Prosecution Insights
Last updated: May 29, 2026
Application No. 18/127,405

CHARGE CONTROL SYSTEM

Non-Final OA §103
Filed
Mar 28, 2023
Priority
Mar 29, 2022 — JP 2022-054061
Examiner
ALZATEEMEH, HUSSAM ALDEEN
Art Unit
3662
Tech Center
3600 — Transportation & Electronic Commerce
Assignee
Honda Motor Co. Ltd.
OA Round
2 (Non-Final)
54%
Grant Probability
Moderate
2-3
OA Rounds
0m
Est. Remaining
92%
With Interview

Examiner Intelligence

Grants 54% of resolved cases
54%
Career Allowance Rate
13 granted / 24 resolved
+2.2% vs TC avg
Strong +38% interview lift
Without
With
+37.8%
Interview Lift
resolved cases with interview
Typical timeline
2y 11m
Avg Prosecution
21 currently pending
Career history
53
Total Applications
across all art units

Statute-Specific Performance

§101
0.9%
-39.1% vs TC avg
§103
80.6%
+40.6% vs TC avg
§102
17.6%
-22.4% vs TC avg
§112
0.9%
-39.1% vs TC avg
Black line = Tech Center average estimate • Based on career data from 24 resolved cases

Office Action

§103
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 Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55. Response to Arguments Applicant’s arguments, see page 7, filed 06/25/2025, with respect to the claim interpretation under 35 U.S.C. § 112(f) have been fully considered and are persuasive. The claim interpretation under 35 U.S.C. § 112(f) of claims 1-4 and 6-9 has been withdrawn. Applicant’s arguments, see pages 7-11, filed 06/25/2025, with respect to the rejection(s) of claim(s) 1-4, and 7 under 35 U.S.C. § 102 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 Therefore, the rejection has been withdrawn.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 in view of Duan (US 20210218073 A1). Applicant's arguments filed 06/25/2025 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive. Applicant arguments with respect to the §103 rejections of claims 5, 6, 8, and 9. Applicant argues that Jun in view of Takebayashi fails to teach claim 5’s additional limitation requiring that when rapid charge equipment is installed at the charge site where the vehicle is stopped, the automatic opening operation is enabled without issuing the notification. The Examiner disagrees. Takebayashi teaches that when quick (rapid) charging is permitted (i.e., the system authenticates and permits use of the quick charging equipment/port), the system directly enables the port-cover opening functionality by unlocking the cover so it can be opened/closed: “If the control unit 201 authenticates the validity of the electronic key, it permits the use of the quick charging port 209, and unlocks the cover of the quick charging port 209 to be opened/closed” (Takebayashi [0057]). In other words, upon satisfaction of the rapid/quick charge condition (authentication/permission), Takebayashi enables the cover to be opened/closed without describing any intervening inquiry-notification step. Applicant’s position that Takebayashi “merely unlocks” is not persuasive because claim 5 requires enabling the automatic opening operation (i.e., permitting the opening operation to occur), and Takebayashi’s unlocking explicitly enables the cover “to be opened/closed” (Takebayashi [0057]). Further, Takebayashi’s rapid-charge flow is consistent with bypassing an inquiry notification because the system proceeds directly upon authentication/permission to permit opening/closing of the quick-charge cover. Thus, it would have been obvious to integrate Takebayashi’s rapid/quick charging workflow into Jun’s charge-lid opening control so that when rapid charge equipment is present/recognized (and permitted) at the stop location, the system streamlines the process by enabling the opening operation without presenting the inquiry notification used in other situations, thereby reducing user delay and improving rapid-charge throughput. Applicant argues that Jun in view of Honjo fails to teach claim 6’s limitation requiring that in a case where a user sets the automatic opening operation to be enabled in advance, the processor automatically opens the charge lid when the vehicle is stopped at the charge site and charge is necessary. The Examiner disagrees. Jun teaches user control over whether automatic opening is enabled/disabled via input logic: the controller determines whether a cap-opening signal is received and correspondingly performs or does not perform automatic opening (Jun [0111]). This user-selection logic inherently supports the concept of the automatic opening operation being set (enabled/disabled) prior to arrival at a charging site. Honjo teaches advance-setting/preparation via receipt of a “charge start sign signal” before charging, so that preparations for charging are made “in advance”: “by receiving the charge start sign signal before charging the battery preparations for charging can be made in advance” (Honjo [0070]); and Honjo further identifies examples of such signals including “a charging lid open signal from a smart key” and “an operation signal of a charging lid open button” (Honjo [0071]). Honjo reiterates that this enables preparation prior to charging (Honjo [0084]). Thus, Jun supplies the automatic opening behavior and the user enable/disable control, while Honjo supplies the explicit teaching of advance enabling of charging-related operations based on pre-charging user signals. It would have been obvious to apply Honjo’s pre-enable concept to Jun’s charge-lid opening logic to allow a user to set/trigger in advance that automatic opening is enabled, so that when the vehicle is subsequently stopped at the charge