DETAILED ACTION
Status of Claims
The following is a non-final, first office action in response to the Notice of Withdrawal from Issue, dated 3/12/2025.
Claims 1-6 and 9-10, in the claim set dated 11/11/2024, are currently pending and have been examined.
Priority
Applicant’s claim for the benefit of prior-filed application under 35 U.S.C. 119(e) or under 35 U.S.C. 120, 121, or 365(c) is acknowledged.
Information Disclosure Statement
Information Disclosure Statement(s) received 5/23/2025 and 8/28/2025 have been reviewed and considered.
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
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 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.
(a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claim(s) 1-2 and 10 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Cesiel et al. (US 2022/0185137 A1).
Regarding claim 1, Cesiel discloses:
A power supply system (see at least: Cesiel, Fig. 1) comprising:
a discharge connector (end plug 18C-1 used for vehicle-to-live (V2L) and AC accessory; end plug 19C-1 used for jump-charging - see at least: Cesiel, Paragraphs [0025]-[0026], [0039], [0046]); and
a vehicle (host vehicle 10) capable of externally discharging an electric power via the discharge connector (see at least: Cesiel, Abstract and Paragraphs [0021]-[0022], [0039], [0046], [0058]), the vehicle including:
a vehicle controller (controller 50 - see at least: Cesiel, Paragraphs [0029], [0032]);
a power converter (bi-directional inverter 42) that adjusts a voltage of an electric power (see at least: Cesiel, Paragraphs [0012] ,[0035], [0058]); and
a connector (AC charging inlet 20) that, as the discharge connector is connected to the connector, discharges to the discharge connector an electric power output from the power converter (see at least: Cesiel, Paragraphs [0039], [0046], [0051], [0058]), the connector having an identifying terminal (proximity (PRX) voltage terminal 5 of AC charging inlet 20 - see at least: Cesiel, Paragraph [0036]),
the vehicle controller including a processor that selects a voltage of the electric power output from the power converter (see at least: Cesiel, Paragraphs [0022], [0027], [0029], [0032], [0056]), wherein the processor:
selects, as the voltage of the electric power output from the power converter, a first voltage (120V) when a voltage on the identifying terminal is in a first bound (modulated proximity voltage unique to 120V AC output voltage) (see at least: Cesiel, Paragraphs [0011], [0032]-[0034], [0041], [0050], [0054], [0056], [0058], [0063]); and
selects, as the voltage of the electric power output from the power converter, a second voltage (240V) different from the first voltage when the voltage on the identifying terminal is in a second bound (modulated proximity voltage unique to 240V AC output voltage) different from the first bound (see at least: Cesiel, Paragraphs [0011], [0032]-[0034], [0041], [0050], [0054], [0056], [0058], [0063]).
Regarding claim 2, Cesiel, as shown above, discloses the limitations of claim 1 and further discloses:
wherein the identifying terminal (proximity (PRX) voltage terminal 5 of AC charging inlet 20 - see at least: Cesiel, Paragraph [0036], FIG 1-3) has a voltage level that changes in accordance with a connection state between the discharge connector and the connector (see at least: Ceisiel, Paragraphs [0011], [0032]-[0034], [0041], [0050], [0054], [0056], [0058], [0063])
Regarding claim 10, Cesiel discloses:
A method (see at least: Cesiel, Fig. 6) for supplying an electric power from a vehicle (host vehicle 10) to outside via a discharge connector (end plug 18C-1 used for vehicle-to-live (V2L) and AC accessory; end plug 19C-1 used for jump-charging), wherein the vehicle includes a connector (AC charging inlet 20) to which the discharge connector is connected, and adjusts a voltage of an electric power discharged from the connector, the connector has an identifying terminal (proximity (PRX) voltage terminal 5 of AC charging inlet 20) (see at least: Cesiel, Paragraphs [0025]-[0026], [0039], [0046], [0051], [0058]), the method comprising:
discharging, by the vehicle, an electric power having a first voltage (120V) from the connector when a voltage on the identifying terminal is in a first bound (modulated proximity voltage unique to 120V AC output voltage) (see at least: Cesiel, Paragraphs [0011], [0032]-[0034], [0041], [0050], [0054], [0056], [0058], [0063]); and
discharging, by the vehicle, an electric power having a second voltage (240V) different from the first voltage from the connector, when the voltage on the identifying terminal is in a second bound (modulated proximity voltage unique to 240V AC output voltage) different from the first bound (see at least: Cesiel, Paragraphs [0011], [0032]-[0034], [0041], [0050], [0054], [0056], [0058], [0063]).
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.
The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
Claim(s) 6 and 9 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Cesiel in view of Bahrami ( EV Charging Definitions, Modes, Levels, Communication Protocols and Applied Standards, Jan 2020).
