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) 01/02/2026 have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on any reference applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112(a)
The following is a quotation of the first paragraph of 35 U.S.C. 112(a):
(a) IN GENERAL.—The specification shall contain a written description of the invention, and of the manner and process of making and using it, in such full, clear, concise, and exact terms as to enable any person skilled in the art to which it pertains, or with which it is most nearly connected, to make and use the same, and shall set forth the best mode contemplated by the inventor or joint inventor of carrying out the invention.
The following is a quotation of the first paragraph of pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112:
The specification shall contain a written description of the invention, and of the manner and process of making and using it, in such full, clear, concise, and exact terms as to enable any person skilled in the art to which it pertains, or with which it is most nearly connected, to make and use the same, and shall set forth the best mode contemplated by the inventor of carrying out his invention.
Claim(s) 1-20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(a) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), first paragraph, as failing to comply with the written description requirement. The claim(s) contains subject matter which was not described in the specification in such a way as to reasonably convey to one skilled in the relevant art that the inventor or a joint inventor, or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the inventor(s), at the time the application was filed, had possession of the claimed invention.
In re claim(s) 1, 8, and 16; the limitation(s) “…while the vehicle power system is not receiving electrical energy from an external power source,” appears to lack support in the application as originally filed.
It should be noted that [0049] of the specification of the present application merely discloses wherein; “…may include ceasing to supply one or more propulsion devices (e.g., motor or inverter) with electrical power.” As such, support for a “vehicle power system” is not supported by the disclosure of the specification of the current application.
In re claim(s) 2-7, 9-15, and 17-20; included due to dependency upon rejected base claim.
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 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(s) 1-5 and 8-9 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Nomura US-20170274782-A1, Ferrel US-20130187590-A1 and DeCia US-20180308293-A1 in view of Doering US-20120208674-A1.
1. (Currently amended) Nomura (US-20170274782-A1) discloses
A vehicle power system, comprising:
(Nomura [FIG.1])
a first DC/DC converter;
(Nomura [0020; FIG.1] a main DC/DC converter 70, a sub DC/DC converter 72)
a second DC/DC converter, the second DC/DC converter having a higher power output capacity than the first DC/DC converter; and
(Nomura [0027] sub DC/DC converter 72 is configured in the form of a DC/DC converter having a rated output that is lower than that of the main DC/DC converter 70
one or more controllers including executable instructions that, ***while maintaining power management system***, cause the one or more controllers to:
(Nomura [0031] the main ECU 80 is configured in the form of a microprocessor including a CPU that forms a main part of the microprocessor, and in addition to the CPU, includes a ROM for storing a processing program that cause the one or more controllers to deactivate, or keep deactivated, the second DC/DC converter, and activate, or keep activated, the first DC/DC converter after a vehicle key-off event and in response to a first operating condition [0032] … In the first electric power supply processing, only the sub DC/DC converter 72 is selected to run from between the main DC/DC converter 70 and the sub DC/DC converter 72)
Ferrel US-20130187590-A1 discloses in a similar invention field of endeavor, a consideration for vehicle power management comprising controllers configured to operate “…executable instructions that, while the vehicle power system is not receiving electrical energy from an external power source, cause the one or more controllers to”;
(Ferrel [0023] In the system 12 shown in FIG. 2, the battery controller 40 is configured to activate the converter 28 to charge the LV battery 36 during the vehicle key-off state, upon the occurrence of at least one predetermined event...)
(Ferrel [0021-23] The dashed line 76 shows an alternative configuration for a non-plug-in hybrid vehicle, which does not include an external charger, such as the charger 70… during the vehicle key-off state, upon the occurrence of at least one predetermined event. For example, the controller 40 may be configured to activate the converter 28)
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the time the instant application was effectively filed to adapt the modified system of Nomura to include instructions while the vehicle power system is not receiving electrical energy from an external power source with a reasonable expectation for success, as taught by Ferrel, for the benefit of providing controller instructions for charging a battery when engine/ignition operations are not necessary in response to an predetermined operational condition.
