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 § 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) 1, 9 and 17 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over CN 109501700 to Zang, Zi-cheng et al. (Zang) in view of US 2023/0023550 to Robinson et al. (Robinson).
In Reference to Claim 1, 9 and 17
Zang discloses:
A powertrain system, comprising:
an internal combustion engine that includes a set of one or more cylinders (Zang discloses a monitoring system for a vehicle that produces exhaust gas that needs to be treated but does not disclose a engine);
an exhaust system (aftertreatment system) that defines an exhaust flow path for exhaust gases produced by the set of cylinders of the engine, wherein the exhaust system includes:
a regenerative soot filter located along the exhaust flow path (monitoring module is used to analyze a system that includes a DPF),
an exhaust temperature sensor (DPF inlet temperature located along the exhaust flow path that provides a measurement of an exhaust temperature, see paragraph [0010],
an upstream exhaust pressure sensor located along the exhaust flow path upstream of the regenerative soot filter that provides a measurement of an upstream exhaust pressure, and a downstream exhaust pressure sensor located along the exhaust flow path downstream of the regenerative soot filter that provides a measurement of a downstream exhaust pressure, see paragraph [0010] and [0022], discloses data being collected and monitored identified as inlet and outlet pressure difference of the catalyst;
an operator interface (display, see paragraph [0010]); and
an electronic control system 101 configured to:
determine a pressure differential across the regenerative soot filter based on the upstream exhaust pressure and the downstream exhaust pressure, see paragraph [0022];
determine a counter value (DPF regeneration counter) representing a regeneration status of the regenerative soot filter based on the exhaust temperature and the pressure differential across the regenerative soot filter; and
output the counter value representing the regeneration status via the operator interface, display.
Zang does not disclose a engine explicitly or sensors In the exhaust.
Robinson discloses:
Engine 12 and aftertreatment system 18 with a controller 30, see paragraph [0020], [0021].
At the time claimed invention was filed it would have been obvious to an artisan of ordinary skill to recognize that aftertreatment system requires a engine that produces exhaust and sensors in the exhaust , combine the teachings of Robinson with Zang, since this would enable the practitioner of the primary reference to practice the advantage of providing exhaust gases and propulsion for the vehicle.
Claim(s) 8 and 16 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over CN 109501700 to Zang, Zi-cheng et al. (Zang) in view of US 2023/0023550 to Robinson et al. (Robinson) as applied to claim 1 and 9, further in view of JP 3938865 to JP Reference.
In Reference to Claim 8 and 16
Zang does not disclose:
wherein the electronic control system is further configured to output a warning message or an alert message via the operator interface responsive to the counter value attaining or exceeding a threshold.
JP Reference discloses:
wherein the electronic control system 12 is further configured to output a warning message or an alert message (warning lamp) via the operator interface responsive to the counter value (regeneration determination counter) attaining or exceeding a threshold (see paragraph [0062]).
At the time claimed invention was filed it would have been obvious to an artisan of ordinary skill to , combine the teachings of *JP Reference with Zang, since this would enable the practitioner of the primary reference to practice the advantage of determining if the vehicle should proceed into a travel state or not due to the regeneration of the filter of Zeng.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 2-7, 10-15, 18-20 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 primarily because the prior art of record cannot anticipate Applicant’s claimed invention by a single reference nor render Applicant’s claimed invention obvious by the combination of more than one reference.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter:
Furthermore, the prior art of record does not teach “wherein the electronic control system is further configured to: attribute a portion of the pressure differential due to soot accumulation at the regenerative soot filter; wherein the electronic control system is configured to determine the counter value based on the portion of the pressure differential attributed to soot accumulation at the regenerative soot filter. ” as within the context of the claimed invention as disclosed and within the context of the other limitations present in claim 2 and 10 and 18;
The prior art of record does not teach “wherein the electronic control system is further configured to determine the counter value representing the regeneration status by: applying a counter rate to a previous counter value to obtain the counter value; and determining the counter rate based on the exhaust temperature and the portion of the pressure differential attributed to soot accumulation at the regenerative soot filter; wherein the exhaust temperature defines an upward or downward direction of the counter rate, and wherein the pressure differential attributed to soot accumulation at the regenerative soot filter defines a magnitude of the counter rate.” as within the context of the claimed invention as disclosed and within the context of the other limitations present in claim 7 and 15; and
Therefore, the prior art of record cannot anticipate Applicant’s claimed invention by a single reference nor render Applicant’s claimed invention obvious by the combination of more than one reference.
Any comments considered necessary by applicant must be submitted no later than the payment of the issue fee and, to avoid processing delays, should preferably accompany the issue fee. Such submissions should be clearly labeled “Comments on Statement of Reasons for Allowance.”
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ANTHONY AYALA DELGADO whose telephone number is (571)270-3452. The examiner can normally be reached on Mon-Fri 8:00-5:00.
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/ANTHONY AYALA DELGADO/
Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3746
