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 .
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statements (IDSs) were submitted on 12/07/2023 and 12/21/2023. The submissions are in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statements are being considered by the examiner.
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.
Claims 1-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yamada et al. (US 20220248600 A1, hereinafter referred to as “Yamada” cited in IDS dated 12/21/2023) in view of FUTTER (US 20210229570 A1, hereinafter referred to as “FUTTER”) and TAKAKI (US 20230322124 A1, hereinafter referred to as “TAKAKI”).
Regarding Claim 1, Yamada teaches a power unit (Fig. 1; battery mounting unit 10), comprising:
an energy storage unit (Fig. 1, battery 17);
…;
a low-voltage system (under the broadest reasonable interpretation, a battery 17 teaches a low-voltage system to provide a power source to an electric work machine), comprising:
a battery (Fig. 1 battery 17); and
…; and
a power unit housing (Fig. 1 battery housing unit 30, housing unit 27) containing the energy storage unit, the thermal management system, and the low-voltage system, the power unit housing configured for removable connection (Para 0041, “the battery housing unit 30 is constituted by a battery case. The battery case includes a case body 30a that detachably houses the battery 17”;Para 0056, “an electric work machine having a battery mounting unit on which a battery is to be mounted attachably and detachably”) to a frame (Fig. 1, body frame 1) of a machine (Fig. 1; electric work machine A) (Para 0034-0037, “the battery mounting unit 10 is provided between left and right longitudinal frames 1a provided in the body frame 1 in a state extending in the front-back direction of the traveling body 4, and has a mounting space 20 in which the battery housing unit 30 is loaded … a housing unit 27 for housing wheels 31 and 32 of the battery carrier C).
Yamada fails to explicitly disclose, but FUTTER teaches a thermal management system configured to provide at least one of cooling or heating of the energy storage unit (Abstract, “the battery thermal management system … diagnostic data from a plurality of electric vehicles, the data comprising a battery temperature … The thermal management scheme comprising instructions for controlling heating and/or cooling of the traction battery pack of the first vehicle”; Para 0040);
one or more controllers, powered by the battery, configured to
monitor and control the energy storage unit in both a connected state of the power unit and a disconnected state of the power unit (Under the broadest reasonable interpretation, at least paragraphs 0040-0042 of FUTTER monitor a battery temperature using a temperature sensor and control the heating arrangement and the cooling arrangement).
Yamada in view of FUTTER fails to explicitly disclose, but TAKAKI teaches monitor and control the energy storage unit in both a connected state of the power unit and a disconnected state of the power unit (Para 0117, “the controller 7 sets the connection switch 31a to the connected state, sets the connection switch 32a to the disconnected state, and further switches the connection state inside the junction box 39 to input the electric power input to the charging port 41 from the external power supply to the first battery pack 31”).
Yamada, FUTTER, TAKAKI are all considered to be analogous to the claimed invention because they are in the same field of an electric working machine and battery. Therefore, it would have been obvious to someone of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified Yamada to incorporate the teachings of FUTTER and TAKAKI by providing a thermal management system to provide cooling or heating of the battery pack as taught by FUTTER at least at paragraphs 0040-0042, and control the energy storage unit in both a connected state of the power unit and a disconnected state of the power unit as taught by TAKAKI at least at paragraph 0117.
Regarding Claim 2, Yamada in view of FUTTER fails to explicitly disclose, but TAKAKI teaches further comprising a power interface connector configured to electrically connect the power unit to an external load or an external power source (Para 0051, “the charging port 41 includes a connector (not illustrated) into which a charging cable (not illustrated) is fitted, and a connection detection sensor 41a. An external power supply (such as a commercial power supply) is connected to the charging port 41 via the charging cable”).
It would have been obvious to someone of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified Yamada in view of FUTTER to incorporate the teachings of TAKAKI by providing an interface connector to electrically connect to external power source, taught by TAKAKI at least at paragraph 0051.
Regarding Claim 3, Yamada fails to explicitly disclose, but FUTTER teaches wherein the one or more controllers are configured to obtain monitoring data from a control system of the energy storage unit in both the connected state of the power unit and the disconnected state of the power unit (Abstract, “the battery thermal management system … diagnostic data from a plurality of electric vehicles, the data comprising a battery temperature … The thermal management scheme comprising instructions for controlling heating and/or cooling of the traction battery pack of the first vehicle”; Para 0040-0042). Under the broadest reasonable interpretation, at least paragraphs 0040-0042 of FUTTER teach a controller to monitor diagnostic data and obtain the diagnostic data related to a temperature state of the battery. It would have been obvious to someone of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified Yamada to incorporate the teachings of FUTTER by providing operations for monitoring and obtaining diagnostic data related to a temperature state of the battery, taught by FUTTER at least at paragraph 0040-0042.
