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 .
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 – 15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kiessling (US 20210086647) in view of Lowe (US 20230174008).
Regarding claim 1, Kiessling teaches a vehicle charging system for managing power supply during charging operation of a plurality of BEVs (figure 1 item 100 and paragraphs [0003] and [0034] discloses a vehicle charging system paragraphs) comprising:
a master device connected to a primary grid network, wherein the master device includes at least one processor and a communication interface (figure 1 item 120 and paragraphs [0031] and [0034] discloses a master device interpreted as an optimizer system ) and the at least one processor is configured to:
establish a communication with each of a plurality of slave devices installed in the plurality of BEVs (paragraph [0031] and [0034] discloses wherein communication is established between a plurality of charging systems and slave devices or fleet vehicles);
receive, in real-time via the communication interface from the plurality of slave devices, input data including information related to a power level consumed by each of a plurality of Transport Refrigeration Units (TRUs) of the plurality of BEVs during the charging operation, a corresponding operation mode of the plurality of TRUs, and a current state of each of the plurality of TRUs (paragraphs [0031] – [0034] wherein real-time communication and updating the charging schedule or operation is performed);
calculate a total power currently utilized by the plurality of TRUs based on the received input data (paragraphs [0007] and [0034] discloses wherein a total power is calculated);
determine a probability whether the calculated total power exceeds a maximum allowed power provided by the primary grid network during the charging operation in case a new charging request is received from a new slave device (paragraph [0033] discloses wherein a probability is determined, defined as historical values are used to predict and update charging rates for the vehicles. If a total power is predicted, the charging rates may be reduced or adjusted); and
regulate, based on the determined probability, a power allocation of a group of TRUs among the plurality of the TRUs such that the total calculated power remains below a saturation point of the maximum allowed power (paragraph [0033] discloses wherein the charge is regulated, adjusted or reduced based on this probability or prediction of a total power exceeding a threshold).
Kiessling does not explicitly teach a plurality of Transport Refrigeration Units (TRUs).
Lowe teaches a plurality of Transport Refrigeration Units (paragraph [0043] discloses power allocation for a plurality of Transportation Refrigeration Units (TRUs)).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the charging system of the Kiessling reference with the charging system of the Lowe reference so that the performance of the Transportation Refrigeration Units is monitored to determine future energy use to make adjustments for refrigeration.
The suggestion/motivation for combination can be found in the Lowe reference in paragraph [0046] wherein monitoring the performance of the TRU is taught.
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Kiessling figure 1 shows a master-slave or fleet vehicle charging system
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Lowe figure 6a shows a power system for a fleet of Transportation Refrigeration Units (TRUs)
Regarding claim 2, Kiessling teaches the system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to: receive, based on a user input, a priority request from at least one slave device of the plurality of slave devices for authorization to utilize an excess amount of power from the primary grid network in comparison to an allocated power of the at least one TRU (paragraphs [0028] and [0069] disclose wherein a vehicle requests charging when it enters a station and the charging plan is updated based on the vehicle requesting charging); and
authorize the at least one TRU for utilizing the excess amount of power from the primary grid network in case the total calculated power is within the saturation point of the maximum allowed power (paragraphs [0069] – [0070] discloses wherein a new vehicle enters and excess amount of power or available power is determined. Paragraph [0070] discloses wherein a charging method plan controls the electric vehicle charging by detecting conditions in which the vehicle charger is likely or unlikely to trigger excess utility charges (i.e., the EV charger's consumption causes total power consumption to exceed the peak threshold consumption value) and then permitting the EV charger to consume power that is unlikely to cause those excess utility charges).
Regarding claim 3, Kiessling teaches the system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to: estimate, based on the authorization, each of a remaining time to reach a setpoint and a remaining time required for a full recharge of a battery of the BEV associated with the at least one slave device from which the priority request is received (paragraph [0042] discloses wherein the remaining time or duration of time for charging is determined from the request to charge. A determination of a duration of time is a remaining time for recharging the vehicle for a specific threshold); and control a graphical user interface (GUI) of the BEV associated with the at least one slave device to display each of the estimated remaining time to reach the setpoint and the estimated remaining time required for the full recharge (paragraph [0066] discloses wherein communication is provided to the user such as charging schedules via a graphical user interface).
