DETAILED ACTION
This is the first Office action on the merits of Application No. 18/836,508. Claims 1-22 are pending.
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 .
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 8/7/2024 has been considered by the examiner.
Claim Interpretation
In claim 20, the term “optionally” is considered acceptable in accordance with (MPEP 2173.05(h)(II).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
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 5-8, 14, and 17-20 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.
Regarding claims 5-8, 14, and 17-20, the phrase “pin-type connector” renders the claim indefinite because the addition of ‘-type’ appears to extend the scope of the expression so as to render it indefinite (see MPEP 2173.05(b)(III)(E).
Claims 6, 14, 17, and 21-22 are also rejected as being dependent upon a rejected base claim.
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.
Claims 1-4, 10-12, and 15-16 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by West (European EP30300440).
Regarding claim 1, West discloses an electrical traction system for an industrial electric vehicle (vehicle 101), the electrical traction system comprising: an electrical energy storage device (202) configured to have a storage electrical potential; a DC drivetrain bus (205) configured to have at a drivetrain electrical potential; an electric power converter (dc/dc power converter 214) provided between the electrical energy storage device and the DC drivetrain bus; at least one electric motor (traction motor 210); at least one traction inverter (DC/AC converter 212) provided between the DC drivetrain bus and the at least one electric motor and configured to drive the at least one electric motor; an electrical interface assembly (e.g. pantograph 142 of power collector 211) directly connected to the DC drivetrain bus and configured to receive an electric power from an electrical power supply system, wherein the electrical interface assembly comprises at least one interface configured to receive power while the industrial electric vehicle is stationary, and further configured to receive power while the industrial electric vehicle is moving (Fig. 1b, 142 and pages 14-15).
Regarding claim 2, West discloses the electrical traction system according to claim 1 wherein the storage electrical potential is lower or higher than the drivetrain electrical potential, and wherein: the electric power converter is configured to convert the drivetrain electric potential to the storage electrical potential, and further configured to convert the storage electrical potential to the drivetrain electrical potential (e.g. Fig. 2a).
Regarding claim 3, West discloses the electrical traction system according to claim 1 wherein the electrical traction system is configured to drive for driving the at least one electric motor with power provided to the DC drivetrain bus by at least one selected from the group consisting one or both of: the electrical energy storage device and the electric power converter, and the electrical interface assembly (e.g. Fig. 2a).
Regarding claim 4, West discloses the electrical traction system according to claim 1, wherein the electrical interface assembly comprises a conductor interface (contactors 213), and wherein: the conductor interface is configured to receive a positive DC potential and a negative DC potential (Fig. 2a, e.g. 225 and 226).
Regarding claim 10, West discloses the electrical traction system according to claim 1, wherein the traction inverter is a voltage or current source inverter (e.g. paragraphs [0033]-[0034]).
Regarding claim 11, West discloses the electrical traction system according to claim 1, wherein the industrial electric vehicle comprises, connected to the DC drivetrain bus, at least one selected from the group consisting of: an auxiliary power supply; a brake chopper; a plurality of traction motors (e.g. Fig. 2a, motors 210 and 206); an auxiliary motor; and an auxiliary charger.
Regarding claim 12, West discloses the electrical traction system according to claim 1,any of the preceding claims, wherein the electric power converter is configured to charge for charging the electrical energy storage device with electrical power from the DC drivetrain bus and to discharge the electrical energy storage device to provide electrical power to the DC drivetrain bus (e.g. paragraph [0118]).
Regarding claim 15, West discloses an industrial electric vehicle comprising the electrical traction system according to claim 1 (Fig. 1).
Regarding claim 16, West discloses the industrial electric vehicle according to claim 15, wherein the industrial electric vehicle does not comprise a combustion engine with a mechanical output power of more than 10 % of the mechanical output power of the at least one electric motor (e.g. West suggest EV only in e.g. paragraph [0022] and paragraph [0086], meets the limitation when motors only drive)
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.
Claims 8 and 19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kouvo (EP 3572269) in view of Gorantla (US Patent Publication 20210129691).
