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 § 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.
Claims 1-15 are 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 1 recites: A computer system for performing an axle load adjustment action of at least one vehicle axle of a vehicle, the computer system comprising processing circuitry configured to: obtain tire data, wherein said tire data comprises rolling resistance data and/or temperature data of at least one tire of the vehicle; obtain at least one adjustment parameter, wherein at least one adjustment parameter is requirement data pertaining to the weight of the vehicle, axle load requirements of the vehicle, and the legal requirements for the road on which the vehicle is or will be travelling, determine an axle load adjustment action based on at least one adjustment parameter and based on tire data; and execute said axle load adjustment action, wherein the axle load adjustment action comprises an temporarily increase of the load of the at least one axle of the vehicle.
There is insufficient antecedent basis for these limitations in the claim leading to confusion regarding claim scope. For the purpose of examination over the prior art Claim 1 will be construed as: A computer system for performing an axle load adjustment action of at least one vehicle axle of a vehicle, the computer system comprising processing circuitry configured to: obtain tire data, wherein said tire data comprises rolling resistance data and/or temperature data of at least one tire of the vehicle; obtain at least one adjustment parameter, wherein the at least one adjustment parameter is requirement data pertaining to the weight of the vehicle, axle load requirements of the vehicle, and the legal requirements for the road on which the vehicle is or will be travelling, determine an axle load adjustment action based on the at least one adjustment parameter and based on tire data; and execute said axle load adjustment action, wherein the axle load adjustment action comprises temporarily increasing of the load of the at least one axle of the vehicle.
Claim 4 recites: wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to: evaluate the need of an axle load adjustment action based on the tire data, and upon determining that there is a need for an axle load adjustment action perform said determination.
There is insufficient antecedent basis for these limitations in the claim leading to confusion regarding claim scope. For the purpose of examination over the prior art Claim 4 will be construed as: wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to: evaluate the need of an axle load adjustment action based on the tire data, and upon determining that there is a need for an axle load adjustment action perform said axle load adjustment action.
Claim 12 recites: A computer-implemented method for performing an axle load adjustment action of at least one vehicle axle of a vehicle, comprising: obtaining, by processing circuitry of a computer system, tire data, wherein said tire data comprises rolling resistance data and/or temperature data of at least one tire of the vehicle; obtaining, by the processing circuitry, at least one adjustment parameter, wherein at least one adjustment parameter is requirement data pertaining to axle load requirements of the vehicle, the weight of the vehicle and the legal requirements for the road on which the vehicle is or will be travelling; determining, by the processing circuitry, an axle load adjustment action based on at least one adjustment parameter and based on tire data; and executing, by the processing circuitry, said axle load adjustment action, wherein the axle load adjustment action comprises an temporarily increase of the load of the at least one axle of the vehicle.
There is insufficient antecedent basis for these limitations in the claim leading to confusion regarding claim scope. For the purpose of examination over the prior art Claim 12 will be construed as: A computer-implemented method for performing an axle load adjustment action of at least one vehicle axle of a vehicle, comprising: obtaining, by processing circuitry of a computer system, tire data, wherein said tire data comprises rolling resistance data and/or temperature data of at least one tire of the vehicle; obtaining, by the processing circuitry, at least one adjustment parameter, wherein the at least one adjustment parameter is requirement data pertaining to axle load requirements of the vehicle, the weight of the vehicle and the legal requirements for the road on which the vehicle is or will be travelling; determining, by the processing circuitry, an axle load adjustment action based on the at least one adjustment parameter and based on the tire data; and executing, by the processing circuitry, said axle load adjustment action, wherein the axle load adjustment action comprises temporarily increasing the load of the at least one axle of the vehicle.
Claims 2-3 and 5-11 depend from Claim 1 and fail to resolve the deficiencies of Claim 1 as indicated above.
Claims 13-15 depend from Claim 12 and fail to resolve the deficiencies of Claim 12 as indicated above.
