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 Claims
This action is in reply to the amendments filed on 01/20/2026 for Application No. 18/266,201
Claims 1 – 5 , 7, 8 and 10 – 21 are currently pending and have been examined. Claims 1, 5, 7, 10, 14 and 20 have been amended.
This action is made NON-FINAL
Continued Examination Under 37 CFR 1.114
A request for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, including the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e), was filed in this application after final rejection. Since this application is eligible for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114. Applicant's submission filed on 01/20/2026 has been entered.
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.
(a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claim(s) 14 – 18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Sujan et al. (US 20200361444 A1).
Regarding claim 14, Sujan teaches a system, comprising:
a controller for a hybrid vehicle, the controller comprising a processing circuit including at least one processor coupled to at least one memory storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the controller to: (Sujan: Paragraph 0070: “The present subject matter may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. The described embodiments are to be considered in all respects only as illustrative and not restrictive. Those skilled in the art will recognize that other implementations consistent with the disclosed embodiments are possible. The above detailed description and the examples described therein have been presented for the purposes of illustration and description only and not for limitation. For example, the operations described can be done in any suitable manner. The methods can be performed in any suitable order while still providing the described operation and results. It is therefore contemplated that the present embodiments cover any and all modifications, variations, or equivalents that fall within the scope of the basic underlying principles disclosed above and claimed herein. Furthermore, while the above description describes hardware in the form of a processor executing code, hardware in the form of a state machine, or dedicated logic capable of producing the same effect, other structures are also contemplated.”)
determine that a transient event for the hybrid vehicle is occurring (Sujan: Abstract: “Methods and systems for improving fuel economy and reducing emissions of a vehicle with an electric motor, an engine, an energy storage device, and a controller are disclosed. The method includes obtaining current state information including a current hybrid control surface, and determining a target hybrid control surface for the vehicle based on the current state information.”; Claim 2: “transitioning, by the controller, from the current hybrid control surface to the target hybrid control surface when the target hybrid control surface is different from the current hybrid control surface.”; Claim 3: “wherein each of the current and target hybrid control surfaces is associated with at least one of: an altitude, an environmental condition, and an internal system state of the vehicle.”,
Supplemental Note: the transient event is interpreted as transitioning to the target hybrid control surface based on altitude, environmental condition and internal system state)
based on a difference between a current power demand and a previous power demand of the hybrid vehicle exceeding a transient threshold for a predefined operating period; (Sujan: Paragraph 0041: “in a first portion 200 of the route, the area is considered a flatland and the path is generally free of hills and slopes. In this portion, the vehicle uses the engine to charge an energy storage device associated with the electric motor, such as a battery, while driving with a relatively low exhaust temperature because the load on the vehicle is low. As such, the power demand is also not high, and the engine-to-motor power ratio is 200/−50, i.e. 200 hp (horsepower) is used to drive the engine such that out of the 200 hp, 50 hp of power is stored in the battery.”; Paragraph 0042: “In a second portion 202 of the route, the vehicle is facing an inclination which increases the predicted load on the engine and motor, but the speed of the vehicle is to stay the same as in the first portion 200. As such, the power demand is increased to 300 hp, of which the engine-to-motor power ratio is 250/50, such that both the engine and the motor are contributing to the power demand.”,
Supplemental Note: the vehicle is able to determine if increased HP is increased)
determine an increase of power demand for the hybrid vehicle based on the determined transient event; (Sujan: Paragraph 0042: “In a second portion 202 of the route, the vehicle is facing an inclination which increases the predicted load on the engine and motor, but the speed of the vehicle is to stay the same as in the first portion 200. As such, the power demand is increased to 300 hp,”)
direct an amount of power from an electric motor of the hybrid vehicle to a powertrain of the hybrid vehicle based on the increase in power demand, (Sujan: Paragraph 0042: “As such, the power demand is increased to 300 hp, of which the engine-to-motor power ratio is 250/50, such that both the engine and the motor are contributing to the power demand”)
the amount of power from the electric motor determined based on a state of charge of a battery of the hybrid vehicle; and (Sujan: Paragraph 0049: “FIG. 4 shows a method 400 used by the processing unit in one embodiment to determine the power split as shown above. In the first step 402, the processing unit obtains the future mass and speed of the vehicle and grade of the road, as well as environmental condition such as weather and/or air densities. Additionally, the processing unit also obtains the current power demand and SOC of the battery. In step 404, the processing unit looks up the future fuel economy/emissions for a future operating point. In step 406, the processing unit determines a new power demand split between the engine and the motor/generator. During this step, the processing unit determines if the battery needs to be charged, and if the load on the engine needs to be increased to accommodate the future load. In step 408, the engine and the motor are controlled according to the new power demand split. In some examples, the determination of power split is impacted by the current SOC, as well as proactive planning of what future SOC may be needed. Therefore, the processing unit uses the power split table 300 in FIG. 3 in step 406 to decide if the current SOC is sufficient to meet the predicted power demand.”)
incrementally increase, over an operation duration and proportional to a decay of a power output from the electric motor from the directed amount of power from the electric motor, an amount of power from an engine of the hybrid vehicle (Sujan: Paragraph 0049: “In step 406, the processing unit determines a new power demand split between the engine and the motor/generator. During this step, the processing unit determines if the battery needs to be charged, and if the load on the engine needs to be increased to accommodate the future load. In step 408, the engine and the motor are controlled according to the new power demand split. In some examples, the determination of power split is impacted by the current SOC, as well as proactive planning of what future SOC may be needed. Therefore, the processing unit uses the power split table 300 in FIG. 3 in step 406 to decide if the current SOC is sufficient to meet the predicted power demand.”,
Supplemental Note: as seen in Figure A, the power ratio from the engine or the motor increases and decreases proportionally depending on the power demand).
Regarding claim 15, Sujan teaches wherein the incrementally increasing amount of power from the engine is based on at least one of the state of charge of the battery or a spin rate of a turbine of a turbocharger of the hybrid vehicle (Sujan: Paragraph 0049: “FIG. 4 shows a method 400 used by the processing unit in one embodiment to determine the power split as shown above. In the first step 402, the processing unit obtains the future mass and speed of the vehicle and grade of the road, as well as environmental condition such as weather and/or air densities. Additionally, the processing unit also obtains the current power demand and SOC of the battery. In step 404, the processing unit looks up the future fuel economy/emissions for a future operating point. In step 406, the processing unit determines a new power demand split between the engine and the motor/generator. During this step, the processing unit determines if the battery needs to be charged, and if the load on the engine needs to be increased to accommodate the future load. In step 408, the engine and the motor are controlled according to the new power demand split. In some examples, the determination of power split is impacted by the current SOC, as well as proactive planning of what future SOC may be needed. Therefore, the processing unit uses the power split table 300 in FIG. 3 in step 406 to decide if the current SOC is sufficient to meet the predicted power demand.”).
Regarding claim 16, Sujan teaches further comprising an exhaust aftertreatment system coupled to the controller, wherein the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, further cause the controller to receive information regarding the exhaust aftertreatment system (Sujan: Paragraph 0042: “Because the load on the engine is increased, the exhaust temperature is high to accommodate for the temperature increase necessary for the aftertreatment system of the engine to operate efficiently. In some examples, the aftertreatment system includes, but are not limited to, SCR with diesel oxidation catalyst, three-way catalytic converters, dual-bed converters, and any other types of aftertreatment components known in the art.”; Paragraph 0058: “For example, if the operator is known to drive at a speed which is 5 mph below the speed limit in a certain area (i.e. engine load is low), the processing unit can learn this and determine that the aftertreatment system needs to be warmed up before the vehicle enters the area because the speed at which the vehicle is driven in the area is too slow to effectively increase the temperature within the system and decrease the NOx emission. Alternatively, the processing unit can decide to shut down the engine entirely and switch to the electric motor to meet the power demand, if the processing unit determines that there is sufficient SOC in the battery. Such decision-making by the processing unit is based on the various data learned with regard to the state of each component within the vehicle, such as SOC of the battery, temperature of the aftertreatment system, engine capacity, etc., as well as other factors such as the aforesaid learned history of operator's actions and/or electrical accessory loads, to better accommodate the needs of the situation.”).
