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 § 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.
(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) 1-6, 8, 9, and 13-22 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) and (a)(2) as being anticipated by Kazuno et al. (2017/0066337).
Regarding independent claim 1, Kazuno teaches a method (Fig. 1), comprising:
activating a converter (34) coupled with at least one energy storage device (30), one or more inverters (14), and one or more of a load (12) or a charging input, wherein the load comprises a traction motor (12) of a vehicle system, the converter activated based on (a) demand characteristics of the one or more of the load (i.e. speed/acceleration of the motor vehicle, which determines the demand characteristic) or the charging input and (b) supply characteristics of the at least one energy storage device (i.e. SOC), the converter activated to change a voltage that is supplied to the load or that is supplied by the charging input via the inverter ([0058]-[0060], [0101]-[0104]; [0101] teaches during acceleration aka high load demand the converter is activated to supply more voltage from the energy storage device to the load aka motor); and
responsive to determining an electric power demanded by the traction motor does not exceed a designated threshold electric power (i.e. during idling stop or a constant low speed), deactivating the converter or preventing activation of the converter ([0091], [0095]).
Regarding claim 2, Kazuno teaches determining whether the load is operating to perform work based at least in part on the demand characteristics ([0070]-[0072]).
Regarding claims 3, 13, 14, and 16, Kazuno teaches the demand and/or supply characteristics include a demanded voltage demanded by the load/traction motor ([0070]-[0072]) and a stored voltage stored in the at least one energy storage device ([0058]), and the converter is activated responsive to the demanded voltage being greater than a threshold demand ([0101]) and the stored voltage being less than a storage threshold (i.e. fully charged; [0102], [0104]).
Regarding claim 4, Kazuno teaches the load is a vehicle system (Fig. 1) and the demand characteristics include a moving speed of the vehicle system, and further comprising determining the speed of the vehicle system and comparing the moving speed to a determined threshold speed value ([0091], [0092], [0101]-[0104]).
Regarding claim 5, Kazuno teaches the demand characteristics include an electric power demanded by the load, and further comprising determining whether the electric power demanded by the load is greater than a designated threshold (i.e. power provided by the FC alone and/or based on the speed) electric power value. ([0098]-[0104])
Regarding claim 6, Kazuno teaches determining that a state of charge of the at least one energy storage device is less than a designated threshold state of charge (i.e. fully charged). ([0058], [0177]-[0179])
Regarding claims 17 and 22, Kazuno teaches the load includes a traction motor (12) of a vehicle system, and further comprising:
deactivating the converter or preventing activation of the converter (i.e. “directly connected state” aka normal mode), responsive to determining:
the traction motor not operating to propel the vehicle system (i.e. idling/stationary),
the moving speed of the vehicle system being slower than a designated threshold speed (low speed vs. high speed/acceleration),
an electric power demanded by the traction motor does not exceed a designated threshold electric power (based on the speed/acceleration levels), or
a state of charge of the at least one energy storage device is above a designated threshold state of charge. ([0091], [0092], [0095], [0106])
Regarding claim 8, Kazuno teaches the converter being activated (to charge the battery) to reduce the voltage that is supplied to the load (during deceleration) or supplied by the charging input via the inverter. ([0104])
Regarding independent claim 9, Kazuno teaches (Fig. 1) a converter (34) configured to change a voltage output by an energy storage device (30) prior to the voltage being supplied to an inverter (14) responsive to activation of the converter ([0044], [0045], [0048], [0060]); and
a controller (50) configured to selectively activate the converter based at least in part on a measured demand characteristic (speed/acceleration level, which determines the demand characteristic) and on a measured electric supply characteristic (the SOC of the battery if it needs charging) ([0058], [0101]-[0104], as described above with claim 1),
wherein the measured demand characteristic includes whether a traction motor is propelling a vehicle system (i.e. idling stop [0095] vs. light acceleration/low load [0091] vs. high acceleration/high load [0101]), and wherein the controller is configured to deactivate, or prevent activation of, the converter responsive to an electric power demanded by the traction motor not exceeded a designated threshold electric power (based on the current speed and acceleration levels).
Regarding claim 15, Kazuno teaches the electric supply characteristic includes a state of charge of the energy storage device ([0058]).
Regarding independent claim 18, Kazuno teaches a power supply system, comprising:
a controller (50) configured to switch operation of a vehicle power system between different modes, the modes including a normal mode (“a directly connected state”) and a boosted voltage mode (“step up/down state”) ([0100]), the controller configured to switch the operation of the vehicle power system to the boosted voltage mode responsive to a voltage of a vehicle battery being less than a threshold amount (i.e. fully charged) and the vehicle being in motion (i.e. in deceleration). ([0104])
Regarding claim 19, Kazuno teaches the controller is configured to switch the operation of the vehicle power system to the normal mode responsive to the voltage of the vehicle battery being at least the threshold amount or the vehicle being stationary. ([0095])
Regarding claim 20, Kazuno teaches the controller is configured to switch the operation of the vehicle power system to the boosted voltage mode by activating a converter of the vehicle power system (into a step-up/down operation).
Regarding claim 21, Kazuno teaches the controller configured to switch the operation of the vehicle power system to the boosted voltage mode responsive to the voltage of the vehicle battery being less than the threshold amount, the vehicle being in motion, and the vehicle moving faster than a designated speed. ([0091], [0092]; the boosted voltage mode is controlled based on battery voltage and vehicle speed above a particular limit)
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed February 13, 2026 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive. The Examiner believes that Kazuno does teach all of the argued limitations. Kazuno does teach conditional activation of the battery converter (34) based on the load-side voltage demand of the vehicle motor, which correlates to the desired speed/acceleration level of the vehicle (i.e. low speed/load and/or idling stop and/or acceleration/high load). The Examiner believes that Kazuno teaches these conditional activations (and deactivations) at paragraphs 0091, 0095, 0101 among others. Paragraph 0072 also teaches controlling every element in the system based on the load-side voltage demand. The converter will also be activated when the SOC of the energy storage device is not fully charged (i.e. supply characteristics) and the load demand is low enough that extra power from the fuel cell can be directed to charge the energy storage device ([0102]).
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.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to DRU M PARRIES whose telephone number is (571)272-8542. The examiner can normally be reached on Monday -Thursday from 9:00am to 6:00pm. The examiner can also be reached on alternate Fridays.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner's supervisor, Rexford Barnie, can be reached on 571-272-7492. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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DMP
2/24/2026
/DANIEL KESSIE/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2836