DETAILED ACTION
1. The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA . Claims 1-20 are presented for examination on the merits.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
2. 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 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.
3. 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 of this title, 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.
4. Claim 1-9 and 12 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kuraishi (US 9931955 B2) in view of Brockman (WO 2015/167882 A2).
As to claim 1, Kuraishi discloses in management system and management method of battery and battery charger, and battery charger having claimed:
a. a vehicle comprising: a communication device configured to communicate with an external power supply read on Col. 5, Lines 3-10, (he battery charger 20 includes a charge control unit (ECU) 21, a charging circuit 22, a communication unit (ECU) 23 and a data communication module 24. The charge control unit (ECU) 21 is connected to the battery control unit (ECU) 14 via a connector, and receives state information of the battery 15 from the battery control unit (ECU) 14 so as to control the charging operation of the charging circuit 22 on the basis of the state information of the battery 15);
b. a power storage device configured to be charged by a charging power supplied from the external power supply via a charging cable read on Col. 2, Line 54-67, ( battery of a vehicle such as a forklift etc. is charged by using a battery charger. As shown in FIG. 7, the electric power from a battery 15 is provided to various loads 704 such as a motor for driving the vehicle etc. via an inverter 703 and is also provided to a main control unit (ECU) 12 for controlling the running and a data communication module 13);
c. a notification device configured to notify information on charging to at least one of a vehicle interior or a vehicle exterior read on Col. 6, Lines 33-40, ( by adding a communication function to the battery charger 20 and transmitting information on the usage state of the battery charger 20 and information on the state of the battery 15 of the vehicle 10 to the management system 40, the management system 40 can obtain information on the state of each of the batteries 15 for each of the vehicles 10 and information on the usage state for each of the battery chargers 20, and manage them collectively);
d. an electronic control unit configured to: calculate a charging time required to charge the power storage device by using the charging power; and cause the notification device to notify at least one of a changed charging power and a changed charging time when the charging power has changed before a charging is completed read on Col. 6, Lines 52-67, (operation management of battery charger” above, the management system 40 provides information on the operation of the battery charger 20 (charge state, charging power, charging elapsed time, etc.) and peripheral information (remaining power of the battery 15, operable period of time, etc.). (a) in FIG. 2 shows an example of information provided in the operation management of the battery charger 20. The example of the operation management of the battery charger 20 shown in (a) in FIG. 2 shows that, regarding the battery charger with charge ID “1”, the charge state is “during charging”, the remaining power of the battery being charged is 40%, the charging power is 7 kW, the charging completion period of time is 40 minutes, the operable period of time of the battery at the current moment is 2 hours, and the battery charger is in a normal state). Kuraishi does not explicitly recite wherein the vehicle interior or a vehicle exterior, the notification device comprising a display.
However, Brockman in a battery management system and configured to monitor one or more operational parameters cures deficiency by teaching that it may be beneficial:
e. wherein the vehicle interior or a vehicle exterior, the notification device comprising a display read on ¶ 0039 – ¶ 0041, (the microprocessor 94 may communicate with the state of charge indicator 20 to provide an indication of the calculated state of charge of the battery 12. As noted above, providing the state of charge indicator 20 as a tethered device may be desirable, because the state of charge may be easily assessed without requiring disassembly of the vehicle to access the battery 12. Furthermore, in certain embodiments, the battery 12 may be difficult to access or reach in the vehicle (e.g., a motorcycle), and the tethered state of charge indicator 20 may be more easily accessible for the user than the battery 12. In some embodiments, the state of charge indicator 20 may be a visual indicator, such as one or more light emitting diodes (LED), that is illuminated in colors that correspond to the state of charge of the battery 12 (e.g., red indicates a discharged state, green indicates a charged state, and yellow indicates a partially charged state). For example, in certain embodiments, if the state of charge of the battery 12 is above a first threshold, the microprocessor 94 may send a signal to the state of charge indicator 20 that causes the state of charge indicator 20 to provide a first indication (e.g., a green LED). Additionally, if the state of charge of the battery 12 is below a second threshold, the microprocessor 94 may send a signal to the state of charge indicator 20 that causes the state of charge indicator to provide a second indication (e.g., a red LED). Further, in certain embodiments, if the state of charge of the battery 12 is between the first and the second threshold, the microprocessor 94 may send a signal to the state of charge indicator 20 that causes the state of charge indicator 20 to provide a third indication (e.g., a yellow LED). In another embodiment, the state of charge indicator 20 may be a visual indication panel configured to display a percentage corresponding to the ratio of the current charge level to the total possible charge level that defines the battery’s capacity. While the illustrated embodiment relates to the state of charge indicator 20, it should be noted that any suitable type of output device (e.g., audio and/or visual output device) may be used to provide feedback to a user relating to the battery 12).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate the integrated battery management system and method of Brockman into Kuraishi in order to provide an indication of a state of charge of the battery system which includes a first multi-conductor connector configured to couple to the multi-conductor connector of the battery system.
