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 .
This action is in response to the request for continued examination filed on 12/16/2025, in which claims 1, 3, 6-10, 12, and 15-20 are currently pending and addressed below.
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and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114.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 12/16/2025 has been entered.
Response to Amendment
Applicant has amended the claims to add sufficient structure. Accordingly, the claims are no longer subject to interpretation under 35 U.S.C. 112(f).
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 12/16/2025 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
With respect to the 35 U.S.C. 103 rejections:
Applicant argues on page 8 of the remarks that “Tuukkanen and Lindemann do not teach or suggest such a method” as recited in the amended independent claims.
In response to applicant’s arguments, the examiner respectfully disagrees that Tuukkanen in view of Lindemann fails to disclose all elements of the amended independent claims. Lindemann teaches “wherein informing the user of the optimal charging method further comprises informing the user of the optimal charging method based on whether an occupant is in the vehicle, whether the charging station is near the vehicle, whether the vehicle is drivable to the charging station, whether the V2L vehicle is near the vehicle, and of a minimum amount of power” for the reasons explained in the 35 U.S.C. 103 rejection below. Specifically, Lindemann teaches informing the user of the optimal charging method based on whether the occupant is in the vehicle because available charging options are presented to the driver of the vehicle and energy use is minimized based on accessory usage by occupants in the vehicle (Lindemann [0047], [0040]). Lindemann also teaches determining whether a vehicle can travel to a nearby charging station or whether a V2L vehicle that completes mobile charging should be deployed to the vehicle (Lindemann [0043], [0046], [0048], [0053]). Lindemann further teaches determining the energy amount needed for the vehicle to travel along a route to the destination (Lindemann [0037], [0041]). Therefore, Tuukkanen in view of Lindemann teach all elements of the amended independent claims.
Applicant’s arguments have been fully considered and have been found not persuasive.
Applicant’s arguments with respect to Tuukkanen disclosing the “wherein informing the user of the optimal charging method further comprises informing the user of the optimal charging method based on whether an occupant is in the vehicle, whether the charging station is near the vehicle, whether the vehicle is drivable to the charging station, whether the V2L vehicle is near the vehicle, and of a minimum amount of power” limitation have been considered but are moot because the rejection does not rely on Tuukkanen for any of the specific limitations challenged in the argument.
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.
The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
Claims 1, 3, 10, 12, and 19-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Tuukkanen, U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2023/0382256 A1, in view of Lindemann et al., U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2020/0117204 A1 (hereinafter Lindemann).
Regarding claim 1, Tuukkanen discloses a method (Tuukkanen Fig. 4) comprising:
determining, by a vehicle power guiding apparatus comprising a processor (see at least Tuukkanen [0135]: “A processor 1002 performs a set of operations on information as specified by computer program code related to providing a charging time window for an electric vehicle based on environmental conditions at a charge point.”),
a current state of a vehicle (see at least Tuukkanen [0097]: “For instance, the battery charge report includes bullet points of user's frequent use of fast charging, frequent charging, too much electric power consumption while driving (e.g., high speed, uneven acceleration, loud music, strong AC, etc.), long term parking with a high state of charge, etc.”);
identifying, by the vehicle power guiding apparatus, electric power of the vehicle currently in use based on the current state of the vehicle (see at least Tuukkanen [0046]: “In one embodiment, the electric vehicle 101 can also report the current battery status (e.g., charged %), current environment conditions (e.g., weather, indoor location, roofed location, outdoor location, sun exposure, wind chill, etc. at the charge point 103) as well as a battery temperature profile/function that predicts the battery temperature depending on the environmental conditions.”),
wherein the current state of the vehicle includes at least one of a parked state, a stopped state, or a driving state (see at least Tuukkanen [0097]: “For instance, the battery charge report includes bullet points of user's frequent use of fast charging, frequent charging, too much electric power consumption while driving (e.g., high speed, uneven acceleration, loud music, strong AC, etc.), long term parking with a high state of charge, etc.”);
