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 Objections
Claim 2 is objected to because of the following informalities: In claim 1 line 10 the language “the interior space” is used, it is believed that this language is referring to “the interior volume of the zero emissions autonomous vehicle” and should be rewritten as such for the sake of clarity. Appropriate correction is required.
Claims 4, 6, 9, 10, 19, 20, 22, and 23 are objected to because of the following informalities: claims 4, 6, 9, 10, 19, 20, 22, and 23 use the language “the interior”. Claim 1 introduced two element ‘an interior volume of the zero emissions autonomous vehicle’ and ‘an interior volume of the accessible enclosure’. It is believed that the recitations of “the interior” in claims 4, 6, 9, 10, 19, 20, 22, and 23 refer to ‘an interior volume of the zero emissions autonomous vehicle’ and should be rewritten as such for the sake of clarity. Appropriate correction is required.
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.
Claim(s) 2-3, 10-16 and 23-27 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Truong et al. US 2004/0249502 in view of Ramanujam US 2015/0339928 and Ferguson et al. US 2019/0034858.
Truong discloses a vehicle system, comprising:
(Re claim 2) “vehicle configured to navigate one or more roadways … vehicle comprising at least one electrical power source electrically coupled to a motor of the … vehicle” (‘hybrid’ para 0002, 0031, 0053; 101, 107 figure 10). “a passenger compartment defined within an interior volume of … vehicle and configured to support one or more human passengers during the navigation of the one or more roadways” (100 figure 10). “a vending system mounted at least partially in the interior volume of the … vehicle and electrically coupled to the at least one electrical power source, the vending system comprising an accessible enclosure” (para 0002, 0031, 0053; 10, 101, 107 figure 10, para 0039,0042, figure 2).
Truong does not disclose that the vehicle is a zero emissions, autonomous vehicle configured to navigate one or more roadways independently of a human driver, the zero emissions, autonomous vehicle comprising at least one electrical power source electrically coupled to a motor of the zero emissions, autonomous vehicle.
Ramanujam teaches that the vehicle is a zero emissions, autonomous vehicle configured to navigate one or more roadways independently of a human driver, the zero emissions, autonomous vehicle comprising at least one electrical power source electrically coupled to a motor of the zero emissions, autonomous vehicle (para 0096, 0002, abstract).
It would have been obvious to one skilled in the art to modify the system of Troung to include that the vehicle is a zero emissions, autonomous vehicle configured to navigate one or more roadways independently of a human driver, the zero emissions, autonomous vehicle comprising at least one electrical power source electrically coupled to a motor of the zero emissions, autonomous vehicle because zero emissions vehicles do not create air pollution and autonomous vehicles can create a safer driving environment and reduce the cost of operating a taxi.
Truong does not disclose that the interior space comprising a storage portion configured to transport at least one pre-purchased item larger than an internal volume of the accessible enclosure; and a control system configured to perform operations comprising: operate the zero emissions, autonomous vehicle to transport the at least one pre-purchased item from a vending location of the at least one pre-purchased item to a customer location.
Ferguson teaches that the interior space comprising a storage portion configured to transport at least one pre-purchased item larger than an internal volume of the accessible enclosure; and a control system configured to perform operations comprising: operate the zero emissions, autonomous vehicle to transport the at least one pre-purchased item from a vending location of the at least one pre-purchased item to a customer location. (figures 7-11B, para 0018, 0080)
It would have been obvious to one skilled in the art to modify the system of Truong to include that the interior space comprising a storage portion configured to transport at least one pre-purchased item larger than an internal volume of the accessible enclosure; and a control system configured to perform operations comprising: operate the zero emissions, autonomous vehicle to transport the at least one pre-purchased item from a vending location of the at least one pre-purchased item to a customer location because it increases the number of services the vehicle is capable of performing.
(Re claim 3) Truong does not disclose that the accessible enclosure comprises a lockable compartment configured to store a vending item.
Ferguson teaches that the accessible enclosure comprises a lockable compartment configured to store a vending item (figures 7-11B, para 0131).
It would have been obvious to one skilled in the art to modify the system of Truong to include that the accessible enclosure comprises a lockable compartment configured to store a vending item because it provides secure storage for items.
(Re claim 10) Truong does not disclose one or more cameras configured to record images of the storage portion of the interior volume.
Ferguson teaches one or more cameras configured to record images of the storage portion of the interior volume (‘camera’ para 0076, 0154, 0189).
It would have been obvious to one skilled in the art to modify the system of Truong to include one or more cameras configured to record images of the storage portion of the interior volume because it provides additional means to identify the customer and identify which items are removed.
(Re claim 11) “the accessible enclosure comprises at least one temperature-controlled compartment” (para 0014, 0042-0043, claim 70).
(Re claim 12) “the vending system further comprises an air conditioning unit communicably coupled to the control system and configured to maintain the at least one temperature-controlled compartment at a specified temperature” (52,42 para 0042-0043, claim 70).
(Re claim 13) “at least one temperature-controlled compartment comprises a first temperature-controlled compartment and a second temperature-controlled compartment, and the air conditioning unit is configured to maintain the first temperature-controlled compartment at a first specified temperature and to maintain the second temperature-controlled compartment at a second specified temperature higher than the first specified temperature” (52,42 para 0042-0043, claim 70).
