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
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
Priority
Acknowledgment is made of applicant's claim for foreign priority based on an application filed in Korea on 9/4/2023. It is noted, however, that applicant has not filed a certified copy of the KR 10-2023-0116938 application as required by 37 CFR 1.55.
Examiner notes that a retrieval request was made, but was indicated as unsuccessful as of the notice entered on 2/4/2025.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claim(s) 1 - 20 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 § 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 (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) 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 & 11 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Diamond (US 2023/0226866 A1) in view of Hagan (US 2015/0204741 A1) and Anders (US 2023/0166634 A1).
Regarding Claim 1:
Diamond discloses: An add-on mobility apparatus configured to be driven by being connected to a front mobility apparatus comprising (Diamond discloses in at least Paragraphs 0004 – 0005 & 0017 – 0018 wherein a trailer [i.e. add-on mobility apparatus] including propulsion elements and a battery may be connected to a vehicle to provide power to the vehicle to recharge the vehicle traction battery)
a plurality of front mobility first wheels, at least one first drive motor providing a driving force to the plurality of front mobility first wheels, a first high-voltage battery supplying power to the at least one first drive motor, and a first connection mechanism, (Diamond discloses in at least Paragraphs 0004, 0011, & 0012 an electrified vehicle mechanically coupled to a trailer, the electric vehicle including a plurality of wheels coupled to a drive shaft, which is in turn coupled to an electric machine, such as a motor, for providing propulsion and braking capability to the vehicle [i.e. a plurality of front mobility first wheels, at least one first drive motor providing a driving force to the plurality of front mobility first wheels]. Diamond further discloses in at least Paragraph 0012 wherein the vehicle may include a traction battery or battery pack, usable by the electric motors of the vehicle [i.e. a first high-voltage battery supplying power to the at least one first drive motor]. At least Paragraph 0017 of Diamond discloses wherein the vehicle may be physically coupled to a trailer via a trailer coupler [i.e. a first connection mechanism])
the add-on mobility apparatus comprising: a first left wheel and a first right wheel; at least one second drive motor configured to provide a driving force to the first left wheel and the first right wheel; a second high-voltage battery configured to supply driving power to the at least one second drive motor, and to supply charging power to the first high-voltage battery through a DC/DC converter; a second connection mechanism mechanically connected to the first connection mechanism; and (Diamond discloses in at least Paragraph 0017 wherein a trailer [i.e. add on mobility apparatus] may be physically coupled to a vehicle via a trailer coupler [i.e. second connection mechanism mechanically coupled to the first connection mechanism]. At least Paragraphs 0017 & 0018 of Diamond further disclose wherein the trailer may further include a trailer traction battery configured to supply power to one or more trailer electric machines [i.e. at least one second drive motor configured to provide a driving force to the first left wheel and the first right wheel; a second high-voltage battery configured to supply driving power to the at least one second drive motor] which are coupled to the trailer wheels to supply propulsion power [i.e. a first left wheel and a first right wheel]. At least Paragraph 0018 of Diamond discloses wherein a trailer battery and traction battery may be configured to facilitate a power transaction between one another, via a DC/DC converter to facilitate voltage conversion as needed [i.e. a second high-voltage battery configured to supply charging power to the first high-voltage battery through a DC/DC converter])
a controller comprising a memory configured to store a computer program for controlling the at least one second drive motor and the second high-voltage battery and a processor configured to execute the computer program, wherein, by the execution of the computer program, the processor is configured to: (Diamond discloses in at least Paragraphs 0019 & 0030 wherein a non-transitory memory may be provided that contains a computer program, which is executable by a processor to perform the processes disclosed [i.e. a controller comprising a memory configured to store a computer program for controlling the at least one second drive motor and the second high-voltage battery and a processor configured to execute the computer program])
determine the driving power and the charging power based on a first state of charge (SOC) of the first high-voltage battery and a second SOC of the second high-voltage battery (Diamond discloses in at least Paragraphs 0027 & 0028, as well as Figure 3, below, wherein a process for balancing a state of charge in the coupled battery system may include determining an amount of propulsion for each of the trailer and vehicle traction batteries to provide, as well as an amount of charging to provide between the batteries [i.e. determine the driving power and the charging power], based on a desired charge distribution and the charge amounts of each of the vehicle and trailer batteries, with charge transfer and driving/regeneration taking place for the batteries based on the desired charge levels [i.e. based on a first state of charge (SOC) of the first high-voltage battery and a second SOC of the second high-voltage battery])
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Diamond however appears to be silent regarding:
Wherein the driving and charging power are determined such that the second SOC and the first SOC together reach a predetermined minimum SOC at a predetermined time point, while the driving power is supplied to the at least one second drive motor; and
control the second high-voltage battery such that the second high-voltage battery concurrently supplies the charging power to the first high-voltage battery and the driving power to the at least one second drive motor.
