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 .
DETAILED ACTION
This action is in response to communications filed on 5/9/2024. Accordingly, claims 1- 10 are pending.
Claim Objections
Claim 10 is objected to because of the following informalities: the claim is an independent claim written in dependent format. Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Interpretation
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(f):
(f) Element in Claim for a Combination. – An element in a claim for a combination may be expressed as a means or step for performing a specified function without the recital of structure, material, or acts in support thereof, and such claim shall be construed to cover the corresponding structure, material, or acts described in the specification and equivalents thereof.
The following is a quotation of pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph:
An element in a claim for a combination may be expressed as a means or step for performing a specified function without the recital of structure, material, or acts in support thereof, and such claim shall be construed to cover the corresponding structure, material, or acts described in the specification and equivalents thereof.
This application includes one or more claim limitations that do not use the word “means,” but are nonetheless being interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph, because the claim limitation(s) uses a generic placeholder that is coupled with functional language without reciting sufficient structure to perform the recited function and the generic placeholder is not preceded by a structural modifier. Such claim limitation(s) is/are: acquisition unit, generation unit and a transmission unit in claim 1.
Because this/these claim limitation(s) is/are being interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph, it/they is/are being interpreted to cover the corresponding structure described in the specification as performing the claimed function, and equivalents thereof.
If applicant does not intend to have this/these limitation(s) interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph, applicant may: (1) amend the claim limitation(s) to avoid it/them being interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph (e.g., by reciting sufficient structure to perform the claimed function); or (2) present a sufficient showing that the claim limitation(s) recite(s) sufficient structure to perform the claimed function so as to avoid it/them being interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 101
35 U.S.C. 101 reads as follows:
Whoever invents or discovers any new and useful process, machine, manufacture, or composition of matter, or any new and useful improvement thereof, may obtain a patent therefor, subject to the conditions and requirements of this title.
Claims 1- 9—in particular independent claim 1—is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 101 because the claimed invention is directed to an abstract idea without significantly more. The claims recite acquiring, generating, transmitting and displaying data. These limitations, as drafted, are processes that, under its broadest reasonable interpretation, covers performance of the limitations in the mind. But for the vehicle power system, and the vehicle energy storage apparatus language, the claims encompass a user simply comparing the collected data to a predetermined/configurable threshold in his/her mind. The mere nominal recitation of a generic vehicle, and memory does not take the claim limitation out of the mental processes grouping. Thus, the claims recite a mental process which is an abstract idea.
This judicial exception is not integrated into a practical application. The claims recite the elements of acquiring, generating, transmitting and displaying and that a generic computer preform these steps. The acquiring and generating and transmitting steps are recited at a high level of generality (i.e., as a general means of receiving/transmitting and storing data for use in the displaying step), and as such they amount to mere data gathering, which is a form of insignificant extra-solution activity. The processor that performs the acquiring, generating and transmitting steps are recited at a high level of generality, and merely automates the acquiring, generating, transmitting and ultimately displaying steps. Each of the additional limitations are no more than mere instructions to apply the exception using a generic computer component (the processor). The combination of these additional elements are no more than mere instructions to apply the exception using a generic computer component (the processor). Accordingly, even in combination, these additional elements do not integrate the abstract idea into a practical application. The claims are directed to an abstract idea.
The claims do not include additional elements that are sufficient to amount to significantly more than the judicial exception. As discussed with respect to Step 2A Prong Two, the additional elements in the claim amount to no more than mere instructions to apply the exception using a generic computer component. The same analysis applies here in 2B and does not provide an inventive concept.
For the acquiring, generating, transmitting and displaying steps were considered extra-solution activity in Step 2A, this has been re-evaluated in Step 2B and determined to be well-understood, routine, conventional activity in the field. The background does not provide any indication that the processor is anything other than a generic, off-the-shelf computer component, and the Symantec, TLI, and OIP Techs. court decisions (MPEP 2106.05(d)(II)) indicate that mere collection or receipt of data over a network is a well‐understood, routine, and conventional function when it is claimed in a merely generic manner (as it is here). For these reasons, there is no inventive concept. The claim is not patent eligible.
