DETAILED ACTION
Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 101
35 U.S.C. 101 reads as follows:
Whoever invents or discovers any new and useful process, machine, manufacture, or composition of matter, or any new and useful improvement thereof, may obtain a patent therefor, subject to the conditions and requirements of this title.
Claims 8 and 9 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 101 because the claimed invention is directed to non-statutory subject matter. The claims do not fall within at least one of the four categories of patent eligible subject matter because the claims are directed to an Abstract Idea.
Step 1: Statutory Category
Claims 8 and 9 are directed to a method and a system, which falls within the statutory categories of invention.
Step 2A – Prong One: Judicial Exception
Claims 8 and 9 recite limitations directed to acquiring manager information, and applicant-for-use information, determining whether a predetermined permission for use condition is established based on acquired information, and transmitting permission for use information to a user terminal when the condition is established.
The limitations describe managing authorization for use of a private charging facility by collecting and evaluating information about prospective users and facility managers, identifying facilities satisfying predetermined permission criteria, and obtaining confirmation from the facility manager.
These limitations collectively describe evaluating information and making a permission determination based on predefined criteria, which constitutes a mental process (evaluating information and making a permission decision), organizing human activity (managing access to private resources, permission/authorization) , and Commercial interactions” or “legal interactions” including agreements in the form of contracts, legal obligations, advertising, marketing or sales activities or behaviors, and business relations as such steps can be performed by a human using mental judgment or with a pen and paper.
Specifically, the claims recite:
Obtaining information about a manager and applicant
Determining whether a permission-for-use condition is satisfied
Determining whether a parking space is available; and
Granting permission if the conditions are met.
This is essentially a business/social rule governing how may use a private charging
facility. A human could conceptually perform the determination by reviewing:
Manager information
Applicant information
Current location information
Parking availability
and then deciding whether or not permission should be granted.
Additionally, the claimed subject matter is directed to organizing human activity, specifically the management and authorization of access to a privately owned charge facility, which is a fundamental activity relating to the administration of access rights between individuals.
Accordingly, claims 8 and 9 recite a judicial exception in the form of mental processes and methods of organizing human activity.
Step 2A Prong Two: Integration into a Practical Application
The claims do not recite any additional element that integrates the abstract idea into a practical application.
Claims 8 and 9 further recites a user terminal database, and various “sections” configured to acquire information, determine whether a permission-for-use condition is established, and transmit permission information. However, these elements are recited at a high level of generality and merely function as generic computing components used to collect, compare and communicate information.
The claims do not recite
any improvement to the functioning of a computer, network, or charging infrastructure,
improvement to charging technology
an improved communication protocol
improved sensor operation; or
an improvement to EV charging itself.
The claims do not does implement the Abstract Idea in a manner that effects a particular transformation of an article. The claim also does not recite any specific technical means, data structures, or algorithms for performing the recited functions, nor does it control or optimize the operation of the private charge facility itself.
Instead, the claim merely automates the abstract permission-granting decision using conventional computer components as tools. Limiting the Abstract Idea to the context of a private charge facility or electric vehicle charging environment does not amount to a Practical Application as such a limitation represents intended use.
Step 2B, Prong 2: Additional elements
The claim does not include additional elements that are sufficient to amount to significantly more than the judicial exception because the additional elements include:
an electric device,
a camera, and
communication of information (e.g. transmitting permission-for-use).
These elements are recited a high level of generality and represent well understood,
routine, conventional activities in the relevant field of electric vehicle charging and data processing.
For example:
acquiring permission information is conventional,
capturing images is conventional, and
communicating permission information is conventional.
The dependent claims further recite additional data sources and conventional techniques
(e.g determining whether a manager has been previously permitted to use a private facility), which likewise do not amount to significantly more than the Abstract Idea.
Taken individually and as an ordered combination, the additional elements do not add a specific limitation beyond the Abstract Idea that is not well understood, routine and conventional.
Hence, claims 8 and 9 are not patent eligible.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 103 which forms the basis for all obviousness rejections set forth in this Office action:
A patent for a claimed invention may not be obtained, notwithstanding that the claimed invention is not identically disclosed as set forth in section 102, if the differences between the claimed invention and the prior art are such that the claimed invention as a whole would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to which the claimed invention pertains. Patentability shall not be negated by the manner in which the invention was made.
Claims 8 and 9 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Amano (US 20190355071) in view of Sun (US 20210213848).
