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) 1-8 and 10-12 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C 103 as being unpatentable over CHENG-YON(US6118196A) in view of ARMS(US7256505B2).
Regarding claim 1, Cheng-yon teaches a power supply system(abstract), comprising: a dynamo(80, bicycle electric generator) comprising a case(40,41,50) that encloses a plurality of magnets(63), a coil(81), and rotor(60), a rotating wheel(disk-like structure of rotator 60 driven by wheel hub) comprising a plurality of ridges(64) positioned on an outer surface of the rotating wheel, and an axle(20) that couples the case and the rotating wheel; and wherein the dynamo(80) is coupled to a first component(hub 1) and the rotating wheel(disk-like structure of rotator 60 driven by wheel hub) touches a second component(shaft 20/coil unit 80,81).
Cheng-yon is silent wherein sensor power supply system and a sensor.
However, Arms teaches a sensor power supply system(52,42,46,40) and sensor(52) within wireless sensing module(44).
Arms is considered to be analogous to the claimed invention of Cheng-yon because they are in the same field of electric machines. Therefore, it would have been obvious to someone of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have further modified Cheng-yon with a sensor power supply system and a sensor, as taught by Arms. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the invention to use the electric generator of Cheng-yon as the power source for a sensing system like Arms, in order to provide self-powered sensing making the system more efficient.
Regarding claim 2/1, Cheng-yon in view of Arms teaches the sensor power supply system of claim 1.
Cheng-yon further teaches wherein the first component(hub 1) rotates at a first speed(Hub rotates when wheel rotates).
Regarding claim 3/2, Cheng-yon in view of Arms teaches the sensor power supply system of claim 2.
Cheng-Yon teaches a dynamo(80) system mounted on a bicycle hub wherein the bicycle wheel hub rotates about a position shaft (20). The rotator (60), carrying magnets (63), rotates relative to stationary generator components including coil unit (81) and core components (82), which are fixed relative to the position shaft (20). Thus, Cheng-Yon teaches that one component rotates while another component remains stationary, thereby disclosing that one component rotates at a different speed than another component or that one component does not rotate.
Regarding claim 4/1, Cheng-yon in view of Arms teaches the sensor power supply system of claim 1.
Cheng-Yon teaches a dynamo(80) including a coil unit (81) having electrical output through contact (812) and ground connection via annular lining (70), thereby providing wired electrical output from the generator. Cheng-Yon does not expressly disclose a sensor electrically coupled to the dynamo.
Arms teaches a sensing system including sensors (52) within a wireless sensing module (44), wherein electrical energy generated by a generator is supplied through electrical conductors to rectifier circuitry (40), storage device (42), and ultimately to the sensing module (44). Arms therefore teaches electrical coupling between a generator and a sensor via wires.
It would have been obvious to electrically couple the dynamo output of Cheng-Yon (coil unit 81, contact 812) to the sensor module of Arms (44, 52) via electrical wiring in order to provide electrical power to the sensor, a predictable use of known electrical connections in energy harvesting systems.
Regarding claim 5/4, Cheng-yon in view of Arms teaches the sensor power supply system of claim 4.
Cheng-Yon teaches a dynamo(80) including a coil unit (81) having electrical output via contact (812) and ground via annular lining (70), thereby providing wired electrical output from the generator. However, Cheng-Yon does not expressly disclose that the dynamo is electrically coupled to a battery which in turn powers a sensor.
Arms teaches an energy harvesting system including a storage device or battery (42) electrically coupled to a generator, and further electrically coupled to a sensing module (44) including sensors (52). Arms discloses wiring connections between the generator, the storage device (42), and the sensing module (44), such that generated electrical energy is stored and supplied to the sensor via electrical conductors.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to electrically couple the dynamo of Cheng-Yon (coil unit 81, contact 812) to a battery as taught by Arms (storage device 42), and to electrically couple the battery to the sensor module (44), in order to provide stored and buffered power to the sensor, a predictable and well-known design choice in energy harvesting systems.
Regarding claim 6/4, Cheng-yon in view of Arms teaches the sensor power supply system of claim 4.
Arms teaches a storage device or battery (42) electrically coupled between the generator and the sensing module (44, 52). Arms further teaches that the storage device may be a rechargeable battery capable of repeated charging from harvested mechanical energy. A rechargeable battery constitutes an accumulator.
