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 .
Status
This Office Action is in response to the remarks and amendments filed on 3/6/2023. The objections to the claims have been withdrawn. The 35 USC 112 rejections have been withdrawn. Claims 1-7 remain pending for consideration on the merits.
Specification
The lengthy specification has not been checked to the extent necessary to determine the presence of all possible minor errors. Applicant’s cooperation is requested in correcting any errors of which applicant may become aware in the specification.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
The text of those sections of Title 35, U.S. Code not included in this action can be found in a prior Office action.
Claim(s) 1-2 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kawase et al (US 20100281901).
Regarding claim 1, Kawase teaches a method for controlling a thermal conditioning system for a motor vehicle (abstract, paragraph 0039), the thermal conditioning system including: a heat transfer liquid circuit (6, 10, 14) configured to circulate a heat transfer liquid (coolant, paragraph 0026), a refrigerant circuit (20) including in succession: a compression device (21), a two-fluid exchanger (22), a first heat exchanger (24), a first expansion device (23) positioned upstream of the first heat exchanger, the two-fluid exchanger and the first heat exchanger being arranged both on the refrigerant circuit (lines through 20) and on the heat transfer liquid circuit (6, 10, 14, paragraph 0038-0039) so as to allow a heat exchange between the refrigerant and the heat transfer liquid (paragraph 0038-0039), the heat transfer liquid circuit including a second heat exchanger (13) configured to exchange heat with an air stream (heated coolant heats air to be sent into the vehicle compartment in the indoor heat exchanger 13, and thereby heat is sent to the heater in the vehicle compartment, paragraph 0039) inside a passenger compartment (vehicle compartment, paragraph 0039) of the motor vehicle, circulating heat transfer liquid in a closed loop in the two-fluid exchanger, in the first heat exchanger, and in the second heat exchanger (20, arrow c, arrow b, paragraph 0039), the method comprising: determining an ambient temperature (it is well known in vehicle heating operations to determine, temperature, paragraph 0038-0039, 0042) outside the motor vehicle, and when the ambient temperature is less than a first predetermined temperature threshold (a heating operation signal in an operation of a manual air conditioner is input into the control device 100 due to the operation of the operation panel 110 by the occupant, or a state that a heating operation signal in an operation of an auto air conditioner is input into the control device 100, paragraph 0042): circulating refrigerant in succession in the compression device, in the two-fluid-exchanger, and then in the first heat exchanger (paragraph 0039), circulating heat transfer liquid in a closed loop (paragraph 0039) in the two-fluid exchanger, in the first heat exchanger, and in the second heat exchanger (fig. 1).
Regarding claim 2, Kawase teaches the invention as described above but fails to explicitly teach circulating refrigerant in succession in the compression device, in the two-fluid exchanger, and then in the first heat exchanger, a mass flow rate of refrigerant in the two-fluid exchanger is equal to a mass flow rate of refrigerant in the first heat exchanger (one of ordinary skill in the art would recognize in fig. 1 the flow between 22 and 24 is equal).
Claim(s) 3-7 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kawase in view of Miyakoshi et al (US 201602571179).
Regarding claim 3, Kawase teaches the invention as described above but fails to explicitly teach determining a temperature of the heat transfer liquid at the inlet of the second heat exchanger, and when the temperature of the heat transfer liquid at the inlet of the second heat exchanger is less than or equal to a second predetermined temperature threshold, maintaining a flow rate of the inside air stream below a first predetermined flow rate threshold.
However, Miyakoshi teaches determining a temperature of the heat transfer liquid at the inlet of the second heat exchanger (15, paragraph 0140-0145), and when the temperature of the heat transfer liquid at the inlet of the second heat exchanger is less than or equal to a second predetermined temperature threshold, maintaining a flow rate of the inside air stream below a first predetermined flow rate threshold (paragraph 0140-0145) to increase the performance of the heating operation.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person skilled in the art at the time of the invention to modify the method of Kawase to include determining a temperature of the heat transfer liquid at the inlet of the second heat exchanger, and when the temperature of the heat transfer liquid at the inlet of the second heat exchanger is less than or equal to a second predetermined temperature threshold, maintaining a flow rate of the inside air stream below a first predetermined flow rate threshold in view of the teachings of Miyakoshi to increase the performance of the heating operation.
Regarding claim 4, the combined teachings teach determining a temperature of the heat transfer liquid at the inlet of the second heat exchanger (paragraph 0117, 0140-0145 of Miyakoshi), and when the temperature of the heat transfer liquid at the inlet of the second heat exchanger is less than or equal to the second predetermined temperature threshold, increasing a rotation speed of the compression device to a predetermined maximum value (paragraph 0117, 0140-0145 of Miyakoshi).
Regarding claim 5, the combined teachings teach determining a temperature of the heat transfer liquid at the inlet of the second heat exchanger (paragraph 0117, 0140-0145 of Miyakoshi), and when the temperature of the heat transfer liquid at the inlet of the second heat exchanger is greater than the second predetermined temperature threshold, generating a flow rate of the inside air stream greater than a second predetermined flow rate threshold (paragraph 0117, 0140-0145 of Miyakoshi).
Regarding claim 6, the combined teachings teach controlling a rotation speed of the compression device so as to regulate a temperature of the heat transfer liquid at the inlet of the second heat exchanger at a setpoint value (paragraph 0117, 0140-0145 of Miyakoshi) when the temperature of the heat transfer liquid at the inlet of the second heat exchanger is greater than the second predetermined temperature threshold (paragraph 0117, 0140-0145 of Miyakoshi).
Regarding claim 7, the combined teachings teach receiving a setpoint value of the temperature of the heat transfer liquid at the inlet of the second heat exchanger (paragraph 0117, 0140-0145 of Miyakoshi), determining a temperature of the heat transfer liquid at the inlet of the second heat exchanger (paragraph 0117, 0140-0145 of Miyakoshi), determining a difference between the temperature of the heat transfer liquid determined at the inlet of the second heat exchanger and the setpoint value of the temperature of the heat transfer liquid at the inlet of the second heat exchanger (paragraph 0117, 0140-0145 of Miyakoshi), and when the difference determined difference is less than 0, increasing a rotation speed of the compression device (paragraph 0117, 0140-0145 of Miyakoshi).
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claim(s) 1-7 have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on any reference applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument.
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 ELIZABETH J MARTIN whose telephone number is (571)270-3840. The examiner can normally be reached 8:30-3:00 CT pm M-F.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Jerry-Daryl Fletcher can be reached at (571) 270-5054. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/ELIZABETH J MARTIN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3763