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 .
Response to Amendment
This office action has been issued in response to the amendment filed on August 27, 2025.
Claims 1, 4-5 and 8-9 are pending.
Applicant’s arguments have been carefully and respectfully considered. Rejections have been maintained where arguments were not persuasive. Also, new rejections based on the amended claims have been set forth. Accordingly, claims 1, 4-5 and 8-9 are rejected, and this action is made FINAL, as necessitated by amendment.
Response to Arguments
Amendments to the claims overcome the previous 112(b) and 101 rejections. Accordingly, the 112(b) and 101 rejections have been withdrawn.
Applicant argues the subject matter of amended claim 1 would not have been obvious over the asserted combinations of Birek, Kanamori, and Blain for at least the following reasons. The prior art fails to teach or suggest "determine whether the vehicle includes the portable power supply apparatus based on the vehicle information in a case where the processor has received the input signal, and cause the display [of the vehicle] to display an instruction message relating to preparation of the external power supply using the portable power supply apparatus in response to a determination that the vehicle includes the portable power supply apparatus" as recited in amended claim 1.
In response, Birek et al. (US 2019/0143831) discloses causing a display (300) of a vehicle (10) (Fig.2) (Par.56 and 61) to display a screen in response to a determination that the vehicle (10) has not previously experienced external power supply (Par.114-116).
Chauhdary et al. (US 2014/0354235) discloses the currently amended limitation: determining whether a processor has received an input signal indicating that the user has selected to charge the vehicle (Par.72).
Blain (US 2011/0145141) teaches causing a display to display an instruction message relating to preparation of an external power supply (Par.121) (Fig.13A).
Newly found prior art Vahedi et al. (US 2021/0008987) discloses the currently amended limitation of: determining whether the vehicle includes an external power supply being a portable power supply apparatus (Par.191-193).
Claim 1 is rejected under Birek in view of Chauhdary, Blain and Vahedi as seen below.
Applicant argues, Blain fails to teach or suggest "the processor controls an operation of the display such that a display screen of the display transitions to change the displayed instruction message in response to a completion of each preparation task by the user related to the preparation of the external power supply" as recited in amended claim 1. Blain merely teaches that a display 80 of a vehicle recharge station 220 displays a user interface screen, and that the user interface screen includes a screen 407 that provides station availability, station time remaining, and instructions to a user of the recharge station, a screen 415 that indicates that the connection of a vehicle plug to station 1 is recognized with various available recharge times and such, and a screen 433 that displays a start button for starting power supply to a vehicle (see, Blain at paragraphs [0120]-[0128] and in FIGS. 13A, 13E, and 13H). Blain fails to teach "the processor controls an operation of the display such that a display screen of the display transitions to change the displayed instruction message in response to a completion of each preparation task by the user related to the preparation of the external power supply" as recited in amended claim 1.
In response, Blain discloses a display screen is transitioned to change the displayed instruction message in response to a completion of each preparation task by the user related to the preparation of the external power supply (Fig.13A) (Par.121; First the display screen 407 instructs a user to plug a vehicle.) (Par.124; After it is detected that the vehicle has been plugged, “the CPU 100 switches the user interface to screen 415”) (Fig.13E) (Par.126; After the user follows the steps of screen 415 the program continues automatically to screen 419.) (Fig.13F) (Par.128; After the last step in screen 421 the display will go back to screen 407).
Therefore, Blain discloses automatically transitioning displayed instruction messages once the current instruction has been completed.
Claim Objections
Claim 9 recites the limitation “the target device" in Line 7. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
For purpose of examination the limitation of Claim 9, Line 7 is interpreted as reciting: a target device.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
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.
Claims 1 and 8-9 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Birek et al. (US 2019/0143831) in view of Chauhdary et al. (US 2014/0354235), Blain (US 2011/0145141) and Vahedi et al. (US 2021/0008987).
Claims 1 and 8: Birek teaches a vehicle (10) (Fig.1) comprising:
a display (300) (Fig.2) (Par.61);
a memory (230) (Par.65);
the memory (230) storing history information and vehicle information (Par.116-117), the history information indicating whether the vehicle has previously experienced external power supply via a portable power supply apparatus (Par.116); and
a processor (220) (Par.65) configured to:
acquire the history information and the vehicle information from the memory (230) (Par.65; Information to perform the method by the processor is obtained from the memory.) (Par.116-117; The information includes history and vehicle information.);
determine whether the vehicle (10) has previously experienced external power supply based on history information (Par.114-116);
cause the display (300) to display a screen in response to a determination that the vehicle (10) has not previously experienced the external power supply (Par.114-116; Charge remainder output on the display.).