site and charging is necessary, the charge lid is automatically opened as claimed. Applicant also argues that the rejection of claims 8 and 9 cannot be sustained because Jun allegedly does not teach all limitations of amended independent claim 1, particularly the limitation that the processor “enables the automatic opening operation and automatically opens the charge lid when a user accepts the automatic opening operation in response to a notification inquiring necessity of the automatic opening operation” and further asserts that Duan does not remedy this alleged deficiency. The Examiner disagrees because the rejection relies on Jun for the charge-lid automatic opening behavior under processor control (e.g., automatically opening the charging cap in response to a determined user charging intention) and relies on Duan for the user-notification/acceptance interaction that prompts the user and proceeds with the automatic action based on user acceptance via the HMI; thus, Duan supplies the missing “notification and user acceptance” gating concept that is combined with Jun’s automatic charge-lid opening control such that the system inquires via a notification and, upon user acceptance, enables and performs the automatic opening operation, rendering amended claim 1 obvious over the combined teachings. Therefore, the rejection is maintained. Claim Rejections - 35 U.S.C. § 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. Claims 1-4 and 7-9 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. § 103 as being unpatentable over Jun (US 20200190889 A1), in view of Duan (US 20210218073 A1). Regarding Claim 1, Jun discloses a charge control system for a battery mounted on a vehicle configured to perform charge in a state where a charge lid is opened [0103] “The controller 130 may determine a charging intention of the user, and in response to determining that the user has a charging intention, may control the driving unit 150 to automatically open the charging cap 117a.” the charge control system comprising: A processor configured to determine that the vehicle is stopped at a charge site [0029] “wherein the controller may determine whether the vehicle is in a stationary state [i.e., stopped] on the basis of the detected travel speed” [0030] “wherein the controller may determine whether a current position is a gas station or a charging station on the basis of the current position.” Jun discloses a controller that determines when the vehicle is stopped at a charging site based on its travel speed and GPS location. determine necessity of charging the battery [0032] “The vehicle may further include an input configured to receive at least one of a replenishment time, a replenishment cost and a replenishment amount of the energy source” [0123] “the controller 130 may monitor the charged amount of the battery on the basis of at least one of the current, voltage, and temperature of the battery.” [0221] “The vehicle, in response to determining that the vehicle is in a stationary state, may determine whether the user has a refueling intention (313).” Jun discloses determining whether charging is needed by monitoring the battery's charge status (voltage, current, temperature) and user inputs and intention about charging preferences. perform an automatic opening operation of automatically opening the charge lid [0103] “The controller 130 may determine a charging intention of the user, and in response to determining that the user has a charging intention, may control the driving unit 150 to automatically open the charging cap 117a.” Jun discloses a controller that detects the user's charging intention and automatically opens the charge lid. control the automatic opening operation based on an intention of a user [0103] “The controller 130 may determine a charging intention of the user, and in response to determining that the user has a charging intention, may control the driving unit 150 to automatically open the charging cap 117a.” [0111] “In a case that the vehicle is provided with a cap input, the controller 130, in response to determining that the user has a charging intention, may determine whether a cap-opening signal is received from the cap input [i.e., enabling or disabling by the user]. The controller 130, in response to determining that the cap-opening signal is not received, may control the driving unit 150 to automatically open the charging cap 117a, and in response to determining that the cap-opening signal is received, may not perform the automatic opening of the charging cap 117a.” Jun discloses an automatic opening operation controlled by the user’s intention. wherein the processor is further configured to enable the automatic opening operation and automatically open the charge lid when a user accepts the automatic opening operation in response to a … inquiring necessity of the automatic opening operation [0103] “The controller 130 may determine a charging intention of the user, and in response to determining that the user has a charging intention, may control the driving unit 150 to automatically open the charging cap 117a.” [0111] “In a case that the vehicle is provided with a cap input, the controller 130, in response to determining that the user has a charging intention, may determine whether a cap-opening signal is received from the cap input [i.e., enabling or disabling by the user]. The controller 130, in response to determining that the cap-opening signal is not received, may control the driving unit 150 to automatically open the charging cap 117a, and in response