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 § 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.
Claim(s) 1-9, 11, 14 and 15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by US 2012/0291424 to Inuzuka et al. (Inuzuka)
In Reference to Claim 1 and 11
Inuzuka discloses
A method for controlling a multi-fuel engine system configured to use gas fuel and hydrogen, the method comprising:
detecting maximum pressure and center of combustion of a cylinder during operation of the multi-fuel engine system; see paragraph [0066], and
determining a proportion of hydrogen to be mixed with gas fuel, based on the maximum pressure and the center of combustion, which are detected, of the cylinder, see paragraph [0066], discloses in cylinder pressure determined where the catalyst which produces the reforming fuel which would be mixed with fuel at 17, see fig.1
In Reference to Claim 2
Inuzuka discloses
wherein whether a condition in which hydrogen is allowed to be mixed with the gas fuel is satisfied, is determined, and wherein the proportion of hydrogen to be mixed with the gas fuel is determined depending on whether the condition in which hydrogen is allowed to be mixed with the gas fuel is satisfied, see Fig.12 step 206.
In Reference to Claim 3
Inuzuka discloses
wherein the condition in which hydrogen is allowed to be mixed with the gas fuel is a condition in which the detected maximum pressure of the cylinder is at most design pressure of the cylinder, and the detected center of combustion is at least set center of combustion, see paragraph [0066] discloses the combustion parameter being used includes maximum combustion pressure and combustion center.
In Reference to Claim 4
Inuzuka discloses
wherein the proportion of hydrogen is increased to be maintained to be at most a set proportion, when the condition in which hydrogen is allowed to be mixed with the g as fuel is satisfied, step 203.
In Reference to Claim 5
Inuzuka discloses
whether the condition in which hydrogen 23 is allowed to be mixed with the gas fuel is satisfied, is re-determined after the proportion of hydrogen is increased, andwherein the proportion of hydrogen is decreased to the proportion of hydrogen before the proportion of hydrogen is increased, when the condition in which hydrogen is allowed to be mixed with the gas fuel is not satisfied, see Fig.13 when a deterioration condition is met the opening degree of EGR is 0 and the injection amount of reforming fuel is set to zero.
In Reference to Claim 6
Inuzuka discloses
wherein an EGR is detected during the operation of the multi-fuel engine system, an EGR rate is increased to be maintained to be at most a set EGR rate, and the proportion of hydrogen is increased based on the increased EGR rate, see the normal mode the EGR valve is set to 0 when the reforming mode is activated the the EGR valve opens which increases the EGR rate.
In Reference to Claim 7
Inuzuka discloses
wherein the EGR rate is increased to be maintained to be at most the set EGR rate, when the condition in which hydrogen is allowed to be mixed with the gas fuel is not satisfied, and wherein whether the condition in which hydrogen is allowed to be mixed with the gas fuel is satisfied, is re-determined, after the EGR rate is increased, see step 12.
In Reference to Claim 8
Inuzuka discloses
wherein the proportion of hydrogen is increased based on the increased EGR rate, to be maintained to be at most a set proportion, when the condition in which hydrogen is allowed to be mixed with the gas fuel is satisfied, after the EGR rate is increased, see step 201-206 if its determined to be the conditioned are safe the hydrogen is kept producing.
In Reference to Claim 9
Inuzuka discloses
wherein the EGR rate is decreased to the EGR rate before the EGR rate is increased, when the condition for allowing hydrogen to be mixed with the gas fuel is not satisfied after the EGR rate is increased, see Fig.13.
In Reference to Claim 11
Inuzuka discloses
A multi-fuel engine system comprising:
a cylinder including a combustion chamber, see paragraph [0033], an intake port 15 communicating with the combustion chamber, and an exhaust port 19 communicating with the combustion chamber;
a gas inflow valve 17 configured to inject at least one of gas fuel or a mixture of the gas fuel and hydrogen into the intake port; and
a controller 34 configured to determine a proportion of hydrogen to be mixed with the gas fuel, based on maximum pressure of the cylinder, and center of combustion of the cylinder, see paragraph [0066].
In Reference to Claim 14
Inuzuka discloses
wherein the controller is configured to: detect an EGR rate (degree of opening of EGR valve) during an operation of the multi-fuel engine system, increase the EGR rate to be maintained to be at most a set EGR rate; and increase the proportion of hydrogen based on the increased EGR rate, see Fig.13.
In Reference to Claim 15
Inuzuka discloses
wherein the controller is configured to:
determine whether a condition in which hydrogen is allowed to be mixed with the gas fuel is satisfied during an operation of the multi-fuel engine system; and
determine a proportion of hydrogen to be mixed with the gas fuel, depending on whether the condition in which hydrogen is allowed to be mixed with gas fuel is satisfied, step 206.
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) 12 and 13 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over US 2012/0291424 to Inuzuka et al. (Inuzuka) in view of US2022/0074357 to Xie et al.(Xie)
In Reference to Claim 12
Inuzuka discloses:
a gas fuel supply source (fuel tank, see paragraph [0036]) fluidly connected to the gas inflow valve through a gas fuel supply pipe;
a gas fuel control valve 17 disposed in the gas fuel supply pipe;
a hydrogen supply source 29 fluidly connected to the gas inflow valve through a hydrogen supply pipe 24; and
a hydrogen control valve 25 disposed in the hydrogen supply pipe,
wherein the controller is configured to control a flow rate control valve in the gas fuel supply pipe and a flow rate control value in the hydrogen supply pipe.
Inuzuka does not disclose:
“gas fuel supply pipe”
Xie discloses:
A gas pipe connected from the gas tank to the carburetor, see paragraph [0093]
At the time claimed invention was filed it would have been obvious to an artisan of ordinary skill to include a gas fuel supply pipe, combine the teachings of Xie with Inuzuka, since this would enable the practitioner of the primary reference to practice the advantage of supplying gas fuel to the fuel injector 17.
In Reference to Claim 13
Inuzuka discloses:
wherein the gas fuel supply pipe and the hydrogen supply pipe are jointed with each other in a main supply pipe 15, and wherein the main supply pipe is linked to the gas inflow valve.
Reasons for Allowance
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter:
Claim 10 is 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.
Furthermore, the prior art of record does not teach “wherein whether an inlet-side temperature of a turbine of a turbocharger is at most a set temperature, when the condition for allowing hydrogen to be mixed with the gas fuel is satisfied, after the EGR rate is increased, wherein the proportion of hydrogen is increased, based on the increased EGR rate, to be maintained to be at moat the set proportion, when the intake-side temperature of the turbine is at most the set temperature, and wherein the EGR rate is decreased to an EGR rate before the EGR rate is decreased, when the inlet-side temperature of the turbine exceeds the set temperature.” as within the context of the claimed invention as disclosed and within the context of the other limitations present in claim 10;
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
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