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
Claims 2-4 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 2-3 requires the pairing signal to be transmitted when in a time until the movable body arrives at the supply. This limitation appears to further limit an optional configuration of claim 1 (i.e. time or distance). It is unclear if claim 3 requires the pairing signal to be sent based on a time and not distance or rather further limits an optional configuration. It is therefore unclear how the limitations of claim 3 are combined with those of claim 1. This defect is present in claim 2 where further limitations are directed to the distance configuration. In the case of claim 2 the limitations address the distance configuration. In claim 2 it is unclear if claim 2 requires the pairing signal to be sent based on a distance and not time or rather further limits an optional configuration.
Claim 4 recites the paring signal is sent when in a weak coupling state, however the parent claim recites the pairing signal is sent when distance or time condition is met. It is unclear if claim 4 requires two conditions (i.e. distance and weak coupling for example) to be met (i.e. time or distance and weak coupling) or if this merely another alternative of a condition for pairing. It is therefore unclear how the limitations of claim 4 are to be combined with the parent claim.
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.
Claims 1, and 5-6 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Sakakibara (US 20210306209).
With respect to claims 1, and 5-6 Sakakibara teaches contactless electric power transmission system that supplies electric power in a contactless manner (see Fig. 1) from an electric power supply device provided on a movement path (road surface paragraph 0028) of a movable body (2) to an electric power reception device (20) provided on the movable body (2), wherein the electric power reception device comprises: a control portion (10) that transmits a pairing signal (paragraph 0040) to the electric power supply device from the electric power reception device when a distance in accordance with a position of the movable body and an installation position of the electric power supply device is less than a threshold value (see within certain range paragraph 0040), and shifts an operation mode of the electric power reception device to an electric power reception mode when a reply to the pairing signal from the electric power supply device is obtained (see power transmission from coil when vehicle is aligned and paired).
Claims 1-2, 5-6 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Dow (US 20230166618).
With respect to claims 1, and 5-6 Dow teaches contactless electric power transmission system that supplies electric power in a contactless manner (see Fig. 4) from an electric power supply device provided on a movement path (see lane 440 see paragraph 0039) of a movable body (440) to an electric power reception device (213) provided on the movable body, wherein the electric power reception device comprises: a control portion (see control communication device) that transmits a pairing signal (see negotiation signals paragraph 0147-150) to the electric power supply device from the electric power reception device when a distance in accordance with a position of the movable body and an installation position of the electric power supply device is less than a threshold value (see first distance s610 or further see alignment distance associated with high power changing), and shifts an operation mode of the electric power reception device to an electric power reception mode when a reply to the pairing signal from the electric power supply device is obtained (see s650, s690 or s560 for example).
With respect to claim 2 Dow further teaches a position detection portion that detects a position of the electric power supply device which is present in a traveling direction of the movable body based on the position of the movable body and map information and/or detects the position of the electric power supply device based on an analysis result of an image (see paragraph 0180, 214-217) captured by a camera (see for example Fig. 2) mounted on the movable body, wherein the control portion transmits the pairing signal (see negotiation signals paragraph 0147-150) when a distance to the position corresponding to the installation position of the electric power supply device detected by the position detection portion is less than a predetermined distance.
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 3 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Dow in view of Park (US 20190248251).
With respect to claim 3 Dow teaches the Dow further teaches a position detection portion that detects a position of the electric power supply device which is present in a traveling direction of the movable body based on the position of the movable body and map information and/or detects the position of the electric power supply device based on an analysis result of an image (see paragraph 0180, 214-217) captured by a camera (see for example Fig. 2) mounted on the movable body. Dow does not teach the paring when a time until the moving body arrives. Park teaches (paragraph 0122) the known use of a when a time until the movable body arrives at the electric power supply device detected by the position detection portion is less than a predetermined time. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the invention to modify Dow use a time until arrival for the benefit of improving initial transmission efficiency.
Claim 4 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Dow in view of Wik (US 20150023204).
With respect to claim 4 Dow teaches the power transmission system however does not teach the transmission of the paring signal relative to the coupling state of the of the supply and receiver. Wik teaches a control portion transmits the pairing signal from the electric power reception device to the electric power supply device when being in a weak coupling state (see paragraph 0062) coupled with the electric power supply device by a weak magnetic field in a predetermined range (see Fig. 4). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the invention to modify Dow to transmit ta pairing signal when in a weak coupling state for the benefit of increased automation to error and increase security (paragraph 0002).
Conclusion
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MICHAEL FIN
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 2836
/MICHAEL R. FIN/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2836