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 .
Status of the Claims
In the communication dated January 9, 2023, claims 1-14 are pending. Claims 3-7 and 13-14 are amended in a preliminary amendment.
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claim 4 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Claim 4 recites “a representative value in accordance with a predetermined representative value calculation method” in lines3-4. The claim language provides insufficient information as to what a “representative value” means. Thus, the claim is interpreted as any battery parameter calculation.
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 1-3 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Uchida US20220231533A1 in view of Morita US20200189414A1.
Regarding claim 1. Uchida discloses a vehicular backup device (1) for use in a vehicular power system that includes an auxiliary power source (10) and for controlling charging and discharging of the auxiliary power source (¶22 – used as power supply for outputting power ; ¶23 – power generation device charges the battery unit), the backup device comprising:
a charge/discharge circuit (30/31) configured to perform operations for charging and discharging the auxiliary power source (¶25-26 – provides the power path);
a temperature detection unit (12a) configured to detect a temperature of the auxiliary power source (10) or around the auxiliary power source (¶24); and
a control unit (12) configured to cause the charge/discharge circuit to perform an operation (¶39 – causes the converters that performs the discharging/charging operations to be connected) such that a charge voltage of the auxiliary power source achieves a target voltage (¶28 – predetermined threshold) on condition that a start switch of a vehicle is ON (¶39 – ignition is turned n and the control unit controls the converters),
Uchida discloses that the temperature is detected when the start switch is OFF (¶32 – temperature is detected while the ignition switch is off).
Uchida does not explicitly disclose a main power source; the auxiliary power source functions as a power supply source at least when power supply from the main power source is abnormal; wherein the control unit sets the target voltage based on the temperature detected by the temperature detection unit.
Morita discloses a main power source (91)
that functions as a power supply source at least when power supply from the main power source is abnormal (¶53 – serves as a power source when first power source 91 is cut off),
wherein the control unit sets the target voltage based on the temperature detected by the temperature detection unit (¶80 – index is determined on the basis of the temperature of the second power source unit; ¶82 – determine the charging target voltage on the basis of the index).
It would be obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to supply a backup power source when the main power source is abnormal, as taught by Morita, as a backup power source is used to provide an alternative source from a main power source in abnormal conditions.
Regarding claim 2. Uchida discloses that the temperature detection is performed after a given time period elapses while the start switch is maintained in the OFF state (It should be noted that the amount of time that elapses, under the broadest reasonable interpretation, can be any amount of time. It can be 0 or the amount of time there is a delay between controlling the temperature sensor to sense a temperature; ¶71 – predetermined amount of time elapses).
Uchida does not explicitly disclose that the control unit sets the target voltage based on the temperature detected by the temperature detection unit
Morita disclose that the control unit (10) sets the target voltage based on the temperature detected by the temperature detection unit (¶80 – index is determined on the basis of the temperature of the second power source unit; ¶82 – determine the charging target voltage on the basis of the index),
It would be obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to supply a backup power source when the main power source is abnormal, as taught by Morita, as a backup power source is used to provide an alternative source from a main power source.
Regarding claim 3. Uchida teaches that it is performed during every predetermined time period when the start switch is maintained in the OFF state (¶32 – the temperature is determined before the ignition is about to be turned on, thus, each time the ignition is turned off, the temperature determination is made).
Uchida does not explicitly disclose that the control unit sets the target voltage based on the temperature detected by the temperature detection unit.
Although Morita discloses that the control unit sets the target voltage based on the temperature detected by the temperature detection unit (¶80 – index is determined on the basis of the temperature of the second power source unit; ¶82 – determine the charging target voltage on the basis of the index).
It would be obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to supply a backup power source when the main power source is abnormal, as taught by Morita, as a backup power source is used to provide an alternative source from a main power source.
Claims 4-6 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Uchida US20220231533A1 in view of Morita US20200189414A1 and further in view of Kambara US20210316680A1.
Regarding claim 4. Uchida discloses that in a case where the temperature detection unit detects temperatures of a plurality of durations when the start switch is OFF (¶32 – the preliminary operation ends when a predetermined condition is satisfied – because the temperature is used to determine the threshold value, the temperature is detected in a plurality of durations),
Kambara discloses that the control unit calculates a representative value (¶73 – a temperature) in accordance with a predetermined representative value calculation method based on the temperatures of the plurality of durations (¶73 – compare the temperature against a temperature range), and sets the target voltage to be higher as the representative value increases (¶73 – when the temperature is within the second temperature range, the target voltage is increased to 10V).