Regarding claim 7/1, Cheng-yon in view of Arms teaches the sensor power supply system of claim 1.
Cheng-yon further teaches wherein the first component(hub 1) or the second component is a flange, a gearbox shaft, a wheel hub, or a gear.
Regarding claim 8, Cheng-yon teaches a method for charging a sensor including generating electrical energy via a sensor power supply system comprising at least a sensor and a dynamo (discloses a dynamo including a rotator (60) carrying magnets (63) that rotates relative to a stationary position shaft (20) and coil unit (81), thereby generating electrical energy through electrical contact (812)), in response to achieving a rotational speed difference between a first component and a second component (Teaches that the wheel hub (1) rotates while the position shaft (20) and coil unit (81) remain stationary, thereby generating electrical energy).
Cheng-yon is silent regarding supplying the generated electrical energy to the sensor to power the sensor.
Arms teaches supplying the generated electrical energy to the sensor to power the sensor (Discloses a sensing module (44) including sensors (52) that receive electrical energy generated by a generator and delivered through rectifier circuitry (40) and storage device (42), thereby powering the sensor).
Arms is considered to be analogous to the claimed invention of Cheng-yon because they are in the same field of electric machines. Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to supply the electrical energy generated by the dynamo of Cheng-yon to a sensor as taught by Arms in order to power the sensor using harvested mechanical energy, which is a predictable use of a known energy harvesting generator to provide electrical power to known sensing electronics.
Regarding claim 10/8, Cheng-yon in view of Arms teaches the sensor power supply system of claim 8.
Cheng-yon teaches generating electrical energy via a dynamo including a rotator (60) carrying magnets (63) rotating relative to a coil unit (81), thereby producing electrical output through contact (812) and annular lining (70).
Cheng-yon is silent regarding supplying electrical energy to the sensor to power the sensor comprises directly supplying the generated electrical energy from the dynamo to the sensor via wires coupling the sensor and the dynamo.
Arms teaches supplying generated electrical energy to a sensing module (44) including sensors (52). Arms further teaches electrical coupling between the generator and the sensing module via electrical conductors, including rectifier circuitry (40) and associated wiring, thereby directly supplying generated electrical energy from the generator to the sensor via wires.
It would have been obvious to electrically couple the dynamo output of Cheng-yon (coil unit 81, contact 812) directly to the sensor module of Arms via wires in order to provide electrical power to the sensor, as direct wired electrical coupling between a generator and a load is a well-known and predictable design choice.
Regarding claim 11/8, Cheng-yon in view of Arms teaches the sensor power supply system of claim 8.
Cheng-yon teaches generated electrical energy from the dynamo via wires electrically coupling the dynamo (generating electrical energy from a dynamo including a rotator (60) carrying magnets (63) rotating relative to a coil unit (81), thereby producing electrical output via contact (812) and annular lining (70).
Cheng-yon is silent regarding charging the battery using the generated electrical energy from the dynamo via wires electrically coupling the dynamo and the battery; and supplying the generated electrical energy from the battery to the sensor via wires electrically coupling the sensor and the battery.
Arms teaches an energy harvesting system including a storage device (42), which may be a battery, electrically coupled to a generator. Arms teaches that generated electrical energy is supplied from the generator to the storage device (42) via electrical conductors, thereby charging the battery. Arms further teaches supplying electrical energy from the storage device (42) to a sensing module (44) including sensors (52), via electrical connections.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to charge a battery using electrical energy generated by the dynamo of Cheng-yon and to supply electrical energy from the battery to the sensor as taught by Arms in order to provide buffered and stored power to the sensor, which is a known and predictable use of a battery in energy harvesting systems.
Regarding claim 12/8, Cheng-yon in view of Arms teaches the sensor power supply system of claim 8.
Cheng-yon teaches generated electrical energy from the dynamo via wires electrically coupling the dynamo (generating electrical energy from a dynamo including a rotator (60) carrying magnets (63) rotating relative to a coil unit (81), thereby producing electrical output via contact (812) and annular lining (70)).
Cheng-yon is silent regarding charging the accumulator using the generated electrical energy from the dynamo via wires electrically coupling the dynamo and the accumulator; and supplying the generated electrical energy from the accumulator to the sensor via wires electrically coupling the sensor and the accumulator.