Regarding claim 6, Cesiel, as shown above, discloses the limitations of claim 1, and further discloses:
wherein the identifying terminal is a connection switch (CS) terminal through which a proximity detection signal, defined by International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) 61851- 1 (see disclosure in Bahrami below), is transmitted (proximity (PRX) voltage terminal 5 of AC charging inlet 2, see also elements of 18C-1; see at least: Cesiel, Paragraph [0036], [0041], FIG 1-3)), and the first bound (120V) and the second bound (240V) are voltage ranges that are undefined by IEC 61851- 1 for the voltage on the connection switch (CS) terminal (Cesel [0023] Also as appreciated in the art, the charging of an electric vehicle is performed in accordance with country-specific standards, with SAE J1772 being the relevant North American standard setting forth the required electrical hardware and communication protocols to be used when conducting a vehicle charging event. While J1772 is used herein for the purpose of illustrating the present teachings and associated voltage terminal/pin configurations within the non-limiting exemplary context of automotive charging, i.e., with the electrified host system 10 being a motor vehicle and therefore referred to hereinafter as host vehicle 10, the present control strategy may be adapted for use with other relevant standards, such as but not limited to the Combined Charging System (CCS), CHAdeMO, etc.) Examiner note: voltages may be defined by standards other than IEC 61851, but could be adapted for utilization thereof in light of country-specific standards)
Cesiel, as shown above, discloses a connection switch terminal and charging standards ([0023]), but does not explicitly disclose that the terminal is defined by International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) 61851-1. Bahrami discloses EV charging definitions, modes, levels, communication protocols and applied standards. Bahrami discloses that connections can be defined by multiple standards, including International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) 61851-1 (pg. 13, 36: Standards based on IEC 61851; Table 4; p. 30-Charging Modes in IEC 61851)
Cesiel discloses consideration for country-specific standards and discloses that the present control strategy may be adapted for use with other relevant standards (see [0023]). Therefore, one of ordinary skill at the time of filing would have recognized that applying the charging standards of Bahrami to the charging system of Cesiel would have yielded predictable results and resulted in an improved system capable of providing mechanisms for adapting vehicle charging mechanisms/processes to accommodate multiple country-specific standards.
Regarding claim 9, Cesiel discloses:
A power supply system (see at least: Cesiel, Fig. 1) comprising:
a discharge connector (end plug 18C-1 used for vehicle-to-live (V2L) and AC accessory; end plug 19C-1 used for jump-charging - see at least: Cesiel, Paragraphs [0025]-[0026], [0039], [0046]); and
a vehicle (host vehicle 10) capable of a discharge of an electric power outside via the discharge connector, the vehicle including:
a vehicle controller (controller 50 - see at least: Cesiel, Paragraphs [0029], [0032]);
an on-board inverter (bi-directional inverter 42) that adjusts a voltage of an electric power (see at least: Cesiel, Paragraphs [0012] ,[0035], [0058]); and
a vehicle inlet (AC charging inlet 20) that, as the discharge connector is connected to the vehicle inlet, discharges to the discharge connector an electric power output from the on-board inverter (see at least: Cesiel, Paragraphs [0039], [0046], [0051], [0058]), the vehicle inlet having a connection switch (CS) terminal defined by International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) 61851-1 (see disclosure in Bahrami below) through which a proximity detection signal is transmitted, the proximity detection signal having a voltage level that changes in accordance with a connection state between the discharge connector and the vehicle inlet (proximity (PRX) voltage terminal 5 of AC charging inlet 20 and activation of switch S3 - see at least: Cesiel, FIG 1-3, Paragraph [0011], [0032]-[0034], [0036], [0041], [0050], [0054], [0056], [0058], [0063]),
the vehicle controller including a processor that selects a voltage of the electric power output from the on-board inverter (see at least: Cesiel, Paragraphs [0022], [0027], [0029], [0032], [0056]), wherein the processor:
selects, as the voltage of the electric power output from the on-board inverter, a first voltage (120V) when the proximity detection signal is in a first bound (120V) when a voltage on the identifying terminal is in a first bound (modulated proximity voltage unique to 120V AC output voltage) (see at least: Cesiel, Paragraphs [0011], [0032]-[0034], [0041], [0050], [0054], [0056], [0058], [0063]); and
selects, as the voltage of the electric power output from the on-board inverter, a second voltage (240V) different from the first voltage when the proximity detection signal is in a second bound (modulated proximity voltage unique to 240V AC output voltage) different from the first bound (see at least: Cesiel, Paragraphs [0011], [0032]-[0034], [0041], [0050], [0054], [0056], [0058], [0063]).
Cesiel, as shown above, discloses a connection switch terminal and charging standards ([0023]), but does not explicitly disclose that the terminal is defined by International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) 61851-1. Bahrami discloses EV charging definitions, modes, levels, communication protocols and applied standards. Bahrami discloses that connections can be defined by International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) 61851-1 (pg. 13: The standard is based on IEC 61851; Table 4; p. 30-Charging Modes in IEC 61851)
Cesiel discloses consideration for country-specific standards and discloses that the present control strategy may be adapted for use with other relevant standards (see [0023]). Therefore, one of ordinary skill at the time of filing would have recognized that applying the charging standards of Bahrami to the charging system of Cesiel would have yielded predictable results and resulted in an improved system capable of providing mechanisms for achieving safer implementation of vehicle charging mechanisms/processes.
Potentially Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 3-5 are 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.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ABBY J FLYNN whose telephone number is (571)272-9855. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday 8:30-5:00.
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/ABBY J FLYNN/ Examiner, Art Unit 3663
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