Regarding claim 17, Sujan teaches wherein the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, further cause the controller to: (Sujan: Paragraph 0070: “The present subject matter may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. The described embodiments are to be considered in all respects only as illustrative and not restrictive. Those skilled in the art will recognize that other implementations consistent with the disclosed embodiments are possible. The above detailed description and the examples described therein have been presented for the purposes of illustration and description only and not for limitation. For example, the operations described can be done in any suitable manner. The methods can be performed in any suitable order while still providing the described operation and results. It is therefore contemplated that the present embodiments cover any and all modifications, variations, or equivalents that fall within the scope of the basic underlying principles disclosed above and claimed herein. Furthermore, while the above description describes hardware in the form of a processor executing code, hardware in the form of a state machine, or dedicated logic capable of producing the same effect, other structures are also contemplated.”)
determine a temperature of the exhaust aftertreatment system; (Sujan: Paragraph 0058: “For example, if the operator is known to drive at a speed which is 5 mph below the speed limit in a certain area (i.e. engine load is low), the processing unit can learn this and determine that the aftertreatment system needs to be warmed up before the vehicle enters the area because the speed at which the vehicle is driven in the area is too slow to effectively increase the temperature within the system and decrease the NOx emission. Alternatively, the processing unit can decide to shut down the engine entirely and switch to the electric motor to meet the power demand, if the processing unit determines that there is sufficient SOC in the battery. Such decision-making by the processing unit is based on the various data learned with regard to the state of each component within the vehicle, such as SOC of the battery, temperature of the aftertreatment system, engine capacity, etc., as well as other factors such as the aforesaid learned history of operator's actions and/or electrical accessory loads, to better accommodate the needs of the situation.”,
Supplemental Note: the processing unit of the controller is able to utilize various learned data to determine the temperature of the aftertreatment system)
compare the temperature of the exhaust aftertreatment system to a threshold; and responsive to the comparison, cause a thermal management action for the exhaust aftertreatment system, the thermal management action including at least one of:
directing the engine of the hybrid vehicle to operate at a relatively higher load than a present engine load; or bypassing a turn off event for the engine so the engine runs during a vehicle stop period (Sujan: Paragraph 0042: “In a second portion 202 of the route, the vehicle is facing an inclination which increases the predicted load on the engine and motor, but the speed of the vehicle is to stay the same as in the first portion 200. As such, the power demand is increased to 300 hp, of which the engine-to-motor power ratio is 250/50, such that both the engine and the motor are contributing to the power demand. Because the load on the engine is increased, the exhaust temperature is high to accommodate for the temperature increase necessary for the aftertreatment system of the engine to operate efficiently. In some examples, the aftertreatment system includes, but are not limited to, SCR with diesel oxidation catalyst, three-way catalytic converters, dual-bed converters, and any other types of aftertreatment components known in the art.”; Paragraph 0059: “FIG. 9 illustrates a method 900 in one embodiment to determine whether to deactivate the engine based on certain parameters. For example, in step 902, the engine power demand threshold value is determined based on factors such as driving conditions, size and capacity of the vehicle, as well as the capacity and SOC of the battery associated with the electric motor. In step 904, a present engine state value is obtained using sensors, and a predicted engine state value is obtained using, for example, lookahead information, learned history from previous routes, lookup table, etc. In step 906, the processing unit determines if the predicted engine state value is less than the engine state threshold value. If so, in step 908, the engine is at least partially deactivated or turned off when the present engine state value reaches the engine state threshold value and the vehicle is driven using the electric motor.”,
Supplemental Note: the system is able to determine the aftertreatment system temperature per previous learned data, thus the system determines the best course of action).
Regarding claim 18, Sujan, as modified, teaches wherein the thermal management action further includes reducing an amount of energy from the electric motor of the hybrid vehicle to a powertrain of the hybrid vehicle (Sujan: Paragraph 0041: “FIG. 2 illustrates an example of how a predicted load on a hybrid vehicle affects the power demand as well as engine-to-motor power ratio. In the example shown, a processing unit associated with the vehicle is aware that the vehicle is traveling a route with varying elevation. For example, in a first portion 200 of the route, the area is considered a flatland and the path is generally free of hills and slopes. In this portion, the vehicle uses the engine to charge an energy storage device associated with the electric motor, such as a battery, while driving with a relatively low exhaust temperature because the load on the vehicle is low. As such, the power demand is also not high, and the engine-to-motor power ratio is 200/−50, i.e. 200 hp (horsepower) is used to drive the engine such that out of the 200 hp, 50 hp of power is stored in the battery. This is achieved by using the motor as a generator and converting the mechanical energy of the engine into electrical energy to be stored in the battery. Therefore, the total power demand of 150 hp is met.”; Paragraph 0044: “In a fourth portion 206 of the route, the vehicle is now on a downhill slope as predicted by the processing unit. The downhill slope allows for negative power demand of −100 hp, which means that the engine can be turned off and the motor now acts as a generator in that the mechanical energy obtained by the vehicle as it drives down the slope is converted into electrical energy to be stored in the battery, thereby achieving not only minimal exhaust but also allowing for the battery to be charged without activating the engine. In this portion, the exhaust temperature is thus very low, and the engine-to-motor power ratio is 0/−100.”; Paragraph 0048: “In the first quadrant 302, the processing unit would determine that if the motor can handle all of the predicted load, the engine is turned off. Otherwise, the motor can apply additional load to the engine to improve emissions at the potential expense of fuel economy as the battery is already charged. In the second quadrant 304, the motor can apply additional load to the engine to increase the exhaust temperatures and also charge the battery. In the third quadrant 306, the motor can be used in order to reduce the load, if the future loading does not require the need to use the battery. And finally, in the fourth quadrant 308, the motor cannot assist in accommodating the future load and the engine does not have excess power available for charging.”).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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 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 – 3 and 5 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Sujan et al. (US 20200361444 A1) further in view of Wang et al. (US 20140012441 A1).
Regarding claim 1, Sujan teaches a method, comprising:
determining, by a controller, that a transient event for a hybrid vehicle is occurring (Sujan: Abstract: “Methods and systems for improving fuel economy and reducing emissions of a vehicle with an electric motor, an engine, an energy storage device, and a controller are disclosed. The method includes obtaining current state information including a current hybrid control surface, and determining a target hybrid control surface for the vehicle based on the current state information.”; Claim 2: “transitioning, by the controller, from the current hybrid control surface to the target hybrid control surface when the target hybrid control surface is different from the current hybrid control surface.”; Claim 3: “wherein each of the current and target hybrid control surfaces is associated with at least one of: an altitude, an environmental condition, and an internal system state of the vehicle.”,
Supplemental Note: the transient event is interpreted as transitioning to the target hybrid control surface based on altitude, environmental condition and internal system state)
based on a difference between a current power demand and a previous power demand of the hybrid vehicle exceeding a transient threshold for a predefined operating period; (Sujan: Paragraph 0041: “in a first portion 200 of the route, the area is considered a flatland and the path is generally free of hills and slopes. In this portion, the vehicle uses the engine to charge an energy storage device associated with the electric motor, such as a battery, while driving with a relatively low exhaust temperature because the load on the vehicle is low. As such, the power demand is also not high, and the engine-to-motor power ratio is 200/−50, i.e. 200 hp (horsepower) is used to drive the engine such that out of the 200 hp, 50 hp of power is stored in the battery.”; Paragraph 0042: “In a second portion 202 of the route, the vehicle is facing an inclination which increases the predicted load on the engine and motor, but the speed of the vehicle is to stay the same as in the first portion 200. As such, the power demand is increased to 300 hp, of which the engine-to-motor power ratio is 250/50, such that both the engine and the motor are contributing to the power demand.”,
Supplemental Note: the vehicle is able to determine if increased HP is increased)
determining, by the controller, an increase of power demand for the hybrid vehicle based on the determined transient event; (Sujan: Paragraph 0042: “In a second portion 202 of the route, the vehicle is facing an inclination which increases the predicted load on the engine and motor, but the speed of the vehicle is to stay the same as in the first portion 200. As such, the power demand is increased to 300 hp,”)
directing, by the controller, an amount of power from an electric motor of the hybrid vehicle to a powertrain of the hybrid vehicle based on the increase in power demand, (Sujan: Paragraph 0042: “As such, the power demand is increased to 300 hp, of which the engine-to-motor power ratio is 250/50, such that both the engine and the motor are contributing to the power demand”)
the amount of power from the electric motor determined based on a state of charge of a battery of the hybrid vehicle; and (Sujan: Paragraph 0049: “FIG. 4 shows a method 400 used by the processing unit in one embodiment to determine the power split as shown above. In the first step 402, the processing unit obtains the future mass and speed of the vehicle and grade of the road, as well as environmental condition such as weather and/or air densities. Additionally, the processing unit also obtains the current power demand and SOC of the battery. In step 404, the processing unit looks up the future fuel economy/emissions for a future operating point. In step 406, the processing unit determines a new power demand split between the engine and the motor/generator. During this step, the processing unit determines if the battery needs to be charged, and if the load on the engine needs to be increased to accommodate the future load. In step 408, the engine and the motor are controlled according to the new power demand split. In some examples, the determination of power split is impacted by the current SOC, as well as proactive planning of what future SOC may be needed. Therefore, the processing unit uses the power split table 300 in FIG. 3 in step 406 to decide if the current SOC is sufficient to meet the predicted power demand.”)