Regarding claim 8, Amano teaches a charge support system that communicates through a communication network, with a management server of a manufacturer of an electric vehicle and a private charge facility for charging the electric vehicle (shown in figure 1 defined in paragraph [0020] as an information processing system),
wherein the management server includes a manager database that stores manager information regarding a manager of the private charge facility and a user database that stores applicant-for-use information regarding an applicant for use who wants to use the private charge facility, the manager information includes past results of lending the private charge facility by the manager and a degree of cooperation of the manager in the lending (shown in figure 1 item 18 defined in paragraph [0018] as a management server. Paragraph [0021] discloses applicant-for-use as multiple users registered in advance are stored within the management server),
the applicant-for-use information includes past results of using private charge facilities by the applicant for use and evaluations of the applicant for use made by managers in the past (paragraphs [0027] and [0029] discloses wherein battery charging information is transmitted to the management server),
the charge support system includes one or more processors, (figure 1 item 1 defined in paragraph [0023] as an information processing system) wherein the one or more processors:
acquire the manager information from the manager database ([0024] discloses wherein the charge facility is private, such as a store, a house, company or other facility and the managers are registered (in a database) in advance. Figure 1 items 16 and 18 and paragraph [0027] disclose manager terminals 16 and management servers 18 which are used by managers. Paragraph [0029] discloses wherein the management server accesses a manager database (a data center) and processes information received and authorizes users) and acquire the applicant-for-use information from the user database (figure 1 item 14 and paragraphs [0030]-[0031] discloses an applicant-for-use information, interpreted as a “use request for an electric outlet.” The use request includes information specified by the applicant or user and information for identifying the user. This information is stored for the users that request to use the private charging facility);
transmit, to the user terminal, candidate information indicating private charge facilities for which the permission-for-use condition is established, and receive, from the user terminal, selection information indicating one private charge facility selected based on the candidate information (paragraphs [0032]-[0033] discloses wherein the a permission for charge is determined by the management server transmitting an unlocking request, unlocking the electric outlet, thus granting permission to the user);
transmit, to the identified one manager terminal, usage confirmation information that includes information indicating that the applicant for use uses an electric vehicle of the manufacturer and request confirmation as to whether use of the one private charge facility is permitted (paragraphs [0032]-[0033] discloses wherein the a permission for charge is determined by the management server transmitting an unlocking request, unlocking the electric outlet, thus granting permission to the user); and
when permission information permitting use of the one private charge facility is received from the identified one manager terminal, transmit, to the user terminal, availability information indicating that the one private charge facility is available (paragraphs [0032]-[0033] discloses wherein the a permission for charge is determined by the management server transmitting an unlocking request, unlocking the electric outlet, thus granting permission to the user. Unlocking the outlet also indicates that the charge facility is available to the user).
Amano does not explicitly teach wherein the processor is comprised to receive, from a user terminal, application-for-charge-facility-use information including information of a current position of the applicant for use detected by a position sensor included in the user terminal; extract a plurality of private charge facilities of the manufacturer located within a predetermined distance from the current position and after receiving the selection information, identify one manager terminal corresponding to the one private charge facility indicated by the selection information; for each of the plurality of private charge facilities extracted, determine whether or not a predetermined permission-for-use condition is established between the applicant for use and a manager of the private charge facility based on both the past results of lending and the degree of cooperation in the lending and the past results of using and the evaluations made by the managers in the past for each of the plurality of private charge facilities extracted, determine whether or not a predetermined permission-for-use condition is established between the applicant for use and a manager of the private charge facility based on both the past results of lending and the degree of cooperation in the lending and the past results of using and the evaluations made by the managers in the past.
Sun teaches wherein the processor is comprised to receive, from a user terminal, application-for-charge-facility-use information including information of a current position of the applicant for use detected by a position sensor included in the user terminal (paragraphs [0028] and [0049] discloses wherein a position sensor, a Global Positioning Sensor (GPS) is used to determine the position and location of the vehicle);
to extract a plurality of private charge facilities of the manufacturer located within a predetermined distance from the current position (paragraphs [0040] and [0059] discloses extracting a plurality of private charging facilities and EVSE from a predetermined distance from the vehicle’s current location) and after receiving the selection information, identify one manager terminal corresponding to the one private charge facility indicated by the selection information (paragraphs [0026] and [0038] discloses identifying a manager terminal corresponding to a private charge facility defined as EVSE identifiers).
for each of the plurality of private charge facilities extracted, determine whether or not a predetermined permission-for-use condition is established between the applicant for use and a manager of the private charge facility based on both the past results of lending and the degree of cooperation in the lending and the past results of using and the evaluations made by the managers in the past (paragraphs [0037] – [0039] discloses wherein the past results, user and operation data for charging over time is extracted).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the charging system of the Amano reference with the imaging system of the Sun reference so that an EV operator may improve traffic flow and equalize maintenance across a plurality of EVSEs.
The suggestion/motivation for combination can be found in the Sun reference in paragraph [0026] wherein traffic flow and maintenance is managed.
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Figure 1 shows a charge support system, an information processing system item 1 for authorizing charge at a private charging facility.