to determining that the cap-opening signal is received, may not perform the automatic opening of the charging cap 117a.” Jun teaches the opening operation itself upon determining charging intention, the controller controls the driving unit to automatically open the charging cap and also teaches user control over whether automatic opening is enabled/disabled via the cap input logic. Jun does not appear to teach the full claim limitation regarding “accepting the operation in response to a notification” However, Duan teaches equivalent teachings when a user accepts the automatic opening operation in response to a notification inquiring necessity of the automatic opening operation [0047] “The vehicle HMI may display (i.e., notification to the user) the estimated vehicle travel distance (defined as Dis_suggest in this example), which may be intelligently learned from the vehicle operation history and customer preference. The customer may accept the value for Dis_suggest as represented at 230, 240, enter a new value for the anticipated driving distance at 250, 260, or select to use the full range distance as the expected vehicle travel distance, (defined as Dis_exp) at 270. The Dis_exp value will be used to determine a desired battery charge level or target/ending SOC at 280 to provide sufficient battery power and energy in the selected distance of the next trip(s) for the vehicle with less battery cycling degradation and better operation efficiency as described in greater detail herein. The target SOC (SOC.sub.charge in this example) or corresponding battery voltage is then used by one or more of the vehicle controllers and battery charger to charge the battery to the target.” [0043] “the controller 140 configured to communicate a target state-of-charge (SOC) the target SOC based on at least an expected vehicle travel distance before a next battery charge. The expected vehicle travel distance may be received via input from the HMI 112, or a received travel distance may be accepted, rejected, or otherwise modified using the HMI 112.” Duan teaches a user-prompt/acceptance flow for a charging-related automated decision, the vehicle HMI displays information to the user and the customer may accept/reject/modify, after which the accepted selection is used to proceed with charging control actions. A person that is skilled in the art would apply Duan’s acceptance-gating interaction to Jun’s automatic charging-cap opening so that the system displays an inquiry prompt regarding performing the automatic opening operation and then, when the user accepts, enables and performs Jun’s automatic opening operation. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to combine Jun’s automatic opening of the charging cap to Duan’s HMI notification that effectively inquires whether an automatic charging action should be performed with user acceptance to enable the action to the automatic opening of the charging cap. A person that is skilled in the art would have been motivated to combine Jun and Duan teachings to improve the system cost, efficiency, and battery life [0006] “Charging cost or operation efficiency may be improved by determining a target SOC for charging based on driver habits based on a statistical analyzer, an estimation module, and a determination module where the statistical analyzer analyzes a set of data describing utility rate information and one or more behaviors of the vehicle.” Regarding Claim 2, Jun discloses the charge control system according to claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to allow a user to select enabling or disabling the automatic opening operation [0111] “In a case that the vehicle is provided with a cap input, the controller 130, in response to determining that the user has a charging intention, may determine whether a cap-opening signal is received from the cap input [i.e., enabling or disabling by the user]. The controller 130, in response to determining that the cap-opening signal is not received, may control the driving unit 150 to automatically open the charging cap 117a, and in response to determining that the cap-opening signal is received, may not perform the automatic opening of the charging cap 117a.” The system allows automatic cap opening based on user enabling or disabling the automatic opening [i.e., cap input signals]. Jun’s system allows users to select whether to enable or disable automatic opening based on a cap-opening signal. Regarding Claim 3, Jun discloses the charge control system according to claim 2, wherein the processor is further configured to … inquiring necessity of the automatic opening operation of the vehicle when is stopped at the charge site and charge of the battery is necessary [0029] “wherein the controller may determine whether the vehicle is in a stationary state [i.e., stopped] on the basis of the detected travel speed” [0030] “wherein the controller may determine whether a current position is a gas station or a charging station on the basis of the current position.” Jun discloses a controller that determines when the vehicle is stopped at a charging site based on its travel speed and GPS location. [0032] “The vehicle may further include an input configured to receive at least one of a replenishment time, a replenishment cost and a replenishment amount of the energy source” [0103] “The controller 130 may determine a charging intention of the user, and in response to determining that the user has a charging intention, may control the driving unit 150 to automatically open the charging cap 117a.” Jun