It would be obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of invention to set a target value, as taught by Kambara, to the system of Uchida in order to suppress an increase in the capacity of the power storage which reduces the required size and cost of the power storage unit (Kambara; ¶3 and 13).
Regarding claim 5. Uchida does not explicitly disclose that the control unit sets the target voltage based on temperatures exceeding a threshold temperature, among temperatures detected by the temperature detection unit when the start switch is OFF.
Kambara discloses that the control unit sets the target voltage based on temperatures exceeding a threshold temperature, among temperatures detected by the temperature detection unit (¶8/73 – control unit sets the target voltage when the temperature obtained is higher than the first temperature range) when the start switch is OFF (¶71 – start condition is met, the control unit starts the backup processing, thus the ignition is off).
It would be obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of invention to set a target value, as taught by Kambara, to the system of Uchida in order to suppress an increase in the capacity of the power storage which reduces the required size and cost of the power storage unit (Kambara; ¶3 and 13).
Regarding claim 6. Uchida discloses that in a case where the temperature detection unit detects temperatures of a plurality of durations when the start switch is OFF (¶32 – the preliminary operation ends when a predetermined condition is satisfied – because the temperature is used to determine the threshold value, the temperature is detected in a plurality of durations),
Uchida does not explicitly disclose that the control unit calculates evaluation values obtained by multiplying the temperatures of the plurality of durations by respective weights in accordance with a predetermined weighting method for multiplying the temperature by a higher weight as the temperature increases, and sets the target voltage based on the plurality of evaluation values.
Kambara discloses that the control unit calculates evaluation values obtained by multiplying the temperatures of the plurality of durations by respective weights in accordance with a predetermined weighting method for multiplying the temperature by a higher weight as the temperature increases, and sets the target voltage based on the plurality of evaluation values (¶83-85 equations 1 and 2 where the temperature is uses fixed values and the temperature to calculate the target voltage)..
It would be obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of invention to set a target value, as taught by Kambara, to the system of Uchida in order to suppress an increase in the capacity of the power storage which reduces the required size and cost of the power storage unit (Kambara; ¶3 and 13).
Claims 7-12 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Uchida US20220231533A1 in view of Morita US20200189414A1 in view of Ono et al. US20200262310A1
Regarding claim 7. Uchida does not explicitly discloses that after the start switch turns OFF, the control unit, in a first duration, detects the temperature every first time period, and, in a second duration after the first duration, detects the temperature every second time period which is longer than the first time period.
Ono discloses that after the start switch turns OFF (100), the control unit, in a first duration (106), detects the temperature every first time period (108), and, in a second duration (134) after the first duration (106), detects the temperature every second time period which is longer than the first time period (FIG. 4 – the amount of time to the second period duration is longer than the amount of time to the first period detection by means of a timeline of events from a starting point when the start switch is turned off).
It would be obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to provide the detection control of Ono to the system of Uchida in order to improve the efficiency at the time of charging due to changes in the battery temperature (Ono; ¶4).
Regarding claim 8. Uchida does not explicitly disclose that after the start switch turns OFF, the control unit, in a first duration, detects the temperature at predetermined times determined in advance, and, in a second duration after the first duration, detects the temperature only at a specific time, among the predetermined times, determined based on the temperatures detected in the first duration.
Ono discloses after the start switch turns OFF (100), the control unit, in a first duration (106), detects the temperature at predetermined times determined in advance (108 – timer has timed out), and, in a second duration (134) after the first duration (106), detects the temperature only at a specific time, among the predetermined times, determined based on the temperatures detected in the first duration (FIG. 4 timer is started to a corrected time period).
It would be obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to provide the detection control of Ono to the system of Uchida in order to improve the efficiency at the time of charging due to changes in the battery temperature (Ono; ¶4).
Regarding claim 9. Uchida does not explicitly disclose that the control unit determines only the time at which a highest temperature is detected in the first duration to be the specific time.
Ono discloses that the control unit determines only the time at which a highest temperature is detected in the first duration to be the specific time (FIG. 2 – time specific to time-out, auxiliary device battery not being within the first temperature range (108 and 118) where being out of the temperature range is a high or a low temperature ).
It would be obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to provide the detection control of Ono to the system of Uchida in order to improve the efficiency at the time of charging due to changes in the battery temperature (Ono; ¶4).
Regarding claim 10. Uchida does not explicitly disclose that the control unit determines only the time at which a highest temperature is detected and the time at which a lowest temperature is detected in the first duration to be the specific time.
