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 Objections
Claims 1, 2, and 8 are objected to because of the following informalities:
In the first limitation of claim 1: “the tire pressure real-time monitoring and warning unit is configured to collect all information related to a tire pressure in real time, and based on the collected information, [[and]] analyze, directly or in cooperation with the on-board gateway unit, whether a tire leaks, a pressure in the tire, a temperature in the tire, and a risk warning”
In the limitation of claim 2 pertaining to the low tire pressure detection module: “wherein
The limitations of claim 8 recite “information… forwarded by the tire pressure real-time monitoring and warning unit, the tire pressure real-time monitoring and warning unit, and the explosion prevention and control unit”. In light of Fig. 7, it appears that the second recitation of the tire pressure real-time monitoring and warning unit in each of these limitations should instead read “the vehicle overheat detection and warning unit”.
Appropriate correction is required.
Specification
The disclosure is objected to because of the following informalities:
As discussed above with reference to claim 8, the specification discloses “information… forwarded by the tire pressure real-time monitoring and warning unit, the tire pressure real-time monitoring and warning unit, and the explosion prevention and control unit” with reference to the “government industry management client software”, “enterprise operation management client software”, “driver and passenger service client software, and “communication center”. These recitations should be corrected in the same fashion as in claim 8.
Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Interpretation
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(f):
(f) Element in Claim for a Combination. – An element in a claim for a combination may be expressed as a means or step for performing a specified function without the recital of structure, material, or acts in support thereof, and such claim shall be construed to cover the corresponding structure, material, or acts described in the specification and equivalents thereof.
The following is a quotation of pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph:
An element in a claim for a combination may be expressed as a means or step for performing a specified function without the recital of structure, material, or acts in support thereof, and such claim shall be construed to cover the corresponding structure, material, or acts described in the specification and equivalents thereof.
The claims in this application are given their broadest reasonable interpretation using the plain meaning of the claim language in light of the specification as it would be understood by one of ordinary skill in the art. The broadest reasonable interpretation of a claim element (also commonly referred to as a claim limitation) is limited by the description in the specification when 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph, is invoked.
As explained in MPEP § 2181, subsection I, claim limitations that meet the following three-prong test will be interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph:
(A) the claim limitation uses the term “means” or “step” or a term used as a substitute for “means” that is a generic placeholder (also called a nonce term or a non-structural term having no specific structural meaning) for performing the claimed function;
(B) the term “means” or “step” or the generic placeholder is modified by functional language, typically, but not always linked by the transition word “for” (e.g., “means for”) or another linking word or phrase, such as “configured to” or “so that”; and
(C) the term “means” or “step” or the generic placeholder is not modified by sufficient structure, material, or acts for performing the claimed function.
Use of the word “means” (or “step”) in a claim with functional language creates a rebuttable presumption that the claim limitation is to be treated in accordance with 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph. The presumption that the claim limitation is interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph, is rebutted when the claim limitation recites sufficient structure, material, or acts to entirely perform the recited function.
Absence of the word “means” (or “step”) in a claim creates a rebuttable presumption that the claim limitation is not to be treated in accordance with 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph. The presumption that the claim limitation is not interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph, is rebutted when the claim limitation recites function without reciting sufficient structure, material or acts to entirely perform the recited function.
Claim limitations in this application that use the word “means” (or “step”) are being interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph, except as otherwise indicated in an Office action. Conversely, claim limitations in this application that do not use the word “means” (or “step”) are not being interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph, except as otherwise indicated in an Office action.
This application includes one or more claim limitations that do not use the word “means,” but are nonetheless being interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph, because the claim limitation(s) uses a generic placeholder that is coupled with functional language without reciting sufficient structure to perform the recited function and the generic placeholder is not preceded by a structural modifier. Such claim limitations in claims 1-11 are as follows:
a tire pressure real-time monitoring and warning unit
a vehicle overheat detection and warning unit
an explosion prevention and control unit
an on-board gateway unit
an alarm prompt unit
a remote management unit
a tire leakage detection module
a low tire pressure detection module
a tire temperature monitoring module
a tire valve core leakage detection device
a tire pinhole leakage detection device
a tire foreign object detection device
a tire side and inner edge damage detection device
a hub flange deformation detection device
a hub fracture detection device
a direct tire pressure monitoring device
an indirect tire pressure monitoring device
a temperature sensing and monitoring device
an engine/motor temperature monitoring module
a differential lock system temperature monitoring module
an exhaust pipe temperature monitoring module
a cell temperature monitoring module
a cell deformation detection module
a cell air pressure monitoring module
a cell liquid leakage detection model
a battery compartment explosive gas detection model
a battery compartment ambient temperature monitoring module
a battery compartment smoke detection module
a battery explosion suppression module
an internal cell temperature sensing and monitoring device
an internal cell resistance tomography device
an internal deformation sensing and detection device
a cell surface variable resistance detection device
a battery bus insulation impedance detection device
a battery positive and negative bus current detection device
a VOC detection device
a CO explosion gas detection, sensing, and detection device
an H2 explosive gas detection, sensing, and detection device
a CH4 explosive gas detection, sensing, and detection device
a circuit controller
a lithium-ion battery compartment fire suppression device
an automatic fire extinguishing linkage control device
a network communication module
a data storage module
an edge computing module
a built-in data storage device
an external data storage device
a vehicle local alarm subunit prompt
a remote monitoring client software alarm prompt subunit
a communication center
Because this/these claim limitation(s) is/are being interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph, it/they is/are being interpreted to cover the corresponding structure described in the specification as performing the claimed function, and equivalents thereof. Namely, the following limitations are interpreted as follows:
“a direct tire pressure monitoring device” corresponds to the “integrated pressure temperature sensor” of [0026]
“a tire temperature monitoring module” and “a temperature sensing and monitoring device” each correspond to the “integrated pressure temperature sensor” of [0026]
“a battery compartment smoke detection module” corresponds to the further recited one or more smoke detectors of claim 4
“a battery explosion suppression module” corresponds to the further recited intelligent circuit breaker of claim 4; however, sufficient structure does not exist for the alternative “circuit controller”, “lithium-ion battery compartment fire suppression device”, or “automatic fire extinguishing linkage control device”
“a network communication module” corresponds to the further recited one or more communication devices of claim 5
“a data storage module” corresponds to the further recited built-in data storage device and external data storage device of claim 5
“a built-in data storage device” corresponds to “a built-in static random access memory SRAM, a built-in dynamic random access memory DRAM, and a built-in hard disk” of [0258]
“an external data storage device” corresponds to “an external mobile hard disk, a USB flash drive, a TF memory card, and a SD memory card” of [0258]
“an edge computing module” corresponds to the further recited “AI smart chip” and “terminal SDK” of claim 5
“a vehicle local alarm prompt subunit” corresponds to the acousto-optic alarm modules of [0089]
“a remote monitoring client software alarm prompt subunit” corresponds to the software of [0089]
“a communication center” corresponds to the cloud platform or local server of [0188]
If applicant does not intend to have this/these limitation(s) interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph, applicant may: (1) amend the claim limitation(s) to avoid it/them being interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph (e.g., by reciting sufficient structure to perform the claimed function); or (2) present a sufficient showing that the claim limitation(s) recite(s) sufficient structure to perform the claimed function so as to avoid it/them being interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of the first paragraph of 35 U.S.C. 112(a):
(a) IN GENERAL.—The specification shall contain a written description of the invention, and of the manner and process of making and using it, in such full, clear, concise, and exact terms as to enable any person skilled in the art to which it pertains, or with which it is most nearly connected, to make and use the same, and shall set forth the best mode contemplated by the inventor or joint inventor of carrying out the invention.
