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 .
Amendment
Receipt is acknowledged of the amendment filed on March 15, 2026, which has been entered. Claims 1-25 are pending.
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election without traverse of Invention I, claims 1-20, in the reply filed on March 15, 2026 is acknowledged.
Claims 21-25 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected invention, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Election was made without traverse in the reply filed on March 15, 2026.
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) 1-6 and 11 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Bissonette et al (US 2012/0249065 A1).
Regarding claim 1, Bissonette et al teaches (see Figs. 2, 3, 6, 7, 12A-12B, 15A-15C, 17A-17B) a charger (energy management system 210), comprising: a power supply part (utility grid connector port 221 and/or local energy storage device connector port 231) receiving electric power from at least one supply source among a grid (utility grid 220) and an energy storage device (local energy storage device 230); an interface part (user interface 350) providing an interface (menu window 390) for selecting any one of a charge cost method (Min. Cost) or a charge period method (Charge Within Specified Time), and an interface for setting a charge cost (see step 750, Fig. 15C and para. 0090) or a charge period (a specified time, see step 779, Fig. 17B and paras. 0100-0103), based on the selected charge cost or charge period method; a charger controller (Master Controller 310) determining a charging price unit of the charge cost or the charge period depending on a type of the supply source (see paras. 0051, 0088-0091, 0100-0103); and a charge part proceeding with a power charge operation (DC/DC converter stage 305), based a charge period or a charge cost selected at the interface part (DC/DC converter stage 305 operates under control of the master controller 310, based on the user input, see paras. 0045-0046).
Regarding claim 2, Bissonette et al teaches the charger of claim 1, wherein the charger controller (master controller 310) determines the charging price unit based on the supply source, and determines a maximum charge period or a maximum charge cost based on information on an expected electric power supply amount of the supply source (see Figs. 15A-17B and paras. 0051, 0088-0091, 0100-0103).
Regarding claim 3, Bissonette et al teaches the charger of claim 1, wherein if the grid (220) as the supply source can supply electric power for a maximum charge period or greater, or can supply electric power at a maximum charge cost or greater, the charger controller (master controller 310) determines the charging price unit based on the grid supply source (see Figs. 15A-17B and paras. 0051, 0088-0091, 0100-0103).
Regarding claim 4, Bissonette et al teaches the charger of claim 1, wherein if the grid (220) as the supply source cannot supply electric power for a maximum charge period or greater, or cannot supply electric power at a maximum charge cost or greater, the charger controller (310) determines a first charging price unit, for a first reference period or less, or for a first charge cost or less, based on the grid supply source, and determines a second charging price unit, for an extra period that exceeds the first reference period, or for an extra cost that exceeds the first charge cost, based on the energy storage device supply source (the master controller 310 evaluates the availability and cost for each power source and selects the lowest cost source that is available at the given time and will recalculate, as needed, see Figs. 15A-17B and paras. 0051, 0086-0091, 0100-0103).
Regarding claim 5, Bissonette et al teaches the charger of claim 1, wherein if the energy storage device (230) as the supply source can supply electric power for a maximum charge period or greater, or can supply electric power at a maximum charge cost or greater, the charger controller (310) determines the charging price unit based on an energy storage device supply source (the master controller 310 evaluates the availability and cost for each power source and selects the lowest cost source that is available at the given time and will recalculate, as needed, see Figs. 15A-17B and paras. 0051, 0086-0091, 0100-0103).
Regarding claim 6, Bissonette et al teaches the charger of claim 1, wherein if the energy storage device (230) as the supply source cannot supply electric power for a maximum charge period or greater, or cannot supply electric power at a maximum charge cost or greater, the charger controller (310) determines a charging price unit, only for a first reference period or less, or for at a first charge cost or less, based on the energy storage device (230) supply source, and the charger controller (310) controls the interface part to not allow any payment, for an extra period that exceeds the first reference period, or for an extra cost that exceeds the first charge cost (the master controller 310 determines what combination of power sources would provide power at an energy cost not exceeding the limit, see step 751, Figs. 15A-15C and paras. 0051, 0090, 0091).
