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 .
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments in view of the claim amendments, see page 6 of the Remarks, filed 23 April 2026, with respect to the claim objection of claim 4 have been fully considered and are persuasive. The claim objection of claim 4 has been withdrawn.
Applicant’s arguments in view of the claim amendments, see pages 6-10 of the Remarks, filed 23 April 2026, with respect to the rejection(s) of claim(s) 1-6 under 35 U.S.C. 103 have been fully considered and are persuasive. Therefore, the rejection has been withdrawn. However, upon further consideration, a new ground(s) of rejection is made in view of independent claim 1 and 4 requiring first and second filling modes as well as independent claims 5-6 requiring the hydrogen filling control to select a first or second pair based on a comparison result.
The amendments affected the prior scope, requiring further search and considerations. Therefore, the instant office action has been made FINAL.
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 5-6 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.
Claim 5 recites the limitation "a first tank pair including a first hydrogen tank and a third hydrogen tank with a second tank pair including a second hydrogen tank and the third hydrogen tank" in lines 12-14. The limitation is unclear as it is not described where the first, second and third hydrogen tanks are located within the claim. While it is understood that inter-vehicle fueling is occurring it is unclear which vehicle contains which tanks and if the hydrogen tank in line 3 is the third hydrogen tank. The Office recommends amending the claim to recite which vehicle contains which hydrogen tanks. For purposes of examination, the limitation will be considered as the hydrogen tank in line 3 is the third hydrogen tank and the first and second hydrogen tanks belong to a second vehicle.
Claim 6 recites the limitation "first tank pair including a first hydrogen tank and a third hydrogen tank with a second tank pair including a second hydrogen tank and the third hydrogen tank" in lines 10-12. The limitation is unclear as it is not described where the first, second and third hydrogen tanks are located within the claim. While it is understood that inter-vehicle fueling is occurring it is unclear which vehicle contains which tanks and if the hydrogen tank in lines 3-4 is the third hydrogen tank. The Office recommends amending the claim to recite which vehicle contains which hydrogen tanks. For purposes of examination, the limitation will be considered as the hydrogen tank in lines 3-4 is the third hydrogen tank and the first and second hydrogen tanks belong to a second vehicle.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 103 which forms the basis for all obviousness rejections set forth in this Office action:
A patent for a claimed invention may not be obtained, notwithstanding that the claimed invention is not identically disclosed as set forth in section 102, if the differences between the claimed invention and the prior art are such that the claimed invention as a whole would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to which the claimed invention pertains. Patentability shall not be negated by the manner in which the invention was made.
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.
Claims 1 and 3 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kurihara (JP 2004146113 A) in view of Choi (US 20220281341 A1) in further view of Lomax (US 20170102110 A1), Sinding (US 20220364680 A1), and Santos (US 20150211684 A1).
Regarding Claim 1:
Kurihara discloses a hydrogen filling control method, comprising:
acquiring first hydrogen tank data, the first hydrogen tank data including internal pressure (Paragraph [0052], the pressure of the tank is obtained by the control unit (18) and transmitted) of a first hydrogen tank (11, Figure 1) provided in a first vehicle (10A, Figure 1);
acquiring third hydrogen tank data including internal pressure (Paragraph [0053], the pressure of the third hydrogen tank is obtained by the control unit of the second vehicle and transmitted) of a third hydrogen tank (11, Figure 1) provided in a second vehicle (10B, Figure 1) different from the first vehicle (10A, Figure 1); and
a first combination including the first hydrogen tank and the third hydrogen tank (Paragraph [0053] and [0055], the control unit in the first vehicle controls the flow of the hydrogen between vehicles).
Kurihara does not disclose:
acquiring second hydrogen tank data, the second hydrogen tank data including internal pressure of a second hydrogen tank provided in the first vehicle, and the internal pressure of the second hydrogen tank being different from the internal pressure of the first hydrogen tank;
selecting either one of a first filling mode or a second filling mode to supply hydrogen from one of the first hydrogen tank and the second hydrogen tank as a hydrogen supplier tank to the third hydrogen tank as a hydrogen fillable tank;
wherein, in the first filling mode, (i) determining, based on the first hydrogen tank data, the second hydrogen tank data, and the third hydrogen tank data, whether a first combination including the first hydrogen tank and the third hydrogen tank or a second combination including the second hydrogen tank and the third hydrogen tank has a smaller difference in internal pressure, and (ii) controlling hydrogen filling such that hydrogen is first supplied from the hydrogen supplier tank of the determined combination to the hydrogen fillable tank of the determined combination and thereafter hydrogen is supplied from the other of the first hydrogen tank and the second hydrogen tank to the third hydrogen tank; and
wherein, in the second filling mode, (i) determining, based on the first hydrogen tank data, the second hydrogen tank data, and the third hydrogen tank data, whether a third combination including the first hydrogen tank and the third hydrogen tank or a fourth combination including the second hydrogen tank and the third hydrogen tank has a greater difference in internal pressure, and (ii) controlling hydrogen filling such that hydrogen is supplied from the hydrogen supplier tank of the determined combination to the hydrogen fillable tank of the determined combination.
Choi teaches a charging system for a vehicle, comprising:
acquiring first hydrogen tank data and second hydrogen tank data, the first hydrogen tank data including internal pressure of a first hydrogen tank provided in a first vehicle, the second hydrogen tank data including internal pressure of a second hydrogen tank provided in the first vehicle (Paragraph [0033] and Figure 1, the pressure sensor measures the pressure within the multiple tanks and transmits the information to a controller).