The following is a quotation of the first paragraph of pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112:
The specification shall contain a written description of the invention, and of the manner and process of making and using it, in such full, clear, concise, and exact terms as to enable any person skilled in the art to which it pertains, or with which it is most nearly connected, to make and use the same, and shall set forth the best mode contemplated by the inventor of carrying out his invention.
Claims 1-11 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(a) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), first paragraph, as failing to comply with the written description requirement. The claim(s) contains subject matter which was not described in the specification in such a way as to reasonably convey to one skilled in the relevant art that the inventor or a joint inventor, or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the inventor(s), at the time the application was filed, had possession of the claimed invention. Other than the limitations above for which corresponding structure has been identified (underlined in the list above), the disclosure fails to provide sufficient structure for any of the remaining limitations interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f).
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 1-11 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.
The non-underlined limitations in the “Claim Interpretation” section above invoke 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph. However, the written description fails to disclose the corresponding structure, material, or acts for performing the entire claimed function and to clearly link the structure, material, or acts to the function. No structure is provided for these limitations Therefore, the claim is indefinite and is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, second paragraph.
Applicant may:
(a) Amend the claim so that the claim limitation will no longer be interpreted as a limitation under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph;
(b) Amend the written description of the specification such that it expressly recites what structure, material, or acts perform the entire claimed function, without introducing any new matter (35 U.S.C. 132(a)); or
(c) Amend the written description of the specification such that it clearly links the structure, material, or acts disclosed therein to the function recited in the claim, without introducing any new matter (35 U.S.C. 132(a)).
If applicant is of the opinion that the written description of the specification already implicitly or inherently discloses the corresponding structure, material, or acts and clearly links them to the function so that one of ordinary skill in the art would recognize what structure, material, or acts perform the claimed function, applicant should clarify the record by either:
(a) Amending the written description of the specification such that it expressly recites the corresponding structure, material, or acts for performing the claimed function and clearly links or associates the structure, material, or acts to the claimed function, without introducing any new matter (35 U.S.C. 132(a)); or
(b) Stating on the record what the corresponding structure, material, or acts, which are implicitly or inherently set forth in the written description of the specification, perform the claimed function. For more information, see 37 CFR 1.75(d) and MPEP §§ 608.01(o) and 2181.
Claim 1 recites that the tire pressure real-time monitoring and warning unit is “associated with an on-board gateway unit and an alarm prompt unit and is associated with a remote management unit through the on-board gateway unit”. It is unclear if these are meant to be the same on-board gateway unit, alarm prompt unit, and remote management unit recited in the last three limitations of the claim, or if they are meant to be different. For the purposes of examination, the limitations will be treated as referring to the same on-board gateway unit, alarm prompt unit, and remote management unit.
Claim 4 recites “an internal cell temperature sensing and monitoring device and/or an internal cell resistance tomography device and a corresponding sensing and transmitting device” and “an internal deformation sensing and detection device and/or a cell surface variable resistance detection device and a corresponding sensing and transmitting device”. These limitations are of the form “A OR B AND C”; it is unclear whether this limitation is meant to be interpreted as “(A OR B) AND C” or “A OR (B AND C)”. For the purposes of examination, the former interpretation has been selected, in light of the limitation regarding the battery compartment explosive gas detection module, which more clearly recite a corresponding sensing and transmitting device corresponding to the one or more detection devices. A similar situation arises with the limitation “a battery bus insulation impedance detection device and/or a battery positive and negative bus current detection device and/or a VOC detection device and a corresponding sensing and transmitting device”, where it is unclear whether the limitation is meant to be interpreted as “(A OR B OR C) AND D” or “A OR B OR (C AND D)”; again, the former interpretation has been selected for the purposes of examination. Similarly, it is unclear whether the limitation “one or more of an ion smoke detector, a photoelectric smoke detector, an infrared beam smoke detector, a video analytical smoke detector, a photosensitive fire detector, and a video analysis smoke detector and a corresponding sensing and transmitting device” is meant to be understood as “(A OR B OR C OR D OR E OR F) AND G” or “A OR B OR C OR D OR E OR (F AND G)”. While in the previous limitations, the former interpretation has been taken, the claim as worded herein appears to indicate the latter interpretation is the intended one.
Claim 5 contains the trademark/trade name Bluetooth. Where a trademark or trade name is used in a claim as a limitation to identify or describe a particular material or product, the claim does not comply with the requirements of 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph. See Ex parte Simpson, 218 USPQ 1020 (Bd. App. 1982). The claim scope is uncertain since the trademark or trade name cannot be used properly to identify any particular material or product. A trademark or trade name is used to identify a source of goods, and not the goods themselves. Thus, a trademark or trade name does not identify or describe the goods associated with the trademark or trade name. In the present case, the trademark/trade name is used to identify/describe wireless communication and, accordingly, the identification/description is indefinite.
