Ford Global Technologies, LLC

Patent Trials and Appeals Board

Mar 23, 2022

2021004788 (P.T.A.B. Mar. 23, 2022)

UNITED STATES PATENT AND TRADEMARK OFFICE UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE United States Patent and Trademark Office Address: COMMISSIONER FOR PATENTS P.O. Box 1450 Alexandria, Virginia 22313-1450 www.uspto.gov APPLICATION NO. FILING DATE FIRST NAMED INVENTOR ATTORNEY DOCKET NO. CONFIRMATION NO. 15/951,366 04/12/2018 Mark G. SMITH 83951155 5621 28395 7590 03/23/2022 BROOKS KUSHMAN P.C./FGTL 1000 TOWN CENTER 22ND FLOOR SOUTHFIELD, MI 48075-1238 EXAMINER LING, FOR K. ART UNIT PAPER NUMBER 3763 NOTIFICATION DATE DELIVERY MODE 03/23/2022 ELECTRONIC Please find below and/or attached an Office communication concerning this application or proceeding. The time period for reply, if any, is set in the attached communication. Notice of the Office communication was sent electronically on above-indicated "Notification Date" to the following e-mail address(es): docketing@brookskushman.com PTOL-90A (Rev. 04/07) UNITED STATES PATENT AND TRADEMARK OFFICE BEFORE THE PATENT TRIAL AND APPEAL BOARD Ex parte MARK G. SMITH, CHRIS GEORGE OEHRING, JASBIR JAGLAN, and ANGEL FERNANDO Appeal 2021-004788 Application 15/951,366 Technology Center 3700 Before MICHAEL L. HOELTER, CARL M. DeFRANCO, and LEE L. STEPINA, Administrative Patent Judges. STEPINA, Administrative Patent Judge. DECISION ON APPEAL STATEMENT OF THE CASE Pursuant to 35 U.S.C. § 134(a), Appellant1 appeals from the Examiner’s decision to reject claims 1-3, 5, 8-11, and 212. We have jurisdiction under 35 U.S.C. § 6(b). We reverse. 1 We use the word “Appellant” to refer to “applicant” as defined in 37 C.F.R. § 1.42 (2022). Appellant identifies Ford Global Technologies, LLC as the real party in interest. Appeal Br. 1. 2 Claims 4, 6, 7, 12, and 13 are cancelled, and claims 14-20 are withdrawn. Appeal Br. i-vi (Claims App.). Appeal 2021-004788 Application 15/951,366 2 CLAIMED SUBJECT MATTER Appellant’s disclosure is directed to “operation of blower motors, and more particularly, to operation of blower motors in hybrid electric vehicles as a function of ambient temperature and vehicle operation mode.” Spec. ¶ 1. Claim 1, reproduced below, is illustrative of the claimed subject matter. 1. A method of operating a vehicle climate system, comprising: by a controller, responsive to a same blower motor request, receiving at the controller a signal indicative of an engine coolant temperature (ECT) and a signal indicative of a heater core temperature (HCT); operating a blower motor at a first speed responsive to a heater core isolation valve (HCIV) directing coolant used to heat a cabin to an engine when ECT > HCT; and operating the blower motor at a second speed less than the first speed responsive to the HCIV directing the coolant to an electric heater and not to the engine when ECT