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 § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claims 1-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Claim 1 recites the limitation "the first power converter" in line 8 and line 9. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
The dependent claims 2-20 are also rejected because they are, directly or indirectly, depending from rejected claim 1.
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.
Claim(s) 1-6 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Niu et al. (CN 109274144A, cited by applicant, English machine translation is used herewith).
Regarding claim 1, Niu teaches a charging system (fig. 2), comprising: n first charging modules (10, page 5, lines 24-28); a first switch matrix (switches groups 1-10 between 10 and 20, fig. 2); a second switch matrix (switches groups 1-5 between 20 and 30, fig. 2), and m first output apparatus (30, fig. 2, page 5, lines 24-36), wherein n is a positive integer, and m is a positive integer greater than 1; each first charging module comprises a plurality of first power converters (page 5, lines 24-28 and lines 37-39), each first power converter has an output bus (20, fig. 2), the output bus of the first power converter is connected to the first switch matrix, and the first power converter is configured to output electric energy (page 6 and claim 1); the first switch matrix is configured to connect or disconnect output buses of any two of the plurality of first power converter (switches between 10 and 20, fig. 2); the second switch matrix is connected to each first charging module by using the first switch matrix, a first output apparatus j is connected to a corresponding first charging module by using the second switch matrix, and the first output apparatus j is a jth first output apparatus in the m first output apparatuses wherein 1≤j≤m (figs. 2, 5 and 6); and the second switch matrix is configured to provide electric energy output by one or more of the n first charging modules for the corresponding first output apparatus j (claim 1).
Regarding claim 2, Niu further teaches wherein the first switch matrix comprises at least one first switch; and the output buses of the two first power converters are connected to a same first switch, wherein when the same first switch is in an on state, the output buses of the two first power converters are connected; or when the first switch is in an off state, the output buses of the two first power converters are disconnected (fig. 2 and page 5, line 24 to page 7, line 8).
Regarding claim 3, Niu further teaches wherein at least one first charging module is connected to at least two first output apparatuses (fig. 2 and page 6).
Regarding claims 4-6, Niu further teaches wherein the second switch matrix comprises a plurality of second switches; the first output apparatus j corresponds to x first charging modules, x is a positive integer not greater than n, and an ith first charging module in the x first charging modules is a first charging module (i, j), wherein 1≤i≤x; and the first output apparatus j is connected to the corresponding x first charging modules by using x second switches of the plurality of second switches, wherein a second switch (i, j) in the x second switches is connected to an output bus of a first power converter in the first charging module (i, j), and is connected to the first output apparatus j; and when the second switch (i, j) is in an on state, electric energy on the output bus of the first power converter in the first charging module (i, j) is transmitted to the first output apparatus j (page 5, lines 24 to page 7).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 7-20 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.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter:
The prior art of record, taken alone or in combination, fails to further teach or fairly suggest the charging system further comprising s second charging modules, wherein s is a positive integer greater than 1; each second charging module of the s second charging modules comprises at least one second power converter, each second power converter has one output bus, the output bus of the second power converter is connected to the second switch matrix, and the second power converter is configured to output electric energy; the first output apparatus j is connected to a corresponding second charging module by using the second switch matrix; and the second switch matrix is further configured to provide electric energy output by second power converters in one or more of the s second charging modules for the corresponding first output apparatus j as recited in claim 7. Similar limitations as recited in claims 8-11 and further limitations of the dependent claims 12-15.
The prior art of record, taken alone or in combination, fails to further teach or fairly suggest the charging system further comprising s second charging modules and p second output apparatuses, wherein s is a positive integer greater than 1, and p is a positive integer; a second output apparatus a is connected to a corresponding second charging module by using the second switch matrix, and the second output apparatus a is an ath second output apparatus in the p second output apparatuses, wherein 1≤a≤p; and the second switch matrix is further configured to provide electric energy output by one or more of the s second charging modules for the corresponding second output apparatus a as recited in claim 16. Similar limitations as recited in claims 17 and 18 and further limitations of the dependent claims 19 and 20.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
References: Bouman (US 2022/0212551); Cheng et al. (US 2022/0209553); Hwang et al. (US 2021/0135308); Lee (US 2012/0084584) and Beauregard (CA 2747880) are cited because they are related to battery charger system.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Tuyen Kim Vo whose telephone number is (571)270-1657. The examiner can normally be reached Mon-Thurs: 8AM-6:30PM.
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/TUYEN K VO/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2876
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