As to claim 2, Kuraishi further discloses:
a. wherein the electronic control unit is configured to cause the notification device to notify the changed charging power and the changed charging time when the electronic control unit has not received an abnormality signal indicating an abnormality of the external power supply via the communication device and the electronic control unit determines that the charging power has changed read on Col. 7, Lines 8-31, (the battery charger with charge ID “3”, it is shown that the charge state is “during charging”, the remaining power of the battery being charged is 20%, the charging power is 14 kW, the charging completion period of time is 60 minutes, the operable period of time of the battery at the current moment is 1 hour, and the battery charger is in a normal state. Regarding the battery charger with charge ID “4”, it is shown that the charge state is “abnormal halt”, the remaining power of the battery being charged, the charging power and the operable period of time of the battery at the current moment are unknown, and the battery charger is in an abnormal state. On the basis of these pieces of information, the management system 40 can recognize the operation of the battery charger 20 and can determine an efficient timing for charging so that the vehicle 10 such as a forklift etc. is operated efficiently. As an efficient timing for charging, it is possible to charge preferentially a vehicle 10 that is highly likely to fall below the level that is necessary for the minimum operation and to charge preferentially a vehicle 10 that will reach the fully-charged level earlier than other such vehicles 10).
As to claim 3, Kuraishi further discloses:
a. wherein the communication device is configured to communicate with a communication terminal that is owned by a user of the vehicle read on Col. 6, Lines 14-33, (The application server 42 stores, in a database of a storage device 43, information on a state of a battery being charged and information on the usage state of a battery charger contained in the received communication data in association with time information for each battery and each battery charger, processes the result as statistic data in association with time information for each battery and each battery charger, and sends the processed statistical data to a personal computer 44 of the management terminal so that the personal computer 44 displays the data).
As to claim 4, Kuraishi further discloses:
a. where the electronic control unit is configured to transmit the changed charging power and the changed charging time to the communication terminal via the communication device when the electronic control unit has not received the abnormality signal, from the external power supply, indicating the abnormality of the external power supply and the electronic control unit determines that the charging power has changed read on Col. 7, Lines 8-31 & Col. 6, Lines 14-33, ( (the battery charger with charge ID “3”, it is shown that the charge state is “during charging”, the remaining power of the battery being charged is 20%, the charging power is 14 kW, the charging completion period of time is 60 minutes, the operable period of time of the battery at the current moment is 1 hour, and the battery charger is in a normal state. Regarding the battery charger with charge ID “4”, it is shown that the charge state is “abnormal halt”, the remaining power of the battery being charged, the charging power and the operable period of time of the battery at the current moment are unknown, and the battery charger is in an abnormal state. On the basis of these pieces of information, the management system 40 can recognize the operation of the battery charger 20 and can determine an efficient timing for charging so that the vehicle 10 such as a forklift etc. is operated efficiently. As an efficient timing for charging, it is possible to charge preferentially a vehicle 10 that is highly likely to fall below the level that is necessary for the minimum operation and to charge preferentially a vehicle 10 that will reach the fully-charged level earlier than other such vehicles 10. The application server 42 stores, in a database of a storage device 43, information on a state of a battery being charged and information on the usage state of a battery charger contained in the received communication data in association with time information for each battery and each battery charger, processes the result as statistic data in association with time information for each battery and each battery charger, and sends the processed statistical data to a personal computer 44 of the management terminal so that the personal computer 44 displays the data).