It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Kurihara to include acquiring first hydrogen tank data and second hydrogen tank data, the first hydrogen tank data including internal pressure of a first hydrogen tank provided in a first vehicle, the second hydrogen tank data including internal pressure of a second hydrogen tank provided in the first vehicle as taught by Choi with the motivation to refuel the vehicle when there are insufficient hydrogen station structures.
Kurihara and Choi do not teach:
the internal pressure of the second hydrogen tank being different from the internal pressure of the first hydrogen tank;
selecting either one of a first filling mode or a second filling mode to supply hydrogen from one of the first hydrogen tank and the second hydrogen tank as a hydrogen supplier tank to the third hydrogen tank as a hydrogen fillable tank;
wherein, in the first filling mode, (i) determining, based on the first hydrogen tank data, the second hydrogen tank data, and the third hydrogen tank data, whether a first combination including the first hydrogen tank and the third hydrogen tank or a second combination including the second hydrogen tank and the third hydrogen tank has a smaller difference in internal pressure, and (ii) controlling hydrogen filling such that hydrogen is first supplied from the hydrogen supplier tank of the determined combination to the hydrogen fillable tank of the determined combination and thereafter hydrogen is supplied from the other of the first hydrogen tank and the second hydrogen tank to the third hydrogen tank; and
wherein, in the second filling mode, (i) determining, based on the first hydrogen tank data, the second hydrogen tank data, and the third hydrogen tank data, whether a third combination including the first hydrogen tank and the third hydrogen tank or a fourth combination including the second hydrogen tank and the third hydrogen tank has a greater difference in internal pressure, and (ii) controlling hydrogen filling such that hydrogen is supplied from the hydrogen supplier tank of the determined combination to the hydrogen fillable tank of the determined combination.
Lomax teaches a system for refueling hydrogen vehicles, comprising:
the internal pressure of the second hydrogen tank being different from the internal pressure of the first hydrogen tank (Paragraph [0042] and Figure 2, the second hydrogen tank (22) can have a different pressure than the first hydrogen tank (21)); and
wherein, in the first filling mode (Paragraph [0050], the cascade refueling process is the first filling mode), (i) determining, based on the first hydrogen tank data, the second hydrogen tank data, and the third hydrogen tank data, whether a first combination including the first hydrogen tank and the third hydrogen tank or a second combination including the second hydrogen tank and the third hydrogen tank has a smaller difference in internal pressure, and (ii) controlling hydrogen filling such that hydrogen is first supplied from the hydrogen supplier tank of the determined combination to the hydrogen fillable tank of the determined combination and thereafter hydrogen is supplied from the other of the first hydrogen tank and the second hydrogen tank to the third hydrogen tank (Paragraphs [0042], [0052-0053] and [0056], the first and second combination of the first (21), second (22), and third (1) tanks are dependent on the pressures obtained where the filling is controlled based on the lowest pressure being used first for refueling followed by a higher pressure difference); and
(i) determining, based on the first hydrogen tank data, the second hydrogen tank data, and the third hydrogen tank data, whether a third combination including the first hydrogen tank and the third hydrogen tank or a fourth combination including the second hydrogen tank and the third hydrogen tank (Paragraph [0049] and [0053], the hydrogen tank combination is based on the pressures obtained from the pressure sensors measuring the pressure in the first, second, and third tanks), and (ii) controlling hydrogen filling such that hydrogen is supplied from the hydrogen supplier tank of the determined combination to the hydrogen fillable tank of the determined combination (Paragraphs [0050] and [0052-0053], the hydrogen filling is controlled based on the combination dependent on the pressure in the third tank).
It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Kurihara and Choi to include the internal pressure of the second hydrogen tank being different from the internal pressure of the first hydrogen tank and determining a hydrogen tank combination based on the first hydrogen tank data, the second hydrogen tank data, the first filling mode, (i) determining, based on the first hydrogen tank data, the second hydrogen tank data, and the third hydrogen tank data, whether a third combination including the first hydrogen tank and the third hydrogen tank or a fourth combination including the second hydrogen tank and the third hydrogen tank and (ii) controlling hydrogen filling such that hydrogen is supplied from the hydrogen supplier tank of the determined combination to the hydrogen fillable tank of the determined combination as taught by Lomax with the motivation to fill the vehicle using a cascade method to accommodate changing pressures in the sources.
Kurihara, Choi, and Lomax do not teach:
selecting either one of a first filling mode or a second filling mode to supply hydrogen from one of the first hydrogen tank and the second hydrogen tank as a hydrogen supplier tank to the third hydrogen tank as a hydrogen fillable tank; and
wherein, in the second filling mode, (i) determining, based on the first hydrogen tank data, the second hydrogen tank data, and the third hydrogen tank data, whether a third combination including the first hydrogen tank and the third hydrogen tank or a fourth combination including the second hydrogen tank and the third hydrogen tank has a greater difference in internal pressure, and (ii) controlling hydrogen filling such that hydrogen is supplied from the hydrogen supplier tank of the determined combination to the hydrogen fillable tank of the determined combination.
Sinding teaches a hydrogen refueling station, comprising:
selecting either one of a first filling mode or a second filling mode to supply hydrogen (Paragraphs [0122] and [0108], cascade filling is the first filling mode and the second filling mode is direct filling) from one of the first hydrogen tank (6a, Figure 2) and the second hydrogen tank (6b, Figure 2) as a hydrogen supplier tank to the third hydrogen tank (20a, Figure 2) as a hydrogen fillable tank (Paragraph [0108], the first and second hydrogen tank is selected as a hydrogen supplier tank whereas the third hydrogen tank is the hydrogen fillable tank).