does not teach the full claim limitation regarding “to issue a notification inquiring necessity of the automatic opening operation of the user” However, Duan teaches equivalent teachings to issue a notification inquiring necessity of the automatic opening operation of the user [0047] “The vehicle HMI may display (i.e., notification to the user) the estimated vehicle travel distance (defined as Dis_suggest in this example), which may be intelligently learned from the vehicle operation history and customer preference. The customer may accept the value for Dis_suggest as represented at 230, 240, enter a new value for the anticipated driving distance at 250, 260, or select to use the full range distance as the expected vehicle travel distance, (defined as Dis_exp) at 270. The Dis_exp value will be used to determine a desired battery charge level or target/ending SOC at 280 to provide sufficient battery power and energy in the selected distance of the next trip(s) for the vehicle with less battery cycling degradation and better operation efficiency as described in greater detail herein. The target SOC (SOC.sub.charge in this example) or corresponding battery voltage is then used by one or more of the vehicle controllers and battery charger to charge the battery to the target.” [0043] “the controller 140 configured to communicate a target state-of-charge (SOC) the target SOC based on at least an expected vehicle travel distance before a next battery charge. The expected vehicle travel distance may be received via input from the HMI 112, or a received travel distance may be accepted, rejected, or otherwise modified using the HMI 112.” It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date to combine Jun’s automatic opening of the charging cap to Duan’s HMI notification that effectively inquires whether an automatic opening operation of the vehicle when is stopped at the charge site and charge of the battery is necessary. A person that is skilled in the art would have been motivated to combine Jun and Duan teachings to improve the system cost, efficiency, and battery life [0006] “Charging cost or operation efficiency may be improved by determining a target SOC for charging based on driver habits based on a statistical analyzer, an estimation module, and a determination module where the statistical analyzer analyzes a set of data describing utility rate information and one or more behaviors of the vehicle.” Regarding Claim 4, Jun discloses the charge control system according to claim 3, wherein the processor is further configured to enable the automatic opening operation without issuing the notification when the charge site where the vehicle is stopped is a predetermined charge site registered in a navigation device [0103] “The controller 130 may determine a charging intention of the user, and in response to determining that the user has a charging intention, may control the driving unit 150 to automatically open the charging cap 117a.” [0183] “The controller 130 may determine whether the vehicle is located at a charging station on the basis of the current location information and navigation information during execution of a navigation mode, and in response to determining that the vehicle is located at the charging station, may determine that the user has a charging intention.” Jun therefore teaches that specific charging stations can be recognized based on navigation information, i.e., predetermined/registered charge sites in the navigation device. [0200] “In the communicating with the remote controller, the vehicle may determine whether the remote controller is located outside the vehicle, and in response to determining that the remote controller is located outside the vehicle and an authentication signal received from the remote controller is a previously stored authentication signal [i.e., registered information], may open the charging cap [i.e., opening the charging cap without issuing a notification].” The system stores and register previously used charging sites based on navigation information. Jun discloses a system that recognizes registered charging sites and automatically opens the charge lid. Regarding Claim 7, The charge control system according to claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to: determine a type of charge equipment, and open a charge lid of a charge port corresponding to the type of the charge equipment from a plurality of charge lids of the vehicle [0200] “In the communicating with the remote controller, the vehicle may determine whether the remote controller is located outside the vehicle, and in response to determining that the remote controller is located outside the vehicle and an authentication signal received from the remote controller is a previously stored authentication signal [i.e., registered information], may open the charging cap [i.e., opening the charging cap without issuing a notification].” [0324] “The communication device 161 may receive a charging command or a refueling command on the basis of the identification information received from the vehicle.” [0330] “In the determining of the charging intention of the user, the controller 136 determines that the user has a charging intention in response to receiving a RF signal of the charging gun or the refueling gun through the communication device 161, and controls the driving unit 140 to automatically open the charging cap 117a.” Jun system includes a wireless communication between the vehicle and a charging gun to identify charge type. Jun also describes