deactivate, or keep deactivated, the second DC/DC converter, and activate, or keep activated, the first DC/DC converter ***in a predetermined power supply process*** in response to a first operating condition (e.g. first electric power supply processing); and
(Nomura [0032] … In the first electric power supply processing, only the sub DC/DC converter 72 is selected to run from between the main DC/DC converter 70 and the sub DC/DC converter 72)
Ferrel US-20130187590-A1 discloses in a similar invention field of endeavor, a consideration for vehicle power management configured to “…activate, or keep activated, the first DC/DC converter after a vehicle key-off event and in response to a first operating condition”;
(Ferrel [0023] In the system 12 shown in FIG. 2, the battery controller 40 is configured to activate the converter 28 to charge the LV battery 36 during the vehicle key-off state, upon the occurrence of at least one predetermined event...)
(Ferrel [0024] Another event that could constitute a "predetermined event" and trigger the activation of the converter 28 to charge the LV battery 36 is the state of charge (SOC) of the LV battery 36 dropping below some predetermined level. In at least some embodiments, the controller 40 could monitor the state of charge of the LV battery 36, for example, at some predetermined frequency during the key-off state, and then activate the converter 28 to charge the LV battery 36 when the SOC has dropped below the predetermined charge level…)
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the time the instant application was effectively filed to adapt the modified system of Nomura to include a system configured to activate, or keep activated, a converter after a vehicle key-off event and in response to an operating condition with a reasonable expectation for success, as taught by Ferrel, for the benefit of providing controller instructions for charging a battery when engine/ignition operations are not necessary in response to an predetermined operational condition.
deactivate, or keep deactivated, the first DC/DC converter, and activate, or keep activated, the second DC/DC converter ***in a predetermined power supply process*** in response to a second operating condition (e.g. second electric power supply processing);
(Nomura [0032] … In the second electric power supply processing, only the main DC/DC converter 70 is selected to run from between the main DC/DC converter 70 and the sub DC/DC converter 72.)
Ferrel US-20130187590-A1 discloses in a similar invention field of endeavor, a consideration for vehicle power management configured to “…activate, or keep activated, the first DC/DC converter after a vehicle key-off event and in response to a second operating condition”;
(Ferrel [claim 3.] The power management system of claim 2, wherein the at least one predetermined event includes the second energy storage system dropping below a predetermined state of charge.)
(Ferrel [claim 4.] The power management system of claim 2, wherein the at least one predetermined event includes the passing of a predetermined amount of time since the last time the second energy storage system was charged by the voltage conversion device during the same key-off state.)
(Ferrel [0023] In the system 12 shown in FIG. 2, the battery controller 40 is configured to activate the converter 28 to charge the LV battery 36 during the vehicle key-off state, upon the occurrence of at least one predetermined event...)
(Ferrel [0024] Another event that could constitute a "predetermined event" and trigger the activation of the converter 28 to charge the LV battery 36 is the state of charge (SOC) of the LV battery 36 dropping below some predetermined level. In at least some embodiments, the controller 40 could monitor the state of charge of the LV battery 36, for example, at some predetermined frequency during the key-off state, and then activate the converter 28 to charge the LV battery 36 when the SOC has dropped below the predetermined charge level…)
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the time the instant application was effectively filed to adapt the modified system of Nomura to include a system configured to activate, or keep activated, a converter after a vehicle key-off event and in response to an operating condition with a reasonable expectation for success, as taught by Ferrel, for the benefit of providing controller instructions for charging a battery when engine/ignition operations are not necessary in response to an predetermined operational condition.
****.
DeCia US-20180308293-A1 discloses in a similar invention field of endeavor, a consideration for “…where the key-off event is an event where a user has requested that the vehicle power system to be deactivated for traveling but one or more vehicle accessories remain electrically powered”;
(DeCia [0024] The ignition switch 106 is utilized by a driver and/or another user of the vehicle 100 to operate the engine 102, the battery 104, and/or electronic accessories of the vehicle 100. For example, the ignition switch 106 includes an on-position corresponding to an on-state of the vehicle 100 during which the engine 102 and the electronic accessories are activated, an accessory-position corresponding to an accessory-state during which electronic accessories of the vehicle 100 are activated without the engine 102 being activated, and an off-position corresponding to a key-off state during which the engine 102 is inactive and one or more of the electronic components are in a sleep mode and/or inactive.)
