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 .
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) 12-29 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Boesch (2020/0014240)
Regarding applicant claim 12, Boesch discloses a controller for a vehicle, comprising:
a main control unit configured to execute processes of critical or safety-related applications ([0020] “autonomous vehicle controller… control the steering, propulsion, and braking of the host vehicle”);
at least one first secondary control unit configured execute agile applications ([0025] “non-critical loads…systems that draw electrical energy from the high voltage power source but are not involved in the movement of the host vehicle… infotainment system, climate controls, door lock actuators, power windows, liftgate actuators, among others”); and
a switching device configured to deactivate the at least one secondary control unit ([0027] “first isolation circuit and second isolation circuit… when the first switch is open, current flow cannot bypass the first diode. As a result, the first non-critical load cannot draw current from the first backup battery when the second switch is open’),
wherein the main control unit is configured, in the event of the occurrence of a predefined safety-related event, to deactivate the at least one secondary control unit by means of the switching device ([0027] “first isolation circuit, the first diode prevents the first non-critical load from drawing current from the first backup battery”).
Regarding applicant claim 13, Boesch discloses wherein: the switching device is configured to execute an electrical interruption of a connection between the main control unit and the at least one secondary control unit ([0027] “first backup; second diode electrically isolates the second backup battery from the second non-critical load); and
the main control unit is configured, for the deactivation of the secondary control unit, to electrically interrupt the connection by a corresponding actuation of the controller ([0027]).
Regarding applicant claim 14, Boesch discloses wherein the main control unit is configured, for the deactivation of the secondary control unit, to interrupt a process that is running on the at least one secondary control unit ([0027] “first and second isolation circuit”).
Regarding applicant claim 15, Boesch discloses wherein the main control unit is configured, for the deactivation of the secondary control unit, to interrupt a process that is running on the at least one secondary control unit ([0028] “battery controller is implemented via circuits that control various operations of the high voltage power source, the first backup battery, the second backup battery”).
Regarding applicant claim 16, Boesch discloses further comprising a second secondary control unit, wherein the main control unit is configured to selectively deactivate only the first secondary control unit, or deactivate both the first secondary control unit and second secondary control unit, depending upon a nature of the predefined event ([0026]-[0028]).
Regarding applicant claim 17, Boesch discloses wherein: the main control unit comprises a first main control unit and the controller further comprises at least one further main control unit having a lower priority level than the first main control unit; and the first main control unit is configured to deactivate the further main control unit ([0025]-[0026] “non-critical and critical loads; first backup battery and second backup battery”; [0027] “first and second isolation circuit”).
Regarding applicant claim 18, Boesch discloses wherein:
the first main control unit and the further main control unit are configured to respectively deactivate the at least one secondary control unit in response to different events and/or to respectively deactivate different secondary control units of a plurality of secondary control units ([0023] “processor”; [0025] “first voltage converter may be electrically connected to a first non-critical load and the second voltage converter may be electrically connected to a second non-critical load”).
Regarding applicant claim 19, Boesch discloses wherein the main control unit and the at least one secondary control unit are embodied on a common semiconductor chip ([0023] “processor”).
Regarding applicant claim 20, Boesch discloses wherein the main control unit comprises a main processor, and the secondary control unit comprises a secondary processor on the common semiconductor chip ([0023] “processor”).
Regarding applicant claim 21, Boesch wherein the predefined event comprises at least one execution of an emergency call function or at least one execution of a vehicle-to-X communication function ([0025]-[0026]).
Regarding applicant claim 22, Boesch discloses wherein the main control unit comprises a main processor, and the secondary control unit comprises a secondary processor ([0023] “processor”).
Regarding applicant claim 23, Boesch discloses wherein:
the switching device is configured to execute an electrical interruption of a connection between the main control unit and the at least one secondary control unit; and the main control unit is configured, for the deactivation of the secondary control unit, to electrically interrupt the connection by a corresponding actuation of the controller ([0023] “processor”; [0025] “first voltage converter may be electrically connected to a first non-critical load and the second voltage converter may be electrically connected to a second non-critical load”; [0025]-[0026] “actuators”).
Regarding applicant claim 24, Boesch discloses wherein the main control unit is configured, for the deactivation of the secondary control unit, to interrupt a process that is running on the at least one secondary control unit ([0009] “isolation circuit”)
Regarding applicant claim 25, Boesch discloses further comprising a second secondary control unit, wherein the main control unit is configured to selectively deactivate only the first secondary control unit, or deactivate both the first secondary control unit and second secondary control unit, depending upon a nature of the predefined event ([0026]-[0027]).
Regarding applicant claim 26, Boesch discloses a telematic control unit for a vehicle, wherein the telematic control unit is configured to control cellular connections of the vehicle for the execution of critical vehicle functions, wherein the telematic control unit comprises a controller ([0023]; [0026] “critical loads”).
Regarding applicant claim 27, Boesch discloses a method for operating a controller having at least one main control unit and a secondary control unit ([0023] “first and second backup battery; first and second isolation circuit and controller”), wherein the method comprises:
actuating the secondary control unit, by means of the main control unit, in order to execute a secondary process on the secondary control unit, wherein the secondary process can impact upon a performance of the main control unit ([0023]-[0025] “high voltage power source… critical and non-critical loads”; [0026]-[0027]);
receiving a command for execution of a main process on the main control unit, wherein the main process assumes a higher priority or safety level than the secondary process ([0053] “receives instruction”); and
deactivating the secondary control unit, responsive to receiving the command for the execution of the main process, in order to reduce impact of the secondary control unit upon the main control unit during the execution of the main process ([0027] “first isolation circuit and second isolation circuit… when the first switch is open, current flow cannot bypass the first diode. As a result, the first non-critical load cannot draw current from the first backup battery when the second switch is open’).
Regarding applicant claim 28, Boesch discloses wherein: the switching device is configured to execute an electrical interruption of a connection between the main control unit and the at least one secondary control unit ([0027] “first backup; second diode electrically isolates the second backup battery from the second non-critical load); and
the main control unit is configured, for the deactivation of the secondary control unit, to electrically interrupt the connection by a corresponding actuation of the controller ([0027]).
Regarding applicant claim 29, Boesch discloses wherein the main control unit is configured, for the deactivation of the secondary control unit, to interrupt a process that is running on the at least one secondary control unit ([0027] “first and second isolation circuit”).
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to WAE LENNY LOUIE whose telephone number is (571)272-5195. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 6AM-3PM.
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/W.L.L/Examiner, Art Unit 3661
/PETER D NOLAN/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3661