Arms teaches an energy harvesting system including a storage device (42), which may be a rechargeable battery capable of repeated charging and discharging. A rechargeable battery constitutes an accumulator. Arms teaches that generated electrical energy from a generator is supplied via electrical conductors to the storage device (42), thereby charging it, and further teaches supplying electrical energy from the storage device (42) to a sensing module (44) including sensors (52) via electrical connections.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to use a rechargeable battery in the combined system in order to store electrical energy generated by the dynamo of Cheng-yon and to supply stored energy to the sensor as taught by Arms, since accumulators are a well-known and predictable storage element in energy harvesting systems.
Claim(s) 9 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C 103 as being unpatentable over CHENG-YON(US6118196A) in view of ARMS(US7256505B2) and further in view of DINTER(US9151276B2).
Regarding claim 9/8, Cheng-yon in view of Arms teaches the sensor power supply system of claim 8.
Cheng-yon further teaches wherein achieving the rotational speed difference between the first component(wheel hub 1) and the second component(20, 81) comprises transmitting torque to a rolling wheel(rotator 60) of the dynamo(80) that touches the second component(20, 81) by rotating the first component(wheel hub 1).
The combination is silent wherein the dynamo is disposed on via transmission of torque generated by a motor.
However, Dinter teaches a system wherein torque generated by a motor is transmitted through a gearbox and shaft to a rotating component(Para[0022-0027]).
Dinter is considered to be analogous to the claimed invention of Cheng-yon in view of Arms because they are in the same field of electric machines. Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to operate the dynamo of Cheng-yon in view of Arms in a motor-driven environment as taught by Dinter. One would be motivated to do this since energy harvesting from motor driven rotating machinery to power sensors is a known and predictable application in the art.
Claim(s) 13-19 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C 103 as being unpatentable over DINTER(US9151276B2) in view CHENG-YON(US6118196A) and further in view of JOYNER(US4522608A).
Regarding claim 13, Dinter teaches a gearbox(Fig. 1), comprising: a gearbox assembly comprising bearings(103, 104) to facilitate rotation of a pinion shaft(101/190) and one or more gears(102); a gearbox housing(100) that encloses the bearings, the one or more gears, and the pinion shaft, and a sensor power supply system comprising at least a sensor(109) and a dynamo(192,191).
Dinter is silent wherein the pinion shaft being coupled to a flange via a nut.
However, Joyner teaches wherein the pinion shaft being coupled to a flange(12,112) via a nut(Discloses a recess (36,136) for accommodating a pinion shaft mounting nut for mounting a companion flange to the pinion of an axle).
Combination is still silent a rotating wheel of the dynamo is disposed on a surface of the flange and a case of the dynamo is in contact with another component.
However, Cheng-yon teaches a rotating wheel(rotator 60) of the dynamo(80) and a case of the dynamo(80) is in contact with another component(81).
Joyner and Cheng-yon are considered to be analogous to the claimed invention of Dinter because they are in the same field of electric machines It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to modify the gearbox system of Dinter to include a flange secured to a pinion shaft via a nut as taught by Joyner because flange-to-shaft fastening using a threaded nut is a well-known and conventional method for transmitting torque in rotating drivetrain assemblies. Incorporating such a flange coupling into the gearbox of Dinter would have been a predictable design choice to facilitate secure torque transmission between rotating components.
It further would have been obvious to dispose the rolling-wheel dynamo structure of Cheng-Yon on the rotating flange surface of the gearbox in order to harvest rotational energy to power the sensor, because both Dinter and Cheng-yon are directed to generating electrical energy from rotating mechanical components to supply power to sensors. Applying the known rolling dynamo configuration of Cheng-yon to the rotating flange of the gearbox would merely involve the predictable use of known generator components according to their established functions to obtain the expected result of powering a sensor from rotational motion.
Regarding claim 14/13, Dinter in view of Joyner and Cheng-yon teaches the gearbox of claim 13.
Joyner teaches a flange (12, 112) including a recess (36, 136) formed in the surface of the flange for accommodating and positioning a pinion shaft mounting nut. The recess is machined into the flange surface and constitutes a mounting location formed on the flange.
Cheng-yon teaches a dynamo case enclosing a coil unit (81) and mounted relative to a rotating structure. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to machine a mounting location onto the flange surface of Joyner in order to position the dynamo case of Cheng-yon, because machining recesses or mounting surfaces on a flange to accurately position attached components is a well-known and predictable mechanical design practice in rotating assemblies.