Regarding claim 8, Kouvo discloses an electrical traction system (Fig. 3 and paragraph [0011]) for an industrial electric vehicle (paragraph [0010]), the electrical traction system comprising: an electrical energy storage device (Fig. 3, 4a and 4b) configured to have a storage electrical potential; a DC drivetrain bus (paragraph [0013]) configured to have at a drivetrain electrical potential; an electric power converter (paragraph [0015]) provided between the electrical energy storage device and the DC drivetrain bus; at least one electric motor (paragraph [0017]); at least one traction inverter (paragraph [0018]) provided between the DC drivetrain bus and the at least one electric motor and configured to drive the at least one electric motor; an electrical interface assembly directly connected to the DC drivetrain bus and configured to receive an electric power from an electrical power supply system (paragraph [0029]), wherein the electrical interface assembly comprises two pin-type connector receivers (2a, 2b, 2c), each configured to receive a pin-type connector, wherein a pin-type connector receiver of the pin-type connector receivers is configured to be connected to a positive DC potential and a ground potential of a pin-type connector (paragraph [0029], 2a, 2c), and wherein a pin-type connector receiver of the two pin-type connector receivers is configured to be connected to a negative DC potential and the ground potential of a second pin-type connector (paragraph [0029], 2b, 2c).
Kouvo does not disclose the two pin-type.
Gorantla teaches using two pin or single pin type connectors (paragraphs [0098]).
It would have been prima facie obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified Kouvo to incorporate the two-pin type of Gorantla with a reasonable expectation of success to accommodate the requirements of the type of electrical system (paragraph [0098]).
Regarding claim 19, Kouvo discloses an electrical power supply system (Fig. 3 and paragraph [0011]) for supplying electric power to an industrial electric vehicle (paragraph [0010]), the electrical power supply system comprising: a DC output configured to provide a DC electric power, the DC output comprising a positive DC potential terminal (3a), an earth terminal (3c), and a negative DC potential terminal (3b); a pin-type connector and a pin-type connector (paragraph [0029], 2a, 2c), wherein the first pin-type connector is connected to the positive DC potential terminal and the earth terminal and configured to connect for connecting the positive DC potential terminal and the earth terminal to a first pin-type connector receiver (paragraph [0029], 2a, 2c), and wherein the second pin-type connector is connected to the negative DC potential terminal and the earth potential and configured to connect the negative DC potential terminal and the earth terminal to a second pin-type connector receiver (paragraph [0029], 2b, 2c).
Gorantla teaches using two pin or single pin type connectors (paragraphs [0098]).
It would have been prima facie obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified Kouvo to incorporate the two-pin type of Gorantla with a reasonable expectation of success to accommodate the requirements of the type of electrical system (paragraph [0098]).
Claims 5-7, 14, 17-18, and 20-22 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over West (European document EP30300440) in view of Storm (European document EP2996897).
Regarding claim 5, West discloses the electrical traction system according to claim 1, wherein the electrical interface assembly.
West does not disclose the electrical interface assembly comprises is a pin-type connector.
Storm disclose the electrical interface assembly comprises a pin-type connector receiver configured to receive for receiving a pin-type connector (e.g. Fig. 2).
It would have been prima facie obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified West to incorporate a pin-type connector of Storm with a reasonable expectation of success to be accessible to the right connector interface (paragraph [0007]).
Regarding claim 6, West, as modified by Storm, discloses the electrical traction system according to claim 5, wherein the electrical interface assembly comprises two pin-type connector receivers, each configured to receive a pin-type connector, and wherein a first pin-type connector receiver of the two pin-type connector receivers is configured to be connected to a positive DC potential and a ground potential of a first pin-type connector, and wherein a second pin-type connector receiver of the two pin-type connector receivers is configured to be for being connected to a negative DC potential and the ground potential of a second pin-type connector (e.g. Storm Fig. 2).
