DETAILED ACTION
Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
Priority
Acknowledgment is made of applicant’s claim for foreign priority for application EP21188916.7 under 35 U.S.C. 119(a)-(d).
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS)(s) submitted on 1/29/2024, 5/18/2026 are in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
Preliminary Amendment
The preliminary amendment to the claims received 1/29/2024 is acceptable and made of record in accordance with MPEP 714.01(e).
Specification
The amendment to the specification dated 1/2/2024 is accepted and made of record.
Claim Objections
Claim 28 is objected to because of the following informalities: Claim 28 does not end in a period (.) Appropriate correction is required.
Drawings
The drawings (figures 1-3) are objected to. All unlabeled box(es) shown in the drawings should be provided with descriptive text labels as provided in the specification. E.g., item 10 should be shown as first energy provision unit 10. No new matter should be entered. Corrected drawing sheets in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d) are required in reply to the Office action to avoid abandonment of the application. Any amended replacement drawing sheet should include all of the figures appearing on the immediate prior version of the sheet, even if only one figure is being amended. The figure or figure number of an amended drawing should not be labeled as “amended.” If a drawing figure is to be canceled, the appropriate figure must be removed from the replacement sheet, and where necessary, the remaining figures must be renumbered and appropriate changes made to the brief description of the several views of the drawings for consistency. Additional replacement sheets may be necessary to show the renumbering of the remaining figures. Each drawing sheet submitted after the filing date of an application must be labeled in the top margin as either “Replacement Sheet” or “New Sheet” pursuant to 37 CFR 1.121(d). If the changes are not accepted by the examiner, the applicant will be notified and informed of any required corrective action in the next Office action. The objection to the drawings will not be held in abeyance.
Status of Claims
Claims 1-13 are cancelled by preliminary amendment. Claims 14-21 are now pending and presented for prosecution on the merits below.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claims 18 and 21 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Claim 18 line 2 recites, “one or more energy provision switching units associated with the one or more energy consumer devices…”. Claim 18 lines 4-5 recite, “… switch an energy supply path of the associated energy consumer device …”. The term “associated” does not convey to one of ordinary skill the relationship between the energy provision switching units and the energy consumer devices, or the relationship between the energy supply path and the energy consumer device. This introduces vagueness into determining the metes and bounds of the limitation, which renders the claim indefinite. Claim 21 depends from claim 18 and therefore inherits the same defect. Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
The following is a quotation of the appropriate paragraphs of 35 U.S.C. 102 that form the basis for the rejections under this section made in this Office action:
A person shall be entitled to a patent unless –
(a)(1) the claimed invention was patented, described in a printed publication, or in public use, on sale, or otherwise available to the public before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claim(s) 14-28 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Kratzer US 10773594.
Regarding claims 1 and 14, [claim 1 is considered representative for purposes of itemization. The method claims are encompassed by the device claims] Kratzer discloses an energy provision system [Fig. 1 (see reproduced below), traction energy storage system 100] for a commercial vehicle [col. 1 lines 9-12], comprising:
a first energy provision unit [Fig. 1, traction energy store 110-M] that is configured to provide energy [from storage cells 122; col. 9 lines 2-9] and includes a first energy provision control unit [TES controller 130-M] configured to surveil operation parameters [e.g., state of charge, maximum current, voltage, temperature] of the first energy provision unit [col. 7 lines 36-61, col. 9 lines 4-25];
a second energy provision unit [Fig. 1, traction energy store 110-S] that is configured to store energy [in storage cells 122; col. 9 lines 2-9] and includes a second energy provision control unit [TES controller 130-S] configured to surveil operation parameters of the second energy provision unit [col. 7 lines 36-61, col. 9 lines 4-25]; and
an internal communication unit [Fig. 1, system controller 140 + external data bus 132] that is configured to provide data communication exclusively within the energy provision system [col. 9 lines 28-30, lines 50-57. Fig. 1, note that system controller 140 and external data bus 132 are exclusively within the traction energy storage system 100].
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Regarding claim 15, Kratzer discloses the energy provision system according to claim 14, wherein the first energy provision unit [110-M] comprises a first electrical energy storage device [storage cells 122], and the second energy provision unit [110-S] comprises a second electrical energy storage device [storage cells 122, col. 9 lines 2-9].
Regarding claim 16, Kratzer discloses the energy provision system according to claim 15, wherein the energy provision system is connectable to one or more energy consumer devices [Fig. 1, vehicle power system 160 includes converter/inverter, electric machines, drive train] in a manner such that the energy consumer device is provided with energy by the first energy provision unit and/or the second energy provision unit [col. 10 lines 31-54].
Regarding claim 17, Kratzer discloses the energy provision system according to claim 16, further comprising: an energy provision switching unit [Fig. 1, contactors 170], wherein the energy provision switching unit is configured to switch an energy supply path of the one or more energy consumer devices [Fig. 1, vehicle power system 160 which includes converter/inverter, electric machines, drive train] between the first energy provision unit [Fig. 1, traction energy store 110-M] and the second energy provision unit [Fig. 1, traction energy store 110-S] such that the energy consumer device is provided with energy by the first energy provision unit and/or the second energy provision unit [col. 10 line 55 – col. 11 line 8].