Regarding Claim 4, Yamada fails to explicitly disclose, but FUTTER teaches wherein the one or more controllers are configured to output information, derived using the monitoring data, offboard the power unit in both the connected state of the power unit and the disconnected state of the power unit (Abstract, “the battery thermal management system … diagnostic data from a plurality of electric vehicles, the data comprising a battery temperature … The thermal management scheme comprising instructions for controlling heating and/or cooling of the traction battery pack of the first vehicle”; Para 0040-0042). Under the broadest reasonable interpretation, at least paragraphs 0040-0042 of FUTTER teach a controller to monitor diagnostic data and output information. It would have been obvious to someone of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified Yamada to incorporate the teachings of FUTTER by providing a controller to output data/information, taught by FUTTER at least at paragraph 0040-0042.
Regarding Claim 5, Yamada teaches wherein the one or more controllers are configured to control the thermal management system responsive to the monitoring data (Abstract, “the battery thermal management system … a control unit connected to the communication unit. The control unit is configured to retrieve vehicle diagnostic data from a plurality of electric vehicles, the data comprising a battery temperature … The thermal management scheme comprising instructions for controlling heating and/or cooling of the traction battery pack of the first vehicle”; Para 0040).
Regarding Claim 6, Yamada in view of FUTTER fails to explicitly disclose, but TAKAKI teaches wherein the one or more controllers are configured to cause the energy storage unit to turn on in the connected state of the power unit (Para 0046, “the starter switch 8 is turned on, thereby allowing the controller 7 to start the components included in the electric working machine 1. The starter switch 8 is turned off, thereby allowing the controller 7 to stop the components included in the electric working machine 1”; Para 0051, “the charging port 41 includes a connector (not illustrated) into which a charging cable (not illustrated) is fitted, and a connection detection sensor 41a. An external power supply (such as a commercial power supply) is connected to the charging port 41 via the charging cable”).
It would have been obvious to someone of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified Yamada in view of FUTTER to incorporate the teachings of TAKAKI by providing operations for turn on the connect state of a battery using an switch 8, taught by TAKAKI at least at paragraphs 0046 and 0051.
Regarding Claim 7, Yamada in view of FUTTER fails to explicitly disclose, but TAKAKI teaches wherein the one or more controllers are configured to cause the energy storage unit to charge the battery in the connected state of the power unit (Para 0114, “the controller 7 controls the DC-DC converter 40 to supply electric power from the DC-DC converter 40 to the low-voltage battery 33 (FIG. 1) to charge the low-voltage battery 33 at any time (S14). As a result, electric power for driving the electrical components included in the electric working machine 1 is ensured in the low-voltage battery 33”).
It would have been obvious to someone of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified Yamada in view of FUTTER to incorporate the teachings of TAKAKI by providing operations for charging the battery by the controller 7, taught by TAKAKI at least at paragraph 0114.
Regarding Claim 8, Yamada in view of FUTTER fails to explicitly disclose, but TAKAKI teaches further comprising a power distribution unit (the controller 7 controls the DC-DC converter 40), contained in the power unit housing, configured to distribute power among the thermal management system, the low-voltage system, and the energy storage unit (Para 0050, “The DC-DC converter supplies electric power to a low-voltage battery 33 after voltage conversion”; Para 0114, “the controller 7 controls the DC-DC converter 40 to supply electric power from the DC-DC converter 40 to the low-voltage battery 33”).
Under the broadest reasonable interpretation, the controller 7 teaches a power distribution unit because the controller is configured to distribute a power by controlling the converter 40. It would have been obvious to someone of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified Yamada in view of FUTTER to incorporate the teachings of TAKAKI by providing operations for distributing a power to electrical components, taught by TAKAKI at least at paragraphs 0050 and 0114.
Regarding Claim 9, Yamada in view of FUTTER fails to explicitly disclose, but TAKAKI wherein the power distribution unit is configured to distribute power to the low-voltage system via a voltage converter contained in the power unit housing (Para 0050, “The DC-DC converter 40 is a voltage converter that converts a DC voltage input from the battery unit 30 through the junction box 39 into a different voltage. In the present embodiment, the DC-DC converter 40 is a step-down converter that converts a high voltage of the battery unit 30 into a predetermined low voltage corresponding to electrical components included in the electric working machine”).