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) 1-7 and 9-15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102a1 as being anticipated by Clayton et al. (U.S. 2017/0029050A1). Clayton discloses “The subject matter of the present invention relates generally to a vehicle that has axles with tires mounted thereon with at least one axle that is a lift axle, and more specifically, to a method that optimizes the effective tire rolling resistance by adjusting the load on the tires, resulting in an improvement in the fuel economy of the vehicle. According to one embodiment, the method takes into consideration the rolling resistance characteristics of the tires placed onto the axles of the vehicle and provides an algorithm for optimizing their rolling resistance by raising or lowering the lift axle.” (Abstract).
Regarding Claim 1, Clayton discloses A computer system (¶0077-0078…” a program that is executed by a processing device such as an electronic control system such as that disclosed by U.S. Pat. No. 7,222,867, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference in its entirety….. an electronic control system controller (ESC)… The ESC can contain program instructions in its memory for automatic control of the lift axle.”) for performing an axle load adjustment action (Fig. 4d, adjusting axle load(s) by moving lift axle position) of at least one vehicle axle of a vehicle (“automatic control of lift axle”; Fig. 1-2, lift axle 26), the computer system comprising processing circuitry configured to:
obtain tire data (Fig. 4a, Step 100), wherein said tire data comprises rolling resistance data (Fig. 4a, Step 100) of at least one tire of the vehicle;
obtain at least one adjustment parameter, wherein the at least one adjustment parameter is requirement data pertaining to the weight of the vehicle (Fig. 4b, 4c; ¶0061 “Ltotal=Measured total load on all axles”)), axle load requirements of the vehicle(Fig. 4b, 4c; “maximum allowable axle load)), and the legal requirements for the road (Fig. 4b, 4,c, ¶0050; “ a 6×2 tractor is equipped with a lift axle, a tractor can transfer load from the tag (non-driven) axle to the drive axle or vice versa to keep the assembly optimally loaded (typically with the trailer tire at the max legal axle load)”)on which the vehicle is or will be travelling,
determine an axle load adjustment action (Fig. 4d) based on the at least one adjustment parameter (Fig. 4b, 4c) and based on tire data (Fig. 4a, tire rolling resistances);
and execute said axle load adjustment action (Fig. 4d), wherein the axle load adjustment action comprises temporarily increasing of the load of the at least one axle of the vehicle (Fig. 4d; ¶0051 “ considering the rolling resistance characteristics of the tires and implementing an algorithm based on those characteristics that raises or lowers the lift axle to adjust the load placed on each of the tires.”; e.g. raising or lowering the lift axle increases the load on the lift axle).
Regarding Claim 2, Clayton further discloses wherein the increase of the load of the at least one vehicle axle is performed by lifting and/or lowering at least a part of an axle of the vehicle (Fig. 4d; ¶0051 “ considering the rolling resistance characteristics of the tires and implementing an algorithm based on those characteristics that raises or lowers the lift axle to adjust the load placed on each of the tires.”; e.g. raising or lowering the lift axle increases the load on the lift axle).
Regarding Claim 3, Clayton further discloses: wherein the axle load adjustment action (Fig. 4d; ¶0051 “ considering the rolling resistance characteristics of the tires and implementing an algorithm based on those characteristics that raises or lowers the lift axle to adjust the load placed on each of the tires.”; e.g. raising or lowering the lift axle increases the load on the lift axle) causes an increase in temperature of the at least one tire and thereby changing the rolling resistance of said tire (MPEP 2111.04(I) states “However, the court noted that a "‘whereby clause in a method claim is not given weight when it simply expresses the intended result of a process step positively recited.’" Id. (quoting Minton v. Nat’l Ass’n of Securities Dealers, Inc., 336 F.3d 1373, 1381, 67 USPQ2d 1614, 1620 (Fed. Cir. 2003)).”. In this instance, the claim limitation “causes an increase in temperature of the at least one tire and thereby changing the rolling resistance of said tire” is merely expressing the desired result of an axle load adjustment process step and is therefore not given weight. However, in the event applicant successfully traverses the applied interpretation, Examiner notes that increasing the load on the lift axle tires of the prior art vehicle control system would result in an increased temperature due to increased friction forces between the tire and the road surface, and corresponding temperature change based changes to rolling resistance of the tire(s); see ¶0006 “Because the load carried by vehicle 10 varies greatly it can be advantageous to lower a supplementary axle to avoid having the vehicle violate per axle loading limitations. Here a lift axle 26 is provided as such a supplementary axle. Those skilled in the art understand that full time use of such an axle raises vehicle operating costs due to increased rolling resistance.”)