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the time the instant application was effectively filed to adapt the modified system of Nomura to include wherein the key-off event is an event where a user has requested that the vehicle power system to be deactivated for traveling but one or more vehicle accessories remain electrically powered with a reasonable expectation for success, as taught by DeCia, for the benefit of providing a predetermined operating mode state during which electronic accessories of the vehicle 100 are activated without the engine 102 being activated [0024].
Doering US-20120208674-A1 discloses in a similar invention field of endeavor, a consideration for engine control wherein “ … the key-off event is requested via actuation of a key, a remote device, and/or a push button”;
(Doering [0005] On the other hand, if an operator requests to stop the engine (e.g., via a key-off or push-button depression), it may be reasonably expected that the operator intends to not operate the engine for a period of time.)
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the time the instant application was effectively filed to adapt the modified system of Nomura to include wherein the key-off event is requested via actuation of a key, a remote device, and/or a push button with a reasonable expectation for success, as taught by Doering, for the benefit of placing a vehicle in a condition wherein it may be reasonably expected that the operator intends to not operate the engine for a period of time [0005], allowing for maintenance operations.
2. Nomura (US-20170274782-A1) discloses The vehicle power system of claim 1, where the first operating condition is a vehicle electric power consumption value being less than a threshold value [claim 1] continue the first electric power supply processing when the post-operation electric energy is not larger than a predetermined electric energy, and ii) make a switch to second electric power supply processing in which only the first DC/DC converter is selected to run from between the first DC/DC converter and the second DC/DC converter to supply electric power to the low-voltage-system electric power line when the post-operation electric energy exceeds the predetermined electric energy.
3. Nomura (US-20170274782-A1) discloses The vehicle power system of claim 2, where the second operating condition is the vehicle electric power consumption value being greater than the threshold value [claim 1] continue the first electric power supply processing when the post-operation electric energy is not larger than a predetermined electric energy, and ii) make a switch to second electric power supply processing in which only the first DC/DC converter is selected to run from between the first DC/DC converter and the second DC/DC converter to supply electric power to the low-voltage-system electric power line when the post-operation electric energy exceeds the predetermined electric energy.
4. Nomura (US-20170274782-A1) discloses The vehicle power system of claim 1, where the first DC/DC converter and the second DC/DC converter are electrically coupled to a traction battery [0028-29] The system main relay SMR is provided, on the high-voltage-system electric power line 44, between the high-voltage battery 40, and the inverter 34, the capacitor 46, and the main DC/DC converter 70, and is turned on or off to connect or disconnect the connection between the high-voltage battery 40 side of the high-voltage-system electric power line 44, and the inverter 34 side, capacitor 46 side, and main DC/DC converter 70 side of the high-voltage-system electric power line 44, under the control of the main ECU 80. The charging relay CHR is provided between the high-voltage battery 40 on the high-voltage-system electric power line 44, and the charger 50 and the sub DC/DC converter 72, and is turned on or off to connect or disconnect the connection between the high-voltage battery 40 side of the high-voltage-system electric power line 44, and the charger 50 side and sub DC/DC converter 72 side of the high-voltage-system electric power line 44, under the control of the charge ECU 56.
5. (Currently amended) Nomura (US-20170274782-A1) lacks The vehicle power system of claim 1, where the propulsion system does not include an engine.
Ferrel US-20130187590-A1 discloses in a similar invention field of endeavor, a consideration for vehicle power management comprising controllers configured to operate “…executable instructions that, while the vehicle power system is not receiving electrical energy from an external power source, cause the one or more controllers to”;
(Ferrel [0002] In addition to the high voltage battery, a hybrid electric or electric vehicle may also have a low-voltage battery, which may be used to power vehicle lighting, engine cooling fans, heated seats, and/or other low-voltage loads. It may be necessary to provide power to some of the low-voltage loads when the vehicle is not operating--i.e., when the vehicle is in a "key-off" state.)
