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 .
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election without traverse of claims 1 – 11 in the reply filed on 02/01/2026 is acknowledged.
The requirement is deemed proper and is therefore made FINAL.
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.
Claim1, 2, and 4- 9 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Hayashi (US 20120256588) in view of Erni (US 20230191937) and in further view of Mori (US 20160001671).
Regarding claim 1, Hayashi teaches the method of charging management of an electric vehicle (figures 1 and 2 show a method of charging management of an electric vehicle), comprising steps of:
A. getting an initial power of the electric vehicle (Paragraph [0033] discloses determining a remaining amount of power is interpreted as a State of Charge (SOC) expressed in a percentage wherein 100% is fully charged. Thus, determining an amount of SOC during an initial period is an initial power of the electric vehicle. Paragraph [0039] teaches detecting SOC of the battery and [0040] discloses determining the initial SOC as a “before the operation” SOC. Paragraph [0059] discloses detecting an initial power, interpreted as the present SOC);
B. calculating an actual power consumption of the electric vehicle in an operation period, and getting a remaining power by subtracting the actual power consumption from the initial power (Paragraph [0008] teaches a usage history recording unit configured to record a usage of an electric vehicle including an amount of power consumption of the electric vehicle in each period as a period-by-period usage history. Paragraph [0032] discloses wherein the usage history includes the an actual power consumption, interpreted as an amount of power consumption of the electric vehicle. Paragraph [0039] teaches wherein remaining power, interpreted as SOC, is calculated by subtracting the measured power consumption (an actual power consumption) from the amount of charge of the last charging or the “before the operation”).
C. getting a predicted power consumption of the electric vehicle in a next operation period (paragraphs [0008]-[0009] discloses wherein a future amount of power consumption is predicted. Paragraphs [0055] – [0056] discloses wherein a predicted amount of power consumption for the next period is determined and it is determined whether or not charging is necessary) ; and
D. controlling a charging machine to charge the electric vehicle after the electric vehicle is connected to the charging machine until a power of the electric vehicle reaches the predicted power consumption from the remaining power (Paragraph [0049] discloses determining whether charging is necessary based on predicted usage pattern, or power consumption, and present SOC. Paragraph [0059] discloses wherein the charging unit initiates charging and provides charging from a charging apparatus to a battery. When the electric vehicle reaches the predicted power consumption or target SOC the charging is completed.
wherein in step D, comprising communicating, by the server, with an electric meter of an electricity consuming field where the charging machine is located to obtain an instant power consumption of the electricity consuming field from the electric meter(paragraph [0008] discloses wherein a history recording unit configured to record a usage of an electric vehicle including an amount of power consumption of the electric vehicle in each period as a period-by-period usage history).
Hayashi does not explicitly teach in response to the instant power consumption being greater than a predetermined power consumption, transmitting by the server, a load shedding command to the charging machine; and in response to the load shedding command, reducing by the charging machine, an output power supplied to the electric vehicle, so as to prevent the instant power consumption of the electricity consuming field from exceeding an upper limit power consumption.
Erni teaches in response to the instant power consumption being greater than a predetermined power consumption, transmitting by the server, a load shedding command to the charging machine (defined in paragraphs [0020] – [0022] wherein a load shedding command is transmitted in order to reduce the power output to vehicles).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the charging system of the Hayashi reference with the charging system of the Erni reference so that the damage to the charging station and system is prevented.
The suggestion/motivation for combination can be found in the Mori reference in paragraph [0016] wherein preventing damage to the charging system.
Mori teaches controlling the charging machine to charge the electric vehicle in a way of reducing output power when the instant power consumption is greater than a predetermined power consumption (paragraph [0126] teaches wherein a charging plan is created based on reducing power consumption).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the charging system of the Hayashi reference with the charging system of the Mori reference so that the supply and demand of electric power is balanced in order to cut back on the amount of electric power purchased from power companies
The suggestion/motivation for combination can be found in the Mori reference in paragraph [0006] wherein balancing the supply and demand for electric power is taught.
Regarding claim 2, Hayashi teaches the method as claimed in claim 1, wherein in step B, an electricity consuming information of the electric vehicle during the operation period is obtained from the electric vehicle, and the actual power consumption is calculated based on the electricity consuming information (paragraph [0039] discloses wherein the electricity consuming information of the electric vehicle, interpreted as a State of Charge (SOC) obtained from the vehicle. The SOC is detected on the basis of the electrode voltage of the battery. [0040] discloses wherein the before the operation SOC and after operation SOC is used for the usage history, which includes an actual power consumption determination. Paragraph [0045] discloses wherein power consumption is determined as a value of SOC. Actual power consumption uses initial State of charge to determine the power consumption. [0081] discloses wherein an actual power consumption is determined as it corresponds to the SOC of the battery. Paragraph [0079] discloses wherein an electricity consuming information is the amount of charge the vehicle receives. [0081] discloses determining the amount of power consumption as it corresponds to an amount of charge to be received).