Regarding claim 9, Amano teaches a charge support method executed by a computer, wherein the computer communicates, through a communication network (figure 1 item 1 defined in paragraph [0023] as an information processing system), with a management server of a manufacturer of an electric vehicle and a private charge facility for charging the electric vehicle (shown in figure 1 defined in paragraphs [0020] and [0023] as an information processing system),
a user terminal, and a manager terminal, the management server includes a manager database that stores manager information regarding a manager of the private charge facility and a user database that stores applicant-for-use information regarding an applicant for use who wants to use the private charge facility, the manager information includes past results of lending the private charge facility by the manager and a degree of cooperation of the manager in the lending (shown in figure 1 item 18 defined in paragraph [0018] as a management server. Paragraph [0021] discloses applicant-for-use as multiple users registered in advance are stored within the management server),
the applicant-for-use information includes past results of using private charge facilities by the applicant for use and evaluations of the applicant for use made by managers in the past (paragraphs [0027] and [0029] discloses wherein battery charging information is transmitted to the management server), the method comprising:
acquiring the manager information from the manager database and acquiring the applicant-for-use information from the user database ([0024] discloses wherein the charge facility is private, such as a store, a house, company or other facility and the managers are registered (in a database) in advance. Figure 1 items 16 and 18 and paragraph [0027] disclose manager terminals 16 and management servers 18 which are used by managers. Paragraph [0029] discloses wherein the management server accesses a manager database (a data center) and processes information received and authorizes users);
transmitting, to the user terminal, candidate information indicating private charge facilities for which the permission-for-use condition is established, and receiving, from the user terminal, selection information indicating one private charge facility selected based on the candidate information (paragraphs [0032]-[0033] discloses wherein the a permission for charge is determined by the management server transmitting an unlocking request, unlocking the electric outlet, thus granting permission to the user);
when the permission information is received, transmitting, to the user terminal, availability information indicating that the one private charge facility is available (paragraphs [0032]-[0033] discloses wherein the a permission for charge is determined by the management server transmitting an unlocking request, unlocking the electric outlet, thus granting permission to the user. Unlocking the outlet also indicates that the charge facility is available to the user).
Amano does not explicitly teach wherein the processor is comprised to receive, from a user terminal, application-for-charge-facility-use information including information of a current position of the applicant for use detected by a position sensor included in the user terminal; extract a plurality of private charge facilities of the manufacturer located within a predetermined distance from the current position and after receiving the selection information, identify one manager terminal corresponding to the one private charge facility indicated by the selection information; for each of the plurality of private charge facilities extracted, determine whether or not a predetermined permission-for-use condition is established between the applicant for use and a manager of the private charge facility based on both the past results of lending and the degree of cooperation in the lending and the past results of using and the evaluations made by the managers in the past for each of the plurality of private charge facilities extracted, determine whether or not a predetermined permission-for-use condition is established between the applicant for use and a manager of the private charge facility based on both the past results of lending and the degree of cooperation in the lending and the past results of using and the evaluations made by the managers in the past.
Sun teaches wherein the processor is comprised to receive, from a user terminal, application-for-charge-facility-use information including information of a current position of the applicant for use detected by a position sensor included in the user terminal (paragraphs [0028] and [0049] discloses wherein a position sensor, a Global Positioning Sensor (GPS) is used to determine the position and location of the vehicle);
to extract a plurality of private charge facilities of the manufacturer located within a predetermined distance from the current position (paragraphs [0040] and [0059] discloses extracting a plurality of private charging facilities and EVSE from a predetermined distance from the vehicle’s current location) and after receiving the selection information, identify one manager terminal corresponding to the one private charge facility indicated by the selection information (paragraphs [0026] and [0038] discloses identifying a manager terminal corresponding to a private charge facility defined as EVSE identifiers).
for each of the plurality of private charge facilities extracted, determine whether or not a predetermined permission-for-use condition is established between the applicant for use and a manager of the private charge facility based on both the past results of lending and the degree of cooperation in the lending and the past results of using and the evaluations made by the managers in the past (paragraphs [0037] – [0039] discloses wherein the past results, user and operation data for charging over time is extracted).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the charging system of the Amano reference with the imaging system of the Sun reference so that an EV operator may improve traffic flow and equalize maintenance across a plurality of EVSEs.
The suggestion/motivation for combination can be found in the Sun reference in paragraph [0026] wherein traffic flow and maintenance is managed.
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 05/05/2026 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive. Regarding rejections under 35 USC 101, as disclosed above, the amended claims do not overcome the rejection under 35 USC 101 and fall within at least one of the four categories of patent eligible subject matter because the claims are directed to an Abstract Idea. Specifically, the claims recite limitations directed to acquiring manager information, and applicant-for-use information, determining whether a predetermined permission for use condition is established based on acquired information, and transmitting permission for use information to a user terminal when the condition is established.
These limitations collectively describe evaluating information and making a permission determination based on predefined criteria, which constitutes a mental process (evaluating information and making a permission decision), and organizing human activity (managing access to private resources) as such steps can be performed by a human using mental judgment or with a pen and paper.
For these reasons, under 35 USC 101, the claims are not patent eligible.
Regarding the rejections under 35 USC 112, the amended claims overcome the rejection and the rejection is withdrawn.
Regarding the prior art rejections under 35 USC 102 and 35 USC 103, the Applicant’s arguments, see Arguments/Remarks, filed 09/17/2026, with respect to the rejection(s) of claims 1, 3-5, and 7 under Amano, Lee and Failing have been fully considered and are persuasive. Therefore, the rejection has been withdrawn. However, upon further consideration, a new ground(s) of rejection under new claims 8 and is made in view of Amano and Sun.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
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ALEXIS BOATENG PACHECO
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 2859
/ALEXIS B PACHECO/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2859
