DETAILED ACTION
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.
Claim 11 is 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 11 requires a vehicle and is dependent from claim 6 which already requires a vehicle. This is either not further limiting or requiring two vehicles but with the same limitation name which is indefinite. For the purpose of examination this will be construed as being the same vehicle.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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.
Claim(s) 1-20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102a1 as being anticipated by Zhang (U.S. Pat. No. 12,157,399).
Regarding claim 1, Zhang discloses an energy recovery control method for a vehicle (title), comprising:
obtaining a current gear of the vehicle when an accelerator pedal of the vehicle is not pressed (col. 7, lines 37-42);
determining coasting energy recovery torque based on the gear (col. 7, line 65 – col. 8, line 15), wherein the coasting energy recovery torque is smaller at a low gear than at a high gear (this is a statement of how the energy recovery works not an added limitation);
obtaining a brake pedal opening degree of the vehicle (col. 7, lines 37-42 “brake pedal”), and obtaining braking energy recovery torque according to the brake pedal opening degree and the gear, wherein given a same brake pedal opening degree, the braking energy recovery torque is greater at a low gear than at a high gear; and
controlling the vehicle to perform energy recovery according to the coasting energy recovery torque and the braking energy recovery torque (s103 disclosed in col. 8 ,lines 15-20).
Regarding claim 2, 7, 13 and 18 which depends from claim 1, 6, 12 and 17 respectively, Zhang discloses wherein said obtaining the brake pedal opening degree of the vehicle and obtaining the braking energy recovery torque according to the brake pedal opening degree and the gear comprises:
determining whether the brake pedal is pressed; obtaining the braking energy recovery torque as zero when the brake pedal is not pressed (col. 9, lines 10-14 discloses without brake pedal depression there is no braking energy mode as per fig. 4); and
obtaining the brake pedal opening degree when the brake pedal is pressed, and obtaining the braking energy recovery torque according to the brake pedal opening degree and the gear, wherein the braking energy recovery torque is proportional to the brake pedal opening degree, and the braking energy recovery torque is dependent on the gear (col. 8, lines 44-47 discloses the two modes are combined).
Regarding claim 3, 8, 14 and 19 which depends from claim 1, 6, 12 and 17 respectively, Zhang discloses wherein said controlling the vehicle to perform the energy recovery according to the coasting energy recovery torque and the braking energy recovery torque comprises:
obtaining energy recovery torque according to the coasting energy recovery torque and the braking energy recovery torque, wherein the energy recovery torque is a sum of the coasting energy recovery torque and the braking energy recovery torque; and controlling the vehicle to perform the energy recovery according to the braking energy recovery torque (col. 9, lines 10-14 discloses braking energy recovery is performed when braking is requested with col. 8 discussing how both are calculated).
Regarding claim 4, 9, 15 and 20 which depends from claim 3, 8, 14 and 19 respectively, Zhang discloses wherein said controlling the vehicle to perform the energy recovery according to the braking energy recovery torque comprises:
controlling, when the brake pedal is not pressed, the vehicle to perform coasting energy recovery according to the braking energy recovery torque (col. 9, lines 10-12);
or controlling, when the brake pedal is pressed, the vehicle to perform braking energy recovery while performing coasting energy recovery according to the braking energy recovery torque (col. 9, lines 12-14).
Regarding claim 5, 10 and 16 which depends from claim 1, 6 and 12 respectively, Zhang discloses further comprising, prior to determining the coasting energy recovery torque based on the gear:
determining whether a coasting energy recovery mode is enabled (col. 9, lines 10-14 determines which mode will be performed); performing, when the coasting energy recovery mode is enabled, the step of determining the coasting energy recovery torque based on the gear; obtaining, when the coasting energy recovery mode is not enabled and when the brake pedal is pressed, the braking energy recovery torque based on the brake pedal opening degree and the gear (col. 9, lines 15-21), and controlling the vehicle to perform braking energy recovery according to the braking energy recovery torque.
Regarding claim 6 and 12, Zhang discloses an energy recovery control system for a vehicle, comprising: a memory having a program instruction stored thereon; and a processor configured to, when executing the program instruction (col. 17, lines 19-28 discloses the computer), perform operations of: obtaining a current gear of the vehicle when an accelerator pedal of the vehicle is not pressed; determining coasting energy recovery torque based on the gear, wherein the coasting energy recovery torque is smaller at a low gear than at a high gear; obtaining a brake pedal opening degree of the vehicle, and obtaining braking energy recovery torque according to the brake pedal opening degree and the gear, wherein given a same brake pedal opening degree, the braking energy recovery torque is greater at a low gear than at a high gear; and controlling the vehicle to perform energy recovery according to the coasting energy recovery torque and the braking energy recovery torque (addressed in claim 1 above).
Regarding claim 11 which depends from claim 6, Zhang discloses a vehicle, comprising: the energy recovery control system for the vehicle according to claim 6 (Title).
Regarding claim 17 which depends from claim 1, Zhang discloses a computer program product, having a computer program stored thereon, the program, when executed by a processor, implements the energy recovery control method for the vehicle according to claim 1 (col. 17, lines 19-28 discloses the computer).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to GONZALO LAGUARDA whose telephone number is (571)272-5920. The examiner can normally be reached 8-5 M-Th Alt. F.
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GONZALO LAGUARDA
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 3747 email: gonzalo.laguarda@uspto.gov
/GONZALO LAGUARDA/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3747