DETAILED ACTION
Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
The present application is being examined under the pre-AIA first to invent provisions.
Response to Arguments
The information disclosure statement(s) (IDS) submitted on 01 August 2025 has/have been considered by the examiner.
Applicant has amended claims 1-7 to set forth and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor regards as the invention, Examiner withdraws rejection of claims 1-7 under35 USC 112(b).
Examiner acknowledges the withdrawal of claims 2 and 3. Applicant's arguments filed 22 August 2025 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive. Claims 1, 4, and 6-7 are rejected under 35 USC 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Ota et al (US 20180154778 A1).
Applicant argues that “Ota.. merely discloses that the ECU can charge the solar battery and supply electric power of the solar battery outside of the vehicle”; however, Ota ¶0038 state “solar PCU 40 supplies -the electric power of the solar battery 60 to the battery pack. 20 or charges the auxiliary machine battery 70”). The solar battery 60 acts as an intermediary component to transfer solar power from solar panel 50 to battery pack 20 and auxiliary machine battery 70 as described in ¶0038. Ota further states in ¶0063 “ECU 100 can charge the solar battery 60 using the solar panel 50 and supply electric, power of the solar battery 60 to the outside of the vehicle 1”), making the solar battery 60 able to supply power from the solar panel 50 to battery pack 20, auxiliary machine battery 70, and to outside the vehicle 1. Ota describes ¶0031 “battery pack 20 gives and takes electric power to and from a motor generator 6 (hereinafter referred to as an MG 6) which is a drive source of the vehicle 1”, performing the same function of running the drive functions of the vehicle as the high voltage battery. Further Ota ¶0039 states “auxiliary machine battery 70 supplies electric power to an auxiliary machine load (not illustrated). Examples of the auxiliary machine load include electric devices (such as a car navigation system and an audio device) disposed in the interior of the vehicle 1 and various ECUs which are mounted in the vehicle 1”, which performs the same function of powering on-board electronics as the low-voltage battery.
Claim 5 is rejected under 35 USC 103 as being unpatentable over Ota as modified by Slutzky et al (US 20200282855 A1). As described above, Ota teaches a solar panel powering a high-voltage battery, a low voltage battery, and providing power to outside of the vehicle. Applicant arguments are moot with regards to claim 5 due to the disclosure as described above of Ota.
Applicant's arguments filed 22 August 2025 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive, as described herein.
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, 4, and 6-7 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Ota et al (US 20180154778 A1).
Regarding claim 1, Ota teaches a vehicle power control device comprising: a solar panel (solar panel 50);
a high-voltage battery (battery pack 20) configured to be charged power generated by the solar panel (¶0038 “solar PCU 40 converts DC power output from the solar panel 50 into a voltage which can charge the solar battery 60 or converts DC power of the solar battery 60 into a voltage which can charge the battery pack 20”);
an auxiliary battery (auxiliary machine battery 70) configured to be charged by power generated by the solar panel (¶0038 “solar PCU 40 supplies -the electric power of the solar battery 60 to the battery pack. 20 or charges the auxiliary machine battery 70”);
and a power output control unit (solar PCU 40) configured to control an output destination of the power generated by the solar panel to at least one of the high-voltage battery, the auxiliary battery and an outer-vehicle facility provided outside of a vehicle (¶0038 “solar PCU 40 supplies -the electric power of the solar battery 60 to the battery pack. 20 or charges the auxiliary machine battery 70”),
wherein the power output control unit is configured to, when it is impossible to charge power to the high-voltage battery, output the power generated by the solar panel to at least one of the auxiliary battery and the outer-vehicle facility (¶0063 “ECU 100 can charge the solar battery 60 using the solar panel 50 and supply electric, power of the solar battery 60 to the outside of the vehicle 1”)
and the power output control unit is configured to, when it is impossible to charge power to both of the high-voltage battery and the auxiliary battery, output the power generated by the solar panel only to the outer-vehicle facility (¶0074 “S110, the ECU 100 determines whether the SOC of the solar battery 60 reaches an SOC upper limit value… determined that the SOC of the solar battery 60 reaches the SOC upper limit value (YES in S110), the routine transitions to S112”).