incrementally increasing, by the controller over an operation duration and proportional to a decay of a power output from the electric motor during the operation duration from the directed amount of power from the electric motor, an amount of power from an engine of the hybrid vehicle (Sujan: Paragraph 0049: “In step 406, the processing unit determines a new power demand split between the engine and the motor/generator. During this step, the processing unit determines if the battery needs to be charged, and if the load on the engine needs to be increased to accommodate the future load. In step 408, the engine and the motor are controlled according to the new power demand split. In some examples, the determination of power split is impacted by the current SOC, as well as proactive planning of what future SOC may be needed. Therefore, the processing unit uses the power split table 300 in FIG. 3 in step 406 to decide if the current SOC is sufficient to meet the predicted power demand.”,
Supplemental Note: as seen in Figure A, the power ratio from the engine or the motor increases and decreases proportionally depending on the power demand).
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Figure A: Sujan; Fig. 2
In sum, Sujan teaches a method, comprising: determining, by a controller, that a transient event for a hybrid vehicle is occurring based on a difference between a current power demand and a previous power demand of the hybrid vehicle exceeding a transient threshold for a predefined operating period; determining, by the controller, an increase of power demand for the hybrid vehicle based on the determined transient event; directing, by the controller, an amount of power from an electric motor of the hybrid vehicle to a powertrain of the hybrid vehicle based on the increase in power demand, the amount of power from the electric motor determined based on a state of charge of a battery of the hybrid vehicle; and incrementally increasing, by the controller over an operation duration and proportional to a decay of a power output from the electric motor during the operation duration from the directed amount of power from the electric motor, an amount of power from an engine of the hybrid vehicle. Sujan however does not teach to avoid an engine power output spike from the engine based on the determined increase in power demand.
Wang teaches to avoid an engine power output spike from the engine based on the determined increase in power demand (Wang: Paragraph 0003: “Vehicle performance in response to aggressive acceleration requests may be degraded if the available battery power is low as typical control strategies rely on the faster response of the motor torque to satisfy such requests to meet desired energy efficiency goals. However, the torque delivered by the motor may be insufficient at low battery discharge limits and the engine may not respond quickly enough to satisfy the driver power demands.”; Paragraph 0025: “Considering the problems with low battery discharge limits, an engine power adjustment at 126 is implemented into the control system. The engine power adjustment 126 is added the engine power command determination at 118 when the battery 14 is operating at a low discharge limit. Furthermore, the engine torque and speed filtering is adjusted at 128 to allow more flexibility in the filtering when battery discharge limits are low. The adjustments at 126 and 128 are aimed to command extra engine power to boost maximum HEV performance at low battery power levels, while speeding up the engine response time such that maximum motor torque requested by the control system can still be fulfilled by increasing engine power.”; Paragraph 0030: “After filters and rate limits are placed on ΔPwr, the controller 12 commands the engine 18 to output more power at 162 by an amount equal to ΔPwrfiltered. This increase in the engine power supplements the deficiencies in the battery power, which is especially helpful when the discharge limit of the battery 14 is extremely low. The power output of the engine 18 works to provide mechanical power to the wheels 58 through the transmission 20, and also works to provide power to the generator 32 which in turn charges the battery 14 and powers the motor 16. The system returns at 164 to continuously provide a engine power adjustment. This control system more intelligently schedules engine power to timely meet the maximum desired torque at the wheels 58 while the battery 14 is insufficiently charged”; Paragraph 0033: “The desired generator power is determined by the multiplication of a generator torque command and the generator speed. ΔPwr is a feed forward term that represents the amount of power that the motor 16 and generator 32 desire that the battery 14 cannot provide. Therefore, ΔPwr is also a factor in determining the amount of power that needs to be supplemented by the engine 18 in order to meet the power demands of the motor 16… Torque and power demands by the operator are met by immediately increasing engine power to meet the power deficiencies in the battery 14.”; Paragraph 0039: “In sum, the total engine power adjustment 126 is an add-on term to the open loop and closed loop engine power determinations 100, 108. Even if the battery 14 has zero power available due to a failure, increases in driver power demands are met by quickly increasing the engine power to timely generate sufficient electric power through the generator 32. The increase in generated electric power enables the motor 16 to operate along its maximum torque envelope. In other words, even with low or no battery charge, the motor torque is maximized for the entire period of acceleration. Furthermore, the commanded engine torque and engine speed increases are filtered as a function of the battery discharge limit in order to scale up the speed of the engine response if the battery discharge limit is low. This algorithm improves the drivability of the vehicle.”,
Supplemental Note: the engine is able to provide additional power to the electric motor if the state of charge regarding the battery is insufficient to provide the desired increase in power demand by the user).
Therefore, it would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the invention disclosed by Sujan with the teachings of Wang with a reasonable expectation of success. Sujan and Wang both teach hybrid vehicles where different power adjustments can be made between the electric motor and ICE in regards of vehicle status and power demand. Wang further teaches the ability of adjusting the response of engine power by charging the battery and in-turn the electric motor in times of high power demand that the battery cannot provide due to insufficient charge. This would be obvious to try to implement with Sujan by one with knowledge in the art. Wang teaches this function to increase the responsiveness of acceleration per the user’s power demand when the battery is operating at low discharge limits. Combining with the vehicle of Sujan, it’s hybrid vehicle system will be able to maintain its responsiveness to user’s power demands even in times the battery is insufficiently charged by being able to gather that power from the engine.
Regarding claim 2, Sujan, as modified, teaches wherein the incrementally increasing of the amount of power from the engine is based on at least one of the state of charge of the battery or a spin rate of a turbine of a turbocharger of the hybrid vehicle (Sujan: Paragraph 0049: “FIG. 4 shows a method 400 used by the processing unit in one embodiment to determine the power split as shown above. In the first step 402, the processing unit obtains the future mass and speed of the vehicle and grade of the road, as well as environmental condition such as weather and/or air densities. Additionally, the processing unit also obtains the current power demand and SOC of the battery. In step 404, the processing unit looks up the future fuel economy/emissions for a future operating point. In step 406, the processing unit determines a new power demand split between the engine and the motor/generator. During this step, the processing unit determines if the battery needs to be charged, and if the load on the engine needs to be increased to accommodate the future load. In step 408, the engine and the motor are controlled according to the new power demand split. In some examples, the determination of power split is impacted by the current SOC, as well as proactive planning of what future SOC may be needed. Therefore, the processing unit uses the power split table 300 in FIG. 3 in step 406 to decide if the current SOC is sufficient to meet the predicted power demand.”).
Regarding claim 3, Sujan, as modified, teaches further comprising initiating, by the controller, normal hybrid operation for the hybrid vehicle (Sujan: Abstract: “Methods and systems for improving fuel economy and reducing emissions of a vehicle with an electric motor, an engine, an energy storage device, and a controller are disclosed. The method includes obtaining current state information including a current hybrid control surface, and determining a target hybrid control surface for the vehicle based on the current state information.”; Claim 2: “transitioning, by the controller, from the current hybrid control surface to the target hybrid control surface when the target hybrid control surface is different from the current hybrid control surface.”; Paragraph 0040: “FIG. 1B shows a hybrid vehicle 100 with a hybrid architecture that includes a plurality of electric motor/generators which can individually provide power as needed for the vehicle 100. Having more than one electric motor/generator not only provides more power but also allows for a faster charging of the battery or batteries. In the example shown, there are two electric motors/generators 104A and 104B, each controlled by the PE module 106. The first motor 104A is coupled with the second motor 104B by clutch 112, and the second motor 104B is coupled with the engine 102 by clutch 114. The motor 104B also includes a DC/DC converter 120. When the clutch 114 is disengaged, the vehicle 100 becomes a fully electric vehicle, and engaging the clutch 112 provides additional power because both motors 104A and 104B can drive the vehicle 100. When the clutch 114 is engaged but the clutch 112 is disengaged, the vehicle 100 becomes a series hybrid architecture where the engine 102 powers the battery using the motor 104B and the other motor 104A is providing the mechanical power to drive the vehicle 100. When both clutches 112 and 114 are engaged, the vehicle 100 becomes a parallel hybrid architecture because the engine 102 and both of the motors 104A and 104B can provide mechanical power to drive the vehicle 100.”,
Supplemental Note: the various modes can be interpreted as a current hybrid control surface and a target hybrid control surface mode. The controller adjusts the use of the electric motor and the engine per the power load corresponding to the target hybrid control surface mode).