However Anders teaches wherein a dual battery system may be balanced to reach an equivalent state of charge prior to a predetermined arrival time at a location.
Wherein the driving and charging power are determined such that the second SOC and the first SOC together reach a predetermined minimum SOC at a predetermined time point, while the driving power is supplied to the at least one second drive motor; and (However Anders teaches in at least Paragraphs 0035, 0044, & 0047 wherein a dual battery system may be provided in an electric vehicle, with the dual battery system configured to balance the charges between the first and second battery by applying an excessive torque on the one or more wheels in driving relationship with the electric motor with one battery, while simultaneously charging the other battery using regeneration, such that the charge levels in the batteries are equalized prior to arriving at a charging event [i.e. the second SOC and the first SOC together reach a predetermined minimum SOC at a predetermined time point, while the driving power is supplied to the at least one second drive motor])
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the present claimed invention to have modified the disclosure of Diamond by incorporating the balancing of charge in a dual battery system by a predetermined time as taught by Anders.
The motivation to do so is that, as acknowledged by Anders in at least Paragraphs 0035 & 0047, a dual battery configuration may be balanced prior to arrival at a charging event such that charging may occur directly upon arrival to the charging station, without any further actions or activities, improving the charging process of the vehicle.
However Hagan teaches wherein a trailer battery may simultaneously provide recharging power to a vehicle battery and propulsive force to drive the vehicle.
control the second high-voltage battery such that the second high-voltage battery concurrently supplies the charging power to the first high-voltage battery and the driving power to the at least one second drive motor. (However Hagan teaches in at least Paragraph 0024 wherein responsive to a vehicle traction battery having a low charge, the power supply for the vehicle may be switched from the vehicle traction-battery to the trailer traction-battery, and the trailer charging system may be utilized to recharge the vehicle traction battery, the charging system receiving power from the trailer traction battery. At least Paragraphs 0023, 0026, & 0027 of Hagan further teach wherein the trailer may further be propelled via an electric machine, powered by the trailer traction battery, to match the vehicle speed [i.e. the second high-voltage battery concurrently supplies the charging power to the first high-voltage battery and the driving power to the at least one second drive motor])
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the present claimed invention to have modified the disclosure of Diamond by incorporating the simultaneously provision of recharging power to a vehicle battery and propulsive force to drive the vehicle as taught by Hagan.
The motivation to do so is that, as acknowledged by Hagan in at least Paragraphs 0023 & 0024, the vehicle may effectively recharge the vehicle traction battery while continuing to propel the vehicle.
Regarding Claim 11:
Diamond discloses: A method of controlling an add-on mobility apparatus configured to be driven by being connected to a front mobility apparatus comprising (Diamond discloses in at least Paragraphs 0004 – 0005 & 0017 – 0018 a method wherein a trailer [i.e. a method of controlling an add-on mobility apparatus] including propulsion elements and a battery may be connected to a vehicle to provide power to the vehicle to recharge the vehicle traction battery)
a plurality of front mobility wheels, at least one first drive motor providing a driving force to the plurality of front mobility wheels, a first high-voltage battery supplying power to the at least one first drive motor, and a first connection mechanism, (Diamond discloses in at least Paragraphs 0004, 0011, & 0012 an electrified vehicle mechanically coupled to a trailer, the electric vehicle including a plurality of wheels coupled to a drive shaft, which is in turn coupled to an electric machine, such as a motor, for providing propulsion and braking capability to the vehicle [i.e. a plurality of front mobility first wheels, at least one first drive motor providing a driving force to the plurality of front mobility first wheels]. Diamond further discloses in at least Paragraph 0012 wherein the vehicle may include a traction battery or battery pack, usable by the electric motors of the vehicle [i.e. a first high-voltage battery supplying power to the at least one first drive motor]. At least Paragraph 0017 of Diamond discloses wherein the vehicle may be physically coupled to a trailer via a trailer coupler [i.e. a first connection mechanism])