Claim 8 recites “a government industry management client software and/or an enterprise operation management client software, a driver and passenger service client software, and a communication center”. This limitation is of the form “A OR B AND C AND D”; it is unclear whether the limitation is meant to be interpreted as “(A OR B) AND C AND D” or “A OR (B AND C AND D)”. For the purposes of examination, the former interpretation is selected. Claim 10, which recites the same limitations as claim 8, is indefinite for the same reasons.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 101
35 U.S.C. 101 reads as follows:
Whoever invents or discovers any new and useful process, machine, manufacture, or composition of matter, or any new and useful improvement thereof, may obtain a patent therefor, subject to the conditions and requirements of this title.
Claims 1-11 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 101 because the claimed invention is directed to an abstract idea without significantly more. The claims recite a system (Step 1: Yes.) Independent claim 1 has been selected for further analysis.
The claim recites the following limitations (bolded text corresponds to the abstract idea):
A vehicle safety monitoring system based on the Internet of Things, comprising:
a tire pressure real-time monitoring and warning unit, wherein the tire pressure real-time monitoring and warning unit is associated with an on-board gateway unit and an alarm prompt unit and is associated with a remote management unit through the on-board gateway unit, and the tire pressure real-time monitoring and warning unit is configured to collect all information related to a tire pressure in real time, and based on the collected information, and analyze, directly or in cooperation with the on-board gateway unit, whether a tire leaks, a pressure in the tire, a temperature in the tire, and a risk warning;
a vehicle overheat detection and warning unit, wherein the vehicle overheat detection and warning unit is associated with the on-board gateway unit and is associated with the alarm prompt unit and the remote management unit through the on-board gateway unit, and the vehicle overheat detection and warning unit is configured to collect temperature information of a component directly related to a vehicle operating state on a current vehicle in real time, and determine, directly or in cooperation with the on-board gateway unit based on the collected information, whether the vehicle is overheated and a risk of explosion or damage exists;
an explosion prevention and control unit of a lithium-ion power battery of a new energy vehicle, wherein a sensor of the explosion prevention and control unit of the lithium-ion power battery of the new energy vehicle is arranged in a cell of the lithium-ion power battery of the new energy vehicle and in a battery compartment, is associated with the on-board gateway unit, and is associated with the alarm prompt unit and the remote management unit through the on-board gateway unit, and the explosion prevention and control unit of the lithium-ion power battery of the new energy vehicle is configured to collect a cell temperature, a cell deformation, a cell air pressure, a cell leakage condition, a battery compartment explosive gas concentration, a battery compartment ambient temperature, and a battery compartment smoke information of the current vehicle; and determine, through computing directly or in cooperation with the on-board gateway unit based on the collected information, whether there is an explosion risk of a combustion risk in a vehicle power battery, and enable a battery explosion suppression function when determining that a detection information analysis is higher than a relevant set threshold to trigger a power cell danger or a battery compartment danger alarm;
an on-board gateway unit, wherein the on-board gateway unit is arranged in a vehicle cab, and is respectively associated with the tire pressure real-time monitoring and warning unit, the vehicle overheat detection and warning unit, the alarm prompt unit, and the remote management unit, and a communication channel is associated among the units to complete data exchange, and the on-board gateway unit is further configured to complete, in cooperation with the tire pressure real-time monitoring and warning unit and/or the vehicle overheat detection and warning unit, risk warning processing based on the data collected by the corresponding unit;
an alarm prompt unit, wherein the alarm prompt unit is connected to the on-board gateway unit, and is configured to complete a local alarm on the vehicle and/or complete a remote alarm through the remote management unit associated with the on-board gateway unit; and
a remote management unit, wherein the remote management unit is deployed in a manner of multi-level linkage, is associated with the on-board gateway unit, and is indirectly associated with the tire pressure real-time monitoring and warning unit, the vehicle overheat detection and warning unit, and the alarm prompt unit through the on-board gateway unit, and is configured to receive a tire pressure alarm and/or a vehicle overheat alarm sent by the on-board gateway unit, and generate emergency response and emergency rescue management information according to requirements of an emergency plan when receiving a high-risk level alarm.
Under its broadest reasonable interpretation, this system uses collected data to diagnose potential risks in a plurality of vehicle systems, synthesizes the system diagnoses to determine an overall risk level for the vehicle, and generates a plan for how to respond to a determined risk. This is a process which can be performed in the human mind; therefore, the claim falls within the mental processes grouping of abstract ideas. (Step 2A-Prong 1: Yes. The claim is abstract.)
This judicial exception is not integrated into a practical application; limitations that are not indicative of integration include: (1) Adding the words “apply it” (or an equivalent) with the judicial exception, or mere instructions to implement an abstract idea on a computer, or merely using a computer as a tool to perform an abstract idea (MPEP 2106.05.f), (2) Adding insignificant extra-solution activity to the judicial exception (MPEP 2106.05.g), (3) Generally linking the use of the judicial exception to a particular technological environment or field of use (MPEP 2106.05.h). The claim recites a plurality of “units”, interpreted under 35 USC 112(f) as discussed above. These amount to no more than instructions to implement the abstract idea on a computer, and generic sensing devices used for the insignificant pre-solution activity of gathering data. Additionally, the alarm prompt unit performs the insignificant post-solution activity of sending an alarm signal. (Step 2A-Prong 2: No. The additional claimed elements are not integrated into a practical application.)
The claim(s) does/do not include additional elements that are sufficient to amount to significantly more than the judicial exception because, as discussed above, the additional elements amount to no more than instructions to implement the abstract idea on a computer or insignificant extra-solution activity. Furthermore, these elements are recited at so high a level of generality as to be well-understood, routine, and conventional in the art. (Step 2B: No. The claims do not provide significantly more.) Therefore, claim 1 is not patent eligible.
Claims 2-4 further define the types of data which are collected. However, the collection of said data remains the insignificant pre-solution activity of data gathering; therefore, the claims are not patent eligible.
Claim 5 further defines the computer components which make up the system. However, these elements are well-understood, routine, and conventional, and thus fail to provide significantly more. Therefore, the claim is not patent eligible.
