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 § 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.
Claims 1, 3-10, and 12-19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Chen et al. (USPUB 2013/0214738).
As to Claim 1, Chen discloses an adapter for an electric charging system of an electric vehicle, said adapter comprising: an input interface configured to couple to a charger, the charger configured for communicating using a first protocol; an output interface configured to couple to a charging inlet of an energy storage device, the energy storage device configured for communicating using a second protocol (Figure 6); at least one power conductor connected to the input interface and to the output interface, said at least one power conductor configured to convey current between the charger and the charging inlet (Figure 11); and a communication conversion (Element 72) unit configured to: receive a first communication signal transmitted from the charger via said input interface, the first communication signal having the first protocol; translate the first communication signal to a second communication signal having the second protocol; and transmit the second communication signal to the charging inlet via said output interface (Paragraphs 100-103).
As to Claim 3, Chen discloses the adapter of claim 1, wherein said communication conversion unit is integrated into said input interface or said output interface (Figures 3 and 4).
As to Claim 4, Chen discloses the adapter of claim 1, further comprising at least one communication conductor configured to convey the first communication signal from said input interface to said communication conversion unit (Figure 3 and 4).
As to Claim 5, Chen discloses the adapter of claim 1, further comprising at least one communication conductor configured to convey the second communication signal from said communication conversion unit to said output interface (Figures 3 and 4).
As to Claim 6, Chen discloses the adapter of claim 5, wherein said output interface comprises at least one dedicated communication pin, wherein each dedicated communication pin of said at least one dedicated communication pin is communicatively coupled to said communication conversion unit via a respective one of said at least one communication conductor (Figure 13).
As to Claim 7, Chen discloses the adapter of claim 5, wherein the second communication signal is transmitted according to an Ethernet, Controller Area Network, or differential power line communication protocol (Figure 13).
As to Claim 8, Chen discloses the adapter of claim 1, wherein the first communication signal is transmitted from said input interface over the power conductor, and wherein said communication conversion unit is configured to receive the first communication signal via the power conductor (Figure 3, element 52).
As to Claim 9, Chen discloses the adapter of claim 8, wherein the first communication signal is transmitted as a single-ended power line communication signal (Paragraph 49).
As to Claim 10, Chen discloses a communication conversion unit for an adapter for an electric charging system, the adapter including an input interface configured to couple to a charger configured for communicating using a first protocol, an output interface configured to couple to a charging inlet of an energy storage device configured for communicating using a second protocol, and at least one power conductor connected to the input interface and to the output interface, the at least one power conductor configured to convey current between the charger and the charging inlet; wherein said communication conversion unit comprises a processor configured to: receive a first communication signal transmitted from the charger via the input interface, the first communication signal having the first protocol; translate the first communication signal to a second communication signal having the second protocol; and transmit the second communication signal to the charging inlet via the output interface (Figure 6, 11, and Paragraphs 100-103).
As to Claim 12, Chen discloses the communication conversion unit of claim 10, wherein said processor is integrated into the input interface or the output interface (Figures 3 and 4).
As to Claim 13, Chen discloses the communication conversion unit of claim 10, wherein at least one communication conductor is configured to convey the first communication signal from the input interface to said processor (Figure 3 and 4).
As to Claim 14, Chen discloses the communication conversion unit of claim 10, wherein at least one communication conductor is configured to convey the second communication signal from said processor to the output interface (Figures 3 and 4).
As to Claim 15, Chen discloses the communication conversion unit of claim 14, wherein the output interface includes at least one dedicated communication pin, and wherein each dedicated communication pin of the at least one dedicated communication pin is communicatively coupled to said processor via a respective one of said at least one communication conductor (Figure 13).
As to Claim 16, Chen discloses the communication conversion unit of claim 14, wherein said processor is configured to transmit the second communication signal according to an Ethernet, Controller Area Network, or differential power line communication protocol (Figure 13).
As to Claim 17, Chen discloses the communication conversion unit of claim 10, wherein the first communication signal is transmitted from the input interface over the power conductor, and wherein said processor is configured to receive the first communication signal via the power conductor (Figure 3, Element 52).
As to Claim 18, Chen discloses the communication conversion unit of claim 17, wherein the first communication signal is transmitted as a single-ended power line communication signal (Paragraph 49).
As to Claim 19, Chen discloses a method for charging an energy storage device performed by an adapter for an electric charging system, the adapter including a communication conversion unit, an input interface configured to couple to a charger configured for communicating using a first protocol, an output interface configured to couple to a charging inlet of the energy storage device configured for communicating using a second protocol, and at least one power conductor connected to the input interface and to the output interface, the at least one power conductor configured to convey current between the charger and the charging inlet, said method comprising: receiving, by the communication conversion unit, a first communication signal transmitted from the charger via the input interface, the first communication signal having the first protocol; translating, by the communication conversion unit, the first communication signal to a second communication signal having the second protocol; and transmitting, by the communication conversion unit, the second communication signal to the charging inlet via the output interface (Figure 6, 11, and Paragraphs 100-103).
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 2, 11, and 20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Chen et al..
As to Claim 2, Chen discloses the adapter of claim 1, but does not expressly disclose wherein said output interface comprises a Megawatt Charging System (MCS) connector. However, Chen does disclose the use of different connectors and different vehicle standards (Paragraph 21). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time of this invention to take the teachings of Chen, and use connectors that enable megawatt charging.
As to Claim 11, Chen discloses the communication conversion unit of claim 10, but does not expressly disclose wherein said output interface includes a Megawatt Charging System (MCS) connector. However, Chen does disclose the use of different connectors and different vehicle standards (Paragraph 21). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time of this invention to take the teachings of Chen, and use connectors that enable megawatt charging.
As to Claim 20, Chen discloses the adapter of claim 1, but does not expressly disclose wherein said output interface includes a Megawatt Charging System (MCS) connector. However, Chen does disclose the use of different connectors and different vehicle standards (Paragraph 21). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time of this invention to take the teachings of Chen, and use connectors that enable megawatt charging.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ROBERT J GRANT whose telephone number is (571)270-5820. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday 9am - 5:30pm.
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/ROBERT GRANT/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2859
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