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 .
Priority
Acknowledgment is made of applicant’s claim for foreign priority under 35 U.S.C. 119 (a)-(d). The certified copy has been received.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statements (IDS) submitted on 3/16/2023, 3/17/2023, 9/14/2023, and 10/7/2025 are in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the references given in the IDS are being considered by the examiner.
Specification
The title of the invention is not descriptive. A new title is required that is clearly indicative of the invention to which the claims are directed.
Claim Objections
Claim 1 is objected to because of the following informalities:
Claim 1 recites on page 28 lines 4-5, “a connection signal” instead of “the connection signal” as connection signal is already recited in claim 1 earlier on page 27 line 22.
Appropriate correction is required.
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.
Claims 1-4 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 1 recites “a connection signal to the controller indicating a connection state in which the power line from the external power source to the charging device is connected and a disconnection state in which the connection is disconnected.” The conditions of a connection state and a disconnection state appear to be contradictory to each other and would therefore render the connection signal unable to convey whether the system is connected or disconnected. For the purposes of compact prosecution, the examiner interprets the above phrase as “a connection signal to the controller indicating a connection state in which the power line from the external power source to the charging device is connected or
Claim 1 recites “when a connection signal of the disconnection state is received by operating the connection switch while the charging device is charging the power storage device using power from the external power source with the charging device connected to the external power source via the cable device.”
The examiner understands that a disconnection state results when the power line is disconnected from the external power source. Therefore, it would not be possible to receive a signal of disconnection while the charging device is charging the power storage device since charging requires the power line, charging device, and external power source fully connected with each other.
For the purposes of compact prosecution, the examiner interprets the above phrase as “when a connection signal of the disconnection state is received by operating the connection switch during a charging session wherein to be charging the power storage device using power from the external power source with the charging device connected to the external power source via the cable device.”
Where applicant acts as his or her own lexicographer to specifically define a term of a claim contrary to its ordinary meaning, the written description must clearly redefine the claim term and set forth the uncommon definition so as to put one reasonably skilled in the art on notice that the applicant intended to so redefine that claim term. Process Control Corp. v. HydReclaim Corp., 190 F.3d 1350, 1357, 52 USPQ2d 1029, 1033 (Fed. Cir. 1999).
The term “supplied power” in claims 1 and 2 is used by the claim to mean a value of the supplied power that may be used in a calculation for remaining charge time required. The generally understood and accepted meaning of supplied power is the physical transfer of energy. The phrases in claims 1 and 2 describing the “retaining” or “clearing” of supplied power do not make sense as power transfer is inherently stopped when the power line is disconnected.
The term described above is indefinite because the specification does not clearly redefine the terms.
For the purposes of compact prosecution, the examiner interprets “supplied power” as “value of supplied power.”
Furthermore, the last paragraph of claim 1 is indefinite. It appears to recite the following clauses:
the controller retains the supplied power before receiving the connection signal in the disconnection state and calculates the remaining charge time
when a connection signal of the disconnection state is received by operating the connection switch while the charging device is charging the power storage device using power from the external power source with the charging device connected to the external power source via the cable device, and
further when the connection between the vehicle side connector and the cable side connector is detected by the connection detection device.
However, the relationship between 1, 2 and 3 is unclear. It is not clear if the claim is reciting 3 separate conditions, or if there is some relationship between the conditions. What is clause 2, or clause 3, doing when the “when” condition is satisfied? Does clause 1 apply to both clauses 2 and 3?
This claim could not be properly examined since the scope is so unclear. For purposes of examination, it is assumed that the claim is requiring clause 1 to occur when either of the conditions of clause 2 or 3 are satisfied.
Claims 3 and 4 inherit the deficiencies above with respect to claim 1 and are also rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) as being indefinite.
Appropriate correction is required.
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 1-4 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Ichikawa et al. (US 20120091958 A1).
