Prosecution Insights
Last updated: August 30, 2026
Application No. 18/422,741

CHARGING CONTROL DEVICE AND CHARGING CONTROL METHOD

Non-Final OA §102
Filed
Jan 25, 2024
Priority
Mar 08, 2023 — JP 2023-035677
Examiner
SARWAR, BABAR
Art Unit
Tech Center
Assignee
Toyota Motor Corporation
OA Round
1 (Non-Final)
86%
Grant Probability
Favorable
1-2
OA Rounds
0m
Est. Remaining
99%
With Interview

Examiner Intelligence

Grants 86% — above average
86%
Career Allowance Rate
918 granted / 1071 resolved
+25.7% vs TC avg
Strong +20% interview lift
Without
With
+19.7%
Interview Lift
resolved cases with interview
Typical timeline
2y 4m
Avg Prosecution
14 currently pending
Career history
1086
Total Applications
across all art units

Statute-Specific Performance

§101
9.2%
-30.8% vs TC avg
§103
44.7%
+4.7% vs TC avg
§102
28.4%
-11.6% vs TC avg
§112
11.8%
-28.2% vs TC avg
Black line = Tech Center average estimate • Based on career data from 1071 resolved cases

Office Action

§102
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 . Status of Claims Claims 1-9 are presented for examination. Claims 1-2, 8-9 are rejected. Claims 3-7 are objected to. 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. Claim(s) 1-2, 8-9 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by MAO et al. (CN 111959332 B: hereinafter “MAO”). Consider claims 1, 9: MAO teaches a charging control device of a vehicle (See MAO, e.g., “…The invention claims a charging conversion method, device, system, storage medium and computer device, the method comprises: when the charging pile charging handshake, the first preset voltage as the vehicle handle message to the charging pile; receiving the maximum output capability message sent by the charging pile, obtaining the maximum output voltage of the charging pile; judging whether the maximum output voltage satisfy preset condition; if not, then according to the maximum output voltage of the charging pile, controlling the voltage conversion device to start and finish the subsequent stage; if so, performing the fault triggering operation, the fault triggering operation is used for triggering the re-communication handshake; re-charging and handshaking with the charging pile, sending the maximum output voltage of the charging pile to the charging pile in the form of vehicle holding message, and finishing the subsequent stage according to the maximum output voltage sequentially the charging pile. The invention changes the communication control method, realizes the automatic identification of the charging pile voltage output capability of the electric vehicle, improves the compatibility of the electric vehicle and multiple different voltage platform charging pile…”, of Abstract, ¶ [0002]-¶ [0022], ¶ [0033]-¶ [0045], ¶ [0052]-¶ [0077], and Figs. 1-5 elements 10-60, Steps S1-S42), the charging control device comprising: a power storage device configured to be charged with electric power based on a first voltage, or electric power based on a second voltage that is different from the first voltage, from a charger (See MAO, e.g., “…if the vehicle in the vehicle holding message received by the charging pile is the highest allowable charging total voltage exceeds the highest output voltage of the charging pile, part of the charging pile will be considered to exceed the charging voltage output capability, so as to stop the charging process, in order to avoid the above situation, The first preset voltage needed to be transmitted needs to be the voltage value of the lower voltage level in the voltage platform…”, of Abstract, ¶ [0002]-¶ [0022], ¶ [0033]-¶ [0045], ¶ [0052]-¶ [0077], and Figs. 1-5 elements 10-60, Steps S1-S42); a communicator configured to communicate with the charger (See MAO, e.g., “…the stage of the present invention is mainly in the handshake stage and the configuration stage, the related signal mainly comprises: BHM (vehicle hand-holding message, comprising vehicle of the highest allowed charging total voltage)) CML (charging pile maximum output capability, comprising charging pile of the highest output voltage) and BRO (the charging preparation ready message sent by the vehicle). The method embodies several main signals, the unreflected signal is sent according to the standard condition…”, of Abstract, ¶ [0002]-¶ [0022], ¶ [0033]-¶ [0045], ¶ [0052]-¶ [0077], and Figs. 1-5 elements 10-60, Steps S1-S42); and a controller configured to control charging by the charger (See MAO, e.g., “…message sending unit 10, used for when the charging pile charging handshake, the first preset voltage as the vehicle hand message to the charging pile; message receiving unit 20, for receiving the maximum output capability message sent by the charging pile after successful handshake with the charging pile, obtaining the charging pile maximum output voltage…”, of Abstract, ¶ [0002]-¶ [0022], ¶ [0033]-¶ [0045], ¶ [0052]-¶ [0077], and Figs. 1-5 elements 10-60, Steps S1-S42), and perform control of transmitting second information as information regarding voltage at a time of charging when performing