informing, by the vehicle power guiding apparatus, a user of an identified electric power of the vehicle (see at least Tuukkanen [0097]: “When the user select the option 853 of “Battery charge report?,” the system can generate a battery charge report for the electric vehicle 101 on demand. FIG. 8E is a user interface diagram that represents a subsequent window of the user interface of FIG. 8D, according to example embodiment(s). In this case, a UI 861 displays in a pane 863 includes a battery charge report and recommendations.”; under broadest reasonable interpretation identified electric power includes a battery charge report);
determining whether the electric power of the vehicle is insufficient (see at least Tuukkanen [0090]: “In one embodiment, the “power low” status can be deliberately planned by the system 100 for the user's trip of multiple stops (e.g., visiting customers, sight-seeing, etc.), and the charge point 811 and/or the charging time window were predetermined along with other charge point(s) and/or other charging time window(s) en route.”);
informing the user that the electric power of the vehicle is insufficient upon determining that the electric power of the vehicle is insufficient (see at least Tuukkanen [0089]: “In this case, the system 100 can automatically work in the background and detect the status of the vehicle battery, and have the UI 801 display a user prompt 807 of “Power low. Recommend a charge point and a charge time window?””);
and informing the user of an optimal charging method including at least one of (see at least Tuukkanen [0033]: “The system 100 can then make recommendations of the best time window and/or a respective charge point to electric vehicles and/or users regarding vehicle charging optimization, environmental impacts, and/or costs.”; examiner notes only one limitation is required to be taught in the list of limitations for “informing the user of an optimal charging method”):
moving to a charging station according to a first implementation (see at least Tuukkanen [0070]: “For instance, the charge point module 305 can guide the electric vehicle 101 to a charge point ready to be used, avoiding waiting for cooling down the battery pack (e.g., to avoid a charge point uphill that will heat up the battery pack even more).”),
Tuukkanen fails to expressly disclose wherein informing the user of the optimal charging method further comprises informing the user of the optimal charging method based on whether an occupant is in the vehicle, whether the charging station is near the vehicle, whether the vehicle is drivable to the charging station, whether the V2L vehicle is near the vehicle, and of a minimum amount of power. However, Lindemann teaches
controlling, by the vehicle power guiding apparatus, Vehicle-to-Load (V2L) power based on the identified electric power and the current state of the vehicle (see at least Lindemann [0011]: “Based on this estimated energy expenditure, the resident vehicle controller generates an action plan with vehicle maneuvering and/or accessory usage actions designed to increase the estimated driving range.”; [0040]: “As another example, the method 100 may rank different types of accessory usage by occupants of the vehicle in a manner that maximizes occupant comfort while minimizing energy use. If the vehicle 10 of FIG. 1 is operated in Arizona on a hot July afternoon or in Michigan on a cold January night, for example, the method 100 may prioritize heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) usage to maintain a comfortable cabin temperature while contemporaneously eliminating all “non-essential” infotainment and stereo use.”; under broadest reasonable interpretation a load includes a vehicle air conditioner, as evidenced by instant application [0031]; examiner notes this limitation is not required to be taught because Tuukkanen teaches the “moving to a charging station…” limitation);
requesting an on-call charging vehicle according to a second implementation (see at least Lindemann [0048]: “At process block 147, a deploy request may be transmitted to a selected mobile charging vehicle to commence on-demand charging”; examiner notes this limitation is not required to be taught because Tuukkanen teaches the “moving to a charging station…” limitation),
calling a V2L vehicle according to a third implementation (see at least Lindemann [0008]: “On-demand charge delivery, e.g., via vehicle-to-vehicle or roadside assistance charging, may be employed to conveniently and quickly return a host vehicle to a baseline driving range.”; the mobile charging vehicle is a V2L vehicle because charging is completed vehicle-to-vehicle; examiner notes this limitation is not required to be taught because Tuukkanen teaches the “moving to a charging station…” limitation),
cutting off V2L power consumption according to a fourth implementation (see at least Lindemann [0040]: “As another example, the method 100 may rank different types of accessory usage by occupants of the vehicle in a manner that maximizes occupant comfort while minimizing energy use. If the vehicle 10 of FIG. 1 is operated in Arizona on a hot July afternoon or in Michigan on a cold January night, for example, the method 100 may prioritize heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) usage to maintain a comfortable cabin temperature while contemporaneously eliminating all “non-essential” infotainment and stereo use.”; examiner notes this limitation is not required to be taught because Tuukkanen teaches the “moving to a charging station…” limitation),
