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.
Claim(s) 1-3 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102a1 as being anticipated by Li et al. (US 20240227604).
Li et al. teaches a power distribution matrix circuit comprising:
N charging modules comprising a first module, a second module, an M-th module until to an N-th module, the charging module configured to output a charging power, wherein maximum charging powers output by the first module, the second module, the M-th module until to the N-th module respectively are Q1, Q2, Qm until to Qn, and wherein N is an integer and N≥2, N=n, M≤N, m≤n (10);
N charging interfaces comprising a first interface, a second interface, an M-th interface until to an N-th interface, the charging interface configured to receive the charging power that is output, and charge an energy storage unit (3);
a plurality of groups of controlled switches electrically connected between the charging module and the charging interface and configured to switch on or switch off the charging interface and the charging module (FIG. 3A 20/22); and wherein
the M-th module connected in parallel with the first interface, the second interface until to the M-th interface through M groups of controlled switches, respectively; each group of controlled switches connected to one charging interface; the plurality of groups of controlled switches are controlled to switch on or switch off according to power distribution strategies based on the number of energy storage units that are connected to the charging interface and a maximum charging power of the energy storage units, so that the charging powers output by the plurality of charging interfaces have a plurality of different combinations to obtain variety of charging powers (FIG. 3A); and wherein
the power distribution strategies comprise:
the M-th interface is only conductive to the M-th module through one group of controlled switches, so that the maximum charging power of the M-th interface is Qm that is the maximum charging power of the M-th module (FIG. 3A where an electric vehicle is charged); or
the M-th interface is conductive to at least two charging modules through the controlled switch, so that the maximum charging power that are conductive to the M-th interface is a sum of the maximum charging powers of all charging modules that are conductive to the M-th interface, and only one of the plurality of controlled switches which are connected to the charging module that is conductive to the M-th interface is conducted; or
the M-the interface and the plurality of charging modules are all closed through the controlled switch, so that the maximum charging power of the M-th interface is zero.
Re claim 2, per FIG. 3A the maximum charging powers is interpreted as NxQ since there are N charging modules that output Q power to the vehicles 500.
Re claim 3, paragraph [0029]+ teaches the limitations wherein the switches are configured to power on demand as needed.
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.
This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention(s) absent any evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and effective filing dates of each claim that was not commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the later invention in order for the examiner to consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) for any potential 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) prior art against the later invention.
Claim(s) 4-18 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Li et al., as discussed above.
Re claim 4, though the prior art is silent to 60kW, the Examiner notes it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective filing date to have 60kW as an optimum value/ range based on charging needs/ system constraints, such as known for fast chargers.
Re claim 5, though silent to the specific positive and negative terminals, positive and negative terminals are generally taught at paragraph [0030]+ wherein it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to have positive and negative terminals for power transmission between elements.
Re claim 6-7, though silent to the specific recited details, control module 5 is intpereted to control charging and switches to meet the required charging needs of the storage units. Prior to the effective filing date, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to modify the teachings to control powering so that the number of connected storage units is effectively charged.
Re claim 8, AC/DC conversion modules are taught at 10.
Re claim 9, though silent to a charging gun/ adapter, the Examiner note that prior to the effective filing date, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to use a well known adapter/ gun to charge, in order to connect to specific format batteries/ units, as known in the art for compatibility and ease of use.
Re claims 10-14, the limitations have been discussed above. Though silent to a cabinet, the Examiner notes it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to have a cabinet as a known housing structure for protection and security.
Re claims 15-18, the limitations have been discussed above. When charging is stopped od complete, it is an obvious expedient to have zero charging power through the interfaces so as to not waste energy/ overcharge. Re claim 18, the Examiner notes that paragraph [0030]+ teaches connecting based on the power demands of the vehicle, and thus determining power needs and charging accordingly would have been an obvious expedient for charge control.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to DANIEL I WALSH whose telephone number is (571)272-2409. The examiner can normally be reached 8am - 5pm.
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/DANIEL I. WALSH/
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 2876
Prosecution Insights