As to claim 5, Kuraishi further discloses:
a. wherein the electronic control unit is configured to cause the notification device to perform notification in different notification modes depending on a value of the charging power read on Col. 6, Line 33-45, (s described above, by adding a communication function to the battery charger 20 and transmitting information on the usage state of the battery charger 20 and information on the state of the battery 15 of the vehicle 10 to the management system 40, the management system 40 can obtain information on the state of each of the batteries 15 for each of the vehicles 10 and information on the usage state for each of the battery chargers 20, and manage them collectively. The management system 40 utilizes the function of communicating with the battery charger 20 and also utilizing information obtained by the function, and thereby can conduct fleet management such as for example (1) through (5) below collectively. (1) Operation management of battery charger (2) Charging power management of battery charger (3) Charging power control of battery charger (4) Remote monitoring of battery (5) Updating of firmware of battery control unit (ECU) and charge control unit (ECU)).
As to claim 6, Kuraishi further discloses:
a. wherein the electronic control unit is configured to cause the notification device to perform notification in different notification modes depending on a value of the changed charging time read on Col. 9, Lines 45-51, (FIG. 4 shows an example of the second flow. After obtaining information on the state of the battery 15 and the information on the usage state of the battery charger 20 (step S41) by following the first flow in FIG. 3, the management system 40 analyzes the obtained information and generates control information of charging operations such as control of charging power etc. for the battery charger 20FIG. 4 shows an example of the second flow. After obtaining information on the state of the battery 15 and the information on the usage state of the battery charger 20 (step S41) by following the first flow in FIG. 3, the management system 40 analyzes the obtained information and generates control information of charging operations such as control of charging power etc. for the battery charger 20).
As to claim 7, Kuraishi further discloses:
a. wherein the notification device notifies information on charging to the vehicle interior read on Col. 4, Lines 46-53, (the display control unit (ECU) 11 is a control unit that controls a display device (not shown) for displaying information such as various states of the vehicle 10, the guidance, etc. for the driver of the vehicle 10. The main control unit (ECU) 12 controls an electric motor (not shown) and an inverter (not shown) in the vehicle 10 so as to mainly control the running etc. of the vehicle 10).
As to claim 8, Kuraishi further discloses:
a. wherein the notification device comprises a navigation system and the electronic control unit is configured to cause the navigation system to display numerical values of the changed charging power and the changed charging time read on Col. 7, Lines 37-57 and Col. 7, Lines 37-57, (receiving data representing the operation state transmitted from the data communication module 511 of the vehicle 500, the management system 512 analyzes the data, determines the operation state (running with loads, running without loads, standing with loads and standing without loads) of the vehicle 500 for each time unit, generates data for recognizing, studying and managing the operation state of the vehicle 500 on the basis of the determination result, and displays the data in a display device. Regarding “(2) Charging power management of battery charger” above, the management system 40 provides information on the charging power of the battery charger 20 (moment, time, day, week, month, year, etc.). (b) in FIG. 2 shows an example of the charge management of the battery charger 20. In the example of charge management of the battery charger 20 shown in (b) in FIG. 2, regarding the battery charger with charge ID “1”, the charging power at the present (moment) is 3.5 kW, the accumulated charging power of today is 5 kWh, the peak power of today is 4.1 kW, the accumulated charging power of yesterday is 6 kWh, the peak power of yesterday is 4.2 kW, the accumulated charging power of this week is 20 kWh, the peak power of the this week is 4.1 kW, the accumulated charging power of the last week is 30 kWh, the peak power of the last week is 4.3 kW, the accumulated charging power of the this month is 80 kWh, the accumulated charging power of the last month is 70 kWh and the accumulated charging power of the year is 820 kWh).
As to claim 9, Kuraishi further discloses:
a. wherein the notification device notifies information on charging to the vehicle exterior read on Col. 6, Line 13-32, (the application server 42 is a server that manages information on the state of a battery of each vehicle and the usage state of each battery charger collectively. The application server 42 stores, in a database of a storage device 43, information on a state of a battery being charged and information on the usage state of a battery charger contained in the received communication data in association with time information for each battery and each battery charger, processes the result as statistic data in association with time information for each battery and each battery charger, and sends the processed statistical data to a personal computer 44 of the management terminal so that the personal computer 44 displays the data).
As to claim 12, the claim is interpreted and rejected as to claim 1.
5. Claim 11, 13-18 and 20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kuraishi in view of Brockman and further in view of Ueno (CN 102742114 A).
