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 .
Claims 1-4 have been canceled.
Claims 5-12 are pending
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
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) 5 and 8-11 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Kobayashi (JP2016-201884, cited by applicant, translation provided with the present Office Action).
Regarding claim 5, Brooks teaches an unmanned conveying system (unmanned control vehicle 102 and cargo vehicle 104; Figure 1A) including an unmanned conveying vehicle 102 (para [0016], lines 5-11, refers to a driverless control vehicle 102) and a towed vehicle 104 to be towed by the unmanned conveying vehicle, wherein: the unmanned conveying vehicle has: a power storage 106 (batteries); a travel drive source (propulsion system including one or more traction motors; para [0060]) configured to drive a wheel (powered axle 118 drives wheels, seen in Figure 1A) of the unmanned conveying vehicle 102 by being driven by electric power stored in the power storage(para [0060]); a travel control unit (controller of the control vehicle 102; para [0058]) configured to control the travel drive source; a power supply unit (para [0055]); “power electronics (e.g., circuitry that controls conduction of current from the power sources to the systems powered by the stored electric energy”), configured to supply electric power stored in the power storage to the towed vehicle; and a power supply control unit configured to control power supply performed by the power supply unit (control vehicle control unit controls power supply); the towed vehicle has: a power receiving unit (para [0063]; “coupler may include cables, wires, buses, and the like, for conductively coupling the power sources on the control vehicle with the powered axles of the cargo vehicle”) configured to receive the electric power from the power supply unit provided on the unmanned conveying vehicle; and an actuator (traction motor for drive axles 118) configured to be driven directly by the electric power received by the power receiving unit (para [0063]; “the coupler is or includes a conductive connection between the power sources in the control vehicle and the powered axles [that is, the motors represented by the powered axles] in the cargo vehicle. In this way, the control vehicle provides the electric energy consumed by the powered axles in the cargo vehicle for the cargo vehicle to propel itself along routes”; and the power supply control unit of the unmanned conveying vehicle is configured to control operation of the actuator of the towed vehicle by controlling power supply from the power supply unit of the unmanned conveying vehicle to the power receiving unit provided on the towed vehicle; para [0034], a controller on the control vehicle can control the equipment of the cargo vehicle, including the electrical or communication coupling; para [0124], “The controller can direct the propulsion system to move the control vehicle to a location of a cargo vehicle and to provide at least some of the energy that is stored to the cargo vehicle for powering the cargo vehicle to self-propel for delivery of cargo onboard the cargo vehicle”; para [0065]), “sensors (not shown) may be disposed onboard the cargo vehicle to provide the controller of the control vehicle with information about the surroundings and/or locations ahead of the vehicles. As described above, this information may be used by the controller to dictate how and/or where the vehicles move to transport the cargo”).
Regarding claim 8, Brooks teaches that the actuator provided on the towed vehicle 104 includes a travel motor (traction motor) configured to rotate by receiving supply of electric power; and the towed vehicle has a driving wheel to be rotationally driven by the travel motor (powered axles 118 have traction motors and wheels).
Regarding claim 9, Brooks teaches the power receiving unit of the towed vehicle is directly connected to the actuator of the towed vehicle (the towed vehicle is directly supplied power from the towing vehicle, power is not stowed in a power storage unit before being accessed).
Regarding claim 10 and 11, Brooks teaches the actuator of the towed vehicle (the traction motor of powered axle 118) is operated solely by electric power supplied from the unmanned conveying vehicle through the power receiving unit of the towed vehicle (para [0063]; “the coupler is or includes a conductive connection between the power sources in the control vehicle and the powered axles [that is, the motors represented by the powered axles] in the cargo vehicle. In this way, the control vehicle provides the electric energy consumed by the powered axles in the cargo vehicle for the cargo vehicle to propel itself along routes”; power is not stowed in a power storage unit or battery on the towed vehicle before being accessed).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
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.
This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention(s) absent any evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and effective filing dates of each claim that was not commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the later invention in order for the examiner to consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) for any potential 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) prior art against the later invention.
Claim(s) 6 and 7 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Brooks (PGPub 2024/0043043) in view of Kobayashi (JP2016-201884)
Regarding claim 6, Brooks teaches the claimed features except that the power supply unit of Brooks is configured to supply the electric power to the power receiving unit by the powered coupler 122, rather than a non-contact power supply as claimed.
Kobayashi teaches a conveying vehicle (power feeding vehicle 2) comprising a power storage (battery or capacitor built into vehicle main body 11 of power feeding vehicle 2; para [0027]); a travel drive source (drive mechanism including motor for driving wheels 12; para [0027], lines 3-4) configured to drive a wheel 12 by being driven by electric power stored in the power storage (the battery or capacitor is “for storing electric power for operating motor”; para [0027], lines 4-5); a travel control unit 5 configured to control the travel drive source; and a power supply unit (a power feeding side supply unit, not shown, and a power feeding coil/power transmission coil 13 transmits power to a power receiving vehicle 4) configured to supply electric power stored in the power storage to another vehicle 4. The other vehicle 4 has a power receiving unit (power receiving coil 23) configured to receive the electric power from the power supply unit; a power supply surface of the power supply unit and a power receiving surface of the power receiving unit are disposed to face each other with a gap therebetween in a vertical direction (Figures 1 and 5; para [0037], lines 1-13); and the power supply unit is configured to supply the electric power by non-contact power supply.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to transmit power supply from the conveying vehicle to the towed vehicle by a non-contact transmission of the power supply, as taught by Kobayashi, with a reasonable expectation of success, in order to eliminate the need for a wired connection between the vehicles that needs to be mechanically connected and would require a highly specialized hitch or loose wires that are subject to damage as the vehicles travel over land.
Regarding claim 7, the combination teaches a power supply surface of the power supply unit and a power receiving surface of the power receiving unit are disposed to face each other with a gap therebetween in a vertical direction (in Figure 1, Kobayashi shows a power supply unit 13 and a power receiving unit 23 that are vertically separated by a gap); and the power supply unit is configured to supply the electric power to the power receiving unit by non-contact power supply.
Claim(s) 12 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Brooks (PGPub 2024/0043043).
Brooks shows, in Figure 1A, a towed vehicle 104 that is driven by power supplied directly from the conveying vehicle 102. The system controller 108 is shown on the conveying vehicle and Brooks indicates that trailer equipment is controlled by the conveying vehicle controller. Also, no controller is shown on the towed vehicle 104. Although Brooks does not explicitly say that there is no controller on the towed vehicle, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to not have a controller on the towed vehicle since the conveying vehicle controller provides the necessary controls and a separate controller on the towed vehicle would make the system more complex and expansive.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claim(s) 5-12 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
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
DE102024116590 shows different embodiments of trailer having drive wheels, in one embodiment the trailer has a battery 34 (Figure 4), in another embodiment the trailer does not have a battery (Figure 3).
Bachman, Kumar, and Flaum teach driven towed vehicles.
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 Anne Marie M. Boehler whose telephone number is (571)272-6641. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday, 8-5pm.
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, Valentin Neacsu can be reached at 571-272-6265. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/ANNE MARIE M BOEHLER/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3611
/ab/
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