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 .
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election without traverse of claims 8-20 in the reply filed on 1/16/2026 is acknowledged.
Drawings
The drawings are objected to under 37 CFR 1.83(a). The drawings must show every feature of the invention specified in the claims. Therefore, the first power control device further comprises a first controller area network communicatively coupling the first power control device to a second controller area network associated with the vehicle must be shown or the features canceled from the claims. No new matter should be entered.
Corrected drawing sheets in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d) are required in reply to the Office action to avoid abandonment of the application. Any amended replacement drawing sheet should include all of the figures appearing on the immediate prior version of the sheet, even if only one figure is being amended. The figure or figure number of an amended drawing should not be labeled as “amended.” If a drawing figure is to be canceled, the appropriate figure must be removed from the replacement sheet, and where necessary, the remaining figures must be renumbered and appropriate changes made to the brief description of the several views of the drawings for consistency. Additional replacement sheets may be necessary to show the renumbering of the remaining figures. Each drawing sheet submitted after the filing date of an application must be labeled in the top margin as either “Replacement Sheet” or “New Sheet” pursuant to 37 CFR 1.121(d). If the changes are not accepted by the examiner, the applicant will be notified and informed of any required corrective action in the next Office action. The objection to the drawings will not be held in abeyance.
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 8-10 and 14 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Salter et al. (US 20180043846).
With respect to claims 8-9 Salter teaches a system, comprising: a power source (106, 120); a first power control device (108) directly coupled (see connection Fig. 1) to the power source for receiving current from the power source, the first power control device having at least one first output terminal (positive terminal of battery); and a second power control device (112) coupled (see Fig. 1) to the first power control device via the at least one first output terminal for receiving the current from the first power control device, the second power control device located remotely (see separation shown in Fig. 1) from the power source and comprising: at least one second output terminal (see connection with 122) configured to deliver current to one of the plurality of auxiliary devices (114a-c).
With respect to claim 10 Salter teaches the battery (106) wherein the first power control device (108) comprises an input terminal (see lower connection with 108) that is directly coupled (see line connecting directly to battery) to a positive terminal of the battery.
With respect to claim 14 Salter teaches the first power control device is configured to deliver current to at least one of the plurality of auxiliary devices for a predetermined time period responsive to the vehicle being turned off (paragraph 0013-14 and 18-20).
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.
Claims 8-12 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Takamatsu et al. (US 20190118744)
With respect to claims 8-9 Takamatsu teaches a system, comprising: a power source (MB); a first power control device (CB(1)) directly coupled (for example Fig. 2) to the power source for receiving current from the power source, the first power control device having at least one first output terminal (see left side of CB(1) Fig. 2); and a second power control device (CB(2 or 3)) coupled (see Fig. 2) to the first power control device via the at least one first output terminal for receiving the current from the first power control device, the second power control device located remotely (see separate location) from the power source and comprising: at least one second output terminal (see Cnx) configured to deliver current to one of the plurality of auxiliary devices (accessory device).
With respect to claim 10 Takamatsu teaches the battery (MB) wherein the first power control device (CB(1)) comprises an input terminal that is directly coupled (see Fig. 2) to a positive terminal of the battery.
With respect to claim 11 Takamatsu teaches the first power control device further comprises a first controller area network communicatively (see paragraph 00254-255) coupling the first power control device to a second controller area network (associated with AR2-3) associated with the vehicle.
With respect to claim 12 Takamatsu teaches the first power control device further comprises: at least one current sensor (paragraph 0395-398); and at least one temperature sensor (paragraph 0027), wherein the first power control device is configured to communicate an alert (paragraph 0228 when first detects failure and avoids the failure) to the second controller area network when one of a current value is outside a current range or a temperature value is outside of a temperature range.
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.