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the time the instant application was effectively filed to adapt the modified system of Nomura to include instructions while the vehicle power system is not receiving electrical energy from an external power source with a reasonable expectation for success, as taught by Ferrel, for the benefit of providing controller instructions for charging a battery when engine/ignition operations are not necessary in response to an predetermined operational condition.
8. The features disclosed in re claim 8 are similar in scope to those disclosed in the system of claim(s) 1 and are therefore rejected under the same premise, for more information please see the rejection in re claim(s) 1.
9. The features disclosed in re claim 9 are similar in scope to those disclosed in the system of claim(s) 1 and are therefore rejected under the same premise, for more information please see the rejection in re claim(s) 1.
Claim(s) 6-7 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Nomura US-20170274782-A1, Ferrel US-20130187590-A1 DeCia US-20180308293-A1 and Doering US-20120208674-A1, as applied to claim 1 above and further in view of Salter US-11433778-B2.
6. (Currently amended) Nomura (US-20170274782-A1) lacks The vehicle power system of claim 1, further comprising additional executable instructions that during the vehicle key-off event cause the one or more controllers to indicate a possibility of available vehicle range reduction via a human/machine interface in response to activating or keeping activated the second DC/DC converter.
Ferrel US-20130187590-A1 discloses in a similar invention field of endeavor, a consideration for vehicle power management configured to “…during the vehicle key-off event”;
(Ferrel [0023] In the system 12 shown in FIG. 2, the battery controller 40 is configured to activate the converter 28 to charge the LV battery 36 during the vehicle key-off state, upon the occurrence of at least one predetermined event...)
(Ferrel [0024] Another event that could constitute a "predetermined event" and trigger the activation of the converter 28 to charge the LV battery 36 is the state of charge (SOC) of the LV battery 36 dropping below some predetermined level. In at least some embodiments, the controller 40 could monitor the state of charge of the LV battery 36, for example, at some predetermined frequency during the key-off state, and then activate the converter 28 to charge the LV battery 36 when the SOC has dropped below the predetermined charge level…)
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the time the instant application was effectively filed to adapt the modified system of Nomura to include the vehicle key-off event with a reasonable expectation for success, as taught by Ferrel, for the benefit of providing controller instructions for charging a battery when engine/ignition operations are not necessary in response to an predetermined operational condition.
Regarding the lacking limitation; Salter (US-11433778-B2) discloses in a similar invention field of endeavor, a consideration for [claim 1] A vehicle comprising: an electric machine configured to propel the vehicle; a battery configured to provide electrical power to the electric machine; a power takeoff configured to transfer power from the battery to one or more external devices that are connected to the power takeoff; an inverter circuit configured transfer power from the battery to the electric machine and from the battery to the power takeoff; a controller programmed to, estimate a distance-to-empty based on a charge of the battery, estimate an expected energy use of the one or more external devices, adjust the distance-to-empty based on the expected energy use of the one or more external devices,…; and a display configured to display the adjusted distance-to-empty… [claim 8] a display unit configured to display a distance-to-empty; and a controller programmed to, adjust the distance-to-empty based on an expected energy use of the one or more external devices
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the time the instant application was effectively filed to adapt the modified system of Nomura to include indicating a possibility of available vehicle range reduction via a human/machine interface in response to activating or keeping activated external devices with a reasonable expectation for success, as taught by Salter, for the benefit of informing an operator the affects of external components on a vehicle range, increasing operational awareness.
7. Nomura (US-20170274782-A1) discloses The vehicle power system of claim 1, further comprising additional executable instructions that cause the one or more controllers [0028] …under the control of the main ECU 80 to
***
determine either of the first operating condition or the second operating condition [0032]
***.
Nomura lacks the following underlined limitations:
monitor a power consumption of an inverter prior to the vehicle key-off event and determine either of the first operating condition or the second operating condition based on the power consumption of the inverter.