It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Kurihara, Lomax, and Choi to include selecting either one of a first filling mode or a second filling mode to supply hydrogen from one of the first hydrogen tank and the second hydrogen tank as a hydrogen supplier tank to the third hydrogen tank as a hydrogen fillable tank as taught by Sinding with the motivation to quickly pressurize the tank to reduce the time required for the tank to be refilled.
Kurihara, Choi, Sinding, and Lomax do not teach:
wherein, in the second filling mode, (i) determining, based on the first hydrogen tank data, the second hydrogen tank data, and the third hydrogen tank data, whether a third combination including the first hydrogen tank and the third hydrogen tank or a fourth combination including the second hydrogen tank and the third hydrogen tank has a greater difference in internal pressure, and (ii) controlling hydrogen filling such that hydrogen is supplied from the hydrogen supplier tank of the determined combination to the hydrogen fillable tank of the determined combination.
Santos teaches a gas system, comprising:
wherein, in the second filling mode, the first and second hydrogen tanks has a greater difference in internal pressure than the third hydrogen tank (Paragraph [0372], the combination is between the multiple stationary storage vessels (143) which are the first and second hydrogen tanks that are larger than the tank of the vehicle that allows for direct filling (second filling mode)), and (ii) controlling hydrogen filling such that hydrogen is supplied from the hydrogen supplier tank of the determined combination to the hydrogen fillable tank of the determined combination (Paragraph [0006] and [0372], the gas system is capable of handling any form of gas to supply the gas directly to the vehicle).
It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Kurihara, Lomax, Sinding, and Choi to include in the second filling mode, the first and second hydrogen tanks has a greater difference in internal pressure than the third hydrogen tank, and (ii) controlling hydrogen filling such that hydrogen is supplied from the hydrogen supplier tank of the determined combination to the hydrogen fillable tank of the determined combination as taught by Santos with the motivation to quickly fill the tank of multiple vehicles without the use of compression to save energy.
Through the combination, the system of Kurihara would contain multiple tanks as seen in Choi in which the first and second filling modes of Lomax and Sinding would allow for the selection of the third and fourth combinations of Santos to occur based on a greater difference in internal pressure.
Regarding Claim 3:
Kurihara discloses:
the acquiring first hydrogen tank data (Paragraph [0052]) and the acquiring third hydrogen tank data (Paragraph [0053]) are performed by the inter-vehicle communication (Paragraph [0059], the communication cable allows for inter-vehicle communication to share internal pressure information) between the first vehicle (10A, Figure 1) and second vehicle (10B, Figure 1).
Kurihara, Sinding, and Santos do not teach:
the acquiring of the first hydrogen tank data and the second hydrogen tank data, and the acquiring of the third hydrogen tank data are performed by inter-vehicle communication between the first vehicle and the second vehicle.
Choi teaches:
the first vehicle (1, Figure 1) comprises a first hydrogen tank and a second hydrogen tank (Figure 1, the first vehicle has multiple tanks) that has first and second hydrogen tank data acquired (Paragraph [0030]).
Kurihara, Sinding, Santos, and Choi do not teach:
the acquiring of the first hydrogen tank data and the second hydrogen tank data, and the acquiring of the third hydrogen tank data are performed by inter-vehicle communication between the first vehicle and the second vehicle.
Lomax teaches:
the acquiring of the first hydrogen tank data and the second hydrogen tank data (Paragraph [0049] and [0053], the first hydrogen tank data and the second hydrogen tank data are obtained from the pressure sensors).
It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Kurihara, Sinding, Santos, and Choi to include the acquiring of the first hydrogen tank data and the second hydrogen tank data as taught by Lomax with the motivation to arrange the pressures of the tanks in the control system based on pressure to dispense the hydrogen gas easier based on the organization.
Through the combination, the first vehicle of Kurihara can have multiple tanks as seen in Choi where the first and second hydrogen tank data would be obtained as seen in Lomax in which the first and second hydrogen tank data in the first vehicle would be communicated with the second vehicle as disclosed in Kurihara.
Claim 2 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kurihara in view of Choi in further view of Lomax, Sinding, Santos, and Maehara (US 20220161183 A1).
Regarding Claim 2:
Kurihara discloses:
the first hydrogen tank (11, Figure 1) provided in the first vehicle (10A, Figure 1).
Kurihara, Sinding, and Santos do not teach:
the first vehicle is configured to generate a difference in the internal pressure between the first hydrogen tank and the second hydrogen tank, by giving priority to using hydrogen stored in the first hydrogen tank or using hydrogen stored in the second hydrogen tank.
Choi teaches:
the first vehicle (1, Figure 1) comprises a first hydrogen tank and a second hydrogen tank (Figure 1, the first vehicle has multiple tanks).
Kurihara, Sinding, Santos, and Choi do not teach:
the first vehicle is configured to generate a difference in the internal pressure between the first hydrogen tank and the second hydrogen tank, by giving priority to using hydrogen stored in the first hydrogen tank or using hydrogen stored in the second hydrogen tank.