Regarding independent claim 1, Ichikawa teaches an electric vehicle comprising:
a power storage device (Fig. 1: 150);
a charging device (Fig. 1: 160) capable of charging the power storage device using power from an external power source (402);
a vehicle side connector (Fig. 1: 270) that can be connected to a cable side connector (310) of a cable device (300) that connects the external power source to the charging device (Fig. 1: charging device 160 connected to external power source 402 through lines ACL1 and ACL2 and charging cable 300);
a connection detection device that detects presence or absence of a connection between the vehicle side connector and the cable side connector (Figs. 1, 17 and ¶[95, 99]: the voltage on line L3 indicates to the connection detection circuit 312 whether a connection is made between the charging connector 310 and vehicle inlet 270); and
a controller programmed to control the charging device when charging the power storage device using power from the external power source (¶[68]: Electric Control Unit ECU 170 controls charging device 160 to charge power storage device 140) and calculates remaining charge time required to fully charge the power storage device based on supplied power from the external power source (Fig. 8 and ¶[132-135, esp. 135]: If the cable is connected between the charging connector 310 and vehicle inlet 270, ECU receives state signal STAT and determines whether the connection was made within a time set time period. Charging information such as time to complete charging is determined):
the electric vehicle is characterized by
wherein the cable device has a connection switch that connects and disconnects a power line from the external power source to the charging device (Fig. 17 and ¶[70, 72-73]: cable device 300 has control pilot circuit 334 that controls CCID relay 332 to connect or disconnect power in the power lines 340 and 350.), the connection switch transmitting a connection signal to the controller indicating a connection state in which the power line from the external power source to the charging device is connected and a disconnection state in which the connection is disconnected (Fig. 17 and ¶[72, 129]: cable device 300 has connection detection unit 312 that outputs connection signal CNCT indicating whether charging cable 300 is connected to external power supply 402) (¶[113] and Fig. 9: if CNCT is not less than or equal to V11, the charging cable 300 is not connected to the power supply 402); and
the controller retains the supplied power before receiving the connection signal in the disconnection state and calculates the remaining charge time (Fig. 8 and ¶[133-136]: charging information including time to complete charging is retained in charging information setting unit 710 and charging information storage unit 720),
when a connection signal of the disconnection state is received by operating the connection switch while the charging device is charging the power storage device using power from the external power source with the charging device connected to the external power source via the cable device, and
further when the connection between the vehicle side connector and the cable side connector is detected by the connection detection device
(¶[90] and Fig. 1: when leakage detector detects leakage, the contact of CCID relay 332 is turned off disconnecting the external power supply 402 from the system. The examiner interprets this occurrence as liable to happen anytime the system is in operation including when power supply 160 is charging power storage device 150).
Regarding claim 2, Ichikawa teaches the electric vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the controller clears the supplied power when a disconnection between the vehicle side connector and the cable side connector is detected by the connection detection device, when the connection signal of the disconnection state is received during charging of the power storage device (¶[174, 135] and Figs. 8-9: If charging connector 310 is disconnected, stored timer time TIM is reset. The resetting of TIM is interpreted by the examiner to be also including the reset of other time information such as a time to complete charging).
Regarding claim 3, Ichikawa teaches the electric vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the controller reports the remaining charge time (Fig. 8 and ¶[63-64, 68, 132, 135, 137]: charging information, including time to complete charging, from display setting unit 740 is displayed via display device 172).
Regarding claim 4, Ichikawa teaches the electric vehicle according to claim 2, wherein the controller reports the remaining charge time (Fig. 8 and ¶[63-64, 68, 132, 135, 137]: charging information, including time to complete charging, from display setting unit 740 is displayed via display device 172).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Ryu-Sung Peter Weinmann whose telephone number is (703)756-5964. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 9am-5pm ET.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Julian Huffman, can be reached at (571) 272-2147. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is (571) 273-8300.
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/Ryu-Sung P. Weinmann/Examiner, Art Unit 2859 February 3, 2026
/JULIAN D HUFFMAN/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2859