Regarding Claim 4, Clayton further discloses: wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to:evaluate the need of an axle load adjustment action based on the tire data (Fig. 4a, Step 100), and upon determining that there is a need for an axle load adjustment action perform said axle load adjustment action (Fig. 4d)
Regarding Claim 5, Clayton further discloses: wherein the evaluation is based on tire data (Fig. 4a, Step 100)and/or one or more adjustment parameters (Fig. 4b, 4c; ¶0061 “Ltotal=Measured total load on all axles”)), axle load requirements of the vehicle(Fig. 4b, 4c; “maximum allowable axle load)), and the legal requirements for the road (Fig. 4b, 4,c, ¶0050; “ a 6×2 tractor is equipped with a lift axle, a tractor can transfer load from the tag (non-driven) axle to the drive axle or vice versa to keep the assembly optimally loaded (typically with the trailer tire at the max legal axle load)”)
Regarding Claim 6, Clayton further discloses: wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to: initiate the evaluation (¶0079-0080; “ First, the rolling resistance characteristics of the tires mounted on the lift and principal axles, as consistent with steps 100 and 200 of the flowcharts, are analyzed to see whether a case 1 or case 2 scenario is present. For example, an operator may enter the rolling resistance characteristics of the tires mounted on the principal and lift axles of the vehicle via an input device such as a keyboard, touchscreen, mouse, etc. Also, the number and type of axles on the vehicle may be entered. Alternatively, the tires mounted on the axles of the vehicle may have RFID chips that transmit to an input device such as a receiver the rolling resistance characteristics of each tire which can be stored in memory and the type of axles and number thereof could also be preprogrammed. If this method is being performed manually, then the operator takes a mental note of the rolling resistance characteristics of these tires and the number and types of axles. These and other means known in the art or that will be devised in the art could be used to accomplish steps 100 and 200 of the present invention. Given this data, the processing device such as an electronic control system or the operator then determines if any sets of tires mounted on the various axles fall into Case 1 or Case 2 categories. If so, then the appropriate algorithms that are stored in memory can be executed by the processing device and can be applied to the appropriate sets of tires matter as would be readily apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art.”), wherein the initiation is automatically performed based on data, wherein said data pertains to information relating to the initiation of the vehicle (Fig. 4a; ¶0059 “A method for using these algorithms is represented by the flow chart contained in FIGS. 4A-4D and 5A-5D. It comprises a first step 100, 200 that includes determining whether a Case 1 or Case 2 scenario is present, that is to say, whether the rolling resistance characteristics of the tires mounted on a lift axle are lower than those on a principal axle for the general case application, and for the case of a 6×2 tractor or equivalent application, whether the rolling resistance characteristics for the tires mounted on the tag axle are lower than those on a drive axle.”)
