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 .
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS)’s submitted on 6/16/2023 is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
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.
This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention(s) absent any evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and effective filing dates of each claim that was not commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the later invention in order for the examiner to consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) for any potential 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) prior art against the later invention.
Claim(s) 1-3, 5-10, 14 and 15 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Geo US 20160031339 in view of Patil US 10752123.
Regarding claims 1 and 9, Geo discloses a method/system comprising:
receiving
performing authentication [i.e. the “first authentication system” per claim 9] between a power system at the electric vehicle [comprising plug 1300 + power measurement unit 1430 + battery 1442 + converter 1450 + charger 1452] and an electric vehicle charging device [e.g. authentication socket 1100 + main power terminal 1320. Par. 0017: electric vehicle comprises an ID reader mounted on a plug of the electric vehicle, and the ID reader detects an ID attached to a socket of the building. Par. 0024; Par. 0026 a user authentication socket or connector comprises: an authentication terminal that receives authentication power …; and an authentication unit that is operated by the authentication power];
charging a battery at the electric vehicle upon passing said authentication at the power system [par. 0026 Power for an electric vehicle is supplied from a main power source to the outside if the socket operation secret code corresponds to the socket ID information.];
performing authentication at a communications system [i.e. the “second authentication system” per claim 9. Fig. 9 and 10, (authentication server 1500 + wired communication unit 1410 + wireless communication unit 1420 + control unit 1460). Par. 0109. Par. 0026 authentication terminal that receives … a socket operation secret code for authentication of a user; and an authentication unit that … determines whether the socket operation secret code corresponds to socket ID information. Par. 0034: an authentication unit that … determines whether the socket operation secret code corresponds to socket ID information. … a communication unit for transmitting the socket operation secret code to a socket]; and
transferring data between a server [par. 0009 server; Figs. 9 and 10 authentication server 1500] at the communications system and the electric vehicle charging device upon passing said authentication at the communications system [pars. 0029, 0032, 0105-0110, 0112].
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Geo is silent regarding the managed power being fault managed power.
Patil discloses: supplying fault managed power to an EV for charging the EV [Figs. 1 and 2; EV 400 supplied by EV charging circuit breaker 300. Col. 8 line 44 - col. 9 line 4].
Geo and Patil are analogous means of supplying charging power to connected electric vehicles. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the filing to incorporate the protected power features as taught by Patil, into Geo’s main power supply to charge the electric vehicle, for the intrinsic benefit of detecting faults and tripping open the supply breaker before causing any potential damage to the connected electric vehicle.
Regarding claims 2, 10, Patil discloses: wherein the fault managed power comprises single phase pulse power [col. 8 lines 29-43, col. 6 lines 31-57 power is supplied in long periods (or pulses) during the times it is not delayed] with testing performed between high [the term high is arbitrary, the household mains of L1 and N can be considered as “high”.] voltage pulses [col. 10 lines 9-26].
Regarding claim 3, the combination of Geo and Patil disclose the method/system of claim 1, but is silent on wherein the fault managed power comprises multi-phase pulse power with testing performed between high voltage pulses.
Examiner takes Official Notice, IAW MPEP 2144.03, as to the common knowledge of the recited subject matter.
Utilizing more than one phase is well-known in the art of battery charging. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of filing to utilize more than one phase for charging Geo and Patil’s combined EV charger for the benefit of using supplying higher voltage/power as needed, than is available from a single phase L1.
Regarding claim 5, Geo discloses: further comprising performing authentication between the power system and the communications system [par. 0105-0110].
Regarding claim 6, Geo discloses: wherein the power system and the communications system are in communication over a bi-directional power and data connection [pars. 0006, 0029].
Regarding claims 7, 15, Geo discloses: wherein the server comprises a plurality of servers operable to upload and download the data to and from an electric vehicle data center [par. 0068 mediation server + intermediate server communicates with vehicle database, par. 0105].
Regarding claim 8, Geo discloses: wherein the power system is coupled to an electric motor device and an electrical component device for transmitting the data and the fault managed power to or receiving the data and the fault managed power from the electric motor device and electrical components [par. 0105-0110].
Regarding claim 14, the combination of Geo and Patil disclose: wherein the power system is coupled to an electric motor device [1600 is an electric vehicle] and an electrical component device, and is configured to transmit the data and the fault managed power to or receive the data and the fault managed power from the electric motor device and the electrical components, wherein each of the electric motor device and the electrical component device comprises another authentication module for authenticating with the power system [Geo, pars. 0105-0110; Patil col. 10 lines 9-27].
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 4, 11-13 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
The prior art does not disclose or suggest, “4. The method of claim 1, further comprising converting the fault managed power and the data to Power over Ethernet for use by electrical components at the electric vehicle” as recited in claim 4.
The prior art does not disclose or suggest, “11. The system of claim 9, further comprising a power converter for converting the power and the data to Power over Ethernet for use by electrical components at the electric vehicle” as recited in claim 11. Claims 12-13 depend from 11 and would be allowable for the same reasons.
Any comments considered necessary by applicant must be submitted no later than the payment of the issue fee and, to avoid processing delays, should preferably accompany the issue fee. Such submissions should be clearly labeled “Comments on Statement of Reasons for Allowance.”
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
US 11745613 and US 12275320 belong to the instant assignee and are cited for background relevance.
Conclusion
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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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