DETAILED CORRESPONDENCE
This Office action is in response to the application filed 11/13/2024, with claims 1-19 pending.
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 .
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statements (IDS) submitted on 11/13/2024 complies with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
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.
Claim 1-8, 10-14 and 16-19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Shim et al., US 2021/0123567.
Claim 1. Shim teaches a fuel refueling apparatus comprising:
a support plate (fig. 4 best illustrates a support plate that is attached behind the charging inlet );
a connector protruding from the support plate and configured to be coupled to a dispenser of a refueling station to refuel fuel (fig. 4, item 2);
a detection sensor configured to detect the dispenser coupled to the connector (fig. 4, item 20b); and
a signal transmitter configured to transmit a signal to the refueling station in response that the dispenser is detected by the detection sensor (fig. 4, item 20a).
Claim 2. Shim teaches the fuel refueling apparatus of claim 1 and Shim further teaches, wherein the detection sensor is mounted on the support plate, and is configured to detect the dispenser while contacting with the dispenser on a radially external side of the connector (fig. 4 illustrates the sensor that is mount on the support plate and will detect when the nozzle is connected, also see fig. 3).
Claim 3. Shim teaches the fuel refueling apparatus of claim 1 and Shim further teaches, wherein the connector and the detection sensor protrude from the support plate in a forward direction and a front end portion of the detection sensor is located in a forward direction of a front end portion of the connector (fig. 4 illustrated the inlet that is protruding from the support plate).
Claim 4. Shim the fuel refueling apparatus of claim 1 and Shim teaches, further including:
a housing member including an internal space, in which the support plate, the connector, the detection sensor, and the signal transmitter are accommodated, together with the support plate, wherein the detection sensor is mounted on the housing member and is configured to detect the dispenser (fig. 4 illustrates this element as arranged, while [0074] teaches sensing detection at the transmitter and receiver).
Claim 5. Shim teaches the fuel refueling apparatus of claim 1 and Shim further teaches, wherein the detection sensor is configured to detect the dispenser while being pressed by the dispenser or to detect the dispenser while being spaced apart from the dispenser ([0050] reads on this element as such—“When the nozzle is not connected to the hydrogen charging inlet 2, the nozzle sensing infrared signal transmitted by the infrared transmission unit 20a may not reach the nozzle, and as a result, the nozzle sensing infrared signal may not be reflected on the nozzle and the nozzle sensing infrared signal may not be received by the infrared reception unit 20b. The hydrogen charge state sensing system according to the present invention may further include a controller 10 configured to execute driving and output of the infrared transmission unit 20a and determine whether the vehicle is currently charged with hydrogen based on the infrared signal received by the infrared reception unit 20b.”).
Claim 6. Shim teaches the fuel refueling apparatus of claim 1 and Shim teaches, further including:
a housing member including an internal space, in which the support plate, the connector, the detection sensor, and the signal transmitter are accommodated, together with the support plate (fig. 4 illustrates this arrangement); and
a lid rotatably coupled to the housing member to open or close the internal space to or from an outside, wherein the detection sensor is configured to detect the lid closing the internal space (fig. 4 illustrates a lid that is attached to hinge the rotates to open and close the lid).
Claim 7. Shim teaches the fuel refueling apparatus of claim 1 and Shim further teaches, wherein the signal transmitter is provided in the support plate (fig, 4, items 20a and 20b).
Claim 8. Shim teaches the fuel refueling apparatus of claim 1 and Shim further teaches, further including:
a processor operatively connected to the detection sensor and the signal transmitter (fig. 1 illustrates a controller 10 connected to the transmitter and receivers),
wherein the processor is configured for:
identifying a driving state condition of a vehicle including the connector ([0006] teaches a key-off state of the vehicle); and
transmitting the signal to the refueling station in response that the driving state condition of the vehicle is satisfied ([0006] teaches a “key-off state” which implies that the driving state condition of the vehicle is satisfied.)