Claims 6 and 8-11 further define the abstract idea and are thus abstract for the same reasons. Therefore, the claims are not patent eligible.
Claim 7 further defines the alarm prompt unit; however, the components which comprise the alarm prompt unit are software which is well-understood, routine, and conventional; therefore, the claim is not patent eligible.
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.
The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
Claim(s) 1, 3, 4, 7, and 9 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yao (CN 205428125, cited in applicant IDS) in view of Schmidt (US 2020335833).
Claim 1.
Yao teaches:
a tire pressure real-time monitoring and warning unit, wherein the tire pressure real-time monitoring and warning unit is associated with an on-board gateway unit and an alarm prompt unit and is associated with a remote management unit through the on-board gateway unit, and the tire pressure real-time monitoring and warning unit is configured to collect all information related to a tire pressure in real time, and based on the collected information, and analyze, directly or in cooperation with the on-board gateway unit, whether a tire leaks, a pressure in the tire, a temperature in the tire, and a risk warning
(Yao – [0019]) “the tire pressure monitoring module monitors the vehicle using a high-sensitivity miniature wireless sensor device fixed in the vehicle tire to collect vehicle tire pressure, temperature and other data while driving or stationary.”
a vehicle overheat detection and warning unit, wherein the vehicle overheat detection and warning unit is associated with the on-board gateway unit and is associated with the alarm prompt unit and the remote management unit through the on-board gateway unit, and the vehicle overheat detection and warning unit is configured to collect temperature information of a component directly related to a vehicle operating state on a current vehicle in real time, and determine, directly or in cooperation with the on-board gateway unit based on the collected information, whether the vehicle is overheated and a risk of explosion or damage exists
(Yao – [0016]) “The engine/battery box safety monitoring module monitors the engine temperature of diesel vehicles and the smoke from battery leakage in electric vehicles.”
an explosion prevention and control unit of a lithium-ion power battery of a new energy vehicle, wherein a sensor of the explosion prevention and control unit of the lithium-ion power battery of the new energy vehicle is arranged in a cell of the lithium-ion power battery of the new energy vehicle and in a battery compartment, is associated with the on-board gateway unit, and is associated with the alarm prompt unit and the remote management unit through the on-board gateway unit, and the explosion prevention and control unit of the lithium-ion power battery of the new energy vehicle is configured to collect a cell temperature,
(Yao – [0016]) “The engine/battery box safety monitoring module monitors the engine temperature of diesel vehicles and the smoke from battery leakage in electric vehicles. When it determines that there is a risk of spontaneous combustion, it issues an audible and visual alarm at the driver’s position, and transmits the alarm information in combination with the vehicle position information”
an on-board gateway unit, wherein the on-board gateway unit is arranged in a vehicle cab, and is respectively associated with the tire pressure real-time monitoring and warning unit, the vehicle overheat detection and warning unit, the alarm prompt unit, and the remote management unit, and a communication channel is established among the units to complete data exchange, and the on-board gateway unit is further configured to complete, in cooperation with the tire pressure real-time monitoring and warning unit and/or the vehicle overheat detection and warning unit, risk warning processing based on the data collected by the corresponding unit
(Yao – [0012]) “the outputs of the bus flammable volatile substance monitoring and alarm module, the engine/battery box safety monitoring module, the video monitoring module, the tire pressure monitoring module, the brake pad fault alarm module, and the vehicle positioning module are respectively connected to the on-board data transmission module”
an alarm prompt unit, wherein the alarm prompt unit is connected to the on-board gateway unit, and is configured to complete a local alarm on the vehicle and/or complete a remote alarm through the remote management unit associated with the on-board gateway unit
(Yao – [0012]) “the outputs of the bus flammable volatile substance monitoring and alarm module, the engine/battery box safety monitoring module, the video monitoring module, the tire pressure monitoring module, the brake pad fault alarm module, and the vehicle positioning module are respectively connected to the on-board data transmission module”
a remote management unit, wherein the remote management unit is deployed in a manner of multi-level linkage, is associated with the on-board gateway unit, and is indirectly associated with the tire pressure real-time monitoring and warning unit, the vehicle overheat detection and warning unit, and the alarm prompt unit through the on-board gateway unit, and is configured to receive a tire pressure alarm and/or a vehicle overheat alarm sent by the on-board gateway unit, and generate emergency response and emergency rescue management information according to requirements of an emergency plan when receiving a high-risk level alarm
(Yao – [0012]) “Data between the bus on-board safety monitoring device and the command center is transmitted via a wireless communication operator network. The system is characterized in that: there are multiple bus on-board safety monitoring devices, and each bus on-board safety monitoring device includes a bus flammable volatile substance monitoring and alarm module, an engine/battery box safety monitoring module, an engine/battery box fire extinguishing module, a video monitoring module, a carriage water mist fire extinguishing module, a tire pressure monitoring module, a brake pad fault alarm module, a vehicle positioning module, and an on-board data transmission module”
Yao does not explicitly teach determining a cell deformation or pressure; however, Schmidt teaches:
the explosion prevention and control unit of the lithium-ion power battery of the new energy vehicle is configured to collect a cell temperature, a cell deformation, a cell air pressure
(Schmidt – [0008]) “In order to be able to identify damage, for example a deformation, of the battery housing, the high-voltage battery has the detection device.”
(Schmidt – [0009]) “the pressure sensor can monitor the pressure or gas pressure inside the battery housing by measuring the pressure in the interior of the battery housing continuously or at predetermined measuring times.”
(Schmidt – [0016]) “the evaluation device is designed to monitor a temperature in the interior”
It would have been obvious to one possessing ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to combine these teachings, modifying the safety monitoring system of Yao with the damage detection device of Schmidt. Both Yao and Schmidt concern monitoring a battery for signs of damage; therefore, a person of ordinary skill in the art would have recognized that the teachings of Schmidt could be used in the safety monitoring system of Yao with predictable results, namely, a safety monitoring system which monitors a battery for smoke as well as signs of physical damage. One would have been motivated to do this in order to better ensure the safety of a monitored vehicle.
Claim 3.