Regarding claim 7, West, as modified by Storm, discloses the electrical traction system according to claim 1,wherein: the electrical interface assembly comprises a conductor interface, the conductor interface being a current collector, the conductor interface is configured to receive a positive DC potential and a negative DC potential, the electrical interface assembly comprises two pin-type connector receivers, each configured to receive a pin-type connector, a first pin-type connector receiver of the two pin-type connector receivers is configured to be connected to a positive DC potential and a ground potential of a first pin-type connector, and a second pin-type connector receiver of the two pin-type connector receivers is configured to be connected to a negative DC potential and the ground potential of a second pin-type connector (e.g. Storm Fig. 2 and paragraph [0098]).
Regarding claim 14, West, as modified by Storm, discloses the electrical traction system according to claim 5 wherein the pin-type connector receiver is configured to provide power to a discharge system to discharge the electrical energy storage device (e.g. West, Fig. 2a and Storm Fig. 2).
Regarding claim 17, West discloses an electrical power supply system for supplying electric power to an industrial electric vehicle, comprising: a DC output (Fig. 2a) configured to provide for providing a DC electric power, the DC output comprising a positive DC potential terminal and a negative DC potential terminal; a conductor arrangement comprising conductors (contactors 213) extending in a first direction, wherein a first one of the conductors is electrically connected to the positive DC potential terminal, and a second one of the conductors is electrically connected to the negative DC potential terminal Fig. 2a), and wherein the conductor arrangement is configured to provide the DC electric power to the industrial electric vehicle traveling adjacent to the conductor arrangement along the first direction; the electrical power supply system further comprising: a stationary power supply module electrically connected to the DC output (Fig. 1b, 142 and pages 14-15).
West does not disclose the electrical interface assembly comprises is a pin-type connector.
Storm disclose the electrical interface assembly comprises a pin-type connector receiver configured to receive for receiving a pin-type connector (e.g. Fig. 2).
It would have been prima facie obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified West to incorporate a pin-type connector of Storm with a reasonable expectation of success to be accessible to the right connector interface (paragraph [0007]).
Regarding claim 18, West, as modified by Storm, discloses the electrical power supply system according to claim 17, wherein the stationary power supply module comprises two pin-type connectors, and wherein: a first pin-type connector of the two pin-type connectors is connected to the positive DC potential terminal and an earth potential and configured to connect the positive DC potential terminal and the earth potential to a first pin-type connector receiver, and wherein a second pin-type connector of the two pin-type connectors is connected to the negative DC potential terminal and the earth potential and configured to connect the negative DC potential terminal and the earth potential to a second pin-type connector receiver (e.g. Storm Fig. 2).
Regarding claim 20, West discloses a method of providing electrical energy to an industrial electric vehicle (vehicle 101), the method comprising: providing an industrial electric vehicle comprising the electrical traction system; an electrical traction system, the electrical traction system comprising: an electrical energy storage device (202) having a storage electrical potential; a DC drivetrain bus (205) having a drivetrain electrical potential; an electric power converter (dc/dc power converter 214) provided between the electrical energy storage device and the DC drivetrain bus; at least one electric motor (traction motor 210); at least one traction inverter (DC/AC converter 212) provided between the DC drivetrain bus and the at least one electric motor and configured to drive the at least one electric motor; an electrical interface assembly (e.g. pantograph 142 of power collector 211) directly connected to the DC drivetrain bus and configured to receive an electric power from an electrical power supply system, wherein the electrical interface assembly comprises at least one interface configured to receive power while the industrial electric vehicle is stationary, and further configured to receive power while the industrial electric vehicle is moving; the method further comprising: providing an electrical power supply system, the electrical power system comprising: a DC output (Fig. 2a) configured to provide a DC electric power, the DC output comprising a positive DC potential terminal and a negative DC potential terminal (Fig. 2a, e.g. 225 and 226); a conductor arrangement (Fig. 2a) comprising conductors (contactors 213) extending in a first direction, wherein a first one of the conductors is electrically connected to the positive DC potential terminal, and a second one of the conductors is electrically connected to the negative DC potential terminal, and wherein the conductor arrangement is configured to provide the DC electric power to the industrial electric vehicle traveling adjacent to the conductor arrangement along the first direction; the electrical power supply system further comprising: a stationary power supply module electrically connected to the DC output, the power supply module comprising connector configured to connect connector to a connector receiver of the industrial electric vehicle; the method further comprising: while the industrial electric vehicle is being propelled by the at least one electric motor and traveling adjacent to the conductor arrangement: electrically connecting the electrical interface assembly with the conductor arrangement (Fig. 2a), powering the at least one electric motor with an electric power received from the conductor arrangement by the electrical interface assembly (Fig. 2a), and optionally charging the electrical energy storage device of the industrial electric vehicle with the electrical power (Fig. 2a); and while the industrial electric vehicle is stationary: electrically connecting the electrical interface assembly with the stationary power supply module, and charging the electrical energy storage device of the industrial electric vehicle with an electric power received from the stationary power supply module by the electrical interface assembly (Fig. 1b, 142 and pages 14-15).