Claim 10. Shim teaches the fuel refueling apparatus of claim 9 and Shim further teaches, wherein the processor is further configured for:
preventing the start of the vehicle from being switched on in response to the detecting of the dispenser coupled to the connector ([0007] along [0017] with reads on this element as such—“the starting of the vehicle is restricted to protect a driver, a passenger, and a staff of the charging station and accordingly, a technology for sensing a charging situation in the vehicle is required”).
Claim 11. Shim teaches the fuel refueling apparatus of claim 9 and Shim teaches, further including:
a housing member including an internal space, in which the support plate, the connector, the detection sensor, and the signal transmitter are accommodated, together with the support plate (fig. 4 illustrates this arrangement of elements); and
a lid rotatably connected to the housing member and configured to open or close the internal space (fig. 4 illustrates a lid that is attached to hinge the rotates to open and close the lid),
wherein the processor is further configured for:
detecting the lid ([0049]—teaches the sensing the state of the fuel door 1 (i.e. lid); and
transmitting the signal to the refueling station in response to not detecting the lid ([0049] reads on this element as such—“When the fuel door 1 is opened, the fuel door sensing infrared signal may not reach the fuel door 1 (reflection is impossible) or even though the fuel door sensing infrared signal reaches the fuel door 1 and is reflected on the fuel door 1, the reflected signal may not reach the infrared reception unit 20b).
Claim 12. Shim teaches a fuel refueling transmission method using a vehicle including a connector and a refueling station including a dispenser, the connector configured to be coupled to the dispenser (figs. 3 and 4 best illustrates these elements), the fuel refueling transmission method comprising:
detecting, by a detection sensor, the dispenser coupled to the connector ([0055] along with [0074] and [0092]-[0093] teaches detecting that the charging station nozzle is connected to a charging inlet );
identifying, by a processor operatively connected to the detection sensor, a driving state condition of the vehicle ([0036]-[0037] teaches a processor ); and
transmitting, by the processor, a signal to the refueling station, in response that the driving state condition of the vehicle is satisfied ([0006] teaches a “key-off state” which implies that the driving state condition of the vehicle is satisfied).
Claim 13. Shim teaches the fuel refueling transmission method of claim 12 and Shim further teaches, wherein the identifying of the driving state condition of the vehicle includes: determining whether a start of the vehicle is switched off ([0006] teaches a “key-off state” which implies that the vehicle is switched off).
Claim 14. Shim teaches the fuel refueling transmission method of claim 12 Shim teaches, wherein the identifying of the driving state condition of the vehicle includes: determining whether a gear of the vehicle is a parking (P) condition ([0006] teaches a “key-off state” which implies that the vehicle is parked).
Claim 16. Shim teaches the fuel refueling transmission method of claim 13 and Shim teaches, further including: preventing the start of the vehicle from being switched on in response to the detecting of the dispenser coupled to the connector ([0007] along [0017] with reads on this element as such—“the starting of the vehicle is restricted to protect a driver, a passenger, and a staff of the charging station and accordingly, a technology for sensing a charging situation in the vehicle is required”).
Claim 17. Shim teaches the fuel refueling transmission method of claim 12 Shim teaches, further including:
detecting a lid rotatably coupled to the connector and configured to open or close an internal space, in which the connector is accommodated, to or from an outside thereof (fig. 4 best illustrates this element); and
transmitting the signal to the refueling station in response to not detecting the lid ([0014] and [0016] reads on this element as such “the present invention provides a method for sensing a hydrogen charge state of a fuel cell electric vehicle that may include: transmitting, by an infrared transmission unit, a fuel door sensing infrared signal to sense whether a fuel door is open while charging hydrogen; transmitting, by the infrared transmission unit, a nozzle sensing infrared signal to sense a charging station-side hydrogen charging nozzle connected to a hydrogen charging inlet of a vehicle; receiving, by an infrared reception unit, an infrared signal; and determining, by a controller, that the vehicle is being charged with hydrogen in response to sensing an open state of the fuel door and a hydrogen charging inlet connection state of the hydrogen charging nozzle based on the infrared signal received by the infrared reception unit”).