Regarding the limitation; “…monitor a power consumption of a component prior to the vehicle key-off event… based on the power consumption of the inverter”, Salter (US-11433778-B2) discloses in a similar invention field of endeavor, a consideration for [claim 1] A vehicle comprising: an electric machine configured to propel the vehicle; a battery configured to provide electrical power to the electric machine; a power takeoff configured to transfer power from the battery to one or more external devices that are connected to the power takeoff; an inverter circuit configured transfer power from the battery to the electric machine and from the battery to the power takeoff; a controller programmed to, … estimate an expected energy use of the one or more external devices, … in response to a difference between a measured power along the inverter circuit being delivered to the power takeoff and an expected power use of the one or more external devices…
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the time the instant application was effectively filed to adapt the modified system of Nomura to include monitoring a power consumption of an inverter with a reasonable expectation for success, as taught by Salter, for the benefit of informing an operator the effects of external components on a vehicle power reserves, increasing operational awareness.
Claim(s) 10 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Nomura US-20170274782-A1, Ferrel US-20130187590-A1 DeCia US-20180308293-A1 and Doering US-20120208674-A1, as applied to claim 9 above and further in view of Potdar US-20240128909-A1.
10. Nomura (US-20170274782-A1) discloses The method of claim 9, further comprising monitoring *** after deactivating the propulsion system [0032], where the propulsion system is deactivated in response to a user request [0031] The examples of the signals also include an ignition signal from an ignition switch 82.
Nomura lacks the following underlined limitations:
further comprising monitoring an electric power amount supplied via a DC bus to an inverter after deactivating the propulsion system,
Regarding the limitation; Potdar (US-20240128909-A1) discloses in a similar invention field of endeavor, a consideration for [0018] FIG. 1 illustrates an example of a motor system 100 … The system 100 further includes a DC link discharge circuit 300 that is configured to monitor discharging of a DC bus capacitor of the inverter 110
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the time the instant application was effectively filed to adapt the modified system of Nomura to include monitoring an electric power amount supplied via a DC bus to an inverter with a reasonable expectation for success, as taught by Potdar, for the benefit of monitoring power usage within a system in order to ensure proper operations within a predetermined range.
Claim(s) 11-14 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Nomura US-20170274782-A1, Ferrel US-20130187590-A1 DeCia US-20180308293-A1, Doering US-20120208674-A1, and Potdar US-20240128909-A1, as applied to claim 10 above and further in view of Salter US-11433778-B2.
11. The features disclosed in re claim 11 are similar in scope to those disclosed in the system of claim(s) 10 and 7 and are therefore rejected under the same premise, for more information please see the rejection in re claim(s) 10 and 7.
12. The features disclosed in re claim 12 are similar in scope to those disclosed in the system of claim(s) 2 and are therefore rejected under the same premise, for more information please see the rejection in re claim(s) 2.
13. The features disclosed in re claim 13 are similar in scope to those disclosed in the system of claim(s) 3 and are therefore rejected under the same premise, for more information please see the rejection in re claim(s) 3.
14. Nomura (US-20170274782-A1) discloses The method of claim 13, further comprising *** controlling the system in response to the second operating condition [0032].
Nomura lacks the following underlined limitations:
further comprising indicating a reduction in a distance that the vehicle has capacity to travel via a human/machine interface in response to the second operating condition
Regarding the limitation; Salter (US-11433778-B2) discloses in a similar invention field of endeavor, a consideration for [col.10 ln.10] a warning may be issued to the vehicle operator that there is a undesirable discrepancy between the actual power output at the power takeoff 42 being measured at block 210 and the expected power output at the power takeoff 42 determined at block 208. Such a warning may be issued on the display 48. The display 48 may also list the external devices 44 that are connected to the power takeoff 42 and/or external devices 44 that are expected to draw power from the power takeoff 42. An expected reduction in distance-to-empty that is associated with the use of each external device 44 may also be shown on the display 48. Based on the difference between the actual power output at the power takeoff 42 and the expected power output at the power takeoff 42 being greater than threshold, the operator may also be prompted at block 216 via the display 48 to review the list of external devices 44 that are expected to draw power from the power takeoff 42, and to update the list due the discrepancy. The method 200 may then return to block 206 if the operator has decided to adjust the list of external devices 44 that are expected to draw power from the power takeoff 42.