(Re claim 14) “the at least one temperature-controlled compartment comprises a third temperature controlled compartment, and the air conditioning unit is configured to maintain the third temperature-controlled compartment at an ambient temperature substantially equal to a temperature of the interior volume of the zero emissions, autonomous vehicle” (para 0042, 18 figure 1,2).
Truong disclocses a method, comprising:
(Re claim 15) “operating … vehicle to navigate one or more roadways … vehicle comprising at least one electrical power source electrically coupled to a motor of the … vehicle” (‘hybrid’ para 0002, 0031, 0053; 101, 107 figure 10). “a passenger compartment defined within an interior volume of the … vehicle that is configured to hold one or more human passengers” (100 figure 10). “operating a vending system mounted at least partially in the interior volume of the … vehicle and electrically coupled to the at least one electrical power source” (‘hybrid’ para 0002, 0031, 0053; 10, 101, 107 figure 10). “the vending system comprising an accessible enclosure” (para 0039,0042, figure 2).
Truong does not disclose that the vehicle is a zero emissions, autonomous vehicle configured to navigate one or more roadways independently of a human driver, the zero emissions, autonomous vehicle comprising at least one electrical power source electrically coupled to a motor of the zero emissions, autonomous vehicle.
Ramanujam teaches that the vehicle is a zero emissions, autonomous vehicle configured to navigate one or more roadways independently of a human driver, the zero emissions, autonomous vehicle comprising at least one electrical power source electrically coupled to a motor of the zero emissions, autonomous vehicle (para 0096, 0002, abstract).
It would have been obvious to one skilled in the art to modify the system of Troung to include that the vehicle is a zero emissions, autonomous vehicle configured to navigate one or more roadways independently of a human driver, the zero emissions, autonomous vehicle comprising at least one electrical power source electrically coupled to a motor of the zero emissions, autonomous vehicle because zero emissions vehicles do not create air pollution and autonomous vehicles can create a safer driving environment and reduce the cost of operating a taxi.
Truong does not disclose that the interior space comprising a storage portion configured to transport at least one pre-purchased item larger than an internal volume of the accessible enclosure; and a control system configured to perform operations comprising: operate the zero emissions, autonomous vehicle to transport the at least one pre-purchased item from a vending location of the at least one pre-purchased item to a customer location.
Ferguson teaches that the interior space comprising a storage portion configured to transport at least one pre-purchased item larger than an internal volume of the accessible enclosure; and a control system configured to perform operations comprising: operate the zero emissions, autonomous vehicle to transport the at least one pre-purchased item from a vending location of the at least one pre-purchased item to a customer location. (figures 7-11B, para 0018, 0080)
It would have been obvious to one skilled in the art to modify the system of Truong to include that the interior space comprising a storage portion configured to transport at least one pre-purchased item larger than an internal volume of the accessible enclosure; and a control system configured to perform operations comprising: operate the zero emissions, autonomous vehicle to transport the at least one pre-purchased item from a vending location of the at least one pre-purchased item to a customer location because it increases the number of services the vehicle is capable of performing.
(Re claim 16) Truong does not disclose that the accessible enclosure comprises a lockable compartment configured to store a vending item.
Ferguson teaches that the accessible enclosure comprises a lockable compartment configured to store a vending item (figures 7-11B, para 0131).
It would have been obvious to one skilled in the art to modify the system of Truong to include that the accessible enclosure comprises a lockable compartment configured to store a vending item because it provides secure storage for items.
(Re claim 23) Truong does not disclose one or more cameras configured to record images of the storage portion of the interior volume.
Ferguson teaches one or more cameras configured to record images of the storage portion of the interior volume (‘camera’ para 0076, 0154, 0189).
It would have been obvious to one skilled in the art to modify the system of Truong to include one or more cameras configured to record images of the storage portion of the interior volume because it provides additional means to identify the customer and identify which items are removed.
(Re claim 24) “the accessible enclosure comprises at least one temperature-controlled compartment” (para 0014, 0042-0043, claim 70).
(Re claim 25) “the vending system further comprises an air conditioning unit communicably coupled to the control system and configured to maintain the at least one temperature-controlled compartment at a specified temperature” (52,42 para 0042-0043, claim 70).
(Re claim 26) “at least one temperature-controlled compartment comprises a first temperature-controlled compartment and a second temperature-controlled compartment, and the air conditioning unit is configured to maintain the first temperature-controlled compartment at a first specified temperature and to maintain the second temperature-controlled compartment at a second specified temperature higher than the first specified temperature” (52,42 para 0042-0043, claim 70).
(Re claim 27) “the at least one temperature-controlled compartment comprises a third temperature controlled compartment, and the air conditioning unit is configured to maintain the third temperature-controlled compartment at an ambient temperature substantially equal to a temperature of the interior volume of the zero emissions, autonomous vehicle” (para 0042, 18 figure 1,2).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 4-9 and 17-22 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.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter: An autonomous vehicle comprising a vending machine with one or more lockable compartments, the lockable compartments having switchable smart glass to hide the vending item from view in combination with the remaining claim language is not taught or fairly suggested by the present prior art of record.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. US 12,202,524, 2020/0364688 and 2019/0205854 disclose passenger vehicles with vending systems. US 2026/0141368 and 2021/0056809 disclose the use of smart glass in vending systems.
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TIMOTHY R. WAGGONER
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 3655 B
/TIMOTHY R WAGGONER/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3655
Prosecution Insights