Ota ¶0036 teaches “The electric power generated by the solar panel 50 is supplied to the solar battery 60 via the solar PCU 40”, where the power is temporarily stored in the solar battery 60. This power is then distributed to battery pack 20 and auxiliary machine battery 70 through the solar PCU 40. Battery pack 20 is described ¶0031 “ battery pack 20 gives and takes electric power to and from a motor generator 6 (hereinafter referred to as an MG 6) which is a drive source of the vehicle 1”, which has the functionality of a traditional high-voltage battery in an electric vehicle.
Further applicant specification ¶0016 states in part “Outer-vehicle facility 20, for example, a house or the like, is a facility that consumes power provided outside the vehicle” which specifies ‘outside the vehicle’ to be any sort of power consuming facility external to the vehicle. The battery pack 20, as taught by Ota, is able to be charged through the solar battery 60. Solar battery 60 is meant to hold the power generated by the solar panel 50 to be distributed as needed, thus battery pack 20 is charged with the power generated by the solar panel. The vehicle power control device, as taught by Ota, controls power distribution both to the outside of the vehicle as described in ¶0062 “ECU 100 can supply AC power to the socket 82 by turning on the SMR 24 and activating the AC 100 V inverter 80. Accordingly when a plug disposed in an electrical device is connected to the socket 82, the electrical device can operate. Supply of electric power from the solar battery 60 to the battery pack 20 is continuously performed even in the external power supply mode”. Further, Ota ¶0074 describes ECU 100 discharging the solar battery 60 when it reaches a maximum SOC. The vehicle power control device, as taught by Ota, is able to continuously supply power from the solar panel 50 to the outside of the vehicle when the solar battery 60 satisfies a predetermined condition.
Regarding claim 4, Ota teaches the vehicle power control device according to claim 1. Ota further teaches a vehicle power control device wherein the predetermined condition is that a storage rate of the first battery is equal to or higher than a first threshold (¶0074, S110 “IS SOC UPPER LIMIT VALUE REACHED?”).
Applicant’s specification contains multiple predetermined conditions including ¶0031 “the predetermined condition determined by the power output control unit 12 may be a condition that the charge rate of the high-voltage battery 13 is equal to or higher than the first threshold (for example, the upper limit of full charge), a condition that the temperature of the high-voltage battery 13 is equal to or higher than the second threshold (for example, the temperature of the charge continuation limit), or the like”, particularly the italicized portion ‘or the like’. There are no further limitations placed on the predetermined condition. Ota ¶0062 describes a process by which the electric vehicle is connected to an AC wall socket and is able to provide power to the external power source. This is further supported by ¶0063 “ECU 100 can charge the solar battery 60 using the solar panel 50 and supply electric, power of the solar battery 60 to the outside of the vehicle 1 as described above”. The applicant specification ¶0031 states in part “ high-voltage battery 13 is equal to or higher than the first threshold (for example, the upper limit of full charge), a condition that the temperature of the high-voltage battery 13 is equal to or higher than the second threshold (for example, the temperature of the charge continuation limit), or the like”, which gives examples but does not limit ‘a first threshold’. If the first threshold is OV, it thereby follows that any amount of charge in the battery would satisfy the predetermined condition.