Regarding claim 5, Sujan, as modified, teaches wherein determining that the transient event for the hybrid vehicle is occurring comprises: determining, by the controller, the previous power demand of the hybrid vehicle; (Sujan: Paragraph 0009: “Also disclosed herein are methods and systems for improving fuel economy and reducing emissions of a vehicle, which include the controller obtaining current state information, learning a history of actions taken by an operator of the vehicle during previous trips, and determining a target state for the vehicle based on the learned history and the current state information.”)
determining, by the controller, the current power demand of the hybrid vehicle; (Sujan: Paragraph 0010: “Further disclosed herein are vehicles which include a hybrid powertrain architecture comprising an engine and an electric motor, an energy storage device operatively coupled to the electric motor, and a controller operatively coupled to the hybrid powertrain architecture. In one embodiment, the controller obtains current state information including a current hybrid control surface and determines a target hybrid control surface for the vehicle based on the current state information.”)
determining, by the controller, the difference between the current power demand and the previous power demand;
and determining, by the controller, that the transient event is occurring based on the power demand difference being above a threshold for a period of time (Sujan: Paragraph 0059: “FIG. 9 illustrates a method 900 in one embodiment to determine whether to deactivate the engine based on certain parameters. For example, in step 902, the engine power demand threshold value is determined based on factors such as driving conditions, size and capacity of the vehicle, as well as the capacity and SOC of the battery associated with the electric motor. In step 904, a present engine state value is obtained using sensors, and a predicted engine state value is obtained using, for example, lookahead information, learned history from previous routes, lookup table, etc. In step 906, the processing unit determines if the predicted engine state value is less than the engine state threshold value. If so, in step 908, the engine is at least partially deactivated or turned off when the present engine state value reaches the engine state threshold value and the vehicle is driven using the electric motor.”)
wherein incrementally increasing the amount of power from the engine of the hybrid vehicle is based on a transient response map that stores historical operation data regarding previous performance by engine in transient events (Sujan: Paragraph 0010: “Further disclosed herein are vehicles which include a hybrid powertrain architecture comprising an engine and an electric motor, an energy storage device operatively coupled to the electric motor, and a controller operatively coupled to the hybrid powertrain architecture. In one embodiment, the controller obtains current state information including a current hybrid control surface and determines a target hybrid control surface for the vehicle based on the current state information. In another embodiment, the controller obtains current state information, learns a history of actions taken by an operator of the vehicle during previous trips, and determines a target state for the vehicle based on the learned history and the current state information.”; Paragraph 0054: “FIG. 7 shows a method 700 as used in an embodiment in which a history of actions is involved in determining a target state. In the first step 702, current state information is obtained. Then, in the second step 704, the history of actions taken by an operator of the vehicle during previous trips is learned by a processing unit associated with the vehicle via machine intelligence. For example, the processing unit may learn about the routes taken by the vehicle during a past time frame of predetermined length, the driving style of the operator, the time of day in which previous trips were made, etc. In one example, the driving style may include the speed at which the operator drives the vehicle in view of the speed limit of a certain area, as well as whether the operator prefers certain roads over others when making these trips.”: Paragraph 0059: “FIG. 9 illustrates a method 900 in one embodiment to determine whether to deactivate the engine based on certain parameters. For example, in step 902, the engine power demand threshold value is determined based on factors such as driving conditions, size and capacity of the vehicle, as well as the capacity and SOC of the battery associated with the electric motor. In step 904, a present engine state value is obtained using sensors, and a predicted engine state value is obtained using, for example, lookahead information, learned history from previous routes, lookup table, etc. In step 906, the processing unit determines if the predicted engine state value is less than the engine state threshold value. If so, in step 908, the engine is at least partially deactivated or turned off when the present engine state value reaches the engine state threshold value and the vehicle is driven using the electric motor.”,
Supplemental Note: this past trips are recorded and can be used to teach how to operate the engine and the motor in similar situations).
Claim 4 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Sujan et al. (US 20200361444 A1) in view of Wang et al. (US 20140012441 A1) as applied to independent claim 1 above, and further in view of Gaither et al. (US 20180079405 A1).
Regarding claim 4, Sujan, as modified, does not teach wherein initiating normal hybrid operation is based on a determination that a spin rate of a turbine of a turbocharger of the hybrid vehicle is at an operational threshold and/or that an air-to-fuel ratio of the engine is at a predefined value.
Gaither teaches wherein initiating normal hybrid operation is based on a determination that a spin rate of a turbine of a turbocharger of the hybrid vehicle is at an operational threshold and/or that an air-to-fuel ratio of the engine is at a predefined value (Gaither: Claim 5: “wherein adjusting the engine control setting includes at least one of adjusting spark plug ignition timing to increase fuel efficiency, adjusting air-to-fuel ratio to increase fuel efficiency, or adjusting exhaust gas recirculation to improve vehicle emissions.”; Claim 17: “wherein adjusting the engine control setting includes at least one of adjusting spark plug ignition timing to increase fuel efficiency, adjusting air-to-fuel ratio to increase fuel efficiency, or adjusting exhaust gas recirculation to improve vehicle emissions, wherein adjusting the transmission control setting includes at least one of adjusting shift controls to increase fuel efficiency, locking a torque converter to increase fuel efficiency, or adjusting a transmission mode to increase fuel efficiency, and wherein adjusting the hybrid control setting includes adjusting a hybrid mode transition threshold to increase use of an electric operation mode to increase fuel efficiency.”; Paragraph 0064: “The hybrid control unit 340 may be configured to control hybrid vehicle related functioning. When the vehicle 300 is in the drafting condition, the hybrid control unit 340 may adjust a mode transition threshold. FIG. 4E illustrates the adjustment in mode transition threshold. In a first situation 400A (e.g., the non-drafting condition), the mode transition threshold is at a first threshold 420. When the vehicle 300 reaches the first threshold 420 vehicle speed, the hybrid control unit 340 transitions from the electric vehicle mode to the hybrid vehicle mode and engages use of the engine 328, in addition to, or in lieu of using the motor 342. In a second situation 400B (e.g., the drafting condition), the mode transition threshold is at a second threshold 422, and the vehicle 300 does not transition from the elective vehicle mode to the hybrid vehicle mode until the higher second threshold 422 is met. When in the drafting condition, the vehicle 300 may require less engine power, and therefore the engine does not need to be used until a higher vehicle speed is achieved. The shift in mode transition threshold may improve fuel efficiency, as the battery 344 and the motor 342 are used for a longer period of time”; Paragraph 0086: “The ECU 302 adjusts a hybrid control setting by communicating an instruction to the hybrid control unit 340. The hybrid control unit 340 receives, from the ECU 302, the instruction and adjusts one or more hybrid control settings. As described herein, the hybrid control settings that may be adjusted when the vehicle 100 is in the drafting condition include adjusting a hybrid mode transition threshold to increase use of an electric operation mode to increase fuel efficiency. When in the drafting condition, the vehicle 100 may remain in electric mode for a longer time, as less driving power is demanded.”,
Supplemental Note: the hybrid vehicle modes are the speed based transitions the hybrid control unit determines. Air-to-fuel ratios are measured and are adjusted when transitioning into more increased fuel efficiency modes, such as the referenced ‘drafting condition’).
Therefore, it would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the invention disclosed by Sujan with the teachings of Gaither with a reasonable expectation of success. Both Sujan and Gaither teach a hybrid vehicle able to configure their electric motor and engine into various modes. Sujan teaches this ability with a current and target hybrid control surface, a current hybrid control surface is interpreted as the claimed normal hybrid operation and adjusts various vehicle systems when transforming to a target hybrid control surface. Gaither teaches various hybrid vehicle modes as well, in one example when transitioning to an increased fuel efficiency mode, the air-to-fuel rations are configured. The increased fuel efficiency mode would be interpreted a target hybrid control surface by one with knowledge in the art, thus a simple substitution. The ability to configure the air-to-fuel ratio would be obvious to try in an increased fuel efficiency mode as the power demands are reduced thus less fuel is to be used by the engine (Gaither: Paragraph 0059). For these reasons, one with knowledge in the art would find it obvious to try to implement the air-to-fuel ratio configurability capabilities as taught by Gaither with the teachings of Sujan.