Regarding claim 4, Kiessling teaches the system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to: estimate a remaining time required for a full recharge of a battery of each of the plurality of BEVs based on the total calculated power (paragraph [0042] discloses wherein the remaining time or duration of time for charging is determined from the request to charge. A determination of a duration of time is a remaining time for recharging the vehicle for a specific threshold including fully charged); and control a graphical user interface (GUI) of each of the plurality of BEVs to display each of the estimated remaining time required for the full recharge (paragraph [0066] discloses wherein communication is provided to the user such as charging schedules via a graphical user interface).
Regarding claim 5, Kiessling teaches the system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the master device is connected with the plurality of slave devices in one of a point-to-point configuration or a multipoint configuration (figure 1 shows a point-to-point configuration).
Regarding claim 6, Kiessling teaches the system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to regulate, based on the determined probability, the power allocation for each of the plurality of TRUs in a case where the master device is connected with the plurality of slave devices in a multipoint configuration (paragraph [0033] discloses wherein a probability is determined, defined as historical values are used to predict and update charging rates for the vehicles. If a total power is predicted, the charging rates may be reduced or adjusted to avoid power overloading)
Regarding claim 7, Kiessling teaches the system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the established communication corresponds to one of an electrical-based communication, a Controlled Area Network (CAN) based communication, a Power Line Communication (PLC), or a wireless communication (paragraph [0031] discloses wireless communications).
Regarding claim 8, Kiessling teaches the system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the regulation of the power allocation corresponds to a command from the master device to a group of slave devices among the plurality of slave devices to reduce or increase a power intake from the primary grid network to avoid power overloading paragraph [0033] discloses wherein a probability is determined, defined as historical values are used to predict and update charging rates for the vehicles. If a total power is predicted, the charging rates may be reduced or adjusted to avoid power overloading).
Regarding claim 9, Kiessling teaches the system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the input data is received periodically from each of the plurality of the slave devices, the corresponding operation modes include at least one of a cooling mode, a heating mode, a null mode, a recharge mode of a battery of corresponding TRUs, or a standby mode of the plurality of TRUs, and a current state of each of the plurality of TRUs corresponds to one of an ON state or an OFF state (paragraphs [0042] [0045] discloses wherein various input data or parameters is received such as vehicle status, state, or mode of recharging or charging).
Regarding claim 10¸ Kiessling teaches a method for managing power supply during charging operation of a plurality of BEVs (figure 1 item 100 and paragraphs [0003] and [0034] discloses a vehicle charging system paragraphs), comprising:
establishing a communication with each of a plurality of slave devices installed in the plurality of BEVs (paragraph [0031] and [0034] discloses wherein communication is established between a plurality of charging systems and slave devices or fleet vehicles);
receiving, in real-time via the communication interface from the plurality of slave devices, input data including information related to a power level consumed by each of a plurality of Transport Refrigeration Units (TRUs) of the plurality of BEVs during the charging operation, a corresponding operation mode of the plurality of TRUs, a current state of each of the plurality of TRUs (paragraphs [0031] – [0034] wherein real-time communication and updating the charging schedule or operation is performed);
calculating a total power currently utilized by the plurality of TRUs based on the received input data (paragraphs [0007] and [0034] discloses wherein a total power is calculated);
determining a probability whether the calculated total power exceeds a maximum allowed power provided by the primary grid network during the charging operation in case a new charging request is received from a new slave device (paragraph [0033] discloses wherein a probability is determined, defined as historical values are used to predict and update charging rates for the vehicles. If a total power is predicted, the charging rates may be reduced or adjusted); and
regulating, based on the determined probability, a power allocation of a group of TRUs among the plurality of the TRUs such that the total calculated power remains below a saturation point of the maximum allowed power (paragraph [0033] discloses wherein the charge is regulated, adjusted or reduced based on this probability or prediction of a total power exceeding a threshold).
