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 .
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claim(s) 1,2,7, 8, 9 and 10 have been considered but are moot due to new grounds of rejection.
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, 2 and 9 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Wang et al. (DE102020109126A1).
Regarding claims 1 and 9, Wang et al. teach An apparatus for identifying a malfunction of a DC voltage charging connection for an electric vehicle, with a first contactor (236) arranged in a positive pole and a second contactor (238) arranged in a negative pole of the charging connection; the apparatus operable to:
drive the two contactors into an open or closed state, without applying the charging voltage; ([0030] After completion of the loading cycle, a command can be issued to open the loading gates 236 and 238. The 250 controller can initiate an orderly shutdown sequence. The charging device 132 can be commanded not to supply any power during shutdown. The control unit 250 can command the positive contactor 236 of the loading device to open first, while the return contactor 238 of the loading device remains closed.)
apply an internal reference DC voltage of the electric vehicle between both contactors, including applying a positive pole of the reference DC voltage at the first contactor and a negative pole of the reference DC voltage at the second contactor; (Note voltage of the charging device 132)
measure a first voltage potential (230) between both contactors on an output side of the contactors; (The controller 250 can scan the voltage sensor 234 of the charging device to determine the voltage across the charging device 132.) par. 0030
The controller 250 can also sample the battery voltage sensor 230 and/or the voltage sensor 232 of the high-voltage bus to determine the voltage across the traction battery 124 or the high-voltage bus 152.
and
measure a second voltage potential (234) between both contactors on an input side of the contactors; (The controller 250 can also sample the battery voltage sensor 230 and/or the voltage sensor 232 of the high-voltage bus to determine the voltage across the traction battery 124 or the high-voltage bus 152.) par. 0030
and
identify a malfunction of the two contactors based at least in part on the measured voltage potentials. ([0032] It should be noted that the voltage measurements can be carried out after a certain period of time to allow the voltage of the charging device to drop. If one of the charging contactors 236, 238 is welded in the closed position, the voltage of the charging device is approximately equal to the battery voltage/voltage of the high-voltage bus. If the battery voltage/high-voltage bus voltage and the charging device voltage are within a predetermined range of each other, the controller 250 can diagnose that the tested charging contactor 236, 238 is welded shut in the closed position.
Regarding claim 2, Wang et al. teach driving the connector to a state A, therein both contactors are driven into an open state; identifying no malfunction if the first voltage potential essentially corresponds to the reference DC voltage and the second voltage potential is essentially zero; and/or identifying both contactors as blocked in the closed state if both the first and the second voltage potential essentially correspond to the reference DC voltage.([0034] To compensate, the controller 250 may command both the charger positive contactor 236 and the charger feedback contactor 238 to open. The controller 250 may measure the charger voltage and the high voltage bus/battery voltage. If the charger voltage is approximately equal to the high voltage bus/battery voltage, there may be a problem with a welded contactor. However, this strategy can only detect a problem if both load contactors 236 , 238 are welded in the closed state.)
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 7 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Wang et al. (DE102020109126A1) in view of Applicant’s admission of prior art.
Wang et al. teach the instant invention except the following claim limitations.
Regarding claim 7, Wang et al. does not teach the electric vehicle has a cover opened for access to the charging connection when the charging voltage is to be applied; the cover is closed when the elements of the method are carried out.
Applicant’s admission of prior art teach the electric vehicle has a cover opened for access to the charging connection when the charging voltage is to be applied. the cover is closed when the elements of the method are carried out. (par. 0003 of PGPUB 2024/0317060 of the instant application)
Therefore it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Wang et al. to include the teaching of the electric vehicle has a cover opened for access to the charging connection when the charging voltage is to be applied, the cover is closed when the elements of the method are carried out to provide protection for the charging connections.
Claims 8 and 10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Wang et al. (DE102020109126A1) in view of Gonzales et al. (US 9260015).
Wang et al. teach the instant invention except the following claim limitations.
Regarding claim 8, Wang does not teach the apparatus is disposed in the electric vehicle and, during a journey of the electric vehicle.
