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)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claim(s) 1-9, 11-18 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Narula et al. US 2024/0195206.
Narula teaches:
1. A charger configured for charging a battery, the charger being removably connectable to the battery (See Specification @ [0031], power cord, power outlet for in-home charging, a charging station for electric vehicle…) and comprising an actuator (“external input device” 108, FIG1), a power supply (not show, see FIG1 and [0031]), and processing circuitry (106, FIG1) in communication with the actuator and the power supply:
the actuator being configured to:
request a switch between a first charge mode and a second charge mode to be performed (ie default vs. user inputted SOC, [0049]);
the processing circuitry being configured to:
select one of the first charging mode and the second charging mode based at least in part on whether the switch has been requested (ie default vs inputted SOC, [0049]), the selected first charging mode triggering the power supply to charge the battery up to a first SOC threshold (ie default), the selected second charging mode triggering the power supply to charge the battery up to a second SOC threshold (user inputted SOC); and the power supply being electrically and removably connectable to the battery and configured to: charge the battery using one of the selected first charging mode and the selected second charging mode (ie said charging station and/or vehicle charging cord embodiment(s), [005, 0031].
2, 12. The charger of Claim 1/11, wherein the selecting of one of the first charging mode and the second charging mode includes: selecting the second charging mode when the switch has been requested (selecting/using the user input charging mode, (see STEP 406, FIG4).
3, 13. The charger of any one of Claims 1/11, wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to: select the first charging mode when at least one of:
the charger is powered up (“powered up” read on by FIG4 process STEP 406 when NO user target SOC has been input, “first mode” read on by said default charging mode, STEP 408, FIG4);
a predetermined interval of time has elapsed since the first charging mode was selected;
when the charging of the battery using the selected first charging mode is complete; and
the charger (20) is disconnected from the battery.
4, 14. The charger of Claim 1/11, wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to:
determine at least one parameter associated with the battery (see STEP 402, FIG4 and [0047]), the one of the first charging mode and the second charging mode being selected further (see further STEP 406, FIG4) based on the determined at least one parameter.
5, 15. The charger of Claim 4/14, wherein the at least one parameter is determined by measuring the at least one parameter using a removable electrical connection to battery terminals (Claim 5 rejection based on “determine at least one parameter” at STEP 410, FIG4 and said “charging modes” read on by the determined “charging profile” of STEP412, FIG4, see measuring in STEP 410 @ [0048]).
6, 16. The charger of Claim 4/14, wherein the charger further includes a communication interface configured to: receive the at least one parameter (ie one ore more of the CLOUD Network, 1302 FIG13 noting said cloud is “configured to receive” any and all of parameters and whatever data is sent).
7, 17. The charger of Claim 4/14, wherein the at least one parameter is an SOC of the battery (See [0049], emphasis on “the processing unit may be configured to calculate… the initial SOC of the battery”, see FIGs 3 and 4).
8, 18. The charger of Claim 7/17, wherein triggering the power supply (44) to charge the battery (14) up to the first SOC threshold includes: determining that the SOC is less than the first SOC threshold; and triggering the power supply (44) to charge the battery (14) to increase the SOC up to the first SOC threshold (ie default charging as processed in STEPS 408, 410, and resulting default profile of STEP 412, FIG4).
9. The charger of Claim 7,wherein triggering the power supply to charge the battery up to the second SOC threshold includes: determining that the SOC is less than the second SOC threshold; and triggering the power supply to charge the battery to increase the SOC up to the second SOC threshold (ie user selected SOC as processed in STEPS 406, and resulting default profile of STEP 412, FIG4).
11. A method in a charger configured for charging a battery, the charger being removably connectable to the battery, the method comprising: requesting a switch between a first charge mode and a second charge mode to be performed (STEP 406, FIG4); selecting one of the first charging mode and the second charging mode based at least in part on whether the switch has been requested (see YES, NO STEP 406), the selected first charging mode triggering charging of the battery up to a first SOC threshold, the selected second charging mode triggering the charging of the battery up to a second SOC threshold (see [0048]); and charging the battery using one of the selected first charging mode and the selected second charging mode (ie STEP 412).
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.
Claim(s) 10 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Narula et al. US 2024/0195206.
Narula teaches first and second SOC threshold (see FIG4) however fails to explicitly teach said SOC values chosen including:
10.The charger of Claim 1, wherein the first SOC threshold is less than the second SOC threshold.
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made to provide the first SOC less than the second SOC, since it has been held that discovering an optimum value of a result effective variable involves only routine skill in the art. In re Boesch, 617 F.2d 272, 205 USPQ 215 (CCPA 1980).
Claim(s) 19 and 20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Narula et al. US 2024/0195206 in view of Wang et al. US 2020/0361340.
Narula teaches:
19. A charger configured for charging a battery, the charger being removably connectable to the battery (See Specification @ [0031], power cord, power outlet for in-home charging, a charging station for electric vehicle…) and comprising an actuator (“external input device” 108, FIG1), a power supply (not show, see FIG1 and [0031]), and processing circuitry (106, FIG1) in communication with the actuator and the power supply:
the actuator being configured to:
request a switch between a first charge mode and a second charge mode to be performed (ie default vs. user inputted SOC, [0049]);
the processing circuitry being configured to:
select one of the first charging mode and the second charging mode based at least in part on whether the switch has been requested (ie default vs inputted SOC, [0049]), the selected first charging mode triggering the power supply to charge the battery up to a first SOC threshold (ie default), the selected second charging mode triggering the power supply to charge the battery up to a second SOC threshold (user inputted SOC); and the power supply being electrically and removably connectable to the battery and configured to: charge the battery using one of the selected first charging mode and the selected second charging mode (ie said charging station and/or vehicle charging cord embodiment(s), [005, 0031].
Narula fails to teach said battery comprising a first terminal and a second terminal (noting Applicant’s need not teach and depict what is well known and established in the art).
Nonetheless, Wang et al. teach a system comprising a vehicle battery having first and second terminals (see FIG2, +/- terminals of said vehicle battery).
It would have been obvious to use a standard type battery with two terminals, namely + and – terminals which is the norm in the art and allows for use of off the shelf and other standard components to be used with said system.
Narula further teaches:
20. The system of Claim 19, wherein at least one of:
the processing circuitry is further configured to: determine at least one parameter associated with the battery (see [0033] and STEP 410, FIG4);
the charger further includes a first communication interface configured to: receive the at least one parameter (cloud 1302, FIG13);
the battery further includes a second communication interface configured to: transmit the at least one parameter; and
the one of the first charging mode and the second charging mode (read on by “charging profile”, STEP 412, FIG4) is selected further based on one of the determined at least one parameter (STEP 406) and the received at least one parameter (STEP 410).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to DANIEL CAVALLARI whose telephone number is (571)272-8541. The examiner can normally be reached Mon-Fri 0900-18:30.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Rexford Barnie can be reached at (571)272-7492. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
/DANIEL CAVALLARI/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2836
Prosecution Insights