The combination of Yao and Schmidt teaches all the limitations of claim 1, as discussed above. Yao further teaches:
the vehicle overheat detection and warning unit comprises an engine/motor temperature monitoring module, a differential lock system temperature monitoring module, a tire temperature monitoring module, and/or an exhaust pipe monitoring module
(Yao – [0016]) “The engine/battery box safety monitoring module monitors the engine temperature of diesel vehicles and the smoke from battery leakage in electric vehicles.”
(Yao – [0019]) “the tire pressure monitoring module monitors the vehicle using a high-sensitivity miniature wireless sensor device fixed in the vehicle tire to collect vehicle tire pressure, temperature and other data while driving or stationary.”
[Examiner’s Note: As the claim recites these modules in the alternative, a reference which teaches at least one of said modules thus teaches the entire limitation. Because the other modules are not required, their structure is thus not required.]
the vehicle overheat detection and warning unit… is directly related to the on-board gateway unit, (relisting the modules above) are configured to assemble the detection data to the on-board gateway unit, and perform intelligent analysis through the on-board gateway unit, and when a temperature analysis result of a corresponding detected object triggers the vehicle overheat detection and warning, the on-board gateway unit sends a corresponding alarm and prompt to the alarm prompt unit through the on-board gateway unit, and uploads the alarm prompt information to the remote management unit through the on-board gateway unit
(Yao – [0016]) “The engine/battery box safety monitoring module monitors the engine temperature of diesel vehicles and the smoke from battery leakage in electric vehicles. When it determines that there is a risk of spontaneous combustion, it issues an audible and visual alarm at the driver’s position, and transmits the alarm information in combination with the vehicle position information”
the engine/motor temperature monitoring module is configured to obtain real-time temperature information of a vehicle engine/motor, and transmit the obtained information to the on-board gateway unit or to the remote management unit through the on-board gateway unit
(Yao – [0016]) “The engine/battery box safety monitoring module monitors the engine temperature of diesel vehicles and the smoke from battery leakage in electric vehicles.”
the tire temperature monitoring module is configured to obtain real-time temperature information of a vehicle tire, and transmit the obtained information to the on-board gateway unit or to the remote management unit through the on-board gateway unit
(Yao – [0019]) “the tire pressure monitoring module monitors the vehicle using a high-sensitivity miniature wireless sensor device fixed in the vehicle tire to collect vehicle tire pressure, temperature and other data while driving or stationary.”
Claim 4.
The combination of Yao and Schmidt teaches all the limitations of claim 1, as discussed above. Yao and Schmidt further teach:
the explosion prevention and control unit of the lithium-ion power battery of the new energy vehicle comprises one or more of a cell temperature monitoring module, a cell deformation detection module, a cell air pressure monitoring module, a cell liquid leakage detection module, a battery compartment explosive gas detection module, a battery compartment ambient temperature monitoring module, a battery compartment smoke detection module, and a battery explosion suppression module
(Yao – [0016]) “The engine/battery box safety monitoring module monitors the engine temperature of diesel vehicles and the smoke from battery leakage in electric vehicles.”
[Examiner’s Note: As the claim recites these modules in the alternative, a reference which teaches at least one of said modules thus teaches the entire limitation. The underlined modules are discussed more in depth with reference to Yao and Schmidt below.]
the explosion prevention and control unit of the lithium-ion power battery of the new energy vehicle … is directly related to the on-board gateway unit to monitor (conditions monitored by above modules) in real time, warning information is sent when the detection result is higher than a set threshold or the leakage occurs, when a medium or low risk warning is triggered, a local warning acousto-optic or voice prompt is sent through the alarm prompt unit while the warning information is sent to the remote management unit, and when a high risk warning is triggered, an explosion suppression device is automatically started, and the local warning acousto-optic or voice prompt is sent through the alarm prompt unit while the warning information is sent to the remote management unit
(Yao – [0016]) “When it determines that there is a risk of spontaneous combustion, it issues an audible and visual alarm at the driver’s position, and transmits the alarm information in combination with the vehicle position information”
(Yao – [0037]) “The engine/battery box safety monitoring module 12 uses scattered light smoke detection technology to detect smoke, which is not limited by the type of smoke and has a fast response speed.”
the cell temperature monitoring module comprises an internal cell temperature sensing and monitoring device and/or an internal cell resistance tomography device and a corresponding sensing and transmitting device, and is configured to obtain real-time cell temperature information of the vehicle power battery, and transmit the obtained information to the on-board gateway unit or to the remote management unit through the on-board gateway unit
(Schmidt – [0016]) “the evaluation device is designed to monitor a temperature in the interior”
[Examiner’s Note: While Yao does not explicitly teach measuring the temperature of a battery, a person of ordinary skill in the art would have recognized that the temperature of a battery could be monitored by the same means as the temperature of a diesel engine. This would be a use of a known technique (temperature monitoring) to improve similar devices (power supplies for a vehicle) in the same way (detecting a potential overheat condition).]
the cell deformation detection module comprises an internal deformation sensing and detection device and/or a cell surface variable resistance detection device and a corresponding transmitting sensing and transmitting device, and is configured to obtain real-time cell deformation information of the vehicle power battery, and transmit the obtained information to the on-board gateway unit or to the remote management unit through the on-board gateway unit
(Schmidt – [0017]) “the evaluation device is designed to additionally identify a severity of the deformation on the basis of the pressure change”
the cell air pressure monitoring module
(Schmidt – [0009]) “the pressure sensor can monitor the pressure or gas pressure inside the battery housing by measuring the pressure in the interior of the battery housing continuously or at predetermined measuring times.”
the cell liquid leakage detection module comprises a battery bus insulation impedance detection device and/or a battery positive and negative bus current detection device and/or a VOC detection device and a corresponding sensing and transmitting device, and is configured to obtain real-time cell leakage information of the vehicle power battery, and transmit the obtained information to the on-board gateway unit or to the remote management unit through the on-board gateway unit
(Yao – [0034]) “The bus flammable volatile mattery monitoring and alarm module 11 uses multiple semiconductor gas sensors to monitor the concentration of flammable liquid volatile gases in the bus compartment in real time.”