West does not disclose the electrical interface assembly comprises is a pin-type connector.
Storm disclose the electrical interface assembly comprises a pin-type connector receiver configured to receive for receiving a pin-type connector (e.g. Fig. 2).
It would have been prima facie obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified West to incorporate a pin-type connector of Storm with a reasonable expectation of success to be accessible to the right connector interface (paragraph [0007]).
Regarding claim 21, West, as modified by Storm, discloses the method according to claim 20, further comprising: while the industrial electric vehicle is traveling adj accent to the conductor arrangement, at least one selected from the group consisting of: electrically connecting the electrical interface assembly with the conductor arrangement, regeneratively braking with the at least one electric motor to generate an electrical power (e.g. “the first and the second traction motor can be operated as motors, for propelling the vehicle, or as generators, for regeneration of energy”), charging the electrical energy storage device of the industrial electric vehicle with the electrical power (e.g. “ a further ground engaging element drives the first traction motor 206, 306 for charging the energy storage system 202, 302”), and feeding the electrical power into the conductor arrangement.
Regarding claim 22, West, as modified by Storm, discloses the method according to claim 20, including: operating the DC drivetrain bus at a drivetrain electric potential; operating the electrical energy storage device at a storage electrical potential; and operating the DC output at the drivetrain electrical potential of the DC drivetrain bus (Fig. 2a and e.g. paragraphs [0086-0089]).
West, as modified by Storm, does not disclose at a drivetrain electric potential of more than 1500 volt, but does disclose that it is for high voltage (e.g. paragraph [0037]).
It would have been prima facie obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified West, as modified by Storm, to incorporate a drivetrain electric potential of more than 1500 volt with a reasonable expectation of success to have a high enough voltage to correspond with high voltage (e.g. West. paragraph [0037]).
Claim 9 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over West (European document EP30300440) in view of Xu (US Patent Publication 20190341608).
Regarding claim 9, West discloses the electrical traction system according to claim 1, wherein the electrical energy storage device is a battery.
West does not a lithium titanate oxide battery.
Xu discloses the electrical energy storage device is a lithium titanate oxide battery (e.g. paragraph [0002] and [0046]).
It would have been prima facie obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified West to incorporate a lithium titanate oxide battery of Xu with a reasonable expectation of success to have super high charge and discharge rate (paragraph [0002]).
Claims 13 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over West (European document EP30300440) in view of Xu (US Patent Publication 20190372465).
Regarding claim 13, West discloses the electrical traction system according to claim 1 wherein the electrical interface assembly is configured to receive the electric power
West does not disclose at a power of more than one megawatt.
Xu discloses wherein the electrical interface assembly is configured to receive the electric power at a power of more than one megawatt (paragraph [0031], “supply 1 Megawatt of power to a respective DC distribution bus 140”).
It would have been prima facie obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified West to incorporate a power of more than one megawatt of Xu with a reasonable expectation of success to supply the rated supply.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Lindsey (US Patent Publication 20160031328) disclose a power converter for electric hybrid earthmoving machine.
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/LORI WU/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3655
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