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
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) 1-20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Zhou (2010/0291427).
Consider Claim 1, Zhou discloses a battery module for a vehicle (100), the battery module comprising: a frame structure (102, 103) disposed in the vehicle (100);a plurality of cells (102A-D) disposed in the frame structure (102, 103), wherein each of the plurality of cells (102A-D) is removeable and replaceable (Para 0014); a system (120) operable for receiving trip information from a navigation system of the vehicle (100), a user of the vehicle (100), or a mobile device of the user and determining and communicating to the user of the vehicle (100) which of the plurality of cells (102A-D) should be removed based on the trip information (Para 0023); a visual indicator (125) associated with each of the plurality of cells (102A-D) operable for indicating which of the plurality of cells (102A-D) should be removed based on the trip information (Para 0026).
Consider Claim 2, Zhou discloses all the limitations of the claimed invention, as described above, and further discloses comprising a wherein the system (120) operable for receiving the trip information from the navigation system of the vehicle (100), the user of the vehicle (100), or the mobile device of the user (Para 0023) is further operable for determining and communicating to the user of the vehicle (100) one or more of: how many of the plurality of cells (102A-D) are required based on the trip information (Para 0026); which of the plurality of cells (102A-D) are required based on the trip information (Para 0015);which of the plurality of cells (102A-D) should be replaced based on the trip information, wherein which of the plurality of cells (102A-D) should be replaced based on the trip information is/are indicated by the visual indicator (125) (Para 0015); and which of the plurality of cells (102A-D) should be charged based on the trip information (Para 0015).
Consider Claim 3, Zhou discloses all the limitations of the claimed invention, as described above, and further discloses wherein the trip information comprises multiple of trip starting point (314), trip destination (314), and trip stops (316, 318, 320).
Consider Claim 4, Zhou discloses all the limitations of the claimed invention, as described above, and further discloses wherein the trip information further comprises multiple of alternate routes (Para 0023), available charging stations (314), traffic conditions (Para 0022), weather (Para 0022), prior driving habits (Para 0002), cell state of charge (SOC), and cell state of health (SOH) (440).
Consider Claim 5, Zhou discloses all the limitations of the claimed invention, as described above, and further discloses wherein the system (120) comprises one of a battery management system (120) disposed onboard the vehicle (100), a charging station system (314) disposed remote from the vehicle (100), and a vehicle management system disposed on the mobile device of the user.
Consider Claim 6, Zhou discloses all the limitations of the claimed invention, as described above, and further discloses wherein the system (120) is further operable for determining and communicating to the user of the vehicle (100) a location of a charging station (310) having swappable/rentable cells (102A-D) suitable to replace the plurality of cells (102A-D) that should be replaced based on the trip information or suitable to charge the plurality of cells (102A-D) that should be charged based on the trip information.
Consider Claim 7, Zhou discloses all the limitations of the claimed invention, as described above, and further discloses comprising a remote frame structure (314) disposed adjacent to the vehicle (100) and adapted to receive cells (102A-D) of the plurality of cells (102A-D) removed from the frame structure (102, 103) disposed in the vehicle (100) (Para 0022).
Consider Claim 8, Zhou discloses all the limitations of the claimed invention, as described above, and further discloses comprising a remote frame structure (310) disposed adjacent to the vehicle (100) and adapted to hold swappable/rentable cells (310A) to be placed in the frame structure (102, 103) disposed in the vehicle (100).
Consider Claim 9, Zhou discloses a vehicle (100) comprising: a frame structure (102, 103) disposed in the vehicle (100); a plurality of cells (102A-D) disposed in the frame structure (102, 103), wherein each of the plurality of cells (102A-D) is removeable and replaceable; and a system (120) operable for receiving trip information from a navigation system of the vehicle (100), a user of the vehicle, or a mobile device of the user and determining and communicating to the user of the vehicle (100) which of the plurality of cells (102A-D) should be removed based on the trip information; and a visual indicator (125) associated with each of the plurality of cells (102A-D) operable for indicating which of the plurality of cells (102A-D) should be removed based on the trip information (Para 0023); wherein the system (120) operable for receiving the trip information from the navigation system of the vehicle (100), the user of the vehicle (100), or the mobile device of the user is further operable for determining and communicating to the user of the vehicle (100) (Para 0026) one or more of: how many of the plurality of cells (102A-D) are required based on the trip information (Para 0026); which of the plurality of cells (102A-D) are required based on the trip information; which of the plurality of cells (102A-D) should be replaced based on the trip information, wherein which of the plurality of cells (102A-D) should be replaced based on the trip information is/are indicated by the visual indicator (125); and which of the plurality of cells (102A-D) should be charged based on the trip information (Para 0015).
Consider Claim 10, Zhou discloses all the limitations of the claimed invention, as described above, and further discloses wherein the trip information comprises multiple of trip starting point (314), trip destination (316, 318, 320), and trip stops (314).
Consider Claim 11, Zhou discloses all the limitations of the claimed invention, as described above, and further discloses wherein the trip information further comprises multiple of alternate routes (Para 0023), available charging stations (314), traffic conditions (Para 0022), weather (Para 0022), prior driving habits (Para 0002), cell state of charge (SOC) (440), and cell state of health (SOH) (440).