the battery compartment explosive gas detection module comprises one or more of a CO explosive gas detection, sensing, and detection device, an H2 explosive gas detection, sensing, and detection device, a CH4 explosive gas detection, sensing, and detection device, a VOC detection device, and a corresponding sensing and transmitting device, and is configured to obtain composition and real-time concentration information of an explosive gas in a vehicle power battery compartment, and transmit the obtained information to the on-board gateway unit or to the remote management through the on-board gateway unit
(Yao – [0034]) “The bus flammable volatile mattery monitoring and alarm module 11 uses multiple semiconductor gas sensors to monitor the concentration of flammable liquid volatile gases in the bus compartment in real time.”
the battery compartment ambient temperature monitoring module is configured to obtain ambient temperature information of the vehicle power battery compartment, and transmit the obtained information to the on-board gateway unit or to the remote management unit through the on-board gateway unit
(Schmidt – [0016]) “the evaluation device is designed to monitor a temperature in the interior”
[Examiner’s Note: While Yao does not explicitly teach measuring the temperature of a battery, a person of ordinary skill in the art would have recognized that the temperature of a battery could be monitored by the same means as the temperature of a diesel engine. This would be a use of a known technique (temperature monitoring) to improve similar devices (power supplies for a vehicle) in the same way (detecting a potential overheat condition).]
the battery compartment smoke detection module comprises one or more of an ion smoke detector, a photoelectric smoke detector, an infrared beam smoke detector, a video analytical smoke detector, a photosensitive fire detector, and a video analysis smoke detector and a corresponding sensing and transmitting device, and is configured to obtain information about whether there is smoke in the vehicle power battery compartment, and transmit the obtained information to the on-board gateway unit or to the remote management unit through the on-board gateway unit
(Yao – [0037]) “The engine/battery box safety monitoring module 12 uses scattered light smoke detection technology to detect smoke, which is not limited by the type of smoke and has a fast response speed.”
the battery explosion suppression module of the battery compartment comprises a circuit controller and/or an intelligent circuit breaker and/or a lithium-ion battery compartment fire suppression device and/or an automatic fire extinguishing linkage control device, and is configured to cut off the power supply or perform fire extinguishing and explosion-proof treatment when explosion warning information of the lithium-ion power battery is received
(Yao – [0037]) “When spontaneous combustion of the vehicle is detected, the engine/battery box fire extinguishing module 13 is activated to spray S-type aerosol to quickly extinguish the engine and battery box.”
Claim 7.
The combination of Yao and Schmidt teaches all the limitations of claim 1, as discussed above. Yao further teaches:
the alarm prompt unit comprises a vehicle local alarm prompt subunit and a remote monitoring client software alarm prompt subunit
(Yao – [0014]) “When it is determined that there is a danger, it will issue an audible and visual alarm at the driver’s position, and transmit the alarm information in combination with the vehicle position information provided by the vehicle positioning module to the communication optical fiber transceiver of the command center through the on-board data transmission module”
Claim 9.
The combination of Yao and Schmidt teaches all the limitations of claim 1, as discussed above. Yao further teaches:
the remote management unit is arranged on a cloud platform of a competent government industry department related to vehicle traffic management or operation management and/or a local storage server and/or a personal hand-held intelligent terminal of a relevant management person, a cloud platform and/or a local storage server of a transport enterprise to which the vehicle belongs and transport-related parties and/or a personal hand-held intelligent terminal of a relevant management person, and a personal hand-held intelligent terminal of a driver and passenger, is associated with the on-board gateway unit, and is indirectly associated with the tire pressure real-time monitoring and warning unit, the vehicle overheat detection and warning unit, the explosion prevention and control unit of the lithium-ion power battery of the new energy vehicle, and the alarm prompt unit through the on-board gateway unit
(Yao – [0013]) “the command center includes an audible and visual alarm, a TV wall, an APP client, an alarm server, and a communication optical fiber transceiver… the on-board data transmission module sends data to the communication optical fiber transceiver through the wireless communication operator network, and the communication optical fiber transceiver sends the received data to the alarm server.”
(Yao – [0020]) “the alarm server will send the number and location information of the faulty vehicle to the APP client of the maintenance and support department.”
Claim(s) 2 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over the combination of Yao and Schmidt as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Li et al. (CN 110481249, hereafter referred to as Li 249) and further in view of Li et al. (CN 113538726, hereafter referred to as Li 726) and further in view of Wittman et al. (US 20170124784) and further in view of Notomi (US 20180072116).
Claim 2.
The combination of Yao and Schmidt teaches all the limitations of claim 1, as discussed above. Yao further teaches:
the tire pressure real-time monitoring and warning unit comprises a tire leakage detection module, a low tire pressure detection module, and a tire temperature monitoring module
(Yao – [0019]) “the tire pressure monitoring module monitors the vehicle using a high-sensitivity miniature wireless sensor device fixed in the vehicle tire to collect vehicle tire pressure, temperature and other data while driving or stationary.”
the low tire pressure detection module comprises a direct tire pressure monitoring device
(Yao – [0019]) “the tire pressure monitoring module monitors the vehicle using a high-sensitivity miniature wireless sensor device fixed in the vehicle tire to collect vehicle tire pressure, temperature and other data while driving or stationary.”
the tire temperature monitoring module comprises a temperature sensing and monitoring device in each tire and a corresponding sensing and transmitting device, and is configured to obtain real-time information of an internal temperature condition of each tire of the vehicle, and transmit the obtained information to the on-board gateway unit or to the remote management unit through the on-board gateway unit
(Yao – [0019]) “the tire pressure monitoring module monitors the vehicle using a high-sensitivity miniature wireless sensor device fixed in the vehicle tire to collect vehicle tire pressure, temperature and other data while driving or stationary.”
Yao does not explicitly teach a leakage detection device; however, Li 249 teaches:
the tire leakage detection module comprises a tire valve core leakage detection device, a tire pinhole leakage detection device,
(Li 249 – [0005]) “One part of the sensor is installed inside the tire and can be fixed on the wheel hub through the valve stem… The sensors installed in the tire can continuously measure the tire pressure and temperature, and through analysis can determine whether the tire is leaking”
[Examiner’s Note: A person of ordinary skill in the art would have recognized that damage to the tire side and/or inner edge could be determined based on the detection of a leak.]
It would have been obvious to one possessing ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to combine these teachings, modifying the safety monitoring system of Yao with the slow leak sensing capabilities of Li 249. Both Yao and Li 249 are directed toward monitoring operating conditions of a tire; therefore, a person of ordinary skill in the art would have recognized that they could be used together in this fashion with predictable results, namely, a safety monitoring system which determines the pressure of a tire as well as the presence of a potential leak. One would have been motivated to do this in order to better recognize the existence of a slow leak in a tire (Li 249 – [0005]).