Claims 7, 8 and 21 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Sujan et al. (US 20200361444 A1) further in view of Nicholson et al. (US 20160061128 A1).
Regarding claim 7, Sujan teaches a method for managing a temperature of an aftertreatment system in a hybrid vehicle, the method comprising:
determining, by a controller, the temperature of the aftertreatment system; (Sujan: Paragraph 0058: “For example, if the operator is known to drive at a speed which is 5 mph below the speed limit in a certain area (i.e. engine load is low), the processing unit can learn this and determine that the aftertreatment system needs to be warmed up before the vehicle enters the area because the speed at which the vehicle is driven in the area is too slow to effectively increase the temperature within the system and decrease the NOx emission. Alternatively, the processing unit can decide to shut down the engine entirely and switch to the electric motor to meet the power demand, if the processing unit determines that there is sufficient SOC in the battery. Such decision-making by the processing unit is based on the various data learned with regard to the state of each component within the vehicle, such as SOC of the battery, temperature of the aftertreatment system, engine capacity, etc., as well as other factors such as the aforesaid learned history of operator's actions and/or electrical accessory loads, to better accommodate the needs of the situation.”,
Supplemental Note: the processing unit of the controller is able to utilize various learned data to determine the temperature of the aftertreatment system)
comparing, by the controller, the temperature of the aftertreatment system to a threshold; and
responsive to the comparison, causing, by the controller, a thermal management action for the aftertreatment system, (Sujan: Paragraph 0004: “Also, when the temperature of a catalyst used in a selective catalytic reduction (SCR) system is too low or too high, the efficiency of the SCR system drops considerably, causing more nitrogen oxides (NOx) to be released into the atmosphere as vehicle emissions before they can be reduced into diatomic nitrogen and water with the help of a catalyst, such as ammonia. Therefore, it is preferable to avoid using the engine and instead use the electric motor to drive the hybrid vehicle when the catalyst temperature is too low and when the catalyst temperature is too high.”; Paragraph 0042: “In some examples, the aftertreatment system includes, but are not limited to, SCR with diesel oxidation catalyst, three-way catalytic converters, dual-bed converters, and any other types of aftertreatment components known in the art.”)
wherein in response to the temperature of the aftertreatment system being below the threshold, the thermal management action comprises: (Sujan: Paragraph 0061: “In step 1002, the engine power demand threshold value is determined, and in step 1004, the SCR temperature threshold value is determined, which for example can be based on the minimum temperature necessary for the SCR system to function efficiently. Then, in step 1006, the present and predicted engine power demand values are obtained, based on for example the location, terrain, traffic, road condition, etc. In step 1008, the present and predicted SCR temperatures are obtained, based on for example the speed at which the vehicle is moving, the amount of power exerted by the engine, the atmospheric temperature, etc. Subsequently, if the predicted engine power demand is determined to be below the threshold in step 1010,”)
… during a period when the hybrid vehicle is stopped, bypassing a turn off event for the engine so the engine runs during the period, and (Sujan: Paragraph 0005: “Furthermore, turning on the engine while the hybrid vehicle is stopped on the road causes an increase in the NOx emissions from the vehicle. This is because when the engine is initially turned on, the catalyst temperature within the SCR system is not yet high enough to allow for the SCR system to operate efficiently, so the engine needs to keep running for a period of time to raise the catalyst temperature to a preferred temperature.”; Paragraph 0055: “the history of actions taken by the operator may include one or more operator behaviors, among which may be whether the operator turns off the engine at stops or leaves the engine idling for extended periods of time… Depending on the amount of accessory loads that is being predicted, the engine may be kept idling in order to charge the battery when the expected or predicted accessory load exceeds a threshold value.”)
wherein in response to the temperature of the aftertreatment system being at or above the threshold, the thermal management action comprises directing, by the controller, a first amount of power from an electric motor of the hybrid vehicle and a second amount of power from the engine to a powertrain of the hybrid vehicle, wherein the first amount and the second amount are determined by the controller based an amount of engine out NOx (Sujan: Paragraph 0004: “Also, when the temperature of a catalyst used in a selective catalytic reduction (SCR) system is too low or too high, the efficiency of the SCR system drops considerably, causing more nitrogen oxides (NOx) to be released into the atmosphere as vehicle emissions before they can be reduced into diatomic nitrogen and water with the help of a catalyst, such as ammonia. Therefore, it is preferable to avoid using the engine and instead use the electric motor to drive the hybrid vehicle when the catalyst temperature is too low and when the catalyst temperature is too high.”; Paragraph 0042: “In some examples, the aftertreatment system includes, but are not limited to, SCR with diesel oxidation catalyst, three-way catalytic converters, dual-bed converters, and any other types of aftertreatment components known in the art.” Paragraph 0062: “If both of the steps 1010 and 1014 result in a false statement, the processing unit proceeds to step 910, where the engine is kept on. One reason for keeping the engine turned on is to ensure that the SCR temperature is eventually increased, since if there is an increase in the engine load and the SCR temperature is not sufficiently increased, the NOx emission cannot be reduced. As such, in the example shown in FIG. 10, both the predicted engine power demand and the predicted SCR temperature needs to be below the respective threshold value to turn off the engine. In some examples, other parameters can be included in addition to the engine power demand and the SCR temperature, or one or more of the other parameters can replace one or both of these parameters.”,
Supplemental Note: depending on the temperature of the SCR being too high or too low per a threshold, the system determines to turn off the engine and the power is received from the electric motor).
In sum, Sujan teaches a method for managing a temperature of an aftertreatment system in a hybrid vehicle, the method comprising: determining, by a controller, the temperature of the aftertreatment system; comparing, by the controller, the temperature of the aftertreatment system to a threshold; and responsive to the comparison, causing, by the controller, a thermal management action for the aftertreatment system, wherein in response to the temperature of the aftertreatment system being below the threshold, the thermal management action comprises: during a period when the hybrid vehicle is stopped, bypassing a turn off event for the engine so the engine runs during the period, and wherein in response to the temperature of the aftertreatment system being at or above the threshold, the thermal management action comprises directing, by the controller, a first amount of power from an electric motor of the hybrid vehicle and a second amount of power from the engine to a powertrain of the hybrid vehicle, wherein the first amount and the second amount are determined by the controller based an amount of engine out NOx. Sujan however does not teach directing, by the controller, an engine of the hybrid vehicle to operate at a relatively higher load than a present engine load.
Nicholson teaches directing, by the controller, an engine of the hybrid vehicle to operate at a relatively higher load than a present engine load; and (Nicholson: Paragraph 0006: “In a first aspect of the present disclosure there is provided a method for controlling the operation of an exhaust gas aftertreatment device warm-up strategy for increasing a temperature of an exhaust gas aftertreatment device located in an exhaust gas stream of an internal combustion engine, the method comprising the steps of: initiating the warm-up strategy when the internal combustion engine is operating, a temperature of the internal combustion engine exceeds an engine temperature threshold and an exhaust gas aftertreatment device temperature is less than a first exhaust gas aftertreatment device temperature threshold; and the warm-up strategy is stopped when the exhaust gas aftertreatment device temperature exceeds a second exhaust gas aftertreatment device temperature threshold.”; Paragraph 0026: “The EATD warm-up strategy may include a number of different techniques that may help to increase the temperature of the EATD 120. For example, where each engine cycle comprises two fuel ignition events, a pilot fuel injection and a main fuel injection, a dwell time between the pilot fuel injection and the main fuel injection may be increased compared with the normal engine control strategy. By increasing the dwell time, the main injection, and therefore also the main combustion, may be retarded, i.e. the main combustion may take place later in the engine cycle. A consequence of this is that the exhaust gas may be hotter at the time the exhaust valve opens and the exhaust gases are expelled from the engine cylinder. As the hotter exhaust gas passes through the EATD 120, the EATD temperature may be increased more quickly.”).
