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 .
This office action is a response to an application filed 11/29/2023, in which claims 1-20 are pending and ready for examination.
Information Disclosure Statement
The Examiner has considered the references listed on the Information Disclosure Statement submitted on 07/15/2025.
Examiner Notes
Examiner cites particular columns and line numbers in the references as applied to the claims below for the convenience of the applicant. Although the specified citations are representative of the teachings in the art and are applied to the specific limitations within the individual claim, other passages and figures may apply as well. It is respectfully requested that, in preparing responses, the applicant fully consider the references in entirety as potentially teaching all or part of the claimed invention, as well as the context of the passage as taught by the prior art or disclosed by the examiner.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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 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.
Claims 1-6, 10, 11, and 13-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by US Patent Publication No. 2021/0110446 to Khoo et al., (hereinafter Khoo)
Regarding claim 1, Khoo discloses an edge hardware system for distributed energy resources comprising:
a core device that is deployed in an edge environment of a site, the core device including a computing device with a processor and a memory component (A device, such as a mobile device, personal computer, and/or computing system 242, are used at a charging station that is interpreted as an edge environment of a site, and these serve as communication intermediary at a site between the site and a remote/cloud location, and interpreted as core device. Computing devices have processors, memory, and application logic, see p61, p7-9, Fig. 2, Fig. 1, 70-72, clm 1, 221, 217, 87, Khoo), the memory component storing a logic that when executed by the processor causes the edge hardware system configured to:
communicate with a cloud environment to acquire current optimization and load management set points for a charging station (Communication to and with cloud server, where data is obtained and synchronized between cloud and charging station, and includes settings and instructions, where these are interpreted as a current optimization and load management setpoints, see 86, Fig. 2, Fig. 1, 70-72, p61, p7-9, Khoo);
dispatch the current optimization and load management set points through a local communications protocol via a local network to the charging station (Communication to charging station components of settings and synchronized data is dispatched from remote/cloud through local network and protocol, such as Bluetooth, wifi, nfc, usb dock station, etc., and via mobile device or computing system, see Fig. 2, Fig. 1, p66, p63, p86, Khoo);
receive data from the charging station through the local network (Data received from charging station through local connection, see p77, p86, Fig. 2, Fig. 1, Khoo);
communicate the data to the cloud environment via a wide area network (Data relayed to cloud server via remote wide area network, such as internet, see P78, p77, p56, 62, Fig. 2, Fig. 1, p86, Khoo);
and control charge and discharge parameters of an energy asset at the charging station using energy-related inputs, which include at least one of the following: real-time weather data, historical weather data, weather forecast data, tariff data, historical asset energy interval data, forecasted asset energy interval data, real-time asset energy usage data, system constraint data, user preference data, and market-based strategy data (Charge transfer is enabled using charging parameters that include weather readings, present power draw, price data, future power draw, etc., see 79, 101, Khoo).
Regarding claim 2, Khoo discloses all the limitations of the base claim as outlined above, and are analyzed as previously discussed with regard to that claim.
Khoo further discloses further comprising a sense device that includes a first network switch and a communication adapter configured to: receive, via the communication adapter, energy asset data including at least one of the following: temperature, voltage, current, power, solar irradiance, meter data, and wind speed; and communicate at least a portion of the energy asset data to the core device via the first network switch (Sensors such as communicating meters, emeters, etc., where, for example an emeter measures energy (i.e. power, current, voltage, meter data) that constitutes energy usage data at a charging station, and energy data can be sent via network to a remote cloud server via network communication devices through core devices and routers (switch) adapted to transmit information, see p9, Fig. 2, p72, p77, 75, 80, p220, 63, Khoo).
Regarding claim 3, Khoo discloses all the limitations of the base claim as outlined above, and are analyzed as previously discussed with regard to that claim.
Khoo further discloses wherein the sense device further includes: a power meter (Meter measuring energy power usage, see p72, Fig. 2, p9, Khoo); and a power supply (Meter measures power energy supplied, meaning there is a power supply forming part of the sensing device meter for it to measure, see p72, Fig. 2, p72, Khoo).
Regarding claim 4, Khoo discloses all the limitations of the base claim as outlined above, and are analyzed as previously discussed with regard to that claim.
Khoo further discloses further comprising a remote communications device that includes a wireless access point, a communication adapter, a second network switch, and a power supply, wherein the wireless access point is configured to extend wireless communication signals to the energy asset, wherein the communication adapter is configured to facilitate communications between the remote communications device and at least one of the following: the core device or a sense device (Communications between a first charging station and a second remote charging stations, where the stations have communications devices through core devices and routers adapted to extend and facilitate communications signals for power supply transfer of energy assets, see Fig. 18, p193-p194, 203, Fig. 2, 220, 2011, Khoo).
Regarding claim 5, Khoo discloses all the limitations of the base claim as outlined above, and are analyzed as previously discussed with regard to that claim.
Khoo further discloses wherein the edge environment is coupled to the energy asset at the site, wherein the energy asset includes at least one of the following: a vehicle, a solar device, a battery, a utility, or a generator (Electric vehicle, battery, grid, etc, see Fig. 2, p70, 101, Khoo).
Regarding claim 6, Khoo discloses all the limitations of the base claim as outlined above, and are analyzed as previously discussed with regard to that claim.
Khoo further teaches wherein the edge environment communicates with at least one of the following via the wide area network: the cloud environment, a software repository, an operations device, an analysis device, a mobile device, and a kiosk (Charging station communicates to cloud server and cloud analysis via wide area network such as internet, see p56, Fig. 2, p78-79, 86, Khoo).