Kiessling does not explicitly teach a plurality of Transport Refrigeration Units (TRUs).
Lowe teaches a plurality of Transport Refrigeration Units (paragraph [0043] discloses power allocation for a plurality of Transportation Refrigeration Units (TRUs)).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the charging system of the Kiessling reference with the charging system of the Lowe reference so that the performance of the Transportation Refrigeration Units is monitored to determine future energy use to make adjustments for refrigeration.
The suggestion/motivation for combination can be found in the Lowe reference in paragraph [0046] wherein monitoring the performance of the TRU is taught.
Regarding claim 11 Kiessling teaches the method as claimed in claim 10, further comprising: receiving, based on a user input, a priority request from at least one slave device of the plurality of slave devices for authorization to utilize an excess amount of power from the primary grid network in comparison to an allocated power of the at least one TRU (paragraphs [0028] and [0069] disclose wherein a vehicle requests charging when it enters a station and the charging plan is updated based on the vehicle requesting charging); and
authorizing the at least one TRU for utilizing the excess amount of power from the primary grid network in case the total calculated power is within the saturation point of the maximum allowed power (paragraphs [0069] – [0070] discloses wherein a new vehicle enters and excess amount of power or available power is determined. Paragraph [0070] discloses wherein a charging method plan controls the electric vehicle charging by detecting conditions in which the vehicle charger is likely or unlikely to trigger excess utility charges (i.e., the EV charger's consumption causes total power consumption to exceed the peak threshold consumption value) and then permitting the EV charger to consume power that is unlikely to cause those excess utility charges).
Regarding claim 12, Kiessling teaches The method as claimed in claim 10, further comprising: estimating, based on the authorization, each of a remaining time to reach a setpoint and a remaining time required for a full recharge of the BEV associated with the at least one slave device from which the priority request is received (paragraph [0042] discloses wherein the remaining time or duration of time for charging is determined from the request to charge); and controlling a graphical user interface (GUI) of the BEV associated with the at least one slave device to display each of the estimated remaining time to reach the setpoint and the estimated remaining time required for the full recharge (paragraph [0066] discloses wherein communication is provided to the user such as charging schedules via a graphical user interface).
Regarding claim 13, Kiessling teaches the method as claimed in claim 10, further comprising: estimating a remaining time required for a full recharge of each of the plurality of BEVs based on the total calculated power (paragraph [0042] discloses wherein the remaining time or duration of time for charging is determined from the request to charge. A determination of a duration of time is a remaining time for recharging the vehicle for a specific threshold including fully charged or a target state of charge); and control a graphical user interface (GUI) of each of the plurality of BEVs to display each of the estimated remaining time required for the full recharge (paragraph [0066] discloses wherein communication is provided to the user such as charging schedules via a graphical user interface).
Regarding claim 14, Kiessling teaches the method as claimed in claim 10, wherein the master device is connected with the plurality of slave devices in one of a point-to-point configuration or a multi-point-configuration, and the method further comprises regulating, based on the determined probability, the power allocation for each of the plurality of TRUs in a case where the master device is connected with the plurality of slave devices in the multipoint configuration (figure 1 shows a point-to-point configuration. Paragraph [0033] discloses wherein the charge is regulated, adjusted or reduced based on this probability or prediction of a total power exceeding a threshold).
Regarding claim 15, Kiessling teaches the method as claimed in claim 10, wherein the regulation of the power allocation corresponds to a command from the master device to a group of slave devices among the plurality of slave devices to reduce or increase a power intake from the primary grid network to avoid power overloading (paragraph [0033] discloses wherein a probability is determined, defined as historical values are used to predict and update charging rates for the vehicles. If a total power is predicted, the charging rates may be reduced or adjusted to avoid power overloading).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
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Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ALEXIS B PACHECO whose telephone number is (571)272-5979. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 9:00 - 5:30.
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ALEXIS BOATENG PACHECO
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 2859
/ALEXIS B PACHECO/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2859
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