Therefore, it would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the invention disclosed by Sujan with the teachings of Gaither with a reasonable expectation of success. One of ordinary skill would find it obvious to try to implement the warm-up strategy of Nicholson with the vehicle of Sujan. Nicholson teaches that if the SCR system is below a minimum threshold temperature, that the reduction of NOx levels may not be satisfactory (Nicholson: Paragraph 0003). For this reason, Nicholson teaches the ability to warm up the SCR system in a way which it decreases the time the SCR system needs to reach it’s minimum threshold temperature for operation (Nicholson: Paragraphs 0004 - 0005). Sujan teaches combating a similar situation in regards to the SCR system temperature not teaching its minimum threshold temperature, contributing to increases NOx emissions into the atmosphere (Sujan: Paragraph 0005). Therefore, it would be obvious to try to implement the warm up function of Nicholson with the vehicle of Sujan of increasing the EATD temperature to in-turn increase the SCR system temperature above the minimum threshold temperature quicker, mitigating the release of NOx emissions for a longer period of time.
Regarding claim 8, Sujan, as modified, teaches wherein the thermal management action further includes reducing, by the controller, an amount of energy from the electric motor of the hybrid vehicle to a powertrain of the hybrid vehicle (Sujan: Paragraph 0041: “FIG. 2 illustrates an example of how a predicted load on a hybrid vehicle affects the power demand as well as engine-to-motor power ratio. In the example shown, a processing unit associated with the vehicle is aware that the vehicle is traveling a route with varying elevation. For example, in a first portion 200 of the route, the area is considered a flatland and the path is generally free of hills and slopes. In this portion, the vehicle uses the engine to charge an energy storage device associated with the electric motor, such as a battery, while driving with a relatively low exhaust temperature because the load on the vehicle is low. As such, the power demand is also not high, and the engine-to-motor power ratio is 200/−50, i.e. 200 hp (horsepower) is used to drive the engine such that out of the 200 hp, 50 hp of power is stored in the battery. This is achieved by using the motor as a generator and converting the mechanical energy of the engine into electrical energy to be stored in the battery. Therefore, the total power demand of 150 hp is met.”; Paragraph 0044: “In a fourth portion 206 of the route, the vehicle is now on a downhill slope as predicted by the processing unit. The downhill slope allows for negative power demand of −100 hp, which means that the engine can be turned off and the motor now acts as a generator in that the mechanical energy obtained by the vehicle as it drives down the slope is converted into electrical energy to be stored in the battery, thereby achieving not only minimal exhaust but also allowing for the battery to be charged without activating the engine. In this portion, the exhaust temperature is thus very low, and the engine-to-motor power ratio is 0/−100.”; Paragraph 0048: “In the first quadrant 302, the processing unit would determine that if the motor can handle all of the predicted load, the engine is turned off. Otherwise, the motor can apply additional load to the engine to improve emissions at the potential expense of fuel economy as the battery is already charged. In the second quadrant 304, the motor can apply additional load to the engine to increase the exhaust temperatures and also charge the battery. In the third quadrant 306, the motor can be used in order to reduce the load, if the future loading does not require the need to use the battery. And finally, in the fourth quadrant 308, the motor cannot assist in accommodating the future load and the engine does not have excess power available for charging.”).
Regarding claim 21, Sujan, as modified, teaches wherein in response to the temperature of the aftertreatment system being below the threshold, the thermal management action comprises:
prioritizing, by the controller, an operation of the engine of the hybrid vehicle over an operation of the electric motor of the hybrid vehicle to maintain or increase the temperature of the aftertreatment system (Sujan: Paragraph 0005: “Furthermore, turning on the engine while the hybrid vehicle is stopped on the road causes an increase in the NOx emissions from the vehicle. This is because when the engine is initially turned on, the catalyst temperature within the SCR system is not yet high enough to allow for the SCR system to operate efficiently, so the engine needs to keep running for a period of time to raise the catalyst temperature to a preferred temperature. During this process, until the catalyst temperature reaches the preferred temperature, the SCR system continues to operate but not at its optimal efficiency, thereby causing more NOx emissions to be released into the atmosphere.”,
Supplemental Note: until the SCR system reaches a preferred temperature, the engine stays on as to increase the temperature of the aftertreatment system).
Claims 10 – 13 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Sujan et al. (US 20200361444 A1) and Nicholson et al. (US 20160061128 A1) as applied to independent claim 7 above, and further in view of Osemann et al. (US 20200240306 A1).
Regarding claim 10, Sujan, as modified, teaches performing, by the controller, at least one of:
directing an engine of the hybrid vehicle to operate at a higher load by charging a generator or battery of the hybrid vehicle; or (Sujan: Paragraph 0048: “In the second quadrant 304, the motor can apply additional load to the engine to increase the exhaust temperatures and also charge the battery.”; Paragraph 0055: “Depending on the amount of accessory loads that is being predicted, the engine may be kept idling in order to charge the battery when the expected or predicted accessory load exceeds a threshold value.”).
In sum, Sujan teaches performing, by the controller, at least one of: directing an engine of the hybrid vehicle to operate at a higher load by charging a generator or battery of the hybrid vehicle. Sujan however does not teach further comprising: determining, by the controller, at least one of an amount of hydrocarbon or water accumulation in the aftertreatment system, the amount of accumulation based on the temperature of the aftertreatment system; responsive to the amount of accumulation exceeding a predefined amount, activating a heater in the aftertreatment system.
Osemann teaches further comprising:
determining, by the controller, (Osemann: Paragraph 0047: “The control apparatus, which performs activation of the internal combustion engine for heating purposes, determining of regulation data, prediction of data and, for example, monitoring of the temperature values, can be the control device of the engine. However, it may likewise be a separate control device or another controller which performs other tasks or is designed only for this regulation.”)
at least one of an amount of hydrocarbon or water accumulation in the aftertreatment system, the amount of accumulation based on the temperature of the aftertreatment system; and responsive to the amount of accumulation exceeding a predefined amount, (Osemann: Paragraph 0047: “The control apparatus, which performs activation of the internal combustion engine for heating purposes, determining of regulation data, prediction of data and, for example, monitoring of the temperature values, can be the control device of the engine. However, it may likewise be a separate control device or another controller which performs other tasks or is designed only for this regulation.”; Paragraph 0054: “Methods in which various measures for heating the exhaust gas aftertreatment system are combined with one another are also advantageous, for example—not necessarily completely and not necessarily in this chronological order—by electronically heating at least one preferably functional unit (for example mixer pipe, gas mixer, catalyst etc.) through which gas flows (possibly only later) in order to bring said functional unit to its minimum operating temperature; generating heat of absorption in the exhaust gas aftertreatment system by absorption of molecules, for example as a result of metered addition of a reducing agent (for example NH.sub.3, urea solution, propene etc.), and/or as a result of the supply and adsorption of incompletely combusted fuel; measures within the engine for increasing the exhaust gas temperature including high-pressure EGR (exhaust gas recirculation) and/or low-pressure EGR; supply of oxidizable molecules (hydrocarbons, incompletely combusted fuel, NH.sub.3 etc.) to oxidizing catalyst components for generating heat of combustion in the exhaust gas aftertreatment system.”,
Supplemental Note: the control apparatus is able to monitor the aftertreatment system for temperature values. These values are used to determine for a supply of oxidizable molecules such as hydrocarbons)
activating a heater in the aftertreatment system (Osemann: Paragraph 0033: “However, if a predetermined limit value or threshold value which indicates the need to heat the exhaust gas aftertreatment system is exceeded, said heating is initiated in step 340. This may involve immediate activation of the internal combustion engine or previous electric heating of the exhaust gas aftertreatment system, or else defining a specific time at which the heating is started. Said following steps then once again correspond to steps 220 or 230 in FIG. 2.”).
Therefore, it would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the invention disclosed by Sujan with the teachings of Osemann with a reasonable expectation of success. Both Sujan and Osemann teach hybrid vehicles with an aftertreatment system which are known by one with knowledge in the art to clean the exhaust gasses from the vehicle. This consists of a buildup of hydrocarbon or water within the aftertreatment system. Both prior art teach the ability of the vehicle controller to measure the temperature of the aftertreatment system where Osemann further teaches the ability to determine the supply of oxidizable molecules such as hydrocarbon in the system, which in-turn activates the heater (or heat from the internal combustion engine) to mitigate the supply of oxidizable molecules. These molecules are considered a pollutant and the heating them up allows for conversion of the gases to comply with regulated emissions. One with knowledge in the art would find this teaching of Osemann with the vehicle of Sujan to be a use of a known technique to improve similar devices in the same way as the heating system of Osemann decreases harmful emissions of hybrid vehicles in way not explicitly taught by Sujan.
