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 .
Status of the Claims
Claims 1-20 are currently pending.
Claim Interpretation
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(f):
(f) Element in Claim for a Combination. – An element in a claim for a combination may be expressed as a means or step for performing a specified function without the recital of structure, material, or acts in support thereof, and such claim shall be construed to cover the corresponding structure, material, or acts described in the specification and equivalents thereof.
The following is a quotation of pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph:
An element in a claim for a combination may be expressed as a means or step for performing a specified function without the recital of structure, material, or acts in support thereof, and such claim shall be construed to cover the corresponding structure, material, or acts described in the specification and equivalents thereof.
The claims in this application are given their broadest reasonable interpretation using the plain meaning of the claim language in light of the specification as it would be understood by one of ordinary skill in the art. The broadest reasonable interpretation of a claim element (also commonly referred to as a claim limitation) is limited by the description in the specification when 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph, is invoked.
As explained in MPEP § 2181, subsection I, claim limitations that meet the following three-prong test will be interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph:
(A) the claim limitation uses the term “means” or “step” or a term used as a substitute for “means” that is a generic placeholder (also called a nonce term or a non-structural term having no specific structural meaning) for performing the claimed function;
(B) the term “means” or “step” or the generic placeholder is modified by functional language, typically, but not always linked by the transition word “for” (e.g., “means for”) or another linking word or phrase, such as “configured to” or “so that”; and
(C) the term “means” or “step” or the generic placeholder is not modified by sufficient structure, material, or acts for performing the claimed function.
Use of the word “means” (or “step”) in a claim with functional language creates a rebuttable presumption that the claim limitation is to be treated in accordance with 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph. The presumption that the claim limitation is interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph, is rebutted when the claim limitation recites sufficient structure, material, or acts to entirely perform the recited function.
Absence of the word “means” (or “step”) in a claim creates a rebuttable presumption that the claim limitation is not to be treated in accordance with 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph. The presumption that the claim limitation is not interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph, is rebutted when the claim limitation recites function without reciting sufficient structure, material or acts to entirely perform the recited function.
Claim limitations in this application that use the word “means” (or “step”) are being interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph, except as otherwise indicated in an Office action. Conversely, claim limitations in this application that do not use the word “means” (or “step”) are not being interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph, except as otherwise indicated in an Office action.
This application includes one or more claim limitations that do not use the word “means,” but are nonetheless being interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph, because the claim limitation(s) uses a generic placeholder that is coupled with functional language without reciting sufficient structure to perform the recited function and the generic placeholder is not preceded by a structural modifier. Such claim limitation(s) is/are:
“a signal processing module configured to receive a first control pilot signal sent by power sourcing equipment, and send a high-level signal of target duration to a wake-up module based on the first control pilot signal, and the wake-up module configured to wake up a battery management system after duration in which the high-level signal is received reaches the target duration.” in claims 1 and 15;
“the signal processing module comprises: a signal generation module configured to receive the first control pilot signal, generate the high- level signal based on the first control pilot signal, and separately send the high-level signal to a signal control module and the wake-up module, and the signal control module configured to, after the duration in which the high-level signal is received reaches the target duration, enable the signal generation module to stop sending the high- level signal to the wake-up module.”, in claims 2 and 16;
“wherein the signal generation module comprises: a direct-current blocking module configured to receive the first control pilot signal, remove a direct-current component from the first control pilot signal to generate a first signal, and send the first signal to a clamping module, wherein the first signal is an alternating-current signal, the clamping module configured to keep a top or a bottom of a waveform of the first signal at a target level to obtain a second signal, and send the second signal to a filtering module, and the filtering module configured to: filter the second signal to obtain the high-level signal, and separately send the high-level signal to the signal control module and the wake-up module” in claims 3 and 17;
“wherein the charging control apparatus further comprises: a second control pilot signal generation module, configured to: obtain a first level signal from the battery management system, generate a second control pilot signal based on the first level signal, and send the second control pilot signal to a powered device” in claims 6 and 20;
“wherein the charging control apparatus further comprises: a switch module, configured to: when the battery management system needs to be woken up, connect the power sourcing equipment to the signal processing module; and when the powered device needs to be charged, connect the powered device to the second control pilot signal generation module” in claim 7;
“wherein the second control pilot signal generation module comprises: a boost module configured to obtain the first level signal from the battery management system, perform boost processing on the first level signal to obtain a second level signal, and separately send the second level signal to a charge pump module and a comparison module, the charge pump module configured to generate a third level signal based on the second level signal, and send the third level signal to the comparison module, wherein a level of the third level signal and a level of the second level signal are opposite numbers, and the comparison module configured to receive the second level signal and the third level signal, generate the second control pilot signal based on the second level signal and the third level signal 24 according to a target waveform rule, and send the second control pilot signal to the powered device” in claim 8;
Because this/these claim limitation(s) is/are being interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph, it/they is/are being interpreted to cover the corresponding structure described in the specification as performing the claimed function, and equivalents thereof. Specifically, Examiner considers the structure to be a specifically programmed computer processor, programmed using the details are disclosed in the specification.