and limiting V2L power consumption according to a fifth implementation (see at least Lindemann [0040]: “As another example, the method 100 may rank different types of accessory usage by occupants of the vehicle in a manner that maximizes occupant comfort while minimizing energy use. If the vehicle 10 of FIG. 1 is operated in Arizona on a hot July afternoon or in Michigan on a cold January night, for example, the method 100 may prioritize heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) usage to maintain a comfortable cabin temperature while contemporaneously eliminating all “non-essential” infotainment and stereo use.”; examiner notes this limitation is not required to be taught because Tuukkanen teaches the “moving to a charging station…” limitation),
wherein informing the user of the optimal charging method further comprises informing the user of the optimal charging method based on whether an occupant is in the vehicle (see at least Lindemann [0040]: “As another example, the method 100 may rank different types of accessory usage by occupants of the vehicle in a manner that maximizes occupant comfort while minimizing energy use.”; [0047]: “For at least some implementations, selection of an optimal recharging/refueling source may be carried out by the CPU 36/processors 40 of vehicle 10. Alternatively, the various available options may be presented to the driver via electronic video display device 18; the driver may then select one of the available options through the assorted input controls 32 of FIG. 1.”),
whether the charging station is near the vehicle (see at least Lindemann [0043]: “In a similar manner, the CPU 36 and/or processors 40 may also provide to the occupant an option to: (1) refuel/recharge the vehicle 10 at a nearby fill/charge station, or (2) deploy an on-demand mobile vehicle that delivers traction battery pack recharging services. Method 100 thereafter continues to the process blocks presented in FIG. 4 to determine whether or not to issue a deploy request to a mobile charging vehicle or to provide the driver with instructions for reaching a nearby charging/fuel station.”),
whether the vehicle is drivable to the charging station (see at least Lindemann [0048]: “At process block 147, a deploy request may be transmitted to a selected mobile charging vehicle to commence on-demand charging; alternatively, a modified route may be displayed to the user with a corresponding set of turn-by-turn directions to reach a selected refueling/recharging station.”; [0053]: “At this juncture, the system may be able to provide mobile charging solutions for drivers who are unable to reach a charge station and/or are unable to reach a next likely destination.”),
whether the V2L vehicle is near the vehicle (see at least Lindemann [0046]: “This operation may merely involve accessing a list of available nearby charging sources stored in resident memory device(s) 38 of FIG. 1, and identifying a subset of these options that is within a user-selected or default-mandated proximity of the vehicle's origin or candidate route…In an on-demand mobile vehicle recharging operation, for example, the method 100 may access location and dynamics information directly from the host vehicle and the refueling/recharging vehicle, and thereafter run a recursive estimate of the current and projected locations of both vehicles. From this information, the method 100 may then derive an optimized (fastest and most convenient) meeting location for the two vehicles.”; [0053]: “If there are not any convenient/accessible locations for carrying out a refueling/recharging operation (block 213=NO), the method 200 proceeds to operation 215 to carry out a proximity charge, e.g., where the host vehicle meets a mobile charging vehicle along the route.”),
and of a minimum amount of power (see at least Lindemann [0041]: “A route-based energy calculation utilizes the set of energy characteristics that is selected for the designated candidate route at process block 115 and subsequently evaluated at predefined process block 117 to derive a total vehicle energy expenditure to traverse the candidate route from origin to destination under real-time operating and environmental conditions.”; [0037]: “Situations in which a driver wishes to reach a specific destination without having the necessary vehicle power reserves to make that destination may warrant reevaluating the available candidate routes to identify which option requires the least amount of energy—is the “greenest”—thus making it feasible to reach the destination with the existing stored power.”).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the instant application to modify the method disclosed by Tuukkanen with the optimal charging method taught by Lindemann with reasonable expectation of success. Lindemann is directed towards the related field of on-demand mobile charging of vehicles. Therefore, one of ordinary skill in the art would be motivated to combine Tuukkanen with Lindemann to ensure a user safely reaches a selected destination despite a low state of charge (see at least Lindemann [0007]: “Using real-time and forward-looking data, such as roadway map, terrain, weather, speed limit, etc., the vehicle coaches the driver with energy-use optimized instructions for vehicle operation and accessory usage to help ensure the vehicle safely achieves a user-selected destination in low range/state of charge (SOC) situations.”).
