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 .
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 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.
DETAILED ACTION
This is a response to the amendment filed on 02/23/26. The applicant argument regarding Karner et al. is not persuasive; therefore, all the rejections based on Karner et al. is retained and repeated for the following reasons.
Summary of claims
Claims 13-24 are pending.
Claims 13-24 are rejected.
Oath/Declaration
The oath/declaration filed on August 27th, 2022 is acceptable.
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.
Claims 13-24 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Karner et al. (U.S Pub. No. 2013/0127416).
As to claims 13, the prior art teaches a device for determining an overall amount of energy for a charging process of an electrical energy store of at least partially electrically-powered vehicle at a charging station, wherein the device is configured:
to determine a vehicle-related amount of energy, in a form of electrical energy, which is drawn by the vehicle for the charging process (see fig 1, 7-8 paragraph 0033-0037 and 0042-0043; especially, Karner et al. teach to determine a vehicle-related amount of energy, in a form of electrical energy, which is drawn by the vehicle for the charging process as fig 1, 7-8 paragraph 0034-0036 and 0042 and 0046);
and to estimate, by way of a previously determined estimation unit, based on the vehicle related amount of energy, an overall amount of energy which is drawn by the charging station for the charging process from an electric power supply source (see fig 1, fig 7-9 paragraph 0067-0070 and 0076-0080; especially, Karner et al. teach to estimate, by way of a previously determined estimation unit, based on the vehicle related amount of energy, an overall amount of energy which is drawn by the charging station for the charging process from an electric power supply source as fig 1, fig 7-9 paragraph 0068-0070 and 0077-0079).
As to claim 14, the prior art teaches wherein the device is further configured:
to determine charging station data with reference to the charging station (see fig 1, fig 7-8 paragraph 0069-0077);
and based on the charging station data, by way of the estimation unit, to determine the overall amount of energy (see fig 1, fig 7-8 paragraph 0077-0084).
As to claim 15 the prior art teaches wherein the charging station data comprises at least one of: an identifier for the identification of the charging station from a plurality of different charging stations; or positional information with respect to a position of the charging station (see fig 1, fig 6-9 paragraph 0085-0092)
As to claim 16, the prior art teaches wherein: the charging station data indicate a type of charging process from a plurality of different types of charging processes which are executable on the charging station (see fig 1, fig 7-10 paragraph 0092-0096);
and the plurality of different types of charging processes comprise at least one of: a DC charging process; an AC charging process; or an inductive charging process (see fig 1, fig 7-10 paragraph 0095-0098).
As to claim 17 the prior art teaches wherein the device is further configured:
to determine charging process data with reference to the charging process, wherein the charging process data indicate a charging capacity for the charging process (see fig 1, fig 6-7 paragraph 0035-0042);
and by way of the estimation unit, to determine the overall amount of energy based on the charging process data (see fig 1, fig 6-7 paragraph 0041-0047).
As to claim 18 the prior art teaches wherein the estimation unit is configured to estimate an amount of electrical energy losses which occur at least one of during the charging process on the charging station or on a charging cable between the charging station and the vehicle (see fig 1, fig 7-10 paragraph 0086-0093).
As to claim 19, the prior art teaches wherein at least one of: the estimation unit comprises an estimation algorithm, which is machine-trained beforehand based on training data, for estimation of the overall amount of energy for the charging process based on the vehicle-related amount of energy drawn by the vehicle; or the estimation unit comprises a neural network, which is machine-trained beforehand based on the training data, for the estimation of the overall amount of energy for the charging process (see fig 1, fig 7-11 paragraph 0092-0097).
As to claims 20, the prior art teaches wherein the device is further configured to at least one of: determine the vehicle-related amount of energy for the charging process during the charging process, based on sensor data from an energy metering unit of the vehicle; or determine the vehicle-related amount of energy for the charging process prior to commencement of the charging process, based on a state-of-charge of the electrical energy store of the vehicle (see fig 1, fig 7-12 paragraph 0095-0100).
As to claim 21, the prior art teaches wherein the device is further configured:
for a plurality of different charging stations, to respectively determine, based on the vehicle-related amount of energy, the overall amount of energy for the charging process at the respective charging station (see fig 1, fig 5-8 paragraph 0121-0126);
and to deliver an output of energy information with respect to the overall amounts of energy thus determined for the plurality of different charging stations to a user of the vehicle (see fig 1, fig 5-8 paragraph 0125-0131).