If applicant does not intend to have this/these limitation(s) interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph, applicant may: (1) amend the claim limitation(s) to avoid it/them being interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph (e.g., by reciting sufficient structure to perform the claimed function); or (2) present a sufficient showing that the claim limitation(s) recite(s) sufficient structure to perform the claimed function so as to avoid it/them being interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph.
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, 9, and 15 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by US Patent Application Publication No. 2013/0119931 (Klesyk).
Regarding claim 1, Klesyk discloses a signal processing module configured to receive a first control pilot signal sent by power sourcing equipment, and send a high-level signal of target duration to a wake-up module based on the first control pilot signal, and the wake-up module configured to wake up a battery management system after duration in which the high-level signal is received reaches the target duration (a control pilot detection circuit (see description paragraphs 33-48, and figures 1 to 6) for use in providing a control pilot wake-up signal to a controller of a vehicle charging system; a control
pilot detection circuit 38 includes a connection circuit 80, a wake-up circuit 82, and a latch circuit 84; the connection circuit 80 can be configured to receive a control pilot signal from an EVSE system 22 and to output the received control signal CP _WAKEUP to the wake-up circuit 82; the wake-up circuit 82 can be configured to output a latch signal CP _LATCH to the latch circuit 84; the latch circuit 84 can be configured to output the control pilot wake-up signal CP _WAKE; a first portion 90 of the wake-up circuit 82 can be configured to define a beginning of the pulse outputted to the latch circuit 84, and a second portion 92 of the wake-up circuit 82 can be configured to define an ending of the pulse; with reference to figures 4-6, at time TO, the control pilot signal (equivalent to the first control pilot signal) is in a steady, non-time varying state; once the control pilot signal begins to alternate between a high and low state at a frequency, then at a time T 1, a current is passed to the first portion 90 and the second portion 92 of the wake-up circuit; once the voltage at the CP _LATCH reaches a level sufficient to surpass a turn-on voltage of the latch circuit 84, the latch circuit 84 begins generating a pulse of the control pilot signal CP _WAKE; as the control pilot signal continues in a time-varying state, the second portion 92 of the wake-up circuit 82 begins to increase in voltage until reaching a level sufficient to surpass a turn-on voltage of the MOSFET (Q24), and then the MOSFET causes a portion of the first portion 90 of the wake-up circuit 82 to be shorted; at the time T2, the MOSFET is turned on to short the portion of the first portion 90 of the wakeup circuit 82 (the pulse between Tl-T2 is equivalent to the high-level signal of a target duration)).