Regarding claim 3, Tuukkanen in view of Lindemann teach all elements of the method according to claim 1 as explained above. Lindemann further teaches
wherein determining whether the electric power of the vehicle is insufficient comprises comparing an amount of remaining power with the minimum amount of power to determine whether the electric power of the vehicle is insufficient (see at least Lindemann [0036]: “Upon determining that the current estimated driving range is not larger than the overall distance of the candidate route and, thus, there is an insufficient amount of stored energy to reach the desired destination (block 105=NO), the method 100 proceeds to decision block 109…”; [0011]: “The vehicle controller then calculates an estimated driving range for the motor vehicle based on a current state of charge of the rechargeable traction battery pack. If this estimated driving range is less than the total distance of the candidate route, the controller responsively evaluates energy characteristics of the candidate route to determine an estimated energy expenditure to reach the vehicle destination using this route.”).
Regarding claim 10, this claim recites a vehicle power guiding apparatus that performs the method of claim 1. Tuukkanen in view of Lindemann also disclose a vehicle power guiding apparatus that performs the method of claim 1 as outlined in the rejection to claim 1 above. Specifically, Tuukkanen discloses a memory and a processor (Tuukkanen [0004]) that performs the method of claim 1. Therefore, claim 10 is rejected for the same rationale as claim 1.
Regarding claim 12, this claim recites an apparatus that performs the method of claim 3 as explained above. Therefore, claim 12 is rejected for the same rationale as claim 3.
Regarding claim 19, Tuukkanen in view of Lindemann teach all elements of the apparatus according to claim 10 as explained above. Tuukkanen further teaches
wherein the processor is configured to display the identified electric power of the vehicle on a Graphical User Interface (GUI) (see at least Tuukkanen [0097]: “When the user select the option 853 of “Battery charge report?,” the system can generate a battery charge report for the electric vehicle 101 on demand. FIG. 8E is a user interface diagram that represents a subsequent window of the user interface of FIG. 8D, according to example embodiment(s). In this case, a UI 861 displays in a pane 863 includes a battery charge report and recommendations.”; under broadest reasonable interpretation identified electric power includes a battery charge report).
Regarding claim 20, this claim recites a method performed by the apparatus of claim 19 as explained above. Therefore, claim 20 is rejected for the same rationale as claim 19.
Claims 6 and 15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Tuukkanen in view of Lindemann, and further in view of Oettle et al., U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2024/0375544 A1 (hereinafter Oettle).
Regarding claim 6, Tuukkanen in view of Lindemann teach all elements of the method according to claim 1 as explained above. Tuukkanen in view of Lindemann fail to expressly disclose identifying the electric power comprises identifying V2L power consumption, remaining power, or minimum power when the vehicle is parked or stopped. However, Oettle teaches wherein identifying the electric power comprises:
when the vehicle is in the parked state or the stopped state, identifying at least one of an amount of the V2L power consumption, an amount of remaining power, or the minimum amount of power (see at least Oettle [0039]: “In order to prevent such undesirable power loss, the closed-circuit current in a vehicle, that is, the electrical power consumption in the parked state of the vehicle, may be controlled by means of a device 1 for controlling power consumption. For this purpose, the device 1 for controlling power consumption can adjust the closed-circuit current, i.e., the energy requirement of the electrical consumers 5-i in the low-voltage network, but also optionally the electrical consumers 6-2 to 6-n in the high-voltage network, such that the traction battery 2 is only discharged to the extent that it can still safely reach a suitable charging station for charging the traction battery 2.”; Oettle [0013] teaches the closed-circuit includes power from the vehicle to electrical consumers; Oettle [0012] teaches electrical consumers are loads; therefore, Oettle teaches at least identifying amount of V2L power consumption in the parked or stopped state),
wherein the amount of the V2L power consumption is classified according to a mode selected by the user (see at least Oettle [0060]: “Further, upon automatically selecting the charging station, the user may also be informed of the selected charging station and, optionally, the travel route to that charging station via the notification device 50. Furthermore, any further functions for exchanging data between the notification device 50 and a remote device, for example a user's cell phone, are also possible. In particular, the cell phone and an application installed thereon may also be used to make corresponding settings for configuring the device 1 to control power consumption.”),
and wherein the minimum amount of power is an amount of power for the vehicle to move from a current location of the vehicle to a nearest charging station (see at least Oettle [0039]: “For this purpose, the device 1 for controlling power consumption can adjust the closed-circuit current, i.e., the energy requirement of the electrical consumers 5-i in the low-voltage network, but also optionally the electrical consumers 6-2 to 6-n in the high-voltage network, such that the traction battery 2 is only discharged to the extent that it can still safely reach a suitable charging station for charging the traction battery 2.”; [0057]: “For example, the selection device 30 may automatically select the charging station that is closest to the current location of the vehicle.”).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the instant application to modify the method disclosed by Tuukkanen in view of Lindemann with the identification taught by Oettle with reasonable expectation of success. Oettle is directed towards the related field of controlling power consumption in a vehicle. Therefore, one of ordinary skill in the art would be motivated to combine Tuukkanen in view of Lindemann with Oettle to reliably reach a charging station for a vehicle (see at least Oettle [0011]: “It is therefore an idea of the present invention to take this realization into account and provide a control device for the consumption of electrical energy in the electric vehicle, which makes it possible to reliably reach a charging station for charging the traction battery even after the vehicle was shut off for a longer period of time.”).