As to claim 22 the prior art teaches wherein the device is further configured:
to determine a plurality of training data records for a corresponding plurality of charging processes; wherein the training data record for a respective charging process indicates the vehicle-related amount of energy and the overall amount of energy for the respective charging process (see fig 1, fig 6-9 paragraph 0131-0140);
and to train the estimation unit based on the plurality of training data records (see fig 1, fig 6-9 paragraph 00135-0145).
As to claim 23, the prior art teaches a method for determining an overall amount of energy for a charging process of an electrical energy store of at least partially electrically-powered vehicle at a charging station, the method comprising:
determining a vehicle-related amount of energy, in a form of electrical energy, which is drawn by the vehicle for the charging process (see fig 1, 7-8 paragraph 0033-0037 and 0042-0043);
and estimating, by way of a previously determined estimation unit, based on the vehicle related amount of energy, the overall amount of energy which is drawn by the charging station for the charging process from an electric power supply source (see fig 1, fig 7-9 paragraph 0067-0070 and 0076-0080).
As to claim 24 the prior art teaches a method for training of an estimation unit, wherein the estimation unit is enabled, based on a vehicle-related amount of energy in a form of electrical energy which is drawn by a vehicle during a charging process at a charging station, to estimate an overall amount of energy which is drawn for the charging process by the charging station from an electric power supply source, the method comprising:
determining a plurality of training data records for a corresponding plurality of charging processes, wherein the training data record for a respective charging process indicates the vehicle-related amount of energy and the overall amount of energy for the respective charging process (see fig 1, 7-8 paragraph 0033-0037 and 0042-0043);
and training the estimation unit based on the plurality of training data records (see fig 1, fig 7-9 paragraph 0067-0070).
Remarks
Applicant’s response and remarks filed on 02/23/26 have been carefully reviewed. Applicant’s arguments have been fully considered but they are not persuasive. Key argument and their response related to the claims are listed as below:
Applicant contends that Karner et al. do not describe “determine a vehicle-related amount of energy, in a form of electrical energy, which is drawn by the vehicle for the charging process” probes as claimed, Examiner respectfully disagrees. The prior art (Karner et al. U.S Pub. No. 2013/0127416) do teach determine a vehicle-related amount of energy, in a form of electrical energy, which is drawn by the vehicle for the charging process (see fig 1, 7-8 paragraph 0033-0037 and 0042-0043; especially, Karner et al. teach to determine a vehicle-related amount of energy, in a form of electrical energy, which is drawn by the vehicle for the charging process as fig 1, 7-8 paragraph 0034-0036 and 0042 and 0046).
Applicant contends that Karner et al. do not describe “to estimate, by way of a previously determined estimation unit, based on the vehicle related amount of energy, an overall amount of energy which is drawn by the charging station for the charging process from an electric power supply source” probes as claimed, Examiner respectfully disagrees. The prior art (Karner et al. U.S Pub. No. 2013/0127416) do teach to estimate, by way of a previously determined estimation unit, based on the vehicle related amount of energy, an overall amount of energy which is drawn by the charging station for the charging process from an electric power supply source (see fig 1, fig 7-9 paragraph 0067-0070 and 0076-0080; especially, Karner et al. teach to estimate, by way of a previously determined estimation unit, based on the vehicle related amount of energy, an overall amount of energy which is drawn by the charging station for the charging process from an electric power supply source as fig 1, fig 7-9 paragraph 0068-0070 and 0077-0079).
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 extension fee 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.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to BINH C TAT whose telephone number is 571 272-1908. The examiner can normally be reached on flex 7:00Am-8PM.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Jack Chiang can be reached on 571 272-7483. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 703-872-9306.
Information regarding the status of an application may be obtained from the Patent Application Information Retrieval (PAIR) system. Status information for published applications may be obtained from either Private PAIR or Public PAIR. Status information for unpublished applications is available through Private PAIR only. For more information about the PAIR system, see http://pair-direct.uspto.gov. Should you have questions on access to the Private PAIR system, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free).
/BINH C TAT/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2851
Prosecution Insights