Regarding Claim 7, Clayton further discloses: wherein the determination of the axle load adjustment action is based on at least two adjustment parameters, and wherein one adjustment parameter is a predicted estimative data of energy consumption of an adjusted axle load, predicted estimative data of energy consumption of a maintained axle load and/or the difference between the predicted data of the energy consumption of a maintained axle load and the predicted data of the energy consumption of an adjusted axle load (Fig. 7, 9, 10-11 and corresponding disclosure are data indicative of energy consumption (fuel savings) for adjusting axle load(s), maintaining axle load(s), and the differences between adjusting vs maintaining axle loads for Fig. 4a case 1 and case 2 scenarios) ,
Regarding Claim 9, Clayton further discloses: wherein the determination of the axle load adjustment action is based on at least two adjustment parameters, wherein one adjustment parameter is estimated tire wear of at least one tire of the vehicle (¶0074; “ In Case 2 the load is transferred to the drive tire for simplicity, added traction and improved wear profile of the drive tire.” And “¶0070 “this generally relates to steps 290 and 292 of the flowcharts found in FIGS. 5A, 5C and 5D and keeping the load on the tag axle at Lmin helps prevent undesirable wear profiles);”)),
Regarding Claim 10, Clayton further discloses: The computer system of claim 1, wherein the at least one vehicle axle is in a push configuration or in a pull configuration (“the method takes into consideration the rolling resistance characteristics of the tires placed onto the axles of the vehicle and provides an algorithm for optimizing their rolling resistance by raising or lowering the lift axle.”; Abstract. E.g. raising (pulling) or lowering (pushing) the axle to adjust the axle load as necessary; see “The means used for lifting or lowering the lift axle include hydraulic components, pneumatic components, and mechanical linkages or combinations thereof. For examples of such systems, see U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,854,409; 5,193,063; 5,230,528 and 7,222,867.”; ¶0005))
Regarding Claim 11, Clayton further discloses: A vehicle comprising the computer system of claim 1, and at least one axle (Fig. 1-2; lift axle 26, tag axle(s) 16/18)
Regarding Claim 12, Clayton further discloses: A computer-implemented (¶0077-0078…” a program that is executed by a processing device such as an electronic control system such as that disclosed by U.S. Pat. No. 7,222,867, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference in its entirety….. an electronic control system controller (ESC)… The ESC can contain program instructions in its memory for automatic control of the lift axle.”) method (Fig. 4a-4d) for performing an axle load adjustment action (Fig. 4d adjusting axle load(s) by moving lift axle position) of at least one vehicle axle of a vehicle (“automatic control of lift axle”; Fig. 1-2, lift axle 26), comprising:
obtaining, by processing circuitry of a computer system, tire data (Fig. 4a, Step 100), wherein said tire data comprises rolling resistance data (Fig. 4a, Step 100) of at least one tire of the vehicle (Fig. 1-2, heavy duty vehicle);
obtaining, by the processing circuitry, at least one adjustment parameter, wherein the at least one adjustment parameter is requirement data pertaining to the weight of the vehicle (Fig. 4b, 4c; ¶0061 “Ltotal=Measured total load on all axles”)), axle load requirements of the vehicle(Fig. 4b, 4c; “maximum allowable axle load)), and the legal requirements for the road (Fig. 4b, 4,c, ¶0050; “ a 6×2 tractor is equipped with a lift axle, a tractor can transfer load from the tag (non-driven) axle to the drive axle or vice versa to keep the assembly optimally loaded (typically with the trailer tire at the max legal axle load)”)on which the vehicle is or will be travelling;
determining, by the processing circuitry, an axle load adjustment action (Fig. 4d) based on the at least one adjustment parameter (Fig. 4b, 4c) and based on the tire data(Fig. 4a, tire rolling resistances);
and executing, by the processing circuitry, said axle load adjustment (Fig. 4d), wherein the axle load adjustment action comprises temporarily increasing of the load of the at least one axle of the vehicle (Fig. 4d; ¶0051 “ considering the rolling resistance characteristics of the tires and implementing an algorithm based on those characteristics that raises or lowers the lift axle to adjust the load placed on each of the tires.”; e.g. raising or lowering the lift axle increases the load on the lift axle).