wherein the add-on mobility apparatus comprises: a first left wheel and a first right wheel; at least one second drive motor configured to provide a driving force to the first left wheel and the first right wheel, a second high-voltage battery configured to supply driving power to the at least one second drive motor and charging power to the first high-voltage battery through a DC/DC converter, a second connection mechanism mechanically connected to the first connection mechanism, and (Diamond discloses in at least Paragraph 0017 wherein a trailer [i.e. add on mobility apparatus] may be physically coupled to a vehicle via a trailer coupler [i.e. second connection mechanism mechanically coupled to the first connection mechanism]. At least Paragraphs 0017 & 0018 of Diamond further disclose wherein the trailer may further include a trailer traction battery configured to supply power to one or more trailer electric machines [i.e. at least one second drive motor configured to provide a driving force to the first left wheel and the first right wheel; a second high-voltage battery configured to supply driving power to the at least one second drive motor] which are coupled to the trailer wheels to supply propulsion power [i.e. a first left wheel and a first right wheel]. At least Paragraph 0018 of Diamond discloses wherein a trailer battery and traction battery may be configured to facilitate a power transaction between one another, via a DC/DC converter to facilitate voltage conversion as needed [i.e. a second high-voltage battery configured to supply charging power to the first high-voltage battery through a DC/DC converter])
a controller comprising a non-transitory memory configured to store computer- executable instructions for controlling the at least one second drive motor and the second high- voltage battery, and a processor configured to carry out the computer-executable instructions including operations comprising: (Diamond discloses in at least Paragraphs 0019 & 0030 wherein a non-transitory memory may be provided that contains a computer program, which is executable by a processor to perform the processes disclosed [i.e. a controller comprising a memory configured to store a computer program for controlling the at least one second drive motor and the second high-voltage battery and a processor configured to execute the computer program])
determining, the driving power and the charging power based on a first state of charge (SOC) of the first high-voltage battery and a second SOC of the second high-voltage battery (Diamond discloses in at least Paragraphs 0027 & 0028, as well as Figure 3, above, wherein a process for balancing a state of charge in the coupled battery system may include determining an amount of propulsion for each of the trailer and vehicle traction batteries to provide, as well as an amount of charging to provide between the batteries [i.e. determine the driving power and the charging power], based on a desired charge distribution and the charge amounts of each of the vehicle and trailer batteries, with charge transfer and driving/regeneration taking place for the batteries based on the desired charge levels [i.e. based on a first state of charge (SOC) of the first high-voltage battery and a second SOC of the second high-voltage battery])
Diamond however appears to be silent regarding:
Wherein the driving and charging power are determined such that the second SOC and the first SOC together reach a predetermined minimum SOC at a predetermined time point, while the driving power is supplied to the at least one second drive motor; and
controlling the second high-voltage battery such that the second high-voltage battery concurrently supplies the charging power to the first high-voltage battery and the driving power to the at least one second drive motor.
However Anders teaches wherein a dual battery system may be balanced to reach an equivalent state of charge prior to a predetermined arrival time at a location.
Wherein the driving and charging power are determined such that the second SOC and the first SOC together reach a predetermined minimum SOC at a predetermined time point, while the driving power is supplied to the at least one second drive motor; and (However Anders teaches in at least Paragraphs 0035, 0044, & 0047 wherein a dual battery system may be provided in an electric vehicle, with the dual battery system configured to balance the charges between the first and second battery by applying an excessive torque on the one or more wheels in driving relationship with the electric motor with one battery, while simultaneously charging the other battery using regeneration, such that the charge levels in the batteries are equalized prior to arriving at a charging event [i.e. the second SOC and the first SOC together reach a predetermined minimum SOC at a predetermined time point, while the driving power is supplied to the at least one second drive motor])
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the present claimed invention to have modified the disclosure of Diamond by incorporating the balancing of charge in a dual battery system by a predetermined time as taught by Anders.
The motivation to do so is that, as acknowledged by Anders in at least Paragraphs 0035 & 0047, a dual battery configuration may be balanced prior to arrival at a charging event such that charging may occur directly upon arrival to the charging station, without any further actions or activities, improving the charging process of the vehicle.
