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 § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claims 1 and 11, and therefore dependent claims 2-10 and 12-18, are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Regarding claim 1, the limitation citing “at least one control to control charging of an electric vehicle battery by the modular electric vehicle charging system” does not set forth a clear understanding of how charging of an electric vehicle battery by the modular electric vehicle charging system occurs. Is there an electric coupling of elements that takes place?
Appropriate correction or clarification is required.
Regarding claim 11, the limitation citing “providing at least one control to control charging of an electric vehicle battery by the modular electric vehicle charging system” does not set forth a clear understanding how charging of the electric vehicle battery by the modular electric vehicle charging system occurs. Is there an electric coupling of elements that takes place?
Appropriate correction or clarification 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.
Claim(s) 1-20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Whiting et al. (US 2022/0194236) (hereinafter referred to as ‘Whiting’).
Whiting teaches
Regarding claim 1,
a system comprising:
a modular electric vehicle charging system, the modular electric vehicle charging system comprising:
a swappable energy storage unit (portable power bank 158);
a charger unit (power management circuit 132);
a detachable cable assembly (charging cord assembly 110) to operatively couple the swappable energy storage unit to the charger unit; and
at least one control (processor 128a) to control charging of an electric vehicle battery (automotive battery 104) by the modular electric vehicle charging system;
regarding claim 2, the system of claim 1, wherein the swappable energy storage unit comprises a portable energy storage unit (battery module 136), and the charger unit comprises a portable charger unit;
regarding claim 3, the system of claim 2, wherein the portable energy storage unit and the portable charger unit are in separate portable enclosures, and are integrated into the modular electric vehicle charging system by the detachable cable assembly operatively coupling the portable energy storage unit and the portable charger unit (see Figure 1b);
regarding claim 4, the system of claim 1, wherein the detachable cable assembly comprises a first last-mate, first-break connector at one end, and a second last-mate, first-break connector at another end, the first last-mate, first-break connector at the one end of the detachable cable assembly operatively coupling to the swappable energy storage unit, and the second last-mate, first-break connector at the other end of the detachable cable assembly operatively coupling to the charger unit (see Paragraph 0047);
regarding claim 5, the system of claim 1, wherein the swappable energy storage unit and the charger unit each have a respective emergency power-off switch (switch 182) to shut OFF supply of power from the swappable energy storage unit;
regarding claim 6, the system of claim 1, wherein the detachable cable assembly comprises one or more power lines to supply direct-current power from the swappable energy storage unit to the charger unit for charging of the electric vehicle battery, and one or more signal lines, the one or more signal lines facilitating communication between an energy storage control of the swappable energy storage unit and a power electronics control of the charger unit to facilitate, at least in part, control of supply of power from the swappable energy storage unit to the charger unit (see Paragraph 0043);
regarding claim 7, the system of claim 1, wherein the charger unit comprises one of a unidirectional charger unit or a bidirectional charger unit, and is isolated or non-isolated for charging the electric vehicle (see Paragraph 0057);
regarding claim 8, the system of claim 1, wherein the swappable energy storage unit is one swappable energy storage unit of multiple swappable energy storage units operatively connected to the charger unit (see Paragraph 0049);
regarding claim 9, the system of claim 8, wherein each swappable energy storage unit of the multiple swappable energy storage units is operatively coupled to the charger unit through a respective detachable cable assembly (see Paragraph 0049);
regarding claim 10, the system of claim 1, wherein the swappable energy storage unit is detachable from the charger unit via the detachable cable assembly to be replaced by another swappable energy storage unit when stored energy of the swappable energy storage unit drops below a specified threshold (see Paragraph 0053);
regarding claim 11,
a method of manufacturing a modular electric vehicle charging system, the method comprising:
obtaining a portable energy storage unit and a charger unit;
detachably coupling the portable energy storage unit and the charger unit via a detachable cable assembly, wherein the portable energy storage unit is a swappable energy storage unit; and providing at least one control to control charging of an electric vehicle battery by the modular electric vehicle charging system;
regarding claim 12, the method of claim 11, wherein the charger unit comprises a portable charger unit, and wherein the portable energy storage unit and the portable charger unit are in separate portable enclosures, and are integrated into the modular electric vehicle charging system by the detachable cable assembly operatively coupling the portable energy storage unit and the portable charger unit;
regarding claim 13, the method of claim 11, wherein the detachable cable assembly comprises a first last-mate, first-break connector at one end, and a second last-mate, first-break connector at another end, wherein the detachably coupling comprises detachably coupling the first last-mate, first-break connector at the one end of the detachable cable assembly to the portable energy storage unit, and the second last-mate, first-break connector at the other end of the detachable cable assembly to the charger unit to operatively couple the portable energy storage unit and the charger unit;
regarding claim 14, the method of claim 11, further comprising providing an emergency shut-off switch on the portable energy storage unit to shut OFF supply of power from the portable energy storage unit, and providing another emergency power-off switch at the charger unit to shut OFF supply at the charger unit to shut OFF supply of power from the portable energy storage unit;
regarding claim 15, the method of claim 11, wherein the detachable cable assembly comprises one or more power lines to supply direct-current power from the portable energy storage unit to the charger unit for charging of the electric vehicle battery, and one or more signal lines, the one or more signal lines facilitating communication between an energy storage control of the portable energy storage unit and a power electronics control of the charger unit to facilitate, at least in part, control of supply of power from the portable energy storage unit to the charger unit;
regarding claim 16, the method of claim 11, wherein the charger unit comprises one of a unidirectional charger unit or a bidirectional charger unit, and is isolated or non-isolated for charging the electric vehicle;
regarding claim 17, the method of claim 11, wherein the portable energy storage unit is one portable energy storage unit of multiple portable energy storage units operatively coupled to the charger unit, and wherein each portable energy storage unit of the multiple portable energy storage units is operatively coupled to the charger unit through a respective detachable cable assembly;
regarding claim 18, the method of claim 11, wherein the portable energy storage unit is configured to be replaced by another portable energy storage unit when stored energy of the portable energy storage unit drops below a specified threshold.
Regarding claim 19,
a method of charging an electric vehicle battery using a modular electric vehicle charging system, the method comprising:
obtaining a portable energy storage unit and a charger unit;
detachably coupling the portable energy storage unit and the charger unit via a detachable cable assembly, wherein the portable energy storage unit is a swappable energy storage unit; and
electrically coupling the charger unit to the electric vehicle battery via another cable assembly to facilitate charging of the electric vehicle battery by the modular electric vehicle charging system;
regarding claim 20, the method of claim 19, further comprising monitoring stored energy of the portable energy storage unit, and swapping out the portable energy storage unit from the modular electric vehicle charging system with another portable energy storage unit when stored energy of the portable energy storage unit drops below a specified threshold.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JAMARA ALZAIDA FRANKLIN whose telephone number is (571)272-2389. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday, 8:00am-4:30pm
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July 16, 2026
/JAMARA A FRANKLIN/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2876
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