Regarding claim 15, this claim recites an apparatus that performs the method of claim 6 as explained above. Therefore, claim 15 is rejected for the same rationale as claim 6.
Claims 7 and 16 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Tuukkanen in view of Lindemann, and further in view of Lee et al., U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2022/0295399 A1 (hereinafter Lee).
Regarding claim 7, Tuukkanen in view of Lindemann teach all elements of the method according to claim 1 as explained above. Lindemann further teaches
when the vehicle is in the driving state, identifying at least one of an amount of the V2L power consumption, an amount of remaining power, an amount of spare power, or the minimum amount of power (see at least Lindemann [0036]: “Upon determining that the current estimated driving range is not larger than the overall distance of the candidate route and, thus, there is an insufficient amount of stored energy to reach the desired destination (block 105=NO), the method 100 proceeds to decision block 109…”; [0011]: “The vehicle controller then calculates an estimated driving range for the motor vehicle based on a current state of charge of the rechargeable traction battery pack. If this estimated driving range is less than the total distance of the candidate route, the controller responsively evaluates energy characteristics of the candidate route to determine an estimated energy expenditure to reach the vehicle destination using this route. Based on this estimated energy expenditure, the resident vehicle controller generates an action plan with vehicle maneuvering and/or accessory usage actions designed to increase the estimated driving range. Once generated, the controller transmits a command signal to a resident vehicle subsystem to execute a control operation based on the action plan.”; Lindemann teaches at least an amount of remaining power and a minimum amount of power)
Tuukkanen in view of Lindemann fail to expressly disclose the amount of power consumption for V2L is classified according to an electronic product in use by the user. However, Lee teaches
and wherein the amount of the V2L power consumption is classified according to an electronic product in use by the user (see at least Lee [0058]: “The processor 1300 may calculate the second estimated battery consumption based on a type of the other vehicular electronic devices 400 used by a driver, a front seat passenger, and/or a rear seat passenger and power consumption thereof according to usage time. The storage 1200 may store usage history information regarding a type and usage time of the other vehicular electronic devices 400 frequently used by the driver, the front passenger seat, and/or the rear seat passenger.”).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the instant application to modify the method disclosed by Tuukkanen in view of Lindemann with the identification taught by Lee with reasonable expectation of success. Lee is directed towards the related field of operating an electronic device mounted on a battery powered electric vehicle. Therefore, one of ordinary skill in the art would be motivated to combine Tuukkanen in view of Lindemann with Lee to stably maintain a remaining battery capacity while performing travel to a target destination (see at least Lee [0006]: “Provided are an electronic device and an operation method thereof, which allow an electric vehicle to stably maintain a remaining battery capacity at or above an appropriate level even while communicating in a relatively high battery power consumption RF communication mode, e.g., a 5G mmWave communication mode, when travelling to a destination. Also provided are an electronic device and an operation method thereof, which determine whether to switch from a relatively high battery power consumption RF communication mode to a lower power consumption communication mode based on estimated battery consumption for the vehicle to travel to a target destination and a current remaining battery capacity.”).
Regarding claim 16, this claim recites an apparatus that performs the method of claim 7 as explained above. Therefore, claim 16 is rejected for the same rationale as claim 7.
Claims 8 and 17 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Tuukkanen in view of Lindemann, and further in view of Sukhatankar et al., U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2022/0105793 A1 (hereinafter Sukhatankar).
