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 .
Information Disclosure Statement
The Information Disclosure Statement filed on 12/16/2024 and 5/11/2026 has been considered. An initialed copy of form 1449 is enclosed herewith.
Specification
The disclosure is objected to because of the following informalities: The abstract should be limited to a single paragraph within the range of 50 to 150 words in length. Correction is required. See MPEP § 608.01(b).
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- 15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(a) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), first paragraph, because the specification, while being enabling for the first interface board on which at least an interface having a large amount of heat generation is mounted (described as temperature sensor in the spec), does not reasonably provide enablement for the interface board on which an interface having any large amount of heat generation of the interface mounted on the first interface board. The specification does not enable any person skilled in the art to which it pertains, or with which it is most nearly connected, to make and use the invention commensurate in scope with these claims. The specification only recites the first interface is equipped with a temperature sensor that generate large amount of heat (¶. [0026]). The specification does not include an interface board for terminals switching devices such as an IGBT or a MOSFET of an inverter or a DC/DC converter, which also includes an interface board for terminals and generates a large amount of heat, which is not supported by the description of the application.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
5. 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 set forth in Graham v. John Deere Co., 383 U.S. 1, 148 USPQ 459 (1966), that are applied 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.
Claims 1- 15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Arai et al. (JP 6592470 B2) in view of Ries et al. (US 20050225949 A1).
Re, claim 1, Arai discloses a control unit (60) for an electrically driven vehicle (dump truck 1 in Fig. 1) configured to receive input of an operation signal and signals
from various sensors (various sensors such as a temperature sensor 42 and rotational speed sensors 16L and 16R) and to output control signals (output of unit 60) for left and right inverters (36R and 36L) configured to drive left and right motors (14R and 14L) connected to left and right wheels (13R and 13L), respectively, the control unit comprising:
Arai discloses a control unit (60) having inputs for receiving various sensors (various sensors such as a temperature sensor 42 detecting a large amount of heat generated by mounted thermistor 39; and rotational speed sensors 16L and 16R) wherein the control device 60 is configured to cool the electrical resistor 39 by forced air cooling by rotating the cooling fan 40 according to the temperature measured by the temperature sensor 42.
Arai does not teach a first interface board on which at least an interface having a large amount of heat generation is mounted, a second interface board on which an interface having a smaller amount of heat generation than the amount of heat generation of the interface mounted on the first interface board is mounted, and
a control board configured to generate a control signal, in a box, wherein the first interface board is disposed higher than the second interface board and the control board in the box.
Ries figure 2 discloses a first interface board (circuit board 22) on which at least an interface (26 and 28) having a large amount of heat generation is mounted (circuit board 22 comprises “a decoupling diode and a temperature-dependent resistor, for example a PTC thermistor” ¶. [0031]), a second interface board (14) on which an interface having a smaller amount of heat generation than the amount of heat generation of the interface mounted on the first interface board is mounted (board 14 includes any communication/control/sensor interface board, that generates less heat), and a control board (16) configured to generate a control signal (¶. [0029]), in a box (12), wherein the first interface board (22) is disposed higher than the second interface board (14) and the control board (16) in the box (12) (see Fig. 2).
Hence, it would have been obvious to one with ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to modify the invention of Arai with the teaching of Ries to implement circuit architecture of Ries in order to direct the heat generated from the temperature sensor interface board toward the upper part of the box and dissipated from screen 32, to reduce thermal effects on other boards such as the control board (Ries, ¶. [0010]).
Re. Claims 2 and 8, the combination of Arai and Ries discloses wherein the interface mounted on the first interface board supplies current to a connected sensor (see interface (Ries, ¶. [0031] and [0038]).
Re. Claims 3, 4 and 9, the combination of Arai and Ries discloses wherein the interface mounted on the first interface board is an interface connected to a temperature sensor (Arai teaches various sensors such as a temperature sensor 42 and rotational speed sensors 16L and 16R and Ries teaches circuit board 22 comprises a temperature-dependent resistor¶. [0031]).
Re. Claims 5 and 10, Arai discloses a left motor and right motor Hence, it would have been obvious to one with ordinary skill in the art to design the control box with the right motor control board are laterally evenly disposed on left and right sides of the box, respectively. Since it has been held that forming in one piece an article, which has formerly been formed in two pieces and put together, involves only routine skill in the art. Howard v. Detroit Stove Works, 150 U.S. 164 (1893).
Re. Claims 6 and 11, the combination of Arai and Ries discloses vents are provided in upper parts of left and right sides walls of the box or on an upper surface of the box (the circuit architecture of Ries provide an opening (32) to direct the heat generated from the temperature sensor interface board toward the upper part of the box and dissipated from screen 32, to reduce thermal effects on other boards such as the control board. Ries, ¶. [0010]).
Re. claim 7, Arai figures 1- 7 discloses a motor drive device for an electrically driven vehicle (dump truck 1 in Fig. 1) (various sensors such as a temperature sensor 42 and rotational speed sensors 16L and 16R) and to output control signals (output of unit 60) for left and right inverters (36R and 36L) configured to drive left and right motors (14R and 14L) connected to left and right wheels (13R and 13L), respectively, motor drive device comprising:
a rectifier unit (rectifier 34 that converts AC power generated by the main generator 32 into DC power,) configured to convert AC power from the generator into direct current (DC);
a left motor inverter unit and a right motor inverter unit configured to create drive signals for the left and right motors (36R and 36L) respectively; and
a control unit (control device 60) configured to supply control signals to the left motor inverter unit (36L) and the right motor inverter unit (36R),
wherein:
Arai does not teach a first interface board on which at least an interface having a large amount of heat generation is mounted, a second interface board on which an interface having a smaller amount of heat generation than the amount of heat generation of the interface mounted on the first interface board is mounted, and
a control board configured to generate a control signal, in a box, wherein the first interface board is disposed higher than the second interface board and the control board in the box.
Ries figure 2 discloses a first interface board (circuit board 22) on which at least an interface (26 and 28) having a large amount of heat generation is mounted (circuit board 22 comprises “a decoupling diode and a temperature-dependent resistor, for example a PTC thermistor” ¶. [0031]), a second interface board (14) on which an interface having a smaller amount of heat generation than the amount of heat generation of the interface mounted on the first interface board is mounted (board 14 includes any communication/control/sensor interface board, that generates less heat), and a control board (16) configured to generate a control signal (¶. [0029]), in a box (12), wherein the first interface board (22) is disposed higher than the second interface board (14) and the control board (16) in the box (12) (see Fig. 2).
Hence, it would have been obvious to one with ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to modify the invention of Arai with the teaching of Ries to implement circuit architecture of Ries in order to direct the heat generated from the temperature sensor interface board toward the upper part of the box and dissipated from screen 32, to reduce thermal effects on other boards such as the control board (Ries, ¶. [0010]).
Re. claim 12, Arai discloses wherein the rectifier unit, the left motor inverter unit, the right motor inverter unit, and the control unit are accommodated in a control cabinet of the electrically driven vehicle (see control cabinet 20).
Re. claims 13- 15, Arai disclose a left and right motors connected to left and right wheels (12L and 12R), a generator (32) configured to generate AC power; and an engine (31) configured to drive the generator, and the vehicle is a dump truck (1).
Conclusion
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/SAID BOUZIANE/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2837
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