DETAILED ACTION
Summary
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
This is a first Office Action on the merits.
Claims 1-20 are currently pending.
Claim Objections
Claim 15 is objected to because of the following informalities:
In claim 15, line 3, please amend “a copper bars” to recite “a copper bar”;
Appropriate correction is required.
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.
(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) 1-5, 8, and 9 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) and 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by CHANG, CN 205544406.
Re claim 1:
CHANG discloses a charging system, comprising a plurality of power modules (i.e., power module sets), a distributing switch module (i.e., contactor groups), and a plurality of charging ports (i.e., charging guns), wherein:
The distributing switch module comprises a first distributing unit and a second distributing unit, a first part of power modules in the plurality of power modules are connected to a first charging port in the plurality of charging ports through the first distributing unit, and a second part of power modules in the plurality of power modules are connected to a second charging port in the plurality of charging ports through the second distributing unit (i.e., power module 1 is connected to two contactor groups A and B and power module 2 is connected to contactor groups C and D [0035]. Contactor group A and B are connected to charging gun A and contactor group C and D are connected to charging gun C [0035] [Figure 2]);
Each power module in the first part of power modules and the second part of power modules is configured to convert a first power from an external power supply and output a second power (i.e., AC power module output terminals are connected to the input terminals of power module groups 1 and 2, respectively [0027]. The power modules perform AC to DC conversion [0028]);
The first distributing unit is configured to distribute, to the first charging port, the second power output by each power module in the first part of power modules [0037] [0038];
The second distributing unit is configured to distribute, to the second charging port, the second power output by each power module in the second part of power modules [0037] [0038];
The first charging port is configured to charge a first terminal based on the power distributed by the first distributing unit (i.e., charging gun A charges an electric vehicle connected thereto [0021]) and
The second charging port is configured to charge a second terminal based on the power distributed by the second distributing unit (i.e., charging gun C charges an electric vehicle connected thereto [0021]).
Re claim 2:
CHANG discloses the charging system according to claim 1, wherein both the first distributing unit and the second distributing unit comprise a plurality of first switching switches (KM1, KM2, KM5, KM6 [0035] [Figure 2]).
Re claim 3:
CHANG discloses the charging system according to claim 2, wherein the distributing switch module further comprises a plurality of second switching switches (KM9 and KM10) [0035] [Figure 2]; and
Each second switching switch of the plurality of second switching switches connects two adjacent power modules in the first part of power modules and the second part of power modules [0035] [Figure 2].
Re claim 4:
CHANG discloses the charging system according to claim 3, wherein the charging system further comprises a sharing switch module and a plurality of sharing ports [Figure 2];
The plurality of sharing ports comprise a first sharing port and a second sharing port (i.e., charging gun B and charging gun D [Figure 2]); and
The sharing switch module is configured to connect the first part of power modules to the first sharing port, and the sharing switch module is configured to connect the second part of power modules to the second sharing port [Figure 2].
Re claim 5:
CHANG discloses the charging system according to claim 4, wherein the sharing switch module comprises a first sharing unit (KM3 and KM4) and a second sharing unit (KM7 and KM8 [Figure 2]);
The first part of power modules are connected to the first sharing port through the first sharing unit (i.e., power module group 1 is connected to charging gun B via contactors KM3 and KM4 [Figure 2]); and
The second part of power modules are connected to the second sharing port through the second sharing unit (i.e., power module group 2 is connected to charging gun D through contactors KM7 and KM8 [Figure 2]).
Re claim 8:
CHANG discloses the charging system according to claim 1, wherein each power module in the plurality of power modules is a direct current (DC)/DC conversion module or an alternating current (AC)/DC conversion module (The power modules perform AC to DC conversion [0028]).
Re claim 9:
CHANG discloses the charging system according to claim 1, wherein the first power is determined based on an output voltage and an output current of the external power supply or an alternating current voltage (i.e., AC voltage output to input terminals of the power modules from the AC power module [0027]); and
The second power is determined based on an output voltage and output current of the respective power module, and the output voltage of the respective power module is a direct current voltage (the power modules perform AC to DC conversion; thus output voltage of the power modules is a DC voltage [0028]).
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) 10-12 and 14-19 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over CHANG, CN 205544406 in view of HERKE et al, US 2017/0240063.
