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 § 102
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 5-11 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Munemoto et al. (USPUB 2022/0305948).
As to Claim 5, Munemoto discloses a power supply control device, comprising: a power supply control part for controlling an external power supply from an on-vehicle battery mounted in a vehicle, the external power supply being a power supply to outside of the vehicle, and the power supply control part for stopping the external power supply at a time when a power suppliable remaining amount of the on-vehicle battery becomes less than a predetermined lower limit value (Figure 2 and 7); and a setting management part for acquiring the lower limit value input from an input device, and the setting management part for setting the acquired lower limit value in the power supply control part (Figure 8), wherein at a time when the input lower limit value is a value exceeding a present power suppliable remaining amount of the on-vehicle battery, the setting management part does not set the acquired lower limit value in the power supply control part (Figure 15).
As to Claim 6, Munemoto discloses the power supply control device according to claim 5, wherein at a time when the lower limit value is a value equal to or more than a present power suppliable remaining amount, the lower limit value being input by a user of the vehicle by the input device, the setting management part notifies to the user a notification of not accepting a setting of the input lower limit value (Paragraph 99-100).
As to Claim 7, Munemoto discloses the power supply control device according to claim 5, wherein at a time when the lower limit value is a value less than a prescribed limit value, the lower limit value being input by a user of the vehicle by the input device, the setting management part notifies to the user a notification of not accepting a setting of the input lower limit value (Paragraphs 99-100).
As to Claim 8, Munemoto discloses the power supply control device according to claim 7, wherein the setting management part calculates a power suppliable remaining amount of the on-vehicle battery necessary for the vehicle to travel a distance from a present position to a destination, and the setting management part determines a value of the calculated power suppliable remaining amount as the limit value (Paragraph 118-120).
As to Claim 9, Munemoto discloses the power supply control device according to claim 7, wherein the setting management part calculates a power suppliable remaining amount of the on-vehicle battery necessary for the vehicle to travel a distance from a present position to a nearest energy refill station, and the setting management part determines a value of the calculated power suppliable remaining amount as the limit value (Paragraph 118-120).
As to Claim 11, Munemoto discloses a power supply control device, comprising: a power supply control part for controlling an external power supply from an on-vehicle battery mounted in a vehicle, the external power supply being a power supply to outside of the vehicle, and the power supply control part for stopping the external power supply at a time when a power suppliable remaining amount of the on-vehicle battery becomes less than a predetermined lower limit value (Figure 2 and 7); a detection part for detecting a start of the external power supply (Paragraph 56); and a setting management part for acquiring the lower limit value input from an input device, and the setting management part for setting the acquired lower limit value in the power supply control part, wherein at a time when a power suppliable remaining amount of the on-vehicle battery becomes less than a presently set lower limit value, the power supply control part stops the external power supply until the lower limit value is newly set from the setting management part (Paragraph 100).
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 1-2 and 13-14 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Munemoto et al..
As to Claim 1, Munemoto discloses a power supply control device, comprising: a power supply control part for controlling an external power supply from an on-vehicle battery mounted in a vehicle, the external power supply being a power supply to outside of the vehicle (Figure 2), and the power supply control part for stopping the external power supply at a time when a power suppliable remaining amount of the on-vehicle battery becomes less than a predetermined lower limit value during external power supply (Figure 7); a display control part for displaying a lower limit value setting screen on an on-vehicle display device mounted in the vehicle, the lower limit value setting screen being a screen for setting the lower limit value (Figure 8); and a detection part for detecting a start of the external power supply (Paragraph 56), wherein at a time when a start of the external power supply is detected, the display control part displays a confirmation screen on the on-vehicle display device (Figure 8, Element M23). Munemoto does not expressly disclose the confirmation screen for inquiring whether or not to display the lower limit value setting screen. However, the Examiner takes official notice that deciding what information to display to a user is well known in the art, and it would have been obvious to one having routine skill in the art to allow for various information to be displayed, as it allows the user greater knowledge and control of the vehicles charging.
As to Claim 2, Munemoto discloses the power supply control device according to claim 1, wherein at a time when any one predetermined prescribed notification screen is displayed on the on-vehicle display device, the display control part does not display the confirmation screen on the on-vehicle display device even at a time when a start of the external power supply is detected (Figure 12).
As to Claim 13, Munemoto discloses the power supply control device according to claim 1, wherein at a time when the external power supply stops, the power supply control part transmits a notification of a power supply stop to a portable terminal of a user of the vehicle (Paragraph 72).
As to Claim 14, Munemoto discloses a power supply control method performed by a computer of a power supply control device, the power supply control method comprising: a power supply step for controlling an external power supply from an on-vehicle battery mounted in a vehicle, the external power supply being a power supply to outside of the vehicle, and the power supply step for stopping the external power supply at a time when a power suppliable remaining amount of the on-vehicle battery becomes less than a predetermined lower limit value during external power supply (Figure 2 and 7); a display control step for displaying a lower limit value setting screen on an on-vehicle display device mounted in the vehicle, the lower limit value setting screen being a screen for setting the lower limit value (Figure 8); and a detection step for detecting a start of the external power supply (Paragraph 56), wherein in the display control step, at a time when a start of the external power supply is detected in the detection step, a confirmation screen is displayed on the on-vehicle display device (Figure 8, Element M23). Munemoto does not expressly disclose the confirmation screen for inquiring whether or not to display the lower limit value setting screen. However, the Examiner takes official notice that deciding what information to display to a user is well known in the art, and it would have been obvious to one having routine skill in the art to allow for various information to be displayed, as it allows the user greater knowledge and control of the vehicles charging.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 3-4 and 12 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.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ROBERT J GRANT whose telephone number is (571)270-5820. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday 9am - 5:30pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Drew Dunn can be reached at (571)272-2312. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/ROBERT GRANT/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2859
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