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 .
Response to Amendment
Acknowledgement is made of amendment filed on 12/31/2025 in which claims 1,3 and 8 are currently amended. By this amendment, claims 1-8 are still pending in the application.
Drawings
The drawings were received on 12/31/2025. These drawings are unacceptable as they introduce new matter to the specifications because originally submitted Fig. 2 is completely different to replacement drawing Figure 2 as set forth below in a comparative fashion:
Original Figure 2 filed on 02/01/2023
Replacement Drawing of Figure 2 filed on 12/31/2025
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Replacement Fig. 2 is Fig. 2 of another patent application 18/104,370.
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 12/31/2025 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive. Applicant’s representative argues on page 8 of Remarks that:
Specifically, independent claim 1 recites, in relevant part with emphasis added, "at least one fourth switching unit (12) arranged between the first pole connector (18) and a first consumer connection (22), to which the main consumer (6) can be connected, and at least one fifth switching unit (13) arranged between the fourth pole connector.
Examiner respectfully disagrees that the limitations cited supra do not conform to the replacement drawing of Fig. 2 as element (12) is arranged between consumer (19) and charger (21) instead and thus these arguments are moot.
Applicant’s representative further argues that:
The Office's rejection of independent claim 1 as being anticipated by Hiroe is structurally deficient because it relies on an erroneous mapping of the claimed "fourth switching unit" to relay "R2" in Hiroe. As noted above, independent claim 1 requires the fourth switching unit to be arranged "between the first pole connector (18) and a first consumer connection (22)"to selectively connect the main consumer.
For the same reasons examiner respectfully disagrees and submits that the limitations cited supra do not conform to the replacement drawing of Fig. 2 and thus these arguments are moot. Furthermore, without identifying what the fourth switching unit is, these arguments are spurious and these two figures are completely different in their configuration and labeling. Note that no element (22) is shown in replacement drawing Fig. 2.
Furthermore, based on original Fig. 2, Hiroe at least discloses and shows in Fig. 1, at least one fourth switching unit (R2) arranged between the first pole connector (construed as node or junction between 11/12 and 21) and a first consumer connection (PL), to which the main consumer (60) can be connected and therefore modifying the original Fig. 2 would not make the current application patentably distinct from Hiroe. By inspection, the replacement Fig. 2 submitted is actually the Fig. 2 of another patent application, namely application #18/104,370 which is different to the instant application 18/104,388.
Therefore rejections have been maintained where arguments were found not persuasive.
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.
Claim(s) 1-2,5,7-8 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Hiroe et al., (Hiroe) US 2019/0199108 A1.
Regarding claim 1, Hiroe at least discloses and shows in Fig. 1: An electric circuit (10,20,30,80,100) for a high-voltage network (10) of a vehicle (1), wherein the high- voltage network (10) includes at least two electrical energy stores (11, 12) and one main electrical consumer (60), the electric circuit (10,20,30,80,100) comprising:- at least one first switching unit (21) arranged between a first pole connector (construed as node or junction between 11/12 and 21) configured to make electrical contact with a first pole (N1) of a first electrical energy store (11), and a second pole connector (construed as node or junction between 11/12 and 22) configured to make electrical contact with a first pole (N1)(note-N1 and N2 are directly connected via switch R1) of a second electrical energy store (12)(see ¶¶[0029]-[0030]), - at least one second switching unit (22) arranged between a third pole connector (construed as input of 12) configured to make electrical contact with a second pole (N2)(N2 is connected to negative terminal of 11 via switch R3) of a first electrical energy store (11), and a fourth pole connector (fourth pole connector of input of 11) configured to make electrical contact with a second pole (N2) of a second electrical energy store (12), - at least one third switching unit (R1,R2) arranged between the second pole connector (construed as node or junction between 11/12 and 22) and the third pole connector (third pole connector of input of 12), - at least one fourth switching unit (R2) arranged between the first pole connector (construed as node or junction between 11/12 and 21) and a first consumer connection (PL), to which the main consumer (60) can be connected, and - at least one fifth switching unit (R3) arranged between the fourth pole connector (fourth pole connector of input of 11) and a second consumer connection (NL), to which the main consumer (60) can be connected, - wherein the switching units (21, 22, R1, R2, R3) are switchable between an electrically connecting state and an electrically disconnecting state(see ¶[0030],¶[0042] and ¶[0054]), - wherein the fourth switching unit (R2) and/or the fifth switching unit (R3) are configured to be galvanically isolating in an electrically disconnecting state(construed as ready-off state; see ¶[0052]-¶[0054]), and - wherein the first switching unit (21) and/or the second switching unit (22) and/or the third switching unit (R1) are configured as semiconductor components(see ¶[0030]).
Regarding claim 2, Hiroe discloses all the claimed invention as set forth and discussed above in claim 1. Hiroe further discloses, wherein the third switching unit (R1) and/or the fourth switching unit (R2) comprise one or more transistors (R1, R2; see ¶[0030]).
