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 .
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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 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.
The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
Claim(s) 1-20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Burkell et al, US Pub. 2022/0271363, in view of Park, 6,624,615.
Regarding claims 1 and 11, Buckell et al disclose a battery management system comprising: generating, in response to a shutdown request of the moving object, prediction profile information for predicting a future temperature at a position of the moving object, based on surrounding station information, which is based on a position of a weather station near the moving object, climate information, and current position information of the moving object (par. 0028-0033); determining a lowest estimated temperature at the position of the moving object based on an observed outdoor temperature at a time of the shutdown request, a predicted shutdown temperature at the time of the shutdown request, and a lowest predicted temperature of the prediction profile information, wherein the predicted shutdown temperature is based on the prediction profile information (the temperature is predicted including the lowest temperature, par. 0028-0033; Figs. 1-2);
Burkell et al fail to disclose the battery output prediction, the state of charge, temperature dependent output compare available power, charging the first battery with a second battery. However, controlling and the predicting the battery capacity is common in the art for determining how the vehicle can travel before requiring charging of the battery. Therefore, such limitation would have been an obvious extension as taught by the prior art.
Park discloses a battery temperature management method of an electronic vehicle comprising: rating capacity and the charge power of a battery in relation to the temperature of the battery and teaches maintaining battery capacity using auxiliary energy source (Fig. 5; col. 5, line 57+).
In view of the teachings of Park, it would have been obvious for an ordinary artisan to modify the teachings Burkell et al include predicting the output power of the battery based on the temperature in order the battery is operational at the predicting time, wherein the appropriate action, such as charging the battery, to make sure functionality of the battery. Therefore, it would have been obvious.
Regarding claims 2 and 12, wherein the surrounding station information includes a surrounding latitude, a surrounding longitude according to the current position information and ambient temperature profile information based on the climate information, and wherein the ambient temperature profile information includes lowest ambient temperature profile information, that is generated based on a lowest annual daily temperature, and highest ambient temperature profile information that is generated based on a highest annual daily temperature (Burkell et al, the temperature profile is determine based on the location and temperature patterned, the season, etc. par. 0028-0033).
Regarding claims 3 and 13, wherein the lowest ambient temperature profile information is generated as a lower bound approximation curve by applying numerical optimization using the lowest annual daily temperature, and the highest ambient temperature profile information is generated as a lower bound approximation curve by applying numerical optimization using the highest annual daily temperature; and wherein the lowest ambient temperature profile information and the highest ambient temperature profile information further include a function coefficient parameter corresponding to an order defining constant, which is required in each numerical optimization, and the function coefficient parameter is stored in the moving object (the calculation of the temperature is standard, the mathematical calculation is not new and it can calculated by any ordinary artisan, par. 0028-0033 of Burkell et al) .
Regarding claims 4 and 14, wherein the surrounding station information is obtained from a plurality of weather stations that are located in an order of proximity from the position of the moving object; wherein the prediction profile information includes the lowest predicted temperature and a highest predicted temperature, which are generated based on the surrounding station information and the position information of the moving object; and wherein the prediction profile information is generated according to each time section of a single day based on the lowest predicted temperature and the highest predicted temperature (the number of weather stations used for calculating the temperature profile is just merely a matter of choice for meeting specific customer requirements, which therefore, obvious).
Regarding claims 5 and 15, wherein the lowest predicted temperature and the highest predicted temperature are generated by applying temperature correction according to altitude information of the moving object, which is included in the position information (the location including altitude information are included in predicting the temperature, par. 0028-0033, Burkell et al).
Regarding claims 6 and 16, wherein the prediction profile information includes daytime prediction profile information and nighttime prediction profile information according to each time section of the single day; wherein the daytime prediction profile information is generated based on daylight hours estimated at the position of the moving object, the highest predicted temperature and the lowest predicted temperature; and wherein the nighttime prediction profile information is generated based on night hours estimated at the position of the moving object, the lowest predicted temperature, and a sunset temperature that is predicted through the daytime prediction profile information (the specific time, that is day or night, is used to predict the temperature, par. 0028-0033 of Burkell et al).
Regarding claims 7 and 17, wherein the predicted shutdown temperature is determined by using prediction profile information belonging to a shutdown time among the daytime prediction profile information and the nighttime prediction profile information (the time when the vehicle is shutdown is based the current location and the distance from where the vehicle will be shut down, the system can calculate and predict at what time the vehicle will be shutdown, par. 0028-0033).
Regarding claims 8 and 18, further comprising determining a lowest estimated temperature at the position of the moving object based on the predicted shutdown temperature and the lowest predicted temperature of the prediction profile information, when the observed outdoor temperature is not obtained ( Burkell et al can determine and predict the lowest temperature, par. 0028-0033)
Regarding claims 9 and 19, wherein determining the lowest estimated temperature comprises: determining the lowest predicted temperature as the lowest estimated temperature, when the observed outdoor temperature is equal to or higher than the predicted shutdown temperature; and determining the lowest predicted temperature as the lowest estimated temperature compensated for deviation though the observed outdoor temperature and the predicted shutdown temperature, when the observed outdoor temperature is lower than the predicted shutdown temperature (the specific threshold selection is a conventional battery management operations that would have been obvious by an ordinary artisan, Burkell et al par. 0028-0033) .
Regarding claims 10 and 20, wherein the second battery is configured as a fuel cell that is a different type from the first battery (with respect to the auxiliary power source, that a fuel cell battery different from the first battery, such limitations is just merely a matter of choice for meeting specific customer requirements, failing to provide an unexpected results. Therefore, it would have been an obvious extension as taught by the prior art).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Lee et al, US Pub. 2023/0145602, disclose a battery apparatus and a method for predicting battery output.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to DANIEL ST CYR whose telephone number is (571)272-2407. The examiner can normally be reached M to F 8:00-8:00.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Pham Thomas can be reached at 571-272-3689. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
DANIEL ST CYR
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 2876
/DANIEL ST CYR/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2876
Prosecution Insights