However Hagan teaches wherein a trailer battery may simultaneously provide recharging power to a vehicle battery and propulsive force to drive the vehicle.
controlling the second high-voltage battery such that the second high-voltage battery concurrently supplies the charging power to the first high-voltage battery and the driving power to the at least one second drive motor. (However Hagan teaches in at least Paragraph 0024 wherein responsive to a vehicle traction battery having a low charge, the power supply for the vehicle may be switched from the vehicle traction-battery to the trailer traction-battery, and the trailer charging system may be utilized to recharge the vehicle traction battery, the charging system receiving power from the trailer traction battery. At least Paragraphs 0023, 0026, & 0027 of Hagan further teach wherein the trailer may further be propelled via an electric machine, powered by the trailer traction battery, to match the vehicle speed [i.e. the second high-voltage battery concurrently supplies the charging power to the first high-voltage battery and the driving power to the at least one second drive motor])
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the present claimed invention to have modified the disclosure of Diamond by incorporating the simultaneously provision of recharging power to a vehicle battery and propulsive force to drive the vehicle as taught by Hagan.
The motivation to do so is that, as acknowledged by Hagan in at least Paragraphs 0023 & 0024, the vehicle may effectively recharge the vehicle traction battery while continuing to propel the vehicle.
Claim(s) 2 - 8, 10, 12 - 18, & 20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Diamond (US 2023/0226866 A1) in view of Hagan (US 2015/0204741 A1) and Anders (US 2023/0166634 A1) as applied to claims 1 & 10 above, and further in view of Kato (US 2009/0261658 A1).
Regarding Claim 2:
The add-on mobility apparatus of claim 1, wherein determining the driving power and the charging power comprises: determining the driving power and the charging power such that the second SOC reaches a second minimum SOC while the first SOC reaches a first minimum SOC.
Diamond does not appear to specifically disclose wherein the driving and charging power are determined such that the first and second states of charge reach a minimum at the same time.
However Kato teaches in at least Paragraphs 0064 & 0065 wherein the distribution of discharge power is performed so that the states of charge of the first and second storage devices reach their lower limits at the same time [i.e. determining the driving power and the charging power such that the second SOC reaches a second minimum SOC while the first SOC reaches a first minimum SOC], the distribution of discharge power taking place based on battery unit states of charge as taught in at least Paragraphs 0082 – 0084 of Kato.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the present claimed invention to have modified the disclosure of Diamond by incorporating the discharge of power such that the minimum states of charge of the battery are reached simultaneously as taught by Kato.
The motivation to do so is that, as acknowledged by Kato in at least Paragraph 0064, by controlling the discharge of the battery units such that a minimum charge is reached at the same time for each battery, the discharging capability of the system as a whole may be maximized, improving system discharge capability.
Regarding Claim 3:
The add-on mobility apparatus of claim 1, wherein determining the driving power and the charging power comprises: determining a driving factor for determining the driving power and a charging factor for determining the charging power, based on the first SOC and the second SOC.
Diamond does not appear to specifically disclose wherein a driving and charging factor are determined based on the first and second states of charge.
However Kato teaches in at least Paragraphs 0049 & 0082 – 0084 wherein a discharge distribution calculating unit calculates amounts of electrical power allowed to be discharged from each battery unit based on the states of charge of the storage devices, and the ratio of power between each [i.e. a ratio of the second SOC to the first SOC], resulting in a discharge distribution ratio [i.e. a driving factor, as at least Paragraph 0049 of Kato teaches wherein the electrical power discharged from discharged from the first or second storage device may be provided to the driving force generation unit]. Similarly, at least Paragraphs 0050, 0083, & 0084 of Kato teach wherein a charge distribution ratio may be computed, indicating the ratio of electrical power to be provided to the respective battery units for charging when the power supply system is in a charge mode [i.e. a charging factor for determining the charging power], with power being supplied from the drive force generating unit to the power supply system. However, the charge distribution ratio of Kato appears to be charging from regeneration provided to the storage devices, rather than charging between storage devices.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the present claimed invention to have modified the disclosure of Diamond by incorporating the determination of ratios of driving force discharging and battery charging ratios based on the states of charge of the batteries as taught by Kato.
The motivation to do so is that, as acknowledged by Kato in at least Paragraphs 0064 & 0067, by controlling the charge and discharge of the battery units according to charging or discharging ratios based on the respective battery states of charge such that a minimum or maximum charge is reached at the same time for each battery, the discharging capability of the system as a whole may be maximized, improving system discharge capability.
