Office Action Predictor
Last updated: April 16, 2026
Application No. 18/889,689

ELECTRIC WORKING MACHINE

Non-Final OA §103
Filed
Sep 19, 2024
Examiner
KARWAN, SIHAR A
Art Unit
3658
Tech Center
3600 — Transportation & Electronic Commerce
Assignee
Kubota Corporation
OA Round
1 (Non-Final)
56%
Grant Probability
Moderate
1-2
OA Rounds
3y 1m
To Grant
71%
With Interview

Examiner Intelligence

Grants 56% of resolved cases
56%
Career Allow Rate
215 granted / 385 resolved
+3.8% vs TC avg
Strong +15% interview lift
Without
With
+15.4%
Interview Lift
resolved cases with interview
Typical timeline
3y 1m
Avg Prosecution
41 currently pending
Career history
426
Total Applications
across all art units

Statute-Specific Performance

§101
11.3%
-28.7% vs TC avg
§103
27.7%
-12.3% vs TC avg
§102
33.4%
-6.6% vs TC avg
§112
16.5%
-23.5% vs TC avg
Black line = Tech Center average estimate • Based on career data from 385 resolved cases

Office Action

§103
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 . DETAILED ACTION Claims 1-12 are pending. Claims 1 and 12 are rejected. 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 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. Claim 1 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kunizawa US 20220275601 in view of Fukuda US 20170370073. 1. Kunizawa taches an electric working machine comprising: a battery; Fig. 11 #90a an electric motor; #91 an inverter to supply electric power from the battery to the electric motor to drive the electric motor; #92b a hydraulic pump to be actuated by power of the electric motor; Fig. 15 P by 91 a hydraulic device to be actuated by a hydraulic pressure of a hydraulic fluid delivered from the hydraulic pump; Fig.23 C1-4(M) a fluid temperature detector to detect a temperature of the hydraulic fluid; 43; a fluid-temperature detector that detects the temperature of a hydraulic fluid. a rotation speed detector to detect a rotation speed of the electric motor; and 264; motor rotation speed of the electric motor 91 in accordance with a current value detected by the current detector within a range set by the rotation-speed. a controller configured or programmed to control driving of the inverter and the electric motor; Fig.11 #120 and 120C; Also see 225. Kunizawa teaches all of the limitations of the claim but does not teach wherein the controller is configured or programmed to gradually increase the rotation speed of the electric motor such that the rotation speed of the electric motor reaches a target rotation speed in a longer time when the electric motor is started in a state in which the temperature of the hydraulic fluid detected by the fluid temperature detector is lower than or equal to a predetermined temperature than when the electric motor is started in a state in which the temperature of the hydraulic fluid is higher than the predetermined temperature. However; Fukuda teaches wherein the controller is configured or programmed to gradually increase the rotation speed of the electric motor such that the rotation speed of the electric motor reaches a target rotation speed in a longer time when the electric motor is started in a state in which the temperature of the hydraulic fluid detected by the fluid temperature detector is lower than or equal to a predetermined temperature than when the electric motor is started in a state in which the temperature of the hydraulic fluid is higher than the predetermined temperature. Fukuda para 119-120; [0119] The work machine 1 according to the embodiment includes the determination portion 82a, the change portion 82b, and the revolution control portion 82c. In this manner, in the case where the fluid temperature (the first temperature) is low and the viscosity of the operation fluid is high at the start of the engine, the upper limitation revolution speed is suppressed, and thereby reducing the pressures applied to the hydraulic devices at the low temperature (hereinafter the pressures being referred to as a low-temperature pressure). [0120] In addition, in the case where the fluid temperature (the second temperature) is increased in comparison with the fluid temperature at the start of the engine, the actual engine revolution speed is gradually increased, and thereby the outputs of the hydraulic pumps (the first hydraulic pump P1 and the second hydraulic pump P2) can be increased in accordance with the increasing of the actual engine revolution speed. In this manner, the working can be carried out without deteriorating the operability of the work machine. Therefore, it was well known at the time the invention was filed and would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to combine the teachings for the purpose of reducing wear on electrically driven hydraulic machines such that the claimed invention as a whole would have been obvious. The combination is also considered obvious to try as stated in KSR Int'l Co. v. Teleflex Inc., 550 U.S. 398, 415-421, 82 USPQ2d 1385, 1395-97 (2007). Claim 12 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kunizawa in view of Fukuda US 20170370073 in further view of Isahii teach US 20210025132. 12. Kunizawa and Fukuda teach all of the limitations of claim 1 and further tech, further comprising while the rotation speed of the electric motor is gradually increased by the controller. Fugkuda 120; speed is gradually increased. But do not teach a display to display a notification indicating that the electric motor is being started; However, regarding a display to display a notification indicating that the electric motor is being started Isahii teach US 20210025132 para 55; The monitor 30 displays an action state Therefore, it was well known at the time the invention was filed and would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to combine the teachings for the purpose of reducing wear on electrically driven hydraulic machines such that the claimed invention as a whole would have been obvious. The combination is also considered obvious to try as stated in KSR Int'l Co. v. Teleflex Inc., 550 U.S. 398, 415-421, 82 USPQ2d 1385, 1395-97 (2007). Allowable Subject Matter Claims 2-11 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims. Examiner has reviewed the IDS and the preliminary report on patentability of the European and Japanese offices as it relates to the allowable subject matter in claim 2. A search was conducted and the art of Bitou US 20110190986 has been found which was not cited in the IDS. Bitou uses heat not a delay of a start time, and as such Bitou does not teach the limitations of claim 2. Citation of Pertinent Prior Art The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. The art of Bitou US 20110190986 has been found which was not cited in the IDS, and is pertinent art relating to claim 1, however Bitou uses heat not a delay is start time. Conclusion Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to SIHAR A KARWAN whose telephone number is (571)272-2747. The examiner can normally be reached on M-F; 11-7pm. Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice. If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Ramon Mercado can be reached on 571-270-5744. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300. Information regarding the status of an application may be obtained from the Patent Application Information Retrieval (PAIR) system. Status information for published applications may be obtained from either Private PAIR or Public PAIR. Status information for unpublished applications is available through Private PAIR only. For more information about the PAIR system, see https://ppair-my.uspto.gov/pair/PrivatePair. Should you have questions on access to the Private PAIR system, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative or access to the automated information system, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000. /SIHAR A KARWAN/Examiner, Art Unit 3664
Read full office action

Prosecution Timeline

Sep 19, 2024
Application Filed
Dec 13, 2025
Non-Final Rejection — §103
Mar 30, 2026
Response Filed

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Study what changed to get past this examiner. Based on 5 most recent grants.

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Prosecution Projections

1-2
Expected OA Rounds
56%
Grant Probability
71%
With Interview (+15.4%)
3y 1m
Median Time to Grant
Low
PTA Risk
Based on 385 resolved cases by this examiner. Grant probability derived from career allow rate.

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