retransmission of the information regarding the voltage at the time of the charging to the charger through the communicator (See MAO, e.g., “…a first execution unit 40, used for according to the charging pile maximum output voltage, controlling the voltage conversion device to start and sequentially the configuration and charging stage; a second execution unit 50, for performing fault triggering operation, the fault trigger operation is used for triggering stopping charging and after the fault phenomenon is removed, re-communication handshake begins to charge; re-handshaking unit 60, for re-charging and handshaking with the charging pile, sending the maximum output voltage of the charging pile to the charging pile in the form of vehicle holding message, and finishing the handshake according to the maximum output voltage sequentially the charging pile, and configuring and charging stage…”, of Abstract, ¶ [0002]-¶ [0022], ¶ [0033]-¶ [0045], ¶ [0052]-¶ [0077], and Figs. 1-5 elements 10-60, Steps S1-S42), after transmitting first information as the information regarding voltage at the time of charging to the charger through the communicator (See MAO, e.g., “…performing fault triggering operation, the fault trigger operation is used for triggering stopping charging and after the fault phenomenon is removed, re-communication handshake begins to charge; re-handshaking unit 60, for re-charging and handshaking with the charging pile, sending the maximum output voltage of the charging pile to the charging pile in the form of vehicle holding message, and finishing the handshake according to the maximum output voltage sequentially the charging pile, and configuring and charging stage…”, of Abstract, ¶ [0002]-¶ [0022], ¶ [0033]-¶ [0045], ¶ [0052]-¶ [0077], and Figs. 1-5 elements 10-60, Steps S1-S42), the first information being information indicating that the charging is to be performed using the first voltage (See MAO, e.g., “…automatically identifying the charging pile voltage output capability and matching the corresponding voltage platform to charge, maximizing the charging efficiency of the electric automobile…”, of Abstract, ¶ [0002]-¶ [0022], ¶ [0033]-¶ [0045], ¶ [0052]-¶ [0077], and Figs. 1-5 elements 10-60, Steps S1-S42), and the second information being information that indicates that the charging is to be performed using the second voltage (See MAO, e.g., “…performing fault triggering operation, the fault trigger operation is used for triggering stopping charging and after the fault phenomenon is removed, re-communication handshake begins to charge; re-handshaking unit 60, for re-charging and handshaking with the charging pile, sending the maximum output voltage of the charging pile to the charging pile in the form of vehicle holding message, and finishing the handshake according to the maximum output voltage sequentially the charging pile, and configuring and charging stage…”, of Abstract, ¶ [0002]-¶ [0022], ¶ [0033]-¶ [0045], ¶ [0052]-¶ [0077], and Figs. 1-5 elements 10-60, Steps S1-S42). Consider claim 2: MAO teaches everything claimed as implemented above in the rejection of claim 1. In addition, MAO teaches wherein the controller is configured to perform the control of transmitting the second information to the charger through the communicator (See MAO, e.g., “…performing fault triggering operation, the fault trigger operation is used for triggering stopping charging and after the fault phenomenon is removed, re-communication handshake begins to charge; re-handshaking unit 60, for re-charging and handshaking with the charging pile, sending the maximum output voltage of the charging pile to the charging pile in the form of vehicle holding message, and finishing the handshake according to the maximum output voltage sequentially the charging pile, and configuring and charging stage…”, of Abstract, ¶ [0002]-¶ [0022], ¶ [0033]-¶ [0045], ¶ [0052]-¶ [0077], and Figs. 1-5 elements 10-60, Steps S1-S42), when a signal indicating an incompatibility between the first voltage and voltage information of the charger is received from the charger without receiving the voltage information from the charger after transmitting the first information to the charger (See MAO, e.g., “…re-handshaking unit 60, for re-charging and handshaking with the charging pile, sending the maximum output voltage of the charging pile to the charging pile in the form of vehicle holding message, and finishing the handshake according to the maximum output voltage sequentially the charging pile, and configuring and charging stage…”, of Abstract, ¶ [0002]-¶ [0022], ¶ [0033]-¶ [0045], ¶ [0052]-¶ [0077], and Figs. 1-5 elements 10-60, Steps S1-S42). Consider claim 8: MAO teaches everything claimed as implemented above in the rejection of claim 1. In addition, MAO teaches wherein the controller is configured to execute first charging control of boosting voltage supplied from the charger and charging the power storage device (See MAO, e.g., “…a first execution unit 40, used for according to the charging pile maximum output voltage, controlling