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 .
1. Acknowledgement is made to the preliminary amendment, filed 10/31/2023. Claims 10-21 have been newly added. Claims 1-21 are pending.
Information Disclosure Statement
2. Acknowledgement is made to the information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 8/25/2023. The information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
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.
3. Claims 1-21 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Baxter et al. (US 2010/0134067 A1), hereinafter Baxter.
Regarding claim 1, Baxter discloses a branch apparatus for branching a primary-side energy supply path (130 – power grid, & 135 - power line) into a plurality of secondary-side energy supply paths, comprising:
secondary-side measurement means (220 – current measuring device) for measuring an energy supply status in each of the plurality of secondary-side energy supply paths [0035 & 0040];
opening/closing means (210 – electricity control device) for opening and closing each of the plurality of secondary-side energy supply paths [0032 & 0039]; and
control means for transmitting information of measurement results of the secondary-side measurement means to a management apparatus (170 – data control unit, 180 – server, and/or 305 – circuit sharing controller), receiving control information generated based on the information of the measurement results of the secondary-side measurement means, from the management apparatus, and controlling the opening/closing means to individually open and close each of the plurality of secondary-side energy supply paths based on the control information [0028, 0029, 0032, 0044, & 0048-0050 – disclosing that the circuit sharing controller (305) can be implemented on the server (180), the data control unit (170), or a separate device].
Regarding claim 2, Baxter discloses the branch apparatus according to claim 1, comprising primary-side measurement means for measuring energy supply status in the primary-side energy supply path, wherein the control means transmits information of measurement results of the primary-side measurement means to the management apparatus, receives control information generated based on the information of the measurement results of the primary-side measurement means, from the management apparatus, and controls the opening/closing means to individually open and close each of the plurality of secondary-side energy supply paths based on the control information [0029, 0030, 0039, & 0048-0050].
Regarding claim 3, Baxter discloses the branch apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the primary-side measurement means measures an amount of energy supply in the primary-side energy supply path, and wherein the control means controls the opening/closing means so as to close at least one of the plurality of secondary-side energy supply paths when a measurement result of the amount of energy supply in the primary-side energy supply path exceeds a predetermined threshold value, or when the measurement result is predicted to exceed the threshold value [0029, 0030, 0039, & 0048-0050].
Regarding claim 4, Baxter discloses the branch apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control information includes information of priority ranking of energy supply to each of the plurality of secondary-side energy supply paths, and wherein the control means controls the opening/closing means to preferentially supply an energy to a part of the plurality of secondary-side energy supply paths based on the information of the priority ranking received from the management apparatus [0038, 0050, & 0061 – priority of the charging session].
Regarding claim 5, Baxter discloses the branch apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control information includes information of interruptive energy supply in the plurality of secondary-side energy supply paths, and wherein the control means stops an energy supply to a secondary-side energy supply path that is currently supplying an energy, among the plurality of secondary-side energy supply paths, based on the information of interruptive energy supply received from the management apparatus, and controls the opening/closing means so as to start an energy supply to another secondary-side energy supply path that is stopping the energy supply [0048-0051 & 0078-0079].
Regarding claim 6, Baxter discloses the branch apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control means receives control information from the management apparatus, the control information being generated based on at least one of information of a supply target to which an electric power is supplied via the secondary-side energy supply path and information of the measurement results of the secondary-side measuring means, and controls the opening/closing means to individually open and close each of the plurality of secondary-side energy supply paths based on the control information [0029, 0030, 0039, & 0048-0050].
Regarding claim 7, Baxter discloses the branch apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the energy supplied via the secondary-side energy supply path is an electrical energy used for charging a battery mounted on a vehicle, wherein each of the primary-side energy supply path and the plurality of secondary-side energy supply paths is an electric power line, and wherein the energy supply status to be measured is an electric power, an electric current or an amount of electric power [0024, 0029, 0039, & 0048-0050].
Regarding claim 8, Baxter discloses a system for providing a power charging service of a vehicle, comprising:
a branch apparatus according to claim 7 [0024];
a management apparatus (170 – data control unit, 180 – server, and/or 305 – circuit sharing controller) capable of communicating with the branch apparatus via a communication network [0028, 0029, 0032, 0044, & 0048-0050 – disclosing that the circuit sharing controller (305) can be implemented on the server (180), the data control unit (170), or a separate device]; and
a plurality of electric-power output sections (120 – charging station) for outputting an electric power supplied via each of the plurality of secondary-side energy supply paths [0024-0026 & 0028-0030], and
wherein the management apparatus comprises:
information receiving means for receiving information of the measurement results from the branch apparatus; information generating means for generating control information for individually opening and closing each of the plurality of secondary-side energy supply paths based on the information of the measurement results; and information transmitting means for transmitting the control information to the branch apparatus [0029, 0030, 0039, & 0048-0050].
Regarding claim 9, Baxter discloses the system according to claim 8, wherein the management apparatus comprises fee-charging processing means for performing a process of fee-charging a usage fee for power charging by the vehicle via the electric-power output section to at least one of the user of the power charging service of the vehicle, the vehicle, a battery installed in the vehicle and a terminal apparatus operated by the user, based on the information of the measurement results of the secondary-side measurement means, for each of the plurality of electric-power output sections [0031, 0034, & 0038].
