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 .
Election/Restrictions
Claims 9-21 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected species of the invention, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Election was made without traverse(no arguments) in the reply filed on 06/16/2025.
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) s 2-8 are is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) and (a)(2) as being anticipated by Javidan et al. 20210256472.
The PG pub to Javidan discloses all features of the claimed invention in paragraphs 35 and 55 as described below.
[0035] FIG. 2 shows an example of the locker 102 of delivery vehicle 100 in more detail. As shown in this example, locker 102 may slide out from the body of the delivery vehicle 100 along a track 200 to provide the user with access to an item 202 housed in the interior of the locker 102. In other examples, locker 102 may include a hinge and locking mechanism so that the locker door swings open to the side (or swings up or down) rather than the locker sliding out from the vehicle. Lockers 102 may include automated locking/unlocking mechanisms which may receive control signals from the delivery vehicle 100, and/or from an external computing device such as an item delivery system or from a recipient mobile device, to control the locking and unlocking of the locker 102. A locker 102 also may be self-actuating in some examples, including a motor to drive the door and/or container tray into the opened or closed position, in response to control instructions received from the delivery vehicle 100 and/or from a remote computing system.
[0055] Delivery vehicles 400 may support different types of vehicle body constructions (e.g., body module cassettes) that include both passenger compartments and lockers. In some examples, a first lateral side of the delivery vehicle 400 may include a locker module cassette 404, while a second lateral side includes a door providing access to a passenger compartment 402, or vice versa. Additionally or alternatively, a first longitudinal end of the vehicle may contain a set of lockers while a second longitudinal end of vehicle may include a passenger compartment, or vice versa. In some examples, the delivery vehicle 400 can be bidirectional, such that each longitudinal end can alternately be the leading or trailing end of the vehicle, and each lateral side can alternately be the right or left side of the delivery vehicle, depending on the direction of travel. Different types of body module cassettes for delivery vehicle 400 may include different allocations of space for passengers and locker storage. For example, a first design may include a relatively small passenger compartment 402 with a single seat and a large locker module cassette 404 for storage lockers, while a second design may include a larger passenger compartment 402 with seating for multiple passengers but a relatively small locker module cassette 404 for storage lockers. For instance, a delivery vehicle 400 may include a body module cassette having any number of different passenger compartment to locker storage ratios (e.g., 50/50, 60/40, 70/30, 80/20, 90/10, or vice versa), depending on the delivery requirements of the vehicle.
2. (Previously Presented) A multi-use transportation system that includes one or more autonomous vehicles that are configured to carry cargo and passengers between destinations within a roadway system(inherent), comprising: a plurality of autonomous vehicles configured to travel along a set of roadways, an autonomous vehicle of the plurality of autonomous vehicles defining a passenger compartment(402), wherein: the autonomous vehicle comprises an automated locking system in the passenger compartment, the automated locking system configured to secure a freight container having a locking feature that engages the automated locking system to secure the freight container during a freight transport mode(paragraph 35); and during a passenger transport mode, the autonomous vehicle comprises a seat in the passenger compartment for supporting a passenger(paragraph 55).
3. (Previously Presented) The multi-use transportation system of claim 2, wherein the set of roadways is closed to non-autonomous vehicle traffic. (inherent)
4. (Previously Presented) The multi-use transportation system of claim 2, wherein the autonomous vehicle is configured to automatically release the locking feature to facilitate unloading of the freight container at a boarding zone of the roadway system. (inherent)
5. (Previously Presented) The multi-use transportation system of claim 4, wherein the autonomous vehicle is further configured to initiate movement of the freight container off of the autonomous vehicle. (paragraph 35 delivery)
6. (Previously Presented) The multi-use transportation system of claim 2, wherein the seat is removable from the passenger compartment. (cassettes paragraph 55)
7. (Previously Presented) The multi-use transportation system of claim 2, wherein the automated locking system is configured to allow removal of the freight container only in response to detecting an authorization. (inherent in storage lockers)
8. (Previously Presented) The multi-use transportation system of claim 2, wherein the autonomous vehicle is configured to allow loading and unloading of the autonomous vehicle through a side of the autonomous vehicle. (paragraph 55)
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to RICHARD M CAMBY whose telephone number is (571)272-6958. The examiner can normally be reached M - F flex.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Peter D Nolan can be reached at 571 270 7016. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/RICHARD M CAMBY/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3661
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