the voltage conversion device to start and sequentially the configuration and charging stage; a second execution unit 50, for performing fault triggering operation, the fault trigger operation is used for triggering stopping charging and after the fault phenomenon is removed, re-communication handshake begins to charge; re-handshaking unit 60, for re-charging and handshaking with the charging pile, sending the maximum output voltage of the charging pile to the charging pile in the form of vehicle holding message, and finishing the handshake according to the maximum output voltage sequentially the charging pile, and configuring and charging stage…”, of Abstract, ¶ [0002]-¶ [0022], ¶ [0033]-¶ [0045], ¶ [0052]-¶ [0077], and Figs. 1-5 elements 10-60, Steps S1-S42), and second charging control of charging the power storage device without boosting the voltage supplied from the charger (See MAO, e.g., “…re-handshaking unit 60, for re-charging and handshaking with the charging pile, sending the maximum output voltage of the charging pile to the charging pile in the form of vehicle holding message, and finishing the handshake according to the maximum output voltage sequentially the charging pile, and configuring and charging stage…”, of Abstract, ¶ [0002]-¶ [0022], ¶ [0033]-¶ [0045], ¶ [0052]-¶ [0077], and Figs. 1-5 elements 10-60, Steps S1-S42). Allowable Subject Matter Claims 3-7 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. Further, the prior art on record fails to teach or suggest, either in singularity or in combination, the claimed subject matter of Claims 3-7. Conclusion The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. MISAWA (US Pub. No.: 2022/0289058 A1) teaches “n output voltage obtaining unit receives information from an external charging facility and obtains a maximum output voltage of the external charging facility from that information. An upper limit voltage calculator calculates a battery voltage which is an inter-terminal voltage at the time of end of charging of a battery. A switching unit receives a result of comparison from a comparator. When relation of Vc≥VBu is satisfied in the result of comparison, the switching unit switches a charging relay to connect a DC inlet to a power line and a power line. When relation of Vc<VBu is satisfied, the switching unit switches the charging relay to connect the DC inlet to a bypass power line and a bypass power line.” Metzger et al. (US Pub. No.: 2022/0105823 A1) teaches “A method for charging a traction battery (1) of an electric vehicle b a charging column (2) is provided. The traction battery (1) can be charged at two or more different charging voltage levels. After the electric vehicle has been connected to the charging column (2), data is exchanged between a battery management system (3) of the electric vehicle and the charging column (2) to negotiate a charging voltage. For this purpose, a maximum permissible total charging voltage is communicated to the charging station (2) by the battery management system (3) via a battery handshake message (BHM) (4). The communicated maximum permissible total charging voltage is lower than a highest charging voltage level of the traction battery (1) by a defined measure.” Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to BABAR SARWAR whose telephone number is (571)270-5584. The examiner can normally be reached on Mon-Fri 9:00 AM-5:00 PM. Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice. If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Faris S. Almatrahi can be reached on (313)446-4821. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300. Information regarding the status of an application may be obtained from the Patent Application Information Retrieval (PAIR) system. Status information for published applications may be obtained from either Private PAIR or Public PAIR. Status information for unpublished applications is available through Private PAIR only. For more information about the PAIR system, see https://ppair-my.uspto.gov/pair/PrivatePair. Should you have questions on access to the Private PAIR system, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free)? If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative or access to the automated information system, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000. /BABAR SARWAR/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3667
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Prosecution Timeline

Jan 25, 2024
Application Filed
Aug 11, 2026
Non-Final Rejection mailed — §102 (current)

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Study what changed to get past this examiner. Based on 5 most recent grants.

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Prosecution Projections

1-2
Expected OA Rounds
86%
Grant Probability
99%
With Interview (+19.7%)
2y 4m (~0m remaining)
Median Time to Grant
Low
PTA Risk
Based on 1071 resolved cases by this examiner. Grant probability derived from career allowance rate.

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