opening the charge lid based on the charge equipment type. Regarding Claim 8, The charge control system according to claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to: Jun does not teach “acquire power consumption history of the battery; and set a threshold for determining the necessity of charging the battery based on the power consumption history” However, Duan teaches equivalent teachings acquire power consumption history of the battery [0023] “the battery charge SOC level based on a customer's need (which may be obtained from customer inputs or intelligently learned from driving/charging history and preference settings) [0044] “External cloud server 146 may determine an anticipated driving distance and/or target SOC, or may provide data to controller 140 for determination of the target or ending SOC based on historical vehicle trip data and/or traction battery charging data received by the external cloud server 146 from the electrified vehicle 102.” set a threshold for determining the necessity of charging the battery based on the power consumption history [0049] “FIG. 3 is a flowchart illustrating operation of a system or method for controlling vehicle charging with respect to representative strategies for determine a target battery charge for a particular anticipated driving distance. At 310, a determination is made with respect to whether the anticipated driving distance before a subsequent charging event is less than the driving distance for a full battery charge, which may correspond to 100% SOC or a designed maximum SOC level that the battery is charged to during charging (different maximum SOC levels may be used depending on charge current or types of charging such as fast charge, level 2 charge, etc.)” [0050] “ΔSOC is the difference of SOC to be provided from starting of the charge event to ending of the charge event (SOC_charge) and the anticipated SOC (SOC_end) at the end of the next trip(s) according to the customer use history data stored in the controller.” [0056] “the system determines a desired or optimal ending SOC value by optimization of a cost function” [0057] “The SOC_charge level may then be determined SOC_charge=SOC_end_opt+ΔSOC. The target SOC_charge will be sent to the battery charger control directly” Duan’s ΔSOC and SOC_end are explicitly functions of customer use history, Duan’s target SOC_charge is a threshold that tells the system whether additional charging is necessary (i.e., current SOC is less that target SOC, then charging needed, current SOC greater or equal to the target SOC, then charging not needed based on power consumption history. It would have been obvious to a person that skilled in the art to combine Jun and Duan teachings to make the system have a power consumption history acquisition unit configured to acquire power consumption history of the battery; and a threshold setting unit configured to set a threshold for determining the necessity of charging the battery based on the power consumption history. A person that is skilled in the art would have been motivated to combine Jun and Duan teachings to improve the system cost, efficiency, and battery life [0006] “Charging cost or operation efficiency may be improved by determining a target SOC for charging based on driver habits based on a statistical analyzer, an estimation module, and a determination module where the statistical analyzer analyzes a set of data describing utility rate information and one or more behaviors of the vehicle.” Regarding Claim 9, The charge control system according to claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to: Jun does not teach “acquire a travel schedule; and set a threshold for determining the necessity of charging the battery based on a power consumption prediction value based on a travel plan for a next day” However, Duan teaches equivalent teachings acquire a travel schedule; and set a threshold for determining the necessity of charging the battery based on a power consumption prediction value based on a travel plan for a next day [0047] “An estimated or anticipated driving distance or range before a subsequent charging event is then calculated or otherwise determined by a vehicle controller, or determined by an external computing device and communicated to the vehicle as indicated at 220.” [0049] “FIG. 3 is a flowchart illustrating operation of a system or method for controlling vehicle charging with respect to representative strategies for determine a target battery charge for a particular anticipated driving distance. At 310, a determination is made with respect to whether the anticipated driving distance before a subsequent charging event is less than the driving distance for a full battery charge, which may correspond to 100% SOC or a designed maximum SOC level that the battery is charged to during charging (different maximum SOC levels may be used depending on charge current or types of charging such as fast charge, level 2 charge, etc.)” It would have been obvious to a person that skilled in the art to combine Jun and Duan teachings to make the system have a travel schedule acquisition unit configured to acquire a travel schedule; and a threshold setting unit configured to set a threshold for determining the necessity of charging the battery based on a power consumption prediction value based on a travel plan for a next day. A person that is skilled in the art would have been motivated to combine Jun and Duan teachings to improve the system cost, efficiency, and battery life [0006] “Charging cost or operation