Regarding claim 11, Bissonette et al teaches the charger of claim 1, wherein if the charger controller (310) confirms that the energy storage device (230) can perform a high-speed charge operation while the charge part performs a charge operation, the interface part outputs an interface (a display on the graphic user interface) for selecting the high-speed charge operation (the master controller 310 determines the available output power level for each source, including the local energy storage 230, to provide the highest speed charging in the minimum amount of time, see para. 0086, and the user is able to select minimum charging time on the user interface 350).
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.
This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention(s) absent any evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and effective filing dates of each claim that was not commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the later invention in order for the examiner to consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) for any potential 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) prior art against the later invention.
Claim(s) 7-10 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Bissonette et al (US 2012/0249065 A1) in view of Austin (US 2020/0395638 A1).
Regarding claims 7-10, the teachings of Bissonette et al as applied to claim 1 have been discussed above. Bissonette et al also teaches (claim 9) wherein the interface part outputs an interface for selecting or inputting the charge cost, based on the charge cost method (a desired energy cost limit may be obtained from previously entered user preference data or a new updated limit may be entered by the user via the user interface, see para. 0090); (claim 10) wherein the charge cost method comprises one or more of outputting an interface for selecting the charge cost by the interface part, outputting an interface for increasing or decreasing the charge cost by the interface part, or outputting an interface for inputting the charge cost as a numerical value by the interface part (a desired energy cost limit may be obtained from previously entered user preference data or a new updated limit may be entered by the user via the user interface, see para. 0090).
Bissonette et al fails to specifically teach, (claim 7) wherein the interface part outputs an interface for selecting or inputting the charge period, based on the charge period method, and an expected charge cost corresponding to the charge period; (claim 8) wherein the charge period method comprises one or more of outputting an interface for selecting the charge period by the interface part, outputting an interface for increasing or decreasing the charge period by the interface part, or outputting an interface for receiving the charge period as a numerical value by the interface part; (claim 9) wherein the interface part outputs an expected charge period corresponding to the charge cost.
Austin teaches a charging system and method (see Figs. 1 and 5-11), including an interface part (display 32) that outputs an interface (a display screen) for selecting or inputting the charge period (a time to begin or complete charging, see Fig. 10), based on a charge period method (a programmed charge), and an expected charge cost corresponding to the charge period (a total or estimated cost is shown at 72 in Fig. 8, see paras. 0059-061, 0078); (claim 8) wherein the charge period method comprises one or more of outputting an interface (a display screen) for selecting the charge period (a time to begin or complete charging, see Fig. 10) by the interface part, outputting an interface for increasing or decreasing the charge period by the interface part (as shown in Fig. 10, the time to begin or complete charging may be increased or decreased), or outputting an interface for receiving the charge period as a numerical value by the interface part (as shown in Fig. 10, a numerical value is received/shown); (claim 9) wherein the interface part outputs an expected charge period (charge time remaining, 66, Fig. 9) corresponding to the charge cost (70, Fig. 9).
In view of the teachings of Austin, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, prior to the effective filing date, to include with the charger of Bissonette, (claim 7) wherein the interface part outputs an interface for selecting or inputting the charge period, based on the charge period method, and an expected charge cost corresponding to the charge period; (claim 8) wherein the charge period method comprises one or more of outputting an interface for selecting the charge period by the interface part, outputting an interface for increasing or decreasing the charge period by the interface part, or outputting an interface for receiving the charge period as a numerical value by the interface part; (claim 9) wherein the interface part outputs an expected charge period corresponding to the charge cost, since this would provide additional information to the user regarding their charging options and their selected charging session and allow the user to make more informed choices.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 12-20 are 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.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter:
Regarding claim 12, Bissonette et al and Austin teach charging systems having an interface that displays screens with various information. However, Bissonette et al and Austin fail to specifically teach a method of operating the charger including the steps of displaying the first through third screen interfaces as defined in claim 12, and in combination with the claimed charger structure.
Claims 13-20 depend from claim 12 and would be allowable for the same reason.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Please see the additional references cited on the attached PTO-892, which are related to charging systems and charging interfaces.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Jared Fureman whose telephone number is (571)272-2391. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 8:30 am - 5:00 pm.
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/JARED FUREMAN/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2859
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