Lomax teaches:
the dispenser is configured to generate a difference in the internal pressure between the first hydrogen tank (21, Figure 2) and the second hydrogen tank (22, Figure 2), by giving priority to using hydrogen stored in the first hydrogen tank or using hydrogen stored in the second hydrogen tank (Paragraphs [0049-0050], the pressure is measured in the first and second hydrogen tanks where the lowest detected pressure tank takes priority).
Kurihara, Lomax, Sinding, Santos, and Choi do not teach:
the first vehicle is configured to generate a difference in the internal pressure between the first hydrogen tank and the second hydrogen tank, by giving priority to using hydrogen stored in the first hydrogen tank or using hydrogen stored in the second hydrogen tank.
Maehara teaches a hydrogen gas supply method, comprising:
the supply system is configured to generate a difference in the internal pressure between the first hydrogen tank (10, Figure 1) and the second hydrogen tank (12, Figure 1), by giving priority to using hydrogen stored in the first hydrogen tank or using hydrogen stored in the second hydrogen tank (Paragraphs [0054] and [0085], the supply system generates a difference in pressure by using the first hydrogen tank which takes priority depending on the pressure of the third tank (202) as the first hydrogen tank has the lowest pressure).
It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Kurihara, Lomax, Sinding, Santos, and Choi to include the supply system is configured to generate a difference in the internal pressure between the first hydrogen tank and the second hydrogen tank, by giving priority to using hydrogen stored in the first hydrogen tank or using hydrogen stored in the second hydrogen tank as taught by Maehara with the motivation to rapidly fill the vehicle tank to reduce the amount of time the user of the vehicle has to wait during the filling process.
Claim 4 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kurihara (JP 2004146113 A) in view of Choi (US 20220281341 A1) in further view of Lomax (US 20170102110 A1), Sinding (US 20220364680 A1), Santos (US 20150211684 A1), and Saiki (US 20100276031 A1).
Regarding Claim 4:
Kurihara discloses a hydrogen filling system (Figure 1, the two vehicles (10A and 10B) are the hydrogen filling system), comprising:
acquire first hydrogen tank data, the first hydrogen tank data including internal pressure of a first hydrogen tank provided in a first vehicle(Paragraph [0052], the pressure of the tank is obtained by the control unit (18) and transmitted) of a first hydrogen tank (11, Figure 1) provided in a first vehicle (10A, Figure 1);
acquire third hydrogen tank data including internal pressure (Paragraph [0053], the pressure of the third hydrogen tank is obtained by the control unit of the second vehicle and transmitted) of a third hydrogen tank (11, Figure 1) provided in a second vehicle (10B, Figure 1) different from the first vehicle (10A, Figure 1); and
determine a hydrogen tank combination based on the first hydrogen tank data and the third hydrogen tank data, the hydrogen tank combination indicating the first hydrogen tank and the third hydrogen tank provided in the second vehicle (Paragraph [0053] and [0055], the control unit in the first vehicle controls the flow of the hydrogen between vehicles).
Kurihara does not disclose:
one or more processors; and
one or more memories coupled to the one or more processors,
wherein the one or more processors are configured to:
acquire first hydrogen tank data and second hydrogen tank data, the first hydrogen tank data including internal pressure of a first hydrogen tank provided in a first vehicle, the second hydrogen tank data including internal pressure of a second hydrogen tank provided in the first vehicle, and the internal pressure of the second hydrogen tank being different from the internal pressure of the first hydrogen tank;
select either one of a first filling mode or a second filling mode to supply hydrogen from one of the first hydrogen tank and the second hydrogen tank as a hydrogen supplier tank to the third hydrogen tank as a hydrogen fillable tank;
wherein, in the first filling mode, the one or more processors are configured to, (i) determine, based on the first hydrogen tank data, the second hydrogen tank data, and the third hydrogen tank data, whether a first combination including the first hydrogen tank and the third hydrogen tank or a second combination including the second hydrogen tank and the third hydrogen tank has a smaller difference in internal pressure, and (ii) control hydrogen filling such that hydrogen is first supplied from the hydrogen supplier tank of the determined combination to the hydrogen fillable tank of the determined combination and thereafter hydrogen is supplied from the other of the first hydrogen tank and the second hydrogen tank to the third hydrogen tank; and
wherein, in the second filling mode, the one or more processors are configured to (i) determine, based on the first hydrogen tank data, the second hydrogen tank data, and the third hydrogen tank data, whether a third combination including the first hydrogen tank and the third hydrogen tank or a fourth combination including the second hydrogen tank and the third hydrogen tank has a greater difference in internal pressure, and (ii) control hydrogen filling such that hydrogen is supplied from the hydrogen supplier tank of the determined combination to the hydrogen fillable tank of the determined combination.
Choi teaches a charging system for a vehicle, comprising:
acquire first hydrogen tank data and second hydrogen tank data, the first hydrogen tank data including internal pressure of a first hydrogen tank provided in a first vehicle, the second hydrogen tank data including internal pressure of a second hydrogen tank provided in the first vehicle (Paragraph [0033] and Figure 1, the pressure sensor measures the pressure within the multiple tanks and transmits the information to a controller).
It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Kurihara to include acquire first hydrogen tank data and second hydrogen tank data, the first hydrogen tank data including internal pressure of a first hydrogen tank provided in a first vehicle, the second hydrogen tank data including internal pressure of a second hydrogen tank provided in the first vehicle as taught by Choi with the motivation to refuel the vehicle when there are insufficient hydrogen station structures.