Claims 15, 19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Takamatsu et al. (US 20190118744) in view of Djelassi-Tscheck et al. (US 20230411947)
With respect to claim 15 Takamatsu teaches a method, the method comprising: providing a power control device (see for example Fig. 2), comprising: an input terminal (left side CB(1)) coupled to a battery (MB) of the vehicle; a plurality of output terminals (Cnx) configured to receive current from the input terminal, each output terminal having an associated switch (see FETs for example in Fig. 4) configured to control the current received from the input terminal; a plurality of current sensors (paragraph 0395-398), each current sensor configured to detect a current at one of the plurality of output terminals; receiving an input to turn on (paragraph 0220) an auxiliary device of the plurality of auxiliary devices; responsive to receiving the input, actuating a switch (see switch connection with accessory) associated with the auxiliary device to enable current flow to the auxiliary device; and responsive to detecting, by a current sensor associated with an output terminal of the plurality of output terminals, a current value above a threshold current value, disabling the current flow to the output terminal (paragraph 0464). Takamatsu does not teach the disabling the current flow responsive to a current below a threshold value. Djelassi-Tscheck teaches the known disconnecting responsive to a current below a threshold (paragraph 0005). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the invention to modify Takamatsu to disable during a below threshold occurrence for the benefit of protecting the power system form anomalous current.
With respect to claim 19 Takamatsu teaches an additional power control device (CB(3)) coupled to an additional output terminal of the plurality of output terminals.
Claims 14 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Takamatsu et al. (US 20190118744) in view of Salter et al. (US 20180043846).
With respect to claim 14 Takamatsu teaches enabling and disabling the input however does not teach responsive to receiving the input, disabling the current flow to the auxiliary device after a predetermined time period. Salter teaches the first power control device is configured to deliver current to at least one of the plurality of auxiliary devices for a predetermined time period responsive to the vehicle being turned off (paragraph 0013-14 and 18-20). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the invention to modify Takamatsu to delay the disabling for the benefit of increased user comfort.
Claims 16 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Takamatsu et al. (US 20190118744) in view of Djelassi-Tscheck et al. (US 20230411947) in view of Park et al. (US 20230009818)
With respect to claim 16 Takamatsu teaches a detecting voltage levels in the power distribution system however does not teach disabling the current flow to at least one of the plurality of auxiliary devices. Park teaches (paragraph 0026) the known use of detecting a battery voltage below a threshold battery voltage, disabling the current flow to at least one of the plurality of auxiliary devices. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the invention to modify Takamatsu to try the known use of disconnecting loads for the predictable result of continued operation of critical loads.
Claims 17 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Takamatsu et al. (US 20190118744) in view of Djelassi-Tscheck et al. (US 20230411947) in view of Salter et al. (US 20180043846).
With respect to claim 17 Takamatsu teaches enabling and disabling the input however does not teach responsive to receiving the input, disabling the current flow to the auxiliary device after a predetermined time period. Salter teaches the first power control device is configured to deliver current to at least one of the plurality of auxiliary devices for a predetermined time period responsive to the vehicle being turned off (paragraph 0013-14 and 18-20). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the invention to modify Takamatsu to delay the disabling for the benefit of increased user comfort.
Claim 20 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Takamatsu et al. (US 20190118744) in view of Djelassi-Tscheck et al. (US 20230411947) in view of Mohandas et al. (US 20230258483) Takamatsu teaches the known use of a controlling the current provided however does not teach the use of a machine learning algorithm to determine an optimal current range of an auxiliary device and provide an alert if the auxiliary device operates outside the optimal current range. Mohandas teaches the known use of machine learning (paragraph 0065-66) for to determine an optimal current range in a sensing arrangement. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the invention to modify Takamatsu to try the known use of machine learning for the benefit of accuracy and precision in the sensing (paragraph 0015-16).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 13 and 18 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
With respect to claims 13 and 18 Salter teaches the second power control device is configured to disable current flow (see control power flow paragraph 0018) to a first auxiliary device and a second auxiliary device coupled to a common output terminal however does not teach the disabling when an input signal is received to power on the first auxiliary device while the second auxiliary device is receiving current. At least this further limitation is not taught or rendered obvious by the prior art of record.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Michael Fin whose telephone number is (571)272-5921. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 9am-5:30.
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MICHAEL FIN
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 2836
/MICHAEL R. FIN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2836