Ono discloses that the control unit determines only the time at which a highest temperature is detected and the time at which a lowest temperature is detected in the first duration to be the specific time (FIG. 2 – time specific to time-out, auxiliary device battery not being within the first temperature range (108 and 118) where being out of the temperature range includes a high or a low temperature).
It would be obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to provide the detection control of Ono to the system of Uchida in order to improve the efficiency at the time of charging due to changes in the battery temperature (Ono; ¶4).
Regarding claim 11. Uchida does not explicitly disclose that the control unit determines the time at which a temperature higher than a second threshold temperature is detected in the first duration to be the specific time.
Ono discloses that the control unit determines the time at which a temperature higher than a second threshold temperature is detected in the first duration to be the specific time (FIG. 2 – voltage not within the second temperature range 112 and 118, detected within the first timer time-out).
It would be obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to provide the detection control of Ono to the system of Uchida in order to improve the efficiency at the time of charging due to changes in the battery temperature (Ono; ¶4).
Regarding claim 12. Uchida does not explicitly teach in a case where a temperature higher than the second threshold temperature is detected in the first duration, determines only the time at which the temperature higher than the second threshold temperature is detected to be the specific time, and detects the temperature at the specific time every first number of days in the second duration, and, in a case where a temperature higher than the second threshold temperature is not detected in the first duration, determines only the time at which a highest temperature is detected to be the specific time, and detects the temperature at the specific time every second number of days in the second duration, the second number of days being longer than the first number of days.
Ono discloses in a case where a temperature higher than the second threshold temperature (second temperature range) is detected in the first duration (first temperature time-out 106), determines only the time at which the temperature higher than the second threshold temperature (battery not within second temperature range 112 to 118) is detected to be the specific time, and detects the temperature at the specific time every first number of days in the second duration (timer started to 12 hours, thus 0.5 days) (FIG.2), and,
in a case where a temperature higher than the second threshold temperature is not detected in the first duration (temperature is within the second temperature range at 112), determines only the time at which a highest temperature is detected to be the specific time, and detects the temperature at the specific time every second number of days in the second duration, the second number of days being longer than the first number of days (charging of the auxiliary device battery is performed then the charging ends until the charging control processing is required again – thus, being longer than the first number of days).
It would be obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to provide the detection control of Ono to the system of Uchida in order to improve the efficiency at the time of charging due to changes in the battery temperature (Ono; ¶4).
Claim 13 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Uchida US20220231533A1 in view of Morita US20200189414A1 and further in view of Yang US6081101A
Regarding claim 13. Uchida does not explicitly disclose that in a case where it is determined that the auxiliary power source has been removed, the control unit sets the target voltage based only on the temperature detected before removal is determined.
Yang discloses that where it is determined that the auxiliary power source has been removed, the control unit sets the target voltage based only on the temperature detected before removal is determined (column 1, lines 22-32 – charging status is maintained from before the temperature switch is reset, where the reset occurs when the battery is removed.
It would be obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of invention to provide the temperature switching control of Yang to the system of Uchida in order to keep the battery within a power source voltage variation range that prevents overcharge and overheating to the battery (column 1, lines 22-32).
Claim 14 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Uchida US20220231533A1 in view of Morita US20200189414A1 in further view of Rumbaugh et al. US20230299368A1.
Regarding 14. Uchida does not explicitly disclose that in a case where it is determined that the auxiliary power source has been removed, the control unit outputs a notification that the auxiliary power source has been removed (¶51 – when the auxiliary system is removed an indicator and/or signal is sent to indicate that the detachable portion has been removed).
Rumbaugh teaches that in a case where it is determined that the auxiliary power source has been removed, the control unit outputs a notification that the auxiliary power source has been removed (¶51 – when the auxiliary system is removed an indicator and/or signal is sent to indicate that the detachable portion has been removed).
It would be obvious to provide the detachable nature of the auxiliary device as taught by Rumbough to the system of Uchida in order to allow the battery to be used apart from the vehicle and/or apart from the vehicle electrical system.
Relevant Prior Art
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Fukae US20190173274A1 discloses determining abnormality in a power supply unit where the power supply unit includes two power supplies.
Watanabe et al. US5982152A battery temperature affects the charging efficiency.
Soga et al. US20130302658A1 discloses using a temperature to determine a starting point for a vehicle.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to PAMELA JEPPSON whose telephone number is (571)272-4094. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 7:30 AM - 5:00 PM..
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Drew Dunn can be reached at 571-272-2312. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/PAMELA J JEPPSON/Examiner, Art Unit 2859
/DREW A DUNN/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2859