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 (IDS) submitted on 10/24/2023 is/are in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the reference(s) given in the IDS is/are being considered by the examiner.
Claim Objections
Claim 7 objected to because of the following informalities:
Claim 7 recites “a different weight of the payload for the planned trip relative to the weight of the payload during the prior trip” instead of “a different weight of the payload for a planned trip relative to the weight of the payload during the prior trip.
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) 1-8 and 10-20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Staats et al. (US 20200070801 A1).
Regarding independent claim 1, Staats teaches a control system (Fig. 8: control system 840) comprising:
a controller (Fig. 8: controller 822) having one or more processors that are configured to determine a target storage amount of electrical energy to store in an energy storage device onboard a vehicle during a charge operation in which the vehicle receives the electrical energy from an off-board power source (Figs. 8 and 14 and ¶[177]: Step 1408, energy management system 826 of the vehicle calculates needed electric energy and notifies stations 1200 to charge the vehicle),
the controller further being configured to determine the target storage amount based at least in part on a performance target for a planned trip of the vehicle (Fig. 14 and ¶[175]: Step 1404, load parameters and charging restrictions for the trip are determined. ),
the controller further being configured to control power electronics onboard the vehicle to distribute the electrical energy received during the charge operation between the energy storage device and one or more loads of the vehicle so that the energy storage device receives the target storage amount of electrical energy (Figs. 8 and 15-17 and ¶[96, 106, 187]: a variety of load parameters are monitored by energy management system 826 to determine estimated trip load. Load parameters include onboard energy storage device 802 and other electric loads that do not propel the vehicle. Vehicles 800 travel along the route 812 that includes an external power source, catenaries 818 or electric rail and draw power).
Regarding claim 2, Staats teaches the control system of claim 1, wherein the vehicle includes a collector device configured to electrically connect to a conductive pathway of the off-board power source extending along a route, wherein the power electronics are configured to receive the electrical energy from the collector device during the charge operation as the vehicle travels along the route (¶[187] and Figs. 8 and 15-17: Vehicles 800 travel along the route 812 that includes an external power source, catenaries 818 or electric rail, and draw power).
Regarding claim 3, Staats teaches the control system of claim 2, wherein the controller is configured to select a movement characteristic of the vehicle as the vehicle travels along the route in electrical connection with the conductive pathway so that the energy storage device receives the target storage amount of electrical energy (¶[176, 180]: charge management system 1808 designates energy based on energy allocation plan; Fig. 9 and ¶[131-132]: plans are calculated for various trip segments with different terrain features).
Regarding claim 4, Staats teaches the control system of claim 3, wherein the controller is configured to select, as the movement characteristic, one or more of (i) a speed at which the vehicle travels on the route or (ii) a tractive setting of a propulsion system of the vehicle to propel the vehicle at the speed (¶[55] and Fig. 4: speeds and operating states of traction motors are adjusted based on efficiency).
Regarding claim 5, Staats teaches the control system of claim 3, wherein the controller is configured to select, as the movement characteristic, a reduced speed at which the vehicle travels on the route during the charge operation, relative to prior movement of the vehicle on the route during a prior charge operation, to increase the amount of electrical energy stored in the energy storage device during the charge operation relative to the prior charge operation (Figs. 4, 9 and ¶[186]: if a current energy is less than a designated amount of electric energy, the energy management system 826 may reduce the speed).
Regarding claim 6, Staats teaches the control system of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to select a weight of a payload to be carried by the vehicle on the planned trip based on the performance target (¶[3, 124]: trip plan created based on restrictions such as cargo or passengers).
Regarding claim 7, Staats does not explicitly teach the control system of claim 6, wherein, responsive to the vehicle failing to meet the performance target during a prior trip, the controller is configured to select a different weight of the payload for the planned trip relative to the weight of the payload during the prior trip.
However, it would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the instant application to reduce the cargo in a vehicle, if the current weight would use more energy than is available.
Regarding claim 8, Staats teaches the control system of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to determine the target storage amount based on a difference between (i) a prior amount of electrical energy received by the energy storage device during a prior trip of the vehicle and (ii) a prior amount of electrical energy discharged by the energy storage device during the prior trip (¶[114, 148-151]: historical energy demand is recorded and compared to determine different amounts of electric energy to be stored in the energy storage device 1210 at different times, an energy storage plan based on a storage schedule).
Regarding claim 10, Staats teaches the control system of claim 1, wherein the performance target for the planned trip is for the energy storage device to be net state of charge neutral (¶[148-151]: historical energy demand is recorded and compared to determine different amounts of electric energy to be stored in the energy storage device 1210 at different times. The examiner interprets the determination of amounts of energy to be stored in the energy storage device is matching the amount needed for a planned trip).
Regarding claim 11, Staats teaches the control system of claim 1, wherein the power electronics are configured to receive the electrical energy from the off-board power source during the charge operation while the vehicle is stationary, and the controller is configured to control a duration of the charge operation so that the energy storage device receives the target storage amount of electrical energy (¶[110]: charging at stationary wayside stations ; Fig. 21: step 2112, vehicle is stopped before entering an unpowered segment of the route).