Regarding claim 4, Hayashi teaches the method as claimed in claim 3, wherein in step B, the electricity consuming information from the electric vehicle is received through a network during the operation period (paragraphs [0074] and [0078] disclose wherein the usage histories are stored in a network, interpreted as via the internet and stored in a management server).
Regarding claim 5, Hayashi teaches the method as claimed in claim 3, wherein in step B, the electricity consuming information from the electric vehicle is received by communicating with the electric vehicle after the operation period is completed (paragraphs [0078] – [0079] discloses communication with the vehicle via a communication control unit during and after charging periods).
Regarding claim 6, Hayashi teaches the method as claimed in claim 1, wherein in step A, a power of the electric vehicle sent from the electric vehicle is received to use as the initial power by communicating with the electric vehicle before the operation period starts (paragraph [0071] discloses wherein the communication control unit communicates with the electric vehicle during charging periods)
Regarding claim 7, Hayashi teaches the method as claimed in claim 1, wherein in step C, the predicted power consumption is obtained by at least inputting a route information and a weather information of the next operation period to a predictive model (paragraph [0033] discloses wherein route information is obtained).
Regarding claim 8, Hayashi teaches the method as claimed in claim 1, wherein in step D, a power of the electric vehicle during a process of charging is obtained through the charging machine, and the charging machine stops charging when the power of the electric vehicle obtained reaches the predicted power consumption (paragraph [0059] discloses wherein the charging unit stops charging or disconnects from the battery when the charging is complete, after reaching a target SOC).
Regarding claim 9, Hayashi teaches the method as claimed in claim 1, wherein before step D, comprising a step of getting a required power by subtracting the remaining power from the predicted power consumption (paragraph [0039] discloses wherein the SOC is calculated by subtracting the summation of measured power consumption values from the amount of charge at the time of the last charging. Paragraph [0049] discloses wherein the required power for charging is determined by the charge determination unit 30 which predicts a usage pattern on the next day in STEP 13 and determines whether the charging of the battery 13 is necessary on the basis of the predicted usage pattern and the present SOC (remaining power) of the battery. The amount of charging is then calculated from these values as the target SOC); in step D, the charging machine stops charging when a power that the charging machine outputs to the electric vehicle reaches the required power (paragraph [0059] discloses wherein the charging is stopped or disconnected when the SOC reaches the target SOC).
Claim 3 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Hayashi (US 20120256588 ) in view of Borhan (US 20150326037)
Regarding claim 3, Hayashi teaches the method as claimed in claim 2, wherein in step B, the electricity consuming information comprises a plurality of fetch timestamps and a plurality of battery states, wherein each of the plurality of battery states corresponds to one of the plurality of fetch timestamps; each of the plurality of battery states comprises a current value, and the actual power consumption is calculated based on the plurality of fetch timestamps d (figures 3A, 3B, 5A and 5B and paragraph [0035] discloses a plurality of timestamps and battery states corresponding to a plurality of timestamps. The timestamps include time periods such as a day).
Hayashi does not explicitly teach wherein the current values by using a coulomb counting method.
Borhan teaches wherein the current values by using a coulomb counting method (paragraph [0024] teaches wherein the current values of the batteries, the state of charge, is determined by coulomb counting).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the charging system of the Hayashi reference with the charging system of the Borhan reference so that a faster charging time may be created for charging the batteries.
The suggestion/motivation for combination can be found in the Bohan reference in paragraph [0005] wherein a faster charging time is taught.
Claim 11 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over in view of Erni (US 20230191937) and in further view of Mori (US 20160001671) as applied to claim 1 and in further view of Hancock (US 20110313652).
Regarding claim 11, Hayashi teaches the method as claimed in claim 1, but does not explicitly teach wherein in step D, controlling the charging machine to charge the electric vehicle when determines that a current time falls within an off-peak power consumption period of an electricity consuming field where the charging machine is located.
Hancock teaches controlling the charging machine to charge the electric vehicle when determines that a current time falls within an off-peak power consumption period of an electricity consuming field where the charging machine is located (paragraph [0053] discloses wherein the charging is scheduled to charge the vehicle during off-peak power consumption periods).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the charging system of the Hayashi reference with the charging system of the Hancock reference so that the charging is more cost efficient or cheaper for the user.
The suggestion/motivation for combination can be found in the Hancock reference in paragraph [0053] wherein charging during off-peak hours is cheaper.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments, see Arguments/Remarks, filed 07/22/2026, with respect to the rejection(s) of claim(s) claims 1, 2 and 4 - 9 under Hayashi have been fully considered and are persuasive. Therefore, the rejection has been withdrawn. However, upon further consideration, a new ground(s) of rejection is made in view of Hayashi, Erni and Mori.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
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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.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ALEXIS B PACHECO whose telephone number is (571)272-5979. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 9:00 - 5:30.
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ALEXIS BOATENG PACHECO
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 2859
/ALEXIS B PACHECO/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2859
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