Regarding claim 6, Ota teaches power control method executed by a vehicle power control device including a solar panel (solar panel 50),
a high-voltage battery (battery pack 20) configured to be charged by power generated by the solar panel (¶0038 “solar PCU 40 converts DC power output from the solar panel 50 into a voltage which can charge the solar battery 60 or converts DC power of the solar battery 60 into a voltage which can charge the battery pack 20”),
an auxiliary battery (auxiliary machine battery 70) configured to be charged by power generated by the solar panel (¶0038 “solar PCU 40 supplies -the electric power of the solar battery 60 to the battery pack. 20 or charges the auxiliary machine battery 70”),
and a power output control unit (solar PCU 40) configured to control an output destination of the power generated by the solar panel to at least one of the high-voltage battery and an outer-vehicle facility provided outside of a vehicle (¶0038 “solar PCU 40 supplies -the electric power of the solar battery 60 to the battery pack. 20 or charges the auxiliary machine battery 70”),
the power control method comprising when it is impossible to charge power to the high-voltage battery, outputting the power generated by the solar panel to at least one of the auxiliary battery and the outer-vehicle facility (¶0063 “ECU 100 can charge the solar battery 60 using the solar panel 50 and supply electric, power of the solar battery 60 to the outside of the vehicle 1”)
and when it is impossible to charge power to both of the high-voltage battery and the auxiliary battery, outputting the power generated by the solar panel only to the outer-vehicle facility (¶0074 “S110, the ECU 100 determines whether the SOC of the solar battery 60 reaches an SOC upper limit value… determined that the SOC of the solar battery 60 reaches the SOC upper limit value (YES in S110), the routine transitions to S112”).
Ota ¶0036 teaches “The electric power generated by the solar panel 50 is supplied to the solar battery 60 via the solar PCU 40”, where the power is temporarily stored in the solar battery 60. This power is then distributed to battery pack 20 and auxiliary machine battery 70 through the solar PCU 40. Battery pack 20 is described ¶0031 “ battery pack 20 gives and takes electric power to and from a motor generator 6 (hereinafter referred to as an MG 6) which is a drive source of the vehicle 1”, which has the functionality of a traditional high-voltage battery in an electric vehicle.
Further applicant specification ¶0016 states in part “Outer-vehicle facility 20, for example, a house or the like, is a facility that consumes power provided outside the vehicle” which specifies ‘outside the vehicle’ to be any sort of power consuming facility external to the vehicle. The battery pack 20, as taught by Ota, is able to be charged through the solar battery 60. Solar battery 60 is meant to hold the power generated by the solar panel 50 to be distributed as needed, thus battery pack 20 is charged with the power generated by the solar panel. The vehicle power control device, as taught by Ota, controls power distribution both to the outside of the vehicle as described in ¶0062 “ECU 100 can supply AC power to the socket 82 by turning on the SMR 24 and activating the AC 100 V inverter 80. Accordingly when a plug disposed in an electrical device is connected to the socket 82, the electrical device can operate. Supply of electric power from the solar battery 60 to the battery pack 20 is continuously performed even in the external power supply mode”. Further, Ota ¶0074 describes ECU 100 discharging the solar battery 60 when it reaches a maximum SOC. The vehicle power control device, as taught by Ota, is able to continuously supply power from the solar panel 50 to the outside of the vehicle when the solar battery 60 satisfies a predetermined condition.
Regarding claim 7, Ota teaches the vehicle power control device according to claim 1. Ota teaches a vehicle on which the vehicle power control device is mounted (FIG 1, vehicle 1).
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) 5 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Ota modified by Slutzky et al (US 20200282855 A1) .
Regarding claim 5, Ota teaches the vehicle power control device according to claim 1. Ota further teaches a vehicle power control device wherein the predetermined condition is that a temperature of the first battery is equal to or higher than a second threshold (FIG 2, 0037 “step 204, the V2X system may then analyze the data to determine the current temperature ... The V2X system may then determine appropriate usage of the battery while preserving battery health at step 206”).
It would be obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, at the time of the effective filing date, to modify the vehicle power control device, as taught by Ota, wherein the predetermined condition is that a temperature of the first battery is equal to or higher than a second threshold, as taught by Slutzky, for the purpose of protecting battery health during bidirectional charging.
Conclusion
THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. 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 LISA M KOTOWSKI whose telephone number is (571)270-3771. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 8a-5p.
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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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/LISA KOTOWSKI/Examiner, Art Unit 2859
/JULIAN D HUFFMAN/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2859