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 .
Claims 1-20 are presented for examination.
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.
Claims 1-2 and 5 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Kobayashi et al. (Kobayashi et al. – 12,633,181; herein after referred to as “Kobayashi”).
Regarding claim 1, Kobayashi discloses a method for handling an energy expenditure event, the method comprising:
detecting a fault in a first energy storage device (Kobayashi; Fig. 3 and 9; the power supply 10 and backup power supply 20 can supply electric power to the system when is no ground fault occurs in the first system line 110 and the second supply line 120 respectively – “ (56) Therefore, when the voltage of the second system line 120 detected by the second voltage sensor 52 (hereinafter, referred to as a “second system voltage V2”) is equal to or smaller than a ground fault threshold, the controller 3 temporarily determines that a failure occurs in the power supply system. As illustrated in FIG. 3, the controller 3 turns off the inter-system connection unit 41 and turns on the battery switch 42. For example, when the voltage of the first system line 110 detected by the first voltage sensor 51 (hereinafter, referred to as a “first system voltage V1”) is equal to or smaller than the ground fault threshold, the controller 3 may temporarily determine that a failure occurs in the power supply system.
(57) Accordingly, the connection between the first system line 110 and the second system line 120 is disconnected. When no ground fault occurs in the first system line 110, the power supply control device 1 can supply electric power from the main power supply 10. When no ground fault occurs in the second system line 120, the power supply control device 1 can supply electric power from the backup power supply 20”).
based on a determination that a state-of-charge of the first energy storage device is above a first threshold value, transmitting energy from the first energy storage device to a second energy storage device that is electrically connected to the first energy storage device; and
based on a determination that the state-of-charge of the first energy storage device has fallen below a second threshold value, which is equal to or lower than the first threshold value, terminating transmission of energy from the first energy storage device to the second energy storage device (Kobayashi; Fig. 3 and 9; the power supply 10 and backup power supply 20 can supply electric power to the system when is no ground fault occurs in the first system line 110 and the second supply line 120 respectively – “ (56) Therefore, when the voltage of the second system line 120 detected by the second voltage sensor 52 (hereinafter, referred to as a “second system voltage V2”) is equal to or smaller than a ground fault threshold, the controller 3 temporarily determines that a failure occurs in the power supply system. As illustrated in FIG. 3, the controller 3 turns off the inter-system connection unit 41 and turns on the battery switch 42. For example, when the voltage of the first system line 110 detected by the first voltage sensor 51 (hereinafter, referred to as a “first system voltage V1”) is equal to or smaller than the ground fault threshold, the controller 3 may temporarily determine that a failure occurs in the power supply system.
(57) Accordingly, the connection between the first system line 110 and the second system line 120 is disconnected. When no ground fault occurs in the first system line 110, the power supply control device 1 can supply electric power from the main power supply 10. When no ground fault occurs in the second system line 120, the power supply control device 1 can supply electric power from the backup power supply 20”; see Fig. 9 and its detail descriptions).
Regarding claim 2, Kobayashi discloses the method of claim 1, wherein the first energy storage device is disposed on a first vehicle (see Fig. 1 for connections to the main power supply 10 and the backup power supply 20).
Regarding claim 5, Kobayashi discloses the method of claim 1, further comprising powering on one or more energy dissipation devices electrically connected to the first energy storage device based on a determination that a state-of-charge of the first energy storage device is above a first threshold value (Kobayashi; Fig. 3 and 9; the power supply 10 and backup power supply 20 can supply electric power to the system when is no ground fault occurs in the first system line 110 and the second supply line 120 respectively – “ (56) Therefore, when the voltage of the second system line 120 detected by the second voltage sensor 52 (hereinafter, referred to as a “second system voltage V2”) is equal to or smaller than a ground fault threshold, the controller 3 temporarily determines that a failure occurs in the power supply system. As illustrated in FIG. 3, the controller 3 turns off the inter-system connection unit 41 and turns on the battery switch 42. For example, when the voltage of the first system line 110 detected by the first voltage sensor 51 (hereinafter, referred to as a “first system voltage V1”) is equal to or smaller than the ground fault threshold, the controller 3 may temporarily determine that a failure occurs in the power supply system.
(57) Accordingly, the connection between the first system line 110 and the second system line 120 is disconnected. When no ground fault occurs in the first system line 110, the power supply control device 1 can supply electric power from the main power supply 10. When no ground fault occurs in the second system line 120, the power supply control device 1 can supply electric power from the backup power supply 20”; see Fig. 9 and its detail descriptions).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 7-20 are allowed.
Claims 3-4 and 6 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 following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter:
i. the prior fails to discloses the method of claim 2, wherein the second energy storage device is disposed on a stationary device or on a second vehicle electrically in the manners as recited in claims 3-4.
ii. the prior art fails to disclose the method of claim 1, further comprising: based on a determination that the state-of-charge of the first energy storage device is above the first threshold value and that the first energy storage device is not electrically connected to the second energy storage device, and transmitting energy from the first energy storage device to an electric grid in the manners as recited in claim 6.
iii. the prior art fails to disclose a method for handling an energy expenditure event, the method comprising the first, the second energy storage devices and the threshold values. However, the prior art fails to disclose receiving, from an operator of an electric grid, an indication of a negative electric rate for power delivered from the electric grid and the steps of determining a state-of-charge of a first energy storage device as recited in claim 7 (claims 8-14 depends on claim 7).
iv. the prior art fails to disclose a system for handling an energy expenditure event, the system comprising: an the electric grid configured to receive power from one or more renewable energy sources; a stationary device electrically connected to the electric grid, the stationary device including a bi-directional charger, a first energy storage device, and a processing system configured to control an operation of the bi-directional charger; wherein the processing system is configured to: receive, from an operator of the electric grid, an indication of a negative electric rate for power delivered from the electric grid; determine a state-of-charge of the first energy storage device as recited in claim 15 (claims 16-20 depend on claim 15).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to THIEN MINH LE whose telephone number is (571)272-2396. The examiner can normally be reached 6:30-5:00 PM M-Th..
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Steven Paik can be reached at 571-272-2404. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/THIEN M LE/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2876
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