Neither Yao nor Li 249 explicitly teaches a hub deformation detection device; however, Li 726 teaches:
the tire leakage detection module comprises
(Li 726 – [n0039]) “strain gauge sensor, used to collect wheel hub deformation and detect static and dynamic load data of the wheel hub”
[Examiner’s Note: A person of ordinary skill in the art would have recognized that a fracture condition can be determined by an examination of the stress and strain data obtained by the strain gauge sensor.]
It would have been obvious to one possessing ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to combine these teachings, modifying the safety monitoring system of Yao with the hub deformation monitoring of Li 726. Both Yao and Li 726 are directed toward monitoring systems which determine operating conditions of a tire; therefore, a person of ordinary skill in the art would have recognized that they could be used together in this fashion with predictable results, namely, a safety monitoring system which determines the pressure of a tire as well as potential damage to the wheel hub. One would have been motivated to do this in order to assist in determining a particular reason for an apparent loss in pressure.
None of the aforementioned references explicitly teaches a foreign object detection device; however, Wittman et al. teaches:
the tire leakage detection module comprises obtained information to the on-board gateway unit or to the remote management unit through the on-board gateway unit,
(Wittman – [0168]) “cameras, as detailed above, are programmable to produce an output regarding foreign objects embedded in the tire tread or sidewall”
[Examiner’s Note: A person of ordinary skill in the art would have recognized that a foreign object embedded in the tire sidewall would be indicative of damage to the side and/or inner edge of the tire.]
It would have been obvious to one possessing ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to combine these teachings, modifying the safety monitoring system of Yao with the tire analysis system of Wittman et al. Both Yao and Wittman et al. are directed toward determining the condition of a tire; therefore, a person of ordinary skill in the art would have recognized that the teachings of the two references could be combined with predictable results, namely, a safety monitoring system which uses cameras to determine the presence of foreign objects embedded in a tire sidewall. One would have been motivated to do this in order to more specifically diagnose the health of a vehicle tire.
None of the aforementioned references explicitly teaches an indirect tire pressure monitoring device; however, Notomi teaches:
the low tire pressure detection module comprises
(Notomi – Abstract) “an estimated internal pressure transmitter that calculates and transmits an estimated internal pressure of a tire when a vehicle is travelling based on a wheel speed”
It would have been obvious to one possessing ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to combine these teachings, modifying the safety monitoring system of Yao with the indirect pressure measurements of Notomi. Both Yao and Notomi are directed toward monitoring the pressures of tires; therefore, a person of ordinary skill in the art would have recognized that these teachings could be combined in such a fashion with predictable results, namely, a tire pressure monitoring system which determines the pressure based on direct and indirect methods. One would have been motivated to do this in order to provide an alternative method of determining a pressure in a situation when the direct tire pressure sensor is damaged.
Claim(s) 5, 8, and 11 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over the combination of Yao and Schmidt as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Zhang et al. (CN 110445836, cited in applicant IDS).
Claim 5.
The combination of Yao and Schmidt teaches all the limitations of claim 1, as discussed above. Yao does not explicitly teach particular components of the on-board gateway unit; however, Zhang et al. teaches:
the on-board gateway unit comprises a network communication module and/or a data storage module, and/or an edge computing module
[Examiner’s Note: As the claim recites these modules in the alternative, a reference which teaches at least one of said modules thus teaches the entire limitation. The underlined modules are discussed more in depth with reference to Zhang et al. below.]
the network communication module comprises one or more of a 5G communication device, a CAN bus communication device, a TCP/IP communication device, a Bluetooth communication device, and another wireless communication device, and is configured for data exchange among the tire pressure real-time monitoring and warning unit, the vehicle overheat detection and warning unit, the explosion prevention and control unit of the lithium-ion power battery of the new energy vehicle, the alarm prompt unit, and the remote management unit
(Zhang – [0058]) “IoT communication methods mainly include ZigBee, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Z-wave, LoRa, SigFox, EC-GSM, LTE Cat-m, NB-IoT, 2/3/4/5G cellular communication technologies, etc.”
the data storage module comprises a built-in data storage device and an external data storage device, and is configured to store detection information uploaded by the tire pressure real-time monitoring and warning unit, the vehicle overheat detection and warning unit, or the explosion prevention and control unit of the lithium-ion power battery of the new energy vehicle
(Zhang – [0016]) “the cloud computing center is used to store the monitoring data”
(Zhang – [0161]) “The computer software product can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium, such as ROM/RAM”
It would have been obvious to one possessing ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to combine these teachings, modifying the safety monitoring system of Yao with the safety monitoring system of Zhang et al. Both Yao and Zhang et al. are directed toward wireless safety monitoring systems; therefore, a person of ordinary skill in the art would have recognized that these teachings could be combined with predictable results. One would have been motivated to do this because the system of Zhang et al. provides better real-time performance when monitoring a plurality of vehicles (Zhang – [0007]).
Claim 8.
The combination of Yao and Schmidt teaches all the limitations of claim 1, as discussed above. Yao further teaches:
the remote management unit comprises a government industry management client software and/or an enterprise operation management client software, a driver and passenger client software, and a communication center
[Examiner’s Note: As discussed below, Yao teaches the government industry management client software; the enterprise operation management client software, which is claimed as an alternative, is not necessary to teach all the limitations of the claim. The structure of the particular software herein claimed is discussed in further detail below with reference to Yao and Zhang et al.]
the government industry management client software is configured to receive and display high-risk level tire pressure real-time monitoring and warning information, vehicle overheat detection and warning information, and explosion warning information of the lithium-ion power battery of the new energy vehicle forwarded by the tire pressure real-time monitoring and warning unit, the tire pressure real-time monitoring and warning unit, and the explosion prevention and control unit of the lithium-ion power battery of the new energy vehicle through the on-board gateway unit and the communication center, send a relevant management command based on the received warning and alarm information, start an emergency management process, and issue a relevant emergency response command
(Yao – [0013]) “the command center includes an audible and visual alarm, a TV wall, an APP client, an alarm server, and a communication optical fiber transceiver… the on-board data transmission module sends data to the communication optical fiber transceiver through the wireless communication operator network, and the communication optical fiber transceiver sends the received data to the alarm server.”