With respect to claims 11-14, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the time the instant application was effectively filed to adapt the modified system of Nomura to include indicating a reduction in a distance that the vehicle has capacity to travel via a human/machine interface in response to an operation with a reasonable expectation for success, as taught by Salter, for the benefit of providing information regarding operational conditions to be displayed to a user, increasing operational awareness of system capabilities.
Claim(s) 15 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Nomura US-20170274782-A1, Ferrel US-20130187590-A1 DeCia US-20180308293-A1, Doering US-20120208674-A1, Potdar US-20240128909-A1, and Salter US-11433778-B2, as applied to claim 14 above and further in view of Nakaya US-20020131788-A1.
15. Nomura (US-20170274782-A1) lacks The method of claim 14, further comprising deactivating the second DC/DC converter in response to a threshold amount of time passing since a most recent time when the propulsion system was deactivated.
Regarding the limitation; Nakaya (US-20020131788-A1) discloses in a similar invention field of endeavor, a consideration for [0076] AC power OFF signal to the engine control unit 18 so that the operation of the first DC-DC converter 15 is switched off, in order to allow the second DC-DC converter 16 to continue the supply of the voltage to the engine control unit 18 for the predetermined time.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the time the instant application was effectively filed to adapt the modified system of Nomura to include deactivating the a DC/DC converter in response to a threshold amount of time passing since a most recent time when the propulsion system was deactivated with a reasonable expectation for success, as taught by Nakaya, for the benefit of continuing to provide power to system components for a limited amount of time after deactivation of a vehicle, allowing systems to be responsive and saving resources by preventing unnecessary draining of system batteries by continuing to operate components after a predetermined time of non-operation.
Claim(s) 16 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Nomura US-20170274782-A1, Ferrel US-20130187590-A1, DeCia US-20180308293-A1 and Doering US-20120208674-A1, in view of Boesch US-20200017042-A1.
16. (Currently amended) The features disclosed in re claim 16 are similar in scope to those disclosed in the system of claim(s) 1 and are therefore rejected under the same premise, for more information please see the rejection in re claim(s) 1.
Nomura lacks the following underlined limitations:
a power distribution system including a power distribution bus, the first battery selectively coupled to the power distribution bus via a first contactor, …, the second DC/DC converter selectively coupled to the power distribution bus via a second contactor,
via a second switch
Regarding the limitation(s); Boesch (US-20200017042-A1) discloses in a similar invention field of endeavor, a consideration for a power distribution system [0010] An example vehicle power management the first battery selectively coupled to the power distribution bus via a first contactor, via a switch, and the second DC/DC converter selectively coupled to the power distribution bus via a second contactor [0010] …includes a primary power bus for powering a first non-critical load, a secondary power bus for powering a second non-critical load, a first relay electrically connected between the primary power bus and the first non-critical load, and a second relay electrically connected between the secondary power bus and the second non-critical load
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the time the instant application was effectively filed to adapt the modified system of Nomura to include a power distribution system including a power distribution bus, the first battery selectively coupled to the power distribution bus via a first contactor, the second DC/DC converter selectively coupled to the power distribution bus via a second contactor, and the use of first and secondary switches with a reasonable expectation for success, as taught by Boesch, for the benefit of providing electrical components used to control signals used in control methods.
Claim(s) 17-20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Nomura US-20170274782-A1, Ferrel US-20130187590-A1, DeCia US-20180308293-A1, and Doering US-20120208674-A1, in view of Boesch US-20200017042-A1, as applied to claim 16 above and further in view of Salter US-11433778-B2.
17. The features disclosed in re claim 17 are similar in scope to those disclosed in the system of claim(s) 2-3 and 7 and are therefore rejected under the same premise, for more information please see the rejection in re claim(s) 2-3 and 7.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the time the instant application was effectively filed to adapt the modified system of Nomura to operating conditions based on a maximum amount of power consumed by an inverter while a propulsion system is activated with a reasonable expectation for success, as taught by Salter, for the benefit of controlling operations according to power measurements, ensuring effective use of system energy reserves.
