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 1-16 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.
Regarding claim 1, the recitation “the one or more cooling system components” is unclear. The recitation lacks antecedent basis, and it is unclear if this is in reference to the previously recited “air conditioning system components” or is referencing different components. The recitation “thermal system components” is also rejected for the same reasons.
Regarding claim 6, the recitation “thermal system components” is unclear. The recitation lacks antecedent basis, and it is unclear if this is in reference to the previously recited “operating components” or is referencing different components.
Claims 2-5, 7-16 are rejected for their dependency from the claim(s) above.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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.
(a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claim(s) 6, 10-12, 16-18 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102 (a) (1) as being anticipated by Egawa (JPS61229920A).
Regarding claim 6, Egawa discloses a vehicle (see Fig. 1/7) comprising: a thermal system (see at least radiator 12, fan 16 & at least condenser 10, fan 14, compressor 26, evaporator 24, expansion valve 22) having one or more operating components (see fans 14 & 16) configured to dissipate heat from a portion of the vehicle outside a vehicle cabin and to cool an interior of the vehicle cabin; a thermal management system (controls including circuit 32, control equipment 44, 46) configured to determine an operating setting for each of the one or more components based at least in part on an ambient air temperature (via outdoor air temperature probe 33, represented by “t o” in the equations & steps 202/302); and the thermal management system being further configured to adjust a currently applied operating setting of each of the one or more components to the determined operating setting for each of the one or more components, the determined operating setting operative to minimize noise inside the vehicle cabin from operation of the one or more components and to optimize overall thermal system components energy consumption (“reducing the energy expenditure in a cooling fan drive, and reducing a noise level” – Page 1).
Regarding claim 10, Egawa discloses the limitations of claim 6, and Egawa further discloses wherein the one or more operating components configured to dissipate heat from a portion of the vehicle outside a vehicle cabin comprise a radiator system operative to dissipate heat associated with a drive train of the vehicle; and the one or more components configured to cool an interior of the vehicle cabin comprise an air conditioning system operative to cool the interior of the vehicle cabin (see at least radiator 12, fan 16 & at least condenser 10, fan 14, compressor 26, evaporator 24, expansion valve 22).
Regarding claim 11, Egawa discloses the limitations of claim 10, and Egawa further discloses the one or more components comprising the radiator system operate according to an applied operating setting based on the ambient air temperature; and the one or more components comprising the air conditioning system operate according to an applied operating setting based on the ambient air temperature (see at least radiator 12, fan 16 & at least condenser 10, fan 14, compressor 26, evaporator 24, expansion valve 22, as well as “t o” via outside air temperature probe 33).
Regarding claim 12, Egawa discloses the limitations of claim 10, and Egawa further the one or more components comprising the radiator system include a radiator a radiator fan; and the one or more components comprising the air conditioning system include an air conditioner condenser, an air conditioner condenser blower, an evaporator, an evaporator blower, and an air conditioner compressor temperature (see at least radiator 12, fan 16 & at least condenser 10, fan 14, compressor 26, evaporator 24, expansion valve 22).
Regarding claim 16, Egawa discloses the limitations of claim 6, and Egawa further discloses the thermal management system is further configured to determine the operating setting for each of the one or more components based at least in part on an ambient air temperature on a continuous basis (steps in Fig. 5/6 are repeated); and the thermal management system being further configured to adjust a currently applied operating setting of each of the one or more components to the determined operating setting for each of the one or more components as operating settings and as one or more environment conditions including at least one of ambient air temperature, cabin noise level and cabin vibration level changes (“reducing the energy expenditure in a cooling fan drive, and reducing a noise level” – Page 1).
Regarding claim 17, Egawa discloses a system (see Fig. 1/7) comprising: one or more processors (controller 32); and one or more non-transitory computer-readable media (controller of Egawa inherently must have a processor/non-transitory memory to store data/programs and operate) storing computer-executable instructions that, when executed, cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising: receiving, from a temperature sensor associated with a vehicle in an environment (via outdoor air temperature probe 33, represented by “t o” in the equations & steps 202/302), data representing an ambient air temperature; determining, based at least in part on the temperature sensor data, an operating setting for each of one or more components of a vehicle thermal system (see at least radiator 12, fan 16 & at least condenser 10, fan 14, compressor 26, evaporator 24, expansion valve 22); applying the determined operating setting for each of the one or more components; and operating the one or more components based on the determined operating setting for each of the one or more components for maintaining a noise level inside the vehicle cabin at or below a threshold noise level (“reducing the energy expenditure in a cooling fan drive, and reducing a noise level” – Page 1).
Regarding claim 18, Egawa discloses the limitations of claim 17, and Egawa further discloses representing an updated ambient air temperature; determining, based at least in part on the temperature sensor data representing the updated ambient air temperature, an updated operating setting for each of one or more components of a vehicle thermal system; and operating the one or more components based on the updated operating setting for each of the one or more components (steps in Fig. 5/6 are repeated).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 1-5, 7-9, 13-15, 19-20 would be allowable if rewritten to overcome the rejection(s) under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), 2nd paragraph, set forth in this Office action and/or to include all of the limitations of any base claims and any intervening claims.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure:
Rollinson (US20170349031A1), cited in the ISR, Examiner notes Rollinson teaches the general concept of compressor control related to preventing noise, but does not teach a radiator system or control of any fans.
Tasaka (JP2015193283A), see Fig. 1 & abstract below
PNG
media_image1.png
268
428
media_image1.png
Greyscale
PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a control driving device for a motor compressor, the device capable of suppressing generation of background noise. SOLUTION: A control driving device for a motor compressor includes: a motor compressor provided with a built-in variable speed motor and compressing an air conditioning coolant; background noise detection means for detecting the background noise of a vehicle; and an inverter for controlling a rotation number of the motor compressor. The rotation number of the variable speed motor is designed to be controlled so that the rotation number of the motor compressor follows a control target value in response to the operational state of air conditioning by a refrigeration cycle. For a rotation number's rate of change, which is a rate of rotation number's change in a prescribed time, during the following up, an upper limit value of the rotation number's rate of change corresponding to the background noise is set.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ERIC S RUPPERT whose telephone number is (571)272-9911. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday 8 am - 4 pm.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Len Tran can be reached at 571-272-1184. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
/ERIC S RUPPERT/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3763
Prosecution Insights