(Yao – [0020]) “the alarm server will send the number and location information of the faulty vehicle to the APP client of the maintenance and support department.”
the communication center is configured to communicate with the on-board gateway unit, receive and store the tire pressure real-time monitoring and warning information, the vehicle overheat detection and warning information, and the explosion warning information of the lithium-ion power battery of the new energy vehicle forwarded by the tire pressure real-time monitoring and warning unit, the tire pressure real-time monitoring and warning unit, and the explosion prevention and control unit of the lithium-ion power battery of the new energy vehicle through the on-board gateway unit, and forward the information to the government industry management client software, the enterprise operation management client software, and the driver and passenger service client software respectively, and the communication center also serves as a computer system environment for the government industry management client software, the enterprise operation management client software, and the driver and passenger service client software, and is configured to support a related software application, and forward management commands or response commands of the government industry management client software, the enterprise operation management client software, and the driver and passenger service client software to the on-board gateway unit
(Yao – [0013]) “the command center includes an audible and visual alarm, a TV wall, an APP client, an alarm server, and a communication optical fiber transceiver… the on-board data transmission module sends data to the communication optical fiber transceiver through the wireless communication operator network, and the communication optical fiber transceiver sends the received data to the alarm server.”
Yao does not explicitly teach the remote management system prompting the driver; however, Zhang et al. teaches:
the driver and passenger service client software is configured to: receive and display tire pressure real-time monitoring and warning information, vehicle overheat detection and warning information, and explosion warning information of the lithium-ion power battery of the new energy vehicle forwarded by the tire pressure real-time monitoring and warning unit, the tire pressure real-time monitoring and warning unit, and the explosion prevention and control unit of the lithium-ion power battery of the new energy vehicle through the on-board gateway unit and the communication center, send an acousto-optic alarm, a vice prompt, and an emergency rescue guide corresponding to alarm and warning information based on the received alarm and warning information, to prompt the driver to stop nearby or stop immediately for inspection, and provide a corresponding emergency response guide
(Zhang – [0016]) “the cloud computing center is used to store the monitoring data; receive a query instruction sent by a user terminal, query the stored monitoring data according to the query instruction, obtain a query result, and send the query to the user terminal.”
It would have been obvious to one possessing ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to combine these teachings for the reasons given in discussion of claim 5.
Claim 11.
The combination of Yao, Schmidt, and Zhang et al. teaches all the limitations of claim 8, as discussed above. The claim is otherwise rejected by the same rationale as claim 9.
Claim(s) 6 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over the combination of Yao and Schmidt as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Thron et al. (US 10553046).
Claim 6.
The combination of Yao and Schmidt teaches all the limitations of claim 1, as discussed above. Yao further teaches:
the on-board gateway unit is directly associated with the tire pressure real-time monitoring and warning unit, the vehicle overheat detection and warning unit, the explosion prevention and control unit of the lithium-ion power battery of the new energy vehicle, the alarm prompt unit, and the remote management unit
(Yao – [0012]) “the outputs of the bus flammable volatile substance monitoring and alarm module, the engine/battery box safety monitoring module, the video monitoring module, the tire pressure monitoring module, the brake pad fault alarm module, and the vehicle positioning module are respectively connected to the on-board data transmission module”
when the on-board gateway unit receives the detection information of the tire pressure real-time monitoring and warning unit, the vehicle overheat detection and warning unit, and the explosion prevention and control unit of the lithium-ion power battery of the new energy vehicle, and analyzes and determines that a related warning alarm such as the low tire pressure, the vehicle overheat, or the lithium-ion power battery explosion is triggered, the on-board gateway unit sends an alarm command to the alarm prompt unit and sends warning and alarm information and real-time monitoring data information to the remote management unit
(Yao – [0014]) “When it is determined that there is a danger, it will issue an audible and visual alarm at the driver’s position, and transmit the alarm information in combination with the vehicle position information provided by the vehicle positioning module to the communication optical fiber transceiver of the command center through the on-board data transmission module”
Yao does not explicitly teach receiving commands from the remote management unit; however, Thron et al. teaches:
when the on-board gateway unit receives an alarm command, a voice prompt command, or an alarm threshold setting adjustment, or circuit control information sent by the remote management unit, the alarm command and the voice prompt command information are sent to the alarm prompt unit, and alarm threshold setting adjustment command information and circuit control command information are sent to the relevant detection device of the tire pressure real-time monitoring and warning unit, the vehicle overheat detection and warning unit, and the explosion prevention and control unit of the lithium-ion power battery of the new energy vehicle, to adjust an alarm threshold of a detection sensor and cut off a circuit of the power battery
(Thron – Col. 27, lines 41-49) “the remedial action can include generating and sending a vehicle command to the vehicle 12. The vehicle command can instruct the vehicle to carry out a particular vehicle function, such as a vehicle function that is designed or tailored in addressing a particular problem or a particular VSM or vehicle subsystem generally. In one embodiment, the vehicle command can be automatically carried out at the vehicle when the vehicle command is received at the vehicle or at an appropriate time.”
(Thron – Col. 27, line 66-Col. 28, line 1) “The vehicle 12 can send a response message back to the remote facility 80 in response to receiving the remedial message (e.g., the warning message, the vehicle command).”
It would have been obvious to one possessing ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to combine these teachings, modifying the safety monitoring system of Yao with the remedial response system of Thron et al. Both Yao and Thron et al. are directed towards systems for determining a vehicle failure; therefore, a person of ordinary skill in the art would have recognized that their teachings could be combined with predictable results. One would have been motivated to do this in order to determine the best way in which a vehicle failure can be responded to.
Claim(s) 10 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over the combination of Yao, Schmidt, and Zhang et al. as applied to claim 8 above, and further in view of Thron et al.
Claim 10.
The combination of Yao, Schmidt, and Zhang et al. teaches all the limitations of claim 8, as discussed above. The claim is otherwise rejected by the same rationale as claim 6.
Conclusion
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/S.A.M./Examiner, Art Unit 3669
/NAVID Z. MEHDIZADEH/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3669