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 .
Response to Amendment
The amendment filed on 05/30/2025 has been entered. Applicant canceled claim 5 and claim 5 was amended. Claims 1-4 remain pending in this application
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments, see page 6, filed 05/30/2025, with respect to the rejection(s) of claim(s) 1 under 35 USC § 102 have been fully considered and are persuasive. Therefore, the rejection has been withdrawn. However, upon further consideration, a new ground(s) of rejection is made in view of Zhao (US 2020/0231064 A1) and Lee (US 2023/0211699).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
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.
(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 and 3-4 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Lee (US 2023/0211699).
Regarding Claim 1, Lee teaches an electric power supply system mounted in a vehicle, the electric power supply system in (see fig. 15) comprising: a first battery (130) that supplies electric power to a motor (PE, 140, see para 0061) that drives the vehicle; a second battery (110) that supplies electric power to the motor and is replaceable, known as a swappable battery; and a DC/DC converter (120, see para 0057) that is connected between the second battery (110) and the motor (PE 140) and converts an output voltage of the second battery to a predetermined voltages wherein replacement of the second battery being replaceable is performed between two or more batteries having different capacities from each other (see Table 1, para 0065).
Regarding Claim 3, Lee teaches that in a regenerative braking mode, energy generated can be used to power the first battery in (see para 0096, 0097). Regenerative braking is generating energy caused by a motor system is well known and established since the motor is required to activate/operate the braking system.
Regarding Claim 4, Lee teaches a first battery (130) which is not swappable since it’s not an option stated in the disclosure thus the first battery is not replaceable.
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.
Claim(s) 2 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lee (US 2023/0211699) and further in view of Hisada (US 20150231988 A1).
In claim 2, Lee teaches the electric power supply system according to claim 1. Lee is silent to the teachings of a first battery having a smaller capacity and a higher output power than that of the second battery.
However, Hisada teaches a first battery having a larger capacity and a lower power output than a second battery (see Hisada Paragraph 45 teaches “the first battery 4 is higher in output voltage than the second battery 3, and is smaller in capacity (maximum charging electric power) than the second battery 3. In other words, the second battery 3 is lower in output voltage than the first battery 4, and is larger in capacity (maximum charging electric power) than the first battery 4.”).
It would have been prima facie obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the teachings of Lee to include the different capacity and power output of the batteries found in Hisada to create an electric vehicle with adjustable range and power capabilities. This can allow the user to have a light and efficient vehicle when the range is not needed while having the option of extending the range when needed.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JOSHUA J SWEET whose telephone number is (571)272-6776. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 7:30 - 4:30.
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/JOSHUA JAMES SWEET/Examiner, Art Unit 2836
/REXFORD N BARNIE/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2836