Kurihara and Choi do not teach:
one or more processors; and
one or more memories coupled to the one or more processors,
wherein the one or more processors are configured to:
the internal pressure of the second hydrogen tank being different from the internal pressure of the first hydrogen tank; select either one of a first filling mode or a second filling mode to supply hydrogen from one of the first hydrogen tank and the second hydrogen tank as a hydrogen supplier tank to the third hydrogen tank as a hydrogen fillable tank;
wherein, in the first filling mode, the one or more processors are configured to, (i) determine, based on the first hydrogen tank data, the second hydrogen tank data, and the third hydrogen tank data, whether a first combination including the first hydrogen tank and the third hydrogen tank or a second combination including the second hydrogen tank and the third hydrogen tank has a smaller difference in internal pressure, and (ii) control hydrogen filling such that hydrogen is first supplied from the hydrogen supplier tank of the determined combination to the hydrogen fillable tank of the determined combination and thereafter hydrogen is supplied from the other of the first hydrogen tank and the second hydrogen tank to the third hydrogen tank; and
wherein, in the second filling mode, the one or more processors are configured to (i) determine, based on the first hydrogen tank data, the second hydrogen tank data, and the third hydrogen tank data, whether a third combination including the first hydrogen tank and the third hydrogen tank or a fourth combination including the second hydrogen tank and the third hydrogen tank has a greater difference in internal pressure, and (ii) control hydrogen filling such that hydrogen is supplied from the hydrogen supplier tank of the determined combination to the hydrogen fillable tank of the determined combination.
Lomax teaches a system for refueling hydrogen vehicles, comprising:
the internal pressure of the second hydrogen tank being different from the internal pressure of the first hydrogen tank(Paragraph [0042] and Figure 2, the second hydrogen tank (22) can have a different pressure than the first hydrogen tank (21));
wherein, in the first filling mode (Paragraph [0050], the cascade refueling process is the first filling mode), the control system (71, Figure 3) configured to (i) determine, based on the first hydrogen tank data, the second hydrogen tank data, and the third hydrogen tank data, whether a first combination including the first hydrogen tank and the third hydrogen tank or a second combination including the second hydrogen tank and the third hydrogen tank has a smaller difference in internal pressure, and (ii) control hydrogen filling such that hydrogen is first supplied from the hydrogen supplier tank of the determined combination to the hydrogen fillable tank of the determined combination and thereafter hydrogen is supplied from the other of the first hydrogen tank and the second hydrogen tank to the third hydrogen tank (Paragraphs [0042], [0052-0053] and [0056], the first and second combination of the first (21), second (22), and third (1) tanks are dependent on the pressures obtained where the filling is controlled based on the lowest pressure being used first for refueling followed by a higher pressure difference); and
the control system (71, Figure 3) configured to (i) determine, based on the first hydrogen tank data, the second hydrogen tank data, and the third hydrogen tank data, whether a third combination including the first hydrogen tank and the third hydrogen tank or a fourth combination including the second hydrogen tank and the third hydrogen tank (Paragraph [0049] and [0053], the hydrogen tank combination is based on the pressures obtained from the pressure sensors measuring the pressure in the first, second, and third tanks), and (ii) control hydrogen filling such that hydrogen is supplied from the hydrogen supplier tank of the determined combination to the hydrogen fillable tank of the determined combination (Paragraphs [0050] and [0052-0053], the hydrogen filling is controlled based on the combination dependent on the pressure in the third tank).
It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Kurihara and Choi to include the internal pressure of the second hydrogen tank being different from the internal pressure of the first hydrogen tank, the first filling mode, (i) determine, based on the first hydrogen tank data, the second hydrogen tank data, and the third hydrogen tank data, whether a third combination including the first hydrogen tank and the third hydrogen tank or a fourth combination including the second hydrogen tank and the third hydrogen tank and (ii) control hydrogen filling such that hydrogen is supplied from the hydrogen supplier tank of the determined combination to the hydrogen fillable tank of the determined combination as taught by Lomax with the motivation to fill the vehicle using a cascade method to accommodate changing pressures in the sources.
Kurihara, Lomax, and Choi do not teach:
one or more processors; and
one or more memories coupled to the one or more processors.
wherein the one or more processors are configured to:
select either one of a first filling mode or a second filling mode to supply hydrogen from one of the first hydrogen tank and the second hydrogen tank as a hydrogen supplier tank to the third hydrogen tank as a hydrogen fillable tank; and
wherein, in the second filling mode, the one or more processors are configured to (i) determine, based on the first hydrogen tank data, the second hydrogen tank data, and the third hydrogen tank data, whether a third combination including the first hydrogen tank and the third hydrogen tank or a fourth combination including the second hydrogen tank and the third hydrogen tank has a greater difference in internal pressure, and (ii) control hydrogen filling such that hydrogen is supplied from the hydrogen supplier tank of the determined combination to the hydrogen fillable tank of the determined combination.
Sinding teaches a hydrogen refueling station, comprising:
select either one of a first filling mode or a second filling mode to supply hydrogen (Paragraphs [0122] and [0108], cascade filling is the first filling mode and the second filling mode is direct filling) from one of the first hydrogen tank (6a, Figure 2) and the second hydrogen tank (6b, Figure 2) as a hydrogen supplier tank to the third hydrogen tank (20a, Figure 2) as a hydrogen fillable tank (Paragraph [0108], the first and second hydrogen tank is selected as a hydrogen supplier tank whereas the third hydrogen tank is the hydrogen fillable tank).