As to claim 11, Kuraishi further discloses:
a. a monitoring device configured to monitor a charging state of the power storage device being charged by the external power supply read on Col. 3, Lines 9-14, (Note that a battery control unit (ECU) 14 for monitoring a battery is provided with electric power from the battery 15, and thus can operate to collect pieces of monitoring information by monitoring the state of the battery 15 that is being charged even when the battery control unit (ECU) 14 is being charged);
b. wherein: the power storage device is configured to be charged by the charging power supplied from the external power supply via the charging cable and one or more charging relays, the electronic control unit is communicatively coupled to the monitoring device and the one or more charging relays, the electronic control unit configured to: detect an abnormality of the external power supply by monitoring the charging state with the monitoring device read on Col. 7, Lines 16-31, (Regarding the battery charger with charge ID “4”, it is shown that the charge state is “abnormal halt”, the remaining power of the battery being charged, the charging power and the operable period of time of the battery at the current moment are unknown, and the battery charger is in an abnormal state. On the basis of these pieces of information, the management system 40 can recognize the operation of the battery charger 20 and can determine an efficient timing for charging so that the vehicle 10 such as a forklift etc. is operated efficiently). Kuraishi does not explicitly recite in response to detection of the abnormality, execute a stop process, the stop process includes switching OFF the one or more charging relays.
However, Ueno in electric vehicle charging current under the condition of 200V of expected is 20A to 30A cures this deficiency by teaching that it may be beneficial wherein in response to detection of the abnormality, execute a stop process, the stop process includes switching OFF the one or more charging relays read on ¶ 0059 – ¶ 0062, (when the current measuring unit 2 measured current value exceeds the state first threshold lasts for the preset time, the control box 3 the supply limit signal is output to a vehicle power supply unit 4 by a signal line. the supply limit signal indicating stopping power. For example, main breaker current rating of 11 is 50A. the control box 3 of the first threshold value is 55A. first threshold value Th1 55A corresponds to a current rating of 110 percent, when satisfies the current measuring unit 2 the measured current value is equal to or larger than 55A state for I second, control box 3 for indicating the stop limiting the power supply signal of the electric vehicle 50 power supply output to a vehicle power supply unit 4. Vehicle such as power supply unit 4 mounted on the outer wall of the house H with electric vehicle 50 the parking space adjacent. the vehicle power supply unit 4 via a branch line L2 from the branch circuit breaker in the distribution board I in 12 receives commercial AC power (e.g., AC 200V). in addition, a vehicle power supply unit 4 is configured with a charge cable CA. charge cable CA comprises a power line L3 and signal line L4. charging one end of the cable CA is configured with a connector terminal 5. connector of the vehicle side connector terminal 5 is detachably mounted to the electric vehicle 50 by 53. the charge cable CA cable length sufficient to reach the electric vehicle is parked in the parking space 50. the charge cable CA winding flexible drum (not shown), thereby holding the charge cable CA. when the charge cable CA is used, pulling out the charge cable from the flexible drum. A vehicle power supply unit 4 comprises a relay 41, a zero-phase sequence current transformer (ZCT) 42 and leak detector 43. relay 41 is configured on the 40-middle part of internal wires of the connection lines L2 and the power line L3. relay 41 for turning on and off the power supply of the electric vehicle 50. zero-phase sequence current transformer 42 for detecting current unbalance current through the internal line 40. leak detector 43 for sensing the induced current obtained based on the zero-phase sequence current transformer 42 in to detect leakage. when the leak detector 43 detects the electric leakage, electric leakage detector 43 switches the relay is cut off).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of invention was filed to incorporate the power supply system for electric vehicle of Ueno into Kuraishi in view of Brockman in order to provide an electric device and the electric vehicle to be charged and peak value of the current consumption is limited and electric vehicle power supply system of the invention can be easily introduced with residents.