Regarding claim 11, Sujan, as modified, does not teach wherein the temperature of the aftertreatment system is a steady-state temperature, and wherein the method further comprises: determining, by the controller, that the steady-state temperature is less than a condensation temperature threshold; responsive to the determination that the steady-state temperature is less than the condensation temperature threshold, directing, by the controller, the engine of the hybrid vehicle to operate at the higher load; determining, by the controller, a temperature of the aftertreatment system following the operation of the engine at the higher load; and responsive to a determination that the temperature of the aftertreatment system following the operation of the engine at the higher load is less than the condensation temperature threshold, activating, by the controller, the heater in the aftertreatment system.
Osemann teaches wherein the temperature of the aftertreatment system is a steady-state temperature, and wherein the method further comprises:
determining, by the controller, that the steady-state temperature is less than a condensation temperature threshold; (Osemann: Paragraph 0029: “A control apparatus can likewise determine whether heating is required and regulate activation of the internal combustion engine on the basis of measured or stored data, or else modify the predetermined conditions for activation of the internal combustion engine on the basis of data of this kind during operation.”; Paragraph 0031: “In step 310, the control apparatus receives measurement data from sensors”; Paragraph 0033: “Then, in step 330, said obtained values are compared with one or more limit values. If the values lie within the predetermined range, the control apparatus continues to continuously check the measurement values and evaluates the next row of measured data, back to step 310 (or alternatively 320).”,
Supplemental Note: the claimed steady-state temperature is interpreted as the temperatures of the aftertreatment system to be within a predetermined range that does not require heating or regulation)
responsive to the determination that the steady-state temperature is less than the condensation temperature threshold, (Osemann: Paragraph 0035: “If the calculated future values lie within the prespecified limits, no heating is planned for and further values are evaluated or predicted, back to step 370. However, if at least one of the predicted values which is relevant for the determination lies outside (above and/or below, depending on the value) the prespecified limits, heating of the exhaust gas aftertreatment system is initiated in step 340.”)
directing, by the controller, the engine of the hybrid vehicle to operate at the higher load;
determining, by the controller, a temperature of the aftertreatment system following the operation of the engine at the higher load; and
responsive to a determination that the temperature of the aftertreatment system following the operation of the engine at the higher load is less than the condensation temperature threshold, activating, by the controller, the heater in the aftertreatment system (Osemann: Paragraph 0035: “Once again, this may involve immediate heating by determining a time at which heating should start or the internal combustion engine should be activated, or by modifying rules which define activation and heating. It goes without saying that actual measurement data from step 310 or 320 can also be included in the prediction in step 370.”; Paragraph 0037: “Power data of the motor and engine, such as the average power over a prespecified time period or the called up maximum power, can also be evaluated like the energy and fuel consumption. All of this and further data can be evaluated individually or in combination in order to control heating of the exhaust gas aftertreatment system.”; Paragraph 0038: “In this case, one or more threshold values can be employed in step 330 in order to determine whether heating is required and which measures for heating purposes are taken. If a threshold value is undershot (for example that of the required or optimum operating temperature) and/or exceeded (for example that of harmful substances in the exhaust gas stream), a decision can then be made in step 340 as to when and whether the internal combustion engine is activated.”).
Therefore, it would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the invention disclosed by Sujan with the teachings of Osemann with a reasonable expectation of success. As stated for claim 10, both Sujan and Osemann teach hybrid vehicles with an aftertreatment system which are known by one with knowledge in the art to clean the exhaust gasses from the vehicle. This consists of a buildup of hydrocarbon or water within the aftertreatment system. Both prior art teach the ability of the vehicle controller to measure the temperature of the aftertreatment system where Osemann further teaches the ability to determine the supply of oxidizable molecules such as hydrocarbon in the system, which in-turn activates the heater (or heat from the internal combustion engine) to mitigate the supply of oxidizable molecules. These molecules are considered a pollutant and the heating them up allows for conversion of the gases to comply with regulated emissions. One with knowledge in the art would find this teaching of Osemann with the vehicle of Sujan to be a use of a known technique to improve similar devices in the same way as the heating system of Osemann decreases harmful emissions of hybrid vehicles in way not explicitly taught by Sujan. This motivation of combination is also used for these claim limitation. For example, the vehicle controller, as taught by Osemann, monitors for temperature changes within the aftertreatment system and implements heating of the harmful gases by the engine when a threshold is reached. This procedure is a part of the aftertreatment system mitigating the output of harmful gases, thus would also be a use of a known technique to improve similar devices when combining Sujan with Osemann.
Regarding claim 12, Sujan, as modified, teaches wherein the heater is positioned upstream of a Diesel Oxidation Catalyst (DOC) or upstream of a Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR) system (Sujan: Paragraph 0008: “In another aspect, the lookahead information includes predicted dosing amount and timing of a catalyst used in a selective catalytic reduction (SCR) system operatively coupled to the engine.”; Paragraph 0042: “In some examples, the aftertreatment system includes, but are not limited to, SCR with diesel oxidation catalyst, three-way catalytic converters, dual-bed converters, and any other types of aftertreatment components known in the art.”).
Regarding claim 13, Sujan, as modified, teaches, performing, by the controller, at least one of directing the engine of the hybrid vehicle to operate at a higher load by charging a generator or battery of the hybrid vehicle; (Sujan: Paragraph 0048: “In the second quadrant 304, the motor can apply additional load to the engine to increase the exhaust temperatures and also charge the battery.”; Paragraph 0055: “Depending on the amount of accessory loads that is being predicted, the engine may be kept idling in order to charge the battery when the expected or predicted accessory load exceeds a threshold value.”).
In sum, Sujan teaches performing, by the controller, at least one of directing the engine of the hybrid vehicle to operate at a higher load by charging a generator or battery of the hybrid vehicle. Sujan however does not teach further comprising: determining, by the controller, that the temperature of the aftertreatment system is below a threshold temperature for a passive regeneration event; and responsive to the determination and directing the engine to continue to run during a vehicle stop period; or activating the heater in the aftertreatment system.
Osemann teaches further comprising: determining, by the controller, that the temperature of the aftertreatment system is below a threshold temperature for a passive regeneration event; and responsive to the determination (Osemann: Paragraph 0029: “A control apparatus can likewise determine whether heating is required and regulate activation of the internal combustion engine on the basis of measured or stored data, or else modify the predetermined conditions for activation of the internal combustion engine on the basis of data of this kind during operation.”; Paragraph 0031: “In step 310, the control apparatus receives measurement data from sensors”; Paragraph 0033: “Then, in step 330, said obtained values are compared with one or more limit values. If the values lie within the predetermined range, the control apparatus continues to continuously check the measurement values and evaluates the next row of measured data, back to step 310 (or alternatively 320).”; Paragraph 0035: “If the calculated future values lie within the prespecified limits, no heating is planned for and further values are evaluated or predicted, back to step 370. However, if at least one of the predicted values which is relevant for the determination lies outside (above and/or below, depending on the value) the prespecified limits, heating of the exhaust gas aftertreatment system is initiated in step 340.”,
Supplemental Note: the system is able to identify if the temperature of the aftertreatment system is below or above a threshold)
directing the engine to continue to run during a vehicle stop period; or activating a heater in the aftertreatment system (Osemann: Paragraph 0033: “However, if a predetermined limit value or threshold value which indicates the need to heat the exhaust gas aftertreatment system is exceeded, said heating is initiated in step 340. This may involve immediate activation of the internal combustion engine or previous electric heating of the exhaust gas aftertreatment system, or else defining a specific time at which the heating is started. Said following steps then once again correspond to steps 220 or 230 in FIG. 2.”).
Therefore, it would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the invention disclosed by Sujan with the teachings of Osemann with a reasonable expectation of success. Please refer to the rejection of claim 11 as both state the same functional language and therefore rejected under the same pretenses.
Claims 19 – 20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Sujan et al. (US 20200361444 A1) as applied to independent claim 14 above, and further in view of Osemann et al. (US 20200240306 A1).
Regarding claim 19, Sujan teaches wherein the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, further cause the controller to: (Sujan: Paragraph 0070: “The present subject matter may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. The described embodiments are to be considered in all respects only as illustrative and not restrictive. Those skilled in the art will recognize that other implementations consistent with the disclosed embodiments are possible. The above detailed description and the examples described therein have been presented for the purposes of illustration and description only and not for limitation. For example, the operations described can be done in any suitable manner. The methods can be performed in any suitable order while still providing the described operation and results. It is therefore contemplated that the present embodiments cover any and all modifications, variations, or equivalents that fall within the scope of the basic underlying principles disclosed above and claimed herein. Furthermore, while the above description describes hardware in the form of a processor executing code, hardware in the form of a state machine, or dedicated logic capable of producing the same effect, other structures are also contemplated.”).