Consider Claim 12, Zhou discloses all the limitations of the claimed invention, as described above, and further discloses wherein the system (120) comprises one of a battery management system (120) disposed onboard the vehicle (100), a charging station system (314) disposed remote from the vehicle (100), and a vehicle management system disposed on the mobile device of the user.
Consider Claim 13, Zhou discloses all the limitations of the claimed invention, as described above, and further discloses wherein the system (120) is further operable for determining and communicating to the user of the vehicle (100) a location of a charging station (310) having swappable/rentable cells (102A-D) suitable to replace the plurality of cells (102A-D) that should be replaced based on the trip information or suitable to charge the plurality of cells (102A-D) that should be charged based on the trip information.
Consider Claim 14, Zhou discloses a method, comprising: providing a frame structure (102, 103) disposed in the vehicle (100);providing a plurality of cells (102A-D) disposed in the frame structure (102, 103), wherein each of the plurality of cells (102A-D) is removeable and replaceable (Para 0014); via a system (120), receiving trip information from a navigation system of the vehicle (100), a user of the vehicle (100), or a mobile device of the user and determining and communicating to the user of the vehicle (100) which of the plurality of cells (102A-D) should be removed based on the trip information via a visual indicator (125) associated with each of the plurality of cells (102A-D) operable for indicating which of the plurality of cells (102A-D) should be removed based on the trip information (Para 0023-0026); and via the system (120), receiving the trip information from the navigation system of the vehicle (100), the user of the vehicle (100), or the mobile device of the user and determining and communicating to the user of the vehicle (100) one or more of: how many of the plurality of cells (102A-D) are required based on the trip information; which of the plurality of cells (102A-D) are required based on the trip information; which of the plurality of cells (102A-D) should be replaced based on the trip information, wherein which of the plurality of cells (102A-D) should be replaced based on the trip information is/are indicated by the visual indicator (125) (Para 0015); and which of the plurality of cells (102A-D) should be charged based on the trip information (Para 0006).
Consider Claim 15, Zhou discloses all the limitations of the claimed invention, as described above, and further discloses wherein the trip information comprises multiple of trip starting point (314), trip destination (316, 318, 320), and trip stops (314).
Consider Claim 16, Zhou discloses all the limitations of the claimed invention, as described above, and further discloses wherein the trip information further comprises multiple of alternate routes (Para 0023), available charging stations (314), traffic conditions (Para 0022), weather (Para 0022), prior driving habits (Para 0002), cell state of charge (SOC), and cell state of health (SOH) (440).
Consider Claim 17, Zhou discloses all the limitations of the claimed invention, as described above, and further discloses wherein the system (120) comprises one of a battery management system (120) disposed onboard the vehicle (100), a charging station system (120) disposed remote from the vehicle (100), and a vehicle management system disposed on the mobile device of the user.
Consider Claim 18, Zhou discloses all the limitations of the claimed invention, as described above, and further discloses comprising, via the system (120), determining and communicating to the user of the vehicle (100) a location of a charging station having swappable/rentable cells (102A-D) suitable to replace the plurality of cells (102A-D) that should be replaced based on the trip information or suitable to charge the plurality of cells (102A-D) that should be charged based on the trip information.
Consider Claim 19, Zhou discloses a non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising instructions stored in a memory and executed by a processor to carry out steps comprising: via a system (120), receiving trip information from a navigation system of the vehicle (100), a user of the vehicle (100), or a mobile device of the user and determining and communicating to the user of the vehicle (100) which of the plurality of cells (102A-D) should be removed based on the trip information via a visual indicator (125) associated with each of the plurality of cells (102A-D) operable for indicating which of the plurality of cells (102A-D) should be removed based on the trip information (0023); and via the system (120), receiving the trip information from the navigation system of the vehicle (100), the user of the vehicle (100), or the mobile device of the user and determining and communicating to the user of the vehicle (100) one or more of: how many of the plurality of cells (102A-D) are required based on the trip information (Para 0026); which of the plurality of cells (102A-D) are required based on the trip information (Para 0015); which of the plurality of cells (102A-D) should be replaced based on the trip information, wherein which of the plurality of cells (102A-D) should be replaced based on the trip information is/are indicated by the visual indicator (125) (Para 0015); and which of the plurality of cells (102A-D) should be charged based on the trip information (Para 0015).
Consider Claim 20, Zhou discloses all the limitations of the claimed invention, as described above, and further discloses the steps further comprising, via the system (120), determining and communicating to the user of the vehicle (100) a location of a charging station (310) having swappable/rentable cells (102A-D) suitable to replace the plurality of cells (102A-D) that should be replaced based on the trip information or suitable to charge the plurality of cells (102A-D) that should be charged based on the trip information.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claim(s) 1-18 have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on any reference applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument.
Applicant's arguments filed 9 July 2025 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive. Applicant argues that the rejection of Claim 19 relies upon the visual indicator (225) of Guglielmo to teach the visual indicator in Claim 19. The argued rejection is a 35U.S.C 102(a)(1) rejection relying only on Zhou (US 2010/0291427). The indication or element number (225) is a typographical error, where the element number (125) should have been used. Zhou discloses a display (125) which teaches the limitations of the claimed visual indicator.
Conclusion
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.
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/BRYAN A EVANS/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3613