However Duan teaches in at least Paragraph 0038 wherein a distribution ratio [i.e. a charging factor for determining the charging power] is computed for each respective battery unit according to the individual states of each battery unit, which may include being based on the states of charge of each battery unit as taught in at least Paragraphs 0051 & 0052. At least Paragraphs 0051 & 0054 of Duan further teaches wherein the allocated current values may include positive and negative current flow, positive current flow correlating to output from battery units, and negative current flow correlating to charging battery units [i.e. the charging factor includes charging ratios between battery units].
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the present claimed invention to have modified the disclosure of Diamond by incorporating the balancing of power distribution between battery units based on states of charge, including the distribution of power between units as taught by Duan.
The motivation to do so is that, as acknowledged by Duan in at least Paragraph 0052, the distribution of power in a multi-battery system may be improved by more effectively balancing the states of charge for the battery units by increasing the allocated current burden of the most highly charged battery units.
Regarding Claim 4:
The add-on mobility apparatus of claim 3, wherein the charging factor is determined to be zero (0) in response that the first SOC being greater than the second SOC.
Diamond does not appear to specifically disclose wherein the charging factor is determined to be zero in response to the first SOC being greater than the second SOC.
However Duan teaches in at least Paragraphs 0052 & 0054 wherein battery units in a system are sorted according to state of charge, with each battery being sorted into a respective region. As taught in at least Paragraph 0048, when the state of charge of a battery falls in the mid-range, the current flow direction to/from the battery is maintained [i.e. no charging/discharging is performed] while the current flow of battery units whose state of charge is above the mid-range are controlled to be discharged until all states of charge are in the same region [i.e. the charging factor into the battery unit above the mid-range/first unit is determined to be zero in response that the first SOC being greater than the second/mid-range battery unit SOC].
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the present claimed invention to have modified the disclosure of Diamond by incorporating the determination to not charge a battery unit based on states of charge of the battery units as taught by Duan.
The motivation to do so is that, as acknowledged by Duan in at least Paragraph 0052, a more effective balancing of the states of charge of the battery units can be achieved by increasing the allocated current burden of the most highly charged battery units, improving the discharging of the batteries.
Regarding Claim 5:
The add-on mobility apparatus of claim 3, wherein the driving factor is determined based on a ratio of the second SOC to the first SOC.
Diamond does not appear to specifically disclose wherein the driving factor is determined based on a ratio of the second SOC to the first SOC.
However Kato teaches in at least Paragraphs 0049 & 0082 – 0084 wherein a discharge distribution calculating unit calculates amounts of electrical power allowed to be discharged based on the states of charge of the storage devices, and the ratio of power between each [i.e. a ratio of the second SOC to the first SOC]. At least Paragraph 0049 of Kato teaches wherein the electrical power discharged from discharged from the first or second storage device may be provided to the driving force generation unit [i.e. the ratio is a driving factor].
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the present claimed invention to have modified the disclosure of Diamond by incorporating the determination of driving power provided from electrical storage devices based on the ratio of states of charge between battery units as taught by Kato.
The motivation to do so is that, as acknowledged by Kato in at least Paragraphs 0020 & 0064, by basing discharge distribution on a ratio between states of charge of battery units, the battery unit driving power supplied may be configured such that the battery units reach a minimum state of charge at the same time, improving the power utilization of the vehicle system.
Regarding Claim 6:
The add-on mobility apparatus of claim 3, wherein the driving factor and the charging factor are each determined to be a value greater than zero (0) when the first SOC is smaller than the second SOC.
Diamond does not appear to specifically disclose wherein the driving factor and the charging factor are each determined to be a value greater than zero when the first SOC is smaller than the second SOC.
However Kato teaches in at least Paragraphs 0049 & 0082 – 0084 wherein a discharge distribution calculating unit calculates amounts of electrical power allowed to be discharged from each battery unit based on the states of charge of the storage devices, and the ratio of power between each [i.e. a ratio of the second SOC to the first SOC], resulting in a discharge distribution ratio [i.e. a driving factor]. Similarly, at least Paragraphs 0050, 0083, & 0084 of Kato teach wherein a charge distribution ratio may be computed, indicating the ratio of electrical power to be provided to the respective battery units for charging when the power supply system is in a charge mode [i.e. a charging factor for determining the charging power], with power being supplied from the drive force generating unit to the power supply system. At least Paragraphs 0073 – 0075 & 0077 of Kato further teach wherein the charge and discharge ratios are computed based on the relative states of charge of each battery, and thus in each case that the first SOC is smaller than the second SOC, the driving and charging factors of the second battery are greater than zero.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the present claimed invention to have modified the disclosure of Diamond by incorporating the driving and charging factor to be greater than zero based on the states of charge of the vehicle batteries relative to one another as taught by Kato.