Gonzales et al. teach the apparatus is disposed in the electric vehicle and, during a journey of the electric vehicle. (Note abstract)
Therefore it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Wang et al. to include the teaching of the apparatus is disposed in the electric vehicle and, during a journey of the electric vehicle so that the driver can be alerted to any faults that occur during driving and take appropriate actions.
Regarding claim 10, Wang et al. teach drives one of the two contactors to move it into an open or closed state and driving the other of the two contactors in order to move it into an open of closed state, without applying a charging voltage; applies an internal reference DC voltage of the electric vehicle between both contactors, including applying a positive pole of the reference DC voltage at the first contactor and a negative pole of the reference DC voltage at the second contactor; measures a first voltage potential between the contactors on a respective output side of the contactors; measures a second voltage potential between the contactors on a respective input side of the contactors; and identifies a malfunction of the two contactors based at least in part on the first voltage potential and the second voltage potential. (see rejection of claim 9 in which the method steps are inherent)
Wang does not teach the apparatus is disposed in the electric vehicle and, during a journey of the electric vehicle.
Gonzales et al. teach the apparatus is disposed in the electric vehicle and, during a journey of the electric vehicle. (Note abstract)
Therefore it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Wang et al. to include the teaching of the apparatus is disposed in the electric vehicle and, during a journey of the electric vehicle so that the driver can be alerted to any faults that occur during driving and take appropriate actions.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 3-6 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 claim 3, a state B wherein the first contactor is driven into the open state and the second contactor is driven into the closed state; identifying no malfunction if the first voltage potential essentially corresponds to the reference DC voltage and the second voltage potential is essentially zero; and/or identifying the first contactor blocked in the closed state and the second contactor is not blocked in the open state if both the first and the second voltage potential essentially correspond to the reference DC voltage.
Regarding claim 4, driving the connectors into a state C, wherein both contactors are driven into the closed state; identifying the first contactor or the second contactor is blocked in the open state if the first voltage potential essentially corresponds to the reference DC voltage and the second voltage potential is essentially zero; and/or identifying no malfunction if both the first and the second voltage potential essentially correspond to the reference DC voltage.
Regarding claim 5, driving the connectors into a state D, wherein the first contactor is driven into the closed state and the second contactor is driven into the open state; identifying the first contactor are not blocked in the open state and the second contactor as blocked in the closed state if both the first and the second voltage potential essentially correspond to the reference DC voltage; and/or identifying no malfunction if the first voltage potential essentially corresponds to the reference DC voltage and the second voltage potential is essentially zero.
Regarding claim 6, driving the contactor to a state A, wherein both contactors are driven into an open state; identifying no malfunction if the first voltage potential essentially corresponds to the reference DC voltage and the second voltage potential is essentially zero; and/or identifying both contactors are blocked in the closed state if both the first and the second voltage potential essentially Correspond to the reference DC voltage; driving the contactors to a state B, wherein the first contactor is driven into the open state and the second contactor is driven into the closed state; identifying no malfunction if the first voltage potential essentially corresponds to the reference DC voltage and the second volt je potential is essentially zero; and/or identifying the first contactor as blocked in the closed state and the second contactor as not blocked in the open state if both the first and the second voltage potential essentially correspond to the reference DC voltage, driving the contactors to a state B, wherein the first contactor is driven into the open state and the second contactor is driven into the closed state; identifying no malfunction if the first voltage potential essentially Corresponds to the reference DC voltage and the second voltage potential is essentially zero; and/or identifying the first con as blocked in the closed state and e second contactor as not blocked in the open state if both the first and the second voltage potential essentially correspond to the reference DC voltage; driving the connectors into a state D, wherein the first contactor is driven into the closed state and the second contactor is driven into the open state; identifying the first contactor as not blocked in the open state and the second contactor as blocked in the closed state if both the first and the second voltage potential essentially correspond to the reference DC voltage; and/or identifying no malfunction if the first voltage potential essentially corresponds to the reference DC voltage and the second voltage potential is essentially zero; wherein the states are set up in the sequence A, B, C, D, A.
Conclusion
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/DEMETRIUS R PRETLOW/ Examiner, Art Unit 2858
/LEE E RODAK/ Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2858