As to claim 13, Kuraishi further teaches:
a. a vehicle comprising: a power storage device configured to be charged by a charging power supplied from an external power supply through one or more charging relays and a monitoring device configured to monitor a charging state of the power storage device being charged by the external power supply read on ¶ 0004, (in the conventional hybrid vehicle, the voltage, current, temperature, etc. of the main battery are monitored by the battery control device, and when the battery control device detects an abnormality of the main battery, the main battery and the energy transfer device are not connected. A magnet switch (main relay) interposed therebetween is opened (blocked) to protect the main battery);
b. an electronic control unit communicatively coupled to the monitoring device and the one or more charging relays, the electronic control unit configured to: detect a difference between a charging current command value and a charging current by monitoring the charging state with the monitoring device, and in response to the difference, execute a stop process including switching OFF the one or more charging relays read on ¶ 0005, (in the conventional hybrid vehicle, the voltage, current, temperature, etc. of the main battery are monitored by the battery control device, and when the battery control device detects an abnormality of the main battery, the main battery and the energy transfer device are not connected. A magnet switch (main relay) interposed therebetween is opened (blocked) to protect the main battery). Kuraishi does not explicitly recite wherein the actuator comprises a stepper motor, a servo motor, or a linear motor. However, Ueno in electric vehicle charging current under the condition of 200V of expected is 20A to 30A cures this deficiency by teaching that it may be beneficial:
c. wherein in response to detection of the abnormality, execute a stop process, the stop process includes switching OFF the one or more charging relays read on ¶ 0087, (As can be recognized that, in an electric vehicle power supply system of the present embodiment, when the measured value of the main current exceeds the first threshold, which is defined as the control device of the control box 3 sends a power supply limit signal by power supply unit 4 to the vehicle through more explanation. a power supply unit for vehicle 4 is used to disconnect the relay 41 based on the power limit signal. result, vehicle power supply unit 4 stops supplying power to the electric vehicle).
d. wherein the charging current command value is a current value requested to the external power supply to provide to the power storage device read on ¶ 0087, (As can be recognized that, in an electric vehicle power supply system of the present embodiment, when the measured value of the main current exceeds the first threshold, which is defined as the control device of the control box 3 sends a power supply limit signal by power supply unit 4 to the vehicle through more explanation. a power supply unit for vehicle 4 is used to disconnect the relay 41 based on the power limit signal. result, vehicle power supply unit 4 stops supplying power to the electric vehicle. Thus, compared with the charging of the electric vehicle, capable of preferentially using the house H in the electric device. In other words, as the electric cooking device of electric device is temporarily used in life. Therefore, such electric cooking device such as an electrical device to life the generated effect is obvious. as a comparison, charging to the battery of the electric vehicle for long time. Therefore, the temporary stop of power supply of electric vehicle charging the electric vehicle influence is very small. Therefore, when the main current exceeds the first threshold, limiting the electric power supply of the vehicle 50. Therefore, prior to supplying power to the electrical device in the house H in. result can restrain the main peak of the current, so as to keep the convenience of life. In addition, suppressing the peak of the main current ILED so that even if the electric vehicle is widely used in the whole area, it also can make the peak value of the current consumption of the whole area is reduced. Therefore, this structure makes it possible to stably supply power).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of invention was filed to incorporate the power supply system for electric vehicle of Ueno into Kuraishi in view of Brockman in order to provide an electric vehicle power supply system and electric device and the electric vehicle to be charged, and the peak value of the current consumption is limited and electric vehicle power supply system of the invention can be easily introduced with residents.
As to claim 14, Ueno further teaches:
a. wherein the electronic control unit is configured to: determine that the difference between the charging current command value and the charging current is not within a predetermined range, and execute the stop process based on the difference not being with the predetermined range read on ¶ 0060 (control box 3 for the current measuring unit 2 measures the main current of the current value is compared with the first threshold value, whereby the control box 3 judges whether the current value is above a first threshold or below a first threshold. when the current measuring unit 2 measured current value exceeds the state first threshold lasts for the preset time, the control box 3 the supply limit signal is output to a vehicle power supply unit 4 by a signal line. the supply limit signal indicating stopping power. For example, main breaker current rating of 11 is 50A. the control box 3 of the first threshold value is 55A. first threshold value Th1 55A corresponds to a current rating of 110 percent. when satisfies the current measuring unit 2 the measured current value is equal to or larger than 55A state for I second, control box 3 for indicating the stop limiting the power supply signal of the electric vehicle 50 power supply output to a vehicle power supply unit 4).