Regarding claim 10, Baxter discloses the branch apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the control information includes information of priority ranking of energy supply to each of the plurality of secondary-side energy supply paths, and wherein the control means controls the opening/closing means to preferentially supply an energy to a part of the plurality of secondary-side energy supply paths based on the information of the priority ranking received from the management apparatus [0038, 0050, & 0061].
Regarding claim 11, Baxter discloses the branch apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the control information includes information of priority ranking of energy supply to each of the plurality of secondary-side energy supply paths, and wherein the control means controls the opening/closing means to preferentially supply an energy to a part of the plurality of secondary-side energy supply paths based on the information of the priority ranking received from the management apparatus [0038, 0050, & 0061].
Regarding claim 12, Baxter discloses the branch apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the control information includes information of interruptive energy supply in the plurality of secondary-side energy supply paths, and wherein the control means stops an energy supply to a secondary-side energy supply path that is currently supplying an energy, among the plurality of secondary-side energy supply paths, based on the information of interruptive energy supply received from the management apparatus, and controls the opening/closing means so as to start an energy supply to another secondary-side energy supply path that is stopping the energy supply [0048-0051 & 0078-0079].
Regarding claim 13, Baxter discloses the branch apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the control information includes information of interruptive energy supply in the plurality of secondary-side energy supply paths, and wherein the control means stops an energy supply to a secondary-side energy supply path that is currently supplying an energy, among the plurality of secondary-side energy supply paths, based on the information of interruptive energy supply received from the management apparatus, and controls the opening/closing means so as to start an energy supply to another secondary-side energy supply path that is stopping the energy supply [0048-0051 & 0078-0079].
Regarding claim 14, Baxter discloses the branch apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the control information includes information of interruptive energy supply in the plurality of secondary-side energy supply paths, and wherein the control means stops an energy supply to a secondary-side energy supply path that is currently supplying an energy, among the plurality of secondary-side energy supply paths, based on the information of interruptive energy supply received from the management apparatus, and controls the opening/closing means so as to start an energy supply to another secondary-side energy supply path that is stopping the energy supply [0048-0051 & 0078-0079].
Regarding claim 15, Baxter discloses the branch apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the control means receives control information from the management apparatus, the control information being generated based on at least one of information of a supply target to which an electric power is supplied via the secondary-side energy supply path and information of the measurement results of the secondary-side measuring means, and controls the opening/closing means to individually open and close each of the plurality of secondary-side energy supply paths based on the control information [0029, 0030, 0039, & 0048-0050].
Regarding claim 16, Baxter discloses the branch apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the control means receives control information from the management apparatus, the control information being generated based on at least one of information of a supply target to which an electric power is supplied via the secondary-side energy supply path and information of the measurement results of the secondary-side measuring means, and controls the opening/closing means to individually open and close each of the plurality of secondary-side energy supply paths based on the control information [0029, 0030, 0039, & 0048-0050].
Regarding claim 17, Baxter discloses the branch apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the control means receives control information from the management apparatus, the control information being generated based on at least one of information of a supply target to which an electric power is supplied via the secondary-side energy supply path and information of the measurement results of the secondary-side measuring means, and controls the opening/closing means to individually open and close each of the plurality of secondary-side energy supply paths based on the control information [0029, 0030, 0039, & 0048-0050].
Regarding claim 18, Baxter discloses the branch apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the control means receives control information from the management apparatus, the control information being generated based on at least one of information of a supply target to which an electric power is supplied via the secondary-side energy supply path and information of the measurement results of the secondary-side measuring means, and controls the opening/closing means to individually open and close each of the plurality of secondary-side energy supply paths based on the control information [0029, 0030, 0039, & 0048-0050].
Regarding claim 19, Baxter discloses the branch apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the energy supplied via the secondary-side energy supply path is an electrical energy used for charging a battery mounted on a vehicle, wherein each of the primary-side energy supply path and the plurality of secondary-side energy supply paths is an electric power line, and wherein the energy supply status to be measured is an electric power, an electric current or an amount of electric power [0024, 0029, 0039, & 0048-0050].
Regarding claim 20, Baxter discloses a system for providing a power charging service of a vehicle, comprising:
a branch apparatus according to claim 19 [0024];
a management apparatus (170 – data control unit, 180 – server, and/or 305 – circuit sharing controller) capable of communicating with the branch apparatus via a communication network [0028, 0029, 0032, 0044, & 0048-0050 – disclosing that the circuit sharing controller (305) can be implemented on the server (180), the data control unit (170), or a separate device]; and
a plurality of electric-power output sections (120 – charging station) for outputting an electric power supplied via each of the plurality of secondary-side energy supply paths [0024-0026 & 0028-0030], and
wherein the management apparatus comprises:
information receiving means for receiving information of the measurement results from the branch apparatus; information generating means for generating control information for individually opening and closing each of the plurality of secondary-side energy supply paths based on the information of the measurement results; and information transmitting means for transmitting the control information to the branch apparatus [0029, 0030, 0039, & 0048-0050].
Regarding claim 21, Baxter discloses the system according to claim 20, wherein the management apparatus comprises fee-charging processing means for performing a process of fee-charging a usage fee for power charging by the vehicle via the electric-power output section to at least one of the user of the power charging service of the vehicle, the vehicle, a battery installed in the vehicle and a terminal apparatus operated by the user, based on the information of the measurement results of the secondary-side measurement means, for each of the plurality of electric-power output sections [0031, 0034, & 0038].
Conclusion
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/PAULTEP SAVUSDIPHOL/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2876
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