It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Kurihara, Lomax, and Choi to include select either one of a first filling mode or a second filling mode to supply hydrogen from one of the first hydrogen tank and the second hydrogen tank as a hydrogen supplier tank to the third hydrogen tank as a hydrogen fillable tank as taught by Sinding with the motivation to quickly pressurize the tank to reduce the time required for the tank to be refilled.
Kurihara, Choi, Sinding, and Lomax do not teach:
one or more processors; and
one or more memories coupled to the one or more processors.
wherein the one or more processors are configured to:
wherein, in the second filling mode, the one or more processors are configured to (i) determine, based on the first hydrogen tank data, the second hydrogen tank data, and the third hydrogen tank data, whether a third combination including the first hydrogen tank and the third hydrogen tank or a fourth combination including the second hydrogen tank and the third hydrogen tank has a greater difference in internal pressure, and (ii) control hydrogen filling such that hydrogen is supplied from the hydrogen supplier tank of the determined combination to the hydrogen fillable tank of the determined combination.
Santos teaches a gas system, comprising:
wherein, in the second filling mode, the first and second hydrogen tanks has a greater difference in internal pressure than the third hydrogen tank (Paragraph [0372], the combination is between the multiple stationary storage vessels (143) which are the first and second hydrogen tanks that are larger than the tank of the vehicle that allows for direct filling (second filling mode)), and (ii) control hydrogen filling such that hydrogen is supplied from the hydrogen supplier tank of the determined combination to the hydrogen fillable tank of the determined combination (Paragraph [0006] and [0372], the gas system is capable of handling any form of gas to supply the gas directly to the vehicle).
It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Kurihara, Lomax, Sinding, and Choi to include in the second filling mode, the first and second hydrogen tanks has a greater difference in internal pressure than the third hydrogen tank, and (ii) control hydrogen filling such that hydrogen is supplied from the hydrogen supplier tank of the determined combination to the hydrogen fillable tank of the determined combination as taught by Santos with the motivation to quickly fill the tank of multiple vehicles without the use of compression to save energy.
Kurihara, Choi, Sinding, and Lomax do not teach:
one or more processors; and
one or more memories coupled to the one or more processors.
wherein the one or more processors are configured to:
wherein, in the second filling mode, the one or more processors are configured to (i) determine, based on the first hydrogen tank data, the second hydrogen tank data, and the third hydrogen tank data, whether a third combination including the first hydrogen tank and the third hydrogen tank or a fourth combination including the second hydrogen tank and the third hydrogen tank has a greater difference in internal pressure, and (ii) control hydrogen filling such that hydrogen is supplied from the hydrogen supplier tank of the determined combination to the hydrogen fillable tank of the determined combination.
Saiki teaches a fluid charging system, comprising:
one or more processors (31, Figure 1, the processing unit is the processor); and
one or more memories (34, Figure 1, the storage unit is the memory) coupled to the one or more processors (31, Figure 1).
It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Kurihara, Lomax, Sinding, Santos, and Choi to include one or more processors and one or more memories coupled to the one or more processors as taught by Saiki with the motivation to have the vehicle retain a charging profiled to provide to a station in order to properly fuel the vehicle.
Through the combination, the system of Kurihara would contain multiple tanks as seen in Choi in which the first and second filling modes of Lomax and Sinding would allow for the selection of the third and fourth combinations of Santos to occur based on a greater difference in internal pressure.
Claims 5-6 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kurihara (JP 2004146113 A) in view of Choi (US 20220281341 A1) in further view of Saiki (US 20100276031 A1) and Lomax (US 20170102110 A1).
Regarding Claim 5:
Kurihara discloses a vehicle controller (18, Figure 1), comprising:
an amount-of-remaining-hydrogen measurer configured to generate amount-of-remaining-hydrogen-gas data regarding a hydrogen gas (Paragraph [0020], the pressure sensor (amount-of-remaining-hydrogen measurer) detects the pressure of the hydrogen tank (amount-of-remaining-hydrogen-gas data)) stored in a hydrogen tank (11, Figure 1) of a vehicle (10B, Figure 1); and
a hydrogen filling controller (18, Figure 1) configured to make a hydrogen filling control of the hydrogen tank of the vehicle (Paragraph [0053], the control unit (18) of the vehicle controls the filling of hydrogen to the vehicle); and
inter-vehicle hydrogen filling is performed (Paragraph [0053]).
Kurihara does not disclose:
an amount-of-remaining-hydrogen measurer configured to generate amount-of-remaining-hydrogen-gas data regarding a hydrogen gas stored in a hydrogen tank of a vehicle;
wherein
the hydrogen filling controller is configured to make the hydrogen filling control based on tank pair data, the tank pair data including an amount of filling or filling time when inter-vehicle hydrogen filling is performed,
the tank pair data is generated based on the amount-of-remaining-hydrogen-gas data generated by the amount-of-remaining-hydrogen measurer, and
the hydrogen filling controller is configured to compare, based on the tank pair data, a first tank pair including a first hydrogen tank and a third hydrogen tank with a second tank pair including a second hydrogen tank and the third hydrogen tank, select one of the first tank pair and the second tank pair based on a comparison result, and make the hydrogen filling control such that hydrogen is supplied using the selected tank pair.