Regarding claim 5, Hiroe discloses all the claimed invention as set forth and discussed above in claim 1. Hiroe further discloses, wherein a charging port (90) for connection to a charging unit (200) for charging the electrical energy stores (11, 12)(see ¶[0040]), the electric circuit (10,20,30,80,100) comprising:- at least one sixth switching unit (31) arranged between a charging port (90), configured to make electrical contact with a charging unit (200), and the first pole connector (N1, first pole connector node between 11/12 and 21), and at least one seventh switching unit (32) connected between the charging port (90) and the fourth pole connector (fourth pole connector of input of 11), - wherein the sixth switching unit (31) and the seventh switching unit (32) are switchable between an electrically connecting state and an electrically disconnecting state(see ¶¶¶[0037],[0038] and [0042]).
Regarding claim 7, Hiroe discloses all the claimed invention as set forth and discussed above in claim 1. Hiroe further discloses, a high-voltage network (10) of a vehicle (1) comprising an electric circuit (10,20,30,80,100) according to claim 1, a first battery (11) with two non-identically named poles (N1, first pole connector node between 11/12 and 21) as a first electrical energy store (11) and a second battery (12) with two non-identically named poles (N2, second pole connector node between 11/12 and 22) as a second electrical energy store (12), wherein the first pole (N1) of the first battery (11) is electrically connected to the first pole connector (first pole connector node between 11/12 and 21), and the second pole (N2) of the first battery (11) is electrically connected to the third pole connector (third pole connector of input of 12), and the first pole (N1) of the second battery (12) is electrically connected to the second pole connector (second pole connector node between 11/12 and 22), and the second pole (N2) of the second battery (12) is electrically connected to the fourth pole connector (fourth pole connector of input of 11).
Regarding claim 8: Hiroe at least discloses and shows in Fig. 1: A vehicle (1) comprising an electric circuit (10,20,30,80,100) that includes at least one first switching unit (21) arranged between a first pole connector (first pole connector node between 11/12 and 21)configured to make electrical contact with a first pole (N1) of a first electrical energy store (11), and a second pole connector (second pole connector node between 11/12 and 22)configured to make electrical contact with a first pole (N1) of a second electrical energy store (12), at least one second switching unit (22) arranged between a third pole connector (third pole connector of input of 12) configured to make electrical contact with a second pole (N2) of a first electrical energy store (11), and a fourth pole connector (fourth pole connector of input of 11) configured to make electrical contact with a second pole (N2) of a second electrical energy store (12), at least one third switching unit (R1) arranged between the second pole connector (second pole connector node between 11/12 and 22)and the third pole connector (third pole connector of input of 12), at least one fourth switching unit (R2) arranged between the first pole connector (first pole connector node between 11/12 and 21)and a first consumer connection (PL)(see ¶¶[0029]-[0030]), to which the main consumer (60) can be connected, and at least one fifth switching unit (R3) arranged between the fourth pole connector (fourth pole connector of input of 11) and a second consumer connection (NL)(see ¶[0029]-¶[0030]), to which the main consumer (60) can be connected, wherein the switching units (21, 22, R1, R2, R3) are switchable between an electrically connecting state and an electrically disconnecting state(see ¶[0030],¶[0042] and ¶[0054]), wherein the fourth switching unit (R2) and/or the fifth switching unit (R3) are configured to be galvanically isolating in an electrically disconnecting state(see ¶[0052]-¶[0054]), and wherein the first switching unit (21) and/or the second switching unit (22) and/or the third switching unit (R1) are configured as semiconductor components(see ¶[0030]), wherein the main electrical consumer (60) of the electric circuit (10,20,30,80,100) is an electric vehicle drive (40) that includes two non-identically named poles (first pole between PL and 40), wherein a first pole (first pole between PL and 40) of the electric vehicle drive (40) is electrically connected to the fifth switching unit (R3), and a second pole (second pole between NL and 40) of the electric vehicle drive (40) is electrically connected to the sixth switching unit(31)(see ¶[0031]-¶[0032]).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 6 is 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.
Regarding claim 6, patentability exists at least in part with the claimed limitations of, “wherein:- at least one eighth switching unit arranged between a third consumer connection, to which an auxiliary electrical consumer can be connected, and the first pole connector, and at least one ninth switching unit arranged between a fourth consumer connection, to which an auxiliary electrical consumer can be connected, and the fourth pole connector, - wherein the eighth switching unit and the ninth switching unit are switchable between an electrically connecting state and an electrically disconnecting state, and - wherein the eighth switching unit and/or the ninth switching unit comprise one/or more transistors.”
Claims 3-4 are allowed over the current prior art of record. Reasons for allowance were already given in office action Paper No./mail date 20251001.
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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M'BAYE DIAO
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 2859
/M BAYE DIAO/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2859 February 3, 2026