Regarding claim 10, Khoo discloses all the limitations of the base claim as outlined above, and are analyzed as previously discussed with regard to that claim.
Khoo further discloses wherein the core device receives data from local sensors for authenticating users (Users are validated/authenticated through a core device such as mobile device in a process that includes using sensing such as a microphone, see p93, p99-100, 93-100, Khoo).
Regarding claim 11, Khoo discloses all the limitations of the base claim as outlined above, and are analyzed as previously discussed with regard to that claim.
Khoo further discloses wherein the core device receives telematics data from a vehicle at the charging station and utilizes the telematics data for optimization (A core device can use telematics to communicate with a cloud server that can perform data aggregation, data synchronization, see p65, p7, 86, Fig. 2, 70-72, 77-79, Khoo).
Regarding claim 13, Khoo discloses all the limitations of the base claim as outlined above, and are analyzed as previously discussed with regard to that claim.
Khoo further teaches wherein the core device includes at least one of the following: a power supply, a backup battery, and a power over Ethernet (PoE) connection (A computing system has at least a power supply, for example by implication of a gfci, which is a known device located on power supply to equipment and used for protection to people and against fire in the event of ground faults, see Fig. 2, 72, Khoo).
Claim 14 is rejected on the same grounds as claim 1.
Claim 15 is rejected on the same grounds as claim 2.
Claim 16 is rejected on the same grounds as claim 4.
Claim 17 is rejected on the same grounds as claim 6.
Claim 18 is rejected on the same grounds as claim 1.
Claim 19 is rejected on the same grounds as claim 2.
Claim 20 is rejected on the same grounds as claim 4.
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 7 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Khoo, in view of Khoo.
Regarding claim 7, Khoo discloses all the limitations of the base claim as outlined above, and are analyzed as previously discussed with regard to that claim.
Khoo further teaches wherein a core device is disconnected from a wide area network (A core device, such as a computing system, in a charging station might be configured to connect to remote systems only through a mobile connection, meaning when the mobile device is not present or dicked, then the core device is disconnected from the wide area network, see p66, Fig. 14 last step, 81, Khoo ).
It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the filing date of the claimed invention to modify the edge environment and energy system as described by Khoo and incorporating a core device that is disconnected from a wide area network, as taught by Khoo.
One of ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated to do this modification in order to better limit communication complexity and costs by employing only a local device for connection at the appropriate needed connection moment.
Claims 8 and 9 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Khoo, in view of US Patent Publication No. 2013/0020992 to Wu et al., (hereinafter Wu).
Regarding claim 8, Khoo teaches all the limitations of the base claim as outlined above, and are analyzed as previously discussed with regard to that claim.
Khoo suggests an optimization algorithm locally (Station multiagent can run algorithms for local load optimizing, see p184, 193-194, Khoo).
However, Wu from the same or similar field of charging locations, more explicitly teaches a core device executes an optimization algorithm locally (EVSEs determine optimal charging sequence, see p22-23, Wu).
It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the filing date of the claimed invention to modify the edge environment and energy system as described by Khoo and incorporating local optimization, as taught by Wu.
One of ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated to do this modification in order to better provide charging that permits optimized cost and transformer overload (see p22-23, Wu).
Regarding claim 9, Khoo teaches all the limitations of the base claim as outlined above, and are analyzed as previously discussed with regard to that claim.
Khoo further teaches wherein a charging station operates via a first protocol, wherein a core device controls a different charging station that operates via a protocol. (A charging station can communicate in a first protocol such as wireless protocol, plc, etc., and different charging stations with core devices operate with protocols, see p63, 200, 203, Khoo)
Khoo does not explicitly teach a charging station that operates via a different protocol.
However, Wu from the same or similar field of charging locations, teaches a charging station that operates via a different protocol (Different protocols can be used at a charging location, see p28, Wu).
It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the filing date of the claimed invention to modify the edge environment and energy system as described by Khoo and incorporating different protocols, as taught by Wu.
One of ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated to do this modification in order to better provide locations to use desired communications protocols to communicate at a location (see p28, p22-23, Wu; 132, Khoo).
Claims 12 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Khoo, in view of US Patent Publication No. 2022/0080852 to Yu et al., (hereinafter Yu).
Regarding claim 12, Khoo teaches all the limitations of the base claim as outlined above, and are analyzed as previously discussed with regard to that claim.
Khoo does not explicitly teach wherein a core device senses a grid power failure and changes modes based on the grid power failure.
However, Yu from the same or similar field of charging locations, teaches wherein a core device senses a grid power failure and changes modes based on the grid power failure (Outage can be determined on collected data, and a power plan mode can be changed, see p26-27, Yu).
It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the filing date of the claimed invention to modify the edge environment and energy system as described by Khoo and incorporating changing mode on power failure, as taught by Yu.
One of ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated to do this modification in order to better mitigate power outages that can affect an anticipated power plans in charging (see p26-27, 2, Yu).
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Wang et al., US. Patent Publication No. 2023/0158918 teaches electric vehicle charging management for a community with monitoring including various charging stations.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to EMILIO J SAAVEDRA whose telephone number is (571)270-5617. The examiner can normally be reached M-F: 9:30am-5:30pm (EST).
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Robert E Fennema can be reached at (571) 272-2748. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/EMILIO J SAAVEDRA/Primary Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2117