Regarding Claim 13, Clayton further discloses: wherein the determination of the axle load adjustment action is based on at least two adjustment parameters, wherein the method further comprises: obtaining at least one additional adjustment parameter, wherein the additional adjustment parameter is predicted estimative data of energy consumption of an adjusted axle load, predicted estimative data of energy consumption of a maintained axle load, the difference between the predicted data of the energy consumption of a maintained axle load and the predicted data of the energy consumption of an adjusted axle load, predictive data of the upcoming route of the vehicle, tire pressure, estimated tire wear of at least one tire of the vehicle and/or an optimum temperature of the at least one tire. (Fig. 7, 9, 10-11 and corresponding disclosure are data indicative of energy consumption (fuel savings) for adjusting axle load(s), maintaining axle load(s), and the differences between adjusting vs maintaining axle loads for Fig. 4a case 1 and case 2 scenarios)
Regarding Claim 14, Clayton further discloses: A computer program product comprising program code for performing, when executed by the processing circuitry, the method of claim 12 (¶0078; “The ESC can contain program instructions in its memory for automatic control of the lift axle. The instructions generated by the ESC may be coded as J1939 messages that are broadcast over the bus, and are then decoded and carried out by a solenoid controller that is connected to the bus.”)
Regarding Claim 15, Clayton further discloses: A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprising instructions, which when executed by the processing circuitry, cause the processing circuitry to perform the method of claim 12 (¶0078; “The ESC can contain program instructions in its memory for automatic control of the lift axle. The instructions generated by the ESC may be coded as J1939 messages that are broadcast over the bus, and are then decoded and carried out by a solenoid controller that is connected to the bus.”)
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) 8-9 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Clayton et al. (U.S. 2017/0029050A1) in view of Coombs (U.S. 2018/0186208A1). Coombs discloses “ In a specific example, a truck having a controllable air suspension system can follow a route defined by a series of map coordinates (e.g., determined by a GPS). The computing system controlling the air suspension system determines (e.g., via the map coordinates) that the truck has arrived at and/or will imminently arrive at an intersection, and that the truck will need to execute a turn (e.g., a turn through a subtended angle greater than a threshold angle, a turn of a sharpness exceeding a threshold sharpness, any other turn, etc.) that may require lifting of the lift axle(s). The method can include automatically lifting the lift axles in preparation for the turn. In a related specific example, the method can include determining that the truck is arriving at a loading/unloading depot or other destination at which maneuvering for trailer/load drop-off will likely be performed, and automatically lifting the lift axle(s) in preparation for maneuvering, and/or automatically adjusting the vehicle ride height (e.g., using load data gathered from air springs and/or jacks to inform the operator how to optimize the distribution of the existing or future vehicle load).” (¶0039) and “ the method can include automatically optimizing lift axle deployment and suspension height based on real-time conditions during driving (e.g., terrain conditions, weather conditions, etc.). Based on the planned route (e.g., retrieved from a database, determined from the onboard GPS-enabled computing system, etc.), in combination with weather data along the planned route (e.g., retrieved from a weather forecast database, measured using onboard weather sensors, etc.), the method can include optimizing (e.g., by actuating the air suspension system) vehicle height and/or loading on the lift axles and drive axles” (¶0041) and “variants of the system and method can enable the performance quality characteristics (e.g., health, wear, etc.) of system components (e.g., tires, fluid springs, fluid jacks, etc.) to be monitored and reported to a user or other entity associated with the vehicle. These characteristics can enable the vehicle and/or components to be serviced (e.g., repaired, replaced) prior to failures or other undesirable component performance degradation. For example, variants of the system and method can: sense temperature (e.g., internal temperature, fluid temperature, housing temperature) of components to determine a history of thermal cycling associated with the components; sense vertical acceleration and pressure fluctuation and determine rough and/or smooth road operation history; sense pressure in suspension elements (e.g., springs, tires) to determine load variation over time; and use the aforementioned characteristics (e.g., in combination with data from component manufacturers) to estimate the remaining life of the components (e.g., tires, air springs, dampers, bushings, etc.)” (¶0037) and “Block S110 can include Block S112, which includes: determining a contextual dataset. Block S112 functions to determine parameters related to the context of vehicle operation. The contextual dataset can include: any of the vehicle condition parameters described above, historical data related to the vehicle (e.g., maintenance records, performance history, etc.), data pertaining to the physical surroundings of the vehicle (e.g., positions of surrounding vehicles or roadway features relative to the vehicle, traffic characteristics in the region local to the vehicle, light levels surrounding the vehicle, proximity of pedestrians to the vehicle, etc.), and any other suitable data related to the context of the vehicle.” (¶0050)
Regarding Claim 8, Clayton discloses all the elements of Claim 1 as indicated above but does not explicitly teach: wherein the determination of the axle load adjustment action is based on at least two adjustment parameters, wherein one adjustment parameter is predictive data of the upcoming route of the vehicle.