efficiency may be improved by determining a target SOC for charging based on driver habits based on a statistical analyzer, an estimation module, and a determination module where the statistical analyzer analyzes a set of data describing utility rate information and one or more behaviors of the vehicle.” Claim 5 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. § 103 as being unpatentable over Jun (US 20200190889 A1), in view of Takebayashi (US 20200148070 A1). Regarding Claim 5, The charge control system according to claim 3, Jun does not teach the claim limitation regarding “wherein when rapid charge equipment is installed at the charge site where the vehicle is stopped, the automatic opening operation is enabled without issuing the notification.” However, Takebayashi teaches equivalent teachings wherein when rapid charge equipment is installed at the charge site where the vehicle is stopped, the automatic opening operation is enabled without issuing the notification [0057] “If the control unit 201 authenticates the validity of the electronic key, it permits the use of the quick charging port 209, and unlocks the cover (not shown) of the quick charging port 209 to be opened/closed.” The system opens/closes the charge cover [i.e., without issuing a notification] based on quick charging [i.e., rapid charge] availability and information. It would have been obvious to a person that skilled in the art to combine Jun and Takebayashi teachings to make the system wherein when rapid charge equipment is installed at the charge site where the vehicle is stopped, the automatic opening operation is enabled without issuing the notification. A person that is skilled in the art would have been motivated to combine Jun and Takebayashi teachings to increase system capacity at charge stations [0005] “Along with an increase in number of chargeable vehicles such as electric cars, the number of people who use a charger outside increases, and the number of chargers is insufficient in some regions. In a region where the number of chargers is insufficient, when one vehicle occupies a charger, another vehicle cannot be charged, and needs to wait until charging of the vehicle which has started charging first is completed.” Claim 6 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. § 103 as being unpatentable over Jun (US 20200190889 A1) in view of Honjo (US 20210061115 A1). Regarding Claim 6, The charge control system according to claim 2, Jun does not teach “wherein, in a case where a user sets the automatic opening operation to be enabled in advance, the processor is further configured to automatically open the charge lid when the vehicle is stopped at the charge site and charge of the battery is necessary” However, Honjo teaches equivalent teachings wherein, in a case where a user sets the automatic opening operation to be enabled in advance, the automatic opening operation control unit automatically opens the charge lid when the vehicle is stopped at the charge site and charge of the battery is necessary [0070] “a charge start sign signal before charging the battery 2, executes the separate mode before starting the charging of the battery 2, and then executes the series mode. According to such a modification example, by receiving the charge start sign signal before charging the battery 2 and executing the separate mode before starting the charging of the battery 2, and then executing the series mode, preparations for charging the battery 2 can be made in advance.” Honjo teaches pre enabling the charging lid to open when the vehicle arrives at a charge site. [0071] “Examples of the charge start sign signal include a charging timer setting signal from a smartphone application, a charging lid open signal from a smart key, and an operation signal of a charging lid open button provided on a vehicle.” [0084] “According to (3), it is possible to prepare for charging the battery in advance by receiving the charge start sign signal before charging the battery, executing the separate mode before starting the charge of the battery, and then executing the series mode.” It would have been obvious to a person that skilled in the art to combine Jun and Honjo teachings to make the system wherein, in a case where a user sets the automatic opening operation to be enabled in advance, the automatic opening operation control unit automatically opens the charge lid when the vehicle is stopped at the charge site and charge of the battery is necessary. A person that is skilled in the art would have been motivated to combine Jun and Honjo teachings to improve the system efficiency [0080] “by executing the series mode when charging the battery, the heat exchange unit provided in the second temperature adjustment circuit can be used to cool the charger and the battery. As a result, it is possible to efficiently cool the charger and the battery when charging the battery.” Conclusion 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 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 HUSSAM ALZATEEMEH whose telephone number is (703)756-1013. The examiner can normally be reached 8:00-5:00 M-F. Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice. If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Aniss Chad can be reached on (571) 270-3832. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300. Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000. /HUSSAM ALDEEN ALZATEEMEH/Examiner, Art Unit 3662 /ANISS CHAD/ Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3662
Read full office action

