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 .
Claims 1 – 14 are pending.
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.
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) 1 and 2 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Hitz et al. (DE 102016224103 A1; hereinafter Hitz) in view of Metzger (DE 102018130261 A1; hereinafter Metzger). Hitz and Metzger are cited by the Applicant.
Regarding Claim 1, Hitz discloses a charging cable (Fig. 1, item 12) configured to transmit a charging current from a charging station (Fig. 1, item 4) to a traction battery (Fig. 1, item 10) for at least one of: charging and discharging the traction battery (Fig. 1, item 10), containing a plurality of charging current lines (Fig. 1, line 12 is divided by 16 into lines) designed and configured for transmitting the charging current from the charging station (Fig. 1, item 4) to the traction battery (Fig. 1, item 10), comprising:
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a temperature sensor unit, which is configured to determine the temperature of the assigned charging current line, wherein the temperature sensor units (page 5, para 5; one or more sensors, such as temperature sensors) are connected to a signal line configured to provide the temperature values determined by the temperature sensor units to the charging station (page 5, para 5; sensor system, by means of which state information, for example, information on the state of the power supply system or the cooling circuit, are determined or detected; control unit is also preferably part of the sensor system and accordingly connected via a signal line or a data line with one or more sensors, such as temperature sensors).
But Hitz does not specifically teach configured to be assigned to each charging current line.
However Metzger suggests configured to be assigned (Fig. 1, items 1 assigned to each line 10 and 11) to each charging current line (Fig. 3, lines 10 and 11).
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It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the invention to modify the temperature sensor unit of Hitz to be configured to be assigned to each charging current line in view of Metzger in order to determine the temperature curve along the line to reconstruct in spatially resolved manner (Metzger, page 5, para 7).
Regarding Claim 2, Hitz and Metzger disclose the charging cable as claimed in claim 1, Hitz also discloses wherein at least one of: exactly one signal line is provided in the charging cable, the signal line is configured and designed for the transmission of digital signals, and the temperature sensor units are digital temperature sensor units (page 5, para 5; a sensor system, by means of which state information, for example, information on the state of the power supply system or the cooling circuit, are determined or detected and a control unit described above is also preferably part of the sensor system and accordingly connected via a signal line or a data line (for digital signals) with one or more sensors, such as temperature sensors).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 3 is 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.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter:
Regarding Claim 3, the prior art of record does not teach claimed limitation: “wherein the temperature sensor units are configured and designed so that the digital signals thereof contain an identifier that uniquely identifies the temperature sensor unit, and the temperature value of the charging current line assigned to the temperature sensor unit” in combination with all other claimed limitations of claim 3.
Regarding Claims 4 – 7, the claims would be allowable as they further limit claim 3.
Claims 8 – 14 are allowed.
The following is an examiner’s statement of reasons for allowance:
Regarding Claim 8, the prior art of record does not teach claimed limitation: “at least one signal contact for contacting a signal line of the charging cable configured and designed for signal transmission, and also containing a computing device connected to the at least one signal contact for calculating losses occurring in the charging cable connected to the charging cable connection during the charging current transmission to the traction battery based on cable-specific data, wherein characterized in that the computing device is designed and configured for calculating the losses in the charging cable by taking into account temperature values of the charging current lines of the charging cable provided via the signal line of the charging cable” in combination with all other claimed limitations of claim 8.
Regarding Claim 9, the claim is allowed as it further limit allowed claim 8.
Regarding Claim 10, the prior art of record does not teach claimed limitation: “at least one signal contact for contacting a signal line of the charging cable configured and designed for signal transmission, and also containing a computing device connected to the at least one signal contact for calculating losses occurring in the charging cable connected to the charging cable connection during the charging current transmission to the traction battery based on cable-specific data, wherein the computing device is designed and configured for calculating the losses in the charging cable by taking into account temperature values of the charging current lines of the charging cable provided via the signal line of the charging cable” in combination with all other claimed limitations of claim 10.
Regarding Claim 11, the prior art of record does not teach claimed limitation: “wherein the determined temperature values are transmitted to the charging station via a signal line connected to the temperature sensor units, and wherein the calculation of the losses occurring in the charging cable during the transmission of energy to the traction battery is carried out by taking into account the temperature values of each of the charging current lines (20) determined and transmitted in the charging cable” in combination with all other claimed limitations of claim 11.
Regarding Claims 12 – 14, the claims are allowed as they further limit allowed claim 11.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure:
Völkl et al. (US 2024/0416777 A1) suggest a service for transporting a charging cable for charging a vehicle, the device comprising: a carrier structure to be arranged at a charging zone for charging a vehicle; a charging cable fastened to said carrier structure, said charging cable being connected, or connectible to an electricity source and having a charging plug for plugging into the vehicle to be charged (see claim 1).
Jung et al. (US 2023/0083889 A1) discloses a charging control box detachable charging cable system configured to be connected to a charging control box, the charging control box being configured to monitor or control a power charging state of a vehicle, the charging control box comprising: a first connection terminal and a second connection terminal disposed on opposite sides of the charging control box; a first key disposed on the first connection terminal, and a second key disposed on the second connection terminal, the charging control box detachable charging cable system comprising: a vehicle cable comprising a vehicle terminal disposed on a first end of the vehicle cable and configured to be connected to any one of the first connection terminal of the charging control box and an external power source, and an outlet disposed on a second end of the vehicle cable and configured to be connected to a charging inlet of a vehicle having a battery; and a portable cable comprising a first end configured to be connected to the external power source (see claim 1).
Herzog (US 2014/0042967 A1) teaches a vehicle charging arrangement comprising: a charging station outside of a vehicle; a charging cable; and an electric charging unit of the vehicle, for charging an electric energy storage device of the vehicle with electric energy from an external alternating-current network, wherein: on an input side, the charging station is configured to be supplied with electric power from the external alternating-current network, the charging cable is electrically connected to the charging station or is configured to be electrically connected to the charging station, the charging cable is configured to be electrically connected to the electric charging unit by way of a plug-and-socket connection (see claim 1).
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to GIOVANNI ASTACIO-OQUENDO whose telephone number is (571)270-5724. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday, 8:00am - 5:00pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Huy Phan can be reached at 571-272-7924. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/GIOVANNI ASTACIO-OQUENDO/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2858 11/26/2025