Regarding claim 12, Staats teaches the control system of claim 1, wherein the power electronics disposed onboard the vehicle include a converter configured to modify a value of an electrical parameter of the electrical energy transferred from the off-board power source to the vehicle during the charge operation (Fig. 8: a converter part of the vehicle is implied as the vehicle cannot be uncontrollably connected to the overhead power line directly).
Regarding independent claim 13, Staats teaches a method comprising:
determining a target storage amount of electrical energy to store in an energy storage device onboard a vehicle during a charge operation in which the vehicle receives the electrical energy from an off-board power source (Figs. 8 and 14 and ¶[177]: Step 1408, energy management system 826 of the vehicle calculates needed electric energy and notifies stations 1200 to charge the vehicle), the target storage amount being determined based on a performance target for a planned trip of the vehicle (Fig. 14 and ¶[175]: Step 1404, load parameters and charging restrictions for the trip are determined. ); and
distributing the electrical energy received during the charge operation between the energy storage device and one or more loads of the vehicle so that the energy storage device receives the target storage amount of electrical energy (Figs. 8 and 15-17 and ¶[96, 106, 187]: a variety of load parameters are monitored by energy management system 826 to determine estimated trip load. Load parameters include onboard energy storage device 802 and other electric loads that do not propel the vehicle. Vehicles 800 travel along the route 812 that includes an external power source, catenaries 818 or electric rail and draw power).
Regarding claim 14, Staats teaches the method of claim 13, further comprising selecting a movement characteristic of the vehicle as the vehicle travels along a route in electrical connection with a conductive pathway of the off-board power source during the charge operation (¶[187] and Figs. 8 and 15-17: Vehicles 800 travel along the route 812 that includes an external power source, catenaries 818 or electric rail, and draw power), the movement characteristic selected so that the energy storage device receives the target storage amount of electrical energy before breaking the electrical connection with the conductive pathway (¶[176, 180]: charge management system 1808 designates energy based on energy allocation plan; Fig. 9 and ¶[131-132]: plans are calculated for various trip segments with different terrain features).
Regarding claim 15, Staats teaches the method of claim 14, wherein selecting the movement characteristic comprises selecting one or more of (i) a speed at which the vehicle travels on the route or (ii) a tractive setting of a propulsion system of the vehicle to propel the vehicle at the speed (¶[55] and Fig. 4: speeds and operating states of traction motors are adjusted based on efficiency).
Regarding claim 16, Staats teaches the method of claim 14, wherein selecting the movement characteristic comprises selecting a reduced speed at which the vehicle travels on the route during the charge operation, relative to prior movement of the vehicle on the route during a prior charge operation, to increase the amount of electrical energy stored in the energy storage device during the charge operation relative to the prior charge operation (Figs. 4, 9 and ¶[186]: if a current energy is less than a designated amount of electric energy, the energy management system 826 may reduce the speed).
Regarding claim 17, Staats teaches the method of claim 13, further comprising selecting a weight of a payload to be carried by the vehicle on the planned trip based on at least one of the performance target (¶[3, 124]: trip plan created based on restrictions such as cargo or passengers) or a failure to meet the performance target during a prior trip of the vehicle (alternative language used).
Regarding claim 18, Staats teaches the method of claim 13, wherein determining the target storage amount comprises determining a difference between (i) a prior amount of electrical energy received by the energy storage device during a prior trip of the vehicle and (ii) a prior amount of electrical energy discharged by the energy storage device during the prior trip (¶[114, 148-151]: historical energy demand is recorded and compared to determine different amounts of electric energy to be stored in the energy storage device 1210 at different times, an energy storage plan based on a storage schedule).
Regarding claim 19, Staats teaches the method of claim 13, further comprising holding the vehicle stationary during the charge operation (¶[110]: charging at stationary wayside stations ; Fig. 21: step 2112, vehicle is stopped before entering an unpowered segment of the route), and selecting at least one of i) a duration of the charge operation, ii) a current level of the charging operation, and iii) a voltage level of the charging operation so that the energy storage device receives the target storage amount of electrical energy (¶[110]: off-board limitations can include amount of energy available for charging onboard energy storage device 802).
Regarding claim 20, Staats teaches the method of claim 13, further comprising modifying a value of an electrical parameter of the electrical energy received during the charge operation prior to the electrical energy being distributed to the energy storage device and the one or more loads (¶[81] information is exchanged between wayside stations and electric vehicles including planned transfer of electrical power).
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) 9 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Staats in view of Kratzer et al. (US 20160221465 A1).
Regarding claim 9, Staats teaches the control system of claim 1, wherein the performance target for the planned trip is a state of charge of the energy storage device being at least a designated threshold value at a designated point of the planned trip.
Staats does not explicitly teach performance target for the planned trip is a state of charge of the energy storage device being at least a designated threshold value.
Kratzer a state of charge of the energy storage device being at least a designated threshold value (¶[24]).
It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the instant application to incorporate a minimum state of charge for the energy storage device in Kratzer into the system Staats to preserve the health of the battery.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
EU Search Opinion for EP 23210445, 4 pages
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/Ryu-Sung P. Weinmann/Examiner, Art Unit 2859 July 11, 2026
/JULIAN D HUFFMAN/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2859
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