In sum, Sujan teaches wherein the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, further control the controller. Sujan however does not teach determine that a temperature of the exhaust aftertreatment system is below a threshold temperature for a passive regeneration event; and responsive to the determination, perform at least one of: directing the engine of the hybrid vehicle to operate at a higher load by charging a generator or battery of the hybrid vehicle; directing the engine to continue to run during a vehicle stop period; or activating a heater in the exhaust aftertreatment system.
Osemann teaches determine that a temperature of the exhaust aftertreatment system is below a threshold temperature for a passive regeneration event; and (Osemann: Paragraph 0029: “A control apparatus can likewise determine whether heating is required and regulate activation of the internal combustion engine on the basis of measured or stored data, or else modify the predetermined conditions for activation of the internal combustion engine on the basis of data of this kind during operation.”; Paragraph 0031: “In step 310, the control apparatus receives measurement data from sensors”; Paragraph 0033: “Then, in step 330, said obtained values are compared with one or more limit values. If the values lie within the predetermined range, the control apparatus continues to continuously check the measurement values and evaluates the next row of measured data, back to step 310 (or alternatively 320).”; Paragraph 0035: “If the calculated future values lie within the prespecified limits, no heating is planned for and further values are evaluated or predicted, back to step 370. However, if at least one of the predicted values which is relevant for the determination lies outside (above and/or below, depending on the value) the prespecified limits, heating of the exhaust gas aftertreatment system is initiated in step 340.”)
responsive to the determination, perform at least one of:
directing the engine of the hybrid vehicle to operate at a higher load by charging a generator or battery of the hybrid vehicle;
directing the engine to continue to run during a vehicle stop period; or activating a heater in the exhaust aftertreatment system (Osemann: Paragraph 0035: “Once again, this may involve immediate heating by determining a time at which heating should start or the internal combustion engine should be activated, or by modifying rules which define activation and heating. It goes without saying that actual measurement data from step 310 or 320 can also be included in the prediction in step 370.”; Paragraph 0037: “Power data of the motor and engine, such as the average power over a prespecified time period or the called up maximum power, can also be evaluated like the energy and fuel consumption. All of this and further data can be evaluated individually or in combination in order to control heating of the exhaust gas aftertreatment system.”; Paragraph 0038: “In this case, one or more threshold values can be employed in step 330 in order to determine whether heating is required and which measures for heating purposes are taken. If a threshold value is undershot (for example that of the required or optimum operating temperature) and/or exceeded (for example that of harmful substances in the exhaust gas stream), a decision can then be made in step 340 as to when and whether the internal combustion engine is activated.”).
Therefore, it would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the invention disclosed by Sujan with the teachings of Osemann with a reasonable expectation of success. Please refer to the rejection of claim 11 as both state the same functional language and therefore rejected under the same pretenses.
Regarding claim 20, Sujan, as modified, teaches wherein the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, further cause the controller to: (Sujan: Paragraph 0070: “The present subject matter may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. The described embodiments are to be considered in all respects only as illustrative and not restrictive. Those skilled in the art will recognize that other implementations consistent with the disclosed embodiments are possible. The above detailed description and the examples described therein have been presented for the purposes of illustration and description only and not for limitation. For example, the operations described can be done in any suitable manner. The methods can be performed in any suitable order while still providing the described operation and results. It is therefore contemplated that the present embodiments cover any and all modifications, variations, or equivalents that fall within the scope of the basic underlying principles disclosed above and claimed herein. Furthermore, while the above description describes hardware in the form of a processor executing code, hardware in the form of a state machine, or dedicated logic capable of producing the same effect, other structures are also contemplated.”).
In sum, Sujan teaches wherein the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, further control the controller. Sujan however does not teach to determine at least one of an amount of hydrocarbon or water accumulation in the exhaust aftertreatment system, the amount of accumulation based on a temperature of the exhaust aftertreatment system; responsive to the amount of accumulation exceeding a predefined amount, perform at least one of: directing the engine of the hybrid vehicle to operate at a higher load by charging a generator or battery of the hybrid vehicle; or activating a heater in the exhaust aftertreatment system.
Osemann teaches determine at least one of an amount of hydrocarbon or water accumulation in the exhaust aftertreatment system, the amount of accumulation based on a temperature of the exhaust aftertreatment system; and responsive to the amount of accumulation exceeding a predefined amount, (Osemann: Paragraph 0047: “The control apparatus, which performs activation of the internal combustion engine for heating purposes, determining of regulation data, prediction of data and, for example, monitoring of the temperature values, can be the control device of the engine. However, it may likewise be a separate control device or another controller which performs other tasks or is designed only for this regulation.”; Paragraph 0054: “Methods in which various measures for heating the exhaust gas aftertreatment system are combined with one another are also advantageous, for example—not necessarily completely and not necessarily in this chronological order—by electronically heating at least one preferably functional unit (for example mixer pipe, gas mixer, catalyst etc.) through which gas flows (possibly only later) in order to bring said functional unit to its minimum operating temperature; generating heat of absorption in the exhaust gas aftertreatment system by absorption of molecules, for example as a result of metered addition of a reducing agent (for example NH.sub.3, urea solution, propene etc.), and/or as a result of the supply and adsorption of incompletely combusted fuel; measures within the engine for increasing the exhaust gas temperature including high-pressure EGR (exhaust gas recirculation) and/or low-pressure EGR; supply of oxidizable molecules (hydrocarbons, incompletely combusted fuel, NH.sub.3 etc.) to oxidizing catalyst components for generating heat of combustion in the exhaust gas aftertreatment system.”,
Supplemental Note: the control apparatus is able to monitor the aftertreatment system for temperature values. These values are used to determine for a supply of oxidizable molecules such as hydrocarbons)
perform at least one of:
directing the engine of the hybrid vehicle to operate at a higher load by charging a generator or battery of the hybrid vehicle; or activating a heater in the exhaust aftertreatment system (Osemann: Paragraph 0033: “However, if a predetermined limit value or threshold value which indicates the need to heat the exhaust gas aftertreatment system is exceeded, said heating is initiated in step 340. This may involve immediate activation of the internal combustion engine or previous electric heating of the exhaust gas aftertreatment system, or else defining a specific time at which the heating is started. Said following steps then once again correspond to steps 220 or 230 in FIG. 2.”).
Therefore, it would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the invention disclosed by Sujan with the teachings of Osemann with a reasonable expectation of success. Please refer to the rejection of claim 11 as both state the same functional language and therefore rejected under the same pretenses.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments, see section Claim Rejections Under 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 of the REMARKS, filed 01/20/2026, with respect to the 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) prior art rejection of claims 7, 8, and 21 and with respect to the 35 U.S.C. 103 prior art claim rejection of claims 1 – 3, 5 and 14 – 18 have been fully considered but are moot. Applicant states regarding independent claims 1 and 14, that neither Sujan or Wang teach their claim limitations. However applicant does not provide any arguments to why the prior art of Sujan or Wang do not teach the claim limitations, the remarks merely cite portions of the prior art used to teach the claim limitations without any specific arguments of how they don’t teach the limitations. Applicant must discuss the references applied against the claims, explaining how the claims avoid the references or distinguish from them.
Applicant states regarding independent claim 7, that Sujan does not teach the stated claim limitations. Like for claims 1 and 14, the applicant does not provide any arguments to why the prior art of Sujan does not teach the claim limitations, the remarks merely cite portions of the prior art used to teach the claim limitations without any specific arguments of how they don’t teach the limitations. Applicant must discuss the references applied against the claims, explaining how the claims avoid the references or distinguish from them.
Applicant states dependent claim 21 is allowable as being dependent upon independent claim 7. Applicant further states the cited references, alone or in combination, fail to disclose all the features of claim 21. Examiner states that claim 7 is still rejected per the 35 U.S.C. 103 prior art rejection, thus claim 21 is still rejected per it’s dependency. Furthermore, , the applicant does not provide any arguments to why the prior art do not teach the claim limitations, the remarks merely cite portions of the prior art used to teach the claim limitations without any specific arguments of how they don’t teach the limitations. Applicant must discuss the references applied against the claims, explaining how the claims avoid the references or distinguish from them.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to SHIVAM SHARMA whose telephone number is (703)756-1726. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 8:00-5:00.
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/SHIVAM SHARMA/ Examiner, Art Unit 3665
/Erin D Bishop/ Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3665