Birek does not explicitly teach wherein the selection screen includes an acceptance icon to prompt a user to accept experiencing the external power supply by the vehicle; determine whether the processor has received an input signal indicating that the user has selected the acceptance icon in a case where the processor has received the input signal; comprising an operation button associated with the display, wherein the processor is further configured to receive the input signal from the operation button, the input signal indicating that the acceptance icon is selected by the user.
Chauhdary teaches a selection screen includes an acceptance icon (Fig.9; Attempt charging) to prompt a user to accept experiencing the external power supply by a vehicle (Par.68); determine whether a processor has received an input signal indicating that the user has selected the acceptance icon in a case where the processor has received the input signal (Par.72); comprising an operation button associated with the display (Fig.9), wherein the processor is further configured to receive the input signal from the operation button, the input signal indicating that the acceptance icon is selected by the user (Par.70).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to have had the teachings of Chauhdary in the system of Birek to have had allowed a user to accept or decline the charging recommendation (Par.68); and have had started a process for charging only after acceptance is received (Par.73-74) thereby preventing time/computing power waste when charging will not be occurring.
The combination of Birek in view of Chauhdary does not explicitly teach cause the display to display an instruction message relating to preparation of the external power supply using the portable power supply apparatus in response to a determination that the vehicle includes the portable power supply apparatus, wherein the processor controls an operation of the display such that a display screen of the display transitions to change the displayed instruction message in response to a completion of each preparation task by the user related to the preparation of the external power supply.
Blain teaches causing a display to display an instruction message relating to preparation of an external power supply (Par.121) (Fig.13A), wherein a processor controls an operation of the display such that a display screen of the display transitions to change the displayed instruction message in response to a completion of each preparation task by the user related to the preparation of the external power supply (Par.121, 127 and 129) (Fig.13A, 13E, 13G).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to have had the teachings of Blain in the combination of Birek in view of Chauhdary to have had provided step by step instructions to a user of the external power supply (Par.10) thereby ensuring proper charging operation.
Furthermore, the combination of Birek in view of Chauhdary and Blain does not explicitly teach the vehicle information indicating whether the vehicle includes the portable power supply apparatus; and determine whether the vehicle includes the portable power supply apparatus based on the vehicle information.
Vahedi teaches vehicle information indicating whether the vehicle includes a portable power supply apparatus (1200) (Par.185) (Fig.12); determine whether the vehicle includes the portable power supply apparatus based on the vehicle information (Par.191-193).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to have had the teachings of Vahedi in the combination of Birek in view of Chauhdary and Blain to have had determined a presence of a portable charging unit within or in proximity of the vehicle (Par.193) thereby not requiring the user to travel to a charger to begin the recommended charging.
Claim 9: Birek in view of Chauhdary, Blain and Vahedi teach the limitations of claim 1 as disclosed above. The combination of Birek in view of Chauhdary does not explicitly teach wherein the instruction message includes a first message prompting the user to connect a connector of the portable power supply apparatus to a first outlet of the vehicle, and a second message prompting the user to press a start button provided on the portable power supply apparatus, a third message prompting the user to insert a plug of the target device to a second outlet of the portable power supply apparatus; and the processor is further configured to control the operation of the display such that the display screen automatically transitions from a first screen indicating the first message to a second screen indicating the second message once the user has completed the connecting of the connector, and the display screen automatically transitions from the second screen to a third screen indicating the third message once the user has completed the pressing of the start button.
Blain teaches the instruction message includes a first message prompting the user to connect a connector of the external power supply apparatus to a first outlet of the vehicle (Fig.13A; Plug in vehicle) (Par.121), and
a second message prompting the user to press a start button provided on the external power supply apparatus (Fig.13G, 424),
a third message prompting the user to insert a plug of a target device to a second outlet of the external power supply apparatus (Par.121-122; Plug in a second vehicle to an available outlet.) (Fig.13A; Screen 407);
and the processor is further configured to control the operation of the display such that the display screen automatically transitions from a first screen indicating the first message to a second screen indicating the second message once the user has completed the connecting of the connector (Par.124 and 127);
the display screen automatically transitions from the second screen to a third screen indicating the third message once the user has completed the pressing of the start button (Par.128; Once a user presses the start button 424 the operation goes back to screen 407 where a “Plug in vehicle” message is displayed.) (Fig.13A).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to have had the teachings of Blain in the combination of Birek in view of Chauhdary to have had provided step by step instructions to a user of the external power supply (Par.10) thereby ensuring proper charging operation.