Regarding claim 8, Tuukkanen in view of Lindemann teach all elements of the method according to claim 1 as explained above. Tuukkanen in view of Lindemann fail to expressly disclose recommending an amount of power for each mode when the vehicle is parked or stopped. However, Sukhatankar teaches wherein informing the user of the identified electric power of the vehicle comprises:
when the vehicle is in the parked state or the stopped state, recommending an amount of power for each mode selected by the user (see at least Sukhatankar [0542]: “Example and non-limiting operations of the HVAC implementation circuit include one or more of the following…selecting a power load that will not be supported and/or that will be only partially supported during a stop time; selecting higher priority loads (e.g., favoring a CPAP power consumption over an auxiliary outlet power consumption; a microwave load over a TV load, or vice versa) for increased or full support over a lower priority load; providing a user selection menu to the user interface when all loads will not be supportable over the entire stop time (e.g., allowing the user, through the operator interface parameters, to pick a different cab temperature, cab comfort index, or the like; relax a noise constraint; and/or provide a load priority description through); providing a recommendation to the operator to the user of a change to be made when all loads will not be supportable over the entire stop time; and/or providing a notification to the operator of a change to be made when all loads will not be supportable over the entire stop time.”).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the instant application to modify the method disclosed by Tuukkanen in view of Lindemann with the recommendation taught by Sukhatankar with reasonable expectation of success. Sukhatankar is directed towards the related field of electrical power systems. Therefore, one of ordinary skill in the art would be motivated to combine Tuukkanen in view of Lindemann with Sukhatankar to improve energy efficiency (see at least Sukhatankar [0013]: “Certain features herein promote efficient utilization of system energy, such as the amount of energy utilized by the mobile application that is converted into mission capable work. Such features reduce a carbon footprint of the system, allow for greater capability with a reduced battery pack size, reduced motor/generator size, and/or reduced system voltage and/or current ratings, while maintaining or improving system capability to deliver power where desired.”).
Regarding claim 17, this claim recites an apparatus that performs the method of claim 8 as explained above. Therefore, claim 17 is rejected for the same rationale as claim 8.
Claims 9 and 18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Tuukkanen in view of Lindemann, and further in view of Hendrickson et al., U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2024/0181897 A1 (hereinafter Hendrickson).
Regarding claim 9, Tuukkanen in view of Lindemann teach all elements of the method according to claim 1 as explained above. Tuukkanen in view of Lindemann fail to expressly disclose recommending an amount of power for each electronic product when the vehicle is driving. However, Hendrickson teaches wherein informing the user of the identified electric power of the vehicle comprises:
when the vehicle is in the driving state, recommending an amount of power for each electronic product utilized by the user (see at least Hendrickson [0031]: “If the computing platform 150 determines the driving range is insufficient for the vehicle 112 to reach the one or more fueling stations, the process proceeds from operation 314 to operation 316, and the computing platform 150 outputs recommendations to the user and disables one or more power outlets 133 and/or vehicle features in the form of the low-voltage load 131 and/or electric load 132. The computing platform 150 may calculate an increased driving range by disabling certain items or features of the vehicle 112 and provide the recommendation based on the calculation.”).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the instant application to modify the method disclosed by Tuukkanen in view of Lindemann with the recommendation taught by Hendrickson with reasonable expectation of success. Hendrickson is directed towards the related field of managing power outlets and estimating vehicle range. Therefore, one of ordinary skill in the art would be motivated to combine Tuukkanen in view of Lindemann with Hendrickson to save energy when the vehicle has insufficient energy to reach a fueling location (see at least Hendrickson [0031]: “For instance, if the vehicle 112 has insufficient driving range to reach the fueling location under the current prediction, but would have sufficient driving range if the user refrains from using the electric stove to cook a meal, the vehicle 112 may provide the recommendation to ask the user to skip the cooking to save energy.”).
Regarding claim 18, this claim recites an apparatus that performs the method of claim 9 as explained above. Therefore, claim 18 is rejected for the same rationale as claim 9.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Okamoto et al., U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2022/0198932 A1, directed towards dispatching a supply vehicle after determining the area in which a vehicle can travel without a power source supply.
Ing, U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2021/0237578 A1, directed towards safely navigating a vehicle towards a charging area.
Ward, U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2008/0143292 A1, directed towards adjusting charging of a vehicle when a vehicle is parked and unmanned for long periods of time.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ELIZABETH J SLOWIK whose telephone number is (571)270-5608. The examiner can normally be reached MON - FRI: 0900-1700.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, ANISS CHAD can be reached on (571)270-3832. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/ELIZABETH J SLOWIK/ Examiner, Art Unit 3662
/ANISS CHAD/ Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3662