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.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 11/20/2023 is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
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.
Claim(s) 1-5, 11-14, 20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over DeDona et al. US 2015/0097527 (hereinafter DeDona) in view of Pham et al. US 2014/0084843 and further in view of Tani et al. US 2017/0326999 (hereinafter Tani).
Regarding claims 1, 11 and 20, DeDona discloses a power system of a vehicle (Abstract), the system comprising:
a main battery (fig. 1, element 24; traction battery) fixedly mounted in the vehicle (¶¶ 0013, 0018) and configured to be a high voltage battery and supply power (¶ 0013; a vehicle battery pack 24 typically provides a high voltage DC output) to a drive motor driving wheels of the vehicle (¶¶ 0012-0013; the electric machines 14 may be capable of operating as a motor or a generator. A traction battery or battery pack 24 stores energy that can be used by the electric machines),
a lower voltage battery (fig. 1, element 30; auxiliary battery) mounted in the vehicle and configured to be a battery of a lower voltage than that of the main battery (¶ 0058; The charger internal DC-DC converter 208 may be configured to have an adjustable voltage output in a range compatible with the 12V auxiliary battery 30. The voltage output may be adjusted to provide an appropriate level of charging to the auxiliary battery 30);
a first DC-DC converter (fig. 1, element 28; a main DC-DC converter) electrically connected between the main battery and the lower voltage battery to supply charge power from the main battery to the lower voltage battery (¶ 0052; The main DC-DC converter 28 may convert high-voltage DC to a low-voltage DC compatible
with a 12V battery 30) and configured to supply power converted from the main battery to at least one electrical device in the vehicle (¶¶ 0014, 0052; The auxiliary 12V battery 30 and the low-voltage output of the main DC-DC converter 28 may connect to a low-voltage bus 212 that supplies 12-volt power to other modules in the vehicle);
a second DC-DC converter (fig. 3, element 208; charger internal DC-DC converter) electrically connected to the main battery (fig. 3, element 24; HV battery) to supply charge power thereto (¶ 0055; a charger-internal DC-DC converter 208 may be incorporated with the charger 32 module to support the vehicle low-voltage bus 212 directly from the AC input 106 when a charge connector is attached to the vehicle);
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a connector (fig. 1, element 40 and ¶¶ 0053, 0055) electrically connected to the second DC-DC converter (fig. 1, element 208; charger internal DC-DC converter) and configured to allow an EVSE to be detachably connected thereto such that the EVSE is capable to supply charge power to the main battery (¶ 0015; The external power source 36 may be electrically connected to electric vehicle supply equipment (EVSE) 38. The EVSE 38 may provide circuitry and controls to regulate and manage the transfer of energy between the power source 36 and the vehicle).
DeDona fails to disclose the power system of a vehicle configured to allow an auxiliary battery to be detachably connected thereto; the main battery comprising a battery sensor configured to sense current or voltage of the main battery; the connector configured to allow the auxiliary battery to be detachably connected thereto such that the auxiliary battery is capable to supply charge power to the main battery; a control unit configured to, when a failure of the battery sensor is identified, control the second DC-DC converter to supply the charge power from the auxiliary battery to the main battery based on estimated consumption power of the main battery.
Pham further discloses the power system of a vehicle configured to allow an auxiliary battery (LV battery) to be detachably connected thereto (Abstract and ¶ 0021: the LV battery 84 may be at a separate vehicle, and an HVCA can include a DC/DC converter configured to boost a lower input voltage from the LV battery to a higher output voltage provided to the HV battery);
the connector configured to allow the auxiliary battery to be detachably connected thereto such that the auxiliary battery is capable to supply charge power to the main battery (Abstract and ¶ 0021; an HVCA 40 is arranged to charge an HV battery 82 using energy from a LV battery 84);
a control unit configured to control the second DC-DC converter to supply the charge power from the auxiliary battery to the main battery based on estimated consumption power of the main battery (¶¶ 0020-0021, 0024; an HVCA 40 is arranged to charge an HV battery 82 using energy from a LV battery 84; Limiting the charging process to a predetermined interval can enable the DCDC converter 72 to provide energy to the HV battery 82, and, at the same time, offer protection against inadvertent overcharging. If the HV battery 82 is not sufficiently charged at the completion of the time period, a user can initiate a subsequent charging period).
