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 8/28/2024 are in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statements are being considered by the examiner.
Drawings
The drawings (figures 1-5) are objected to. All unlabeled rectangular box(es) shown in the drawings should be provided with descriptive text labels as provided in the specification. For example, Fig. 1 item 105 should be labeled as motor controller 105; Fig. 2, item 205 should be labeled as converter control module 205; etc. 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 1-20 (Original) are pending.
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)(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) 1-4 and 7-20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Syouda US-20240022099.
Regarding claims 1, 4 and 14, [claim 14 is considered representative for purposes of itemization in this office action. The method claims are encompassed by the device claims] Syouda discloses an electrified powertrain for a vehicle [par. 0019], comprising:
a rechargeable energy storage system (RESS) [Fig. 1 (see below), power storage system 1; par. 0019] including a first energy storage device (ESD) [Fig. 1, B1+B2+Mn in the lower string STRm] and a second ESD [Fig. 1, B1+B2+Mn in the upper string STR1];
an electric drive unit (EDU);
a DC to DC converter [Fig. 1, power converters PC1-PCm; par. 0025]; and
a controller [system controller 101 + string controllers C1-Cm; par. 0030]:
determining a first current for charging the first ESD [e.g., Fig. 3, STR2 is set to a higher current curve. Par. 0051];
determining a second current for charging the second ESD [e.g., Fig. 3, STR1 is set to a lower current curve. Par. 0051];
when a charge source [Fig. 1, bus 3 + fuse 15, pars. 0029. Alternatively, the outputs of PC1, PCm are charge sources, par. 0046] that is coupled directly to one of the first ESD and the second ESD and through the DC to DC converter [Fig. 1, power converters PC1-PCm] to the other of the first ESD and the second ESD cannot simultaneously provide the first current and the second current without violating a charge source constraint [Fig. 1, the constraints determined by the capacity of line 3 + fuse 15. Alternatively, the outputs of PC1, PCm are determined constraints], determining a reduced second current for charging the second ESD [e.g., Fig. 3, STR1 is set to a lower current curve] wherein the charge source can simultaneously provide the first current and the reduced second current without violating the charge source constraint [Fig. 1, the constraints determined by the capacity of bus 3 + fuse 15. Alternatively, the outputs of PC1, PCm are determined constraints; pars. 0029, 0046]; and
allocating the first current to the first ESD and the reduced second current to the second ESD by controlling the DC to DC converter [par. 0039 esp., The system controller 101 executes setting of the instruction value of charge/discharge power (charge power and discharge power) or charge/discharge current (charge current and discharge current) of each of the storage battery strings STR1 to STRm and transmission of the instruction value of charge/discharge power or charge/discharge current to the string controllers C1 to Cm. Par. 0040 esp., The system controller 101 calculates the instruction value of charge/discharge power or charge/discharge current assigned to each of the storage battery strings STR1 to STRm based on an instruction of input/output power or input/output current of the entire power storage system 1 received from a higher-ranking system (not shown) and the states of the storage battery strings STR1 to STRm. Pars. 0043].
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Regarding claim 2, Syouda discloses the method of claim 1, wherein the charge source [Fig. 1, bus 3 + fuse 15, pars. 0029. Alternatively, the outputs of PC1, PCm are charge sources, par. 0046] is coupled directly to the first ESD [Fig. 1, B1+B2+Mn in the lower string STRm] and through the DC to DC converter [e.g. PCm] to the second ESD [Fig. 1, B1+B2+Mn in the upper string STR1].
Regarding claim 3, Syouda discloses: wherein the charge source [Fig. 1, bus 3 + fuse 15, pars. 0029. Alternatively, the outputs of PC1, PCm are charge sources, par. 0046] is coupled directly to the second ESD [Fig. 1, B1+B2+Mn in the upper string STR1] and through the DC to DC converter [PCm] to the first ESD [Fig. 1, B1+B2+Mn in the lower string STRm].
Regarding claims 7, 15, Syouda discloses: wherein the first ESD and the second ESD comprise batteries [par. 0020].
Regarding claims 8, 16, Syouda discloses: wherein at least one of the first ESD and the second ESD comprises a supercapacitor [par. 0020].
Regarding claims 9, 17, Syouda discloses: wherein the DC to DC converter comprises a boost converter [pars. 0026-0027 boost or buck as needed].
Regarding claims 10, Syouda discloses: wherein the DC to DC converter comprises a buck converter [pars. 0026-0027 boost or buck as needed].
Regarding claims 11, 18, Syouda discloses: wherein the DC to DC converter comprises a buck/boost converter [pars. 0026-0027 boost or buck as needed].
Regarding claims 12, 19, Syouda discloses: wherein the charge source [Fig. 1, bus 3 + fuse 15, pars. 0029. Alternatively, the outputs of PC1, PCm are charge sources, par. 0046] is coupled directly to the first ESD [Fig. 1, B1+B2+Mn in the lower string STRm] and through the DC to DC converter [PC1] to the second ESD [Fig. 1, B1+B2+Mn in the upper string STR1].
Regarding claims 13, 20, Syouda discloses: wherein the charge source [Fig. 1, bus 3 + fuse 15, pars. 0029. Alternatively, the outputs of PC1, PCm are charge sources, par. 0046] is coupled directly to the second ESD [Fig. 1, B1+B2+Mn in the upper string STR1] and through the DC to DC converter [Fig. 1, PCm] to the first ESD [Fig. 1, B1+B2+Mn in the lower string STRm].
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) 5, 6 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Syouda US-20240022099.
Regarding claims 5, 6, Syouda discloses the charge apparatus of claim 4 wherein the charge source comprises an external system [par. 0021]; but is silent regarding the source comprises an infrastructure charge station or a donor vehicle.
Examiner takes Official Notice, IAW MPEP 2144.03, as to the common knowledge of the recited subject matter.
Utilizing an infrastructure charge station or donor vehicle to provide charge to an EV is well-known in the art of battery charging. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art prior to the filing of the claims to utilize an infrastructure charge station and a donor vehicle as charging sources for Syouda’s EV for the benefit of providing convenient and ubiquitous sources of charging for the vehicle operator.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
EP 3981638 discloses an ESMS (11) having several energy storage devices (32, 34, 36) for coupling to a vehicle drivetrain (18, 26, 14, 24) and configured to store DC energy. A controller (46) is configured to determine a voltage of each energy connection provided with either an energy storage device or an energy source coupled. A first energy connection is electrically connected with an energy source to a second energy connection with an energy storage device. One of several DC electrical converters is a buck-boost converter and one of the DC electrical converters either steps up or steps down an input DC voltage to one of several energy storage devices based on the determined voltage of each energy connection.
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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RICHARD V. MURALIDAR
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 2859
/RICHARD V MURALIDAR/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2859
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