Coombs teaches: wherein the determination of the axle load adjustment action is based on at least two adjustment parameters, wherein one adjustment parameter is predictive data of the upcoming route of the vehicle. (¶0039 and ¶0041; control of load adjustment based on current and future route details) in order to “enable automated suspension adjustment and/or lift axle deployment, resulting in increased regulatory compliance, gas consumption optimization, and vehicle performance” (¶0033) and in order to “automatically optimizing lift axle deployment and suspension height based on real-time conditions during driving” (¶0041; current and future).
It would have been obvious to one with ordinary skill in the art at the time of filing of the invention to have modified the automatic vehicle load distribution system of Clayton to incorporate the teachings of Coombs to include wherein the determination of the axle load adjustment action is based on at least two adjustment parameters, wherein one adjustment parameter is predictive data of the upcoming route of the vehicle. (¶0039 and ¶0041; control of load adjustment based on current and future route details) in order to “enable automated suspension adjustment and/or lift axle deployment, resulting in increased regulatory compliance, gas consumption optimization, and vehicle performance” (¶0033) and in order to “automatically optimizing lift axle deployment and suspension height based on real-time conditions during driving” (¶0041; current and future).
Regarding Claim 9, Clayton discloses all the elements of Claim 1 as indicated above but does not explicitly teach: wherein the determination of the axle load adjustment action is based on at least two adjustment parameters, wherein one adjustment parameter is, the tire pressure and/or an optimum temperature of the at least one tire.
Coombs teaches: wherein the determination of the axle load adjustment action(Fig. 9, S143) is based on at least two adjustment parameters, wherein one adjustment parameter is, the tire pressure (¶0037, tire pressure) and/or an optimum temperature of the at least one tire (¶0037, tire temperature) in order to “enable automated suspension adjustment and/or lift axle deployment, resulting in increased regulatory compliance, gas consumption optimization, and vehicle performance” (¶0033)
It would have been obvious to one with ordinary skill in the art at the time of filing of the invention to have modified the automatic vehicle load distribution system of Clayton to incorporate the teachings of Coombs to include wherein the determination of the axle load adjustment action is based on at least two adjustment parameters, wherein one adjustment parameter is, the tire pressure and/or an optimum temperature of the at least one tire in order to “enable automated suspension adjustment and/or lift axle deployment, resulting in increased regulatory compliance, gas consumption optimization, and vehicle performance” (¶0033)
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Santhosh (WO2013190570A1) discloses “The invention provides a load distribution system and method for distributing load between two or more axles of a vehicle. The load distribution system comprises one or more tyre pressure detection devices, wherein at least one tyre pressure detection device of the one or more tyre pressure detection devices is configured to monitor tyre pressure of one or more tyres of the plurality of tyres. The load distribution system further comprises a control unit configured to control the at least one suspension based on a rolling resistance force at at least one tyre of the plurality of tyres, wherein the control unit is configured to estimate the rolling resistance force based on the tyre pressure of the at least one tyre, and wherein the control unit is configured to control the at least one suspension for distributing a load between at least two axles of the three or more axles.” (Abstract)
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to BRIAN R KIRBY whose telephone number is (571)270-3665. The examiner can normally be reached Telework: M-F, 9a-5p.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Lindsay Low can be reached at 571-272-1196. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/BRIAN R KIRBY/Examiner, Art Unit 3747
/LINDSAY M LOW/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3747