Choi teaches a charging system for a vehicle, comprising:
the hydrogen filling controller (200, Figure 1) is configured to make the hydrogen filling control based on tank pair data, the tank pair data including an amount of filling or filling time when inter-vehicle hydrogen filling is performed (Paragraph [0067]), and
the tank pair data is generated based on the amount-of-remaining-hydrogen-gas data generated by the amount-of-remaining-hydrogen measurer (Paragraphs [0033] and [0061-0062], the tank pair data includes the amount of amount of filling (distance needed to travel) based on the amount-of-remaining-hydrogen-gas data (pressure detected) generated by the amount-of-remaining-hydrogen measurer (the pressure sensor and temperature sensor)).
It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Kurihara to include the hydrogen filling controller is configured to make the hydrogen filling control based on tank pair data, the tank pair data including an amount of filling or filling time when inter-vehicle hydrogen filling is performed, and the tank pair data is generated based on the amount-of-remaining-hydrogen-gas data generated by the amount-of-remaining-hydrogen measurer as taught by Choi with the motivation to refuel the vehicle when there are insufficient hydrogen station structures.
Kurihara and Choi do not expressly teach:
an amount-of-remaining-hydrogen measurer configured to generate amount-of-remaining-hydrogen-gas data regarding a hydrogen gas stored in a hydrogen tank of a vehicle, and
the hydrogen filling controller is configured to compare, based on the tank pair data, a first tank pair including a first hydrogen tank and a third hydrogen tank with a second tank pair including a second hydrogen tank and the third hydrogen tank, select one of the first tank pair and the second tank pair based on a comparison result, and make the hydrogen filling control such that hydrogen is supplied using the selected tank pair.
Saiki teaches a fluid charging system, comprising:
an amount-of-remaining-hydrogen measurer (29, Figure 1, the pressure sensor is the amount-of-remaining hydrogen measurer) configured to generate amount-of-remaining-hydrogen-gas data regarding a hydrogen gas stored (Paragraph [0020], the pressure of the vehicle tank is the amount-of-remaining-hydrogen-gas data) in a hydrogen tank (19, Figure 1) of a vehicle (3, Figure 1); and
a hydrogen filling controller (21, Figure 1) configured to make a hydrogen filling control of the hydrogen tank of the vehicle (Paragraphs [0021] and [0046], the charging profile is the hydrogen filling control that is created for the vehicle and stored).
It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Kurihara and Choi to include an amount-of-remaining-hydrogen measurer configured to generate amount-of-remaining-hydrogen-gas data regarding a hydrogen gas stored in a hydrogen tank of a vehicle and a hydrogen filling controller configured to make a hydrogen filling control of the hydrogen tank of the vehicle as taught by Saiki with the motivation to fuel the vehicle with hydrogen according to hydrogen tank to reduce pressure increase during fueling while reducing the amount of time for fueling.
Kurihara, Saiki, and Choi do not expressly teach:
the hydrogen filling controller is configured to compare, based on the tank pair data, a first tank pair including a first hydrogen tank and a third hydrogen tank with a second tank pair including a second hydrogen tank and the third hydrogen tank, select one of the first tank pair and the second tank pair based on a comparison result, and make the hydrogen filling control such that hydrogen is supplied using the selected tank pair.
Lomax teaches a system for refueling hydrogen vehicles, comprising:
the hydrogen filling controller (71, Figure 3) is configured to compare, based on the tank pair data, a first tank pair including a first hydrogen tank and a third hydrogen tank with a second tank pair including a second hydrogen tank and the third hydrogen tank, select one of the first tank pair and the second tank pair based on a comparison result, and make the hydrogen filling control such that hydrogen is supplied using the selected tank pair (Paragraphs [0042], [0052-0053] and [0056], the first and second combination of the first (21), second (22), and third (1) tanks are dependent on the pressures obtained where the filling is controlled based on a comparison of pressures to determine which tank pair will be used for filling).
It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Kurihara, Saiki, and Choi to include the hydrogen filling controller is configured to compare, based on the tank pair data, a first tank pair including a first hydrogen tank and a third hydrogen tank with a second tank pair including a second hydrogen tank and the third hydrogen tank, select one of the first tank pair and the second tank pair based on a comparison result, and make the hydrogen filling control such that hydrogen is supplied using the selected tank pair as taught by Lomax with the motivation to fill the vehicle using a cascade method to accommodate changing pressures in the sources.
Regarding Claim 6:
Kurihara discloses a vehicle controller (18, Figure 1), comprising:
generate amount-of-remaining-hydrogen-gas data (Paragraph [0020], the pressure sensor (amount-of-remaining-hydrogen measurer) detects and sends the pressure of the hydrogen tank (amount-of-remaining-hydrogen-gas data)) regarding a hydrogen gas stored in a hydrogen tank (11, Figure 1) of a vehicle (10B, Figure 1);
make a hydrogen filling control of the hydrogen tank of the vehicle (Paragraph [0053], the control unit (18) of the vehicle controls the filling of hydrogen to the vehicle); and
inter-vehicle hydrogen filling is performed (Paragraph [0053]).
Kurihara does not disclose:
A vehicle controller comprising circuitry;
generate amount-of-remaining-hydrogen-gas data regarding a hydrogen gas stored in a hydrogen tank of a vehicle; and
make a hydrogen filling control of the hydrogen tank of the vehicle, wherein
the circuitry is configured to make the hydrogen filling control based on tank pair data, the tank pair data including an amount of filling or filling time when inter-vehicle hydrogen filling is performed,
the tank pair data is generated based on the amount-of-remaining-hydrogen-gas data generated by the circuitry, and
the circuitry is further configured to compare, based on the tank pair data, a first tank pair including a first hydrogen tank and a third hydrogen tank with a second tank pair including a second hydrogen tank and the third hydrogen tank, select one of the first tank pair and the second tank pair based on a comparison result, and make the hydrogen filling control such that hydrogen is supplied using the selected tank pair.
