DETAILED ACTION
Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
Claim 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 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102 (a)(1) as being anticipated by Ellwein (US2020/0071892).
Regarding claim 1, Ellwein discloses a paving machine/ asphalt finisher, comprising: a tractor 100; a hopper 112 mounted on a front side of the tractor; a conveyor that conveys a paving material in the hopper to a rear side of the tractor (see Fig. 1, Para [0016]); a screw/auger that spreads the paving material, which is scattered on a road surface by the conveyor, in a vehicle width direction (see Para [0017]); a screed device 118 that lays and levels the paving material, which is spread by the screw, at a rear side of the screw; an actuator 124 that drives at least one component selected from the group consisting of the tractor, the conveyor, the screw, and the screed device using electric power (see Para [0018]; a power storage unit/ batteries; and a power supply unit/generator that is connectable to an external device and can receive electric power supplied from the external device (see Para [0015]).
Regarding claim 2, Ellwein discloses the power supply system comprising: the asphalt finisher (see Para [0013]).
Regarding claim 3, Ellwein discloses the power supply unit is configured to supply electric power from a power source of the external device/generator to the power storage unit/battery, and is configured to supply electric power from the power source of the external device to the actuator (see Para [0015] & [0018]).
Regarding claim 4, Ellwein discloses the power supply unit is configured to supply both electric power from the power source of the external device and electric power from the power storage unit/batteries to the actuator (see Para [0015]).
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 5-6 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Ellwein (US2020/0071892) in view of Makita et al (JP-2000208335, see the English translated document cited in the PTO-892).
Regarding claims 5-6, Ellwein fails to disclose or fairly suggest a dump truck as the external device as to claim 5 and the dump truck is configured to perform speed control based on speed of the asphalt finisher when the screed device spreads the paving material while the asphalt finisher is moved in a predetermined travel direction by the tractor as to claim 6.
Makita et al disclose a truck-mounted type mobile transformer comprising a dump truck as the external device, where the truck having a truck-side transformer wherein the power supply unit (such as a generator is electrically connectable to the truck-side transformer), and is configured to supply electric power from the power source of the dump truck to the power storage unit, thereby charging the power storage unit/batteries (see Fig. 1-2, Para [0008]).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to include Ellwein’s generator to the truck mounted equpipment/transformer as taught by Makita et al in order to efficiently supply the electric power to the asphalt paving machine.
With respect to the dump truck is configured to perform speed control based on speed of the asphalt finisher, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to maneuver Makita et al’s truck with the controlled speed with the paving machine in order to continuously work the paving process without any stop to recharge the electric power supply of the machine.
Claims 8-10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Ellwein (US2020/0071892) in view of Rasmussen (US 7856302).
Regarding claims 8-10, Ellwein fails to disclose or fairly suggest a detection unit that detects performance of power supply between the power supply unit and the truck-side power supply unit as to claim 8, and the detection unit is an imaging device as to claim 9 and detects a charge rate of the power storage unit as to claim 10.
Rasmussen discloses a paving machine comprising a controller 50 with TRCS 58 including a plurality sensors 34 such that the sensors may include non-contact or contact sensors, like sonic sensors, infrared sensors, radar sensors, gage wheels, or any other suitable monitoring devices known in the art (see Figs.1-2, col.4, lines 7-29).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to include a plurality of sensors to Ellwein’s paving machine in order to perform various functions with these sensors, for example, imaging connectable positions of the power supply unit between the truck-side and the paving machine, monitoring power supply between the power supply unit and the truck-side power supply unit, and measuring the charge rate of the power storage unit to control power supply from the truck-side power supply unit via the power supply unit.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 7 is 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.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter: the prior art of record fails to disclose or fairly suggest the truck-side power supply unit is disposed at a rear side of the dump truck, and wherein the power supply unit is arranged at a front side of the hopper, and is arranged at a position at which
the power supply unit can receive electric power from the truck-side power supply unit, when the dump truck is docked on a front side of the asphalt finisher.
Relevant Prior art
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
CN 122269262 A Wireless communication device for controlling supporting function of machine
CN 120307880 A Method for operating a self-propelled road-building machine, in particular a road-compacting driving machine, and self-propelled road-building machine, in particular a road-compacting driving machine
US 20240068247 A1 Machine for Treating a Concrete Surface
WO 2023190952 A1 ASPHALT FINISHER, AND POWER SUPPLY SYSTEM FOR ASPHALT FINISHER
US 20230112291 A1 SYSTEM, APPARATUS, AND METHOD FOR USING INTEGRATED GENERATOR IN A MOBILE MACHINE AS JOBSITE CHARGING STATION
US 11560727 B2 Apparatus for screeding concrete
US 20210062471 A1 ELECTRIC WORK MACHINE
US 10669678 B2 System and method for generating a paving material map
US 10280572 B1 System for heating a paving screed
US 10233658 B1 Multi-rotational concrete screed apparatus for screeding concrete
US 20180073204 A1 SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR CONTROLLING VIBRATORY EFFORT ON ASPHALT MAT
US 20150361627 A1 Electric Powered Systems for Paving Machines
US 20150337504 A1 Screed Vibration System
US 7331636 B2 Electric milling machine
US 6494542 B1 Apparatus for roughening concrete slat surfaces
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Jong-Suk (James) Lee whose telephone number is (571) 272-7044. The examiner can normally be reached Monday thru Thursday 6AM- 4PM. 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, Allana Bidder can be reached on 571-272-5560. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300. Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: httos://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https:/Avww.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent- center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
/JONG-SUK (JAMES) LEE/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2875
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