As to claim 15, Kuraishi further discloses:
a. a notification device communicatively coupled to the electronic control unit, and wherein the electronic control unit is further configured to: determine a charging time required to charge the power storage device based on the charging power monitored by the monitoring device; and cause the notification device to notify information on the charging time to at least one of a vehicle interior or a vehicle exterior read on Col. 7, Lines 8-31 & Col. 6, Lines 14-33, ( (the battery charger with charge ID “3”, it is shown that the charge state is “during charging”, the remaining power of the battery being charged is 20%, the charging power is 14 kW, the charging completion period of time is 60 minutes, the operable period of time of the battery at the current moment is 1 hour, and the battery charger is in a normal state. Regarding the battery charger with charge ID “4”, it is shown that the charge state is “abnormal halt”, the remaining power of the battery being charged, the charging power and the operable period of time of the battery at the current moment are unknown, and the battery charger is in an abnormal state. On the basis of these pieces of information, the management system 40 can recognize the operation of the battery charger 20 and can determine an efficient timing for charging so that the vehicle 10 such as a forklift etc. is operated efficiently. As an efficient timing for charging, it is possible to charge preferentially a vehicle 10 that is highly likely to fall below the level that is necessary for the minimum operation and to charge preferentially a vehicle 10 that will reach the fully-charged level earlier than other such vehicles 10. The application server 42 stores, in a database of a storage device 43, information on a state of a battery being charged and information on the usage state of a battery charger contained in the received communication data in association with time information for each battery and each battery charger, processes the result as statistic data in association with time information for each battery and each battery charger, and sends the processed statistical data to a personal computer 44 of the management terminal so that the personal computer 44 displays the data).
As to claim 16, Ueno further discloses:
a. wherein to execute the stop process, the electronic control unit is configured to transmit a stop command, with a communication device communicatively coupled to the electronic control unit, to the external power supply, wherein the stop command comprises instructions to stop a supply of the charging power from the external power supply read on ¶ 0060, (control box 3 for the current measuring unit 2 measures the main current of the current value is compared with the first threshold value, whereby the control box 3 judges whether the current value is above a first threshold or below a first threshold. when the current measuring unit 2 measured current value exceeds the state first threshold lasts for the preset time, the control box 3 the supply limit signal is output to a vehicle power supply unit 4 by a signal line. the supply limit signal indicating stopping power. For example, main breaker current rating of 11 is 50A. the control box 3 of the first threshold value is 55A. first threshold value Th1 55A corresponds to a current rating of 110 percent. when satisfies the current measuring unit 2 the measured current value is equal to or larger than 55A state for I second, control box 3 for indicating the stop limiting the power supply signal of the electric vehicle 50 power supply output to a vehicle power supply unit 4).
As to claim 17, Kuraishi further discloses:
a. a notification device communicatively coupled to the electronic control unit, and wherein the electronic control unit is further configured to: determine a charging time required to charge the power storage device within the charging power monitored by the monitoring device; and cause the notification device to notify information on the charging time to at least one of a vehicle interior or a vehicle exterior read on Col. 6, Lines 52-67, (Operation management of battery charger” above, the management system 40 provides information on the operation of the battery charger 20 (charge state, charging power, charging elapsed time, etc.) and peripheral information (remaining power of the battery 15, operable period of time, etc.). (a) in FIG. 2 shows an example of information provided in the operation management of the battery charger 20. The example of the operation management of the battery charger 20 shown in (a) in FIG. 2 shows that, regarding the battery charger with charge ID “1”, the charge state is “during charging”, the remaining power of the battery being charged is 40%, the charging power is 7 kW, the charging completion period of time is 40 minutes, the operable period of time of the battery at the current moment is 2 hours, and the battery charger is in a normal state).