Choi teaches a charging system for a vehicle, comprising:
the hydrogen filling controller (200, Figure 1) comprising circuitry (Paragraph [0045]), wherein
the circuitry is configured to make the hydrogen filling control based on tank pair data, the tank pair data including an amount of filling or filling time when inter-vehicle hydrogen filling is performed (Paragraph [0067], the supply steps are the hydrogen filling control of the hydrogen tank (3’) of the vehicle (2)), and
the tank pair data is generated based on the amount-of-remaining-hydrogen-gas data generated by the circuitry (Paragraphs [0033] and [0061-0062], the tank pair data includes the amount of amount of filling (distance needed to travel) based on the amount-of-remaining-hydrogen-gas data (pressure detected) generated by the amount-of-remaining-hydrogen measurer (the pressure sensor and temperature sensor)).
It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Kurihara to include the hydrogen filling controller comprising circuitry, the circuitry is configured to make the hydrogen filling control based on tank pair data, the tank pair data including an amount of filling or filling time when inter-vehicle hydrogen filling is performed, and the tank pair data is generated based on the amount-of-remaining-hydrogen-gas data generated by the circuitry as taught by Choi with the motivation to refuel the vehicle when there are insufficient hydrogen station structures.
Kurihara and Choi do not expressly teach:
A vehicle controller comprising circuitry;
generate amount-of-remaining-hydrogen-gas data regarding a hydrogen gas stored in a hydrogen tank of a vehicle;
make a hydrogen filling control of the hydrogen tank of the vehicle, and
the circuitry is further configured to compare, based on the tank pair data, a first tank pair including a first hydrogen tank and a third hydrogen tank with a second tank pair including a second hydrogen tank and the third hydrogen tank, select one of the first tank pair and the second tank pair based on a comparison result, and make the hydrogen filling control such that hydrogen is supplied using the selected tank pair.
Saiki teaches a fluid charging system, comprising:
A vehicle controller (21, Figure 1) comprising circuitry (31 and 34, Figure 1, the processing unit and storage unit are the circuitry);
generate amount-of-remaining-hydrogen-gas data regarding a hydrogen gas stored in a hydrogen tank of a vehicle (Paragraph [0020], the pressure of the vehicle tank is the amount-of-remaining-hydrogen-gas data in a hydrogen tank (19) of a vehicle (3)); and
make a hydrogen filling control of the hydrogen tank of the vehicle (Paragraphs [0021] and [0046], the charging profile is the hydrogen filling control that is created for the vehicle and stored).
It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Kurihara and Choi to include a vehicle controller comprising circuitry, generate amount-of-remaining-hydrogen-gas data regarding a hydrogen gas stored in a hydrogen tank of a vehicle, and make a hydrogen filling control of the hydrogen tank of the vehicle as taught by Saiki with the motivation to fuel the vehicle with hydrogen according to hydrogen tank to reduce pressure increase during fueling while reducing the amount of time for fueling.
Kurihara and Choi do not expressly teach:
the circuitry is further configured to compare, based on the tank pair data, a first tank pair including a first hydrogen tank and a third hydrogen tank with a second tank pair including a second hydrogen tank and the third hydrogen tank, select one of the first tank pair and the second tank pair based on a comparison result, and make the hydrogen filling control such that hydrogen is supplied using the selected tank pair.
Lomax teaches a system for refueling hydrogen vehicles, comprising:
the circuitry (71, Figure 3) is further configured to compare, based on the tank pair data, a first tank pair including a first hydrogen tank and a third hydrogen tank with a second tank pair including a second hydrogen tank and the third hydrogen tank, select one of the first tank pair and the second tank pair based on a comparison result, and make the hydrogen filling control such that hydrogen is supplied using the selected tank pair (Paragraphs [0042], [0052-0053] and [0056], the first and second combination of the first (21), second (22), and third (1) tanks are dependent on the pressures obtained where the filling is controlled based on a comparison of pressures to determine which tank pair will be used for filling).
It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Kurihara, Saiki, and Choi to include the circuitry is further configured to compare, based on the tank pair data, a first tank pair including a first hydrogen tank and a third hydrogen tank with a second tank pair including a second hydrogen tank and the third hydrogen tank, select one of the first tank pair and the second tank pair based on a comparison result, and make the hydrogen filling control such that hydrogen is supplied using the selected tank pair as taught by Lomax with the motivation to fill the vehicle using a cascade method to accommodate changing pressures in the sources.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Feng (US 11519556 B2) teaches a gaseous hydrogen storage system comprising cascade filling and hydrogen tank data.
Okuno (US 10533708 B2) teaches a gas supply system comprising first hydrogen tank data, second hydrogen tank data, and cascade filling.
Borck (US 6779568 B2) teaches a gas distribution system comprising first hydrogen tank data, third hydrogen tank data, second hydrogen tank data, and cascade filling.
Kountz (US 7059364 B2) teaches a control method for hydrogen vehicle refueling comprising a first hydrogen tank, a second hydrogen tank, a third hydrogen tank, a control unit, and cascade filling.
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
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/STEPHANIE A SHRIEVES/Examiner, Art Unit 3753
/CRAIG M SCHNEIDER/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3753
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