As per claims 2-9 they all depend from claim 1 and are therefore rejected for having the same deficiencies as those presented above with respect to claim 1.
Claim 10 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 101 because the claimed invention is directed to non-statutory subject matter.
Claim 10 recites in the preamble “a program for causing…”. The body of claim 1 recites “for controlling a charge-discharge system according to claim 9” as the only other limitation. Therefore claim 1 is non-statutory because it is directed towards software, per se, lacking storage on a medium, which enables any underlying functionality to occur. It is not clear whether the instructions are in executable form and therefore there is no practical application.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
The following is a quotation of the appropriate paragraphs of 35 U.S.C. 102 that form the basis for the rejections under this section made in this Office action:
A person shall be entitled to a patent unless –
(a)(1) the claimed invention was patented, described in a printed publication, or in public use, on sale, or otherwise available to the public before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claims 1- 10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Okumura (US2020/0406771 A1).
As per claim 1, Okumura discloses:
A charge-discharge system that performs charge-discharge with a vehicle energy storage apparatus that is an energy storage apparatus of a vehicle in a predetermined supply area to which power from a power system is supplied, and supplies power to a power load in the supply area, the charge-discharge system comprising (see Okumura at least fig. 1-13 and in particular fig. 1, 2 5 & 12):
an acquisition unit that acquires charge-side power amount information indicating a magnitude of a power amount including a charge power amount from the charge-discharge system to the vehicle energy storage apparatus in predetermined periods, and discharge-side power amount information indicating a magnitude of a power amount including a discharge power amount from the vehicle energy storage apparatus to the charge-discharge system (see Okumura at least fig. 1-13 and in particular fig. 1-2, 8-11; EV charger and discharger [102], charging and discharging amounts over multiple days/period);
a generation unit that generates display data for causing a display device to display a calendar screen on which the charge-side power amount information and the discharge-side power amount information are displayed for each of the predetermined periods in a calendar in which the predetermined periods are arranged (see Okumura at least fig. 1-13 and in particular fig. 1-2, 8-11; EV charger and discharger [102], charging and discharging amounts over multiple days/period); and
a transmission unit that transmits the display data to the display device (see Okumura at least fig. 1-13 and in particular fig. 1-2, 8-11; EV charger and discharger [102], charging and discharging amounts over multiple days/period).
2: wherein the generation unit generates the display data for causing the display device to display the calendar screen on which a charge-side power amount diagram that is a diagram indicating the magnitude of the power amount indicated by the charge-side power amount information is displayed as the charge-side power amount information, and a discharge-side power amount diagram that is a diagram indicating the magnitude of the power amount indicated by the discharge-side power amount information is displayed as the discharge-side power amount information(see Okumura at least fig. 1-13 and in particular fig. 1-2, 8-11).
3: wherein the generation unit generates the display data for causing the display device to display the calendar screen on which a numerical value indicating the magnitude of the power amount indicated by the charge- side power amount information is further displayed at a position corresponding to the charge-side power amount diagram as the charge-side power amount information, and a numerical value indicating the magnitude of the power amount indicated by the discharge-side power amount information is further displayed at a position corresponding to the discharge-side power amount diagram as the discharge-side power amount information(see Okumura at least fig. 1-13 and in particular fig. 1-2, 8-11).
4: wherein the generation unit generates the display data for causing the display device to display the calendar screen displayed such that the charge-side power amount information and the discharge-side power amount information have the same positional relationship for each of the predetermined periods (see Okumura at least fig. 1-13 and in particular fig. 1-2, 8-11).