18. The features disclosed in re claim 18 are similar in scope to those disclosed in the system of claim(s) 2-3 and 7 and are therefore rejected under the same premise, for more information please see the rejection in re claim(s) 2-3 and 7.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the time the instant application was effectively filed to adapt the modified system of Nomura to operating conditions based on an amount of power consumed by an inverter while a propulsion system is activated with a reasonable expectation for success, as taught by Salter, for the benefit of controlling operations according to power measurements, ensuring effective use of system energy reserves.
19. Nomura (US-20170274782-A1) discloses The vehicle power system of claim 16, further comprising *** executable instructions to deactivate the second DC/DC converter ***.
Nomura lacks the following underlined limitations:
a human/machine interface and additional executable instructions to deactivate the second DC/DC converter in response to a user request to deactivate the second DC/DC converter
Regarding the limitation; Salter (US-11433778-B2) discloses in a similar invention field of endeavor, a consideration for [col.10 ln.10] a warning may be issued to the vehicle operator that there is a undesirable discrepancy between the actual power output at the power takeoff 42 being measured at block 210 and the expected power output at the power takeoff 42 determined at block 208. Such a warning may be issued on the display 48. The display 48 may also list the external devices 44 that are connected to the power takeoff 42 and/or external devices 44 that are expected to draw power from the power takeoff 42. An expected reduction in distance-to-empty that is associated with the use of each external device 44 may also be shown on the display 48. Based on the difference between the actual power output at the power takeoff 42 and the expected power output at the power takeoff 42 being greater than threshold, the operator may also be prompted at block 216 via the display 48 to review the list of external devices 44 that are expected to draw power from the power takeoff 42, and to update the list due the discrepancy. The method 200 may then return to block 206 if the operator has decided to adjust the list of external devices 44 that are expected to draw power from the power takeoff 42.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the time the instant application was effectively filed to adapt the modified system of Nomura to include a human/machine interface used to control power to components with a reasonable expectation for success, as taught by Salter, for the benefit of providing information and control methods regarding operational conditions, increasing operational awareness of system capabilities.
20. Nomura (US-20170274782-A1) discloses The vehicle power system of claim 16, further comprising *** additional executable instructions to *** in response to the second operating condition.
Nomura lacks the following underlined limitations:
further comprising a human/machine interface and additional executable instructions to indicate a reduction in a distance that a vehicle has capacity to travel via the human/machine interface in response to the second operating condition.
Regarding the limitation; Salter (US-11433778-B2) discloses in a similar invention field of endeavor, a consideration for [col.10 ln.10] a warning may be issued to the vehicle operator that there is a undesirable discrepancy between the actual power output at the power takeoff 42 being measured at block 210 and the expected power output at the power takeoff 42 determined at block 208. Such a warning may be issued on the display 48. The display 48 may also list the external devices 44 that are connected to the power takeoff 42 and/or external devices 44 that are expected to draw power from the power takeoff 42. An expected reduction in distance-to-empty that is associated with the use of each external device 44 may also be shown on the display 48. Based on the difference between the actual power output at the power takeoff 42 and the expected power output at the power takeoff 42 being greater than threshold, the operator may also be prompted at block 216 via the display 48 to review the list of external devices 44 that are expected to draw power from the power takeoff 42, and to update the list due the discrepancy. The method 200 may then return to block 206 if the operator has decided to adjust the list of external devices 44 that are expected to draw power from the power takeoff 42.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the time the instant application was effectively filed to adapt the modified system of Nomura to include to indicating a reduction in a distance that a vehicle has capacity to travel via the human/machine interface in response to an operational condition with a reasonable expectation for success, as taught by Salter, for the benefit of providing information regarding operational conditions to be displayed to a user, increasing operational awareness of system capabilities.
Conclusion
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.
Contact
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/M.J.M./Examiner, Art Unit 3663
/ABBY J FLYNN/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3663
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