It would have been obvious to one skilled in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify DeDona to incorporate with the teaching of Pham by allowing an external LV battery to provide charge power to the main battery as suggested by Pham, because it would be advantageous to reduce battery malfunction and further prolong the driving range of the electric vehicle.
DeDona in view of Pham fails to disclose the system includes the main battery comprising a battery sensor configured to sense current or voltage of the main battery, and the system has the ability to identify a failure of the battery sensor.
Tani further discloses disclose the system includes the main battery comprising a battery sensor configured to sense current or voltage of the main battery (¶ 0041; a charge/discharge current sensor for detecting charge/discharge current of a battery), and the system has the ability to identify a failure of the battery sensor (Abstract: a charge/discharge current sensor failure detection unit for determining that failure occurs on the charge/discharge current sensor for detecting charge/discharge current of the battery).
It would have been obvious to one skilled in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify DeDona in view of Pham to incorporate with the teaching of Tani by including the current sensor and the current sensor failure detection unit in the system, because it would be advantageous to take a fail-safe measure which enables evacuation travelling while protecting the battery in ¶ 0009.
Regarding claims 2 and 12, DeDona discloses wherein the estimated consumption power is determined based on power consumption of the drive motor (¶ 0062; the on-board charging system may contain an EVSE control pilot latch out feature 302 to allow the charging system to minimize power consumed by the vehicle) and a current and a voltage of the first DC-DC converter (¶ 0053; the main contactor 200 may be a relay controlled contactor that closes to provide power to the high-voltage components (e.g., inverters, converters, heaters, etc.)).
Regarding claim 3, DeDona discloses wherein the estimated consumption power is determined based on efficiencies of the drive motor (¶ 0012; the electric machines 14 may be capable of operating as a motor or a generator), the main battery (¶ 0013; A traction battery or battery pack 24 stores energy that can be used by the electric machines 14) and the first DC-DC converter (¶ 0056; The main DC/DC converter 28 may be optimized to provide power at a higher power output levels and may be less efficient at the lower power levels required during charging operations).
Regarding claims 4 and 13, DeDona in view of Pham discloses wherein the control unit is further configured to determine a charge compensation amount based on an excessive amount of the estimated consumption power over a charge limit power of the auxiliary battery or the second DC-DC converter and control the second DC-DC converter to charge the main battery additionally by the charge compensation amount after the estimated consumption power is lowered under the charge limit power (Pham, ¶ 0024; Limiting the charging process to a predetermined interval can enable the DCDC converter 72 to provide energy to the HV battery 82, and, at the same time, offer protection against inadvertent overcharging. If the HV battery 82 is not sufficiently charged at the completion of the time period, a user can initiate a subsequent charging period).
Regarding claims 5 and 14, DeDona in view of Pham discloses wherein the control unit is further configured to determine, as the charge compensation amount, an integration value obtained by integrating the excessive amount by time until the estimated consumption power is lowered under the charge limit power (Pham, ¶ 0024; when the HV battery 82 is sufficiently charged at the completion of the time period, and it is not necessary to initiate a subsequent charging period).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 6-10, 15-19 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
Regarding claims 6 and 15, DeDona in combination of Pham and Tani fails to disclose or suggest further inclusion of wherein the control unit is further configured to determine a quotient value obtained by dividing the charge compensation amount by a total time duration during which the estimated consumption power exceeds the charge limit power or a predetermined charge power as a compensation charge power, and control the second DC-DC converter to charge the main battery based on the compensation charge power.
Claims 7-10, 16-19 are objected for the reasons as claim 6 or 15 from which they depend.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ZIXUAN ZHOU whose telephone number is (571)272-6739. The examiner can normally be reached 9:00 am to 5:00 pm.
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/ZIXUAN ZHOU/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2859 07/28/2026
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