The motivation to do so is that, as acknowledged by Kato in at least Paragraphs 0020 & 0064, by basing discharging and charging distribution on a ratio between states of charge of battery units, the battery unit driving power supplied may be configured such that the battery units reach a minimum or maximum state of charge at the same time, improving the power utilization of the vehicle system.
Regarding Claim 7:
The add-on mobility apparatus of claim 3, wherein the driving factor and the charging factor are determined such that the second SOC matches the first SOC over time, when the first SOC is smaller than the second SOC.
Diamond does not appear to specifically disclose wherein the driving factor and the charging factor are determined such that the second SOC matches the first SOC over time, when the first SOC is smaller than the second SOC.
However Kato teaches in at least Paragraphs 0063 – 0065 wherein by varying the distribution of discharge power from the first and second storage devices when the devices are at different charge levels, as taught in at least Paragraph 0082 [i.e. when a first SOC is smaller than a second SOC], the state of charge of the storage devices may be configured to reach lower limits at the same time, the lower limits being identical values in an embodiment, as depicted in at least Figure 5 of Kato, below [i.e. the driving factor and the charging factor are determined such that the second SOC matches the first SOC over time].
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It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the present claimed invention to have modified the disclosure of Diamond by incorporating the determination of discharge factors of the vehicle battery units such that the states of charge become equivalent to one another over time as taught by Kato.
The motivation to do so is that, as acknowledged by Kato in at least Paragraph 0064, by configuring the discharging of the battery units such that they reach a minimum state of charge at the same time, the discharging capability of the system may be maximized, improving the power utilization of the vehicle system.
Regarding Claim 8:
The add-on mobility apparatus of claim 7, wherein the charging factor is determined such that the first SOC is maintained until the second SOC matches the first SOC.
Diamond does not appear to specifically disclose wherein the charging factor is determined such that the first SOC is maintained until the second SOC matches the first SOC.
However Duan teaches in at least Paragraphs 0052 & 0054 wherein battery units in a system are sorted according to state of charge, with each battery being sorted into a respective region. As taught in at least Paragraph 0048, when the state of charge of a battery falls in the mid-range, the current flow direction to/from the battery is maintained by hysteresis [i.e. the first SOC is maintained] while the current flow of battery units whose state of charge is outside the mid-range are controlled to be either charged or discharged until all states of charge are in the same region [i.e. the charging factor is determined such that the first SOC is maintained until the second SOC matches the first SOC].
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the present claimed invention to have modified the disclosure of Diamond by incorporating the maintaining of battery units in a region of charge until others match the same state of charge as taught by Duan.
The motivation to do so is that, as acknowledged by Duan in at least Paragraph 0052, a more effective balancing of the states of charge of the battery units can be achieved by increasing the allocated current burden of the most highly charged battery units, improving the discharging of the batteries.
Regarding Claim 10:
The add-on mobility apparatus of claim 3, wherein the charging power is determined by multiplying supply power of the at least one first drive motor by the charging factor.
Diamond does not appear to specifically disclose wherein the charging power is determined by multiplying supply power of the at least one first drive motor by the charging factor.
However Kato teaches in at least Paragraph 0050 wherein the charge distribution ratio calculated is indicative of a proportion of power to be supplied to first and second electrical storage devices from the power being supplied from the drive force generating unit to the power supply system, the charge distribution ratio being multiplied with a total charging power to determine the power supplied for charging each battery unit as taught in at least Paragraph 0088 [i.e. the charging power is determined by multiplying supply power of the at least one first drive motor by the charging factor].
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the present claimed invention to have modified the disclosure of Diamond by incorporating the determination of charging power for each battery based on a multiplication of the charging factor as taught by Kato.
The motivation to do so is that, as acknowledged by Kato in at least Paragraphs 0050 & 0088, power may be provided to the batteries in a ratio appropriate to the amount which each unit is allowed to be charged, improving the charging optimization of the batteries.
Regarding Claim 12:
Claim 12 recites substantially similar limitations as those found in Claim 2, above, and is rejected under similar rationale.
Regarding Claim 13:
Claim 13 recites substantially similar limitations as those found in Claim 3, above, and is rejected under similar rationale.