Regarding claim 15/14, Dinter in view of Joyner and Cheng-yon teaches the gearbox of claim 14.
Joyner teaches a flange (12, 112) including a recess (36, 136) formed in the surface of the flange for accommodating and positioning a pinion shaft mounting nut. The recess is machined into the flange surface and constitutes a mounting location formed on the flange.
Cheng-yon teaches a rotating wheel (rotator 60) of a dynamo mounted relative to a rotating structure. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to provide a second machined mounting location on the flange surface to position the rotating wheel of the dynamo of Cheng-yon, because providing multiple machined mounting features on a flange to position separate components is a conventional mechanical design practice used to ensure proper alignment and torque transmission in rotating assemblies.
Regarding claim 16/15, Dinter in view of Joyner and Cheng-yon teaches the gearbox of claim 15.
Joyner teaches a flange (12, 112) including a recess (36, 136) formed in the surface of the flange for accommodating and positioning a pinion shaft mounting nut. The recess is machined into the flange surface and constitutes a mounting location formed on the flange.
Dinter further teaches a sensor power supply system associated with the gearbox, including electrical components for powering the sensor(Para[0033], discloses a battery for operating at low speed). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to provide a third machined mounting location on the flange surface to position a battery associated with the sensor power supply system, because providing multiple machined mounting features on a flange to position separate components is a conventional mechanical design practice used to ensure proper alignment and torque transmission in rotating assemblies.
Regarding claim 17/16, Dinter in view of Joyner and Cheng-yon teaches the gearbox of claim 16.
Joyner teaches a flange (12, 112) including a recess (36, 136) formed in the surface of the flange for accommodating and positioning a pinion shaft mounting nut. The recess is machined into the flange surface and constitutes a mounting location formed on the flange.
Dinter further teaches a sensor power supply system associated with the gearbox, including electrical components for powering the sensor(Para[0033], discloses a battery for operating at low speed. An accumulator is a rechargeable battery, and using one in place of a normal battery is a well-known and predictable substitution in energy harvesting systems in order to permit repeated charging and discharging). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to provide a third machined mounting location on the flange surface to position an accumulator associated with the sensor power supply system, because providing multiple machined mounting features on a flange to position separate components is a conventional mechanical design practice used to ensure proper alignment and torque transmission in rotating assemblies.
Regarding claim 18/17, Dinter in view of Joyner and Cheng-yon teaches the gearbox of claim 17.
Joyner teaches a flange (12, 112) including multiple machined features formed in the surface of the flange, including recesses (36, 136) and bolt hole patterns, which are structurally distinct from one another.
Providing multiple machined mounting locations for positioning different components necessarily results in distinct mounting structures tailored to the geometry and function of each component. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to provide distinct mounting locations for positioning the dynamo case, rotating wheel, and battery/accumulator, because different components require different mounting geometries and mechanical interfaces to ensure proper positioning and secure attachment in a rotating assembly.
Regarding claim 19/13, Dinter in view of Joyner and Cheng-yon teaches the gearbox of claim 13.
Dinter further teaches wherein the sensor(109) is a strain gauge, an acceleration sensor, or a position sensor(Torque sensor 109 is a type of strain gauge).
Claim(s) 20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C 103 as being unpatentable over DINTER(US9151276B2) in view CHENG-YON(US6118196A) and further in view of JOYNER(US4522608A) and LONG(US20140091023A1).
Regarding claim 20/13, Dinter in view of Joyner and Cheng-yon teaches the gearbox of claim 13.
The combination is silent wherein the sensor power supply system is positioned external to a lubrication system of the gearbox.
However, Long teaches a gearbox system(118) with an internal lubrication system(120 and internal lube circuit).
Dinter is considered to be analogous to the claimed invention of Dinter in view of Cheng-yon and Joyner because they are in the same field of electric machines. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to position the sensor power supply system of Dinter external to the lubrication system of the gearbox in view of Long because electrical components and auxiliary subsystems are conventionally mounted outside lubricated gearbox interiors in order to prevent contamination by lubricant, avoid sealing complexity, and improve electrical isolation.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MOHAMMED QURESHI whose telephone number is (571)-272-8310. The examiner can normally be reached on 8:30 AM - 6:00 PM.
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/MOHAMMED AHMED QURESHI/Examiner, Art Unit 2834
/TULSIDAS C PATEL/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2834