As to claim 18, Kuraishi further discloses:
a. wherein the notification device comprises a navigation system and the electronic control unit is configured to cause the navigation system to display numerical values of the charging time read on Col. 1, Lines 44-52 and Col. 7, Lines 37-57, (receiving data representing the operation state transmitted from the data communication module 511 of the vehicle 500, the management system 512 analyzes the data, determines the operation state (running with loads, running without loads, standing with loads and standing without loads) of the vehicle 500 for each time unit, generates data for recognizing, studying and managing the operation state of the vehicle 500 on the basis of the determination result, and displays the data in a display device. Regarding “(2) Charging power management of battery charger” above, the management system 40 provides information on the charging power of the battery charger 20 (moment, time, day, week, month, year, etc.). (b) in FIG. 2 shows an example of the charge management of the battery charger 20. In the example of charge management of the battery charger 20 shown in (b) in FIG. 2, regarding the battery charger with charge ID “1”, the charging power at the present (moment) is 3.5 kW, the accumulated charging power of today is 5 kWh, the peak power of today is 4.1 kW, the accumulated charging power of yesterday is 6 kWh, the peak power of yesterday is 4.2 kW, the accumulated charging power of this week is 20 kWh, the peak power of the this week is 4.1 kW, the accumulated charging power of the last week is 30 kWh, the peak power of the last week is 4.3 kW, the accumulated charging power of the this month is 80 kWh, the accumulated charging power of the last month is 70 kWh and the accumulated charging power of the year is 820 kWh). .
As to claim 20, Kuraishi further discloses:
a. wherein the one or more charging relays comprises at least two charging relays read on Col. 2, Lines 61-67, (when a battery charger 20 is connected to the battery 15 of such a vehicle as above so that charging is conducted, a relay 701 for the connection to the battery charger 20 is turned on (conducting state) and a relay (or a connector) 702 for providing electric power to the vehicle is turned off (disconnected state) for safety reasons so that the vehicle will not erroneously run during the charging).
6. Claims 10 and 19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kuraishi in view of Brockman and further in view of Ueno and further in view of Twarog (US 20150066837 A1).
As to claim 10, Kuraishi further discloses:
a. wherein the notification device is configured to display numerical values of the changed charging power read on Col. 4, Lines 47-61, (the display control unit (ECU) 11 is a control unit that controls a display device (not shown) for displaying information such as various states of the vehicle 10, the guidance, etc. for the driver of the vehicle 10. The main control unit (ECU) 12 controls an electric motor (not shown) and an inverter (not shown) in the vehicle 10 so as to mainly control the running etc. of the vehicle 10. The data communication module 13 transmits, to the management system 40 via the communication network 30, information on the operation state etc. of the vehicle body detected by various sensors (not shown). The battery control unit (ECU) 14 is a control unit that monitors battery states such as the voltage, the current, the temperature, the charge states, etc. of the battery 15 so as to conduct control so that the battery 15 is maintained in an appropriate state). Kuraishi does not explicitly recite the display is on a windshield of the vehicle.
However, Twarog in predicting the duration of future charging processes cures this deficiency by teaching that it may be beneficial:
b. the display is on a windshield of the vehicle read on ¶ 0030, (it may be mounted on a dashboard or a center console (e.g., with a map provided by a navigation module, driver information center (DIC)); it may be projected onto a windshield (e.g., with a heads-up display); it may be integrated within an existing audio system; or it may simply include an electronic connection or port for connecting with a laptop or other computing device, to cite a few examples. As explained below in more detail, user interface 42 may be used to gather information from and/or to provide information to a user, such as, for example, predicted durations of time of one or more future charging processes, in a manner that facilitates the present method. Other user interfaces may be used instead, as the illustrative user interface 42 shown and described herein represents only one of the possibilities).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of invention was filed to incorporate the method for predicting charging process duration of Twarog into Kuraishi in view of Brockman and further in view of Ueno in order to provide a given commands can be displayed on a screen in the driver's field of vision to prevent distraction of the driver.
As to claim 19, the claim is interpreted and rejected as to claim 10.
Response to Arguments
7. Applicant's arguments with respect to claims 1-20 have been considered but are moot in view of the new ground(s) of rejection that was necessitated by Applicant's amendment.
Citation of pertinent Prior Arts
8. The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure: see PTO-892 Notice of References Cited.
Conclusion
6. Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any extension fee pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Fekadeselassie Girma whose telephone number is (571)270-5886. The examiner can normally be reached on M-F 8:30am - 5pm.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Davetta W. Goins can be reached on (571) 272-2957. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300. Information regarding the status of an application may be obtained from the Patent Application Information Retrieval (PAIR) system. Status information for published applications may be obtained from either Private PAIR or Public PAIR. Status information for unpublished applications is available through Private PAIR only. For more information about the PAIR system, see http://pair-direct.uspto.gov. Should you have questions on access to the Private PAIR system, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative or access to the automated information system, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
/Fekadeselassie Girma/
Primary Examiner Art Unit 2689