Claim 18. Shim teaches the fuel refueling transmission method of claim 12 Shim teaches, further including:
providing a notification that the dispenser is not detected, to a user in response to not detecting the dispenser (fig. 1, S1 teaches “transmit signal for data communication and fuel door sensing” and [0050] the nozzle is not detected. Taken together the cited sections reads on this element); and
providing a notification that the driving state condition of the vehicle is not satisfied, to the user when the driving state condition of the vehicle is not satisfied (fig. 1, S1 teaches “transmit signal for data communication and fuel door sensing”).
Claim 19. Shim teaches the fuel refueling transmission method of claim 17 and Shim teaches, further including: providing a notification that the lid is not detected, to a user in response that the lid is not detected ([0077] describes this element as such—“the controller 10 may be configured to determine that the hydrogen charging is performed only when the opened state of the fuel door 1, the entrance of the nozzle, and the connected state of the hydrogen charging inlet are simultaneously sensed, and as a result, a possibility of false sensing of the hydrogen charging may be minimized.”).
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 9 and 15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable Shim in view of Zoia et al., US 2023/0304636 hereinafter “Zoia”.
Claim 9. Shim teaches the fuel refueling apparatus of claim 8 and further, wherein in the identifying of the driving state condition of the vehicle, the processor is configured to perform at least one of:
determining whether a start of the vehicle is switched off; determining whether a gear of the vehicle is a parking (P) condition ([0006] teaches a “key-off state” which implies
that the vehicle is parked). However, Shim is silent on the term speed. Yet, Zoia teaches
determining whether a driving speed of the vehicle is a predetermined speed or less than the predetermined speed ([0037]-[0038] read on this element as such—“electronic control unit 450 receives information from a plurality of sensors included in vehicle 120. For example, electronic control unit 450 may receive signals that indicate vehicle operating conditions or characteristics, or signals that can be used to derive vehicle operating conditions or characteristics. These may include, but are not limited to accelerator operation amount, ACC, a revolution speed, NE, rotational speed, NMG, of the motor 422 (motor rotational speed), and vehicle speed, NV.”).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine teaching of Zoia with the invention of Shim because such combination would provide an overall effectiveness and efficiency of the refueling process (see Abstract, Zoia).
Claim 15. Shim teaches the fuel refueling transmission method of claim 12; however, Shim is silent on the term speed. Yet, Zoia teaches wherein the identifying of the driving state condition of the vehicle includes: determining whether a driving speed of the vehicle is a predetermined speed or less than the predetermined speed ([0037]-[0038] read on this element as such—“electronic control unit 450 receives information from a plurality of sensors included in vehicle 120. For example, electronic control unit 450 may receive signals that indicate vehicle operating conditions or characteristics, or signals that can be used to derive vehicle operating conditions or characteristics. These may include, but are not limited to accelerator operation amount, ACC, a revolution speed, NE, rotational speed, NMG, of the motor 422 (motor rotational speed), and vehicle speed, NV.”).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine teaching of Zoia with the invention of Shim because such combination would provide an overall effectiveness and efficiency of the refueling process (see Abstract, Zoia).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Mostafa, SM G., et al. “Design and Implementation of a Data-Driven Fuel Management System.” 2022 4th International Conference on Sustainable Technologies for Industry 4.0 (STI). IEEE, 2022.—This reference teaches a fuel dispensing system.
Shiu Kit Tso, Ka Lun Fan, Yongde Zhang and Chun Man Chan, “An automated gas station attendant,” in IEEE Intelligent Systems, vol. 17, no. 2, pp. 84-87, March-April 2002. This reference teaches an robotic solution for refueling.
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/A.D.T/Examiner, Art Unit 3661
/RUSSELL FREJD/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3661