Regarding Claim 14:
Claim 14 recites substantially similar limitations as those found in Claim 4, above, and is rejected under similar rationale.
Regarding Claim 15:
Claim 15 recites substantially similar limitations as those found in Claim 5, above, and is rejected under similar rationale.
Regarding Claim 16:
Claim 16 recites substantially similar limitations as those found in Claim 6, above, and is rejected under similar rationale.
Regarding Claim 17:
Claim 17 recites substantially similar limitations as those found in Claim 7, above, and is rejected under similar rationale.
Regarding Claim 18:
Claim 18 recites substantially similar limitations as those found in Claim 8, above, and is rejected under similar rationale.
Regarding Claim 20:
Claim 20 recites substantially similar limitations as those found in Claim 10, above, and is rejected under similar rationale.
Claim(s) 9 & 19 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Diamond (US 2023/0226866 A1) in view of Hagan (US 2015/0204741 A1), Anders (US 2023/0166634 A1), and Kato (US 2009/0261658 A1) as applied to claims 3 & 13 above, and further in view of Oyama (US 2021/0245608 A1).
Regarding Claim 9:
The add-on mobility apparatus of claim 3, wherein the processor is further configured to: determine a second driving torque of the at least one second drive motor by multiplying a first driving torque of the at least one first drive motor by the driving factor.
Diamond does not appear to specifically disclose wherein the driving torque is determined by multiplying a first driving torque of the at least one first drive motor by the driving factor.
However Oyama teaches in at least Paragraphs 0257 & 0258 wherein the required driving force to be output from each of the first and second drive motors is set by multiplying the determined torque ratios [i.e. the first and second driving factors] by the required power to set the required power for each target drive motor [i.e. a second driving torque of the at least one second drive motor is determined by multiplying a first driving torque of the at least one first drive motor by the driving factor].
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the present claimed invention to have modified the disclosure of Diamond by incorporating the multiplying of driving torques by determined torque ratios to determine the driving torques of each motor as taught by Oyama.
The motivation to do so is that, as acknowledged by Oyama in at least Paragraphs 0257 & 0258, the torque provided to each of the first and second motors may be appropriately set based on the determined torque ratios, improving the control of the vehicle to the appropriate torque level to the battery states of charge.
Regarding Claim 19:
Claim 19 recites substantially similar limitations as those found in Claim 9, above, and is rejected under similar rationale.
Conclusion
The following prior art made of record but not relied upon is considered pertinent to the Applicant’s disclosure:
Park (US 2017/0021737 A1): Park recites a vehicle system including a main and auxiliary battery, wherein the providing of power to an electrical load is based on states of charge of said batteries. The main and auxiliary battery are connected to one another by a DC-DC converter, and charge may be passed therebetween.
Komatsu (US 2012/0049771 A1): Komatsu recites a vehicle system, including a master battery and multiple slave batteries, wherein the discharge of the batteries is based in part on the states of charge of the batteries. State of charge in battery cells may be balanced with one another to extend the usable lifespan of the vehicle battery system.
Salasoo (US 2010/0019718 A1): Salasoo recites a vehicle system including a plurality of battery modules, with secondary battery modules being configured to provide power to primary battery modules based on factors such as the states of charge of each of the plurality of battery modules. Additional factors, including age and capacity of each battery module, may be taken into account in determining a rate of transfer between battery modules.
Li (US 2019/0225092 A1): Li recites a vehicle system with a plurality of battery modules, each battery module having a different energy density, with one battery pack being prioritized over the other(s) for charging. Connection of battery pack(s) to the load or charge source may take place on the basis of the state(s) of charge of the battery packs relative to a predetermined threshold, or by comparison of the state(s) of charge to one another.
Ye (US 2020/0223422 A1): Ye recites a battery pack balancing system for a motor vehicle, including the comparison of characteristics of a plurality of battery packs to determine if the difference between battery packs is above a threshold. In response to such a determination, a command may be provided to control charging between the batteries to reduce a capacity difference in the battery packs to below a predetermined threshold.
Kumar (US 2021/0139054 A1): Kumar recites a vehicle system, including a plurality of vehicles and battery assemblies. Electricity may be shared between battery modules, and different electrical inputs may be provided to different vehicle motors to drive the vehicle.
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/CHRISTOPHER R CARDIMINO/Examiner, Art Unit 3661
/RAMYA P BURGESS/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3661
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