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
Claims 17 – 32 are objected to because of the following informalities: “tank” should be “pressurized-gas tank” throughout the claims. Appropriate correction is required.
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(s) 17, 26, 29, 30 and 32 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Ammouri et al. (FR 3098890 A3; English translation taken from Espacenet).
Regarding claims 17 and 32, the Ammouri et al. reference discloses a method and device for filling a pressurized-gas tank (see Abstract), the method comprising the steps of: providing a filling device (i.e., filling station) comprising: a gas source (i.e., source of compressed gas), a filling pipe (i.e., gas transfer pipe) connecting the source to the tank, a flow rate and/or pressure control valve (i.e., a regulating valve) in the filling pipe, and an electronic control component (i.e., an electronic regulator comprising first and second microprocessors) configured to stop filling when an estimated temperature or density of the gas present in the tank reaches a temperature or density limit value (para. [0011]), determining an ambient temperature on the filling device (para. [0016]), determining a pressure of the gas present in the tank and estimating an initial temperature of the gas present in the tank, wherein the initial temperature of the gas present in the tank is a value that is estimated as a function of the ambient temperature and as a function of the pressure of the gas present in the tank before filling (para. [0030]), with said initial temperature of the gas present in the tank being greater than or equal to or less than or equal to the ambient temperature (inherent); and filling the pressurized-gas tank.
Regarding claim 26, see paragraphs [0033 – 0038].
Regarding claim 29, see paragraph [0030].
Regarding claim 30, see paragraphs [0026 – 0028].
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
The Mori reference (9016329) discloses another gas filling system having a gas source (11), a pressurized gas tank (30), temperature sensors (19, 40), pressure sensor (42) and controller (24).
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/TIMOTHY L MAUST/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3753
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