Regarding claim 18, Kratzer discloses the energy provision system according to claim 16, further comprising: one or more energy provision switching units [Fig. 1, contactors 170] associated with the one or more energy consumer devices [Fig. 1, vehicle power system 160 includes converter/inverter, electric machines, drive train], respectively, wherein the one or more energy provision switching units are configured to switch an energy supply path of the associated energy consumer device between the first energy provision unit and the second energy provision unit such that the energy consumer device is supplied with energy by the first energy provision unit or the second energy provision unit [col. 10 line 55 – col. 11 line 8].
Regarding claim 19, Kratzer discloses the energy provision system according to claim 14, wherein the internal communication unit [Fig. 1, system controller 140 + external data bus 132] is configured to provide data communication between the first energy provision unit [Fig. 1, traction energy store 110-M] and the second energy provision unit [Fig. 1, traction energy store 110-S. Col. 9 lines 35-57].
Regarding claim 20, Kratzer discloses the energy provision system according to claim 17, wherein the internal communication unit [Fig. 1, system controller 140 + external data bus 132] is configured to provide data communication for the energy provision switching unit [Fig. 1, 170. Col. 11 lines 57-67].
Regarding claim 21, Kratzer discloses the energy provision system according to claim 18, wherein the internal communication unit [Fig. 1, system controller 140 + external data bus 132] is configured to provide data communication for the energy provision switching unit [Fig. 1, 170. Col. 11 lines 57-67].
Regarding claim 22, Kratzer discloses the energy provision system according to claim 14, wherein the internal communication unit [Fig. 1, system controller 140 + external data bus 132] is configured to communicate via a CAN bus serial bus system [col. 9 lines 26-29 CAN bus].
Regarding claim 23, Kratzer discloses the energy provision system according to claim 14, wherein the energy provision system [Fig. 1, traction energy storage system 100] is configured to be connected to an external communication unit [Fig. 1, function network 150] such that members of the energy provision system are capable of data transmission to data transmission capable members of the commercial vehicle not forming part of the energy provision system [col. 6 lines 11-14, col. 9 lines 35-49].
Regarding claim 25, Kratzer discloses the method of operating the energy provision system according to claim 24, further comprising the step of: c) controlling the energy provision system [Fig. 1, traction energy storage system 100] such that energy supply for an energy consumer device [Fig. 1, vehicle power system 160 includes converter/inverter, electric machines, drive train] is switched from the first energy provision unit [Fig. 1, traction energy store 110-M] to the second energy provision unit [Fig. 1, traction energy store 110-S. Col. 10 line 55 – col. 11 line 8].
Regarding claim 26, Kratzer discloses the method of operating the energy provision system according to claim 25, wherein step c) comprises: operating an energy provision switching unit [Fig. 1, contactors 170] to switch an energy supply path of the energy consumer device [Fig. 1, vehicle power system 160 includes converter/inverter, electric machines, drive train] between the first energy provision unit [Fig. 1, traction energy store 110-M] and the second energy provision unit [Fig. 1, traction energy store 110-S] such that the energy consumer device is provided with energy by the first energy provision unit or the second energy provision unit [col. 10 line 55 – col. 11 line 8].
Regarding claim 27, Kratzer discloses a commercial vehicle [col. 8 lines 31-34] comprising the energy provision system according to claim 14.
Regarding claim 28, Kratzer discloses the commercial vehicle according to claim 27, wherein the vehicle is one of a battery electric vehicle, fuel cell electric vehicle, or a hybrid vehicle [col. 1 lines 23-27, col. 6 lines 25-29]
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
US 20240343154 belongs to the instant assignee and is cited for background relevance.
US 20180278066 discloses a battery monitoring apparatus including a setting unit and a communication unit. The setting unit sets a communication system to at least one of a first communication system and a second communication system having a shorter communication period than that of the first communication system, sets the communication system to the second communication system during a failure diagnosis to be performed in a start-up of the corresponding battery monitoring apparatus, and sets the communication system to the first communication system after the failure diagnosis. The communication unit communicates with another battery monitoring apparatus of the plurality of battery monitoring apparatuses by using the communication system set by the setting unit.
US 12160182 discloses a first converter configured to convert at least first battery power output by a first battery into first output power of a first voltage waveform based on an output waveform profile that has been input or set and output the first output power and a first generator configured to generate and output second output power based on the first battery power. Third output power of an alternating current (AC) control waveform generated by adding the first output power to the second output power is supplied to a load.
WO 2002060030 discloses a power supply device that comprises a photovoltaic generator (1) and secondary accumulators (5, 7) which are supplied by the generator and to which a consumer (16) is connected. The secondary accumulators (5, 7) have different accumulator technologies. These different accumulator technologies are especially characterized by their different voltages, different internal resistances, different self-discharges and different requirements to charging strategies and the like. One or more secondary accumulators (5, 7) of the same technology are connected by means of a system control (17) optionally via a switch (4, 6) to a direct current supply train (18) linked with the generator (1) and the consumer (16). The inventive concept using a plurality of different accumulator technologies in a no-break power supply mode is highly reliable and efficient as the different accumulators can be optionally and alternately used depending on the various requirements.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to RICHARD V MURALIDAR whose telephone number is (571)272- 8933. The examiner can normally be reached M - W 9:30 am to 6:30 PM.
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unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Drew Dunn can be contacted at 571-272-2312. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273- 8300.
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RICHARD V. MURALIDAR
Primary Examiner Art Unit 2859
/RICHARD V MURALIDAR/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2859