5: wherein at least one of a power generation apparatus and an energy storage apparatus is connected to the charge-discharge system, the acquisition unit acquires, as the charge-side power amount information, vehicle charge power amount information indicating a magnitude of a charge power amount of the vehicle energy storage apparatus and first power amount information indicating a magnitude of a power amount of at least one of a charge power amount of the energy storage apparatus and a power consumption amount of the power load, and acquires, as the discharge-side power amount information, vehicle discharge power amount information indicating a magnitude of a discharge power amount of the vehicle energy storage apparatus and second power amount information indicating a magnitude of a power amount of at least one of a generated power amount of the power generation apparatus and a discharge power amount of the energy storage apparatus, and the generation unit generates the display data for causing the display device to display the calendar screen on which the vehicle charge power amount information and the first power amount information are displayed as the charge-side power amount information and the vehicle discharge power amount information and the second power amount information are displayed as the discharge-side power amount information (see Okumura at least fig. 1-13 and in particular fig. 1-2, 8-11).
6: wherein the generation unit generates the display data for causing the display device to display the calendar screen in which the first power amount information is displayed closer to the vehicle charge power amount information than the vehicle discharge power amount information, and the second power amount information is displayed closer to the vehicle discharge power amount information than the vehicle charge power amount information (see Okumura at least fig. 1-13 and in particular fig. 1-2, 8-11; EV charger and discharger [102], charging and discharging amounts over multiple days/period).
7: wherein the generation unit generates the display data for causing the display device to display the calendar screen on which a diagram indicating the magnitude of the power amount indicated by the vehicle charge power amount information and a diagram indicating the magnitude of the power amount indicated by the first power amount information are displayed side by side as the charge- side power amount information, and a diagram indicating the magnitude of the power amount indicated by the vehicle discharge power amount information and a diagram indicating the magnitude of the power amount indicated by the second power amount information are displayed side by side as the discharge-side power amount information (see Okumura at least fig. 1-13 and in particular fig. 1-2, 8-11).
8: wherein the generation unit generates the display data for causing the display device to display the calendar screen on which charge-side power amount display information for displaying the charge- side power amount information and discharge-side power amount display information for displaying the discharge-side power amount information are further displayed, the acquisition unit is configured to be capable of acquiring information indicating that at least one of the charge-side power amount display information and the discharge-side power amount display information displayed on the display device has been selected, and the generation unit generates the display data for causing the display device to display the calendar screen on which the charge-side power amount information is not displayed, when the acquisition unit does not acquire information indicating that the charge-side power amount display information has been selected, and generates the display data for causing the display device to display the calendar screen on which the discharge-side power amount information is not displayed, when the acquisition unit does not acquire information indicating that the discharge-side power amount display information has been selected (see Okumura at least fig. 1-13 and in particular fig. 1-2, 8-11).
9: A method for controlling a charge-discharge system that performs charge- discharge with a vehicle energy storage apparatus that is an energy storage apparatus of a vehicle in a predetermined supply area to which power from a power system is supplied, and supplies power to a power load in the supply area, the method comprising: acquiring charge-side power amount information indicating a magnitude of a power amount including a charge power amount from the charge-discharge system to the vehicle energy storage apparatus in predetermined periods, and discharge-side power amount information indicating a magnitude of a power amount including a discharge power amount from the vehicle energy storage apparatus to the charge-discharge system (see Okumura at least fig. 1-13 and in particular fig. 1, 2 5 & 12); generating display data for causing a display device to display a calendar screen on which the charge-side power amount information and the discharge-side power amount information are displayed for each of the predetermined periods in a calendar in which the predetermined periods are arranged (see Okumura at least fig. 1-13 and in particular fig. 1, 2 5 & 12); and transmitting the display data to the display device (see Okumura at least fig. 1-13 and in particular fig. 1-2, 8-11; EV charger and discharger [102], charging and discharging amounts over multiple days/period).
10: A program for causing a computer to execute processing included in the method for controlling a charge-discharge system according to claim 9 (see Okumura at least fig. 1-13 and in particular fig. 1-2, 8-11; EV charger and discharger [102], charging and discharging amounts over multiple days/period).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MACEEH ANWARI whose telephone number is 571-272-7591. The examiner can normally be reached on 9-9:30.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Angela Ortiz can be reached on 571-272-1206. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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MACEEH . ANWARI
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 3663
/MACEEH ANWARI/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3663
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