Patent Application 17801657 - DRIVE MODULE FOR A SELF-DRIVING VEHICLE AND - Rejection

Patent Application 17801657 - DRIVE MODULE FOR A SELF-DRIVING VEHICLE AND

Title: DRIVE MODULE FOR A SELF-DRIVING VEHICLE, AND SELF-DRIVING VEHICLE

Application Information

• Invention Title: DRIVE MODULE FOR A SELF-DRIVING VEHICLE, AND SELF-DRIVING VEHICLE
• Application Number: 17801657
• Submission Date: 2025-05-12T00:00:00.000Z
• Effective Filing Date: 2022-08-23T00:00:00.000Z
• Filing Date: 2022-08-23T00:00:00.000Z
• National Class: 104
• National Sub-Class: 090000
• Examiner Employee Number: 68935
• Art Unit: 3615
• Tech Center: 3600

Rejection Summary

• 102 Rejections: 1
• 103 Rejections: 2

Cited Patents

The following patents were cited in the rejection:

• US 4002181🔗

Office Action Text

    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 .

Information Disclosure Statement
All references in the information disclosure statements (IDSs) submitted on 8/23/2022, 10/4/2022, 10/12/2023 and 11/8/2024 have been considered except as noted on the attached annotated form PTO-1449.
Citation C1 on the IDS filed 11/8/2024 was not considered because the document is not in English.
Citation 1 under U.S. Patent Application Publications on the IDS filed 10/12/2023 was not considered because the subject matter of the document, liquid injecting apparatus for a print head, is completely unrelated  to the subject matter of the instant application.  Based on a review of the file record it is believed that there was a typographical error in the document number (the last 3 digits of the document number appear to be transposed), and applicant intended to cite the Collie reference US 20170072969.  The Collie reference has been cited on the attached form PTO-892 to make it of record.

Claim Objections

Claim 24 is objected to because of the following informalities: 
On line 1 of the claim, “herein” should read “wherein”.
Appropriate correction is required.


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 14-21 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 14 recites “a first electric motor”.  It is unclear how this is related to the previously recited “an electric motor” on line 4 of claim 13.
Claim 21 recites “a first electric motor” and “a second electric motor”.  It is unclear how these are related to the previously recited “an electric motor” on line 4 of claim 13.

Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
(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) 13 and 21-24 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Collie US 20170072969.
	Regarding claim 13, the Collie reference discloses a drive module for a self-driving vehicle 10 of an elevated-track-type support structure (figure 1), the drive module being configured to be connected to a support arm 21 for a gondola (Passenger carrying pod, see paragraph 0016) from an overhead track 11, the drive module comprising: a lifting device 16-18, which is at least indirectly able to be driven by an electric motor 18 and configured to move the support arm between a raised driving position and a lowered loading or unloading position for the gondola (paragraph 0017).
	Regarding claim 21, the drive module has a first electric motor 30 configured to move the gondola along the support structure, and the lifting device is configured to be driven using a second electric motor 18.
	Regarding claim 22, the lifting device has a cable or chain drive 16/117 for lowering or raising the gondola.
Regarding claim 23, the drive module has a closed housing (Figure 1).
Regarding claim 24, the Collie reference discloses a self-driving vehicle 10, comprising: a gondola (Passenger carrying pod, see paragraph 0016) connected to a support arm 21; and a drive module connected to the support arm, wherein the drive module includes a lifting device 16-18, which is at least indirectly able to be driven by an electric motor 18 and configured to move the support arm between a raised driving position and a lowered loading or unloading position for the gondola (paragraph 0017); wherein the support arm is movable relative to the drive module using the lifting device, and the support arm is configured to be coupled with the drive module using a coupling (attachment point between 17 and upper bar of 21, see figure 2).

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) 14-15 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Collie in view of DE 4002181 (Ohara et al).
	As described above, the Collie reference discloses all of the features claimed except for the use of drive module having a first electric motor configured to move the gondola along the support structure with the lifting device is at least indirectly drivable by the first electric motor.  The Collie reference discloses a separate motor for driving and lifting.  Ohara teaches the use of using a single electric motor 8 to both propel the vehicle and operate the lifting device (paragraph 0015 of translation).  It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filling date of the claimed invention, to have modified Collie to include the use of using a single electric motor 8 to both propel the vehicle and operate the lifting device, as taught by Ohara, in order to simplify the design and control of the driving and lifting functions of the vehicle.
	Regarding claim 15, the resultant combination of Ohara and Collie disclose that the first electric motor is configured to be alternately coupled with drive elements for the gondola or the lifting device via gear unit having at least two coupling devices (paragraphs 0027 & 0032-0033 of translation).

Claim(s) 25 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Collie in view of Akiyama US 20220033231 A1.
The Collie reference, as described above, discloses all of the features claimed except for the use of the coupling including a centering aid.  The coupling shown in figure 2 of Collie is simply illustrated as a rectangle structure between cable 17 and the top arm of 21, with no further details illustrated or described.  The Akiyama reference (paragraphs 0018-0019 & 0069-0071), discloses the use of a load leveling device 104 interposed as part of the coupling structure between a support line 216 and hoisting object support lines to be well known in the art, in order to compensate for load shifts of the conveyed article, which can de-center the load handler and ensure proper orientation of the article being conveyed when it is unloaded.  It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filling date of the claimed invention, to have modified Collie to include the use of a centering aid as part of the coupling, as taught by Akiyama, in order to compensate for load shifts of the conveyed article, which can de-center the load handler and ensure proper orientation of the article being conveyed when it is unloaded.

Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 16-20 would be allowable if rewritten to overcome the rejection(s) under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), 2nd paragraph, set forth in this Office action and to include all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.

Conclusion

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S. JOSEPH MORANO
Supervisory Patent Examiner
Art Unit 3617



/S. Joseph Morano/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3615