Furthermore, it would have had been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to have had the teachings of Blain in the combination of Birek in view of Chauhdary to have had an external power supply apparatus that supports multiple outputs (Par.122) thereby allowing a user the capability to charge two vehicles simultaneously from a single power supply apparatus if so desired (Par.149).
In addition, the combination of Birek in view of Chauhdary and Blain does not explicitly teach the vehicle external power supply apparatus being a portable power supply apparatus.
Vahedi teaches the vehicle includes a portable power supply apparatus (Par.191-193).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to have had the teachings of Vahedi in the combination of Birek in view of Chauhdary and Blain to have had determined a presence of a portable charging unit within or in proximity of the vehicle (Par.193) thereby not requiring the user to travel to a charger to begin the recommended charging.
Claim 4 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Birek et al. (US 2019/0143831) in view of Chauhdary et al. (US 2014/0354235), Blain (US 2011/0145141) and Vahedi et al. (US 2021/0008987) as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Lawrenson et al. (US 2015/0120523).
Claim 4: Birek in view of Chauhdary, Blain and Vahedi teach the limitations of claim 1 as disclosed above. Birek teaches wherein the history information further indicates whether the user has experienced the external power supply using the vehicle (Par.115-117), and the processor is further configured to: determine whether the user has experienced the external power supply based on the history information (Par.115-117).
Birek does not explicitly teach provide electronic money or points corresponding to the experience of the external power supply to the user via one of a plurality of different payment methods, the plurality of payment methods including mobile payments registered in a communication device of the user that is associated with the vehicle.
Lawrenson teaches a processor (301) (Fig.3) (Par.55) determines whether a user has experienced an external power supply (Fig.2, S5) (Par.59); and in a case where the processor determines that the user has experienced the external power supply, the processor executes a providing process of providing electronic money or points corresponding to the experience of the external power supply to any one of a plurality of different payment methods that corresponds to a communications device of the user associated with a vehicle (330) (Fig.2, S7) (Par.46, The payment methods being managed by respective companies and registered in a digital wallet that can be accessed by a smart phone comprising the digital wallet.) (Par.47; The payments being from a user’s remote account.).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to have had the teachings of Lawrenson in the system of Birek to have had allowed a user to make a payment of a charge of an energy storage of a vehicle via electronic transactions (Par.46) thereby not requiring a credit card or cash to pay the external power supplier.
Claim 5 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Birek et al. (US 2019/0143831) in view of Chauhdary et al. (US 2014/0354235), Blain (US 2011/0145141) and Vahedi et al. (US 2021/0008987) as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Katayama et al. (US 2017/0182902).
Claim 5: Birek in view of Chauhdary, Blain and Vahedi teach the limitations of claim 1 as disclosed above. Birek does not explicitly teach wherein the vehicle information further includes vehicle identification information, and the processor is further configured to: acquire the vehicle identification information from the memory; acquire user information from an external server, the user information indicating a user associated with the vehicle identification information; determine whether an owner of the vehicle is changed based on the vehicle identification information and the user information; and cause the display to display the selection screen in response to a determination that the owner of the vehicle is changed.
Katayama discloses a processor (12) acquires vehicle identification information from a memory (Par.36; Storage device); acquire user information on a user corresponding to the vehicle identification information (Par.45 and 54); the processor (12) determines whether a user who owns the vehicle is changed, based on the vehicle identification information and the user information (Par.55 and 64) (Fig.4, S3-4 New); and in a case where the processor (12) determines that the user who owns the vehicle is changed, the processor (12) outputs recommendation information (Par.66-68 and 77, Charging standard determined and correct charging connector suggested.).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to have had the teachings of Katayama in the system of Birek to have had properly determined a charging standard in a case where a user changes vehicles (Par.14) and have had allowed the user to identify correct charging connectors thereby preventing charging failure (Par.8).
The combination of Birek in view of Katayama does not explicitly teach receiving the user information from a server.
Chauhdary teaches receiving user information from a server (170) (Fig.1).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to have had the teachings of Chauhdary in the combination of Birek in view of Katayama to have had coped with demand of electricity by exchanging information between users, electric vehicles and power supply facilities (Par.10) utilizing a centralized control and information storage device.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure:
Goldfarb et al. (US 11,130,422) discloses displaying a recommendation to charge a battery of a vehicle (Col.23, Lines 42-46); and waiting to receive a response form a user before starting the charge (Col.23, Lines 46-49).
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JOHALI ALEJANDRA TORRES RUIZ whose telephone number is (571)270-1262. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 10:00am-6:00pm.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Julian Huffman can be reached at 571-272-2147. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/JOHALI A TORRES RUIZ/Examiner, Art Unit 2859
/JULIAN D HUFFMAN/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2859