see http://pair-direct.uspto.gov. Should you have questions on access to the Private PAIR system, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative or access to the automated information system, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
/RICKY GO/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2857
Prosecution Insights