Re claims 10-12, 14, and 15:
CHANG teaches a charging system, comprising a plurality of power modules (i.e., power module sets), a distributing switch module (i.e., contactor groups), and a plurality of charging ports (i.e., charging guns), wherein:
The distributing switch module comprises a first distributing unit and a second distributing unit, a first part of power modules in the plurality of power modules are connected to a first charging port in the plurality of charging ports through the first distributing unit, and a second part of power modules in the plurality of power modules are connected to a second charging port in the plurality of charging ports through the second distributing unit (i.e., power module 1 is connected to two contactor groups A and B and power module 2 is connected to contactor groups C and D [0035]. Contactor group A and B are connected to charging gun A and contactor group C and D are connected to charging gun C [0035] [Figure 2]);
Each power module in the first part of power modules and the second part of power modules is configured to convert a first power from an external power supply and output a second power (i.e., AC power module output terminals are connected to the input terminals of power module groups 1 and 2, respectively [0027]. The power modules perform AC to DC conversion [0028]);
The first distributing unit is configured to distribute, to the first charging port, the second power output by each power module in the first part of power modules [0037] [0038];
The second distributing unit is configured to distribute, to the second charging port, the second power output by each power module in the second part of power modules [0037] [0038];
The first charging port is configured to charge a first terminal based on the power distributed by the first distributing unit (i.e., charging gun A charges an electric vehicle connected thereto [0021]) and
The second charging port is configured to charge a second terminal based on the power distributed by the second distributing unit (i.e., charging gun C charges an electric vehicle connected thereto [0021]).
CHANG does not teach a sharing system comprising at least two parallel charging systems; the at least two charging systems are connected to each other through a power sharing bus, the power sharing bus is at least one of: a copper bar, an aluminum bar, and a cable.
HERKE teaches a sharing system comprising at least two parallel charging systems, wherein the at least two charging systems (7, 9, 11) are connected to each other through a power sharing bus (13) [0047] [Figure 1]. A connecting member comprising a connector is disposed on the power sharing bus connecting the bus lines to the charging systems (inherent) [Figure 1].
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to further incorporate the teachings of HERKE in the system of CHANGE such that there are a plurality of charging system connected in parallel via a power sharing bus. Arranging a plurality of charging stations in parallel is merely a conventional arrangement in the art. The examiner notes that while HERKE does not explicitly specify that the power sharing bus is a copper bar, aluminum bar, or a cable, it is commonly understood in the art to utilize copper bus bars, aluminum bus bars, and cables in power buses.
Re claim 16:
CHANG, in view of HERKE, teaches the sharing system according to claim 10, wherein both the first distributing unit and the second distributing unit comprise a plurality of first switching switches (KM1, KM2, KM5, KM6 [Figure 2]).
Re claim 17:
CHANG, in view of HERKE, teaches the sharing system according to claim 16, wherein the distributing switch module further comprises a plurality of second switching switches (KM9 and KM10) [Figure 2]; and
Each second switching switch of the plurality of second switching switches connects two adjacent power modules in the first part of power modules and the second part of power modules [Figure 2].
Re claim 18:
CHANG, in view of HERKE, teaches the sharing system according to claim 17, wherein the charging system further comprises a sharing switch module and a plurality of sharing ports;
The plurality of sharing ports comprise a first sharing port and a second sharing port (i.e., charging gun B and charging gun D [Figure 2]); and
The sharing switch module is configured to connect the first part of power modules to the first sharing port, and the sharing switch module is configured to connect the second part of power modules to the second sharing port [Figure 2].
Re claim 19:
CHANG, in view of HERKE, teaches the sharing system according to claim 18, wherein the sharing switch module comprises a first sharing unit (KM3and KM4) and a second sharing unit (KM7 and KM8 [Figure 2]);
The first part of power modules are connected to the first sharing port through the first sharing unit (i.e., power module group 1 is connected to charging gun B via contactors KM3 and KM4 [Figure 2]); and
The second part of power modules are connected to the second sharing port through the second sharing unit (i.e., power module group 2 is connected to charging gun D through contactors KM7 and KM8 [Figure 2]).
Claim(s) 13 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over CHANG, CN 205544406 in view of HERKE et al, US 2017/0240063, as applied in claim 11, and further in view of PEREZ et al, US 2018/0358839.
Re claim 13:
CHANG, in view of HERKE, teaches the sharing system according to claim 12, but does not teach a control switch that is at least one of the following: a contactor, a circuit breaker, or an isolation switch.
PEREZ teaches a sharing system, comprising at least two parallel charging systems (12) connected to each other through a power sharing bus (28). A control switch is disposed on the power sharing bus, the control switch is at least one of: a contactor, a circuit breaker, or an isolation switch (32, 34) [0037] [0038] [Figure 1].
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to further incorporate the teachings of PEREZ in the sharing system of CHANGE, in view of HERKE, such that a control switch is disposed on the power sharing bus for failure and safety purposes (PEREZ [0038])
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 6, 7, and 20 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.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to LAURA A GUDORF whose telephone number is (571)270-7607. If the Examiner cannot be reached by telephone, she can be reached through the following e-mail address: laura.gudorf@uspto.gov. The examiner can normally be reached on M-F 6:00-4:00 PM.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Thomas Pham, can be reached at telephone number (571)272-3689. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/LAURA A GUDORF/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2876
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