It would have been obvious to someone of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified Yamada in view of FUTTER to incorporate the teachings of TAKAKI by providing operations for turn on the connect state of a battery using a switch 8, taught by TAKAKI at least at paragraph 0050.
Regarding Claim 10, it is a machine type claim and has similar limitations as of a part of claim 1 above. Therefore, it is rejected under the same rationale as of claim 1 above.
Regarding Claim 11, it is dependent on claim 10 and has similar limitations as of claim 3 above. Therefore, it is rejected under the same rationale as of claim 3 above.
Regarding Claim 12, it is dependent on claim 11 and has similar limitations as of claim 4 above. Therefore, it is rejected under the same rationale as of claim 4 above.
Regarding Claim 13, it is dependent on claim 11 and has similar limitations as of claim 5 above. Therefore, it is rejected under the same rationale as of claim 5 above.
Regarding Claim 14, it is an apparatus type claim having similar limitations as of a part of claim 1 above. Therefore, it is rejected under the same rationale as of claim 1 above.
Regarding Claim 15, Yamada in view of FUTTER fails to explicitly disclose, but TAKAKI wherein the thermal management system comprises one or more of a condenser, a compressor, a coolant tank, a coolant pump, a chiller, an evaporator, or a dryer (Para 0064-0065, 0067, “A cooling pump 36 is disposed in a cooling water passage (not illustrated) provided in the machine body 2, together with the radiator 35 and the high-heat-generating electric devices described above. The cooling pump 36 delivers and circulates cooling water through the cooling water passage … An oil cooler 37 cools hydraulic fluid that has passed through hydraulic devices … The electric heater 42 and the electric cooler 46 are air-conditioners that perform air-conditioning inside the protection mechanism 6”).
It would have been obvious to someone of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified Yamada in view of FUTTER to incorporate the teachings of TAKAKI by providing cooling pump 36 for cooling high-heat-generating electric devices, taught by TAKAKI at least at paragraphs 0064-0065 and 0067.
Regarding Claim 16, Yamada in view of FUTTER fails to explicitly disclose, but TAKAKI wherein the thermal management system comprises a heater (Para 0066-0067, “An electric heater 42 is driven by the electric power of the low-voltage battery 33 to heat the inside of the protection mechanism 6. The electric heater 42 is an electrical heater and includes a heating wire 42a, a fan motor 42b, and a heating fan… The electric heater 42 and the electric cooler 46 are air-conditioners that perform air-conditioning inside the protection mechanism 6”).
It would have been obvious to someone of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified Yamada in view of FUTTER to incorporate the teachings of TAKAKI by providing electric heater 42 for performing air-conditioning inside the protection mechanism 6, taught by TAKAKI at least at paragraphs 0066-0067.
Regarding Claim 17, it is dependent on claim 14 and has similar limitations as of claim 2 above. Therefore, it is rejected under the same rationale as of claim 2 above.
Regarding Claim 18, it is dependent on claim 14 and has similar limitations as of a part of claim 1 above. Therefore, it is rejected under the same rationale as of claim 1 above.
Regarding Claim 19, it is dependent on claim 18 and has similar limitations as of claim 3 above. Therefore, it is rejected under the same rationale as of claim 3 above.
Regarding Claim 20, it is dependent on claim 18 and has similar limitations as of claims 8 and 9 above. Therefore, it is rejected under the same rationale as of claims 8 and 9 above.
Citation of Pertinent Art
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Zhang et al. (US 20170225586 A1) teaches a battery system includes a battery module, a thermal management system, and a battery system controller. The controller is configured to receive data indicative of first operational conditions of the battery module and of second operational conditions of the thermal management system, determine a desired change to the first operational conditions of the battery module by determining an amount of power available to the thermal management system and to the battery module from one or more power sources, and to enable, to effect the desired change to the first operational conditions, the one or more power sources to provide a first quantity of power to the thermal management system and a second quantity of power to the battery module, and the thermal management system to heat or to cool the battery module to a calculated extent.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to BYUNG RO LEE whose telephone number is (571)272-3707. The examiner can normally be reached on Monday-Friday 8:30am-4:00pm.
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/BYUNG RO LEE/Examiner, Art Unit 2858
/LEE E RODAK/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2858