Prosecution Timeline

Mar 28, 2023
Application Filed
Mar 25, 2025
Non-Final Rejection mailed — §103
Jun 25, 2025
Response Filed
Jan 13, 2026
Final Rejection mailed — §103
Mar 12, 2026
Response after Non-Final Action

Precedent Cases

Applications granted by this same examiner with similar technology

Patent 12636991
TAIL LIFT CONTROL SYSTEMS AND METHODS
2y 11m to grant Granted May 26, 2026
Patent 12591235
SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR CONTROLLING UNMANNED AUTONOMOUS VEHICLES
3y 6m to grant Granted Mar 31, 2026
Patent 12555480
INFORMATION PROCESSING APPARATUS, MOVING OBJECT, SYSTEM, INFORMATION PROCESSING METHOD, AND COMPUTER-READABLE STORAGE MEDIUM TO IDENTIFY A RISK AREA
3y 1m to grant Granted Feb 17, 2026
Patent 12554267
AUTOMATIC DRIVING METHOD, APPARATUS AND SYSTEM, AND NON-TRANSITORY COMPUTER-READABLE STORAGE MEDIUM
2y 7m to grant Granted Feb 17, 2026
Patent 12547191
CONTROL DEVICE FOR ROBOT IN MULTI-AGENT SYSTEM
2y 6m to grant Granted Feb 10, 2026
Study what changed to get past this examiner. Based on 5 most recent grants.

Strategy Recommendation AI-generated — please review before filing

Get a prosecution strategy drawn from examiner precedents, rejection analysis, and claim mapping.
Typically takes 5-10 seconds — AI-generated, attorney review required before filing

Prosecution Projections

2-3
Expected OA Rounds
54%
Grant Probability
92%
With Interview (+37.8%)
2y 11m (~0m remaining)
Median Time to Grant
Moderate
PTA Risk
Based on 24 resolved cases by this examiner. Grant probability derived from career allowance rate.

Sign in with your work email

Enter your email to receive a magic link. No password needed.

Personal email addresses (Gmail, Yahoo, etc.) are not accepted.

Free tier: 3 strategy analyses per month