Regarding claim 9, Klesyk discloses receiving a first control pilot signal, and generating a high-level signal of target duration based on the first control pilot signal; and sending the high-level signal of the target duration to a battery management system, to wake up the battery management system (a control pilot detection circuit (see description paragraphs 33-48, and figures 1 to 6) for use in providing a control pilot wake-up signal to a controller of a vehicle charging system; a control
pilot detection circuit 38 includes a connection circuit 80, a wake-up circuit 82, and a latch circuit 84; the connection circuit 80 can be configured to receive a control pilot signal from an EVSE system 22 and to output the received control signal CP _WAKEUP to the wake-up circuit 82; the wake-up circuit 82 can be configured to output a latch signal CP _LATCH to the latch circuit 84; the latch circuit 84 can be configured to output the control pilot wake-up signal CP _WAKE; a first portion 90 of the wake-up circuit 82 can be configured to define a beginning of the pulse outputted to the latch circuit 84, and a second portion 92 of the wake-up circuit 82 can be configured to define an ending of the pulse; with reference to figures 4-6, at time TO, the control pilot signal (equivalent to the first control pilot signal) is in a steady, non-time varying state; once the control pilot signal begins to alternate between a high and low state at a frequency, then at a time T 1, a current is passed to the first portion 90 and the second portion 92 of the wake-up circuit; once the voltage at the CP _LATCH reaches a level sufficient to surpass a turn-on voltage of the latch circuit 84, the latch circuit 84 begins generating a pulse of the control pilot signal CP _WAKE; as the control pilot signal continues in a time-varying state, the second portion 92 of the wake-up circuit 82 begins to increase in voltage until reaching a level sufficient to surpass a turn-on voltage of the MOSFET (Q24), and then the MOSFET causes a portion of the first portion 90 of the wake-up circuit 82 to be shorted; at the time T2, the MOSFET is turned on to short the portion of the first portion 90 of the wakeup circuit 82 (the pulse between Tl-T2 is equivalent to the high-level signal of a target duration)).
Regarding claim 15, Klesyk discloses an electric vehicle, comprising: a charging control apparatus comprising: signal processing module configured to receive a first control pilot signal sent by power sourcing equipment, and send a high-level signal of target duration to a wake-up module based on the first control pilot signal, and the wake-up module configured to wake up a battery management system after duration in which the high-level signal is received reaches the target duration (a control pilot detection circuit (see description paragraphs 33-48, and figures 1 to 6) for use in providing a control pilot wake-up signal to a controller of a vehicle charging system; a control
pilot detection circuit 38 includes a connection circuit 80, a wake-up circuit 82, and a latch circuit 84; the connection circuit 80 can be configured to receive a control pilot signal from an EVSE system 22 and to output the received control signal CP _WAKEUP to the wake-up circuit 82; the wake-up circuit 82 can be configured to output a latch signal CP _LATCH to the latch circuit 84; the latch circuit 84 can be configured to output the control pilot wake-up signal CP _WAKE; a first portion 90 of the wake-up circuit 82 can be configured to define a beginning of the pulse outputted to the latch circuit 84, and a second portion 92 of the wake-up circuit 82 can be configured to define an ending of the pulse; with reference to figures 4-6, at time TO, the control pilot signal (equivalent to the first control pilot signal) is in a steady, non-time varying state; once the control pilot signal begins to alternate between a high and low state at a frequency, then at a time T 1, a current is passed to the first portion 90 and the second portion 92 of the wake-up circuit; once the voltage at the CP _LATCH reaches a level sufficient to surpass a turn-on voltage of the latch circuit 84, the latch circuit 84 begins generating a pulse of the control pilot signal CP _WAKE; as the control pilot signal continues in a time-varying state, the second portion 92 of the wake-up circuit 82 begins to increase in voltage until reaching a level sufficient to surpass a turn-on voltage of the MOSFET (Q24), and then the MOSFET causes a portion of the first portion 90 of the wake-up circuit 82 to be shorted; at the time T2, the MOSFET is turned on to short the portion of the first portion 90 of the wakeup circuit 82 (the pulse between Tl-T2 is equivalent to the high-level signal of a target duration)).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 2-8, 10-14, and 16-20 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.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure:
US 2018/0208066 (Rao et al.) discloses Method, Battery Management System, and Vehicle for Charging Awakening;
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to KERRI L MCNALLY whose telephone number is (571)270-1840. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday, 7:00 am - 3:30 pm.
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, Brian Zimmerman can be reached at 571-272-3059. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/KERRI L MCNALLY/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2686
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